The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-06-27
RELIC OF THE REVOLUTION.
House Still Stands in Augusta Where Eng
lish Hanged Americans
atlanta Constitution.

AUGUSTA, Ga June 16.-Within
the city limits Of August Ia ahere stands
to-day house which (. requires nc
antiquary to tell dates back to the
revolutionary days. It's peculiar style
Of architecture tells this at a glance.
1t is framed dwelling, two stories
and half high, with front veranda
twelve feet wide. The heart pine
weatherboarding is nailed on with
wrought nails. Who're the plastering
!. knocked off on the inside it reveals
massive timbers, as heavy as the sills
of modern houses. There are four
teen rooms inside the house, the two
main rooms on each side Of the ten
soot wide hall being twenty feet
s..uare. The hall ceiling is arched
and in the rear Of the hall spiral
staircase leads to the upper stories.
Its to this staircase that tale of
horror attaches dating back to the
days when English troops were fight
ins in America as they are now fight
in, in Africa, to conquer q people
VIII asserted their freedom.
TIE house stands on the highest
cmacnce in Augusta, facing Broad
street. A long hill formerly ran
across the street here, but it has been
leveled now, the Sibley mill house oc-
cupying the level on the north side of
the street where once was hill. On
the south side of the street the hill
remains, the old house, now known as
the Welch house, standing on its crest
some fifteen feet above the level OF. the
street. 1t is about three miles west
Of the court house, which hundred
years ago was near the western limit
Of the town of Augusta. Wilkes
county was then the most thickly set
tied portion Of the up country, and
the road from Augusta to Wilkes
passed over the hill in front Of the
old house. Near Hawk gully, about
halc way between this house and the
town, stood small fort, and on the
bank Of the river, on the present site
Of St. Paul Church, stood another
larger fort, guarding the upper part Of
the town.
In May, 1880, after the English had
captured Charleston, they sent force
which captured Augusta. Col. John
Dooly, a prominent citizen, was then
murdered in The presence Of his wife
and children. Colonel Elijah Clarke
raised regiment of riAemenin Wilkes
county for the purpose of driving the
English out Of Augusta. On Septem-
ber II. 1880, they sfproaohed Au-
gusta and attacked first an Indian
camp at Hawks gully. Adetaehment
Of English came to the assistance Of
the Indians and a running fight fol-
lowed, in which the Americans were
getting the bestof the. English. The
English commander, Colonel Brown,
retreated torthis house on the hill,
then called Seymour's white house.,
and on this hill entrenohed himself.
For four days he was besieged by,
Colonel Clarke rifiemen. Colonel
Brown was wounded and his men were
almost famished, and in the point;oof
surrenderiug, when strong English
reinforcements arrived from Ninety
Six, and the Americans were forced to
retreat, leaving thirty wounded rife
men in the hands OF the English.
Colonel Brown was lying wounded
on bed in one Of the rooms Of the
white house when the relief came.
He ordered the wounded prisoners
brought to the house to be hanged
where he could see it. The staircase
was selected as the most convenient
place. A rope thrown over q. beam in
the second story could dangie straight
down to the first floor througha the
inner circle Of this spiral stairway,
With room enough to allow drawing up
a mans body. With their arms pin
loned behind them, these wounded
Wilkes county riflemen were brought
to this stairway, the end Of the rope
tied around their necks, che rope
drawn up till they SWING just high
enough for the English commander,
lying in his bed in the room across
the hall, tn see their dying struggles,
the rope being lowered when the poor
victim was dead to fasten around the
neck Of another. After thirteen had
been thus gsrangled even the cruel
English commander was satiated, and
De ordered shs Test TO be turned over
10 the 1ndiaus, who tomahawked and
scalped them in the yard and the