Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-10-01

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|ion Of tBt Yalaittaall al saaal 9gti
O., THURSDAY.
Earnest interest of fear or hope, on this sad dal
when the Southern Cross set forever in sea O
tears and blood. We turn away from the mighty
actors on the great stage Of action to those whost
fortunes we have followed thus far, and from whom
we are soon to part forever. .lyg *: s'.a.
We carry the readers with Us to that village ia,
from sad Appomattox, aspot OF earth lovely, peace
full quiet and retired, where eer yet the tread Of
hostile armies had been heard Charleston had
fallen, and was in possession Of the enemy who, oi
four years, had battered its gstss in vain. That
Vandal leader of vandal horde had marched, un-
opposed, through the length and breadth of the
State leaving blackened ruins to tell where lovely
country seats and fair villages had stood. The
capital of the State, in violation not only of his
pEghted word, but in contempt of the usages Of
war among civilized nations, had been pilaged and
burned and thousands of fesble women and tender
children we're turned out bouseless, scan6ly clad,
and starving, to endure the inclemency of winter
unusually severe. Enormities had been practiced
under his very eye, that the rude Cossaek would
have blrshed to suffer- Parties from the seaboard
were on their march to triumph oyer an unresist-
ing people, and complete the ruin of all that his
hand bad been unable to destroy. The petty out
RACES and the fendish enormities committed by
the savage kgions poured into State stripped Of
her defenders, it would scken and appal the heart
to recount But for the cloud of living witnesses
by whom they ars attested, they would scarcely
find credence in a christian or civilized country.
Well might . community tremble, when they
heard of the march of one of these detachments,
coming among them .vr the avowed purpose Of hu.
initiating people, whose spirit they were unable
to break or conquer.
Upon the old village Of which we are speaking,
the holy Sabbath day had dawned brightly and
full of beauty. It's spires and belfies glittered in
the sunlight as on other days, when every man sat
under his own vine and fig tree with none to make
him afraid. 80 ...l .~. ....t q.
i Itwas on this day to be the scene of an event
such as seldom; disturbs the monotony of quiet
inland village. For days there had been rumors Of
the coming Of the enemy, but these had been SO
often repeated that they almost failed toexcite at
tention. Now the villagers were in Autter of ex.
citement as some horseman, ..- ..'f--.-
%. "Bioody with spuning, nsry red with hasts,D
came galloping through the streets, spreading the
news that the enemy had arrived within twenty OF
thirty miles, snd would in few hours, make his
appearance; but the alarm created by such unto
ward news would, in an hour or two, be dissipated
by some new conner, just from the locality where
the enemy was said to be, who reported everything
quiet and peaceful Alarm had subsidized, but Gu.
osity was on the q,a vpe to learn where the dread
ed enemy really was ....... .-. ..,.a
The militia, nevertheless, had been ordered out
to repel the enemy in his threatened march, but
these were few in number and wholly untitled fol
the arduous task assigned them. The country had
been drained of its defenders. Those capable Of
bearing arms were following their flag in far dis
tant fields The bones of many, who would have
lbeeu prompt to obey the summons to defend theil
homes and fre-sides, were whitening on the battle
fields that their valor made memorable. Some
were, even then, clustering around their dropping
flag at Appomattox and weeping tears Of bitter.
ness because it was not allowed them to die under
the flag they had followed 80 faithfully and so long
Only small handful could be gathered to meet
the enemy and of these, some were feeble men
with hair whitened by age, and others were mere
boys whose sinews were not yet hardened into man.
hood. They were an undrilled, unwarlike, as
semblage, having valor and patriotism to sustain
them, but wholly unfit for service in the field.
With these, were found few men of q different
stamp -soldiersat home on furlough of them
fresh from the hospital, who had all the calmness
and courage which belonged to soldiers Of hum
dred well fought battle-6elds, o. .-.-
At late hour on the previous night, Confede-
rate Colonel, Of acknowledged gallantry and consid,
cradle experience, had arrived on the spot with the
remnant of his regiment, and without assuming
the active command, took general supervision Of
all the arrangements. Unaoquainted as he was
with the country, it was impossible for him, at the
late hour when he appeared, to make any change
in the disposition of the small available force on
hand, which could increase the chances OF success
in contest in which small force Of militia were
called upon to meet an overwhelming force of vet
eran troops. "
The route Of the enemy was from the coast and
he was said to have encamped his troops on Satur'
day night in the small village Of M, about
twenty miles below the old town Of which we are
speaking. But, strange to say, though this was
the rumor, there was no reliable and definite infor'
nation of his actual movements Knots OF men
were busy, here and there, discussing question,
the true state of which it would have been quite
easy to ascertain
The veteran officer, to whom we have alluded,
had, upon his arrival established his quarters at
causeway thrown across wide swamp, which de-
Tended the approach to the village on the South.
Finding that great uncertainty existed in regard to
the position and movements Of the enemy, the sun
was scarcely above the treetops when this alert
officer dispatched scouts on the roads leading to
M, with orders not to return until they could
bring him trustworthy information in regard to the
number, movements, and route of the enemy.
On the west of the village runs wide swamp
|intersected by numerous streams, and passable on
lly, here and there, by some deep and difficult
ford, or some long narrow causeway where couple
of guns and handful of brave riAemen, might stay
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