Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1857-05-08
miscellaneous.
WOMEN OF THE REVOLUTION.
SKETCH OF ELIZABETH GILLIAN, AUNT TO
JOHN C. CALHOUN.
BY MRS. F.. F. ELLET.

William Caldwell and Rebecca. his
wife, emigrants from Ireland, removed
from Pennsylvania to Virginia about the
year 1919, and settled in Charlotte coun-
ty Their ancestors were French HUI
guenots, who fed 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
Elizabeth, the subject of this article,
born in October, 1857.
In 1770, the widowed mother removed
with her family to South Carolina, and
settled on Mill Greek, in Newberry dis
trict. She was persuaded to choose that
locality by her eldest son, John, who
was an active, enterprising young man.
and had gained distinction as a surveyor
lie had previously been engaged in ex.
ploring that part of South Carolina.
The second daughter, Martha, became
the wife of Patrick Calhoun, and the
mother of John c. Calhoun. They re.
sided in Abbcville. The three elder
sons of Mrs. Caldwell were prominent il
the Revolution David, the youngest
being a mere boy, and so deaf as to be
in a great measure iucapacitated from tht
active duties of life All the sons and
daughters, except the eldest son, became
the heads Of families; and their numer-
Gus descendants are scattered over South
Carolina and the Southwest.
Elizabeth Caldwell lived at home with
her mother, during the years of the Re
volutionary struggle, assisting her under
the many trials and priyations to which
women and children were subjected in
those times of persecution and peril 49,
The celebrated foray of "The Bloody
Scout" in November, 1881, inflicted the
severest blow on this patriotic family
Cunningham was the captain 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
suferings 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 al
Charleston, also contributed to exasperate
the remaining Tories.
On this occasion, Cunpingham's party
crossed the Saluda river, at Anderson
n III Il iss41 ;'
burned every house they saw, after seiz-
ing whatever they could find in the way
of phnder Stopping at the shop of a
man named Ersley, they killed three
men they found there.
The rumor Of this Tory march of de-
struction was spread among the settlers
by the report of their guns, and caused
great alarm but did not prevent some
of the heroic women from going forth to
see what assistance they could render
those who were wounded, or driven out
shelterless. Elizabeth Caldwell, on the
way to her brothers house, outsped the
rest, and arrived alone at Ersley's shop.
A terrible scene met her view. Two
men lay on the floor weltering in their
blood, and entirely lifeless another dead
man was stretched out, as in mockery,
upon the vice bench where he had been
at work. The young girl fed 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 man lying on his face in the
yard she lifted up the head and recog-
nized her murdered brother! The mem
bers Of the household were scattered in
different directions some had hid them
selves 10 the woods, or had fed to seek
help; but one frantic woman was wan
dering, maddcned with grief around the
smouldering pile, wringing her hands,
and sending forth piercing cries and la
mentations 1t was the hapless widow.
When her husbands mother and sisters
came to weep with her and soothe her
desperate agony, she became collected
enough to give some account Of the hor-
rible transaction.
The wife Of Major John Caldwell had
first caught glimpse of the hostile par
ty as they we're approaching the house.
She FASTENED TO inform her husband, and
entreated him 10 make his escape His
answer was that he bad done no harm,