Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-11-02
peckhard rifle. and the Indian war

whoop, heard all round the enemy's
camp, announced that every man was
In his place. Ferguson ordered his reg
ulars to charge upon the right wing OF
the Wings. This drove Mcdowell,
Shelby and Campbell back; but at this
very moment Chronicle, Hambright,
Cleveland and Williams had ascended
the opposite extremity Of the mountain
and driven the British Tories behind
their wagons. Ferguson was here HIM
self. His men were falling on all sides.
He Immediately sent for DePeyster,
who had led the charge against Nc
Dowell, Shelby and Campbell. AS De-
Peyster passed back along the ridge,
the South Carolinians, under williams,
poured in deadly fire upon him. His
ranks were soon thinned and the regu-
lars thrown into confusion. They, how
ever, Immediately rallied and made a
dreadful push against Chronicle and
eveland, driving them down the
mountain. Here Chronicle was killed.
The charge Of the British upon the left
Of the Wings was mistaken by the right
under Shelby, Mcdowell and Campbell,
fer retreat, and the shout was raised,
"Huzza, boys, they are retreating.
Come on" On, on the left wing of
the Wings, In solid phalanx, rushed
rpon the enemy. Ferguson was
forced to meet the right wing. The
left wing, as the right wing before
had done, mistook the charge Of the
Pritish for retreat, faced about and
rushed upon, as they thought, the re-
treating foe. Thus each charge of the
enemy was mistaken by the Wings on
the opposite side for retreat, Fer
guson galloped back and forth along
his lines, encouraging his men with
entreaties and with curses. In spite
of all his skill and the desperate
courage of his men, his ground was
taken from him and he was forced
to occupy a small portion Of the ridge
near the northern extremity. He or
dered his cavalry to mount; but this
proved unavailing. The men were
shot down as soon as they mounted
He prepared for a last and desperate
charge. The Tories were ordered to
sharpen the handles Of their butcher
knives and fasten them In the muzzles
of their shotguns, and, with the British
regulars, charge upon the rebels.
This also was Of no avail. The Wings
were all around them, and confusion
was In the British camp. DePeyster
hoisted white flag. Ferguson
pulled 1t down. DePeyster raised It at
the other extremity of the British
camp. Ferguson saw 1t and darted
at full gallop, and, with his sword,
cut It down, swearing that. he would
never surrender to militia. He had
been wounded in the hand, but in this
wounded hand he bore silver whis-
tie, whose shrill sound inspired cour-
age in the already vanquished. A ball
from some unknown rifle threw the
hero from his charger, and DePeyster
again hoisted white flag.
The Tories and British ceased firing,
but the Wings. either-not understand
ing the import Of. white flag, OF
knowing that 1t had been hoisted twice
before and was pulled down, contin-
ued to fire. The officers ordered their
men to cease firing; but the blood
Of the Wings was warm and fire they
would. Col. Shelby then ordered the
British to lay down their arms, and
the men would understand this as a
sign that they surrendered. This was
done, and the British were ordered
to leave their guns, most Of which
were loaded, and march to another
place. The Wings then marched up
and took possession Of the enemy's
camp.
The victory was complete. Neither
man nor horse escaped. The whole
force of the British amounted to
eleven hundred and twenty-five men,
Of which number eleven hundred and
five fell into the hands Of the Wings
Twenty were out on plundering ex.
pedition. OF the eleven hundred and
dve taken by the Wings, five hundred
and five were either dead or so badly
wounded as not. to be able to be
moved. The Whig loss was twenty
eight killed and sixty wounded
everything pertaining to the camp Of
= erguson fell into the hands Of the
Wings. Besides his provisions and
camp equipage, the Wings got num-
Der Of splendid horses and flfteer
stand of arms and a supply Of powder
and bullets. When the patriots saw
what they had achieved, they raised
shout which was heard for seven
miles on the plain"
The Wings slept on the battlefield
the night after the fight. The next
morning the dead were hurriedly bur-
led, the wounded Wings cared for, the
enemy's wagons burned and the pa.
triots departed. Lacy and Hill
marched down into York county and
encamped on Bullock's Creek. Camp
bell and the North Carolinians took
the prisoners and hastened to get be.
yond the mountains. AS they had
more prisoners than men, and as II
was important to save the captured
guns, the fiints were all removed and
the prisoners made to carry them.
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