Three Iron Horses and a Butterfly

© 2015 Arthur H. Bolden. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  03/06/2015

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6818-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6817-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-6816-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015902036

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Acknowledgements

Preface

Chapter One: Darlington And South Carolina History

Chapter Two: Elias Bacote

Chapter Three: The Bacote Side

Chapter Four: The Kelly Side

Chapter Five: Shadrack Kelly

Chapter Six: Shadrack Kelly/John Carolina

Chapter Seven: Evelyn Kelly Bolden Brown

Epilog

Sources Of Information

Appendix

Acknowledgements

M any readers may not appreciate the difficulties and obstacles encountered during the penning and ultimate publishing of a treatise of this nature. It requires support from a cadre of alliances that assist in the research, writing and publishing aspects, as well as those who render ideas, insights, encouragement, understanding, as well as mental and financial support. I am eternally grateful to my fruitful alliances for their contributions, patience and understanding during the last four y ears.

I embarked on this project with inspiration from my wife, Ms. Jacquelyn (Jackie) Bolden and daughter, Ms. Sydne Long. It began with the intent to compose a brief Word document on my computer from an assortment of documents and notes relating to our family history that my mother had maintained for as long as I can remember. In addition, I sought to pen in ink some family lore I retained from numerous conversations with her. The goal was to make the information available for my children, however, it evolved into a much larger than anticipated treatise on family history. They were patient and tolerant of my mood changes at that time as well as my clutter as I moved between rooms in the house with piles of papers and books. I wish to extend my loving thanks and appreciation to Jackie. Her support especially throughout the latter stages of this project has been invaluable. To my sons, Arthur and Troy, who expect nothing less than 100 per cent commitment and effort, I say thanks for sharing your ideas.

Whatever merit this treatise possesses it owes to my daughter Sydne. Her faith in my idea encouraged me to toil with the many required details, and her generosity enabled me to enlist the services essential to produce a respectable work.

Kudos to Mrs. Evelyn K.B. Brown for possessing the discipline, insight and wherewithal to serve as an unofficial griot of these families for nearly a century and for maintaining much family lore in written form.

Acknowledgement is made to my dear cousins, Ms. Patricia Bacote James and Ms. Gladys Bacote Hunter for entrusting to me cogent details of incidents and events at the Bacote enclaves in Darlington County during the last century, and for providing insight into the lives of the offspring of Elias and Matilda Bacote. Their input was invaluable in the preparation of the manuscript, as they provided details many family members had no knowledge of, had forgotten, or were reluctant to release or discuss.

The author wishes to extend heart-felt thanks to Ms. Vivian Guyton for helpful discussions and emails and for leading me to Roseville Plantation. It is clear that our by-chance meeting was pre-ordained. I also thank genealogy researcher and historian Scott Wilds, an authority on Darlington, South Carolina history, for uncovering and sharing vital information from the bondage era, as it relates to the ancestors cited here-in. Without his assistance, the scope of this project would have been virtually unattainable. Thanks to the writer, Charles Stansbury, for inspirational and educational discussions involving the publishing process and to my son in-law Lewis P. Long for his inspiration and helpful discussions.

The author is forever indebted to the Director, Doris G. Gandy, and her staff at the Darlington County Historical Commission for their cooperation in providing historical Bacot and Kelly materials and assistance in locating related materials in their vast archives located in the former city jailhouse. Sincere appreciation is extended to Ms. Kay Williamson, Ms. Gail Gandy, and Ms. Nanny Diggs for their efforts. Thanks are also extended to Ms. Mirenda Douglas and the staff at the historic Mechanicsville Baptist Church for opening their archives and providing CDs of church files during the era of bondage.

To the authors of the 2003 Kelly Reunion Booklet, Ms. Rene’ Peterson, Ms. Catherine Kelly, Bishop Jerry Kelly, Dr. Brenda Kelly, Pastor Bessie Kelly-Jones, Mrs. Aleemah Spence and Mr. La’Ray Peterson, your inclusive, genealogical, document provided much needed foundation for this endeavor. Nearly complete Kelly genealogical data was placed at the author’s fingertips enabling the project immensely.

