Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-10-14
THE X. NJ. CENTENNIAL.
icoNTINuED FROM FOURTH PAGE. |


treachery sits by the camp fire, ''squat like a
toad" whispering "gold" to those whom steel
had tried in vain. Where, where, now shall
faith rear her cross, now that the anchor OF
hope is breaking? God of the dauntless pa
triot-God of the widow and orphan-God Of
the weak and lowly, whose despondency shiv-
ers around thy throne-shall the heavens ever
he braSs-is there none to save? Let the
woods and the Swamps, the painless thicket,
the steep rocks and the everlasting hills give
answer, Yes, when Hope was dying, Despair
summoned an army of salvation.
In the heart of the Carolinas was hardy
Presbyterian stock, the Scotch-Irish as they
were called people possessing quick, in
quisitive intelligencea and the impulsive courage
of the Irish, with the dogged resolution of the
COvenanter. This element extended into the
valley and the great southwest of Virginia,
and had pushed forward upon the recedlng
footsteps of the savage in Kentucky and Ten
nessee. Mingling with pioneers of English
blood in all its settlements, and in it's more
southerly connections with that of the gallant
Huguenots who had sought an asylum from
religious bigotry in South Carolina, there had
been formed an adventurous and intrepid pop
ulation, filled with all the qualities of bold,
generous manhood. The spirit of popular lib
erty had stirred amongst them, and given birth
many against the eXactions of the few" So
rife was this spirit in the Carolinas at an early
day, that when the boundary line was run be-
tween North Carolina and Virginia, in 1927,
the borderers were eager to be included In the
former State, ''as there" they said, ''they
paid no tribute to God or Caesar" BY their
hands the first blood was shed in America
against the eXactions of arbitrary taxation IN
the conflict with Governor Tryon, the Royal
Governor, in Alamance county, in Ill. by
their voices was Illuminated at Mecklenburg
the first Declaration of Independence against
the British Crown, more than a year before
the Colonial Congress emulated their example
and copied their very language in the great
Declaration at Philadelphia. In the bosom of
the wilderness they had reared by their hearth
stones the rude altarS of Civil Liberty. Break
ing from bondage, the scions OF this hardy
stock had crossed the Alleghanies to the Val
ley of the Watauga, and carried their settle
ments to the broader Nollichucky, whose
sparkling waters spring out Of the tallest
mountains in the range. Here, where the wild
crab-apple scented the breeze with fragrance,
but no lawyer followed with his writ here
where the trout darted through clear streams
shaded by spruce and rhododendrOn, but no
flag of England Haunted here, where the elk,
the red deer and the black bear abOunded in
the great forests of oak, hickory, maple, elm,
ash and buckeye, where genial soil yielded
richest crops of maize, but no governor exact
ed tribute here the mountain eagles scream
ed, hut their ears were veXed with no kings
proclamation they had planted their homes,
framed their laws, and set to the people OF
America the example Of creating themselves
into State, Independent of the authority OF
the British King.
The victor of Camden had sent forth the re-
oh WpCt-
ern confines of North Carolina, with his own
light infantry corps and considerable body
of tory militia, of his own training. His Or
ders were to scour the mountain country, be-
tween the Catawba and the Yadkin, harass
the rebels, inspirit the tories, and enlist the
militia in the service of the King. Meanwhile,
CORVALLIS himself marched northward, and
posted his army at Charlotte, where Ferguson
was to join him at the close of his expedition.
The latter was on his way to rejoin CORVALLIS,
when he heard that Col. Clark, of Georgia, was
retreating to the mountain district, after an
unsuccessful advance Oh the British post at
Ninety-Six. Thinking to intercept Clark's re-
treat, Ferguson made his way through the will
derness to small frontier village, of log hou-
SeS, called Gilbert Town, in Rutherford coun-
ty, and there camped in serene cOntentment,
persuaded that there was no force in that Sec
tion cable to look him in the face"
''All of sudden.' says an ancient chronl-
cler, "a numerous, fierce and unexpected enc
my sprang up in the depths of the desert. The
scattered inhabitants of the mountain assem-
bled, without noise or warning, under the con-
duct of six or seven of their militia colonies,
to the number of six hundred strong, daring,
well mounted and excellent horsemen.". Start
led by the strange apparition, Ferguson issued
an address to arouse the tories ''The Back
water men have crossed the mountain" said
he; Mcdowell, Hambright, Shelby and Cleve-
land at their head. If you choose to be trod-
den upon forever and ever by q set Of mon
grelS, say so at once, and let women look out
for real men to protect them. If you desire to
live and bear the name OF men, grasp your
arms in moment and run to camp" To this
appeal came no answer, and the partisan lead
er now broke up camp at Gilbert Town and
strOve to get back to CORVALLIS, while swift
messengers sped ahead to warn his Lordship
of FergusOn's impending danger. But the
messengers were entrapped, and soon his enc
my were upon him.
Scarce had he left Gilbert Town, October 4,
when the motley horde thronged in, some
afoot, but for the most part on horseback
Each mall carried his long Deckhard rifle and
his hunting knife, his wallet and blanket, and
in his hat Ducktail or an evergreen plucked
by the wayside. They wore either hunting
shirts, decorated with colored fringe and tas-
sells, or coarse hornespun of many patterns,
while here and there an officer made notable
figure in the blue and buff of the Continent
ais. No ambulance, ammunition or baggage
wagon followed. They were in light marching
order, ready for the watchword of the wilder
ness: ''SeiZe the weapon, spring into the sad
die and away!'
How and whence came this sudden eruption
from the depths of the desert ? BY what con-
cert had the remote and scattered men of the
Wilderness been brought together? 1t SEEM
ed as if some Masonry of the woods had given
the watchword to it's dwellers-as if the light
nings had conveyed to them the signs Of dis
tress from their brethren, and the wings of the
wind had borne them an answer.
The command of Col. Charles Mcdowell, of
Burke county, had scattered when they heard
the dismal news of Gates defeat at Camden,
and fled beyond the mountains and Colonel
Isaac Shelby had gone back to his home in
Sullivan county. But when Ferguson had
sailed forth on his mission of coercion and
pilage the indomitable Mcdowell had ridden
over the mountains to rally his refugees and
obtain assistance from the high-spirited back
woOdsmen on the Watauga and Nollichucky
While they listened to his appeals with swell
ing bosoms, two prisoners arrived who had
been captured and paroled by Ferguson, bear
ing his insolent message that if they did not de-
sist from opposition and stake protection under
his standard he would march over the noun
tains, hang their leaders and lay waste their
country with fire and sword.''
With one mind they resolved to 60 forth
and meet him, and two regiments were speed
ils formed under the lead of Cclonels John
Sewer and Isaac Shelby. Shelby undertook
to secure the cooperation of the Virginia
riflemen under Colonel William Campbell, of
Washington county, and his brother bore the