Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-24
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1876
INSTALLMENT XVII.
Battle of Hanging Rock.

The upper counties Of South Car
olina are classic ground. AS time
rolls on, the thrilling events which
transpired in this region during
the Revolutionary struggle, gathers
around them a kind Of enchantment.
A Saratoga and Yorktown may be
more imposing and their memories
may be more deeply cherished, be-
cause more generally known; but the
fields upon which the greatest daring
was exhibited, and the most brilliant
deeds accomplished during the war
for independence was in North and
South Carolina. Brave men and no
less brave women, entered into the
contest; not because they loved war,
but because they hated oppression
and loved liberty, without which,
they rightly thought, there could be
no peace. When the British had
completed their chain Of military
posts, reaching from the Savannah
river to the Atlantic ocean, they
thought their work was done. Moth
ing more, 1t was thought, remained
| for the troops Of George the Third to
do, but the reorganization Of the civil
affairs of the state.
From the limpid waters of the Wa
tauga and Nollichucky, to the
swamps of Georgia, brave and daring
men were assembling and talking over
the state of affairs. By multitudes
of those who had been driven from
their homes by the invading foe to
seek a place Of refuge in the fast
nesses Of the mountains, was uttered
in sullen mutterings and with knit
brows-"give me liberty or give me
DEATH"
Major William Richardson Davie
formed a camp on the north side OF
Waxhaw creek. To this brave North
Carolinian, Colonel Higgins, with the
Mecklenburg militia; Col. Crawford
with some South Carolina troops
and thirty-five Catawba Indians un-
der their chief, New River, repaired.
Between the two Carolinas there
was the kindest feeling and the
greatest concert Of action. They had
only one object in view, and that
was to establish the independence Of
the colonies.
In the southern part of Lancaster
county, near the dividing line be-
tween Kershaw and Lancaster, on
i the road leading from Lancaster VII
lage to Camden, Is a remarkable
rock. From the peculiar shape, 1t Is
called Hanging Rock" and 1t gives
its name to the creek on the east
bank of which 1t stands. Hanging
Rock Is about twelve miles, In d.
rect line, east Of Rocky Mount and
about the same distance a little east
Of south from Lancaster village and
between twenty and twenty-five miles
northwest Of Camden. In shape ana
substance this rock as we'll as multi
tudes of others in the same commu-
nity. Is an object Of wonder. Huge
boulders are piled on top or each
other presenting to the beholder a
most fantastic appearance. In SUD-
stance these rocks are small irregu-
lar, hexagonal flint stones, mixed
| with brilliant matter, black ana
smooth. The whole is cemented TO-
gether, forming a beautiful and Won
derful conglomeration. The one
which bears the name Of Hanging
Rock, Is twenty-five feet In dame
ter and near one hundred feet high.
On the west side 1t is followed out,
presenting an appearance not unlike
that of the rind of one-quarter OF
an orange.
Near this remarkable rock-on
the west bank of Hanging Rock
creek-Major Garden was placed In
command of the British garrison.
Here on the sixth Of August, 1850,
the patriots under Sumter gained a
victory over the British forces. Be-
i fore. however, we undertake to give
a sketch of the battle Of Hanging
Rock. let us go back for short time
and view the events which occurred
in the vicinity.
On the thirty-first Of July, Sumter
attacked the British post at ROCKY
Mount and failed because he had no
) cannon with which to demolish the
log houses into which the British
retreated. On the same day. Ma
ior Davie made a feint upon oe-
tacbment of the British post at
Hanging Rock. The results of this
brilliant affair we gave in the sketch
of Rocky Mount. 1t Is, however,
worthy of more minute descrlp-
ton.
From the camp Of Davie, on wax
haw creek, Sumter and Davie SET
out on the night of the twenty-ninth
of July. Sumter's point Of destina-
ltion was Rocky Mount; that OF DAVE
Hanging Rock. The two commands
marched together until they came to
the forks of the road, when the troops
under Sumter took the road leading
to Landsford. About sun rise' the
forces crossed the Catawba. Davie
led his force, consisting OF about
eighty men, down the east side OF
/
the Catawba and in due time they
arrived in the neighborhood of Hang
ing Rock.
i Whilst accommodating, he learned
that three companies Of mounted In
fantry, belonging to Bryan's COM
mand, were at a house in the i'm
mediate neighborhood. These hght
infantry having been sent out on
plundering expedition, were return
ing to Major Gardens camp. For
some reason they had made halt
at this private house. Davie at once
determined to direct his attention to
them, rather than to the main post.
The house was at the bend OF lane'
one end of which led to woods ana
the other end TO the main camp OF
the British. The troops were so dis
posed that a portion Of the cavalry
was between those ar the house and
Gardens camp. Davie ordered the
militia, who were all dressed in cit
liens clothes, to enter the lane from
the woods and charge down upon the
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