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

puDllcat1On OF Dr. Maurice A. Mo0re'S
life of Edward Lacey, one of the most
distinguished Of the brave leaders who
figured in the Revolutionary history Of
York and Chester counties. The story,
though short, Is full Of thrilling inter-
est. especially to the people In this
part Of the state, and we believe 1t
will prove a source Of pleasure and
profit to most OF the readers of this
paper. The following from the pen
of Mrs Celina E. Means of Columbia,
daughter of the author of the LAcey
Pamphlet, explains how this interest
ing sketch came to be written, and
gives our readers an intimation Of
what we have in store for them dur
ing the next three or four issues.
1.-The early years of my father were
spent wholly In York District. He was
deeply attached to people, localities
and to the traditions Of York To him
There the sun seemed brighter. the
sky more blue, the grass more green"
even to the last day Of his life.
1.-The home Of his boyhood was with
In two miles Of williamson's. the place
Of Huck's defeat. The old men Of the
neighborhood had fought that battle.
besides many others His father was
a young man at college, when the Rev.
olution came. He left his studies, and
under Lacey. Joined the ranks Of the
patriots, and often acted as an aid on
the staff of Lacey. He continued with
him to the end Of the war.
From early childhood In the long
winter evenings, Maurice Moore sat by
the huge log fires and listened intent
ly to stories Of the brave struggle fer
liberty. Under the shade Of the large
oaks In summer. his grandfather Err
win. man Of quaint humor, would tell
him anecdote after anecdote Of both
the Indian campaigns and battles Of
the Revolution In which he had fought.
The names Of Sumter and Lacey were
most often mentioned as leaders In
tales Of do and daring" After he
came to manhood, Maurice Moore be-
came a physician and practiced his
profession In York. Then he met Old
men who loved to talk Of the times
which tried mems souls"
Histories of the Revolution were
written and Doctor Moore read them
at first with surprise. Little mention
was made even Of Sumter. Marion and
Pickens, and of Lacey scarce word.
He was about forty years Of age
when he began to correspond with men
still living who had belonged to Col.
Lacey's command in the Revolutionary
war. Many Of them had moved from
the state, but he by many Inquiries.
would learn their abode and wrote 10
them making many inquiries. He had
replies; long, faithful narratives. 1t
might be that sometimes the writing
was so tremulous as to be almost un-
decipherable, the spelling very unique,
but the fires of remembrances flashed
up and illumined the ashes Of old camp
fires, and gave jovial stories Of forced
marches and glowing accounts Of he
roic dashes into battle following La
cey, their hero.
After this, my father began sys-
tematic study Of his subject With
great difficult he secured copy OF
Tarletons Southern Campaigns, a very
rare book Manuscripts were loaned to
him. He read many files Of papers
and from various sources became, rs
It were, saturated with information.
I'm his sixty-fourth year, he wrote,
that justice might be done by pros
terity to the reputation Of his fathers
colonel and friend. He accomplished
his object and rescued from oblivion
the name Of Edward Lacey.
Historical societies in New England
and New York at once recognized the
value of the little pamphlet Bancroft
and Losing wrote him personal letters
Of thanks. After the Confederate war,
Lyman Draper came to South Carolina
to visit him. So many applications
were made for the Life Of Edward
Lacey" that the edition Of 500 copies
he had printed entirely at his own ex-
pense are now exhausted. Draper In
in his Heroes of Kings Mountain.
quotes copiously from Doctor Moore.
"Colonel McCrady in his monumental
work frequently gives him as author
ity. More than once, as in the descrip-
ton of Huck's defeat, he embodies In
his history the exact words OF DR..
Moore, recognizing in this way his
ability as a graphic writer as well as
the reliability Of his painstaking meth
cd in presenting his subject.
when Mr.. Grist desired copy OF the
life Of Lacey, from which to make
reprint found great difficulty In pro-
curing one. Those belonging to the
family had been borrowed and not re-
turned. At last a gentleman allowed
me to copy his life of Lacey. but would
not consent to send 1t out Of the city.
THE life of Lacey Is told In the
quaint language Of lien who lived ana
wrote before the Confederate war;
Every fight was called battle In time
of war and a few companies made up
an army; but Judge the greatness by
the results and there was never a
greater war than that OF the Revolu-
ton, never greater patriotism or truer
soldiers than the partisan leaders.
Bancroft says Of Sumter. His victo-
ries led up to the victories which not
only redeemed South Carolina from
British rule, but gained the independ-
ence Of America"
Among the colonels who fought un-
der Sumter there was not one more
continually in service. more active In
leading, more to the front than Ed
ward Lacey"