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

Il
was encamped only about three mile
ahead. Cooke said, Tarleton thinkin
himself in no danger had ordered al
the horses to be unsaddled. Tn
American officers at once determine,
although their numbers were less thai
those Of the British, to make an at
tack at once. They calculated from
the reports which they had just heart
that they would be able to surpris
Tarleton. They formed themselve
for the attack and dashed forward a
stealthily as possible. On arriving II
sight Of the camp they discovered tina
the British were gone. A few caval
rymen dashed up to the farm hous,
at which the British detachment hat
been recently camped. Two officers
who had remained behind TO settl,
their bill with the owner Of the farm
were captured. From these prisoner
it was learned that Tarleton had gon,
to the plantation Of Colonel William
| o'Neil.
This Colonel William oNeil wa!
professedly Whig, but in reality ar
lignominous swindler. At the out
breaking Of the war he was poor but
before the war ended had grown rich
One Of the ways by which he increas
ed his wealth. was to cause the rich
In the community and all the sons Of
large and dependent families to bt
drafted for the army and then for pay
furnish them with substitute or per.
NIT them to remain at home to be ir
q short time drafted again. From
those who were unable to pay him
money to get off from going to the
army, he would take horses and wher
he had collected drove would send
them off to be sold. He always man.
aged to keep at a respectable distance
from the enemy, and consequently was
never in q battle. The unrighteous
acts of this colonel, pretending to be
acting in accordance with the com.
mands Of the American government
greatly incensed many Of the citizens
Of the country between the Haw and
Deep rivers. So great was their In.
dignation towards the infamous O'Nei
that they lost all affection for the
American cause and determined &c
give their assistance to the British.
On learning that Tarleton was al
O'Neil's, Lee, who was evidently the
master spirit Of the American de-
tachment, determined to resort to
stratagem in order to capture him
Between the cavalry Of Lees legion
and that of Tarleton there was q
striking resemblance. Persons not
accustomed to scrutinize men closely
would be likely to mistake the one
for the other. The South Carolina
militia .undaes RiRkans-ixa so -planad
that they would be as much out OF
sight as possible and Lee announced
to his men that his intention was to
pass off for Colonel Tarleton and his
men were ordered to favor the STRAIT
agem. In front Of the whole, at the
distance of few hundred yards was
small scouting party. The legion
with Colonel Lee, accompanied by the
two prisoners at its head. followed
The prisoners were ordered on pain
Of death, to favor the deception.
In this order. they had not gone faI
when the van was met by couple OF
young men mounted on splendid
steeds. Joy beamed in their counte.
nances. They were evidently young
recruits and knew nothing Of the
wiles Of war. The van Of the Amer.
leans, feigning to be Tarleton's men
halted them and asked to whom they
belonged. These unsuspecting young
soldiers replied that they belonged tc
Colonel Pyle's command and had beer
sent out by their commander to find
Colonel Tarleton's camp. In the sim.
plicity Of their hearts, the two young
cavalrymen stated frankly all about
the intentions Of their commanding Of.
ficers. They were at once sent back tc
Colonel Lee, with an American sol.
dier, who was to give a correct ac'
count Of all that had transpired. The
two young loyalists saluted Colone
Lee as Colonel Tarleton and Lee re-
turned the salutation. The adjutan
Of Lees legion was sent to Pickens
requesting him to keep his rifiemer
concealed.
| Just at this time Captain Graham
had joined Lee and his forces were
with Pickens. All was intense excite
ment. A body of unsuspecting loyal
lists were about to be caught in a trap
Everything is fair in war" is a motto
that will not bear to be closely ex
amined. Lee, however, designed moth
ing more than to disarm Colonel Pyle
and his men and send them back t
their own firesides or give them {
chance to come out and fight for theil
country against the British. Th'
thing turned out far differently; bu
still Lee was not to be blamed.
One Of the loyal young soldiers wa!
sent forward to bear Colonel Tarle
tons compliments to Col. Pyle and Il
ask him to so dispose his troops OF
the SlnQe OF the rOaQ lndl Ills wear.
forces could pass without inconven
ience. Pyle promptly replied that n
would be happy to comply with th'
request. Lee. the pretended Tarleton
accompanied by the other unwar!
horseman Of Pyle. now advanced. Pyl'
had drawn up his men as requested
and was himself at the end Of the col
umn most distant from the approach
of Lee and his men. AS Lee rod
along the road past Pyle's men h
complimented them for their goot
looks and praised their horses. TIL
poor dupes smiled most graciously
At last he reached the position occu
pied by Colonel Pyle and advanced to
wards him. Then all along their lin
the loyalists and Tories shouted "Go'
save the King"
The understanding was, that 8
soon as Lee would grasp the hand o
i Pyle. that the cavalry Of Lee woul
close in upon the loyalists and de
mand an unconditional surrender. l
so happened that at this moment tn