Thanks are extended to the widow of Mr. Carl Tucker, Mrs. Eleanor Tucker, the owner of Roseville Plantation, who provided the author insightful history of the plantation and allowed me to briefly tour the restored manor and grounds, unannounced. I visited them a few years ago before Mr. Tucker passed away. They expressed much kindness and understanding.

I would be remiss if I failed to acknowledge the suggestions, proof reading, comments and editing of an early draft of the manuscript by my dear friends, Ms. Annette Baker and Ms. Jacqueline Antoine.

Ms. Robin Stennet and my wife Jackie provided the same critical and inspirational services on later versions. Each of them improved the presentation immensely with their corrections, recommendations and thoughtful comments, and to them I am eternally grateful. Ms. Stennet’s diligence and interest during the project’s latter stages provided vital impetus and inspiration to the author to continue when the going got difficult and the task seemed unsurmountable. Her precise, grammatical, and flow corrections were particularly critical to the process. Ms. Stennet secured the final edition. Her writing skills and firm grasp of language allayed all of the author’s fears. Thank you Robin. Grateful acknowledgement is also made to Ms. Diane Gerard for her professional rendition of the illustrative figures presented herein. Her diligence and interest over the entire span of the project provided inspiration to the author.

I am particularly indebted to my deceased brother, Chester Bolden, who, during our formative years, diligently tried to develop in me a fuller appreciation of the significance of extended family. Chester had a firm grasp of our genealogy, from core family to extended cousins. All I wanted to do was play ball. Thanks Chester, I think I finally got it.

I also thank the staff at Authorhouse for their unwavering support throughout the entire process. To my coordinator, Jessa Paxton, to the book designer, and the art director, all who worked tirelessly to design the book and make it an appealing, visual beauty, I offer sincere, heartfelt appreciation.

Preface

T his is a treatise on Bacote and Kelly family history and is primarily about three gentlemen and a woman. They represent ancestors from three different generations, who nobly carried their family torch and established high standards for succeeding generations to aspire. I wish to state quite definitively that it is by no means my intention to generate an all-inclusive genealogy driven survey of Bacote and Kelly family histories. Additionally, I wish to state quite definitively, it is not my intention to specifically omit, demean, dishonor, disrespect, or under-represent any members of these large families. Many ancestral as well as contemporary Bacote and Kelly family members may not appear in this treatise. Nevertheless that does not reduce their importance or significance to the family, or to the au thor.

I seek to participate in the preservation of these Kellys and Bacotes most valued and revered possession, their history. There are only a few entities as powerful and important as a family firmly steeped in their history. A portion of this history has already been systematically deleted from the deepest receptacles of our brains as our ties with our African heritage were dramatically severed during the era of bondage. It would be a tragic, irresponsible, mistake to let another interruption occur so quickly. It is very important that we document as much as possible about this history now, because as generations pass on, we will be left with unanswered questions. A continuing debate about the past will ensue. What happened? Who was the first to come to America? Who shaped the course of our family history? Who in our family were drum majors for justice and equality? Who fought in the wars, for America? Who were the pioneering college graduates and businessmen/women? What did she do? Who was his father? What are the names of her children? How did our family history of involvement in Christianity evolve? What were some of the major contributions of the family to American society? By definition, and as I am discovering, the reconstructed past is contestable territory as it involves skepticism, contingency, presumption, interpretations, and truths as well as untruths. I have discovered there are already some simple discrepancies in some of the information that I have amassed from different sources, such as ages, birthdays, first names etc.

