The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1858-08-06
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Revolutionary Incidents.

| lFoh
Revolutionary Incidents.
| Mr.. Editor :-Bclieving rs 1 do, that any
reliable facts connected with the History of the
War of the Revolution. would, to some extent,
interest II portion Of your readers, venture to
place. Mt your disposal, the following scraps
II may, however, be pertinent to remark. that
! n continuous chain of closely connected events
can scarcely he expected in the premises. Due
allowance should be made for:the impcrfrctions
Of memory, and other adventit;ous circuu,stan.
! ces
1t Is doubtless known to most Of our readers
TINT some Of our most formidable enemies du-
ring that eventful era, was found in the ALo-
rigines of this country. Their knowledge of
the businesses which the uncultivated forests
afforded them; their stenlthy mode Of attack
and the ruthless barbarty, usually
exhibited towards the hapless victims of thei.
sny"gs feSRcity, all contributed to render them
objects of terror and alarm. ..
An aged friend, near Lowpdesville. short
time since. put US i'll possession Of few incl
dents illustrative OF the facts to which refer
e:.ce has just been made: In the month of July
l776. (said our informnnc) the Cherokee Iud.
transrired in Elbert County. Ga. Oh Cold Wa
ter Creek. /" short distance from Buwmnn's Fer
~, on Savannah River. On this occasion, a
man and woman. husband and wife, fell
victims to savage cruelty. Three others shared
the sam" hopeless fute, namely: Miss G lilies.
pie, snn,e Il. Sr-l3 years Of age, aud the wife
SaDd child OF john Gillespie, brother to Thomas
Gillespie. now l." ling with William A. Pressly.
Esq, near Lowndesville. Abbcville District,
S. C.
| AT Vans Creek the whites met about so In.
dians, who fired the former, but without
effect. The whites, in their efforts to escape
the hands Of their ruthless foe, crosse the Sa-
vnnnah River nt the Cherokee Ford and wended
their way to Fort Independence, on the planta.
tion now owned by William Young. who pur
chased it from DR.. Z. Hunt. 1t is about three
miles below Lowndesville.
The settlers determined. if practicable to
avenge tie blood Of their fallen friends, rallied
under the command Of Captain afterwards
GeneraD Anderson. and pursued the savages-
In pursuance of their plan, they crossed the
Savannah River. During the march. David
Gillespie. then years old, by some means, got
separated from the rest of the company. Tile
subsequently, married into the Calhoun family
With himself and family, the writer was fnm.
iarly acqunnted.l During the night he took
refuge some where near the bank of the River
While lying thus in concealmsut, lie perceived
that the Indians were making their way to-
wards the place where he was. They did not
however. perceive that he was there. At the
same time, they passed SO near to him, that had
he not drawn up his feet, they would have
trodden on them.
Capt. Anderson did not succeed in overia.
king the Indians, and they effected their
escape.
Mrs. Gillespie. David and Thomas Gillespie's
mother) travelled all night till she reached
tent, some ten miles up the Beaver DAM
Some of her friends conducted her to Fort
Charlotte, mile below Vienna, on the savan.
nah River. The materials of which this Fort
was built, consisted of stone 1t was erected
by order Of King George. Mrs. Gillespie. of
whom we hsve spoken, was found at Fort
Charlotte by her son John. She communicated
to him knowledge of the place where her little
daughter, Ito whom alusion was made above }
had been killed by the savages He inimedi-
ate'y weItia quest of the corpse. He found
that dog had lain by the body to protect it
from the ravages of beasta
n It may not be irrelevant to say, the Matthew
Gillespie, husband of the lady named above,
resided in Fort Cha rlotte, some Ie months
Abousthis time, Capt. Bowie, {father Of Col
George B B,wie,) who formerly resided at Ahbe-
vile c. H., entered the Fort in comtnaad Of a
company Of mon. IN order to be ready. 90 aby
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