Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-06-22
S0VFt CAROLINA IN
FHk REq0h Vft0A
How the Spirit of Liberty Was Kept Alive BY an
UncOnquerable People.
From the Yorkville Enquirer of 1871
INSTALLMENT VIII.
The Attack on Charleston.

INSTALLMENT VIII.
The Attack on Charleston.
The discontinue Of General Ashe al
Brier Creek exposed South Carolina
to the British both by land and by sea.
AS already stated, it was the intention
of the foe to lead his armies fru2r the
south to the north, and thus crush
the rebellion. The reputation and in
huence Of General Howe was demol-
ished by his defeat at Savannah, and
General Ashe quit the service after MS
surprise at Brier Creek. BY the want
of generalship in these two command
ers, the country was placed in a peril
Gus condition. BY the surprise OF
Ashe, the army was reduced more than
fifteen hundred men. Only few OF
these, comparatively, were killed; but
those not killed or wounded fled TO
their homes. The militia Of the coun-
| try was terribly demoralized. General
Provost showed very great skill In his
MANAGEMENT of the whole affair, and
mad he followed up his victory he
might have literally ruined the coun-
try. General Benjamin Lincoln of
Hingham, Massachusetts,, was in COM
mand of the southern army. He was
a man of great moral worth and con-
siderable military reputation, but
with little military talent He had
been appointed commander of the
south in September, 1873, and arrived
in South Carolina in December. His
headquarters were at first at Purys-
burg. The cherished object of his
heart was to rescue Georgia from the
hands of the enemy. For this pur-
pose he sent Ashe over the Savannah
river and down its western bank as
far as Brier Creek. Notwithstanding
the reverses which his army had met,
General Lincoln still contemplated
driving the British from Georgia.
In view of the peculiar circum-
stances of the state of South Carolina,
John Rutledge was again chosen gov
ernor. To him and his council were
granted extraordinary powers. 1t be-
came evident that a vigorous effort
must be put forth, or the state would
soon be in the hands of the enemy.
The general assembly enacted more
stringent laws concerning the discip-
line of the militia.
A knowledge Of the position Of the
troops Of both armies is necessary, in
order that we may understand the
critical condition Of things in the
state. About the time that Savannah
fell into the hands Of the British Ma
| jor Gardiner was sent to Port Royal
island. This point was about sixty
miles from Charleston. This move
ment indicated very clearly what the
intentions of General Provost were.
He designed, so soon as opportunity
offered itself, making an attack upon
Charleston. Gardiner had about two
| hundred men in his command and
three field pieces. To dislodge Major
| Gardiner, Colonel Moultrie, the hero
of Sullivan's Island, was sent with
about two hundred Charleston militia
and two field pieces. Gardiner was
boldly attacked, on the morning OF
the 3rd of February and driven across
the Savannah into Georgia. The scar
city of ammunition prevented Moul-
trie from annihilating Gardiner and
| his whole command. AS il was Gar
diner lost most of his officers. Having
driven Major Gardiner out of the state,
Colonel Moultrie Joined General Lin
coin at Purysburg. On the twenty-third
of April, General Lincoln, with four
thousand men, moved toward Augusta.
Colonel Moultrie, with one thousand
men, was left for the defense Of Purys-
burg. Governor Rutledge, by the ad-
vice of his council had established a
military post at Orangeburg. Here ne
was enrolling and disciplining the mil
itia of the middle and upper sections
of the state.
At the time that General Lincoln
moved toward Augusta, the legislature
Of Georgia was in session at that place.
1t was important, General Lincoln
thought, that that body be so protected
as to be able to deliberate with refer
ence to the state of the country. Cen
eral Provost felt that it would be to
the interest of his majesty's cause in
America to thwart Lincoln and the
Georgia lesiglature in their plans. This
Provost could have easily done, had
he boldly attacked Lincoln. Provost
was more than a match for Lincoln,
and the troops of the former were reg
ulars, whilst. those of the latter were
militia, who, in all probability, would
have thrown down their arms and fled
so soon as the enemy came fairly in
sight.
Heretofore General Provost had dis
played very considerable military tai
ent, but from this time he began to
fail. Instead of boldly attacking Gen.
eral Lincoln. he crossed the Savannah
river opposite Purysburg. Whether
this movement was designed by Pre-
vost as a feint, in order to draw Lin
coin away from his undertaking, or
whether it was designed to attempt an
attack upon Charleston, in its exposed
condition, it is at this period, hard to
tell One thing Is very manifest, Cen
eral Lincoln and General Provost were
unable to decipher each others plans.
| General Lincoln, with the main body
of the American army, marched down
the Savannah river on the Georgia
side. in the direction of Savannah.
General Lincoln's object was to drive
the British from Georgia. Whatever
may have been General Prevost's OBJ
ject, he drove Moultrie from Purys-
burg. Colonel Moultrie was obliged to
retreat or be cut to pieces.
He had only one thousand men, and
this number constantly decreasing,
whilst General Provost had two thou
sand regulars, besides a large number
of loyalists and Indians. All that Col
onel Moultrie could do was to keep
out of Prevost's way. At Tulifinny
bridge, he made a stand and skir-
L