The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-06-28


recent Cowpens celebration. Our
readers should file this paper away
for future reference, as it is full OF
information not easily obtained:
Fellow CITIZENS, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN
Itafords me much pleasure to stand
before you on this great occasion. As
sembled as we are beneath the shades
of peace and prosperity, while above
us are bright and sunny skies radiant
with promise aud hope. This is sub
lime; but the most blessed thing Of
all is the super-abundance of pure,
fresh aud invigorating air that we
breathe, for it is the air Of liberty.
Everywhere throughout this great
American commonwealth this adorable
goddess emits the air Of freedom, free
dom Of thought, freedom Of speech
and freedom to worship God, which
are the most priceless boons that were
ever bestowed upon any people. Lib
erty, yes, glar;ous liberty! But from
whence came it? Sc far as we are
concerned it came out Of seven long
years of suffering from famine, naked
ness. peril and sword endured by our
ancestors about century and quar-.
ter ago. By their neyer-Aagging de-
votion and patriotism, by their unpre-
cedented bravery and heroism they
succeeded in driving the armies Of
King George from our shores. AS a
result the goddess Of American liberty
was crowned and she has relgned
from that hour to this, and may her
banner proudly wave until the end of
time.
IT'S true that there may have been
an some respects greater battles, but
all things considered none played a
more important part in the great drama
of the Revolution than that enacted
on the glorious field Of the Cowpens.
For a time previous to this action the
cause Of liberty in the Carolinas
seemed almost hopeless. Gates had
been disastrously defeated at Camden
and Sumter cut to pieces on Fishing
Greek. This forced the little bands
Of patriots to fee to the mountains OF
North Carolina, Tennessee and Vir-
ginia fer safety, thereby leaving the
country to the mercy Of the British
and Tories. But the spirit Of these
fugitive heroes was by no means
crushed.
They determined to unite thelg
forces and destroy the proud and de-
fiant Ferguson, who was at. that time
master Of the up-country. A plan
was agreed upon, and the final juno
tion Of these intrepid devotees OF
liberty was formed at the Cowpens-
che very same field on which we are
assembled to-day. The next day, Oc-
tober z, 1880, they overlook Ferguson
at Kings Mountain, where he was
killed and his army totally de-
stroyed. A little more than three
months later came the brilliant action
atthe Cowpens in which the irrepress-
ible and heretofore ever victorious
Tarleton was put to fight and his
army cut to pieces. The victory at
Kings Mountain opened up the way
for that at Cowpens; hence on that
,mountain and on this plain are the
pivots on which the tide in favor OF
American liberty completely turned.
Yea, these two mighty and successful
blows virtually broke the backbone OF
British supremacy in the South. Then
is it saying too much when we declare
that if there had been no King $
Mountain and if there had been no
,Cowpens there would have never been
any Yorktown?
Fallow citizens, tread softly, for you
stand on sacred ground. The soil be-
meath your feet drank blood which was
poured out as the price Of liberty.
Only few rods away lie the remains
Of twelve 1aartyr-heroes, who not only
poured out their blood, but gave up
their lives as well.
Noble patriots, to-day we would
honor thee, but we would not disturb
thy calm repose. Sleep on, sleep on
until the resurrection morn when we
hope to awake with thee to blessed
Immortality.
Soon after Gen. Greene assumed
command Of the Southern army part
of it was ordered to march into South
Carolina under Major-General DAME
Morgan. This detachment consisted
Of 800 Marylanders, under Llcuten
ant-Colonel Howard, 200 Virginia