Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-09-11


them. Rather he now fought against
liberty as recklessly as he had once
fought valiantly for 1t.
A junction Of the forces under Corn
Wallis and Arnold would have ruined
The cause Of american liberty. With
the forces Of his command, Ii was all
that CORVALLIS could do to hold his
own. He contemplated advancing into
North Carolina, but not by the way Of
Charlotte. It was his intention to pass
up Broad river and thus flank the
Scotch Irish of the Hornets Nest" re-
gion. This move he designed making
80 soon as he was Joined by General
Leslie and his forces.
On the thirteenth of December Cen
eral Leslie landed at Charleston. Here
he found orders directing him to join
CORVALLIS with all possible speed with
one thousand five hundred and thirty
men. Cornwallis needed the whole of
the forces under the command Of Gen.
eral Leslie; but in order to protect
Charleston 1t was necessary to leave
one half at that point. This shows
what a turn things had taken otter
the battle Of Kings Mountain. The
british felt they were not safe behind
their own fortifications. Several days
Were spent in procuring transporta-
ton wagons and horses.
ION the nineteenth Of December, Gen.
leslie set ont to join CORVALLIS by
way CT Camden. AS early as the first
Of November, CORVALLIS had begun
to make preparation for his advance
into North Carolina. Emissaries had
been sent into various portions Of the
country to stir up the loyalists and
ascertain the feeling of the inhabitants.
The British were not easy. They could
not feel that they were altogether safe.
The emissaries could learn nothing Of
any Importance favorable to the Brit
ish and besides the country abounded
with floating rumors of the hostile
movements Of the Americans. A re-
port vas brought to CORVALLIS that
the mountain men" were collecting
with the intention Of making an attack
upon Ninety-Six. The horrors OF
Kings Mountain presented themselves
to Earl CORVALLIS and to prevent
from experiencing similar
fate with Ferguson and his men, Tar
Teton was sent out to look after these
stmountain men," The rumor had no
foundation but in the fears Of those
who first reported 1t and those who
aiterward circulated It.
Finding that the report Of the ad-
vance of the mountain men" had no
in fact, Tarleton a short
time after the battle of Blackstock.
moved down and camped on the east
side of Broad river at what was then
Brierly's ferry. At Winnsboro, Corn
wallis was making all preparations for
the contemplated move into North Car
olina. The country was secured In
search of horses to mount his soldiers
and draw his baggage wagons. The
sick who had been quartered in private
families in the neighborhood were
brought into camp, and the arms and
got in readiness for a
Whilst the British general was thus
actively engaged in preparing for the
reduction of the country, the American
officers were not idle. General Gates
had collected the fragments Of his
army at Hillsborough, North Carolina.
Here the troops had been reorganized.
The Maryland and Delaware lines
were consolidated and put under the
command of Otho Holland Williams.
The remains of those regiments, for
merly commanded by Baylor Bland and
Moylsnd, together with some recruits
were embodied into one regiment and
put under the command Of Lieutenant
Colonel William Washington. About
the same time, Daniel Morgan was
made brigadier general and assigned to
the southern army. Recruits from Vir-
gtnia Joined Gates about the same
time. A division Of North Carolina
militia under Sumner and Davidson as
we'll as a volunteer corps under Davie,
had taken the field.
After the unfortunate battle Of Cam
den, congress either having lost conf
dence in General Gates or having
grown wise enough to correct former
error, determined to supply his place
with a more efficient man. The honor
OF making the selection was awarded
to the commander in chief. General
Washington selected for his important
field Nathaniel Greene, at that time
quarter master general. Gen. Greene
was assigned to the command Of the
southern army on the thirtieth Of Oc-
tOber 1880. He resigned the office OF
quarter master generl and set out at
once for the south. General Gates had
moved his headquarters from Hillsbor-
ough to Charlotte. General Greene ar
rived at Charlotte on the second OF
December and on the next day formal
ly took command Of the southern
forces. It was only the frame work Of
an army consisting as 1t did Of only
four thousand five hundred troops, a
large number of which were undisci-
plined militia After having made the
necessary arrangement for supplies,
General Greene divided his army into
two detachments. One was to take
post on the right Of CORVALLIS and
the other on the left-the detachment
on the right to be commanded by
Greene himself and to be stationed In
Chesterfield county, on Hicks creek.
This post was about seventy miles
from Winnsboro, the headquarters OF
CORVALLIS. The detachment on the
left to be commanded by General Nor
gan was to be stationed in Spartanburg
county, between the Pacolet and Broad
rivers.
1t would seem that neither the Amer
leans nor the British had any correct
idea of each others intentions. General
Greene probably did not know that Les
lie had left Portsmouth; nor did Corn
wallis know that Greene had been as
signed to the command Of the southern
army. 1t would only be conjecture to
say why General Greene divided his
army into two detachments. One week
III - nrln nc-