Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-02-17

preserved In the narrative.
1T was first published In 1885.
Horseshoe Robinson was then a very
old man. He had removed to Ala
bama, and lived, am told, near Tus-
caloosa- I commissioned a friend to
send him a copy Of the book. The
report brought me was that the old
man had listened very attentively to
the reading Of 1t and took great In
terest In 1t.
What do you say to all this?" was
the question addressed to him, after
the reading was finished. His reply Is
a voucher which desired to preserve:
1T is all true and right-in its right
place-excepting about them women,
which I disremember. That mought be
true, too; but my memory is treacher-
ous-I disremember.'
It Is a pleasure to know that this
fine old hero was real parsonage, and
though all Of his exploits may have been
colored in a measure by the pen OF the
romancer, there still remains rich
stock Of adventures which were un-
doubtedly true, and the picture OF a
nature frank, brave, true and yet fuil
Of modesty.
Extract from Flag Of the Union"
published at Tuscaloosa, January IT,
1888:
Horseshoe Robinson'-who has not
read Kennedy's delightful novel Of this
name, and WHO that has read 1t would
not give a half days ride to see the
venerable living hero Of this tale OF
Tory ascendency,' the immortal
Horseshoe himself-the exterminator
of Jim Curry and Hugh Haber-
shaw The venerable patriot bearing
the familiar sobriquet, and whose
name Mr.. Kennedy has made as ia
miliar in the mouths Of American
youths as household words, was vis-
tied by us, in company with several
friends, one day last week. We found
the old gentleman on his plantation,
about twelve miles from this city, as
comfortably situated with respect to
this worlds goods as any could desire
to have him. 1t was gratifying to US
to see him in his old days, after hav-
ing served through the whole war OF
independence, thus seated under his
own vine and fig tree, with his chill
dren around him, and with the part
ner of his early tolls and trials still
continued to him, enjoying In peace
and safety the rich rewards Of that
arduous struggle, in the most gloomy
and despondent hour Of which he was
found as ready, as earnest, as Jealous
for the cause Of liberty as when VIC
tory perched upon her standard, and
the stars Of the Tory ascendency were
for a while dimmed by defeat, and In
which he continued with unshaken
faith and constancy until 1t sank be-
low the horizon never again to rise.
The old gentleman gave US partial
history of his Revolutionary adven-
lures, containing many interesting
facts respecting the domination OF the
Tory party In the south during the
|
Kennedy has not recorded in his book.
But it will chiefly interest our readers
or that portion Of them at least 10
whom the history Of the old heros
achievements, as recorded by Mr.. Ken
nedy, is familiar to be assured that
the principal incidents therein por-
trayed are strictly true.
THAT of his escape from Charleston
after the capture Of that city, his be-
| ing entrusted with letter to Butler,
the scene at Wat Adair's, the capture
of Butler at Crindars Ford, his subse-
quent escape and recapture, the death
of John Ramsey, and the detection OF
the party by reason Of the salute hred
over his grave, his capturing OF the
four men under the command OF the
Younger st. Jermyn. his attack upon
Innes's camp, and the death Of Hugh
Habershaw by his own hand, ana
finally the death Of Jim Curry, are all
narrated pretty much as they occurred
in the old veterans own language.
There is a heap Of truth in 1t though
the writer has nightly FURNISHED 1t
up That the names Of Butler, Mildred
Lindsay, Mary Musgrove, John Ram
sey, Hugh Habershaw, Jim Curry; In
fact almost every other used IN the
book, with the exception Of his own,
are real and not fictitious. His own
name he informed us is James, and
that he did not go by the familiar ap-
pellation by which he Is now 80 widely
known until after the war, when he
acquired 1t from the form Of his plan
tation in the Horseshoe Bend Of the
Fair Forest Creek, which was bestow-
ed upon him by the legislature OF
South Carolina, in consequence OF the
services he had rendered during the
war. This estate, we understood him
to say, he still owned.
He was born, he says, in 1853, In
Virginia, and entered the army In his
seventeenth year. Before the close OF
the war, he says, he commanded
troop Of horse, so that his military title
Is that Of captain. Horseshoe, although
in infirm health, bears evident marks
of having been a man Of great person
al strength and activity. He is now
afflicted with a troublesome cough.
which in the natural course Of events
must in a few years wear out his aged
frame. Yet, Notwithstanding his In
firmities and general debility, his eye
still sparkles with the fire of youth as
he recounts the stirring and thrilling
incidents of the war, and that sly,
quiet humor so we'll described by Ken
nedy may still be seen playing around
his mouth, as one calls'to his re :ollec-
ton any Of the pranks he was wont