Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-30

/
all communication with the British
posts in the neighboring country, his
only hope was to effect by strategy
what he was unable to accomplish by
!force.
Between the British post and the
Maham tower erected by the Ameri-
cans there were several old houses.
The American officers had permitted
these houses to remain, thinking that
they would be Of advantage in the A.
nal assault. Colonel Brown thought
the burning of the houses nearest the
tower would in all probability, set the
Maham tower on fire. OF this thing he
was convinced so long as the Maham
tower stood intact, the British garri-
son was not safe. In other words, he
was convinced that he must either de-
stroy the Maham tower or surrender
lat an early day. To effect the de-
struction Of this tower, he sent at mid
might on the 3rd Scotchman, under
cloak of a deserter into the American
works.
This pretended deserter was a
shrewd man and sergeant Of an artil-
lery company. He pretended that for
some cruelty showed him by Colonel
Brown, he had deserted. BY his crafty
conversation, he at once insinuated
himself into the good graces Of Lieu
tenant Colonel Lee. This willy Scotch
man pointed out the mode by which
the fort might be reduced. This plan
was to throw hot balls into the portion
If the fort where was stored away the
powder To aid in carrying out this as
Lee at first thought, admirable plan
the pretended deserter was sent in
care of Colonel Lees adjutant to Ma
hams tower as an assistant to Captain
Finley This was just what the de-
serter desired. The real object Of his
mission was to burn or otherwise de-
stroy the tower. Fortunately Lee on
farther reflection sent for the deserter
and had him put under guard to await
future developments.
| About daybreak on the morning Of
the 5th, a party sailed out from the
fort and set several Of the houses, be-
tween the fort and tower on fire. No
effort was made by the Americans to
extinguished the flames. Nine o'clock
on the 5th Of June was designated by
the American officers to make an as
sault upon the fort. The house near
est the fort was selected by Lee and
Pickens as a proper place in which to
station a number Of marksmen. A
small detachment was sent to this
house during the night Of the 4th to
ascertain how many rifiemen could be
employed with advantage in the house.
This they did and reported to General
Pickens. The number was selected
and ordered to take possession Of the
house at daylight on the coming morn
ing. All things were now In readiness
for the final assault.
| At three o'clock in the morning the
Americans were aroused by violent
explosion. The earth shook and heavy
timbers were heard falling all over
the field The house chosen for the
riflemen was blown up. Colonel Brown
for several days had been piercing the
space between his fort and the house
chosen by Lee and Pickens for their
rilemen with sap. From what he
could see he concluded that the Amer
leans would occupy the house with
body of men, and thinking that the
detachment which had gone to exam
inc it during the night were still in 1t,
he blew it up. supposing that their
destruction would cool the ardor of
their companions. He was in too great
a hurry. No one was in the house.
Had he delayed for only a few hours,
he would have inflicted severe blow
upon the besiegers.
To avoid the destruction which Lee
and Pickens saw would follow. an as
sault, these officers on the 31st Of May
summoned Colonel Brown to surrender.
To this summons Colonel Brown re-
piled: 1T is my duty and inclination
to defend this place to the last ex-
tremity." On the 3rd Of June he was
again summoned. To this second sum-
mons he replied in the Identical Ian
guage which he used in replying to the
| first. On the 4th, Lee and Pickens
sent a request to Colonel Brown, de-
string him to send the American pris-
oners in his possession out Of the fort,
to be regarded, they say, yours or
ours as the siege may terminate"
With this humane request Colonel
Brown refused to comply,
On the morning of the 5th, Brown
sent an officer with flag to the head
quarters of the American officers. This
officer bore from Colonel Brown a pro-
posal to surrender In his letter he
stated by way no doubt, of palliation
of his former naughty air, that the
American officers had proposed no de-
finite conditions Of surrender He now
proposed to surrender upon the same
conditions which had been granted to
the troops and garrison in Charleston.
To this communication Lee and
Pickens replied that although we
should be justified by the military law
DOM armies 10
al submission. our sympathy for the
unfortunate and gallant Of our profess
sion has induced us to grant the hon
orable terms which we herewith trans
nit" The terms of surrender trans
mitted were briefly that the fort, just
, as 1t was, be surrendered to the Amer
leans and that the garrison, men and
officers, be paroled and sent under a
sufficient guard to Savannah.
At o'clock on the morning OF the
5th of June, 1881, Colonel Brown sur
rendered and at IL o'clock the garri-
son marched out of Fort Cornwallis,
laid down their arms and Captain Ru-
dolph with a detachment Of the light
, infantry of Lees legion, took possess
, sion.
In the siege Of Augusta the Ameri-
can loss was sixteen killed and thirty
, five wounded, seven Of whom after
, wards died. The British lost in killed,
ffty-two, in prisoners. including the
, wounded. three hundred and thirty