Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-10-12

vanced TO Kings Creek, and dismountinl
a little above where it is crossed by tht
Quarry road, hitched their horses. About
three O'Clock, and the plan of attack is made
Campbell in the right centre Shelby in the
left centre on the right wing Sewer and Nc
Dowel on the left wing Williams and Lacey
and Cleveland and Hambright and Chronicle
the centre to begin the attack and the two wing:
to move round the hill, and the encompassing
circle be completed by Winston, who had beer
detailed for that purpose, when the whole force
would close in and respond to the onslaught OF
! the centre. Now comes the final order "Fresl
prime your guns, and every man resolve tC
| fight till he dies,'' and the advance is begun
Ferguson now first learns that they are upon
him. The drum beats and his shrill whistle
summons his men to their ranks. Ere Shelby
has reached his position on the north side Of
the hill, CALLING volley has poured down upon
him. Now Campbell throws off his coat, and
leading his charge up the steep and craggy hill
calls to his brave men to ''shOut like hell and
fight like devils' They respond with a shout
which, caught up by Shelby's men, soon rever
berates along tie whole line, shout that makes
even Ferguson anxious Against these climb
ing Virginians he now fiercely hurls his fixed
bayonets and drives them down the hill, while
ut his back comes Shelby's advancing rifles
dealing red destruction. Rack turns he with
his bayonets upon Shelby, whose unerring
marksmen trace in blood their retiring foot
steps, while behind him come the missiles OF
death from the rallied Nirginians. During
but few minutes thrice has he driven Camp
bell before rim, and thrice Shelby, and thrice
have they returned to the charge. The dread
British bayonet has dashed with fury at the
backs of retreating woodsmen they have fled
not undaunted they have given keen response
with the sharp crack Of the rifle and bayonet,
and tory or regular have fallen. The noun
tain is no field for the bayonet. The noun
taineers have not learned to be stricken with
panic before it. Shelby and Campbell have
now gained the southwest of the mountain
crest No bayOnet charge meets them, and
back retires the bleeding, quaverlng British
columns. Now the right wing and the left
wing have reached their places. Up the steep
hill, from crag to tree they are climbing, eager
| to. Join the dread revelry and messengers OF
death are belched from the mouths OF near a
thousand rifles. Ferguson is surrounded the
| lion is shut in his lair he knows not fear or
failure. Grand and proud he rises above the
imfninency of the hour, and tiercey scorns hls
daring assaiants. Loud and clear rings his
shrll whistle from rank to rank, through
flame and smoke, over the hill he dashes with
fury, cheering his men, and cursing and com
din, he moves, demon of battle. With the cool,
determined skill of the veteran drill-master,
he throws his men into three distinct, serted
columns, facing the enemy in every direction.
Down upon Cleveland he springs with bayonet
of regular and knife of tory twice before the
furious onslaught Cleveland hurries down the
mountain side, only to return to the attack
and strew the British retiring footsteps with
the bloody harvest of battle. At the same
time Chronicle and Hambright have climbed
up the steep northeastern side, and have been
driven before DePeyster's bayonets, and leay-
ing at the foot of the hill their Chronicle
shrouded in the eglory of the brave. They, too,
have veregained the summit. Along the crest now
is Lacey, with his gallant South Carolinians
of York and Chester counties, at whose head
Sumter had ridden to his victories. There,
too, are Williams and Winston there are no
laggards, no relief forces there. Every man
has his rifle, and every rifle does its work.
Sure and steady as relentless fate their con-
centric fire advances and closes around the de-
voted foe whose very life blood is fast ebhing
away under the terrific volcanic burst OF
smoke and flame that encircles them. With
Tightening, fiery embrace DePeyster, intrepid.
but seeing that all is lost, and that brave nlen
can do no more, runs up the white flag.
Ferguson dashes it to the ground. The
fierceness of the tories and the dread energies OF
despair now swell every vein and stitfen every
nerve of the proud, undaunted chieftain. The
crushing circle must be broken. lie orders
DePeyster to charge Campbell and Shelby, and
calls his twenty cavalry to their saddles, to
ioin the last desperate charge and as they
mount, few survive the rifles Of the hunters.
Louder now, and yet more shrill, rings his
clear whistle, and with clarion voice ringing
above the din Of battle, calling his men to
''crush the damned rebels to the earth, with
foot and dragon he dashes into the very jaws
of death. The patriot line has heard the
shout not a word breaks the silence OF the
moment. With steady nerves and rifles
ready, they await the advancing shock OF
glittering bayonet and flashing sabre. But
forty PAGES more and the enemy will burst Lp-
on them, when a volley of death flashes from
the line and Ferguson seals his glory in death.
Still onward come DePeyster'S bay0netS, and
now one more vOlley so close that the glarng
flame beats against their faces, and back they
recOil. Forward now press the victorious pa
triotS narrower grows the fiery circle the
last convusive effort is stilled, and from the
smoke-covered camp by tory and regular are
raised the white handkerchiefs of surrender,
and there is no hand to tear them down ; not
one fugitive is there to tell the story OF the
disastrous defeat not a man escapes. Two
hundred and twenty-five dead, one hundred
and siXty-three wounded, nearly seven hum
dred prisoners, and the entire camp and arms
tell the tale of cOmpetest victory, wrought by
the mighty warrior hunters ; and their COM
paratively small loss of thirty killed and sixty
wounded speaks the high military art, the un-
taught genius, the indominitable, prudent and
unhnching courage that guided the stormng
of this mighty fortress of nature. Not Ma
poleon, not Caesar, could have better planned
the disposition of the forces. NO natlonar
guard, no Tenth legion, could have dealt tiercer
battle. No tattered banner of many victorious
fields could have culled from the one short
hour Il greater glory. And in the darkness or
that terrible night of the more terrible day,
amid the dead, the wounded and the dying,
bright beaming liberty sought the rocky rest
ing places of her champions and wreathed each
rugged brow with halo deathleSs as the ages
and her Joyous spirit winged swift flight to
other fields to speed the close of the bright
day of her redemption, whose dawning victory
had been heralded from that glory-crOwned
hilltop. See, my COuntrymen, how this mem
orable victory contributed, if it did not direct
ly lead to the final success Of the cause.
Corvallis advance into North Carolina
was checked by this fatal blow that destroyed
one-fourth of his army, and was forced to
return to South Carolina to crush the rising
spirit that there sprang among the people
from this signal success upon their soil. lie
fell back from Salisbury to Winnsboro. Upon
his heels came Greene from IlilSbOro, who
had there superseded the unfortunate hero of
Saratoga. Encamping with the main body of
his army at Cheraw, and sending the legion OF
Harry Lee to the aid of Marion who had
emerged from his fastness, he stationed the
rest Of his troops under General Morgan at