Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-21
SOUTH cAR0htaa M
YAE RE4OA Vft0A
How the Spirit of Liberty Was Kept Alive BY an
UncOnQuerabie People
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM. ID. ID.
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1875
INSTALLMENT XXXIn.

eour's mill in Lincoln county, N. c.,
and General Morgan on the east side
of the Catawba-nearly opposite the
camp of the British chieftain.
On the evening, after the battle Of
Cowpens, Morgan commenced his re-
treat, and on the morning of the next
day at 8 o'clock, CORVALLIS set out In
pursuit. For ten days both armies
toiled-with all their energies. The
Americans struggled that they might
escape; and the British FASTENED the
pursuit that the prisoners captured at
Cowpens might be rescued, and their
captors captured, or cut to pieces.
1t was the dead of winter. There
were few roads and the country
through which the armies passed was
hilly-in some places mountainous
and the weather very bad. The con-
sequence was that the progress Of both
armies was slow. The distance ira
versed by each was nearly equal. On
the 2Sth of January. Morgan crossed
the Catawba at Island ford. Two
hours after his rear guard had reach
ed the eastern bank, the van guard OF
the British, under Brigadier General
o'Hara, appeared in sight Morgan
and his men were safe. The sun was
setting. Dark and ominous clouds
covered the face of the sky. The Brit
ish general concluded to spend the
night on the western bank Of the river,
cross early the next morning, rout the
forces Of Morgan and rescue Tarleton's
men who had been taken prisoners.
During the night the rain fell in tor
rents and by daylight the waters Of the
Catawba had interposed an insur-
mountable barrier between the pursued
and the pursuer. Thus for 4S hours the
waters of the river continued to leap
over their banks, holding the Brit
ish earl completely in allegiance. The
rains continued to fall and the British
were thoroughly drenched. They were
forced to fall back and kindle large
fires in order to dry their wet baggage
and powder The headquarters OF
CornwalIis was at the house Of Jacob
Forney The story Of this man is too
thrilling to be omitted.
Jacob Forney was a descendant OF
the French Huguenots. His father af-
ter the revocation of the edict OF
Nantes, in 1885, fed from his native
country and settled in Alsace on the
Rhine When his son Jacob was about
four years old, the elder Forney died.
At the age Of fourteen. young Forney,
now an orphan left Alsace and went
to Amsterdam. Here he heard glow
ing accounts Of the New World. The
tale which he heard of the sufferings
of his fathers fired his soul with ha-
tired for tyrants, and love Of liberty,
both political and religious. In the
first ship bound for America he took
passage, and in due time landed on the
shores Of the New World and took up
his temporary abode in Pennsylvania.
A few years afterwards he returned to
Germany in order to get possession of
a small legacy which had fallen to
him. His business arranged, young
Forney set out again for America. The
vessel on which he embarked had a
number of emigrants from Berne In
Switzerland. Amongst these was a
beautiful girl by the name OF Maria
Berger. Between Jacob Forney and
Maria Berger an acquaintance was
formed. This acquaintance was in due
time, matured into love. On arriving
in Pennsylvania they were married
and in 1854 came to Lincoln county,
N. c.
Jacob Forney was in his day pill
lar in his community. The Cherokee
Indians feared him and his neighbor-
hood depended upon him to defend
them in every emergency. So ire
quently had he been shot at by the
Indians and so often had his clothing
been pierced by bullets without being
wounded, that his neighbors really be-
lieved that he was bullet proof. On
one occasion, IL was reported that af-
ter coming out Of fight with the In
dians, hs unbuttoned the bosom OF his
coat and near a peck Of bullets fell
out"
When CORVALLIS was in pursuit or
Morgan and found that he could not
cross the Catawba, on account OF It's
being swollen by the recent rains, he
came back to Jacob Forney's. A Tory
by the name of Deck informed the
British earl Of the condition Of Jacob
Forney. His house was about two
miles from the main road and no doubt
was the best one in the whole commu-
nifty at that time. Everything we may
suppose was in abundance. The
house consisted Of two stories and
cellar. CORVALLIS made the upper
story his headquarters. Here he de-
vised during his three days stay-his
plans for future operations. Forney's
hogs, cows, chickens, corn, fodder and
everything which either man or horse
could eat, was appropriated without
stint. This did not satisfy the invad-
Forney had large sum of money hid
den somewhere on the premises. This
was true at least in part. He had a
sum of money which at that day and
in that community was thought to be
very large. The legacy which he had
Some of the Identical coin which he
had brought with him to America, was
still in his possession. Diligent search
was made for this money. At last, 1t
together with some jewelry was found.
Up to this time, Jacob Forney making
a virtue Of necessity, had remained
quiet in the cellar. He was now an
old man and being found unarmed, the
British did not disturb him, further
than to drive him into the cellar. So
soon however as he learned that his
money was found and hopelessly in
the hands of the enemies of his coun-
try, he lost all control of himself and
seizing his gun, threatened to kill
Cornwallis. This he would have done
had it not been for the prudence OF his
wife He had actually begun to as
cend the stairs leading to the room oc-
cupied by CORVALLIS. His wife pulled