Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-07

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moment twelve Wings armed with ri
les and pistols, had crept up on the
plunderers and saw and heard all that
was going on. One of the party, no
longer able to bear the outrage, leveled
his rifle on the captain in the door.
With the keen crack Of the gun, the
merry captain tumbled, a lifeless
corpse into the yard. Eleven other
shots were fired by the concealed
Wings and nine men and two horses
were stretched dead upon the ground.
The British cavalry began the pur-
suit, but soon the Wings changed their
position and poured in another volley.
Again they changed their position and
fired at intervals. The British put
their dogs on the trail Of the Wings,
and one of these creatures came up
with a Whig just after he had dis
charged his rifle. The man drew his
other dogs came up but when they saw
their companion lying dead they set UP
howl and returned to the wagons.
The British by this time had become
frightened and suspecting an ambus-
cade, began to retreat at once. The
Wings hung around them, shooting
down the horses, until the road be-
came blockaded with dead horses. No
doubt this circumstance was in Tarle-
tons mind when he mentioned the mar
rowness of the roads about Charlotte.
Such was the condition of CORVALLIS
whilst at Charlotte, that he could
neither receive nor send messages from
any point. Not only so but he did not
know what to believe as true and what
to regard as false. The Wings were
all around him, and he had scarcely
force enough to enable him to remain
in Charlotte in safely. His supplies were
wasting away and it was with great
difficulty that he received anything
from the surrounding country. The
country abounded with cows-mostly
milch cows-but very few sheep. The
cows were poor and the British army
killed on an average one hundred each
day during their stay at Charlotte. On
one day they killed thirty-seven cows
with calf.
| Surrounded by these difficulties,
CORVALLIS thought it was best to ad-
vance toward Virginia. Gen. Jethro
Sumner with a party of Wings was en-
camped at Alexander's mill on branch
| Of Rocky river To dislodge Sumner,
CORVALLIS was making preparations
when he heard of the battle of Kings
Mountain. That memorable event took
place on the seventh of October, 1880;
but so closely was CORVALLIS hemmed
in, and so strictly were the roads and
woods watched for messengers, that
it was not until the mountain men were
gone that he learned certainly Of the
battle.
| So soon was 1t rumored that Fergu-
son had been defeated at Kings
Mountain, CORVALLIS sent out Lieut..
Col. Tarleton to assist Ferguson In the
event that the rumor was false, and
should it turn out that Ferguson was
actually killed and his army annihilat-
ed, to prevent the victorious Americans
from descending into South Carolina.
The Wings in the region Of Charlotte
were fully apprised of the fact and
dispatches were sent to congress from
Rocky river, beyond Charlotte, on the
tenth of October; but Lord CORVALLIS
up to this time was in doubt respecting
the battle. For an account Of the bat
tie of Kings Mountain see Enquirer
of January 9 and 18th, 1876.
| On the tenth of October, Tarleton
set out to learn the destiny Of Fergu-
son. His force consisted Of his own
command, which was made up Of le-
gion of cavalry and a number Of light
infantry. On this occasion as often be-
fore a three FOUNDER was added. The
force was at the same time, infantry
and cavalry; with a small detachment
of artillery. On the tenth Of October,
Tarleton with his force, set out in the
direction of the mountain region west
of the Catawba. At Smiths ford, be-
low the junction of Little Catawba
with the main river he learned with
absolute certainty "the melancholy
fate of Major Ferguson" The sad
news was at once forwarded to Char
lesion. Already Tarleton saw that
the tide of fortune had changed. At
Wright's ferry (then Bigger's) he
crossed the Catawba and pressed for
ward, on what we now call the Char
lotte road, in the direction Of York
vile. On the eleventh, he arrived in
the neighborhood Of Robert Cairnes'
mill on Turkey creek in York county.
Coils. Lacey and Hill were encamped
at the same time with Sumter's army
on Bullock's creek. The British and
American forces were only few miles
apart During the absence of Tarle-
ton, CORVALLIS having learned the par
ticulars of the battle Of Kings Noun
tain, determined to fall back. In other
words he found out that the Wings
would not suffer him to advance. On
the fourteenth, his lordship broke up
camp and left Charlotte. On the six
teenth, Tarleton was ordered to join
CORVALLIS at the Nation ford.
No American can be absolutely in
different to the events which transpired
during the Revolutionary war. Wher-
ever the British went, events took
place which are interesting to every
American: but they are deeply inter-
esting to those resting in the region in
which these events transpired.
During the Revolutionary war there
was no such place as Yorkville. The
ground was then covered with native
forest The cross street near the court
house was a stand for deer hunters. A
man by the name of Henderson regard
ed it as a favorable place to kill
deer Much of the ground upon which
Yorkville now stands was kind of
swamp. Where the house of w. l.
Clawson, Esq. is situated was huck-
leberry pond, and where The Enquirer
office stands a maple swamp. No road
ran through the town. The Charlotte
road inclined to the right at Dobsons