Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1895-11-27
TWIN RELICS OF THE AMER
ICAN REVOLUTION.
About Two Corronades That Saw
Service at the Siege of Ninety
Six and Played an Impor-
: tant Part i'm the HiStO-
ry of the Times.

ed a more eventfal role, are two
relics of the Revolution, which, if
they could speak would tell of war
and bloodshed, of British AFRO
gance and partisan loyalty, of
Marion's strategy of Greene's in.
trepidity, of Kosciusko's skillful
engineering and of the "bioody
scouts" butchery.
They are six FOUNDER carronades,
only two and a half feet in length
and are as scared and scanned as
old soldiers. Although no larger
than toy guns of today, they, with
one similar, formed the entire bat
terry of the old Star Fort at the
siege of Ninely-six in May, 1871:
This fort and station was called
sNinety-six" because it was with
in ninety-six miles of the frontier
fort, Prince George. 1t was situa-
ted in the eastern portion of Alb
beville District, S. c., near the
border of Edgefeld, which is still
known as "the fighting district" of
South Carolina. These two dis
tricts, now called counties, by the
way, have turned out more proml-
nent men than any other ten dis
tricts in the State, among them
Calhoun, McDufie, Brooks, But
ler, Pickens, Noble, the Chea'-
hams, Coopers, Carriers, Mays's,
Evans's, Garys, and scores of 9TH
ers. The old Waddell school was
near Ninety-Six, where McDuff:
with many Of the brightest lighti
of the State received their early
education. 1t was IN this school
that Calhoun's first oratorical
ability developed itself. 1t was
in n debate VITA McDuffie, the
subject being ga Dead Goose"
These alronadeg were mounted
on wheels in order that their posi-
tions might be readily shifted
They stood upon a parapet of the
fort, the latter being garrlsoned
bv about 500 men under the com,
mand of Lieut. Colonel, Cruger, a
New York loyalist belonging to
Delancey's Battalion.
The siege of N;nety-Slx lasted
nearly month and was one OF
the most extraordinary events OF
the Revolution. Here, the scene
of the first conflict in the Southern
colonies, ill 1775, began the san
culinary hostilities between wings
and tories which afterwards desc
lated that beautiful country. Ii
was an important point i'll the
chain of military posts being tie
most advanced position of the roy
al army, and maintaining commu-
nicaton with its Indian allies,
kept in check the whig settle
ments.
The fort was star redoubt, con-
sisting of sixteen angles, a ditch
and abatis. Here, Greene, Lee, Kos
clusco, Campbell and other brave
partisans did some of their hardest
fighting, and but for the perfdy Of
a woman, it might have resulted
for differently. She was the daugh-
ter of one tried patriot and the
sister of another, but having mar
ried a British officer, the ties of
love proved stronger than those
of blood and love of country
While visiting the camp of Greene
under some preterce of little mo-
ment, she learned that Lord Raw
don was marching to the assist
ance of Col. Cruger. With this
information, she hasten5d to a
nearby farm house whence twas
conveyed to the garrison of Nine
ty-six. Thus, although Cruger
had undergone 'twenty-seven' days
of hard siege, he was still enabled
to retain command.
The old fort is sill intact and
the trees and shrnbbery on the
battle-ground are preserved by the
| inhabitants with almost sacred
care. The entire neighborhood is
picturesque. Grand old trees are
| intermingled with great clumps OF
wild hawthorn and sumac, over
which the iessamine and honey
suckle climb while mocking birds
carol merrily as if no war drama
had ever been enacted on the spot
One of the two carronades that
are the snbject of this article, was
taken from the field by Cornet
Charles Cooper Of Col. William
Campbell's brigade, the other was
saved by his oomrade John Car.
ter. The third of these Revolu.
tionary relics is in the possession
of the Cheatham relatives of Gen
Cheatham of Tennessee.
John Carter returned to. Virgil
MIA after the war and married
Elizabeth Hill, but Charles Coop
er finding Ninety-six a pleasan'
spot, fingered there long enough
to marry the beautiful sister o
"Billy Beale," a noted partisan
who caused more annoyance t.
"Bloody Bill Cunningham" know
as the "Bloody Scout" than an.
other of the famous rangers OF, th'
day. Cunningham once SAID t.
the sister of "Billy Beale," Civ,
me my breakfast and id quicl
too." For this and similar insults