Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-07-27
Misturp ut 8. Garplima
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement of South Carolina.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.

COnN w AAAAS NJ
LOTTE.
The utter overthrow of General Gates and
dispersion of his army at Camden, followed by
the surprise of General Sumter at Fishing
creek, placed South Carolina in condition
which beggars description. Had the region
ofcountry now embraced in the counties Of
Rowan and Mecklenburg, North Carolina,
and Lancaster, Chester, York and Fairfield,
been settled by any other class Of people,
CORVALLIS could have marched from Cam
den to New York, and the stars and stripes
would never have foated over few people.
The part which the inhabitants of the re-
gion mentioned acted, has never been fully
understood, or at least it has never been clear
ly stated. American liberty was born in the
South. The first man that ever advocated
absolute independence, was William john
son, blacksmith of Charleston, South Caro-.
lima; and the first blood that was shed to wa
ter thu. tree of liberty, was shed at Alamance,
North Carolina. William johnson and Chris
topher Gadsen advocated, in Charleston,
American independence as early as 1855, and
the inhabitants of North Carolina fought and
bled and died for American liberty in 1771.
The region of country between the Yadkin
river, in North Carolina, and Broad river, in
South Carolina, was settled by the same kind
of people. Their religious creed was the same,
and in political sentiment they we're unit.
By their enemies they were stigmatized as
"pugnacious and pertinacious." For centu.
ries they had been regarded as troublers of
kings. Slow to be moved, patient under suf-
fering; but when once aroused they were as
furious as an enraged lion and as impetuous
as tornado in its maddened course. Their
religious creed may be summed up in one
short sentence: "Whatever the Bible teaches
is right, and whatever it forbids is wrong"
Physically, morally and mentally, they were
strong people. On all questions they claimed
the right of thinking for themselves. In ev-
cry house there was family altar, upon which
the head of the family offered up the morning
and evening sacrifice. Such, briefly, was the
kind of people that CORVALLIS found when
he arrived i'll the upper region Of South Car
olina. With them Sumter fought at Rocky
Mount and Hanging Rock, and with them he
lay near the mouth of Fishing creek, on the
18th of August, 1880.
After the defeat Of Gates and surprise of
Sumter, CORVALLIS began to make preparation
for the subjugation of North Carolina. The
original intention of the British was to enter
North Carolina farther east than Charlotte.
In the region of Fayetteville, there was a
Scotch settlement which was loyal. The de-
sign of the British commander was to enter
this Scotch settlement and afford these loyal
Scotch protection from the assaults Of their
Whig neighbors. The success with which the
British arms had thus far met, induced Lord
Cornwallis to change his plans and move di-
rectly into North Carolina. The want of
supplies and the condition of his army, pre-
vented the British commander from COM
mencing bis march Immediately otter the sue
cess with which he had met at Camden and
Fishing creek. The prisoners taken at these
places had to be disposed Of, and various posts
had to be fortified.
The British had gained series of victories,
but they were not bloodless victories. The
ranks of the army had been greatly thinned.
Many British soldiers had slept the sleep that
knows no waking, and much greater num-
Der were wounded and worn out with hard
fighting and harder marching. The weather
was intensely hot, and CORVALLIS could not
advance until his army was reinforced. 10
effect this, Major Patrick Ferguson was sent to
the western section of the State to enlist the
loyalists of that section. Runners we're sent
into various sections of both the Carolinas to
urge the we'll affected to the British govern
ment to join the'British army. Detschments
we're sent out in every direction to plnnder