Imagine you’re back in high school history class and your teacher begins a lecture about a distant relative in your family. Or, imagine you’re watching a movie about the Revolutionary War and on the screen is an actor portraying your ancestor.

Such scenarios may seem far-fetched but they are very real for several residents of the Grand Strand and South Carolina  Lowcountry. Our area is home to descendants of that war's heroes, such as General Tadeusz Kosciuszko and General Francis Marion – the “Swamp Fox,” as well as other early settlers of the area, including Waccamaw Indians, and the Horry, Vereen, and Burroughs families.

General Tadeusz Kosciuszko

For Patty Kosciuszko Collette, living with the ghost of her famous great-great-great grandfather has been a true joy. Her lineage traces directly to the famous Polish general who was instrumental in winning the Revolutionary War and designing the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Patty and her husband split their time between homes in Surfside Beach and Arlington, Va.

“The first time I felt celebrated as a descendant of General Kosciuszko was when our family visited Kosciusko, Mississippi the year before I started kindergarten,” Patty says. “We were greeted by the mayor, and after several photos, treated to dinner and introduced to various people who also took photos of us. I thought ‘We must be really important’ – maybe famous – thought the 5-year-old me!”

Fast forward to 2023 when another mayor made Patty feel like a celebrity in Milakowo, Poland. With a desire to be of service, Patty volunteered with the Kosciuszko Foundation to teach in Poland for the summer. Her team had 40 Polish students and 40 Ukrainian refugees, and taught English, cooking, baking, and gymnastics.

“We were greeted by the mayor, who hosted us at the only restaurant in town,” she says. “He said he heard there was a ‘true Kosciuszko’ in attendance and was delighted to see my driver’s license as I kept Kosciuszko as my surname after getting married. All summer, people wanted to meet the “Koz Girl” and asked to see my driver’s license. Also, two administrators from the Foundation drove three hours from Warsaw to meet me.

“Being related to such an important and brave man fills my heart with joy,” Patty continues. “When I see Jefferson’s statue at the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, I smile with pride. The fur he’s wearing was given to him by his close friend Thaddeus Kosciuszko as a gift from Emperor Paul I, and it originally belonged to Catherine the Great.”

Patty’s father, whose nickname was “Koz,” was the youngest of 10 children. He spoke fluent Polish and joined the Army Air Corps, which became the U.S. Air Force. He went on to become Colonel A.E. Kosciuszko, a bomber pilot who flew in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, a true patriot, following in the steps of Thaddeus.

General Francis Marion

General Francis Marion – the “Swamp Fox” – is among the most famous South Carolinians ever. Along with Kosciuszko, he was largely responsible for winning the American Revolution, aiding George Washington and the Continental Army throughout the war. Marion learned to use Native American tactics and leverage the state’s native swamps and tricky low country terrain to consistently defeat the larger and better equipped British forces. The Waccamaw tribe, discussed later in this article, were instrumental in teaching Marion and his men about guerilla warfare – tactics still studied and used today by U.S. military forces.

After the Revolution, Marion, aged 54, returned home and married his 49-year-old cousin, Mary Esther Videau. They had no children, but he had four brothers and a sister who produced numerous nieces and nephews.

Thomas Keith Gourdin of Pineville is a local expert on the Swamp Fox, his “great-times-four” uncle. Gourdin is a direct descendant of Marion’s brother Benjamin. He has been instrumental in researching and preserving this important history. Gourdin lives in the home his grandfather built in 1925, just five miles from the Swamp Fox’s tomb, located in what was once Belle Isle Plantation and owned by another brother, Gabriel. Gourdin founded the local Sons of the Revolution chapter, which now has 14 members.

“It was vitally important to preserve this history,” says Gourdin, “So I’ve dedicated myself to the task.” His home is a living museum of artifacts, books, charts, maps, family trees and more. He helps organize an annual symposium about Marion, the family, and their role in gaining America’s independence and settling the area.

“I thought it would be nice to have the South Carolina Air National Guard do a flyover at our symposium,” Gourdin continued, “So I made an inquiry. I learned the 169th Fighter Wing of our Air National Guard is nicknamed ‘The Swamp Fox Squadron.’ They were thrilled to be asked and have performed every year since. And the commander told me the squadron uses Francis Marion’s tomb as their navigational point when flying.”

