The first house built by the Singleton's was a simple farmhouse. Ignorant of the dangers of mosquitos, this house was built close to the swamps scattered throughout the area. The unhealthy location was to claim the lives of two members of Matthew and Mary's growing family.

Along with their daughter Ann, the young couple had another five children, three of whom survived infancy. The first child born in South Carolina was John, born in 1754. A daughter, Mary, was born in 1761 and a second son, Robert, was born in 1763.

Although the High Hills claimed two of the Singleton's children, the land provided the growing family with ever increasing wealth. Quickly outgrowing their first house, the Singleton's built a new home which they called Melrose.

While creating a home was the most important activity for the Singleton's, conflicts between the Cherokee and the colonial government soon pulled Matthew away from his family. In October 1759, South Carolina's Royal Governor lead a military force to a fort, called Fort Prince George, located in the Cherokee Lands. Matthew was a member of this expedition. When Native Americans attacked the fort, the Cherokee War of 1760-61 began.

This war left many Cherokee and settlers homeless. The constant fighting left no time for planting food or hunting game. It forced settlers to flee their homes for the safety of frontier forts. For Matthew, Mary and their children, this was a time of confusion and fear. At war's end, hunger, disease, and fighting had turned the land they called home into a haven for outlaws.

What would you do if this happened in your neighborhood?

Would you rely on the law to protect your family?

Or would you protect them yourself?

What did Matthew Singleton do to protect his family?