My humble intent is to feature Elias Bacote, a Bacote gentleman, John Kelly Sr., a Kelly gentleman, Shadrack Kelly, a Kelly gentleman, and Evelyn K.B. Brown, a Kelly/Bacote woman. These ancestors respectively, were two male slaves, the son of a freed slave and a daughter of the son of a freed slave. Their lives spanned three vastly different eras of American history, and each of them remarkably, exhibited immense courage, patience, intelligence, insight, resourcefulness, the ability to endure, the willingness to struggle and the faith to sacrifice against all odds. Embedded in their landscapes were enormous setbacks, perils and personal tragedy, but they moved forward in a grand fashion. At a juncture in American history when our individual futures are severely challenged, they are featured because their stories are very illuminating, because they were, under the circumstances, heroic ancestors who withstood many of the challenges of their eras, because they possessed great character, and not because of any amount of materiality they accumulated. Their stories serve to memorialize the victims of bondage and Jim Crow and to communicate Kelly and Bacote history, culture and values. There are other noted ancestors of these families, and ancestors of other families across this great country that deserve a similar distinction, and maybe this treatise will inspire such an undertaking.

This project really began with the idea of generating a document/treatise for me and my descendants about Kelly and Bacote family history, but it instantly became so interesting and enthralling that I knew I had to share it. It began as a passion and gradually became a mission that I am honored to perform. So because of my unselfishness, I feel obligated to state what my intentions are for self-benefit as well as the benefit of others. It also helps establish some guidelines for the author, as well as for you, the reader. I will address some accomplishments and actions of a core Kelly/Bacote family as presented herein, up to and including the generation born during the 1930s and 1940s, but that generation only to a limited degree.

I do not have the information, desire or knowledge to discuss a larger percentage of the events that occurred in the lives of these ancestors. I seek to document the truth about what transpired in only a few instrumental cases. A backlash of the perilous journey they endured was the lack of adequate discussion or dialogue regarding the past. Don’t be misled here, numerous important facets were acknowledged over generations, but there were just as many that were filed in some obscure folder of their brains and eventually deleted. As a result there are holes in the family landscape that merit attention, if only for the sake of history.

When the time came to generate a title for this treatise I felt severely challenged. Somehow I wanted it to depict something about the venues where these ancestors toiled, to be descriptive of their existence, and to honor them. During a conference call with members of my immediate family numerous brain-stormed considerations were generated. The list was narrowed to a few which came to the forefront, for example, the name of the plantation of their bondage, the catchy name of a farm tract owned by the Bacotes, simply a History of the Kellys and the Bacotes and a few others. However, all of them seemed too mundane and unassuming, as we felt these were powerful individuals with powerful stories.

During the course of the call one participant remarked that he was taken aback by the role the railroad played in Bacote lore and how some of its virtues paralleled those of some ancestors I sought to feature.

The development of the railroad industry changed many aspects of life in America. In the 1860s railroad lines were constructed across the country connecting the East to the West. Locomotives conquered the prairies, tamed contested territories while more firmly connecting and bonding the Union. In the process, the industry displayed the credible virtues of courage, integrity and tenacity.

The iconic term Iron Horse, which refers to trains during that period of time, serves as a perfect metaphor for the three male ancestors featured in this treatise. Just as that machinery transformed the American landscape and economy by playing a major role in labor, land development, transportation of goods as well as passengers at a critical stage in American history, so too did the deeds of Elias Bacote, John Kelly Sr. and Shadrack Kelly alter many aspects of the South Carolina landscape as well as create a paradigm in the evolution of these families. These pioneering ancestors exhibited many of the traits attributed to that iconic term. They were steadfast, immovable and abounding in endurance. As you will see, they implemented initiatives that expanded the family horizons for generations. As it was with the Iron Horse, in each case the concept was bold and adventurous and a symbol of hard work and indestructibility. We all liked the concept of iron horses.

