Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-07-05
Asisturp ut $. Garnlina.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
Early Settlement Of South Carolina.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.

Early settlement OF South IarO''nd'
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
RETREAT OF GEN. GREENE AND FIGHT
AT QUINBY BRIDGE.
FROM Ninety.Six, General Greene led his
forces in the direction of Charlotte, North
Carolina, as far as the cross roads, short dis
tance east of the site of the present town OF
Chester. Here he learned, with certainty,
concerning the movements Of Rawdon and
Cruger. The former designed passing from
Ninety-Six, in direct course, to Fort Gran
by; the latter to Orangeburg. Lieutenant
Colonel Lee pressed Rawdon both on his rear
and fanks. From the cross roads, General
Greene took the road passed over by Corn
wallis, early in January of the same year.
Passing through Winnsboro, General Greene
then led his forces to Fort CRANKY. Cruger,
watched closely by Gen. Pickens, was ad-
vancing towards Orangeburg. Rawdon. an
noyed by Lee and not feeling safe at Fort
CRANKY, had retired to Orangeburg before the
arrival of General Greene.
1t is manifest that the siege of Ninety'Six
had disconnected the plans of the British,
whilst the failure to capture the place had
thwarted, for the moment. the purposes of the
American General. Rawdon had ordered
Lieutenant.C Colonel Stewart, with consider
able force, to join him on the Congaree
Stewart set out from Charleston, but he had
not proceeded far when the commander Of
the post ordered him back. General Greene
ordered General Marion to retard, as much
as possible, the advance of Stewart and then
to ioin Colonel Lee Stewart was again or.
dered to join Rawdon. His advance was
slow. This rendered the advance of Marion
slow. The result was that both Lee and
Rawdon were disappointed on arriving at
Fridays Ferry. Here Lee expected to meet
Sumter and Marion, and Rawdon expected
to be joined by Stewart.
Rawdon reached Fridays Ferry on the
Conearee on the first of July and camped.
Lieutenant Colonel Lee having perfect
knowledge of the country, and knowing that
Rawdon was dependant on the surrounding
country for supplies, began promptly to make
preparations to cut off all foraging parties Of
the enemy. Lee was on the left bank of the
Conparee, whilst Rawdon was on the right.
In order to gain the enemy's front. it was nec-
essary that Lee should cross the river. This
was done with dispatch, and reconnoitering
party of thirty cavalry, under Eggleston, and
a similar party under Armstrong, were sent
to the southern portion Of Lexington county
for the purpose Of striking any foraging par
ties Rawdon might send out
AT an early hour the next morning, for
aging party, consisting of between fifty and
sixty cavalry and number of wagons, were
discovered approaching farm house. Eg-
gleston permitted the party to advance to
within striking distance, and then dashng in
upon it with spirit, captured the wagons and
forty.Gve of the cavalry. In this affair the
Americans did not lose single man.
Rawdon left Fridays Ferry and advanced
slowly towards Orangeburg. On the road to
Orangeburg he was joined by Stewart.
General Greene, who was encamped near
the confluence of the Broad and Saluda riv
ers, when Rawdon precipitately retired from
Fridays Ferry, followed by rapid marches,
thus preventing Rawdon from entrenching
himself. The American forces, now increased
BY the commands of Marion and Sumter,
numbering, in all, about two thousand, en-
camped Eve miles from Orangeburg.
Cruger had not yet reached Orangeburg,
and General Greene, for the moment, was un.
able to decide what course to pursue. Raw.
don's force, althoug gh augmented by the corps
Of Stewart, was inferior to that of Greene,
but was favorably situated and protected by
the buildings of the town. On account of
the difficulty in crossing the Edisto, an at.
tempt to intercept Cruger and cut him and
his loyalists off before uniting with Rawdon,
would be, thought Greene, attended with
great risk. In view of all the circumstances,
General Greene thought it prudent not to
hazard an assault, but to retreat to the High
Hills of the Santee.
The American army remained in the vicin.
ity of Orangeburg only few days, but dur
ing that time the men experienced great suf-
fering from lack of food. The supply was
limited, snd to most of the troops the quality
was very unpalatable. For bread they had
rice in limited supplies. To the Maryland
and Virginia troops, who had been accustom-
ed all their lives to bread made from wheat
-four or corn meal, rice was very unpalatable.
In addition to this, the supply of rice was in.
adequate to the demand. Fortunately, the
swamps, lsgoons and rivers furnished an
abundance of frogs and aligators. The troops
subsisted mainly upon frogs. The cravings
of appetite overcame all aversion to these
creatures, and both officers and men sought
them with avidity. The weather was op-
pressively hot and the troops began to sicken.
General Greene, that he might give his army
short period of repose, left Orangeburg on
the 18th of July, and reached the High Hills
of Santee on perhaps the 18th.
Before leaving Oraugeburg, Gen. Greene
ordered Sumter, Marion and Lee, with the
troops in their several commands, to advance
in the direction of Charleston, for the pur-
pose of breaking up the British posts at Dor
chester and Monks Corner These officers
were also charged with the duty of cutting
off all communications between Rawdon and
Balfour, the commander of Charleston. These
objects accomplished, they were to join
Greene on the Santee Hills. The commands
q