First visit to my Martin ancestors, in the deep woods of Fairfield County, SC

On Sunday afternoon, in the pouring rain, Elizabeth and I accompanied Jackie Peden from Fountain Inn and Mark Paden from Hampton County to the old Martin-Aiken cemetery on Jackson Creek Road, in Fairfield County, S.C. We had come to see the graves of our ancestors Robert and Rebeccah Martin, who settled on this land around 1771-1772. They came from County Antrim, Ireland, with many other Scots-Irish Presbyterians seeking freedom and economic opportunity. Rebeccah was buried in her adopted land in 1793. Robert was interred with her in 1811.
Their sons Edward and David served in the partisan militia of Fairfield County. Edward was captured by the Tory militia in 1780 and threatened with hanging. But the partisan forces defeated his captors in a battle at Bratton's farm, and freed Edward.
Edward's sister Rebecca, probably just 4-6 years old when she sailed with her family to America, married my ancestor Alexander Peden, who had arrived in America from Ireland with his family at the age of about 15. They lived in southern Greenville County. Alex also fought in several battles with the Spartan Regiment of partisan militia, including the battle against Tory forces at Musgrove's Mill on the Enoree River.

This photo show me on the left, and Jackie Peden under the umbrella, with the gravestone of Robert Martin between us. Behind us is the grave of David Martin, Robert's son, and also our ancestor through the later marriage of Peden and Martin cousins.