The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-07-23

PH'SVh-lhat S!ic Olu as well rs she did.
She was little State, with only ninety
three thousand inhabitants. She was sur.
rounded on the north by wilderness IN
North Carolina, aud almost all her intcri-
ar country was n wilderness also; the low. +.
er region was filled with new Africans. as
barbarous rs they were on the dav thew
were caught in Africa. In this situation
wis South Carolina when Provost invaded
the State in lT70. 1t is put down as an
evidence Of weakness, that some of our
leaders complained that too many men
were required to prevent the slaves from
escaping. | do not doubt, from looking
over the records, that our quota was in
creased on account of the slaves; but
am not here to deny the truth | admit
that when our country was in the posses
SION OF the British, the slave population
was, to some extent, source Of Weakness
These new Africans who had been import
ed, and were mainly along the sea shore
had to be kept from descr,ion, by being
constantly watched but sscrt as n fact
that IN the interior country, and especial
" among that part of the population who
had emigratcd from Virginia aud brought
negroes with them, they were as loval to
their masters as their masters were TO the
Government; aod so far from its being
true, as general proposition, that slave
ry Is a weakness i'll n country, it will be
found that those who have most gall urt!v
stood up ior their liberties in all ages, have
had others to work for them whilst they
fought the battles of their country.
Well, sir, SO Ear as | know and believe,
South Carolina furnished her full con,in-
gent. She did nothing more, and claim
nothing more for her. She furnished her
full ccLtingent Of the regular army, ana it
was kept up until the State was finally
overrun,and Charleston fell into the hands
OF the British, in MAY, 1880. In the book
to which | have alluded, Written by Mr..
Sabine, it is said that, with a New Eng.
land army and a New England general,
we were so weak that wc were unable TO
defend our own capitol, and it fell into the
hands of the enemy. Sabine himself ad.
mits that the State OF South Carolina fur
nished some gallant men. lie mentions
Sumpter, Marion, and others; but, says he
very sagaciously, a single swallow does
not make spring; and single feather
does not make bed" This mighty New
England army of which he speaks, consis-
ted simply Of General Lincoln and nobody
else. lie WAS the only New England mar |
there, so far as | know. do not imputc |
this as blame TO her, because she had |
enough to do at home--not perhaps al.
ways in Massachusetts, Lut in the the adj |
jacent country.
1t is a historical fact, not to be disput-
ed, that the army by which Charleston
was captured was double the number of
the garrison and all the militia in the city: |
and that the small pox prevailed in the
city so that it was impossible to get the |
countrymen in, or there would have been
much larger force there. The British
force was double any force that was en-
bodied in Charleston to furnish defense.
To this followed an entire subjunc,ion
Of the county, The enemy had posses.
sion of the capitol. They had possession
of New York, believe, for the greater
part Of the war.
Mr.. Seward Yes sir.
Mr.. Evans. They had possession of
Philadelphia, which was then the nation.
al capitel. The capitol of South Carolina
fell into their hands. This is no proof of
weakness. Immediately after The capture
the British commander sent his detach.
ments into every section Of the country
and in less than one month after Charles
ton surrendered, in May, 1880, they had
entire possession of the country. Con.
grcSs made an effort 10 redeem it. They
sent Gales there with an army, not from
New England but composed almost en-
tTely Of NJ try!aHd troops; .here may have
bee.. some Pennsylvania troops, and some
from Virginia.
Mr.. Butler. And some from Della.
ware.
Mr.. Exams. The Delaware troops were
there afterwards with Greene.
Mr.. Butler. Kirkwood was there.
Mr.. Evans. The result was that, by
rashness and imprudcnce, the army was
cut to pieces in night, and everything
WAS considered as lost. TO this succeeded
the battle of.King's Mountain which, |
think, taking it altogether, was the most
slorious event of the Revolution. I have
tloJ EllutCAl W SOIHC OlitI eNcUlSs TlT0l-
ly Greene succeeded to the command, Ia.
king with him Two Maryland regiments
and one regiment from Virginia, the rem
nanl Of the H. aware regiment, amount
ing to eighteen hundred men, all told
when inspected afterwards. He fought
the battle Of Guilford Court House. lie
sustained partial defeat at Camden, but
that was more than redeemed by the
Cowpens, Eutaw, and other battles. The
british were driven iuto Charleston and
then Greene's army, which originally con-
sisted only Of seventeen or eighteen hun
dred men, was reduced to seven or eight
hundred. All these battles were fought
and gained by these valiant men-all
from the South-aided by our native mil.
tia and some of the gallant men from
,Wautauga, in Tennessee, commanded by
Sewer, who had so vaiantly distinguish
ed themselves at Kings's Mountain. Az
ter the capture Of Yorktown, brigade of
the brave troops, Of Pennsylvania, under