Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-07-17
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FAk REpOhVFtO&
How the Spirit of Liberty Was Kept Alive By an
UncOnquerable People.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM. ID. ID.
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1875
INSTALLMENT XIV.
Battle of WiIIiamson's, or Capt. Huck's
DEFEAT.

So soon as the facts concerning the
fail Of Charleston reached the up-coun-
try, the Tories laid aside all disguise
and began boldly to plumber In bands
To inspire these loyalists with greater
courage and to incite them to acts OF
greater daring. the British stationed
numbers of soldiers In different sec
tions of the state. We have seen that
the Wings of that part Of North Car
olina bordering on South Carolina were
thoroughly aroused. On the Goth OF
June. 1880, Col. Locke engaged Moore
and Welch at Ramsour's mill and dis
comfited them.
Tarletons cruelty at Waxhaw kin
died into a flame the patriotism Of all
the region round about Charlotte,
North Carolina. 1t had the same effect
upon the Scotch-Irish of Fairfield
Chester and York counties, South Car
olina. Few II any Of the Scotch-Irish
of the territory embraced in these
counties, were paroled as prisoners
and none Of them took British protec-
ton. Many of them left their homes
and sought refuge with kindred spirits
in less exposed regions. At different
points the Tories had begun to collect
as early as the latter part Of May
They were a set Of plundering thieves
utterly unfit to add strength or give
dignity to any government; but fully
competent to give great annoyance to
all good citizens.
On the oath of May, 1880, Capt. John
Mcclure, with a few of his Whig neigh
bors attack Houseman, Tory cap
tain, at Beckhamville, Chester county
and routed him and his band. Two
days after Capts. Bratton and Mcclure
attacked a similar band at Mobley's
Meeting House, on Little river, Fair
field county. These bold attacks on the
Tories aroused the British and they
determined to avenge the blood Of their
Tory friends.
At this time Col. Turnbull was In
command of a British post at Rocky
Mount. To chastise the patriots for
past acts of daring, and to keep them
In awe In the future, Col. Turnbull sent
out Captain Huck with two hundred
British regulars, one hundred dragons,
one hundred mounted infantry and
about five, hundred Tories-in all near
one thousand men. Capt. Huck's head
quarters was for some time in the
nesgbbsrhood Of what is~now Alexan-
der Williford's mill. on Fishing creek
In Chester county.
Capt. Christian Huck was a Tory, q
lawyer and by birth a native Of Phil
adelphia. The most remarkable feat
ure in his character was that he was a
most blasphemously profane swearer.
From this encampment on Fishing
creek, Huck sent out plunderlng and
burning parties daily In all directions
In Huck's command was a man by the
name Of Ferguson, a colonel Of the
Tory militia. Most of the plundering
was assigned to this officer. The houses
of the Wings for miles all around. were
plundered and not a few of the houses
of those who were regarded as promi-
nent Wings, were burned; and Fergu-
son and his men went so far as even
to shoot down, in cold blood, unoffend-
ing citizens On Sabbath morning, the
18th Of June, Capt. Huck sent a party
of, men to Fishing creek church OF
which the Rev. John Simpson was pas
tor. Huck had two grudges against the
Rev. Simpson and his congregation.
The one was because Mr. Simpson had
been prominent in planning the attack
by Mcclure upon Houseman at Beck
hamville. For the encouragement he
gave Capt. John Mcclure, Huck and
Ferguson determined that Mr.. Simpson
should be punished severely. The 9TH
er grudge that these officers had
against the Rev Simpson and his con-
gregation, was that they were Presby-
terians and continued to sing in wor-
ship to God the same version Of the
Psalms used by the Scotch. So great
was the hatred of these men to the
Scotch translation of the Psalms, that
they went through the country and
consigned to the flames every Bible
which contained the Scotch metrical
version of the Psalms. The object OF
the visit of the British to Fishing Greek
church on the 18th of June was to
burn church. pastor and people all to-
gether. On arriving at the church
they found no one there. Either there
was to be no preaching there that day
or the congregation. for prudential rea-
sons, had assembled at some other
point. The disappointment of the
plunderers was great but they deter
mined not to be outdone. The house
Of the pastor was but short distance
from the church. On they went to his
house. He was not at home; he had
gone on Friday to join Sumter at
Clems branch. So soon as Mrs. Simp-
son saw them coming she took her
four children, and as we'll as she could
concealed herself and her children In
the orchard. The British entered the
house. first plundered it Of everything
they wanted, and took out the beds and
ripped them open, throwing away the
feathers and taking the ticks. This
done the dwelling house and pastors
study were set on fire. and away they
went. On the same Sabbath morning
they found a pious young man by the
name of William Strong, quietly read
ing his Bible. He, Ferguson. either In
person or by his direction, shot The
mother of Capt. John Mcclure. Wild
Ow, lived in the same community. Hel
house these Tories also burned. Some
time before this, perhaps about the
first of June, a party having been Sent
out on one of these plundering and
burning expeditions had burned one OF
Col. William Hills iron works on AL
lison creek. York county, S. c. Or
their way to accomplished this deed
they burned the barn Of Mr. Simri
and perpe trated other foul and wicked
deeds. The country for many miles al
around Union church, was constant
ly full of these plunderers.
At this time. Gen. Sumter was a
Clem's branch, in the upper corner o
Lancaster county. His place of rem