Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-07
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How the Spirit Of Liberty Was Kept Alive by an
UncOnquerable People.
BY REV. ROBERT LATHAM ID. ID.
From the Yorkville Enquirer Of 1876
INSTALLMENT XXI.
TarIeton Sent In Pursuit of the Kings
Mountain Men.

INSTALLMENT XXI.
ITarIeton Sent In Pursuit of the Kings
Mountain Men.
Lord CORVALLIS expected to have an
easy time of it so soon as he reached
Charlotte. Here he expected to rest
his army, recruit his forces, replenish
his supplies and ultimately march with
flying colors through the state of North
Carolina. Apparently his plans were
wise and he undertook, with energy to
put them into execution. On all sides
he was beset with difficulties.
The region of country now embraced
by the counties of Mecklenburg, Row
an and Union, together with portions
of adjoining counties, were full Of as
true Wings as ever drew the breath Of
life. Over the entire region extending
from the Haw river on the east to the
Broad river on the west, and from
Statesville, North Carolina on the
north, to Winnsboro, South Carolina on
the south, there were settlements made
by Scotch-Irish immigrants. Some or
these had come into the region from
Bucks, Lancaster and Chester counties,
Pennsylvania, and some of them had
come directly from the Emerald Isle.
Like the Huguenots, the Scotch-lrish
never had a colony entirely under their
control: but as early as 1870 they were
almost the exclusive occupants of Cum
berland valley. Harassed by the In
dians, they wended their way south
and as early as 1850 they were con-
trollers of the region of country en-
braced in Fairfield, Chester, Lancaster
and York, South Carolina and Of a
considerable tract of country embraced
in the state of North Carolina.
| Charlotte was a kind of nucleus
around which the various Scotch-Irish
settlements clustered. To this point
the Wings of Fairfield, Chester, Lam
caster and York fed for safety on the
approach of the British, and here they
assembled that they might organize for
the purpose of resisting the invading
| foe.
| When CORVALLIS entered Charlotte
he was in the midst of the most un-
compromising enemies the British gov
ernment had in all America. Here he
met at every turn, men and women
who had imbibed the spirit OF John
Knox-men who not only dared to
think for themselves on all subjects,
both political and religious, but men
and women who never feared to act
with an invincible energy. Fathers
had told their children about the trials
and difficulties of their progenitors on
the other side of the Atlantic. Mothers
had sung the songs of the martyrs to
their babes in the cradle. In their
dreams at night, the children had been
waited to the land where the martyrs
had lain weltering in blood. Young
men and maidens had drunk in the
spirit of the martyrs, and tears of in
dignation and sorrow alternately
streamed down their cheeks. When
the British encamped at Charlotte, the
Wings thought of "Wellwood's dark
muirlands," and their blood boiled
with Indignation.
No man was more disappointed than
was CORVALLIS when he arrived at
Charlotte. Foes beset him in the town
and in the country, by night and by
day. His videttes were shot down and
it was only at the risk Of his life that
a single individual could go out Of the
British camp or enter it. Foraging
parties had to be protected by large
bodies of soldiers. The communication
with Blair's mill and Camden were al
most cut off by individuals who lay
concealed in the thickets, ready to
shoot down all who might pass between
these points and Charlotte. The mills
of which CORVALLIS had taken posses
sion and by which he expected to be
supplied with meal and -four for his
army, had to be guarded with strong
forces and still they were not safe froT
the attacks of the Wings. The coun-
try afforded but a scanty supply for the
army and the British concluded that
the region of country around Charlotte,
which is now regarded as one Of the
best agricultural sections in America,
was little better than wilderness.
Lieutenant Tarleton says: 1.-THE
plantations in the neighborhood were
small and uncultivated; the roads mar
row and crossed in every direction;
and the whole face of the country COW
cred with close and thick woods" 1t
was true that at that time most of the
plantations in the Scotch-lr settle
ments were small; but Scotch-Irish-
mans religion forbids laziness.
The reason that the British army
could not find an abundance of supplies
in the Scotch-Irish settlement of Char
lotte, was not because the farms were
not well cultivated, but because ii was
dangerous to enter a corn crib or a
wheat house. At Col. Folks mill two
miles from Charlotte. the British found
twenty-eight thousand pounds Of -four
and large quantity Of wheat; but they
got possession Of it after a severe skir-
mish. Seven miles from town, on the
| = lOTu TOdu, IL WAS
| that large amount of grain and for
age might be obtained. To secure these
supplies a foraging party protected by
a body of armed men was sent out.
The point of destination was a planta-
ton owned by man by the name of
Mcintyre. AS the British advanced
they passed by a field in which boy
was plowing. He at once threw the
harness off his horse, and mounting
the animal proceeded by by-paths to
give the alarm to the neighborhood that
the plunderers were coming. The wo-
men, children and servants mounted
horses and fled before the British.
The men left their work and arming
themselves fled to the woods.
When the foraging party arrived at
the house of Mcintyre, the family had
been gone only few moments. Every
thing was left to be disposed of as the
British saw fit The wagons were driv-
Ell up and the work of loading them
with whatever was thought useful
commenced. A party of the soldiers
/