Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-27
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Yt}E REH0h VFt0N
How the Spirit of Liberty Was Kept Alive BY al
UncOnquerable People
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1876
INSTALLMENT XVIII.
The Battle of Camden.

In order that we may as 1ar as pos
sible keep up the chain Of events, 1t
will be necessary that we go back
and take a cursory view Of the gen.
eral affairs Of the American forces
during the early part Of 1880. Gen
eral Washington saw so soon as Sir
Henry Clinton directed his attention
toward Savannah and Charleston that
it was the intention of the British
general to make the south the seat
Of war.
Heretofore this section had suf-
fered comparatively nothing by war.
The seat of hostilities had been in the
north. The Americans had in one
sense been unsuccessful; in another
sense they had been very successful.
They had gained no decisive victo-
ries and in several instances had suf-
fered very great reverses. Still the
Americans in the north were success
full. They had baffied the efforts of
nearer being subjugated than it was
after the battle of Lexington. Sir
Henry Clinton determined to subject
atIthe same time, the extremes Of the
colonies to the horrors Of war. His
object was to subdue the southern
states In detail. Success crowned his
first effort, but in the end fortune
deserted him.
To assist General Lincoln in his ef-
forts to beat back the invading foe,
General Washington was not prepared
to do much. The American army OF
the north was weak and the British
had a well appointed force In that
region, which required constant
watching. Notwithstanding the strait
ened circumstances Of the command
er-in-chief Of the American forces,
he determined to send Gen. Lincoln
all the assistance In his power. For
the purpose Of reinforcing the south
ern army the Maryland and Delaware
troops, amounting to fourteen hun
dred effective men under the COM
mand of Baron DeKalb, were select
ed.
On the fourteenth Of April, 1880,
DeKalb left Morristown, New Jersey,
for the south. He passed through
Petersburg, Virginia, early in June.
Then he passed through Hillsborough.
North Carolina, and encamped on
Deep river on the sixth Of July. Two
months previous to this, Charleston.
South--Ca had fallen into the
hands Of the British ana Gen. Benja-
min Lincoln, the commander Of the
southern army, was a prisoner on
parole. Baron DeKalb was conse-
quently the commander Of the
southern army.
The Colonial Congress always pa
triotic. generally in great straits and
sometimes not very wise or just In
its decisions, determined to place
some man of greater fame than De-
Kalb at the head of the southern
army. General Horatio Gates, the IL
legitimate son of Horace Walpole,
Lord Oxford Of England, was at this
time at the zenith Of his glory. AT
Saratoga the army under his COM
mand gained a victory over General
Burgoyne. The honor Of that victory
was not due to General Gates, but to
Generals Schuyler, Arnold and Nor
gan.
On the thirteenth Of June General
Gates was appointed by congress to
the command of the southern army.
DeKalb was then between Peters
burg, Virginia, and Deep river In
North Carolina. Gen. Gates was at
his home in Virginia near Sheperds-
town, when he received the appoint
ment. General Gates was a man OF
good mind, a fine classical scholar
and bred a soldier; but withal a vain
man who would not scruple to do
dishonorable act, provided his own
position would be advanced or his
power increased His heart was set
upon the position held by Washing
ton anu he ndu uSSu iiCdpo ~ ho
Washington removed and himself
placed in his place. General Gates
was one Of those men who could bear
neither success nor defeat.
Thirteen days after his appoint
ment to the command Of the southern
army he set OUT with heart full OF
Joy. In vision many Saratogas loom
ed up before him. Charles Lee, who
was strongly eccentric, remarked to
Gates on his setting out for the south:
Take care that you do not exchange
northern laurels for southern will
lows" The words were as we will
see, prophetic.
On the twenty-fifth Of July, Gates
with his secretary, William Clajon
reached DeKalbs camp on Deep
river The army which he was ap-
stances by which he was surrounded
was calculated 10 chill his ardor; but
his hopes were as great as his ambi-
ton. 1t was now midsummer. The
troops were pOuIly ploNiocu ioi oiiN
the country greatly depressed. Gen
eral Caswell was in the field with
considerable force of North Carolina
militia The first step taken by Gen
eral Gates was to form junction
Of his troops with those of General
Caswell. Retaining DeKalb in COM
mand of his own division, the troops
crossed Deep river at Buffalo ford, or
the afternoon of the twenty-seventh
of July, just two days after he had
taken command Of the southern army
This shows that he was not disposed
to idle his time in lettering abou,
camp. During the evening OF the
twenty-seventh consultation was
held with regard to the future move
ments of the army. Dekalb and
Colonel Otho II. Williams, acting
Acknowledgement advised that the
army be led to Charlotte and that the
heavy baggage and women be left a.
Salisbury. 1t was also recommended
by DeKalb and Williams that hos
pital and magazine be established a
Salisbury. From Charlotte 1t wa:
proposed to lead the army towarc
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