The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1901-03-20
"Scraps Of History"
GODFREY DREHER

GODFREY DREHER
There have lived in the past many
specimens of a splendid manhood
who have by their lives and deeds
reflected credit on the county OF
which we are now justly proud, but
the names of none of them stand out
more prominently on the pages OF
Lexipgton's history than that OF the
fearless soldier whose name graces
the page on which we now write.
The date of his birth and parentage,
80 far as is now known, is lost to
history. That his ancestry was
among that peerless band of German
immigrants who peopled the fertile
banks of the Saluda river about the
middle of the eighteenth century is
quite certain.
Godfrey Dreher was doubtless IN
the prime of young manhood during
the Revolutionary War. He was con-
temporary with johannes Kinsler and
Gabriel Friday and "Grig" Clark and
James Calk and others whose names
are now cherished as proud heri-
tage, and with some of them he was
so closely connected that his life
story cannot be written properly if
entirely sepsrted from theirs.
His home was on the west side OF
the Saluda not for from what is now
known as Lorick's Ferry.
His sister Mary had married Joha-
mes Kinsler before the war began,
and their happy home was on the
Saluds above, opposite the locality
now known as Countsville. The
property was owned subsequently by
q Mr.. Dreher, and in recent years
passed into the possession of the Seay
family. MIR. Kinsler was brave
officer in the Colonial army, and was
seriously wounded at the engage
ment st Fish Dam Ford. While st
home on furlough soon after, he was
walking in his yard one bright Sab
bath morning, caressing an infant he
held in his arms when he was shot
from ambush by a vindictive Tory
neigbbor and instantly killed. 1t is
pleasing to write that the murderous
scoundrel vas soon dangling from 8
limb near the scene of bis bloody
crime.
In July, 1871, when R4wdon, re-
treating from Ninety-six, passed
down west of the Saluda and took
possession of the Fort at CRANKY, Mr..
Dreher was at his home on furlough,
after an arduous campaign. He was
we'll supplied with arms as was the
the custom. A detachment of cavalry
from the British army was sent to
capture him. In his home at the
time was his young brother John,
mere lad; his widowed sister, Mrs
Mary Kinsler, and some other ladies,
and among them the maternal grand
mother of the venerable Maj Henry
4. Msetze Catherine Drafts. Mrs.
Kinsler first observed the approach
ing troopers, and called out excitedly:
'Herr Jasus! The Rsdcoats! The
R.dcoats!" The cool and thought.
full young officer sent his brother and
the ladies to an upper chamber and
plscing himself, we'll armed, at the
head of the stairs shot the leader OF
the band dead as he began to as
cend. The ladies and the brave boy,
under instructions from their bother,
made all the noise possible with
tables and chairs, and produced the
impression that there were armed
men in the building, while Mr..
Dreher call ont "Come on boys we'll
kill the last man." as he continued
to fire. Another man was shot down
and others were wounded as they
quickly fled from the premises, leaving
dead their comrades in the hands of
the victorious young "rebel". The
servant, Toney, raised rebel yell
and said he believed young master"
could whip "de debil heself." When
Charles Sumner intimated in the
United States Senate that the South
did little in the War of the
Revolution, Senator Butler, in reply,
related this incident and declared it
the bravest and most successful
struggle Of the entire war, in which
one man by his boldness and courage
defeated and put to fight a whole
company, after killing two and
woundiDg others. Mr.. Dreher came
safely through the war and wore his
honors as modestly as he had borne
his wounds and his labors bravely.
Some years subsequent to the close
OF hostilities he moved West and
died there after a lono and nsefulIif