Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-02-15

Rfesls m lge SpaS. IhnMo-'
1877.
wallis, and with him and his officers talked
over the condition of things in the country.
Recent events had very materially cooled the
ardor of the tories and loyalists. The Brit
ish had made great promises but performed
nothing. For this they were not censurable.
Taking it for granted that all the promises
that CORVALLIS had been making to the 10y.
alists of North Carolina, since he arrived at
Camden, South Csrolins, in August of. the
preceding year, were made in good faith, and
that it was his honest purpose to fulfill them
all, he was excusable for having, up to this
time, done nothing, because the American
army under Greene, Morgan, Lee, Williams
and other leaders, would not permit him to
assist his friends. His own preservation and
that of the army under his command, re-
quired all his time and attention.
The loyalists who visited CORVALLIS, oil
expressed themselves as desirous that peace be
restored to the country and that the English
government be established; but few ifany at
all of them were willing to join the standard
of the king and assist in restoring the so-much
desired peace and in establishing the English
government. The fact is manifest, that the
more sensible of the loyalists feared the Wings
and had lost all confidence in the British
army. They saw that Greene, over the Dan,
was in better condition than CORVALLIS in
Hillsboro. The tories, proper, cared nothing
for either party. All they had in view was
plunder. To them war was better than peace,
and anarchy better than any government.
They hated law. and order because they de-
lighted in thieving. In addition to this, not
withstanding the declarations Of the British
general about driving the American army
out Of the province of North Carolins, he had
scarcely arrived at Hillsboro until TIP Amer
ican cavalry were in sight Of his camp cutting
off his forsging parties, interrupting his com.
munications. and in variety of ways keeping
him in state of continual solicitude.
This seems to be the proper place to men.
ton the fact that before CORVALLIS left Winns-
boro, be ordered Colonel Balfour to send from
Charleston, South Carolina, q detachment,
under convoy of naval force, to take posses-
sion of Wilmington, North Carolina. 10 this
poiut it was contemplated to ship army stores.
These supplies, it was thought, could be con-
veyed on the Cape Fear river to the army Of
Cornwallis. In obedience to his Instructions,
Balfour sent Major Craig, with four compa.
nies of the eighty-second regiment and two
hundred men. These, with supply Of army
stores, came up the Cape Fear as far - vii.
mington. Craig fortified the place, making
it military post, from which CORVALLIS
might obtain supplies for his army. The dis
tance between Wilmington and Hillsboro, to-
gether with the presence ofthe American cav
airy, rendered the supply from that quarter
precarious. l..s
The moment Greene's army crossed the
Dan, things began to present different as-
pect. Every man was conscious Of having
done and suffered what the circumstances Of
his bleeding and down,trodden country re-
quired. The troubles of the past were mar
rated with real delight. The American sol.
diers never, for moment, thought that they
had been driven out of North Carolina.
Reinforcements began to pour in from various
sections of the country. Not in large mum.
bers, but composed of men good and true
This was what Greene desired. General
Stevens, as We have seen, was sent with some
militia, whose time of service was nearly ex-
pired, to conduct the prisoners, captured BY
Morgan, to Charlottesville, Virginia. This
done, be led the militia to Pittsylvsnis Court
House. There their arms were deposited and
the men disbanded.
From Pittsylvania Court House, General
Stevens repaired to the Scotch-Irish settle
ments of Augusta and Rockbridge counties,
where he collected considerable number of
men. With these hardy sons Of the noun
tains, be joined Greene in Halifax county,
North Carolina. Greene was also, at this
time, reinforced by two companies Of Mary.
landers, under Captain Oldham, and by a
body of militia under Andrew Pickens. Af'
terward and before the battle of Guilford
Court House, reinforcements from Virginia,
under General Lawson; from North Caroli-
ma, under Colonel Cleveland-one of the he
roes of Kings Mountain-and from Mont
gomery county, West Virginia, under Colonel
Preston, came in. ,.... ~
Two things conspired together to prevent
General Greene from lying inactive for any
considerable length of time, The restless ma
ture of the troops which composed the body
of bis army, made it necessary that they be
constantly employed. The existence of his
army depended on its being kept constantly
in motion. Again, notwithstanding the fact
that the loyalists we're disheartened because
of the neglect with which they had been
treated by the British, still, as CORVALLIS,
with his army, was in their midst offering
them protection, they could soon be induced
to espouse heartily the cause Of the enemy.
With a perfect knowledge of these facts,
General Greene ordered Colonel Lee, Of the
Cavalry, together with Brigadier.G General
Pickens who had recently Joined tho army
with corps of South Carolina. militia, and
Captain Oldham, with two companies of Ma
rylanders, to recross the Dan and gain the
front of CORVALLIS and keep as close to him