Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-04-08
CHAPTER x.
Oh! such day,

Oh! such day,
So fought, so follow'd and so fairly won,
Came not till now.-SHAKsPEARE.
Tell Miss Ellen to come to me immediate,
ly," said Mr. Adams, as he stopped, for mo-
ment ut the door of the Mansion House.
"What is the matter, Mr.. Adams?" said FL
len, in alarm, as she answered the hasty sum-
mons.
Bessie, Bessie Craig is dying. Can you 60
to her?"
"What do you tell me? Bessie, Bessie dy-
ing? Oh! it cannot be-"
at is too true Go down, if you can, for
her father is hel pless from paralysis, brought
on, suppose, by the dreadful stroke"
"Oh this is dreadful" cried Ellen; "but
what is the matter? She was quite we'll when
last saw her, but day ago"
II cannot tell. l only fear it is the
foulest murder that ever was perpetrated.
The old man cannot speak. found him
bound in chair, in his own house, and Bessie
living at his feet, her dress almost torn from
her body, and bathed in blood, from the rup-
ture of a blood vessel, l presume, for saw
no wound She either would not or could not
speak to me but clung to her father, and
hiding her face on his knee, moaned as if her
heart would break. l tried to get something
out of Andrew, but he only muttered, Tories,
and pointed to Bessie"
"Good Heavens" cried Ellen, in psllid
terror; ",hs is too terrible to realize but |
will 90 to her-will 20 at once. Oh the
cruel, cruel hand that could have injured that
innocent girl. What fend could have done
it?"
"I much believe it was that Ferris. He
incited party against me, that came and
burnt the most Of my library last night;
swearing my covenanting principles made me
the rebel was, and threatening to take my
life for that sermon, at the church, the other
day. judged, from what heard, that Fer
ris was up here, robbing Mr.. Willoughby of
what he could lay his hands on"
HE was; and knowing the character OF
the man, my uncle saved himself from insult,
perhaps from injury, by making complete
surrender. He and his myrmidons swept ev-
erything They literally robbed US. 1t is
likely uncle Hubert will object to my going
down to the homestead to day. But | must
60 to Bessie
81 do not think there will be any danger.
The tories are now all collected in Ferguson's
camp; and, even if they were not, every prin.
ciple of humanity calls for assistance at the
homestead
"Are you going back? If so" said Ellen,
81 will 60 with you"
"No," replied the minister, COMPRISING his
lips, while frown gathered on his usually
placid brow, "my duty is yonder, to-day
pointing to the heights of Kings Mountain.
"If such scenes as yon left behind, would
not arm every man-priest or layman-then
would 1 say that charity had died in the hu-
man heart, and we deserve to be butchered,
insulted and dishonored. know not how
shall tell poor Bowen. 1t will 60 nigh to mad
den him."
Ellen turned tearfuly away as the picture
of Bessie, in the pride Of her young beauty
and timd love, rose before her, and bidding
the minister good speed, with many an inward
prayer for blessing upon their arms with
many an anxious thought for one whom she
we'll knew would he in the thickest of the
days battle, she turned with sad heart, to
fulfill woman's and sisters duties to little
Bessie Craig.
AS the minister rode along, he met with
many of the neighboring people fastening to
the scene of combat. Some riding bare. back,
with dangling trace chains, reused by some
fresh tale of terror in the excitement Of the
coming battle, to strike blow for vengeance
and freedom. AS they rode along together,
no noisy bosterous tones, or excited profanity,
testified to the passions that were stirring their
nature No, the feeling was too deep and
holy for the outbreak of speech. Occasional
ly, tale of butchery would be told, but in
low tones that spoke deeply of smothered
passion, or kissing out, would come in spas
modic utterance story of dishonor and
wrong that whitened the pallid cheeks to a
still more deathly hue, and forced the blood
from lips bitter in strong determination to re-
press the fury of passion. And with their
burning eyes fastened on the bristling crest of
the British encampment, they pressed on.
The man of God, the minister of peace, reused
to holy vengeance; the gray haired father
made childless by British butchery; the stal.
wart man enduring his wrongs with heroic
fortitude; the beardless boy forced to prema-
ture manhood, quenching his tears and nerv.
ing his heart by memories that curdle the
blood to look back upon all, in silence
more ominous than words, fastened to the pa
triot's camp. AS they reached it, an order was
passed rapidly along the line. Laconic as it
was appropriate, it agreed we'll with the char
acter of the determined leaders of that day 8
action
"Tie up overcoats pick touch holes; prime
afresh, and be ready to fight"
The party now entering, were warmly well
coined; their familiarity with the ground
and arrangement of the British camp, proving
highly useful to the officers of the patriot
army Acting upon the information thus OBJ
tained the officers determined to divide their
columns and attempt to surround the noun
tain. By their division, Sewers troop formed
the right; Cleveand's and Williams togeth-
er, under whom were our heroes, Dayie and
Bowen, the left Campbell's the right of the
centre and Shelby the left centre. Hurriedly
as the order was made, it could not be excelled
for judgment and military skill. There was
a common centre for these columns, and that
was the standard of England, on the crest of
the ridge, Auttering proudly and majestically
over the scarlet uniforms and glittering bayo'
nets of Ferguson undaunted regulars. Their
game was before them, and these mountain
hunters needed neither leader nor captain to
show them how to fight. With hope that he
might be spared the necessity Of telling Cap.
tain Bowen his sad news, Mr.. Adams, still
urged by duty, rode through the ranks in
search of him. At length, he deserted him
handing a despatch to Campbell, which his
ubiquitous corps had just intercepted on Its
way from Ferguson to CORVALLIS. 1t was
read aloud at the head of the line. He said
II hold position on the Kings Mountain, ana
all the rebels out of h-U cannot drive me from