Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-04-24
Straps uf gutal Nistprg.
"REMINISCENCES OF YORK.
BY DIR. MAURICE A. MOORE.
From the Yorkville Enquirer, 1870.

BY DR.. MAURICE A. MOORE.
From the Yorkville Enquirer, 1870.
BY accident my mind has been caused to
revert to some incidents and anecdotes, L
had we'll nigh forgotten, which may be OF
moments amusement to my readers.
Some days since, man with his wife and
two children, stopped, in passing my door,
wanting employment. did not need their
services; but in an old mans fashion 1
asked their names, where they were from,
etc. The woman told me that she had been
raised in York county, and I knew who she
was when she said, in answer to my inquiry,
that she was granddaughter Of Abram
Moss. He was an old man, as remember
ed very well, and one highly esteemed for
his goodness of heart and honest intentions.
The Moss family were among the few in
York who espoused the cause of the King in
the Revolutionary struggle. They all enlist
ed in his service. Abram served two years
with the Royalists, but his convictions
changing, he became a Wing and was a
good fighter in our cause. When he applied
for a pension for his services in the patriot
army, he caused it to be inserted in his de-
claration that he first fought against the
United States, but became convinced of his
error and afterwards joined the American
army. Congress granted him a pension in
consideration Of his two years service.
At the time of the battle of Kings Noun
tain, Abraan Moss had joined the Partisans,
but his brothers, seven in number, were on
the other side, all in Ferguson's command.
A curious fatality marked them on that
day. They were all men Of large stature,
each being over six feet in height. After
the battle they were all found lying behind
the same tree, dead.
In none of my sketches have I dWelled
upon the two important engagements Of the
Revolution fought on the soil of York:
They are matters of history and come not
too, of Houck's deafeat and Kings Noun
tain, have been canvassed and rewritten
until all within the circle Of my readers are
familiar with the general details of each
However, there is one fact
not generally knoWn-one which had only
learned in late years myself-which had an
important bearing on the battle of Kings
Mountain. I will relate it here. I have
wondered, in thinking of it, and have heard
others express. surprise that Tarleton did
not come to Ferguson's assistance: Fergu-
son did apply to Lord CORVALLIS, then
at Charlotte, for aid and sent an express
to him at that point, asking it. This ex-
press was ridden by Abe Collins, the cele-
old Mr.. Caldwell, living in the forks
of the Catawba, took Collins prisoner and
kept him three days. Thus the dispatches
were delayed and CORVALLIS did not re-
ceive them in time to send Tarleton to Fer
guson's aid.
After Ferguson's disaster at Kings Noun
tain, Lord CORVALLIS Immediately began
to retreat from Charlotte to WinnsbOrO.
Between Old Nation Ford and the present
town of Chester he called a halt at the
house of an Irishman named Johnnie Ser
vice, and surprising him, took him prisoner.
This man, to use vernacular, was "queer
specimen" in many things seemingly half
Witted, and wasso regarded by his neighbors.
Yet with all his apparent lack of sense he
possessed drollery and cunning, and had
talent for repartee that was surprising to
those who knew him. By Corvallis Or
ders, he was brought before that officer for
examination, and as he came forward, he
looked upon the men and their uniforms
in apparent delight, eXclaiming', as if in
simple wonder
"Och, but yees Draw company VII ye"
"What is your name?" demanded the
British commander.
"Johnny Service, at yer service; and
what are We named ?" was the reply.
"Cornwallis," the military interlocutor
to answer.
"0ny thing related to Tommy Wallace
up the road?"
The aids began to smile, and one, to re-
lieve his lordship, asked
"Have you anything to drink ?"--of course
spirits. ~
dressing his wife) land bring some butter
milk frae the spring."
The officers, in default of better cheer,
did not disdain the refreshment offered,
and Marcy soon brought up from the spring.
house a pailful of the cool, white draught,
and Johnny himself dispensed with cheer
full alacrity and liberal measure tinful after
tinful, one by one, to his unWelcome guests.
For having but one cup to serve with, each
took his turn, all drinking quite greedily.
AS Johnny neared the bottom of the vessel,
he called out
"Margy, Marcy, what is this here?"
"Nothing but mote, Johnny"
"a mote Hout ava, Marcy, did yer
ever see mote sittin on its hunkers, blink
in wi it's twa ees in yer face ?" and seizinga
frog, he twirled it out of the butter milk to
the great disgust of the imbibers. -.
Gould ye," he inquired, as IS CORVALLIS a1 IaI
dIlu Ills Slttll IOSc W SOj COulu yO SCo q ASV-
ther for me to my kin-folk in Ireland %
"No," said Lord CORVALLIS, shortly.
"Ah ~ said the undismayed Johnny,
"now if we were only my countryman,
Lord Rawdon, sure he would not say me
nae, but would send my letther across the
say" L., ~
"he's fool"
The desire to send letters to his kin-folk
was quite the burden of Johnny Services
song, and led to tricks on his verlancy and
native want of perception. Soon after his
arrival in America, he was at Baird store
drinking with a number of others, who had
for the same purpose, as was a
common custom with them. An owl, in
wood near by, began her cry of shoot, toot;
hoot, loot, too" -.
"What's that ?" asked the newly arrived
Irishman.
"The post horn," said wag "it's the
mail carrying letters on to Charleston"
Johnny relinquished his cup and started
off atfull speed, calling to the supposed mail
carrier to stop, as he had "aletther to send to
his kin folk in the ould counthry." 1t is
needless to say the wise bird was above
such folly.
Johnny Service is not alone among his
countrymen in the good things gotten up at
the expense of their crelulity on first intro
duction to American manners. A trick of
old John G....., himself an Irishman, on
his nephew, whom he had sent for and
brought over to this country, l will here
insert as companion to the story of Johny
Service and the owl.
The nephew bore the same name of his
uncle. A day or two after the young mans
arrival, old John G..... took him out to
walk in the woods, and made good the oc-
casion to lecture the new conner on his be-