Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-10-14

UO tIo UcSG duLuOFlCy. TeISuooH pioSAo.oAi
roll showed l, 1926 men, twenty OF Whom Delng
absent on foraging expedition, alone escaped @
This force comprised the regulars OF DePeys-
ter, over 100 strong, and the rest were Tory
rifemen. Not man present but was killed,
wounded or taken-2O6 killed, 129 wounded,
649 captured, and with them all the wagons,
1,50O arms aud the paraphernalia OF the com
mand. Nine of the Tories were hanged IN
retaliation for the memorable massacre OF
Buford's men at the Waxhaws In short, one
fourth of the army of Cornwallis was annihi-
lated at a single stroke by an inferior force,
with a loss of but % killed and 60 wounded.
1t was great in it's effect upon theimmediate
fortunes and largely contributed to the tinalre-
suit of the Revolutionary war. Had the action
been delayed, TarletOn, about to take the road
from the camp of CORVALLIS, would have res
cued Ferguson from his peril and intercepted
the arm that was raised to strike him down.
Had Campbell lost the day, the last impediment
would have been removed to the complete con-
quest % the Car0linas the powerful organl-
cations of Tories would have riveted their
chains upon them the path Of the conqueror
to Virginia would have been opened, and that
State, already laid low to help her struggling
sisters, would probably have fallen with them
The terrific victory of Kings Mountain-so
swift, so stern, so fierce, so sweeping-stunned
ment, and filled every American heart with a
glow of eation and confidence. "The victory
of Kings Mountain" says Bancroft, (which
in the spirit of the American soldiers was like
the rising at Concord, in it's effect like the sue
cess at Bennington, changed the aspect OF the
war;" 'From the turning point" says John
=. Kennedy, the scholar, (who in his fine novel,
'Horse Shoe Robinson,'' has graphically de-
picted the battle "the cause advanced steadi-
ly to speedy and prosperous end. The
victory was fresh fountain Of strength and
the parent of new tripfiplls." -, "It gave the
first check" says the historian Ramsay, ''to
the career of British conquests in the South,
and by the defeat of Ferguson, so changed the
aspect of affairs as to result eventually in the
consummation of our independence" Says
Edward Everett "It restored the public mind
from the depression caused by the recent sue
cesses of CORVALLIS. It put an instant stop
to his efforts to bring back the upper country
to it's allegiance, and contributed it's full share
to the combinations which, about a twelve
month later, led to the surrender of CORVALLIS
and the virtual termination of the war"
As the victory of Moultrie at the Palmetto
Fort was the early, the morning star, so York
town was the glorious and undimmed sunrise
of American Independence; and SO Kings
Mountain came like some vivid flash from the
|
ened eyes with a mOmentary flood OF light,
poured over the glorious landscape of our fu-
ture triumph BY the lambent light that play
ed around this hOary crest, the PATRIOTS eye
caught, in prophetic vision, aninspiring glimpse
of Morgan and his men emerging through the
smoke of the Cowpens upon the heels Of the
flying Tarleton; beheld CORVALLIS retreating
before Greene after the dreadful carnage of
GuilfOrd while at the close of the vista rose
up in luminous splendOr that grand historic
picture which marks the dawn Of a new era in
the history of mankind-the sword of the con-
quered conquerOr presented humbly to the
Father of his Country, while the tri-color of
France and the flag OF the great Republic
tloated in mingled glory over the ramparts OF
Yorktown
All honor to the gallant men of the Carroll
mas; all honor to the mountain men OF the
Old Dominion Pioneers Of victory let graft
tude and glory write their names in every
star that shines. Not on this field alone, but
on many and many theatre of deadly conflict
has their blood and their children's blood flow
ed in common stream not here alone, but
everywhere and at all times throughout the
century that has gone, has fellowship of patri-
otic passion bound them together with hooks
of steel, and a kindred heroism refined and ex-
allied their mutual affections In place OF the
slender Colonial league for which they fought,
u grand Republic, SURPRISING i'll all that kin
dies the generous pride and genial hope OF
man, the glory of ancient Rome, more power
full than even the vast empire that looked upon
it's feeble offspring with derisiOn, now rests its
pillars upon the borders of the great seas-a
transcendant Temple of Human Rights, whose
dome is studded with the stars of thirty-eight
States, and is crowned with the Goddess OF
Liberty pointing her finger to the heavens.
Here upon this altar of bloody sacrifice, let
us, in the humility of grateful hearts, turn in
tender memory to the names of those by whose
deeds the blessings denied to them were
wrought out and handed down to US here let
us offer up thanksgiving that peace reigns
upon the earth, and that good will towards
man has transformed the deadly combatants OF
other days into generous rivals for the prizes
of kindly competitors, upon the sod that was
trodden under hostile hoofs and kneaded with
the life-streams that spurted from rended
hearts. Let us rejoice that we follow the
guiding star of the century that is dawning
with the serene grace of this mellow autumn
day-a century that now comes forth to run
it's race, heralded by such signs AS those which
hailed the nativity of Him who "sent down
the meek-eyed Peace" And again may it be
said as of old:
When the morning stars sang together
She with olive green safely sliding down..
| With Truths her ready harbnger, wing the
armies cloud riding,
| And waving wide her myrtle wand
She strikes universal peace through sea and
| land.
| No war or battle sound
Was leard the world around;
| The idle shield and spear were high up hung,
| The broken chariot stood unstaned with hostile
blood,
The trum pet spoke not to the armed throng.
Here, where our martyred fathers rest in
undisturbed sleep, where the brooks ripple in
solemn, unceasing monotone, and the mould
| ering glave-stone tells in a double sense the
story Of fral ambition, let us watt the greet
ings of fraternal hearts to the sons OF those
| compatriOts in arms who StrOve on fields, as
| did the mountain men on this field, for the
| "rights of the many against the eXactions OF
| the few" to the sons of those cOmpatrlOts in
arms who signalled to Moultrie's guns from
Concord and Lexington, and answered back
to their responsive voices from Bunker Hill.
Let Ticonderoga and Trenton and Benning-
ton, Saratoga and Stony Point, Kings Noun
tain and Guilford and Cowpens and York
town-let these be the names that blend their
colOrs in the rainbow that now spans the sun
lit arch of our peace-illumined land. With
these sacred watchwords of union, with these
sacred relics of memory and inspirations of
hope, let us all rejoice that the great princi-
pies Of American Liberty are still the lawful
Inheritance of this people. BY these unfor-
gotten graves, let US resolve that they lever
Shall be- and let the deep organ-tones of the
peoples voice peal forth the sweet music of
''Star-Spangled Banner" and the refrain of
"Auld Lang Syne."
The wide reputation of the young Virginia
orator, who had been selected to deliver the
Grafton, one of the principal features OF the
occasion, led many to anticipate an intellectu-
al traat Of rare eniovment nor in this were