Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-06

deep circular ditch, traces Of which art
still to be seen. The whole wa!
strengthened by fraise and abattis
The entire village was enclosed by
line Of stockades and covered commu'
nications extended from the stal
redoubt to the several stockades
AS the garrison was supplied with wa
ter from the rivulet on the west, this
point was protected by the stockade or
the eminence west of the village and
by the garrison stationed in the jail
which occupied the site between the
rivulet and the village.
The garrison at Ninety-Six was com.
manded by Col. John Cruger, man Of
good family, q native Of New York city
"a brave soldier and very superior Of
ficer. His command consisted Of five
hundred and fifty men. OF these two
hundred were New Jersey volunteers
and one hundred and fifty were a. de-
tachment from Delancey's loyal battal-
ion Of New York. The remainder were
Tories from the neighborhood COM
manded by Colonel King. 1t will be
seen that in the conflict which we are
about to describe, American was pitted
against American and neighbor against
neighbor.
So soon after the capture Of Fort
CRANKY as Lieutenant Colonel Caring
ton had completed his arrangements
for transporting the baggage Of the
American army and the stores which
had been secured at the several forts
recently captured. General Greene
broke up his camp at Fridays ferry on
the Congaree, and set out by the most
direct route for Ninety-Six. The dis
tance between Fridays ferry and Nine
ty-Six is about sixty miles.
On the 22nd Of May-the day after
the surrender of Fort Galphin-General
Greene arrived in the immediate
vicinity Of the only remaining British
post in South Carolina. in the interior
Of the state. BY the prudence, skill and
indomitable courage Of the subaltern
officers and troops belonging to Cen
eral Greene's army, the British strong
holds and provision depots had melted
away like morning clouds. Ninety-S Six
would have been" abandoned had not
all communications between 1t and the
other British posts been so completely
cut off by the Americans.
General Greene could not but feel in
tensely anxious with regard to the sue
cess of his undertaking. His individ-
ual successes heretofore in the south
had consisted rather in battling the un-
dertakings and disconcerting the plans
Of the enemy, than in positive victories
AS yet no British officer had been fore
ed to surrender to him in person. AT
Guilford court house and Hobkirk's g
Hill, his victory consisted In depriving
his enemy Of grand triumph. 1t must
his arrival at Ninety-Six, General
Greene was not very sanguine Of sue
cess. He found the place in a good
condition both to resist an assault
and to stand a siege. Colonel Cruger
had not been idle. Aided by Lieutenant
Haldane. a skillful engineer belonging to
the corps attached to Corvallis COM
mand, he continued day and night to
strengthen his work. General Greene
determined to undertake the reduction
Of this post by regular siege. His
force consisted of less than one thou
sand Continental soldiers and a vary
ing number of undrilled militia. These
latter troops in some kinds Of warfare
did wonders; but in regular siege or
pitched battle they were not Of much
avail. These troops were stationed in
four camps, about half mile distant
from four sides of the enemy's work
Such was the position Of the American
encampments, that the enemy as well
as the spring from which they received
supplies OF water, were entirely en-
closed.
Thaddeus Kosciusko, the celebrated
Polander was with General Greene as
chief Of his engineers. On the even
ing of the 22nd Of May ground was
broken a short distance north Of the
star redoubt. Colonel Cruger was not
slow in discovering the designs of the
American generals. With a promptness
and energy which showed that he was
a superior officer. he began to make
preparations to repel the approach OF
the Americans. He possessed but
three pieces Of cannon. These he mount
ed on wheels and placed upon platform
constructed for the purpose. His par
apets were manned with infantry
whose accuracy with their deadly rifle
seldom missed the object OF their aim
Under cover of the artillery and rifle
men, sallying party under Lieutenant
Roney supported by Major Greene
rushed out Of the enemys bitches upon
the besiegers. In moment the guards
were either bayoneted or driven away;
the lately begun works Of the Ameri-
cans were destroyed and their en-
trenching tools carried off. The gal
liant ROney was mortally wounded
This was all the loss the enemy sus-
tanned. So vigorously and so prompt
ly did the sallying party act, that al
though General Greene sent rein
fOrcement to succor Kosciusko. the
work wos completed before the detach-
ment arrived. Under the direction Of
Kosciusko, ground was again broken or
the night of the 2Srd. This time. the
besiegers commenced operations at
point more distant and under cover OF
a ravine.
A grave mistake seems to have beer
made at the very outset. The garrison
were supplied with water by the spring
This was guarded by a stockade for
and the fortified Jail. 1t would seen
that the first effort should have beer
made to deprive the garrison Of the use
of the spring. Instead of this being at
tempted. the approaches by parallels
was begun on the opposite side Of thu
enemy's works, thus leaving them un'
disturbed possession of the spring ant
rivulet. The pick axe and spade were
piled day after day by the Americans
but the work advanced slowly. The
brave Kosciusko was censured on ac'
count of his slowness and Genera
craaDa waS hIamad for submitting II