The Sons of the Revolution also hold annual commemorations of key battles, including battlefield tours and lectures by history experts. They rely heavily on Gourdin for much of their material and information.

Waccamaw Indian Tribe

Although Europeans began settling in the area in the 1600s, the ancestors of Harold “Buster” Hatcher, Chief of the Waccamaw Indian Tribe, were here at least 2,000 years earlier. Hatcher is a commited, active advocate for his people and is enormously proud of their heritage. His tribal name is “Wolf on the Run.”

“It took until 1992 for the State of South Carolina to charter our tribe,” explains Hatcher, “And even that took great effort and politicking. Today, our tribe has more than 300 active members. But we know there are more than 1,000 descendants in the area. Sadly, because of decades of discrimination and oppression, many still hide their heritage and instead strive to quietly assimilate into the general population.”

Hatcher, who has been chief for 30 years, and his members work tirelessly to preserve their history. The tribe conducts an annual PauWau every fall on its tribal grounds near Aynor, S.C. The PauWau features dancing, music, native crafts and food and visits by other North American tribes. Hatcher and others remain politically active and are often in Columbia working to improve conditions for the tribe and its members. They are also very active in the community conducting lectures, demonstrations, and presentations at schools, civic organizations, churches, and elsewhere.

“We’ve come a long way, but still have a long way to go,” Hatcher adds. He said it was 1914 before Native Americans were allowed to be citizens. He tells the story of being in a white middle school in 1956 when he had to go outside and drink water from the hose because only whites could use the indoor fountains. Hatcher is quick to remind that it was his ancestors who taught the Swamp Fox and others guerilla warfare that proved crucial to America winning its independence from Great Britain.

Vereen Family

Another important family name on the Grand Strand and throughout the low country is Vereen. The members of the Vereen family, as well as the Marions and Gourdins, were French Huguenots fleeing religious persecution in Europe. Their name evolved from Varin to Vereen. Jeremiah was the first of his family to settle in what is now Horry County. He moved from his father’s plantation near Georgetown, putting down roots in Little River on land that had been inherited by his wife Mary. Jeremiah was also related to Peter Horry, for whom the county was later named.

Today, cousins George Rayford Vereen and Allene Vereen Murray are great-great-great-great grandchildren of Jeremiah. George is very active in preserving the family history and recently was recognized by SC DOT by the naming of a section of Highway 17 in North Myrtle Beach in his honor.

He recalls that growing up as a Vereen wasn’t particularly special until the community celebrated the 200th anniversary of George Washington’s visit. As the new nation’s president, Washington made a southern tour after the victorious Revolution.

On April 27, 1791 he stayed with Jeremiah Vereen’s family on their 400-acre plantation in Little River. That property today is the 115-acre Vereen Memorial Park. George Vereen was chosen to wear a period costume and play Washington in a reenactment of the famous visit.

“It struck me then on how unique my family lineage is and the important role they played in establishing the area,” Vereen remarks.

Allene Vereen was raised in Maryland, but spent many summers with her siblings, cousins, and other relatives at “The Big Landing,” the large family home that once stood where the memorial gardens now exist.

“Our Uncle Sam Vereen – ‘Captain Sam’ – had a huge boat – the 105-foot long ‘Ocean Queen’ that he sailed out of Little River,” says Allene. “He would fill it with tourists and fishermen for day trips and my sister, Elizabeth, and I would be on the boat to sing and entertain the patrons.”

Many in the Vereen clan gathered in 1958 at The Big Landing to unveil the family history and dedicate the cemetery that is the resting place for several ancestors, including some who served in the Revolutionary War. The cemetery has several remarkable monuments bearing historic dates, names and titles.

Franklin G. Burroughs

There is a scene in the film “Gone with the Wind” where Scarlett O’Hara’s father tells her to “Hold onto the land Katie Scarlett! It’s the only thing that endures!” That type of thinking must be what drove Franklin G. Burroughs to build his impressive company.

Burroughs, born in North Carolina in 1834, came to what is now Conway to pursue his fortune. He started a small supplies business, was held as a prisoner during the Civil War, then built thriving businesses distilling turpentine, selling lumber and naval supplies and buying real estate. By 1882, he had a small steamboat line working the rivers and then built a 14-mile railroad to the beach. His wife, Adeline, won a contest in 1901 to rename New Town to Myrtle Beach.

