Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-12
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How the Spirit of Liberty Was Kept Alive By an
UncOnquerable People
By REV. ROBERT LATHAM. ID. d.
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1876
INsTALLMENT xxx.

Soon after the aIIalr III neAAoh
mill, Cornwallis finding that by his
constant marching and counter march
ing, he was wearing out his army, ex-
hausting his supplies and still unable
to bring Greene to a general engage
ment, determined to abate the struggle
for q time for the purpose OF giving
his troops rest To effect this object
he retired down Deep river to Bells
mill, about fourteen miles south OF the
present jamestown and about the same
distance east Of High Point. General
Greene with the main body OF the
Americans was northeast OF Guilford
court house, at Speedwell's iron works
on Troublesome creek. The two arm
les were now about thirty miles apart.
The movements OF the British were
closely watched by Williams. On the
other hand every movement OF the
Americans was closely observed by
Tarleton.
The fight at wetzell's mill occurred
on the sixth Of March. Greene was
anxiously awaiting the arrival Of rein
forcements. These reinforcements were
beginning TO come In from Virginia
under General Lawson: from North
Carolina under Generals Butler, and
Eaton. Colonels Campbell, Preston and
Lynch had previously joined Greene.
The American general now began to
think that he was able to meet the
British in a general engagement. From
the twenty-third Of February up to
the present moment, period Of fif-
teen days, all had been excitement. A
false move on the part Of either Greene
or Cornwallis would have been attend
ed with disastrous consequences. Dur
ing this period, the two forces were
never more than thirty miles apart
seldom more than twenty-and often
within striking distance. The vidette
corps of the two armies often met In
bloody conflict, whilst the main forces
were only permitted to be lockers on.
williams and Lee Of the Americans
were pitted against Tarleton and Web
ster Of the British. Cornwallis was
anxious to test the strength Of the
two armies and the valor Of the troops
by a general engagement. General
Greene, saw this and determined to
ward off a general engagement until
such time and place as was agreeable
to his own judgment
Reinforced as we have seen, Greene
left his fortihcatIons at Speedwell's
iron works on the twelfth Of March
and encamped at Guilford court house
in battle array on the thirteenth. HIS
determination now was to give the en-
emy battle. The infantry in Colonel
williams corps was called in, whilst
Lieut.. Col. Lee with his legion was
left in the front Of the enemy to watch
his movements.
CORVALLIS was not slow in discover
ing the intentions of Greene. Since
the eighteenth of January-near two
months-he had been endeavoring to
meet the Americans. Without a mo-
ments' delay he hastened to embrace
mill and moved all his forces toward
New Garden meeting house. This
place is south Of Guilford court house
and distant four or five miles. On
the evening of the fourteenth, under
an escort consisting Of Hamilton's
Tory regiment, a detachment Of one
hundred and fifty infantry and twenty
cavalry, the British general sent back
his wagons and baggage, together with
his sick and wounded, to Bells mill.
The next morning at early dawn, he
determined to advance with his main
body against Greene. His object was
to free himself Of every encumbrance.
He was anxious to engage in the con-
test, but was by no means sanguine
with regard to its results.
Cornwallis had confidently expected
the larger number Of inhabitants Of the
country to declare boldly for the Brit
ish, when he led his army into the
region surrounding Hillsboro. In this
he was sadly mistaken. The incur
sions Of williams and Lee filled those
of the inhabitants, who were inclined
to favor the cause Of the British with
sorrow and sadness. Every skirmish
to their minds rendered the final result
doubtful. The presence of Cornwallis
was nothing Before the timid loyal
lists and cowardly Tories could be in
duced to respond to his call for vol
unteers, he must strike a blow which
would clearly vindicate his superiority
to Greene. In others words so long as
Cornwallis permitted General Greene
to command an army which menaced
the camp of the British earl himself,
the Tories and loyalists determined to
remain as neutral as possible. In or
der to vindicate his claims as an Of
ficer and to assert the majesty Of the
English government. he promptly res
ponded to the invitation to fight, given
by Greene.
The British greatly exaggerated the
number of Greene's men. British his
torians say that Greene's army had
been 80 increased that IT now amount
ed to between seven and ten thousand.
This is a mistake: but 1t is not diff
cult to discover how the mistake was
made. The British obtained this in
formation mostly from prisoners who
were not correctly informed with re-
gard to the real strength of Greene's
army. Another thing which the Brit
ish either did not know or did not take
into consideration in estimating the
number of Greene's army caused them
to exaggerate the number Of the Amer
leans. Shortly after Pyle's defeat, and
on the arrival of Col. William Camp
bell, General Pickens and the corps OF
South Carolinians under his command
were relieved and returned to the
western part of South Carolina. Nc
doubt, the British in estimating Gen
Greene's forces, did not as they did iT
their own case, deduct the sick anc
wounded.
The whole number Of men in Greene:
army, fit for active duty. was on the
eve of the battle Of Guilford cour
house, four thousand. four hundred
and four. On the day before the bat
tie he was joined by forty horsemen
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