Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-19
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How the Spirit of Liberty Was Kept Alive By an
UncOnquerable People
By REV. ROBERT LATHAM. ID. ID.
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1s7'
INSTALLMENT XII.
The Second Battle of Camden.

At Ramsey's mill on Deep river,
General Greene consulted with the OFF,
GERS in his army with reference to the
proper course to be pursued. Corn
wallis was gone. Evidently the Brit
ish, although boasting that they were
victorious, were not disposed to meet
Greene again. The majority Of the ofti-
GERS in Greene's army advised that the
pursuit of CORVALLIS be continued,
either by advancing directly to Will
mington or by placing the American
forces between Wilmington and Vir-
ginia so as to be able to prevent the
advance Of CORVALLIS in that direction,
Colonel Lee proposed that CORVALLIS
be left TO act as he saw fit and that the
American army be led back into South
Carolina for the purpose Of restoring
the state to the American union. The
debate was warm on both sides and
many strong arguments were advanced
by the advocates Of each plan. The
course proposed and advocated by Col
onel Lee was finally adopted. The de-
tails OF the scheme were that the main
army under General Greene should
march directly to Camden, South Car
olina, while Colonel Lee with the light
corps under his command should ad-
vance farther south and join General
Marion, then on the Black river in Will
liamsburg county.
For the purpose Of keeping the state
of South Carolina in subsection as well
as for the purpose of supplying their
own troops with food and clothing, the
British had established a chain Of forts
extending from Camden to Ninety-Si Six
The plan proposed by Lee contemplated
q simultaneous attack upon all OF these
forts. Since the defeat Of Gates, on the
18th OF August, 1880, the state Of South
Carolina had been under the heel OF
the British. After Cornwallis in pur-
suit Of Gen. Greene had left the state,
small partisan corps were raised which
kept up the appearance of resistance
Marion with a few followers, operated
in the east and southeast section OF
the state. Such however, was the
character Of the inhabitants Of the
country In which he operated that he
was unable to effect anything decisive
in its results.
In that portion Of South Carolina, ex-
tending from Richmond to Robson
counties, North Carolina, to the Santee
there were a multitude of Tories. In
this section Of the state there have
ever been gangs Of robbers. In the
same region there were many good
Wings, who suffered as much for lib
erty as any other individuals in the
Confederacy. All that Marion and the
Whig settlers could do in the absence
OF the main army was to keep these
Tories partially in subjection. To do
this was not bloodless task. For the
sake Of liberty many good men lost
their lives.
Sumter having recovered from the
wound received at Blackstock, collected
a chosen band and struck terror into
the minds of the Tories in the centre
of the state. Colonels Harden and Ba-
ker kept up a spirited resistance in the
region south Of Charleston. The state
was overrun, but not subdued. The
Tories were revelling in lust and the
Wings were burning with rage. The
more sensible Of the loyalists were fill
ed with bloody apprehensions. Such
briefly was the condition Of things in
South Carolina during the winter OF
17S0-s1.
At Ramsey's mill, General Greene
dismissed all his militia except a few
North Carolinians. Arrangements were
rapidly made for the return of the army
into South Carolina. Greene sent
general outline Of his proposed plan OF
operation to Sumter and Pickens.
Both were ordered to collect all the
men they could and prepare for active
service. Sumter was ordered to join
the main army at Camden and Pickens
was instructed to make an attack upon
Ninety-Six or to so environ 1t that re-
Inducements could not be sent from
that place to Camden.
On the 9Th Of April, Colonel Lee with
his legion and Captain Oldham's de-
tachment of Marylanders set out to
join Marion. After successful march
of eight days. Lee and Oldham reached
Marion's hiding place in the swamps
of Black river. On the 7th OF April,
General Greene with the main army
broke up camp at Ramsey's mill. On
the 10Th they reached Camden. Before
CORVALLIS had left Winhsboro, Lord
Rawdon had commenced to fortify
Camden. When Greene arrived in the
vicinity of the town, he found it well
fortified and Lord Rawdon in command
of nine hundred effective men. Cen
eral Greene after the detachment under
Lee and Oldham had been sent off, had
only fifteen hundred men. With this
force he was unable to carry the place
by storm, nor was he able to besiege II
with any hopes Of success.
The town of Camden is situated in
Kershaw county on the left bank OF the
Wateree river. and about one-half mile
distant 1t Is elevated above the level
of the river about seventy-five feet
Between the river and the town, flows
Beltons branch on the east and on the
south flows Pinetree creek. Belton's
branch flows into Pinetree creek, south
of the town, a short distance from
where Pinetree creek empties into the
river. On the west, south and east the
town is surrounded by water and on
the north the tributaries of Belton's
branch and little Pinetree creek nearly
meet. Camden is the Oldest inland
town in the state Of South Carolina
Here in 1850, some Quakers from Ire
land settled Robert Milhouse and
Samuel Wylie erected mills on Pinetree
creek and for many years the place was
called Pinetree About 1850, Colone
Joseph Kershaw having for some years
been successfully engaged in merchan'
dizing, laid out the place in regular lots
and streets, and in honor Of Lord Cam
den gave it it's present name. Its trs'
charter was granted in 1859. North Of
Camden and about one mile distant Is
considerable elevation called Hob