Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-02-24

and brought TO trial. Tradition says that
scovill was tried at Ninety-Six for stealing
chickens. The evidence adduced, to prove
the charges, was, that on certain night, Col
onel Scovill did steal from some one, thirty
eight chickens. Colonel Scoyill most solemn
" declared this was7a most infamous false
hood. "There were only he said, "Sax and
thirty, for ate the guzzards." i" AS matter
Of course, we suppose, he was acquitted Of the
charge Of having stolen thirty-sigh chickens,
but found guilty, Of having stolen thirty-siix. sii.
Ridiculous as this may seem, = is said, on
good authority, to be a fact; and if SOL gives
us. correct idea of the kind of man that
Governor Montague selected TO settle diff
Guilty between honest men and thieves.
y The Regulators, on the breaking out of of' the
war between the colonies and England, we're
generally Whigs; whilst the lscovillites we're
tories or loyalists. The two parties still con-
tinued but under their new names, Whig and
Tory: .sin&@ st.h ts!r6.1l satLl = ,'.g =
. It must be confessed that the Wings often
acted imprudently and sometimes very rash
ly.. In the western section Of the State, there
were many men Of influence who refused, they
said, from conscientious ,scruples, to take any
part with the Wings in throwing off the yoke
of Great Britain. Amongst these We might
mention the three Cunninghams Patrick,
Robert and William Generally known as
"Bloody Bill"J Brown, Fletchall, and md some
others. Whether gentler measures ,ayoup would
have won these men over Or ot,iit would
have been wiser, and with all due respect to
the gallant old Wings ofi776, itiwould hate
been more honorable, to have first tried gen
tier measures, and then acted as the circum-.
stances ofthe case might demand. t is not
claimed for the Wings Of 1776 that they xsIrs
infallible. On the contrary. its,is admitted
they we're but men, liable to, dc,Nrongsln
their zeal for the American cause the Wing
leaders attempted, : BY abuse. 70 dragon the
loyalists to side with them. That which
was at first a speck On the face of the hesy-
ems, soon enyeloped everything Difference
of; opinion was merged into determined oppo-
sition in every respect. fs s'i.flI @.H.2s
Robert Cunningham and bis brother, Pat
rick, were men of very considerable influence
in their region Of country. They were Of
Scotch descent, and were loyalists, Robert
was the first Judge appointed for Ninety-six
district, and before him the notorious oo lScoyill
was tried. Patrick was deputy .suryeyor-gen-
eral Of the province ofSouth Carolina Lord
William Campbell, then governor Of ithe
province, opened Up a secret correspondence
with these up-cousnitry loyalists. They were
tbld to make all possible preparations for re.
s1Hstance, but to. be quiet until . blow was
struck by the British government 1t is,
however, no easy matter to keep men of vio-
lent passions within thebonnds moderation.
1t is no less difficult to restrain violent parti.
sans from acts and words that are calculated
to develope slight dislikes into open and
avowed hatred. Thus one word led to anoth.
er, and one violent act was but the forerunner
Of another act more violent Finally the
different parties assembled under leaders Of
their own choice, or selfconstituted leaders,
armed al, themselves and prepared for civil war.
Late in August Of 1775, the Rev. William
Tenant and William Henry Drayton, visited
the Ninety-six region. They made an hon.
est attempt to conciliate the people, Both
these men were enthusiastic on the subject of
American rights, and although they we're
honest in their efforts to advance righteous
cause, they were not always prudent Pudf in deal
ing with those who could not, or at least would
not, SEQ things as they saw them. Vague and
false rumors we're put in circulation by both
parties. 1t was reported that the royalists
we're preparing to seize theagents Of the Coun-
Gil Of Safety whilst It was as firmly asserted
that it was the purpose Of the Wing party to
force, by an appeal to arms, the royalists tC z
sign the articles Of association. The royalist
assembled in campon the Enoree.a Drayton
called out the militia and prepared to march
against them and drive them from, the. coun-
try. His proclamation is dated, September
the 18th, 1775. Moses Kirkland, who had
been appointed q captsin by the Wings, but
who had turned traitor, fled to Charleston
and went on board the lamar On the 18th
Of September, treaty was entered into be-
tween the hostile parties, signed on the part
Of the Wings BY William Henry Drayton,
and on the part of the royslists by Colonel
Thomas Fletchall, Captain John Ford, Cap
tain Thomas Greer, Captain Evan McLaurin
and Captain Benjamin Woford. In this
treaty it vas agreed that all parties should 90
home and live in peace Robert Cunning
ham claimed that he was not bound BY. the
articles of this treaty, and still continued to
stir up the people in opposition to the Whig
party. He was arrested'and' takenito Charles
ton and confined. This aroused Patrick
Cunningham, and he made q desperate effort
to rescue his brother before be would reach
the city. In this be failed; but he succeeded
in capturing q quantity Of powder which. the
authorities of South Carolina were sendingtas
a kind Of conciliatory present to the Cherokee
Indians, Both Wings and royalists we're now
furious. Major Andrew Williamson, who
commanded the militia in the Ninety.Six dis
trict, was ordered to call out bis men and
proceed at once to capture the powder. The
royalists were as keen for battle as the Whig
militia, and far more numerous. = Williamson
and his men we're forced to take refuge in a
stockade. For three days they we're closely
besieged and made to suffer. The condition