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

The following from Rev DR.. La
than's sketches of the early settlement
Of South Carolina, published In THE
ENQUIRER during 1876, and included in
an account of Tarleton's retreat from
Cowpens, will be Of more than passing
interest to the people Of the present
generation:
During the Revolutionary war there
was no such place as Yorkville. The
ground was covered with native for
est. The cross street near the court
house was a stand for deer hunters.
A man by the name Of Henderson re-
garded II a favorable place to Kill deer.
Much Of the ground upon which the
town Of Yorkvi'le now stands was
kind Of swamp. No road ran through
ed to the right at Dobson's two miles
from town, and passed through the
plantation Of Thomas w. Clawson. A
road leading from Crowders creek set
[! .ent passed through the, eastern
edge of where the town now stands.
The traces Of 1t can be seen between
the present Charlotte and Lincoln
roads, on the plantation Of George n.
O'Leary. It ran near the gate OF Rich
ard ]. Withers, through the lot OF w!
B. Steele, and near the residence or J.
A. Ratchford, two miles from town.
We have in our possession a petition
directed to- William Wynn, the King
commissioner at Rocky Mount, Tryon
county, N. c., asking his excellency to
grant permission to open a road from
Matthew Bigger's, on Catawba, 70
Talbots ferry on Broad river. This
document Is dated April 21st, l772.
On the 9th of August, Of the same
year, the petition was granted by VII.
liam Wynn. Evidently the part or
this road, which was east Of the pres
ent town Of Yorkville. was what is
now called the Charlotte road. Tai
bots ferry was twenty miles above
Fishdam ferry. Whether the road was
opened at this time or not we are un-
able to say positively. We think, now
ever, It was not; for on the 2Sth OF
Mrach. 177S, the general assembly OF
South Carolina passed a law estap-
fishing q ferry on Matthew Bfggers
land on the Catawba, and opening then
a road from the ferry to Talbots ferry.
on Broad river. This Is the same road
for the opening of which a petition
was sent, six years before, to William
Wynn. ...-....-
y Tffe ,Nationford road ran about two
miles south Of the site of Yorkville.
II passed the residences Of A. j. De-
vinney and ]. T. Lowry, out into what
Is now called the Pinckney ROAD at
Coker's old field.
The only house within the present
corporate limits Of Yorkville, at the
time Of the Revolutionary war, stood
near the Kings Mountain road In the
northwestern corner Of the lot on Wnicn
stands the Kings Mountain Military
school. A large hickory marks the
place: The first settler was o. man oy
the name Of Matthew Dickson. On
the lot now occupied by Edgar p. Will
liams, Matthew Dickson kept store
in which he and q relation sold whis:
ky, treacle (molasses) salt, delft and
other articles. Matthew Dickson came
to the region with the Crowders Creek
Scotch Irish immigrants, perhaps De-
fore Braddocks defeat. He married a
Miss Carson, a relative of the Carsons
in the neighborhood Of Pisgah church
in the lower edge of CASTOR county,
North Carolina. The marriage OF
Matthew Dickson and Miss Carson
took place in Gettysburg.
When Tarleton and his men passed
from Biggers ferry to Cravens's (the
Ross's) mill, they went by the house
OIL Matthew blChooiL "h0 "o'
SumteTs army. Mrs. Dickson was at
home. They had several negroes. Two
of the men left their families and fol-
lowed the British. Mrs. Dickson, when
she heard that Tarleton was at Ma
ton ford, set out to recover the negro
men. She rode one horse and led an
other, causing a negro woman to DO
the same thing. The led horses were
for the negro men to ride back on.
When she arrived at the British camp,
she made known the object OF her VS.
It. Tarleton told her that her negroes
were in camp, but remarked, you
have four fine horses, I think the best
thing for you to do is to return; Tor
II you remain here long you Will nave
to walk home" The good woman
anxious to save her horses, took his ad-
vice and returned leaving the negro men
with the British. When she returned
home, she found her husband there,
and after a consultation they decided
that because Of probability that the
in which they lived
would long continue a seat Of war, II
would be better to move TO Salisbury,
N. c.. which they did.