In an analogous sense, a parallel can be drawn between the iconic Evelyn K.B. Brown and the butterfly. When one thinks of this ancestor, in addition to her strength and vision, a gentleness emerges, a caring and loving persona. In many regards she was very much like the beautiful, colorful Monarch Butterfly which is known for its endurance and ability to gracefully migrate long distances. Unlike her counterparts from above she did not stay put. From the farm, to uptown Darlington, to college, to New York City, to international destinations; Evelyn exhibited a strong desire and disposition to travel and explore faraway places. She was known for going to different places, experiencing different cultures while spreading goodwill, compassion and love. Similarly, the butterfly gracefully migrates, transporting things like seeds, nectar and pollen in the eco-system, enabling fertilization and reproduction. Evelyn’s life was a perpetual portrayal of love, love of her family, love and respect of her fellow man. It is very interesting that in Chinese culture butterflies symbolize love. The butterfly serves as a perfect metaphor for this family icon.

From the conference call, the concept of Three Iron Horses and a Butterfly evolved and was a unanimous choice for the title of this ambitious work.

I am truly inspired by the actions of these icons and I seek the knowledge to comprehend why and how they ascended to the heights they soared. To simply contend that they overcame adversity is indeed an understatement.

I endeavor to develop a relatively superficial, unbiased, historical, narrative about important sub-units of each of these relatively large families, intertwined with a listing of much of the broader family that I have gained knowledge of via historical research and informal interviews with family members.

I endeavor to record relevant facts based primarily on documents of Evelyn Kelly Bolden Brown, Mechanicsville Baptist Church records, U.S. Census Reports, Darlington County Historical Commission Papers, 2003 Kelly Reunion Booklet Reviving the Legend to Live the Legacy, Bacot Family Papers, genealogy researchers, historians, and information generously provided by family members et al, over the years. In some cases I will be forced to make, at best, a modest interpretation of a particular event or action. If inaccurate, it will be an honest mistake.

In focusing on these four ancestors, some important ancestors and contemporary family members will not be included herein; hopefully that will not lessen the significance and impact of this document to readers. To go into detail about a larger segment of the Bacotes and Kellys would require too much research and work for me. I would much rather be out hitting the golf ball, working on my game.

It is my goal to provide a beneficial reading experience for family members as well as the public at large, where one becomes fascinated and excited while digesting the historical information. I seek to generate a broader perspective of the bondage and post-bondage periods, from an African-American standpoint, based on interesting information pertaining to the lives of four icons of these families. Within this framework, it is my desire that the reader develops a sense of the Mechanicsville, South Carolina landscapes and an insight into the psychology of the featured individuals.

It is very insightful that Evelyn K.B. Brown possessed a cache of old family documents and notes pertaining to the history of these two families. These documents, some of which were inherited from her parents, some which were legal in nature, or notes scribbled on pieces of paper, old personal family letters etc., were archived in a locked cedar chest that she kept at the foot of her bed for decades. Only a selected few knew the location of the key to that chest. Evelyn felt that as a devoted at-large Kelly/Bacote family member, it was incumbent upon her to maintain these invaluable records so that the history of the family passed on is as true as possible. This treatise is an attempt to take that storehouse of information, along with further historical research, and break new ground while unearthing heretofore unknown, vague, and forgotten aspects of that history. I will bring stories to life that have never been adequately penned. The history of every core sub-unit of the Kelly and Bacote families is significant as it relates to those families at-large. For a more in-depth Kelly genealogical perspective, a comprehensive listing of Kelly genealogy, I refer you to the valuable and informative 2003 Kelly Reunion Booklet.

This research is not nearly completed and this treatise will undoubtedly present some questionable dates and assertions. I continually seek to motivate myself to search aggressively for more historical data, and in the process hopefully inspire and motivate the youth of these families, as we toil to preserve the legacy of some extraordinary ancestors.

Some may say, Arthur dealt primarily with love, property accumulation and education and did not adequately address issues like devotion, fellowship, spiritual accomplishments, death, sex and other issues. That is another project. Some of the very young family members may say Arthur devoted too much attention to the slavery issue. As noted author James Baldwin so brilliantly stated in his 1963 novel, The Fire Next Time, to accept one’s past, one’s history, is not the same thing as drowning in it, it is learning how to use it. My goal is to provide a brief historical sketch of the professional lives of the featured individuals, to bring some of their accomplishments to the public forum, to illustrate some of their distinctive traits of character, not to extol or deify them, but to illustrate some models that may be of benefit to future generations.

