Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-04-01

the heart of the mountains west of the AL
leghanies. 1t was voluntary act Of patriot
ism, planned by no congress, ordered by nc
executive. Human charity called them to-
gether-the need of their fellow men. These
rude denizens of the forest, these strange wild
men from unknown mountains" where "na
ture dwelt in awful solitude" assembled to-
gether, not only from the love of country, but
their love of virtue. Though never witnessing
the horrors of civil war, their spirits were fired
their souls indignant at the records Of crime
and slaughter that were daily brought to their
ears They heard of human brothers, who
for the crime of loving their country, were
bound to their own door posts-their wives
and daughters ravished before their eyes
and they at length perishing in the flames OF
their dwellings. They heard Of women ripped
open by the butcher-knite of the Tory, for
the crime of refusing to betray their own
husbands. They heard of sons hung like dogs
or butcbered like beasts, because they were
the children of Wing parents. They heard
of American Statesmen, the pure patrols who
had sacrificed their all for freedom, bound
with the British felon, suffering indignities
and distress in common with those who were
accused of crime, tending to subvert the peace
and existence of society. They heard Of 9TH
ers, tenderly nurtured, accustomed to the COM
forts and luxuries of life, obliged to abandon
their homes and seek safety in their native
woods and swamps. Rapine, outrage and
murder seemed to be the pastime Of their
enemies. Civil rights and order were now no
longer objects of attention, but the will of the
strongest was law. Reused to righteous
horror against the perpetrators of such crimes,
they left their homes, encountcring dangers
from which the bravest might shrink, to
battle for the sympathes and sweet charities
of life And their courage and fortitude lay
not only in attacking an en' my superior to
themselves in numbers and munitions of war !;
an enemy established in the strongest military
posts of the State, from Savannah to North
Carolina-at Augusta, Ninety Six, CRANKY,
Winnsboro', Camden and Charlotte but they
knew their departure from their homes was
a signal for British emissaries to excite herds
of savages to burn their dwellings and MUIR
der their wives and children. Every breeze
echoed, in imagination, the Indian war whoop
with the shrieks of their murdered families
and the dying groans Of their loved and dear
ones But trampling this fear i'll the dust,
this noble band, in abiding trust in God and
their cause, nerved their hearts not only III
their courage to meet their foe, but in the
faith, to trust their wives and little ones to
His keeping.
The army had received intelligence that
Major Ferguson had advanced as high as
Gilbert Town in Rutherford county, North
Carolina and threatened to cross the noun
tains to the western waters to entrap, If posi-
bic, our gallant partisan, Clarke, who Was
now retreating from Augusta towards the
mountain districts of North Carolina. So in
tent was Ferguson upon this pursuit, so salts
fed of the British ascendency in South Caro-
lima, and so confident of the patriots inability
to recover their lost ground, that he was total
ly unsuspicious Of any movement against him.
1t was matter Of the utmost Importance
to our little army to preserve and profit by this
confidence in order to obtain position from
which Ferguson might more certainly be cut
off from CORVALLIS, now stationed at Char
lotte, some seventy or eighty miles distant
Ferguson, without being aware, played into
the hands Of the patriots as he slowly and
cautiously moved toward Ninety Six. AS
warily as the tiger after his prey, did Camp
bell and his comrades steal after him; their
anxietes stimulated by their fears for Clarke,
and their apprehensions that CORVALLIS would
receive information Of their movements
From the 26th to the 90th, they pursued their
slow and weary march. They were then
Joined by Colonel Cleveland, with three hun
dred and fifty men from the counties of Wilkes
and Surry. Their force now amounted to
fourteen hundred men. With such body,
it became necessary to have a commanuer-in-
chief, and an express was dispatched on the
1st of October, to Major General Gates, at
the American headquarters, at Hillsboro,
N. G.. In the meantime, Col. Campbell, by
unanimous consent, took the command of the
gallant army On the morning after the ap
pointment, they proceeded toward Gilbert
Town which, after weary march, they reach
ed, to find it vacated by Ferguson and in the
occupation of the Wing leaders, Brandon
and Lacy. Here the army halted until they
could hear from Williams, of Ferguson's late
movements. Immediately after their arrival
in the village, small body of travel l-stained
soldiers entered the camp. These bore the
welcome arms and provisions captured by
Major Davie, the preceding week. They gave
a graphic description of the perils they had
passed, and the stratagem they used to avoid
the enemy.
"And where is Davie?" asked Sewer.
"He concluded to ioin Major Williams at
Pair Forest, as Clarke's peril seemed immi
nent and the Ma jor determined to strike
blow for him if Ferguson entrapped him"
replied the young ensign, a nephew of Sewer,
who was in command Of the stores.
81 thought he was with Williams" ," replied
Sewer "The hot headed rascal, he must be
near enough to snuff the enemy. He need
not be longer alarmed about Clarke, houev.
err; our dispatch of yesterday brings us word
of the gallant fellows safe arrival in the se,-
Elements of Nollichucky and Wantauga-but
do you know Major Williams position now p"
"He has left his encampment and is en-
deavoring to pass Ferguson and make a
junction with you. You should hear from
him soon," replied the ensign.
81 trust so trust So This eagerness of
expectation and restless longing is more try
ing than the most laborious duty" cried the
impatient Sewer. "Has the Major fine
body of troops ?"
"Splcndid, and all well mounted"
"Ah that speaks well. How the devil the
young blade has kept so many together,
when every one else is hiding his head, |
cannot understand" said Sewer, laughing, in
high good humor.
"He never gives one the chance to catch
him, although he almost ran his head in the
moose short time ago." said the ensign.
"Ah how was that I"