Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1857-05-09
WOMEN OF TUE REVOLUTION,
sketch Of Elizabeth Gillian, Aunt TO
John G. Calhoun.
BY MRS. J.. +. FLEET.

and settled in Charlotte county. Their an
ccstors were French Hpgaenots, who fled
from France in 1885, after the revocation of
the edict of Nantes; part of the family set
Ting in Scotland, and the rest in Ireland. =
At his death, this Caldwell left four sons
and Eve daughters, among whom was Elz-
abcth, the subjec- of this article, born in
October, 1857.
In ITO, the widowed mother removed
with her family to South Carolina, and set
tied on Mill Creek in Newberry district =
She was persuaded to choose that locality by
her eldest son, John, who was an active, en-
terprising young man, and had gained els
tinction as surveyor. He had previously
been engaged in xploring that paftaf South
| Carolina
The second daughter, Martha, became IL
wife of Patrick Calhoun, and the lqoiher 8,
John G. Calhoun. They resided in Ale
vile. The three elder sons Of Mrs. Cuiu-
well were prominent in service during the
Revolution David, the youngest, being IL
mere boy, and so deaf as to be in great
measure incapacitated from the active duties
of life. All the sons and daughters, except
the eldest son, became the heads Of families
and their numerous descendants are scatter
ed over South Carolina and Southwest.
| Elizabeth Caldwell lived at home with her
mother, during the years of the Revolution
airy struggle, assisting her under the many
| trials and privations to which women and
children were subjected to in those days of
persecution and peril The celebrated foray
Of s'The bloody Scout" in November, 17s1
inflicted the severest blow on this patriotic
family. Cunningham was the Captain of this
hand of marauders and butchers, who had
been in all probability, deeply provoked by
acts of violence on the part of some lawless
men among the Wings. The suiierings of
the wives and children of the loyalits, who
had been torn from their homes under the
orders of Gov. Rutledge, and sent to the
British lines at Charleston also contributed
to exasperate the remaining Tories.
On this occasion, Cunningham's party
crossed the Saluda river, at Anderson Mill,
and as they passed up the stream, burned
every house they saw, after Selling whatey-
err they could find in the way of plumber
Stopping at the shop Of a man named Frs
ley, they killed three men they found there
The runner of this Tory march of destruc-
ton was spread among the settlers by the
report of their guns. and caused great a
larm; but did not prevent some of the heroic
women from going forth to see what assist
ancc they could render those who were woun.
ded, or driven out shelteress Elizabeth
Caldwell, on the way to her brothers house,
outsped the rest, and arrived alone at Frs
i, A IL L.,
Two men lay on the floor weitering in their
blood, and entirely lifeless another dead
mHR was stretched out, as in mockery, upon
the wise bench where he had been at work
The young girl fed III terror from the spot
and ran on to her brothers. She found the
house a heap of smoking ruins
Almost the first object she saw was the
body of man lying on his face in the yard;
she lifted up the head and recogized her
murdered brother The members of the
household were scattered in different direc-
tons: some had hid themselves in the woods,
or had fed to seek help; but one frantic wo-
man was wandering, maddened with grief,
around the smouldering pile wringing her
hands, and sending forth piercing cries of
lamentations. 1t was the hapless widow
When her husbands mother and sisters came
to weep with her and sQQthe her desperate
agony, she became collected enough to give
some account of the horrible transaction.
The wife of Maj or John Caldwell had first
caught a glimpse of the hostile party as
they were approaching the house. She has
tened to inform her husband, and cntreated
him to make his escape His answer was
that he had done no harm, as an individual
to the Tories, and therefore had nothing to
fear from them; for he dreamed not That
political differences would be revenged by
murder in cold blood.
Presently the body of man came nnaf.
er; they halted at the gate and wi!ha q
hail called for the owner of the house ils
maj or quoted his terrified wife. aud walked
out-with a manner so composed bat IL
would have commanded respect from party
of soldiers-to meet Cunningham That
outlaw had once served under his command
But the front of determined wickedness
could not be abashed before the clear eyes
of honor and virtue, when irresponsible
power was in the hands of such wretches.
As Caldwell came within a few PAGES of the
leader of the party, the latter deliberately
drew :, pistol, took aim at his heart and
fired. The major sank to the ground, and
in a few moments expired.
Mrs. Caldwell-the widow-always per-
sisted in her assertion that the shot was fred
by Bloody Pill Cunningham himself. =
But the account of another person, who
knew the victim we'll, was, that 1.-THE deed
was committed by two videtts, who happen
ed to be in advance of the captain; and that
when Cunningham arrived, he affected to
deplore thQ tragedy protesting that he would
AS soon have shot his own fathern' The ac-
count given in "Curwin' Memoirs" confirms
this statement.
The conjunction of the Tory leader, if
real, was short lived, His men entered the
garden with their horses aud rode up and
down in fendlike sport. They then burss
into the house, plundered it eff everything
they chose to carry off, and set it on FIRE,
watching the flames with hateful glee as they
rose on high and wrapped the building, and
riding off with yells Of satisfaction The
scared inmates were left to seek shelter
whore they could, and the widow seated in
the yard beside her slaughtered husband.
Not many months after this tragical occur
renee, lad named James Creswell who af-
forwards rose to the dignity of Colonel, and
was even then noted throughout the neigh
borhood for his active hostility to the loyal
lists, happened to be staying at the house of