Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-05
SDVYa caROAMA M
FaE REpOAVFlOa
How the Spirit Of Liberty Was Kept Alive BY al
UncOnquerable People.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM. ID. ID.
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1871
INsTALLMENT xXXvII.

No sooner had Cornwallis learned
with certainty that General Greene
with his whole force and all his bag
gage was over the Dan, than with
heavy heart, he directed his course Il
Hillsboro, the capital at that time Of
North Carolina. All that mortals art
capable OF doing had been done BY
Cornwallis to thwart the purposes Of
the American general and yet he had
failed, signally failed. That Greene''
army might be destroyed, he had de-
liberately destroyed his baggage
marched his men night and day fol
near a month through mud, ovel
swollen creeks and rivers and in al
sorts OF weather. Bravely the British
soldiers pursued the Americans amid
teeming rains, drifting SHOWS and
pelting sleet. But all accomplished
nothing. On the morning Of the hf-
reenth of February, the British ear
looked upon the Dan and saw the
American army quietly encamped in
Halifax county, Virginia. Coriiwallis
knew that Greene for the present was
safe. Without giving his army but
single day to rest, he wheeled about
and marched to Hillsboro.
Here on the twentieth Of February
he erected the royal standard, pub
lished a flaming Sproclamation and in
vited the loyalists of the surrounding
.1.-k-,, e. Iot,, b{,,, IN hia affnrfa tO
subdue the Wings. This proclamation
of CORVALLIS is in some respects
most remarkable document. 1t scarce
ly contains a syllable Of truth. The
first sentence is lie in that 1t was in
tended to deceive the unsuspectins
loyalists. Whereas" he starts. at
hath pleased the Divine Providence
to prosper his Majesty's arms in driv-
ing the rebel army out OF this
North Carolina) province, and
whereas 1t is his Majesty's most gra-
cious wish to rescue his faithful and
loyal subjects from the cruel tyranny
under which they have groaned for
many years." Neither Of these state
ments contained in this proclamation
was true and CORVALLIS knew 1t. He
knew that the British had suffered
more, by the escape Of Greene across
the Dan, than the, Americans had;
he also knew that his majesty was
not desiring to rescue his subjects
from cruel tyranny.
The truth is, CORVALLIS never did
approve OF the course which the Brit
ish government took toward her
American colonies. In ITO, Lord
Camden protested against taxing the
American colonies. He was Joined In
that protest by four young peers, one
of whom was Cornwallis. Chief JUS
tice Mansfield said with a sneer, Poor
Camden could get only four boys to
join him" AS q statesman, Cornwallis
was opposed to the American war, but
as a soldier he did everything in his
power to advance the arms Of the
King Of England to squash the rebel
lion.
In his proclamation. he invited the
LOYAL North Carolinians to repair to
his standard, without loss Of time,
with their arms and ten days provis-
ions" Straws show which way the
wind blows. In this proclamation,
which begins with boast that North
Carolina is subjected. 1t Is at the same
time intimated that he who had con-
quered the province could neither arm
nor feed his recruits. In the next
sentence of this proclamation, 1t Is
admitted that there Is still in North
Carolina "the remains of rebellion
and the loyal people of the country
are requested to combine with his
majesty's army in attempting to sup
press 1t.
like murder, the truth will out
So far from being able to provide fol
recruits, CORVALLIS was unable tc
feed the soldiers then under his COM
mand. The supplies in the country
around Hillsboro were soon exhaust
ed, and although the British army
remained there only ten days, sc
great was the scarcity Of food thai
Stedman, one of the officers OF the
British army. was obliged to take
file Of men and gather up supplies from
the citizens of the place. This he die
by going from house to house and
taking whatever he could find ir
every family. This was no plunderine
party acting without, or contrary tc
orders of the commanding officers; but
a regularly constituted party Of mer
acting in obedience to the direction:
of Cornwallis. Stedman gives as ar
excuse for such remarkable conduct
the pressing necessities Of the British
army. In other words the army OF
Cornwallis was whilst at Hillsboro, re-
duced to such a strait that 1t wa!
either, take by force the bread out o.
the mouths Of helpless women anc
children or starve.
The friends Of the British from the
adjacent country came into the camI
of CORVALLIS and with him and hi
officers talked over the condition o.
things In the country. Recent events
had very materially cooled the ardol
of the Tories and loyalists. The Bri
tish had made great promises. bu
performed nothing. For this the!
were not censurable. Taking 1t To-
granted that all the promises tina
Cornwallis had been making to TIT
loyalists Of North Carolina since N
arrived at Camden. South Carolina, IL
August Of the preceding year. wer'
made In good faith and that it wa
his honest purpose to fulfill them all
he was excusable for having up to thi
time done nothing, because the Amer
lean army under Greene, Morgan. Lee
williams and other leaders. woulC
not permit him to assist his friends
His own preservation and that OF IN
army under his command, required
all his time and attention.
The loyalists who visited Cornwal
lis all expressed themselves as desir
Gus that peace be restored to tn
country and that the English govern
ment be established; but few If any
all Of them were willing to join tn
standard of the king and assist In res
toring the so much desired peace an
I'm establishing the English govern