The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-08-14


BILE disrespect Of them. Thinking so highly
as now do, Of the gentlemen of this coun-
try, the recollection is painful, but the fact
must not be dissembled."
The reader need not be told that in the
early years Of the Revolutionary war, its
business was transacted in the North
and it was the want Of troops from New
England, their presumption and exactious
pay, that prevented Washington from do
ing very much in the face of the enemy
1t he had been dependent entirely on the
country which he was fighting for, and if
he had no resources in the South, the af-
fair would have speedily ended. But du-
ring all the Northern war, we hear of Vir-
ginia, Maryland, Carolina, and Pennsyl-
vania troops in the field at the NORTH
When, however, the tide of battle rolled
away to the South, where it was prose-
cuted with the bitterness of personal
feud, and where it was finally decided in
favor Of liberty, wo never hear of New
England troops on Southern field. The
truth is, so soon rs the dangers and
troubles Of the contest were taken off their
immediate shoulders, the Yankees snapt
their fingers at those who had done it
for them. Says Mr.. Sparks, Vol. i. $50 ::
The Eastern States in particular, after
the French troops had arrived in the
country, and the theatre of war had been
transferred by the enemy to the South,
relapsed in state Of comparative inac-
t'v'ty and indifference" Only in one
single instance do we hear of the North
ern troops getting to the South of the
Potomac. That was at the siege of York
town. Some Northern troops were gotten
there, under the immediate agency of
Washington. Howe We quote again
from Sparks, Vol. i. 36s: "The soldiers" :"
says he, describing the army under mov-
ing order for Virginia, "being mostly from
the Eastern and Middle States, marched
with reluctance southwark, and showed
strong symptoms Of discomfort when they
passed through Philadelphia. This had
been forcseen by General Washington,
and he urged the superintendent of finance
to advance them months pay in hard
money" Even at the siege of Yorktown
the army consisted of 5000 French, 1000
Virginia and Carolina militia, the storm
ing party were led by Frenchman and
Caro!inian-Col. Laurens-while there
we're only 1000 troops of The continental
line from all these States Where were
the $1,000 Massachusetts men of pension
ers thena There was no war in their coun-
try-why were they not here?
The truth is, this great "army with
banners" never came up till there was a
pension fund to be stormed-and then
there was not a man missing. No more
complaints of "ranks with one-eighth
their complement" then. But none can
deny-no one has ever denied, the actual
service Of $3.50 South Carolina troops in
the continental line. Yet that was not
half, or one-eighth of Cardinals fighting
troops. More blood was shed in the two
CarolInas than in all the New England
States. There ragged the civil war be-
tween Wings and Tories; and this was
fought on the side of liberty, by South
C.rolina's own militia and partisan lead
ers never numbered among the continent.
ais at all, though they did more bitter
battle than any men ever did for country
or for king. Marion, sumpter, Moultrie,
Pickens, Shelby, and sevier-all that no.
ble and brilliant band of knights, and he-
roes, and patriots-men Of the first order
of genius and career-these were merely
| officers of South Carolina's State troops.
and maintained Independently of her con-
tinental quotas. The battle of Kings
Mountain, one of the bloodiest, best con-
tested, and most important, and decidedly
most complete victories of the whole war,
was fought entirely by the partisan, unen-
rolled militia of Virginia and the Caroli-
mas, against some Of the best troops, and
really the best General Of the British
army.
Parker says that even in war, "the
Northern man is superior to the South.
ern;" yetit is curious fact that from
the breaking out Of the Revolution down
to this day, New England has produced
bu: one single distinguished military
man. That one was Greene of Rhode
Island. Greene was good mau-a brave
man, and q great general; and he blush
ed" for Now England! Every other dis.
tinguished general in the Revolution, in
1912, in the Mexican war, were men from
the Southern States with one or two
exceptions in favor of Pennsylvania
Washington was Southern man, Morgan.
Marion, DC; Harrison was Southern
man Winfield Scott Zaohayv Taulor