Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-05

/ Greene over the Dan was In Dette
condition than CORVALLIS in Hills
boro. The Tories proper cared moth
ing for either party. All they had II
view was plunder. To them war wa
better than peace, and anarchy bette
than any government. They hate,
law and order because they delightet
in thieving. In addition to this not
withstanding the declarations Of tn
British general about driving IN,
American army out Of the province
of North Carolina, he had scarcely ar
rived at Hillsboro until the American
cavalry were in sight Of his camp
cutting of his foraging parties, inter
rupting his communications and in ;
variety of ways, keeping him in
state Of continual solicitude.
This seems to be the proper plac'
to mention the fact that before Corn
wallis left winnsboro, he ordered Col
onel Balfour to send from Charleston
South Carolina, detachment under
convoy of naval force to take pos
session of Wilmington, North Caro-
lima. To this point 1t was contem'
plated to ship army stores. These
supplies It was thought could be con
veyed on the Cape Fear river to the
army Of CORVALLIS. In obedience tc
his instructions, Balfour sent Major
Craig with four companies Of the
eighty second regiment and two
hundred men. These with a supply
Of army stores came up the Cape Fear
river as far as Wilmington. Craig
fortified the place making it a mill
tary post, from which Cornwallis
might obtain supplies for his army
The distance between Wilmington and
Hillsboro, together with the presence
Of the American cavalry, rendered the
supply from that quarter precarious.
The moment General Greene's army
crossed the Dan, things began to pre-
sent a different aspect. Every man
was conscious of having done and
suffered what the circumstances OF
his bleeding and down trodden coun-
try required. The troubles Of the pasI
were narrated with real delight. The
American soldiers never for mo.
ment thought that they had been
driven out Of North Carolina Re.
Inducements began to pour In from
various sections Of the country. Not
in large numbers, but composed OF
good men and true. This was what
General Greene desired. General
Stevens. as we have seen was sent with
some militia, whose time of service
was nearly expired to conduct the
prisoners captured by Morgan to
Charlottesville, Virginia. This done he
led the militia to Pittsylvania court
house. Then their arms were depos-
tied and the men disbanded.
From Pittsylvania court house Gen.
eral Stevens repaired to the Scotch
Irish settlements of Augusta and
Rockbridge counties, where he collect
ed a considerable number Of men
With these hardy sons Of the noun
tains, he Joined Greene in Halifax
county, North Carolina. Greene was
also at this time reinforced by two
companies Of Marylanders under Cap
tain Oldham and by body of militia
under Andrew Pickens. Afterwards
and before the battle Of Guilford court
house, reinforcements from Virgins
under General Lawson; from NORTH
Carolina, under Colonel Cleveland
one Of the heroes Of Kings Mountain
and from Montgomery county, Wes
Virginia, under Colonel Preston, came
In.
Two things conspired together tt
prevent Gen. Greene from lying In
active for any considerable length o.
time. The restless nature OF th'
troops which composed the body o.
his army made IL necessary that the!
be constantly employed. The existence
of his army depended on its being
kept constantly in motion. Again
Notwithstanding the fact that the 10y
alists were disheartened because O.
the neglect with which they had beer
treated by the British, still as Corn
wallis with his army was In thei
midst Offering them protection the!
could soon be induced to espous'
heartily the cause Of the enemy.
With a perfect knowledge Of thes'
facts, General Greene ordered Colone
Lee of the cavalry, together will
Brigadier General Pickens who hat
recently joined the army with corp
of South Carolina militia and Captain
Oldham with two companies Of Mary
landers, to recross the Dan and gall
the front Of CORVALLIS and keep a
close to him as was compatible will
their own safety.
On the morning Of the eighteenth
of February, Lee, Pickens and Old
ham with the several commands
crossed the Dan and set out in the di
rection of the enemies camp. On tn
same evening they encamped on tn
road leading from the Haw river t
Hillsboro. Two exploring detachment
were sent out-one toward Haw riv
er and the other in the direction
| Hillsboro. General Greene that n
might more fully communicate nj
plans to Lee, Pickens and Oldham
left his camp on the Dan and unde
an escort Of Colonel Washington
cavalry, reached the camp of thes
officers late in the evening and spen
the night with them.
Early on the morning Of the nine
teenth the scouts sent out In the oil
rection Of the Haw returned 10 camp
They had learned that on the day be
fore their arrival, Colonel Tarletol
with a body of cavalry, infantry an
artillery had passed through the coun
try. How many were in the body
was not learned, but the object OF tn
British officer II was ascertained wa
to cross the Haw, collect corps o
loyalists and act as an escort to then
whilst on their way to Hillsboro. Gen
eral Greene set out for his camp o.
the Dan, on the morning Of the nine
teenth and Lee, Pickens and Oldham
set out in search Of Tarleton. Th
nineteenth and twentieth were spent Il
various marchings and counter
| marchings for the purpose Of gainin
correct information respecting tn