The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-05-09


what may be called the Traditional.
Great masses OF the people meet to-
gether on anniversary days, and dis
/ course concerning the events which are
the object Of the meeting.
THIS WE CALL ''CELEBRATIONs
1t is nothing more than the renewing
and Strengthening Of the remembrance
of the events which we wish to perpetu
ate. Perhaps. of all the western peO-
pies. we in the United States excel in
this matter of celebrating events III our
! history. We are not satisfied with the
mere erection of monuments or piles OF
stone. but we meet together i'll multi
tudes we speak; we march III process
sion with bands of music. we fire can
non ard display banners. II is well
that we do SO. There is Ito better
school for our youth than this hero
worship. this exalting Of great deeds !!
There is no imagination which can
conceive the extent of its influence
upon character; and it is always a high
and noble influence.
After all that can be done with mar
BILE or granite
| THE TRUEST MONUMENT
by which the memory of any event can
be perpetuated is to be found i'll the re-
suits. 1t rarely happens that an event
in peoples history is worth the per-
petuatin" in stone, which is not al
ready everlastingly embalmed in the
hearts of the people. What mOnu-
ment is required to keepalive the men,
Orv of the man who invented the mar
liners compass. by which the trackless
paths of the sea are made as familiar
to commerce as our interstate high
WAYS: What stone is necessary to the
inventor of the art Of printing, when
all science and all literature daily, I'M
consciously hymn his praise: What
shaft is needed by the inventor Of the
steam engine when the whole earth is
full of the works which magnify him
or to the discoverer of the cotton gin
bv which the world is clothed: III the
walls of st. Paul is inserted a tablet on
which is written the name of Sir Chris
tOpher Wren. it's architect. with the
words underneath. ''LectOr sc monu-
mentum requiris, circumspice. The
imposing structure reaching upward
with all its lines of beauty and strength.
was his monument!
Should the inquiry be made,
WHAT WAS DONE AT THIS SPOT
in 1881? and where is the monument
of results to commemorate it. the an
swer might we'll be made in the single
word, ''Circumspice. Beyond ques.
ton the foundation Of American liberty
was laid on this spot, on thatnOted day
in March lisa brief and philosOphi
cal consideration of the military situa
ton of these colonies, and of the events
which Immediately preceded and fol
lowed the struggle here, will satisfy
any one that the importance of tha
DAYS work is not over rated by this
statement.
The British armies having failed O
success among the Northern portion o
the colonies, owing to the skill and Wig
lance of Washington, the attention o
the commander was directed to the
Southern department. With 1t picked
and veteran force, therefore, Lord Corn
wallis began his celebrated march from
Charleston through South Carolina an(
North Carolina into Virginia. He cal
culated upon embodying the loyal ele
ment wherever he went and encourage
ing it to join him and swell his forces
This was reasonable after the shameful
disaster at Camden, and to great ex
tent this expectation was justified by
large numbers of loyalists joining him
in South Carolina, whilst quite {
number either did, or attempted, tht
same in North Carolina. But hi:
presence and proclamations were two
edged weapons they not only called
out the Tory element, but reused ant
brought to arms every patriotic Whis
in the regions through which he marched
These alone proved more than sufficient
to deal with their countrymen who tool
sides with the British.
The first great serious check which
his hitherto triumphant advance haC
received was
AT KINGS MOUNTAIN
in October. 1880. Preceding his ad.
vance into North Carolina. CORVALLIS
had sent Major Ferguson with bat
tallion of regular troops to call out anC
embody all the Tory element of the Yves
tern part of the two Carolinas. This
he did with considerable success. anC
incorporated with his own forces large
number of volunteers. But the effort
to do so had alarmed the Wings of the
mountains of North Carolina and Viz
ginia. These gallant frontiersmer
sprang up as by magic. and crossing the
great Iron and Yellow Mountains from
the Valleys of the Holston and Nall.
chucky, assembled in the valley of the
Catawba and made their final arrange.
ments to dispose of Ferguson and his
Tories. Advancing by forced marches
receiving recruits at every step. theil
array became so formidable that Fer.
, guson took the alarm and retreated tC
Kings Mountain. vainly imagining that
the raw militia from the wilderness
would not dare to attack him there
But little did he know of the spirit OF
these men. Like a mountain ava.
lanche they swept onward after theil
prey, and like an eagle when founC
they seized it. in defiance ofall militar,
rules, in its own chosen position Of
strength. Authors, orators and mill
tary critics have dwelt alike upon this
wONDROUS FEAT OF ARMS.