Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-05-22

Monks Corner All things being ar
with all possible despatch for the Cher
okee country. His time was limited,
and he was forced to act promptly. On
entering the Indian settlement he liter
ally laid it waste with fire and sword.
New Keowee, Estatoe, Quacorelchie,
lToxawaw, Sugaw Town and Aconnee,
were reduced to ashes. The Indian
women and children. together with
few men were made captives; but the
multitude of the warriors fled on the
approach of Montgomery.
Thinking that the Indians were not
yet sufficiently humbled, Colonel Mont
ogmery pushed into the middle settle
ments the abode of the over-hill Cher
okees. The march lay through path
less forest. Rugged mountains and
streams with precepitous banks i'm
peded his progress.
When within five miles Of Etchoe, a
town of the over-hill Cherokees, Mont
gomery was attacked by the Indians.
The battle ground was chosen with
consummate skill. 1t was a deep VAL
ley. densely covered with underwood.
In this the savages were concealed.
Captain Morrison led the vanguard.
than the savages sprung from their
ambuscade and poured In a destructive
fire upon him and his men. Morrison
| fell dead, many of his men were
| wounded The main body of Montgom-
ery's men came up and the fight be-
came general. The forest echoed and
re- echoed with the Indian warwhoop.
The fight lasted about an hour and ter
minated to the advantage Of the Brit
ish; but it was a dear bought victory.
Montgomery lost twenty men killed
and seventy-six wounded. The savages
were routed, but not subdued. In the
recent fight they lost, in killed only
forty; and Montgomery in order to
save his wounded, was obliged to make
a hasty retreat to Fort Prince George.
All the way from Etchoe to the fort,
the savages kept annoying him. On
arriving at Fort Prince George, he an
nounced that he was under orders to
set out Immediately for New York.
This announcement filled the frontier
settlers with grief. To quiet their
fears and afford them some protection,
he left four hundred men, and In Au-
gust set out to join General Amhurst.
The departure of Montgomery left
Fort Loudon in a most critical condi-
ton. From it's location, 1t was cut off
from the civilized world and exposed
to continued assaults by the savages.
| In the fort there were two hundred
men, but the Indians kept 1t so long
blockaded that the officers were reduc-
ed to the alternative, either to surren-
der or submit to starve to death. 1t
was decided that Captain James Stu
art should go to Chota, the town OF
which Oconostata was chief, and make
the best terms for a surrender that he
could. 1t was agreed, that after deliv-
ering up the guns and ammunition OF
the fort, except what each soldier
might need, the garrison was to march
out with a kind of military honors and
be escorted either to Fort Prince
George or to some point In Virginia.
The sick and disabled were to be taken
care Of by the Indians in the neighoor-
hood, for which they were to be paid.
| Having surrendered everything ex-
cept ten bags of powder and ball In
proportion which were buried In the
ground, the garrison marched out and
proceeded on the first day fifteen miles
on their way to Fort Prince George.
| During the night the Indian escort left
them. Early on the next morning a
band Of savages was discovered near
their camp Captains Demere and Stu
art had scarcely time to arouse their
men, before the Indians poured In a
deadly fire-killing Captain Demere
and twenty-six of the men. The rest
were all surrendered and hurried back
to Fort Loudon. Stuare was the friend
of Attakullakulla. This old chief
bought his friend Stuart and released
him from captivity. The other prison.
ers suffered unutterable hardships end
were afterwards at great cost redeem
ed.
The condition Of things were now
gloomler than they had ever been be-
fore. The Cherokee towns had been
burned and multitudes of their old men
and women and helpless children had
been starved to death; but they were
still masters of the field.
| In the early part of 1861, Lieutenant
| Colonel James Grant was sent by Gen.
eral Amhurst to South Carolina to re-
duce to subsection or to annihilate the
| Cherokees. His force consisted Of a
regiment and two companies. Another
regiment commanded by Col. Henry
Middleton was punished by South Car
olina. The other officers Of this regi-
ment were Francis Marion. Isaac HUI
ger, William Moulton, owen Roberts,
Andrew Pickens, William Mason, Adam
| McDonal and James McDonal. These
men had made names for themselves
during the Revolutionary struggle
Several individuals of the Indian tribes
also joined the expedition.
| With all possible speed Grant has
tened to the Cherokee country. Salo-
ma, the young warrior of Estatoe, was
shouting amongst his fellows: Il am
for war, whoever will not follow me is
| M batar than q woman"
On arriving near the same spot where
the engagement between Montgomery
and the Indians occurred the year be-
fore, the advance party under Capt.
Quantine Kennedy. met the Indians.
A terrible conflict took place. For
three hours the Indians fought with
desperate courage. At last the undis-
ciplined sons Of the forest gave way.
Grant pursued them with fire and
/ .,.ord The toupS were reduchd TO