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


Colonel Lee with his legion arrived at
Ninety-Six and General Pickens fol-
lowed in a few days. Lee and Pickens
were directed to operate against the
stockade fort which in part guarded
the spring. Lee pushed forward the
work assigned him with great dispatch.
On the second day after his arrival he
had completed his ditch to the point
designed for the erection Of a battery.
On the same day the battery was
erected, a six-pounder was placed in
position and Lieut.. Finn put In COM
mand Of 1t.
Cruger was now pushed both on the
right and left. He began to feel that
his situation was perilous. His only
hope was in receiving succor from
Rawdon. With this officer he was,
however, wholly unable to communi-
cate. When Kosciusko had completed
his second parallels, General Greene d.
rected Colonel Otho Holland Williams,
ladjutant general, to summon Colonel
Cruger to surrender. Cruger replied
verbally through his adjutant that he
was determined to hold the place to
the last extremity and that he held
In perfect disregard both the threats
and promises Of the American general.
At this stage of the siege, sallying
parties were sent out by the enemy to
thwart the progress of the American
works The conflicts with these sally
ing parties were fierce and bloody. 1t
was no child's play. Brave men rem
dered desperate by their surroundings,
were met by brave men in whose bo-
SONS the fires of hatred had been COW
cred for years. In no instance were
these sallying parties Of the British
successful. Failure did not however,
dishearted them; but only render them
more desperate. The hopes Of the
American general and American SOL
diers were growing brighter and
brighter each hour. while on the other
hand dark and gloomy forebodings fill
ed the mind Of the brave Cruger. Evil
IDENTIFY the crisis was fast approaching.
It was only matter of time IL things
continued as they were, then the last
garrison in the interior Of South Caro-
lima would be forced to surrender.
In war as in everything else, appear
ances are often receptions. The best
laid plans pushed with the most con-
summate skill often are blighted in the
L % koat apo lfoh
On the 11th Of June, General Greene
received dispatch from General Sum-
ter containing the startling intelligence
Of the landing at Charleston on the 3rd.
of portions Of three regiments, de-
tachment of the guards and a consid-
erable number of volunteers, all under
the command Of Colonel Gould. These
forces were designed for CORVALLIS,
but that officer in order that South
Carolina might be retained in posses,
the succor Of Rawdon.
So soon as the Irish troops landed,
Rawdon, who was in camp at Monck's
Corner, repaired to Charleston to make
preparation for the relief Of Ninety.
Six. Previous to this time he had not
heard Of the fall Of Augusta, nor Of the
investment of Ninety-Six. His fears,
however for both these posts were
great; but with the force then at his
command. beset as he was by Sumter
and Marion. he was unable to render
Cruger and Brown any assistance. On
the 7th of June. Rawdon set out from
Charleston for Ninety-Six. Soon after
leaving Charleston, the troops left by
Gould. The whole consisted? o..
Rawdon at Monck's Corner, Joined
those led by Gould. The whole con-
sisted of seventeen hundred infantry
and one hundred and fifty cavalry. On
the way few others joined him, so
that on arriving at Orangeburg, his
command amounted to more than TIVE
thousand Rawdon soon heard Of the
fall of Augusta and the siege Of Nine
ty-Six.
On hearing of the advance Of Raw
don, the first thing that suggested it
self to the mind Of General Greene was
to meet and disperse the force advanc-
ing to relieve Cruger, and then return
and force Cruger to surrender. To ef-
feet this design Marion, who was in
the low country. was ordered to
place himself in front Of Rawdon. Cen
eral Sumter was ordered to collect all
the forces on the Congaree and join
ICo~nrol OF hQtWaan
that river and Ninety-Six. General
Pickens together with all the cavalry
under Col. Washington were sent to
join Sumter Although the plan Of
first beating Rawdon was undertaken,
1t was soon discovered that 1t could not
be put into execution. The concentra-
tion of the forces under Sumter was
necessarily too slow and the move
ments of Rawdon too rapid to put into
execution such a plan.
1t was determined next by General
Greene to raise the siege and lead his
forces into some safe retreat. To this
both the officers and men in the Amer
lean camp objected. Some were anx-
| lOuS W wipe ouI oio OShStS
were desirous to give an exhibition
of their skill and prowess; whilst many
rendered reckless by cruelties and suf-
fering inflicted by the enemy, were
longing for an opportunity to satiate
their vengeance. 1t was manifest to
all that the post must be taken by as
sault or abandoned. Rawdon was NOV
ing forward to its relief with all pos
sible dispatch.
In the meantime neither party had
slackened its labors. The work Of the
besiegers was pressed forward whilst
the besieged labored night and day in
Strengthening their Notifications. The
American marksmen often drove the
artillerists from their guns. 1t was at
tempted to burn the houses of the
villages with arrows, as was done at
Fort Motto: but Cruger promptly had
the houses stripped Of their roofs. Ma
jor Greene, who commanded with dis
tinguished ability the star redoubt, on
seeing the American third parallel and