Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-03-11
= gumaute If the gerolntiou.
ELLEN CAMPBELL, JILL !; !,
KINGS MOUNTAIN.
BY MRS. MARY A. EWART.
CHAPTER I.
ssThe sounding aisles Of the dim woods rang
To the anthem of the free.

CHAPTER L.
"The sounding aisles Of the dim woods rang
To the anthem of the free.
Aye call it holy ground,
The soil where first they trod
They have left unstained what they found,
Freedom to worship God
sWord' :,
BRETHREN AND CoUNTRYMEN: This is a SOL
emn moment. We have met in this peaceful val
ley to invoke Gods blessing. A few short days
ago our land rested in the security OF peace; our
homes quiet, our hearths happy. From these
green solitudes arose the smoke of our settlers
cabins. The waving fields Of grain rejoced amidst
the waste of wilderness, and the glad music OF
human VOICES ascending from happy pISsr
abroad upon the labor Of his hands, and blessed
God for his prosperity. The mother hushing, in
gentle lullaby, her babe upon her breast In slent
gratitude thanked its Maker for His care. Bo!d
manhood and timid maidenhood alike, rejoiced IN
security and rested in peace.
"Now, God of mercy, the change! Where once
was peace and plenty, now is famine, desoiauon
Let us worship God,' in prayer and praise, now
is heard the roll of the revielle calling husbands
and fathers to duty or the beat Of the tattoo. CIV
ing the signal for rest to wearied sons and broth
ers-the earth for their bed, their knapsacks Tor
their pillow, and heaven for their canopy.
"Oh! God, the change! The blooming valley,
the waving tield-now, the blood -sodden waste,
the desoate plain. The peaceful homestead, the
thriving villsge-now, acharred ruin, or asacke ed
solitude.
sAsk yon whitening bones where is the patri-
arch and father? Ask yon starving woman with
the babe clinging to her withered breast that can
give no sustenance, where the children that gath
cred around her knee where her home? and
let the dying mother and the butchered children
answer. Ask yon maniac woman what terror
froze her blood, depriving her soul of reason and
hear her shrek OF a slain father, butchered
mother, of pleading innocence, and, God ofjustice,
of dishOnOr worse than death
isAnd who has taken the sword? With the holy
name of Jehovah upon their lips, invoking the
Redeemer, the prince of peace to their aid, the
country that we call mother! They have ruth
lessly invaded our land, glorying in our desola-
tion. They have taken the sword and shall perish
by it.
'And believe me- brethren, the doom of the
British is near. Might and wrong now prevail,
and the cloud now enshrouds us but gathering
thick and fast, see the darker cloud and blacker
storm of divine vengeance, which will assuredly
burst in terrible fury upon our inhuman foes.
Ny friends, need not urge you to action, by re-
calling CALLING memories and grievous wrongs.
know you are strong in the might of the Lord,
though the solemn duty of avenging the dead rest
heavy on your souls.
"They that take the sword shall perish by the
sword" You have taken it, but not in the spirit
of wrong or revenge; but for your homes and
your fresides, your wives and your little ones,
your altar3 and your freedom; and remember,
God is with you. He makes holy cause his
own. God the terrible, mighty in battle, fights
"Father, we bow before thee, we invoke thy
Blessing, we deprecate thy wrath, we return .-.ee
thanks for ahe past we'asK thy aid Tor the 1uture
We are in trouble; Lord deliver US; we are IN IN
need Lord help us. We are in afction; Lord
comfort u.s. We are dsmayed; Lord prosper U.S.
Teach us to be patient; teach MS to he mrrciful.
In the hour of defeat let us hope in thee; In the
hour of triumph let US glorify thee; and in the
hour of death, let us come off more than con.
querors, through Christ. who has loved. Ana
may our cause be blessed by the love of God the
Father, by the comfort of Christ the Son, and by
the guidance of the Holy Spirit, now and forever
Amen.
1t was quiet Sabbath evening in Septem-
her, 1880; the scene eminently picturesque
Near the confines of York district, South Car
oliua, some miles distant from rugged hill
called Kings Mountain, nestled quiet coun-
try church. The house, built of logs, was
simple and unpretending but poets pen or
an artists fancy, could not have pictured
spot of more Sabbath-like repesa
A forest of primeval oaks shaded its lowly
roof, through whose giant limbs the sun shone
in gentle III ght upon the virgin moss which
carpeted the foot paths around. From the
rustic porch, grassy lawn sloped down to the
waters of Allison's creek, which was now clad
in all the rich luxuriance of the South in its
balmiest summer. The music of the running
water, with its hymn-like tones, the groves OF
such quiet shade and luxuriance, the varying
tints of glorious Indian summer sunset, made
a picture of holy beauty, fit cathedral for
worsbipping patriots.
Far away, the Blue Ridge reared its cloud
capped SUBMITS, piercing their pointed spires
far into ether. Like nesting hills, Kings
Mountain Crag, in North Carolina, lifted its
clear blue crest and nearer yet, Browns
Mountain and Henry's Knob, with their
crowns of royal purple, stood out in bold re-
lief The congregation was large for the
times, assembled at the call of a runner, for
at that chequered period, it was not always
safe to assemble, even for worship. 1t con-
sisted almost entirely of men, rude and wealth
er beaten; but here and there, muscular
form of erect bearing, would indicate the sol.
der, even without the Continental blue and
buff The most of them were clad in the
hunting shirt of the mountaineers, and few
with the accompanying hunting knife. 9th
ers were in the plain home-spun dress of the
time, while perhaps solitary suit of broad
cloth would indicate landed proprietor who,
from wariness or one side neutrality, had pre-
served his domains.
'"The mountain is the birthplace ofliberty,'
said Washington and here these hardy sons
of toll had met under the shelter Of their
sanctuary, to be emboldened and encouraged
by a servant of the God of battles, to strike
one more blow for freedom.