We must endeavor to recognize, celebrate and honor the historical significance of the successes of our ancestors. For centuries these brave and courageous individuals contributed immeasurably to the culture, independence, wealth and history of this great nation. Regrettably, from a historical and public relations perspective, many African-Americans feel that those contributions have not been afforded the measure of recognition that they deserve, and that they have been systematically downplayed, if not completely omitted, in our literature, classrooms and museums. Some members of these families may contend that there is no inherent value in pursuing the history of these ancestors. They have made statements like, it’s too ugly, let’s forget about it and move on. I respect their decision in that regard, but I strongly disagree. It is paramount that this information is disclosed.

In a sense my sentiments here are an echo of the rhetoric expressed many centuries ago by the brilliant Iranian scholar, Abu’l-Rayhan Muhammad Al-Biruni (973-1050), whose writings encompassed a vast field of knowledge. Al-Biruni wrote, It is our duty to proceed from what is near to what is distant, from what is known to that which is less known, to gather the traditions from those who have reported them, to correct them as much as possible and to leave the rest as it is, in order to make our work help anyone who seeks truth and loves wisdom.

I contend that, to a large degree, the more true knowledge individuals possess of their family history the stronger they and their contemporary family are as a people, socially, mentally and psychologically. The mental and psychological aspects of our individual existence are very critical. The more we know and understand about ourselves as young individuals the greater our chances of personal development and fulfillment. Knowledge of the past is a form of experience.

I cannot overstate the relative importance of this link to the past. That is the essence of history. It is what makes history the important discipline it is today, and why the library is stacked to the ceiling with history books. If we feel we came from greatness we will aspire for greatness. By the same token, if we feel our family survived successfully for generations on welfare, handouts and incarceration, chances are we may not diligently aspire to break those chains.

The more I became engrossed during the creation of this treatise the greater my realization became of its potential importance as a historical document, but more importantly as a source of information for future generations. What can we say about the nature of family history and the important role it may play in our development as individuals? Knowledge of our history, the successes, pitfalls, disasters and humbling moments that befell our ancestors, and not just the ones who experienced the wrath of bondage, but also succeeding generations, can facilitate the avoidance of a lot of negative duplication. We can amass the negatives, learn from them and convert them into positives. If we’re strong enough mentally we can simply erase them from our system. We additionally have the option of embellishing the strong positive facets of this history and utilizing them as models for our present existence.

It is important to have knowledge of the past in a text of documented facts. Some individuals will retain more oral history than others without distorting it. But what happens when these retainers are no longer on this side of the Golden Shore? The knowledge is lost and we are forced to delve into the realm of speculation. I can recall as a young man hearing discussions and stories about some family members who preceded me, even having discussions with family conscious older relatives as they related what they knew regarding the past. However, now to my chagrin, I cannot recall much of the gist of those conversations. In hindsight, if only somehow they had been put in print, zeroxed or recorded, my knowledge today would be greatly enhanced.

In addition, from a medical standpoint, the importance of past family medical history cannot be overstated. Today, the first piece of information doctors want is the medical history of your family. Is there a history of cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, alcoholism, drug addiction, mental disorders, leukemia, sickle cell anemia, etc. in your family, they typically ask? Presently, this information may be more important than ever, because with current technology the human genome (DNA) has been fully sequenced, analyzed and partially interpreted. The interpretation process of specific sequences is ongoing. However, a definite correlation between the content of one’s DNA and the presence of specific gene-related illnesses in one’s family has already been identified. What this means is that in the very near future society is going to benefit more greatly from knowledge of long term, ancestral, medical family history, with the saving of lives and possible prevention of unnecessary distress, suffering and trauma.

