Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-02-03
q Revolutionary Sketth.
ROBERT KILPATRIC.


to America that they might be free; and hav-
ing been oppressed by the mother country,
they threw off the yoke and fought and suf
fered that their children might be free. So
soon as liberty was gained, they returned to
their humble homes to engage in the various
pursuits of life. They grew old and died, and
now the multitude Of those who enjoy the
fruits of their tolls and sacrifices, do not even
know that such men ever lived.
Robert Xii patrc, or as he was familiarly
called, Bob Kilpatric, belonged to this class
He came to America some years before the
breaking out of the Revolutionary war. The
precise time is not certainly known. Per.
haps it was in 1855. He settled in Fairfield
county, South Carolina, near the head waters
of the Wateree Creek. Afterward, he re-
moved to Chester county and settled on the
road leading from Chesterville to Winnsboro,
within few hundred yards of the spot on
which Hopewel Church now stands He was
an Irishman, and the tradition is that he was
forced to fly from bis native county, on &C.
count of a rebellion into which he and some
others had entered against some of the Kings
officers.
He and his party had met one night that
they might concert plans for action, when, to
their utter surprise, the house in which they
were, was surrounded by the Kings troops
Kilpatric and his party were seated at a ia
BILE on which single candle was burning
One of their number was writing, and the rest
we're making suggestions. Without mo-
ment's warming the door was broken open
and the party were in the hands of AL armed
band of soldiers. The door was guarded, and
after an examination Of the company by the
soldiers, it was decided to hang the whole Of
them on the spot. Ropes were put around
their necks, and death by the halter began to
stare the rebels fair in the face.
The house, it seems, was small, and the SOL
diers having rushed in, stood on the side next
to the door, whilst Kilpatric and his party
were huddled together near the opposite wall.
Kilpatric saw it was but death any way, and
he determined to escape or die in the attempt.
Being a very large man, and also man of
great strength, he first blew out the light and
then made plunge amongst the King troops.
Running over some and knocking others down,
he opened path to the door and leaped out
into the darkness. The rest of the party fol-
lowed, and all, in the confusion and darkness,
escaped.
For considerable time, Kilpatrc kept
himself concealed. Finally, he determined
to come to America. What little money he
had was put into belt, and this was fastened
around the person of his wife, beneath her
clothes. This was done from the fear that he
might be captured by the government officers
and lose both his money and his life. By
prudent management, Kill patric and his fam
lily were enabled to get away from Ireland.
Still, he was in continual dread during the
whole passage of eight weeks, lest he should
be seized. put in irons and sent back to Ire
land to be tried, condemned and executed.
With heart full Of joy, be set his feet upon
the shores of America in the city of Charles
| ton.
When the Revolutionary war broke out,
he without moments hesitation, espoused,
with all his heart, the cause of the Whige.
The care of the family was committed wholly
to his wife, Unfortunately for her, their
nome, buti, III FnitfivatA rnd Chester, was hard
by nest of tories. These were class of
persons who could not be said to be friends
of the British government; but set of heart
less monsters who banded together to plunder
the Whig women in the absence of their hus-
bands. Mrs. Kilpatric spent kind Of mi
gratory life. The two plantations owned by
her husband were, perhaps, less than ten
miles apart. Whenever the tories made it
dangerous to live on the plantation in Ches'
ter county, she would take her children and
20 to the one in Fairfield.
During the year 1880, after the fall of
Charleston and the march of the British
through the up-country, these tories became
desperate. The houses of the Wings were
watched almost constantly, and it was at the
peril of his life that Wing soldier visited
his family. Mothers we're forced to keep the
whereabouts of their husbands profound sc.
cret from their children. After the rout of
Sumter at Fishing Creek, many of the Wings
of Chester, York and Fairfield, we're forced
to hide themselves, as best they could, and de-
pend upon supplies carried to them by their
wives, during the darkness of the night.
| Whenever band of tories entered a house,
the first thing that was asked was, "where is
the man of the house," whatever his name
was. The Wing women were as good pluck
as the men. When they were present, and
the tories would come and threaten to kill
them if they did not tell where their husbands
were hid, they were told that if they did kill
them, Sumter would hang the last one of them.
Mrs. Kilpatric always charged her chill
dren, when she left her house, to tell any one,
who might visit them during her absence, in
quiring for their father, that he was gone to
mill. The children knew not but this was
the fact, but the tories understood it.
| Sometime during the disorganized condition
of the Wing forces, Robert Fitzpatrick learn
ed that his children we're all down with the
small pox. He left his hiding place and ven
tured to 90 to his house that he might look
upon the face of his little ones, perhaps for
the last time Stealthily he entered his own
humble dwelling, and found his three little
girls covered with that loathsome disease In
the house there was not mouthtul of bread,
and the only edible thing they had was the head
of his milk COW, which the tories had killed
and carried off but short time before, leav-
ing the head to the afflicted family. The
heart of the strong man was filled with grief,
and in awful silence he sat down and rested
his head upon his hand
He had not entered his house unseen nor
was he permitted long to indulge in the dis
tressing scene which lay before his eyes. The
tories saw him when he entered, and like so
many furies rushed upon him. The entreat-
les of his wife, and the screams of his sick
children were of no avail. He was seized by
band of ruffians, dragged from the house
and halter placed around his neck. What
could he do? He was overpowered. A few
moments and all would be over He would not