The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1878-06-27

celYed dispatch from Gen. Sumter, con
tanning the startling intelligence of the
landing at Charleston, on the 3rd, of por'
tons Of three regiments, detachment 'o
the Guards, and a considerable number
of volunteers, all under the command Of
Colonel Gould. These forces were de.
signed for CORVALLIS, but that officer, in
order that South Carolina might be re.
tanned in possession of his Majesty, as.
signed them to the succor of Rewdon.
So soon as the Irish troops landed
Rawdon, who was in camp at Monks
Corner, repaired to Charleston to make
preparation for the relief of Ninety Six.
Previous to this time he had not heard
of the fall of Augusta, nor of the invest
ment of Ninety Six. His fears, how
ever, for both these posts were great; but
with the force then at his command, be-
set as he was by Sumter and Marion, he
was unable to render Cruger and Brown
any assistance. On the 7th of June
Rawdon set out from Charleston for
Ninety Six. Soon after leaving Charles
ton, the troops left hv Rawdon at Monks
Corner Joined tn ID by Gould. The
whole consisted OF :enteen hundred in
fantry and one hundred and fifty cavalry.
On the way a few others joined him, so
that on arriving at Orangeburg his COM
mand amounted to more than two thou
sand. Rawdon soon heard of the fall OF
Augusta and the siege of Ninety Six.
On hearing of the advance of Rawdon,
the first thing that suggested itself to the
mind of Gen. Greene Has to meet and
disperse the force advancing to relieve
Cruger, and then return and force Cruger
to surrender. To effect this design,
Marion, who was in the low-country, was
ordered to place himself in front of Raw
| don. Gen.. Sumter was ordered to collect
all the forces on the Congaree and join
Gen. Greene at some point between that
river and Ninety Six. Gen. Pickens, to-
gether with all the cavalry under Colonel
Washington, were sent to join Sumter.
Although the plan of first beating Raw
don was undertaken, it was soon dis
covered that it could not be put into e1-
ecution. The concentration of the forces
under Sumter was necessarily too slow,
and the movements of Rawdon too rapid,
to put into execution such aplan.
It was determined next by Gen. Greene
to raise the siege and lead his forces into
some safe retreat. To this both the Off
GERS and the men objected. Some were
anxious to wipe out old stains; others
were desirous to give an exhibition of
their skill and prowess; whilst many,
rendered reckless by cruelties and suffer:
ing inflicted by the enemy, were longing
for an opportunity to satiate their venge-
ance. It was manifest to all that the
post must be taken by assault or aban-
doned. Rawdon was moving forward to
its relief with all possible dispatch.
In the meantime, neither party had
slackened its labors. The work of the
besiegers was pressed forward, whilst the
Iibesieged labored day and night in
strengthening their Notifications. The
American marksmen often drove the
artilleriats from their guns. 1t was at
tempted TO burn the houses of the village
with arrows, rs was done at Fort Motto |;
but Cruger promptly had the houses
stripped of their roofs. Major Green,
who commanded with distinguished
ability the star redoubt, on seeing the
advance of the American third parallel
and the erection of Maham tower, COW
cred his parapet with sand bags, leaving
an aperture between the bags for the use
| of his riaemen. 1t now became evident
to all that an error had been made in not
directing the main force to the reduction
of the stockades that guarded the spring.
In order to cut the enemy off from
their supply of water, Col. Lee proposed
to Gen. Greene the propriety of attempt
ing to set the stockade fort on fire. On
the 18th, whilst a dark and portentous
cloud was rising in the west, Lee asked
Gen. Greene's permission to make the
| attempt to set this stockade fort on fire.
The request was granted, and q sergeant
and nine infantry, belonging to Lees
legion, were Immediately selected for the
perilous undertaking. This intrepid lit
tie band was furnished with combustible
material and directed to advance to the
stockade fort by the most concealed route.
At the same time the batteries in every
quarter opened terrific fire upon the
enemy, designing to produce the impress
sion that q general assault was about to
be made upon the star redoubt. The
gallant sergeant and his faithful little
baud made their way amid the raging Of
the storm and the thunder of the cannon
until they had reached the stockade fort,
and were in the act of applying the fire.
At this critical moment they were dig.
covered, and the sergeant and FIVE of his
men were instantly killed. The other
four escaped unhurt, Notwithstanding
many muskets were fired at them as they
ran across the field back to their COM
mand.
On the 18th the fire of the Americans
was very destructive. The enemy were
forced to withdraw their forces stationed
between the spriHg and the stockade fort
The garrison soon began to suffer greatly
on account of being deprived of the use
of the spring. The females in the Brit.
ish camp, sheltering themselves beneath
the respect due to their sex, undertook
to supply the garrison with water. Una.
BILE to supply the demand, the soldiers
it was discovered, dressed themselves in
female attire and went to the spring
This being discovered, the order was
| given to fire upon every one going to the
spring, whether male or female.
Although Rawdon had been advancing
rapidly since the 7th to relieve Cruger
the latter was in total ignorance of the
fact. In the neighborhood, only q few
miles distant from Ninety Six, resided 6
young woman who had lately married O
British officer in the garrison of Ninety
Six. The young lady was the daughter
of patriot, and she had a brother who
had heartily espoused the cause of the
Wings. This woman the British bribed
to communicate to the commander al
Ninety Six the fact that succor would
soon arrive. Rawdon was at Orangeburg
when he sent his emmissary to contract
with this woman. She communicated
the facts in the case to young loyalis
in the community. Dressed in citizens
clothes, this loyalist appeared, on the
afternoon of the 18th, riding along tbs
American. lines, south of the village
l se1l,oro NJ