I believe it is critically important that we remain cognizant of the fact that our behavior and posture today, to a large extent, was shaped by the lives of the people who preceded us; that we are a product of our own experiences as well as those of our ancestors. Their history is indeed a legacy that should not be covered in the sands of time. We honor these individuals and illuminate their legacies when we preserve the history of their emancipation and individual struggles for self-realization. However, ultimately their true measure will be determined by how they handled adversity, the tough times, not how prosperous or how much materiality they espoused.

As it is the responsibility of each generation of humanity to improve on mankind’s existence, so is it the responsibility of each generation of a family (a sub-unit of mankind) to weed out the bad stuff, improve on the good things and generate novel ideas. Of course that does not always occur, but I do believe that that’s what the Creator had in mind. Classic examples of this model are families that moved from one end of the self-reliance and responsibility spectrum to the other, from sharecroppers to farm owners, from apartment building maintenance men to apartment building owners, family businesses that thrived and developed over two, three, and four generations, optimizing the original idea or concept and taking it globally to even greater heights.

It is my sincere desire that this discourse, thus penned, is worthy of preservation, and will be viewed with pride and veneration by the Kelly and Bacote families at large, however remote they may be removed from the homes of their fathers. It offers some behind the scenes glimpses at four, significant, African-American figures and their unsung contributions to this nation’s story. In addition, it is hoped that it will provide inspiration, knowledge and insight for younger family members, as well as the public at-large, as they relive the barriers and challenges these individuals encountered. Perhaps it will open minds, hearts and eyes to the richness of the broad African-American experience, culture and history, which could induce an enhancement of the spirit of healing, reconciliation and more importantly better understanding between the many diverse cultures in America. Hopefully, as importantly, it will encourage discourse on the contributions of other family icons and promote the preservation and protection of their legacies.

I challenge each and every young Kelly and Bacote descendant, who has the opportunity to peruse this treatise, to develop a sense of pride and respect for the Kelly and Bacote traditions, respect for who they are, where they originated and what they’ve accomplished. This history, of course, is filled with unspeakable tragedy, but it also features enormous accomplishments, prolific memories, and above all faith and hope. Hopefully, this new-found knowledge will serve to re-affirm their rich heritage, foster a spirit of reconciliation and enhancement of character, as well as assist in the reinforcement of individual identity and continuity.

To have the opportunity to discover, explore and examine portions of the lives of such illustrious ancestors of these families, individuals who exhibited legendary capabilities and adroitness, is a privilege and indeed a pleasure frequently unavailable to us in this great nation, due to the unfortunate scarcity and limited availability of detailed records from these historic eras.

John Hope Franklin, the noted historian, touched eloquently on this issue in his autobiography, Mirror to America, when he talked about the history of a nation not only being imbedded in the records of legendary wars, or the lives of the rich and famous, but also in the lives of the most consistently despised, improvident, underserved population.

The late, iconic, poet emeritus, Maya Angelou, addressed the relevance and importance of a documented family history in a very powerful manner in her poem A Black Family Pledge. In a concise manner the poem highlights and supports many of the premises and ideas I have put forth in this Preface. From it one experiences a sense of the relationship and connectivity of this history and the future. One very eloquent line reads; Because we have forgotten our ancestors our children no longer give us honor.

As a descendant of these ancestors, I offer this brief look into history, for the benefit of my own family and all students of history. Only because I consider that some readers will want to know who the author is or what are the author’s credentials, will I offer tidbits of information about myself throughout this treatise. Having published over 30 international Biochemical Research papers, I am an experienced writer who fully understands the importance and significance of substantiating facts and data before putting them out in the air waves for public scrutiny.

Chapter One

_______________

Darlington And South Carolina

History

I t is well documented that the slave trade made South Carolina the powerhouse that it is today in agriculture. The state was built on the backs of many remarkable individuals, both black and white, and it is clear that the strong, courageous African-American Bacote and Kelly families made exceptional contributions to the development of Darlington County, South Carolina. With the never ending forest, majestic pine trees, billowing oaks and vast swampland that we have here, it must have been a monumental task just clearing