Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-05-23

thought differently-and were about
to order them to take to the woods,
two and two, and steer for Sumters
camp four miles off, Just then, some
one or two of "the boys saw the
enemy and cried out, "the red-coats!"
This was enough. With one accord
they exclaimed, as that the British?"
by JasusI Colonel Lacey, let's at
them! Well give them clatter!'
Lacey saw that he could not re-
strain them, and determined to share
their fate.
A general rush ensued; helter-skel-
ter, whooping, and screaming at the
top Of their voices, no doubt this mag
nified, to the enemy the number, the
Dragons took to their horses heels
and fed. When Lacey got to the
crossroads, he adroitly wheeled to the
right. taking the opposite direction
from the Dragons; still making his
men believe that the "red-coats" were
just ahead. Their plough nags were
nearly run down by the time that they
arrived In Sumter's camp. Colonel
Lacey gave to General Sumter hu-
morous account Of their narrow es-
cape, at which the general laughed
most heartily. He ordered full ra-
tions for the recruits, but no more
whisky tonight"
The next morning the new men
were mustered into service, and that
night, November 18th, 1880, Colonel
Wemyss made an assault on the camp.
Sumter had an intimation Of 1t, and
had ordered blazing camp fires to be
kept up Colonel Taylor had all the
horses ready saddled and equipped.
After midnight, Wemyss made his at
tack: the Americans, had been direct
cd to retreat to an eminence seventy
FIVE yards from the camp, from whence
they could plainly see the British
alight and commence plundering the
tents; when the word was given the
Patriots sent forth well directed and
deadly fire. The enemy retreated, but
were soon rallied for another charge.
About this time a CARLOAD of cart
ridges placed in the back ground had
got on fire from whence issued yolleys
the enemy could see no troops, but
heard the firing and saw the smoke,
and they came to the conclusion that 1t
must be a platoon of Americans and
charged furiously upon the cart Of ig-
nited cartridges, which stood Its ground
and continued its roar. In this last
melee the British were exposed by the
light of the camp fires; when the
Americans gave them a second volley,
very deadly, the British fled and were
pursued by the Patriots, Laceys new
recruits we'll to the front. Some OF
the tender hearted Americans, who, at
the first alarm, retreated under the
river bank, were kept there three
hours, for 1t was for that length OF
time that the cartridges continued to
go off and the men in retreat thought
all the while that battle was raging.
It is known that Wemyss, was
wounded in the arm and knee and
made a prisoner. Although, in his
pockets, evidence was found, that, In
cold blood, he had hanged several Pa
triots and also list Of houses he had
ordered to be burned, he was still
treated humanely by his captors.
General Sumter, soon after his fight
with wemyss, crossed Broad river
and between Tiger and Enoree met
Colonels Clark and Twiggs OF Georgia
where he took command Of the whole
force and started for Ninety-Six, with
view Of carrying out their design
upon that post. He was on the point
of attacking one hundred Loyalists al
williams, fifteen miles from Ninety
Six, (3l) when a deserter from the
British infantry informed Sumter OF
the near approach Of Tarleton. He
Immediately ordered a retreat, ano
continued to fall back for two days
until he arrived at the BlackstocE
plantation, on the west side of the
Tiger river, on the goth Of November
1880. Here Sumter determined To
face his pursuers.