Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-10-06

| WOH lHe NlClOIy OSeI NOlOlCl Si
son on Kings Mountain. The order Is
given to march. On they go. Every
order is executed with as much
promptness as If they had been trained
regulars.
| The British commenced to fire upon
Shelbys men as the right wing passed
round the mountain. Mcdowell return
ed the fire and the action became gen
eral. The keen crack Of the deadly
Deckhard rifle and the Indian war
whoop heard all round the enemy's
camp, announced that every man was
in his place. Ferguson ordered his reg
ulars to charge upon the right wing Of
the Wings. This drove Mcdowell,
Shelby and Campbell back; but at this
very moment Chronicle, Hambright,
Cleveland and Williams had ascended
the opposite extremity Of the mountain
and driven the British and tories be-
hind their wagons. Ferguson was here
himself. His men were falling on all
sides. He Immediately sent for DePeys-
ter, who had led the charge against
Mcdowell, Shelby and Campbell. AS
DePeyster passed back along the ridge,
the South Carolinians under Williams,
poured in deadly fire upon him. His
ranks were soon thinned and the regu-
lars thrown into confusion. They, how
ever, Immediately rallied and made
dreadful push against Chronicle and
Cleveland, driving them down the
mountain. Here Chronicle was killed.
The charge Of the British upon the
left of the Wings was mistaken by the
right under Shelby, Mcdowell and
Campbell, for a retreat, and the shout
was raised. "Huzza, boys, they are re-
treating. Come on" On, on, the left
wing Of the Wings, in solid phalanx,
rushed upon the enemy. Ferguson
was now forced to meet the right wing.
The left wing, as the right wing had
before done, mistook the charge of the
British for a retreat, faced about and
rushed upon, as they thought, the re-
treating foe. Thus each charge of the
enemy was mistaken by the Wings on
the opposite side for retreat. Fergu-
son galloped back and forth along his
lines, encouraging, his men with en-
treaties and with curses. In spite Of
all his skill and the desperate courage
of his men. his ground was taken from
him and he was forced to occupy
small portion Of the ridge near the
northern extremity. He ordered his
cavalry to mount; but this move prov
ed unavailing. The men were shot
down as soon as they mounted. He
prepared for a last and desperate
charge. The tories were ordered to
sharpen the handles of their butcher
knives and fasten them in the muzzles
Of their guns, and, with the British
regulars, charge upon the rebels. This
also was Of no avail The Wings were
all around them, and confusion was In
the British camp. DePeyster hoisted
a white flag. Ferguson pulled it down.
DePeyster raised it at the other ex-
tremity Of the British camp. Fergu-
son saw it and darted. at the full gall
lop, and, with his sword, cut it down,
swearing that he would never surren-
der to militia. He had been wounded
in the hand, but in this wounded hand
he bore a silver whistle, whose shrill
sound inspired courage in the already
vanquished. A ball from sCme un-
known rifle threw the hero from his
charger and DePeyster again hoisted
white flag.
The tories and British ceased firing,
but the Wings, either not understand
| ing the import of a white flag. or know
ing that it had been hoisted twice be-
fore and was pulled down, continued
to fire. The officers ordered their men
to cease firing; but the blood of the
Wings was warm and fire they would.
Colonel Shelby then ordered the British
| to lay down their arms, and the men
| would understand this as sign that
| they surrendered. This was done, and
the British were ordered to leave their
guns, most Of which were loaded. and
march to another place. The Wings
then marched up and took possession
of the enemy's camp.
The victory was complete. Neither
man nor horse escaped. The whole
force Of the British amounted to elev-
en- hundred and twenty-five men, of
which number eleven hundred and
five fell into the hands Of the Wings.
Twenty were out on a plundering expe-
dition. Of the eleven hundred and five
taken by the Wings, five hundred and
| five were either dead or so badly
wounded as not TO be able to be NOV
| ed. The Whig loss was. twenty-eight
killed and sixty wounded. Everything
pertaining to the camp of Ferguson
fell into the hands of the Wings. Be-
sides his provisions and camp equip
age, the Wings got number Of splen-
did horses and fifteen hundred stands
of arms and a supply Of powder and
bullets. When the patriots saw what
they had achieved, they raised shout
which was heard for "seven miles on
the plain"
The Wings slept on the battlefield
the night after the fight. The next
morning the dead were hurriedly bur-
led, the wounded Wings cared for, the
enemy's wagons burned, and the pa
triots departed. Lacy and Hill march
ed down into York county and encamp-
ed on Bullock's Creek. Campbell and
the North Carolinian's took the pris-
oners and hastened to get beyond the
| mountains. AS they had more prison.
ers than men, and it was important to
save the captured guns, the flints were
all removed and the prisoners made to
carry them.
At Bickerstaff's old field, a court
martial was held in order to decide
what should be done with the tories.
Thirty were condemned to be hanged;
but all but nine Of the most notorious
were pardoned.
No victory was ever more complete
than that Of Kings Mountain, and none
was more timely for the interest Of
America. The British, tories and 10y
alists, in every section Of the country,
encouraged. CORVALLIS took fright
and left Charlotte, abandoning his con-
| templated march into Virginia.
AS revolutionary relic worthy Of
preservation, we append the follow
ing rather rough piece of poetry, which
was called 1.-THE Battle of Kings
Mountain" We suppose the authors
name is unknown to anyone. The third
and fourth lines. and possibly more,
are wanting. Rough rs it is. it is still
worthy of being preserved.
Old Williams from Hisborough came;
To him the South Carolnians f1ocked amain.
We marched to the Cowrens Campbell was
| there,
Shelby, Cleveland and Colonel SEWER
Men of renown, sir, like lions so bold,
/ 1innc fa6 m bn pnntrOllpd
We set out on our march that very same night !;
Sometime we were wrong; sometime we were
| right;
| Our hearts being run in true liberty's mould,
| We valued not hunger, wet, weary nor cold.
On the top of Kings Mountain, the old rogue
we found,
| And like brave heroes his camp did surround; !;
Like lightning the flashes, like thunder the