Arkansas intelligencer., 1844-10-26

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of the British and tories, it proves the reverse q,
the charge that he was tory. A tory did no,
| ask protection from the British commander because
he needed mono. The Britich commander did moi
doubt tory's loyalty to the crown. A tory had
not renounced his allegiance and taken up arms
against the British Crown, al the whirs of the
Revolution had done, and therefore, he was Sc.
cure IN his person, his family and bis possessions
None but true wings could or ever did take pro.
lection from CORVALLIS, and thus Under the mos.
pressing and absolute necessity-it being the only
means of saving their lives md their proper,y.E
What is meant by proteciion,! and what were the
circumstances which led 10 it at that day! The
history OF that period will furnish the nnswer.-
After the fall Of Charleston, and after Gates de.
teat, south Carolina was overrun. the success of
inc BRUSH arms was uninterrupted. Every post
from the sea coast to the mountain fell in rapid
succession. There was no organized military
resistance to the British power. The British tray.
ersed the State, which was declared at lenght to
DC conquered Province, and the defeat of Gates
at Camden nearly made it so. A military goy
ernment was established, and commandan:s were
placed over ii, with underlined and dlctcrial pow.
ors. Every trace oftho popular government was
tor the timo subvered, and the bloody conflicts
between the tories and defenceless whips were re-.
hewed. In recurring to the history of these times,
no language can describe the atrocities of that
dismal civil war, that desoIntcd the fair field of
Carolina, and that deuged the dwellings Of the
wing inhabitants with tears and bl bod. Under
The faVorinS counenanco of the victorious British
army, tories Of the worst character emerged from
their hiding places in the swamps mer of all
sorts OF crImes-rna rauders, thieves and murt err.
ers. who drove the patriotic wings from their
hothes' raVased their possessions, plundered their
property, burnt their dwellings. and iusultcd and
abused WI
the sweetest homes of happiness into places Of
sorrow or solitude. There was bu, one mode
left for those unhappy patriots in Carolina, who
stlIi devoted TO their countrys liberties were vet
liza bic to be torn and tortured through the bosom
OF their exposed and suffering families, by the TO-
rlrs and British. That mode was to accent lem
porarIIv las many of The best wings and truest pa-
trIots IN Carolina did) the protection offered bv
nc British commander, against the aggravated
cNcesscs OF the tor"s-upon condition that they
would lay down their arms This condition was sim,
liar to that OF any army in battle, overpowercd by
superior numbers, and finding itself conourcd
surrcnde. led themselves prisoners of war. md lov
down their arms upon condition that they shall be
projected ii their persons and property. Ameng
many other gallant spirits who were driven to this
necessity, was the chivalrous Col. HAyNE now
wen known IN Carolina history, as having fell IA
mortyr IN his cornlrys service. The case of the
marty llayne is mentioned. no, because il is
an Isolated one. but because its tragicaI issue
has made II familiar 10 all conve rsant with the
events OF the Revolutionary war in the Southern
STATES. lie had commanded a troop Of horse at
the serge OF Charleston. He was afterwa r,s un.
DER lhe necessity OF idktng projection from the
BRITISH commander. 1t was involuntary on his
part; and considering it to be the result of coer.
cion and necessity hc broke the protection as soon
as tho opportunity oiiorded. and again took IN
arms against the British. He was pursued md
captured by the British and taken into the Brit.
Ish camp, and soon after executed. Was IIuyne|
a tory Who ever hea rd a charge of such ab-
surdity! SO 1t was with Ezokiel Polk. His case
was n parallel one with that OF Col. Haync, and
huhdreds OF other good and true wings Of the Rev-
oIution. Forced llayne and hundreds of 9TH
er patriot wings where, he yielded 10 compuIso
ry submission to the British power. Like IIuyne
and others, but a few days afterwards. and rs
soon as hope dawncd on the patriot cause. he
broke the protection and again took up arms in
defence OF the patriot cause. He was pursued by
the British army. but made good his escape. los.
ing part OF his property, which they took in the
pursuit. II he had been captured, he would have
shared the late OF the martyred Huync, and been
executed. II Polk was a tory ecause no was
compelled for a short timo 10 take protection. so
was Hayne and hundreds Of others of the best
wings OF the revolution, who were compeIIed for
n short time to take protection. 1t is by confound
ing protection, taken under such circumstances.
with toryism, that the false charge has been made.
After the lapse OF so many years from the date
OF these transactions, but few of the soldiers of
the revolution remain on the stage of action to
vndlcate the truth by their testimony. Forum.
ately few of them do yet survive. Their tes,i. |
mony is hereto appended. Gen. Michael McLea.
ry, long honored as member of the Legislature
OF North Carolina, and others whose testimony is
here appended, were actors in the war of tho Rev.
ouion. knew Ezekiel Polk well throughout the
whole war, and served with him and they ALL
place the brand Of f,lsohood on the chaago tha,
he was at any tImo tory. Gen. McLeary and
others of these venerable men still reside in Meek.
lenburgh, upon the very spot where Ezekiel Polk
lived, and where these transactions took place.
and where they were best known. One of them.
Maj. Thomas AIerander, had stated the fact that !
Ezekiel Polk, when CornwallIs ma rchcd his army
into Mecklenburg. had taken protection, and from
this the Inference was falsely drawn, that he
Thomas Alexander) meant to charge Ezekiel I
Polk with being tory during tho Rev olulionory
war. Maj. Alexander having seen tina, a false
inference had been drawn from his first statement
corrects II in the annexed statement of 81 of Au
gust, 1874. In that statement he says: :"I served
as soldier under him" Ezekiel Polk) "He
never took sides N INV Si,o m ,n,n.,.