Today, their great-great-granddaughter Debi Burroughs is Chair of the Burroughs & Chapin Company, a privately owned retail investment trust, employing hundreds of people along the Grand Strand and owning over 20,000 acres of property.

Her lineage and deep roots – and accompanying responsibilities – are not lost on Debi. She grew up in Conway, graduated from Conway High School, earned her business degree at Coastal Carolina University (CCU) and lives in Murrells Inlet. In addition to leading one of the area’s largest and most important businesses, she is also vice president of Anderson Brothers Bank.

Debi’s parents raised her and her siblings James, Lloyd and Georgia in Conway with little fanfare, giving them a fairly normal childhood. Debi had no idea about the significant impact her ancestors have had on the area, nor her unique lineage, until she was in junior high school. Her neighbor at that time, a professor at CCU, told her about her family’s history and how important they were to the region’s growth.

In high school and college, she was occasionally singled out by teachers when they were lecturing on the history of Horry County and mentioned Debi’s ancestors.

“As teens growing up, my siblings and I didn’t think there was anything special about our family,” says Burroughs. “However, we did hang out at the Pavilion in the summer like most area teens and tourists. We loved the beach atmosphere at the Pavilion, the music and dancing. One night, we wanted to meet the members of the Sugar Creek Band and I found that it was easy to arrange when the manager heard my name.”

Burroughs adds, “My great-great grandfather, Franklin G. Burroughs, had a vision for the area and recognized its potential to become the thriving community it is today. Our Burroughs and Chapin family has dedicated itself to making a difference and creating a place that families would continue to visit and make long-lasting memories for generations to come. I am honored to be entrusted and supported by my family to continue the family’s vision for the area, the growth of the business, and our contributions to the communities that we serve.”

General Jimmy Doolittle

The former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, current location of the Market Common neighborhood, also has a rich history. One of the more famous events that took place there was the training of the pilots for General Jimmy Doolittle’s raid on Tokyo during WWII.

Local resident Jennifer Egan is a Doolittle descendant and a board member for the Festive Brass of Myrtle Beach (see Grand Strand magazine October 2024). She served as the Board Chair when the group performed two concerts in Honolulu for the 80th commemoration of the Pearl Harbor attack. Her commitment to honoring veterans and those who lost their lives in military service is deeply personal, rooted in the distinguished military service of her family dating back centuries. Jennifer's brother, Brad Johnson, served in the U.S. Air Force during the Vietnam War. Her father, Martin Johnson, served with the Navy in the Pacific during WWII and the Korean conflict.

Jennifer has documented that she is the great-great-granddaughter of Philetus Doolittle, a horse-drawn ambulance driver in the Civil War. A couple generations before Philetus Doolittle, Jennifer is a direct descendant of Amzi Doolittle, who fought in the Revolutionary War. He was a minuteman and held the rank of lieutenant in the Vermont Militia.

Going back one additional generation, her ancestor, the Rev. Doctor Benjamin Doolittle, was known as a minister-physician who treated the wounded during the French and Indian War.

The Reverend Doctor was the son of John Doolittle (born June 14, 1655, in New Haven, Connecticut) He fought in King Philips’ War, also known as The First Indian War, a conflict between colonists and Native Americans.

The legacy of service to our country continues with Jennifer’s oldest daughter, Sara Hallstein, who is currently active with the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Great Britain.

History runs deep and rich on the Grand Strand and in South Carolina low country. We are fortunate to have so many descendants of significant historical figures living among us. So when you speak to a stranger or make a new friend, pay attention to their lineage – you just might be touching history.

Annual Events

The Waccamaw Indian Tribe holds its annual PauWau every fall at its tribal grounds in Aynor. It is a gala, two-day event and tribe members welcome the general public to attend. The PauWau features native dancing, food, tribal costumes, various demonstrations and rich history. See the tribe’s website for more details.

The South Carolina Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution conducts several annual events honoring the Swamp Fox Francis Marion and others who fought for America’s freedom in the Revolutionary War. Events include re-enactments and memorial services and are open to the public. They are held in the area near Marion’s tomb near Lake Marion and Lake Moultrie. Check the Chapter’s website for dates and details.