Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-08-03

NO. 81.
pecting the battle. For an account of the
battle of Kings Mountain see ENQUIRER OF
January 9Th and 18th, 1876.
On the tenth Of October, Tarleton set out
to learn the destiny Of Ferguson. His force
consisted of his own command, which was
made up of legion of cavalry, and num-
Der Of light infantry. On this occasion, as
often before, three FOUNDER was added. The
force was, at the same time, infantry and cav
airy, with small detachment Of artillery.
On the tenth of October, Tarleton with his
force, set out in the direction Of the mountain
region west of the Catawba. At Smiths
ford, below the junction of Little Catawba
with the main river, he learned with absolute
certainty "the melancholy fate of Major Fer
guson." The sad news was at once forward
ed to Charleston. Already Tarleton saw that
the tide Of fortune had changed. At Wrght's
ferry, Qhen Bigger's,) he crossed the Cataw.
ba and pressed forward, on what we now call
the Charlotte road, in the direction of York.
vile. On the eleventh, he arrived in the
neighborhood of Robert Cairnes' mill on
Turkey creek, in York county. Colonels
Lacey and Hill were encamped, at the same
time, with Sumter's army on Bullocks creek.
The British and American forces were only
few miles apart. During the absence Of Tarle-
ton, CORVALLIS having learned the particu.
lars of the battle of Kings Mountain, deter
mined to fall back. In other words, he found
ont that the Wings would not suffer him to
advance. On the fourteenth, his Lordship
broke up camp and left Charlotte On the
sixteenth, Tarleton was ordered to join Corn
wallis at the Nation ford.
No American can be absolutely Indifferent
to the events which transpired during the
Revolutionary war. Wherever the British
went, events took place which are interesting
to every American; but they are deeply III.
teresting to those residing in the region in
which these events transpired.
During the Revolutionary war there was no
such place as Yorkville. The ground was
then covered with native forest. The cross.
street near the Court House was q stand for
deer.hunters. A man by the name of Hender-
son regarded it as favorable place to kill
deer. Much Of the ground upon which the
town of Ycrkville now stands was kind OF
swamp. Where the house of w. /. Clawson,
ESQ. is situated, was huckleberry pond, and
where the ENQUIRER Office stands maple
swamp. No 70 b through the town. The
Charlotte - lined 70 the right, at Dob
sons, tw Ines from town, and passed through
the plantation of Thomas w. Clawson. A
road leading from the Crowders creek settle.
ment passed through the eastern edge ofwhere
the town stands. The traces of it can be seen
between the present Charlotte and Lincoln
roads on the plantation of George 81. OLeary.
It ran near by the gate Of Richard J, With
ers, through the lot of W. B. Steele, and near
the residence of j. A. Ratchford, two miles
from town. We have in our possession Pc
tition directed to William Wynn, the Kings
commissioner at Rocky Mount, Tryon coun-
ty, North Carolina, asking his 4excellency to
grant permission to open road from Matthew
Bigzer's, on Catawba, to Talhot's ferry on
Broad river This document is dated April
the 21st, 1772. On the 9th Of August, Of the
same year, the petition was granted BY Will
liam Wynn. Evidently the part Of this
road, which was east of the present town of
Yorkville, was what is now called the Char
lotte road. Talbots ferry was twenty miles
above Fishdam ferry. Whether the road
was opened at this time or not, we are unable
to say positively. We think, however, it was
not; for on the 28th of March, 177S, the
General Assembly Of South Carolina passed
a law establishing ferry on Matthew Big
gers land on the 'Catawba, and opening
road from the ferry to Talbot's ferry on
Broad river. This is the same road for the
opening of which petition was sent six years
before, to William Wynn.
The Nation ford road ran about two miles
south of thesite of Yorkville. Itpassed by the
residences of A. j. Davinney and j. I. Low.
~, out into what is now called the Pmckney
road at Coker's old field.
The only house within the present corpo-
rate limits of Yorkville, at the time of the
Revolutionary war, stood neaf the Kings
Mountain road in the northwestern corner of
the lot on which stands the Kings Mountain
Military School. A larg&bickory marks the
place. The first settler was man by the
name of Matthew Dickson. On the lot now
occupied by Edgar P. Williams, Matthew
Dickson kept store, in which he and rela-
ton sold whisky, treacle, (molasses0 } salt, delf
and other useful articles. Matthew Dickson
came to the region with the Crowder's creek
Scoth. Irish emigrants, perhaps before Brad
docks defeat. he married Miss Carson, a
relative of the Carsons in the neighborhood
of Pisgah church in the lower edge of CASTOR
county, North Carolina. The marriage of
Matthew Dickson and Miss Carson took place
in Gettysburg.
When Tarleton and his men passed from
Bigger's ferry to Cairns (then Ross') mill,
they went near by the house Of Matthew Dick
son, who was with Sumters army. Mrs.
Dickson was at home. They had several ne
>groes., Two of the negro men left their fami-
lies and followed the British. Mrs. Dickson,
when she heard that Tarleton was at the Ma
ton ford, set out to recover the negro men.
She rode one horse and led another, causing
q negro woman to do the same thing. The
led horses were for the negro men to ride
back on. When she arrived at the British
camp, she made known the object of her visit.
Tarleton told her that her negroes were in
camp, but remarked, "you have four fine
horses. I think the best thing you can do is
to return for if you remain here long you
will have to walk home" The good woman,
anxious to save her horses, took his advice
and returned, leaving the negro men with the
British. When she returned home she found