Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-04
SOUTH eAR0htllh M
FtlE REp0A VYf0&
How the Spirit Of Liberty Was Kept Alive BY al
Uncomfortable People
By REV. ROBERT LATHAM. ID. ID.


of the operations Of Sumter. he deter
mined to send out a detachment to cut
him off. The individual chosen to put
this determination into execution was
Major Wemyss. The troops put under
his command for the capture of Sum-
ter, were the 63rd regiment Of foot
soldiers and forty of Tarieton's caval-
ry. All were mounted, and on the
evening Of the 9Th of November. 1880,
the detachment set out for Sumter's
camp on Broad river. The intention
Of Wemyss was to make the attack up
on Sumter at dawn of day on the eth,
but having procured good guides and
his horses being fresh, he arrived at
Fishdam ford about one o'clock.
Late In the afternoon of the same
day on which Wemyss left Winnsboro.
the recruiting officers sent out by
Sumter returned according to previous
appointment. AS the new recruits
were on their way to camp, It was as
certained that there was a barrel of
whisky few miles west of the
present site of Chester. Men and
and officers all agreed that they were
entitled to their share Of this whisky.
Their course was soon turned In that
direction and on arriving the barrel
was, without any great deal OF cere-
mony, rolled out; and to expedite mat
ters, II was raised up on one end and
the head knocked out Of the other end.
Every man was instructed to help HIM
self literally as he saw fit. A halt of
only some thirty minutes was made,
but many Of the men were full. The
order was given to mount. This was
promptly obeyed and men and officers
dashed of at brisk canter for Fish
dam ford. A few miles before reach
Ing the camp. squad Of British scouts
was discovered. No one knew how
many British there were or anything
about them. So far as either the men
or officers knew, the whole of British
brigade might be In the neighborhood.
II made no difference whether there
were many or few. The men and off,
GERS too, no doubt, all felt the effects of
the whisky they had recently drank,
and no sooner were the British scouts
seen, than a deafening shout was rails
ed and away all dashed in the utmost
confusion. The British took to flight
at once and no doubt thought they
were ruined. Farm horses were urged
by their spirited riders, over the Sandy
river hills. at such fearful gait, that
1t was not long till they were COM
pletely exhausted. The British scouts
got out Of sight and the new recruits
reached Sumter's camp without q
scratch and flushed with victory.
BY some means Sumter had received
intimation that he would probably be
attacked on the night of the 8th. Col
onel Thomas Taylor, who after the fall
Of Charleston had joined Sumter at
Clem's Branch, was connected with
Sumters army To Taylor's vigilance
is mainly due the repulse of Wemyss.
Sumter had no inclination to lay plans
by which he might entrap his enemy.
ETe was brave man and dashing SOL
dler, but not remarkable for strategy.
So soon as It became probable that
Sumter's camp would be attacked, Col.
Taylor began to make preparations for
its defence. The horses were all sad
died and tied some distance In rear Of
the camp. An order was made to have
the guns all freshly primed. Taylor
was placed in command in an advanced
guard Of twenty-eight men. At a
short distance from the camp Of Sum-
ter was a small field. On the, border Of
this field, Taylor had large fires kept
burning from an early hour In the
evening. Behind the fence and at gun
shot distance from the fence the vigil
LIANT Taylor placed his picket Of twenty
eight men. Sumter lay near the river
with his horses bridled and saddled,
ready for whatever might be required
in the event the British made an at
tack. All was silence. Sumters men
were waiting with sleepless anxiety.
About midnight the sound of horses
feet In the distance. were heard.
Taylor's pickets were wide awake.
| Their commander ordered them not to
FIRE until the signal was given. When
Major Wemyss came in sight Of the
camp fires, he saw that his plans Of
operation could not be carried out. He
expected to come upon Sumter off his
yuard, as Tarleton had come upon him
It Fishing creek two months before.
But for the sleepless vigilance OF
Thomas Taylor, this no doubt would
have been the case.
So soon as Wemyss discovered that
the Americans were apprised Of his ap-
rroach, he determined to make the at
tack at once, and not wait as had
been previously arranged, until day
light. He feared that by postponing
the attack, Sumter would cross the riv-
er during the night and by morning be
out of his reach. At one o'clock Major
Wemyss, at the head of his detach-
ment, charged the pickets under Tay-
lor. An order had been given not to
fire until the enemy came in full view.
The moment the British came within
gunshot distance, the order was given
to fire. The keen crack Of five rifles
was heard echoing among the Sandy
river hills. The aim had been unerr-
ing. One ball entered the arm and an
other the knee Of Wemyss. The British
were thrown into confusion and dashed
in among the blazing fires of Taylor's
pickets. This brought them into full
view and volley after volley was poured
in by the pickets concealed behind the
fence. The British could only discover
the hiding place Of tho Americans by
the flash of their guns. They fired In
the direction of the blaze but only kill
ed one man. Wemyss having counted
certainly on victory had not commu-
nicated his plans to any Of his sub
alterns. When he fell the command
of the detachment devolved upon q
lieutenant, who ordered a precipitate
retreat and hastened with the party
back to winnsboro as fast as possible.
The British left Oh the field twenty
three men killed and wounded; two Of