Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-05-10
.isturp uf $. Garulina.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement of South Carolina.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.

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SURRENDER OF FORT CRANKY.
The attentive student of history cannot but
be struck with the precarious nature of every
human state, condition or circumstance. "All
is we'll that ends WE'LL" and present ipdica.
tions are deceptions He must be stupid, in
deed, who does not discover in the terminus
to which transpiring events are tending, the
hand of an all powerful providence.
From the fall of Charleston, in May, $780,,
to the latter part of April, 1871, South Car
olna lay PROSTATE beneath the heel of the
British. 1t is true, there we're small and in
significant partisan corps operating in various
sections of the State. These corps we're COM
posed of as selfsacri6cing patriots as ever
lived, and they were led by as brave officers
as ever drew sword but such were the cir
cumstances by which they we're surrounded,
that they could effect little more than check
the ravages of the enemy. The British
thought and said the State was subdued. The
great mass of the people in several sections of
the State, had given up in hopeless despair.
The wonder is not that so many despaired,
but that any retained hope that the American
cause would ultimately prevail. The mo-
ment, however, that General Greene entered
the State, the condition of things seems to
have assumed new aspect. The report had
been extensively circulated that CORVALLIS
had annihilated Greene's army. The people
generally did not understand the movements
of the American General, and as men usual.
ly suffer their hopes and fears to control their
judgment, the people concluded that Corn
walIe had driven Greene out of the State.
The return of Greene corrected this false no.
ton and infused hope into many sad hearts.
The battle of Hobkirk's Hill, the first
fought by Greene after his return, was a fail
ure. Rawdon gained victory; but it was
sad victory. He lost more than one-fourth
of his army, and the single announcement
that General Greene had met the British at
Camden, inspired the Wings in every section
of the State with fresh spirit of resistance.
In the course of fortnight, Camden, Fort
Watson, Orangeburg and Fort Motto, we're in
possession of the Americans. This was not
all. The British officers, no longer confident
of success were despondent, and instead of
believing that the State was conquered, we're
intensely anxious for the safety of the British
troops stationed in the State.
Sumter, as we have already seen, had left
Col. Taylor at Fort CRANKY to prosecute the
siege, whilst he would hasten to Orangeburg.
This post fell into the hands of the Ameri-
cans on the 18th of May-four days after
Sumter commenced its investment Sumter
Immediately began his return to Fort CRANKY.
Lieutenant-C Colonel Lee, however, set out for
the same point so soon as Fort Motto surren-
dered. The distance from Orangeburg to
Fort CRANKY, is, in direct line, about forty
miles from Fort Motto to CRANKY is about
twenty-five miles.
On the afternoon of the 18th, Fort Motto
surrendered, and during the early part Of the
night of the 18th, Colonel Lee, with the in
fantry attached to his legion, aud Captain
Finley, with the six FOUNDER which General
Greene had sent to Marion and Lee, appear
ed before Fort Cranky Lee began to lay
seige to the place with his usual energy.
Within little more than quarter of mile
of the fort he commenced the work of erect
ing battery. The morning of the 18th was
cloudy. A dense fog had settled on the face
of the country, and before the enemy had dis
covered that the Americans had commenced
any new plans for their overthrow, Lee had
his six FOUNDER mounted and was ready to
open fire upon the garrison.
For several reasons, Colonel Lee was anx-
ious to bring the matter to a final issue as
soon as possible Lord Rawdon, with his
forces, began to cross the Santee at Nelson 3