The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-12-02
A Scrap of Interesting History.
NewJcrry Obserrcr.


Mr.. EDITOR: Having recently had
the pleasure of reading ~ History o. = e
Campaigns of 1880 and l7Sl, in the
Southern Provinces of North America"
by Lieut.. Col. Tnrleton, "C"mmaniant
OF the British Legion" | have thought
perhaps it might be somewhat interesting
to some of your readers to know some.
thing about this Old and rare BOOK, ana
the celebrated man who wrote it. !hls
history vas published in 1887, ard is
consequently 80 years old. 1t is well re.
mcmbercd by all who know anything OF
the History of South Carolina that Col.
Tarleton was a very gallant and dashing
young officer of the British Army, who
greatly distinguished himself for his en-
terprisa and heroism in the Revolutionary
War. His book is certainly an enter:
tanning narrative; though better suited
tor the military student than the com.
mon reader. In perusing his work one
gets the full character OF the man. lie
was bold, per:evering loved danger. and,
like all strong characters, delighted IN
high responsibility. In his book he
always speaks of himself in the third
person. it's Tar!eton that does this or
that. Though he praises Others, he
never boasts of his own exploits. lie
appears to be entirely destitute of wit or
humor. He states facts in positive and
decided way; always speaks of his en-
emies with respect. Especially did lie
have high opinion Of Gen. Sumter
calls him "a brave, perseyering and ca
pable man." His narrative convlnces
the reader that he was a military genius
of very high order, and that young as
he was, if be had been in command OF
the British Army instead of CORVALLIS,
or if after the Revolution he had had op-
portunitjes for the display of hispeculiar
talents, he would haze been second
Marlboro or Wellington. The impression
think has always been with Americans,
that Tarleton was of cruel and unrelent'
ing nature. l believe, since reading his
book, that this notion has been much
exaggerated in the minds of the Ameri-
can people. He evidently did not
possess Washinglon's or Lees nobleness
Of soul, but he was better man Infinitely
than Sherman and what proves this, on
one occasion near Halifax, n. c., he had
a sergeant and private of his Legion
promptly executed for committing a
robbery and rape in the neighborhood.
Sherman would have sneered at such a
proceeding. Tarleton was thoroughly
impressed with the Importance of duty,
went straight to the mark, looking neither
to the right nor the left, rot so much
considering the means as the ends. One
instance of his cruelty he is not ashamed
TO publish to the world. At Waxhaw he
demanded the surrender of Col. Buford,
threatening to give no quarter in case
Col. B. was defeated. Buford having $50
infantry and some ca7alry, returned a
defiant answer. Consequently Tarleton
attacked and defeated him. The British
loss in this affair was officers and 3 pri
Yates killed and 13 wounded The
American loss was 113 killed, $50 woun-
ded and 50 prisoners. Anyone who
knows anything of war, knows this was
a cruel and uncalled for massacre. AL,
though Tar!cton had threatened not to
show quarter, be attempts to make ex'
cuse for this wholesale slaughter by say
ing that in The charge his horse was
killed under him by the fire from the
American lines; his men seeing him fall
and supposing he was killed became
maddened and before he could remount
another horse and reach them, they had
committed this outrageous act. Judge
O'Neall in his "AnDals" relates the cir
cumstance of Tareton marching into
Newberry as far as Senn's Mill on Bush
River, where a part of his command
crossed the river and camped for the
night. A heavy rainfall during the mig ght
made it necessary for the troops on the
west side of the river TO descend as far
as ONcall's (now Werber's) Mill, where
they crossed and coming up met the de-
tachment that remained on this side at
Coates Tavern (now Newberry G. ~
from whence they proceed towards the
Cowpens. Tarleton speaks of this same
circumstance. He was sent. as he says,
by CORVALLIS over Broad River, crossing
at Brierly's Ferry, and proceeded about
twenty miles west from Brierly's with a
view of watching Morgan, who was
threatening Ninety Six. He found,
however, that Morgan had gone east OF
Broad River. He followed him, crossing
Indian end Duncan's Greeks, which were
much swollen, on his way towards ferry
on Enoree. He speaks Of the country
through Newberry being beautiful and
fertile, aud abounding in -four, beef and
"Indian corn which supplies both bread
and fodder" Col. Tarleton after his
return to England became q member OF
the British Parliament, in which he dis
tinguished himself, though bis real forte
was war. He lived until 1880. A few
wears ago there was in one of the maga-
zines OF the country a fine steel cngray:.
ing of him. He wore his hair long and
IooI,d ,,oro I;te q handsome Young lady