Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-26
S0UFR CAROLINA M
YaE REpOhV VFt0N
How the Spirit of Liberty Was Kept Alive By an
UncOnquerable People.
By REV. ROBERT LATHAM. ID. ID.
From the Yorkville Enquirer of 1875
INSTALLMENT Xiv.

Inc dIISullNe SluUeul VI hiSSOAJ SA
not but be struck with the precarious
nature of every human state, condition
or circumstance. Cali is well that ends
WELL" and present indications are de-
ceptions. He must be stupid indeed
who does not discover in the terminus
to which transpiring events are tend
ing the hand of an all powerful prov
idence.
From the fall Of Charleston, in May
1880, to the latter part of April ISL
South Carolina lay PROSTATE beneath
the heel Of the British. 1t Is true there
were small and insignificant partisan
corps operating in various sections OF
the state. These corps were composed OF
as self sacrificing patriots as ever lived
and they were led by as brave officers
as ever drew a sword; but such were
the circumstances by which they were
surrounded that they could effect little
more than check the ravages OF the
enemy. The British thought and said
the state was subdued. The great mass
of people In several sections OF the
state had given up in hopeless despair.
The wonder is not that so many des-
paired. but that any retained hope
that the American cause would ulti-
mately prevail. The moment however,
that General Greene entered the state,
the condition of things seems to have
assumed new aspect. The report had
been extensively circulated that Corn
wallis had annihilated Greene's army.
The people generally did not under
stand the movements Of the American
general, and as men usually suffer their
hopes and fears to control their judg-
ment, the people concluded that Corn
wallis had driven Greene out OF the
state. The return Of Greene corrected
this false notion and infused hope in
to many sad hearts.
The battle of Hobkirk's Hill, the first
fought by Greene after this return, was
a failure, Rawdon gained a victory; but
1t was a sad victory. He lost more
than one-fourth of his army and the
single announcement that General
Greene had met the British at Camden.
inspired the Wings at every section OF
the state with a fresh spirit Of resist
ance In the course of fortnight,
Camden, Fort Watson, Orangeburg and
Fort Motto were in possession OF the
Americans This was not all. The
British officers no longer confident OF
success were respondent and instead
of believing that the state was con-
quered. were intensely anxious for the
safety of the British troops stationed
in the state.
Sumter as we have already seen, had
left Taylor at Fort CRANKY to pros
ecute the siege whilst he would has
ten to OrangebYrg. This post fell into
the hands of the Americans on the 14th
Of May-fnur days after Sumter COM
menced its investment. Sumter imme-
diately began his return to Fort Gran
by Lieutenant Colonel Lee however,
set out for the same point so soon as
Fort Motto surrendered. The distance
from Orangeburg to Fort CRANKY is in
a direct line about forty miles; from
Fort Motto to Cranky is about twenty
five miles.
On the afternoon Of the 18th, Fort
Motto surrendered and during the ear
ly part of the night of the 14th, Colonel
Lee with the infantry attached to his
legion and Captain Finley, with the six
FOUNDER which General Greene had
sent to Marion and Lee, appeared be-
fore Fort CRANKY. Lee began to lay
siege to the place with his usual ener-
gy. Within a little more than a quar-
ter of a mile of the fort, they commenc-
ed the work of erecting battery. The
morning of the 18th was cloudy. A
dense fog had settled on the face OF the
country and before the enemy had dis
covered that the Americans had COM
menced any new plans for their over
throw, Lee had his six-pounder noun
ted and was ready to open fire upon the
garrison.
For several reasons, Colonel Lee was
anxious to bring the matter to a final
issue as soon as possible. Lord Raw
don with his forces began to cross the
Santee at Nelson's ferry on the 18th.
On the afternoon of the next day, all
the British forces under Rawdon had
been transported across the river. The
first object the British general desired
to accomplish was to relieve the garri-
son at Fort Motto. In order to effect
this, he set out on the night Of the 14th
from Nelson's ferry, on the road lead
ing from Nelson's ferry, on the Santee
to McCord's ferry on the Congaree
Lee was we'll informed with regard to
the movements of Rawdon, and was
aware that Fort CRANKY must be taken
within a few days or the siege aban-
doned.
The character of the commander OF
the garrison induced Lee to act with
promptness or even with apparent
rashness. Major Maxwell who was in
command of Fort CRANKY was loyal
ist-a refugee from Maryland. He
had entered the royal army not from
any love which he cherished toward the
house of Hanover; neither did the de-
sire to be ranked among the military
heroes of his age urge him to enter
the camp. In one word, he had none OF
the characteristics of a military chief
tain. He was morbidly fond of money
and notoriously cowardly. He had con-
verted Fort CRANKY into a depot. in
which he stored away the valuables
which he wrested from the inhabitants
of the surrounding country Colonel
Lee knew that Major Maxwell would
readily surrender the garrison togeth-
er with all the military accoutrements
provided he would be permitted to re-
claim the spoils of his plundering ex-
peditions.
In the fort there were about three
hundred and fifty men. By far the
larger amount of this number were To-
ries and loyalists The remainder were
Hessian cavalry. Determined to give
Maxwell no time to think, Colonel Lee
ordered Captain Finley to open upor
the fort with his six FOUNDER so soor
as the fog cleared away. The moment
that the six-pounder was fired, the