<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p>Ed McTeer's mother, Florence Percy Heyward, was a direct descendant of Thomas Heyward, Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Their ancestors came to America with King's grants to large tracts of land and were among the largest rice planters in the South.</p> <p>The McAteers settled in Hampton and Colleton counties in the 17th Century and acquired many land holdings. The Author's great-grandparents' wills show that the "A" was dropped from their name prior to the Civil War. </p> <p>Given a leave of absence by Governor Thomas G. McLeod during World War Two, McTeer was appointed Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard mounted beach patrol for the Sixth Naval District. </p> <p>An avid hunter, fisherman, writer, poet, developer and entrepreneur, Ed McTeer was honored shortly before his death in 1979 by having a bridge across the Beaufort River named for him. The bridge stands as a symbol of the love he felt for these beautiful Sea Islands where he spend his life.</p>