Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-08-03
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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 Xxx.

INSTALLMENT Xxx.
Corvallis Advance to Charlotte.
The utter overthrow of Gen. Gates
and dispersion of his army at Cam
den, followed by the surprise of Gen.
Sumter at Fishing creek, placed South
Carolina in a condition which beggars
description. Had the region of coun-
try now embraced in the counties OF
Rowan and Mecklenburg, North Caro-
lima, and Lancaster, Chester, York, and
Fairfield, been settled by any other
class of people CORVALLIS could have
marched from Camden to New York
and the stars and stripes would never
have foated over a few people.
The part which the inhabitants Of
the region mentioned acted has
never been fully understood or at
least it has never been clearly stated.
American liberty was born in the
south. The first man that ever ad-
vocated absolute independence was
William Johnson, q blacksmith, Of
Charleston, South Carolina, and the
first blood that was shed to water the
tree of liberty, was shed at Alamance,
North Carolina. William Johnson and
Christopher Gadsden advocated In
Charleston, American independence as
early as 1866 and the inhabitants of
North Carolina fought and bled and
died for American liberty in 1771.
The region of country between the
Yadkin river, North Carolina, and
Broad river, South Carolina was set
tied by the same kind of people.
Their religious creed was the same and
in political sentiment they were a
unit. By their enemies they were stig-
matized as "pugnacious and pertina-
cious" For centuries they had been
regarded as troublers of kings. Slow
TO be moved, patient under suffer-
ing; but when once aroused they were
as furious as an enraged lion and as
impetuous as a tornado in its madden
ed course. Their religious creed may
be summed up in one short sentence:
Whatever the Bible teaches is right
and whatever it forbids is wrong"
Physically, morally and mentally they
were a strong people. On all ques-
tions they claimed the right Of think
ing for themselves. In every house
there was a family altar, upon which
A. 90 60 ha
morning and evening sacrifice. Such
briefly was the kind of people that
Cornwallis found when he arrived in
the upper region Of South Carolina.
With them Sumter fought at Rocky
Mount and Hanging Rock and with
them he lay near the mouth of Fish
ing creek, on the 8th of August 1880.
After the defeat of Gates and sur
prise of Sumter, CORVALLIS began to
make preparations for the subjugation
of North Carolina. The original in
tention of the British was to enter
North Carolina further east than
Charlotte. In the region of Fayette-
vile there was a Scotch settlement
which was loyal. The design Of the
British commander was to enter this
Scotch settlement and afford these
loyal Scotch protection from the as
saults of their Whig neighbors. The
success with which the British arms
had thus met, induced Lord Corn
wallis to change his plans and move
directly into North Carolina. The
want of supplies and the condition of
his army, prevented the British COM
mander from commencing his march
Immediately after the success with
which he had met at Camden and
Fishing creek. The prisoners taken
at these places had to be disposed of
and various posts had to be fortified.
The British had gained a series Of
victories, but they were not bloodless
victories. The ranks of the army
had been greatly thinned. Many
British soldiers had slept the sleep
that knows no waking and a much
greater number were wounded and
worn out with hard fighting and hard
er marching. The weather, was in
tensely hot and CORVALLIS could not
advance until his army was reinforced.
To effect this Major Patrick Ferguson
was sent to the western section Of the
state to enlist the loyalists of that sec
sections of both the Carolinas to urge
the we'll affected to the British gov
ernment to join the British army.
Detachment were sent out in every
direction to plunder the country, to
capture the scattered Wings and to
cut off or capture all supplies designed
for the Americans.
After the battle of Camden or rath-
er during the battle. Gen. Gates, panic
stricken, set out for Charlotte. Incited
either by fear or cruelty he rode so
rapidly as to kill three horses. Late
in the night he arrived at Charlotte
and took up lodging at the house of
the Widow Mason. Here having
taken a seat on the piazza he called
for pipe, smoked and reflected upon
the terrible misfortune which had be-
fallen him. From Charlotte, he set
out for Salisbury: thence he went
to Hillsboro and on the twentieth of
August, four days after the battle Of
Camden, he wrote 10 the President of
Congress thus: I'm the deepest dis
tress and anxiety of mind, am oblig-
ed to acquaint your excellency with
the defeat of the troops under my
command"
Gen. Sumter after the surprise at
Fishing creek, made his way to his
old camp on Clem's branch, ten miles
east of the Nation ford. Col. Lacy,
who was with him, was sent back
into the counties of York and Chester
to gather up those who had made
good their escape from Tarleton, at
Fishing creek and to secure recruits
for his regiment from the Scotch
Irish of that region. Lacy was sue
cessful and soon joined Sumter with
a respectable regiment of mounted
infantry. Major Davie with a small
force was with Sumter Colonel