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

lines Oh DdCCle nave you driven DeIOTe CnaC Cer
rible onset. On they come, in steady phalanx
men are driven from the mountain side But
bark A shout bursts from the opposite ex.
tremity Of the mountain crest. Hambright
Chronicle, Cleveland and Williams havescaled
the heights, the British are driven behind theil
wagons, while Ferguson rides amongst them
exhorting them with that vehement courage
that knows no fear and no surrender With a
silver whistle, whose Shrill notes pierced every
ear, he calls his men around him as the hunts
man calls his hounds, and while the stricken
fall on every side and the towards crouch in
the rear, he wheels about, sword in hand,
heads counter-charge, bursting like thun-
der-bolt upon the enemy in his rear, who reel
before his terrible onslaught. But as he drives
back Chronicle and IIambright, Cleveland and
Williams, Campbell, Shelby and Mcdowell
come thronging back, and the cheer resounds,
"Come on, boys, the British are retreating
Come on, boys! come ~ They had happily
mistaken Ferguson's charge upon the rear for
retreat, and made the mountains ring with
their jubilant cheers. Galloping from rank to
rank, his hand wounded and bleeding, but his
heart undaunted, Ferguson wheeled again.
Entreating the heSitant cursing the covering,
inspiring the brave, he marshalled his whole
force and hurled it against Campbell's lines.
Once more the centre gave away before him,
and pushed back down the mountain side.
But instantly there rises again from the
other side the shouts of Cleveland's wing, who
repeating the mistake of their comrades, i'm
agined FerguSon'S reverse charge a retreat,
and instantly they come pouring upon his
rear, filling the field with his slain, while
Sewers wing, now well in hand, joins it with
steady fire and exulting cheer. Thus relieved
for third time, Campbell, waving the clay
| 30 +lo A oly. flo ;nio m
rifles are now ablaZe, and their sharp crack is
scathing the CORY field.
The blood of battle is up. The first hasty
impulse has cooled tothat white passion which
clears the intellect, stiffens the nerves and
fires the heart in the immovable purpose tC
conquer or die. Every officer is at the head
of his men now. Right wing, left wing and
centre are closing in with firm, unyielding foot
steps the rifles are ringing from every point.
and closer come the cheers that mark the
steady progress of advancing lines Baff1ed
falters. The ground is slipping from his
grasp; the Tightening coils of the fiery serpent
are crushing the very life out of his command
His men are forced back to the northern eX'
tremity of the ridge. Whichever way he turns
death scowls in his face with cold, remorseless
frown.
He orders his cavalry to mount; but as the
foot of the dragoOn touches the stirrup, mai
or beast goes down. The deadly rifle has only
found more conspicuous mark. De Peystel
sees the day is lost. He raises the white flag
Ferguson curses the hand that raised it an(
tears it down. De Peyster raises it again al
another point. Ferguson gallops to it and his
sword levels it to the earth. He will brook
no surrender He will win or die. With {
, will that never quailed, he dominates the field
He orders his men to join in their columns
The butcher knives of the Tories are strapped
to the end of their guns. His regulars have
their bayonets fixed. The sabre of every dra
goon that can live upon his steed is Oh rest
Charge Charge shouts Ferguson as he forces
with defiance the thronging lines that close
around him. The supreme moment OF the
battle has come :; a moment pregnant perhaps
with the destinies of millions of struggling
heroes-of the destinies of myriads who should
come after them. Once more the weird notes
of the silver whistle quiver through the dreal
shouts of the conflict once more he shouts
with ringing voice that rises above the uprOal
of the battle, 'Come on and crush the damned
rebels into the earth !" There is hush along
the rebel lines. The rifles are cooked and
ready, but their fire is withheld. "Come OH
men and crush the damned rebels into the
EARTH" And with the wild vehemence of de-
spair, horsemen and footmen come laundering
all along the line; bayonet and sabre flash tt
the light, and the opposing lines are but sixty
PAGES apart. There is sharp crack, bursting
into yOlley the whole rebel line is a flame OF
fire Pierced with seven balls, Ferguson falls
and gives up the ghost. The dead are heaped
up around him his men are scattered !; his ri.
derless steed gallops frantically from the field
of fate; the white flag is run up. Ferguson is
stark dead ; there is none to tear it down ''it
is finished - the battle of Kings Mountain is
won!
Victory Victory shouted the South Caro-
linians and the mountain men. Yes, let the
sons of God shout for joy! Here in the dreal
midnight of our defeat-on the bleak ledge OF
the precipice that overhung the unfathomable
gulf of despair-hungry and half naked, the
mongrel horde of the desert has builded victo
blazed with meteoric Splendor across the South
ern sky Victory for home Victory for coun
ty! Victory for independence Victory for the
rights of the many against the eXactions OF
the few! Victory for the right of every man
to utter his voice in making the laws by which
he is to be governed to pay no tax Which he
or his chosen representative does not levy; to
render obedience to no power which he himself
does not participate in creating! Victory fol
humanity Victory which mingles the voice
of the people with the voice of God Let such
to God let us worship the rights of man. Next
to Him alone let us venerate the heroes who
kept the pledge of life and fortune and sacred
honor to make them whole. Let the centu'
rion-like eagles in their flight hover around the
monument that makes the eyrie whence the
bird of victory plumed his wing.
Compared to the great marShallng OF arms
at Austerlitz or Gettysburg; compared to the
scenic splendor of hundreds of fields which
piled up hecatombs of slain, and glowed with
all the romantic pomp of war, the battle OF
Kings Mountain was but mere combat.
But measured by the highest standards Of in.
tellectual and moral greatness, it wears dig
nifty undimmed by the glories Of any conflict.
1t was great in it's conception. Had the con-
centrated mind of Napoleon ora Won Moltke,
directed the agencies which assembled the re-
mote and scattered bands who were suddenly
unified at the vital point and moulded by i'm
provised organization in a thunder ball OF
power, it could not have surpassed the genius
of martial people who, without general, con-
structively and swiftly came together, and re-
vealed mastership in the art OF war. 1t was
great in generaship. Planned by a command
er hastily selected, at the very moment it was
about to be fought under the pressure of ext
time to halt between two opinions, the posting
of the troops was such as fitted the field and
the men who were to fight upon it, and not the
most brilliant field marshal of ancient or mod
ern times could have bettered the disposition
made in the flash of an eye by the unframed
genius of Campbell and his brother officers.
Gen. Bernard, an officer who served under
the great Napoleon, and afterwards in the
engineer service of the United States, upon
surveying the field, declared that the Ameri-
cans, by their victory in that engagement,
created a monument to perpetuate the mem