Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-05-21
geletteh Mistellany.
WOMEN OF THE REVOLUTION.
SKETCH OF ELIZABETH GILLIAN, AUNT TO JOHN
C. CALHOU,



William Caldwell and Rebecca, his wife,
emigrants from Ireland, removed from Penn
sylvania to Virginia about the year 1749
and settled in Charlotte county. Their an
cestors were French Huguenots, who fled
from France in 1856, after the revocation
of the edict of Nantes; part of the family
settling in Scotland, and the rest in ireland
At his death, this Caldwell left four sons
and FIVE daughters. among whom was Eliza
beth, the subject of this article, born in
October, 1857.
In 1770, the widowed mother removed
with her family to South Carolina, and set
tied on Mill Greek, in Newberry district
She was persuaded to choose that locality
by her eldest son, John, who was an active,
enterprising young man, and had gained
distinction as asurveyor. He had previous
". been engaged in exploring that part Of
South Carolina.
The second daughter, Martha, became
the wife of Patrick Calhoun, and the mother
Of John G. Calhoun. They resided in Alb
beville. The three elder sons of Mrs Cald-
well were prominent in the Revolution
David, the youngest, being mere boy,
and so deaf as to be in great measure in
capacitated from the active duties of life. =
ALI the sons and daughters, except the eld-
est son, became the heads of families; and
their numerous descendants are scattered
over South Carolina and the Southwest.
:. Elizabeth Caldwell lived at home with
her mother, during the years Of the Revo4
lutionary struggle, assisting her under the
many trials and privations to which women
and children were subjected in those times
of persecution and peril The celebrated
foray Of 1.-THE Bloody Scout" in November,
1871, inflicted the severest blow on this
patriotic family. Cunningham was the cap
tain of this band 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
sufferings Of the wives and children of the
loyalists, 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's s
Mill, and as they passed up the stream,
burned every house they saw, after seizing
whatever they could find in the way of plum
der. Stopping at the shop of a man named
Ersley, they killed three men they found
there. - s
The rumor of this Tory march of destruc-
tion was spread among the settlers by the
report Of their guns, and caused great alarm;
but did not prevent some of the heroic wo-
men from going forth to see what assistance
they could render those who were wounded,
or driven out shelterless. Elizabeth Cald-
well, on the way to her brother house, out
sped the rest, and arrived alone at Ersley'
shop. A terrible scene met her view. Two
men lay on the floor weltering in their blood,
and entirely ifeless another dead man was
stretched out, as in mockery, upon the vice
bench where he had been at work. The
young girl fled in 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 a man lying on his face in the yard;
she lifted up the head and recognized her
murdered brother! The members of the
household were scattered in different direc-
tions; some had hid themselves in the woods,
or had fed to seek help; but one frantic
woman was wandering, maddened with grief,
around the smoldering pile, wringing her
hands, and sending forth piercing cries and
lamentations. Tt was the hapless widow.
When her husband s mother and sisters came
to weep with her and soothe her desperate
agony, she became collected enough to give
some account of the horrible transaction.
The wifesof Major John Caldwell had first
caught a,glimpse Of the hostile party as they
were approaching the house. She fastened
to inform her husband, and entreated him