Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-01-27

1876. -....
the refined name of hostages. Unable to ef-
feet their purpose by assault, they determined
to have recourse to stratagem. Oconostata
placed body of Indians in dense thicket
near the fort, and sent friendly Indian woman
to the fort requesting Cotymore to meet him
at certain point on some important business.
Without rejecting, Cotymore, with two lieu
tenants, Bell and Foster, went to the spot.
Oconostata was present with bride in his
hand. He told Cotymore that he had deter.
mined to go to Charleston that he might
solicit Governor Lyttleton to release the pris-
oners, and that he desired guard. He was
then, he said, on hunt Of horse to ride.
Cotymore at once promised the chief the de-
sired guard. In the midst Of the converse
tion, Oconostata slung the bride around his
head three tines This was the signal to his
ambushed colleagues. Out of the thicket
they rushed and fired upon the unsuspecting
captain and his two lieutenants. Cotymore
fell mortally wounded, and Bell and Foster
dangerously. The men in the fort seeing
what was going on, attempted to put in
irons, the prisoners in the fort. The Indians
resisted, severely wounding three Of the gar.
rison. Enraged by this resistance, the men
in the fort put all the prisoners to death on
the spot.
Every move, either by the English or by
the Indians, only made matters worse The
inhuman butchery of the hostages, as they
were called, in Fort Prince George, aroused
the Cherokees as they never had been aroused
BEFORE The cry for vengeance pierced the
darkness of the night. The wild natives laid
aside all restraint. The houses Of the frontier
settlers were visited by hideously painted saw
ages, and children were mercilessly put to
death and scalped without distinction. The
smallpox was raging in the low country, and
but few of the militia could be induced to
leave their afflicted families to render aid to
their distressed countrymen. Never was their
such time in South Carolina before. The
whole country, from Ninty-Six in the present
county of Abbeville, to Fort Loudon on the
Tennessee, was exposed to the tomahawk and
scalping knife. Dogs grew fat 90 the car
cases of human beings. Tender babes were
snatched from their mothers bosom, and their
brains dashed out against trees. The savage
war song and the shrieks and cries Of helpless
women and children were heard above the
bowling Of the wolves.
In order to relieve the afflicted colony, 9
dispatch was sent to General Amhurst, the
commander of the British forces in America.
Amhurst detached Colonel Montgomery, with
six companies of Highlanders and six compa.
nies of the seventy.second regiment. In
April, 1850, Montgomery arrived in Csroli-
ma. He was Joined by a company of VOL
unteers from the low country. Previous,
however, to the arrival Of Montgomery, Lyttle-
ton was appointed Governor of Jamaica, and
William Bull succeeded him as 4Gozazna. ef
S66th Carolina. Bull applied to Virginia
and North Carolina for assistance, and seven
companies were sent to assist in keeping the
Indians from penetrating into the interior far
ther than Ninety-Six.
After his arrival in the province, Colonel
Montgomery encamped at Monks Corner.
All things being arranged for the campaign,
he set out with all possible despatch for the
Cherokee country. His time was limited, and
he was forced to act promptly. On entering
the Indian settlement, he literally laid it
waste with fire and sword. New Keowee,
Estetoe, Quacorelchie, Toxawaw, sugaw Town
and Aconnee, were reduced to ashes. The
Indian women and children, together with
few men, we're made captives; but the multi.
tude of the warriors fled on the approach Of
Montgomery.
Thinking that the Indians were not yet
sufficiently humbled, Colonel Montgomery
pushed into the middle settlements, the abode
of the over.hill Cherokees. The march lay
through a pathless forest. Rugged noun
tains and streams, with precipitous banks i'm
peded his progress.
When within FIVE miles of Etchoe, town
of the over-hill Cherokees, Montgomery was
attacked by the Indians. The battle-ground
was chosen with consummate skill. It was a
deep valley, densely covered with underwood.
In this the savages we're concealed. Captain
Morrison led the vanguard. No sooner had
he entered the brake, than the savages sprung
from their ambuscade and poured in a des-
tructive fire upon him and his men. Morri-
son fell dead, and many of his men were
wounded. The main body of Montgomery's
men came up and the fight became general.
The forest echoed and reschoed With the In
dian warwhoop. The fight lasted about an
hour and terminated to the advantage Of the
British; but it was dear bought victory.
Montgomery lost twenty men killed and sew
enty-six wounded. The savages were routed
but not subdued. In the recent fight they
lost, in killed only forty; and Montgomery, in
order to save his wounded, was obliged to
make hasty retreat to Fort Prince George.
All the way from Etchoe to the fort, the saw
ages kept annoying him. On arriving at Fort
Prince George, he announced that he was un-
der orders to set out, Immediately, for New
York. This announcement filed the from
tier settlers with grief To quiet their fears
end oford thoro eoma nrotection. he left four