Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-22

: him!"-and, for the first time, the
commander prepared to take the lest
direct road to the enemy. Defling by
the right, having cautiously thrown
J out a thanking regiment under Colo
mel Hall of Maryland, the army pushed
on by a circuitOus course towards
RawdOn.
This movement had the effect OF
breaking up the minor post of the
enemy which Gates had been compell-
ed to avoid, and its commanding Of
back, with all his garrison, upon Cam
den. The post at Clermont, Rugelys
Mills, was also abandoned at the same
time: and, on the thirteenth Of August,
Ii was occupied by the American gen.
leral with his jaded army.
The movements of Gates had been
closely watched by the enemy, who
was vigilant in the extreme. The pre-
cautions taken by Rawdon-who, up
to this moment, had been the general
in command opposed to him-were
| judicious and timely. But the COM
mand was now to be delivered into yet
aber hands; for, with the first ac-
count of the proximity Of the southern
army, Curnwallis. with portion Of
the garrison from Charleston, set forth
for Camden. His march communicate
ed, like wildfire, the business Of his
mission to the people Of the country
! through which he was to pass: and 1t
was with feelings in nowise enviable,
that he saw the exulting looks Of the
disaffected whenever they met with
him on his progress. At Dorchester,
where he paused a day, and by his
presence controlled somewhat the rest
less spirit Of those in that quarter,
who otherwise, were willing enough to
rise in mutiny, he could almost hear
the muttered rebellion as 1t rose in
voluntarily to the lips of many. Stand
ing Justify in his doorway as the gilt
tering regiments went through the viii
lage. old Pryor growled out his hope
| for their destruction.
"Ay, go: ye glitter now, and look
id fine, but Gates will roll your re
jackets in the mud. He'll give you a
dressing, my lads, ye shall remember.
| Ay, shake your flags, and beat your
| drums, but you'll have another guess
sort Of shake and tune when you're
coming back.
The stern and lofty earl, erect and
| tall. nfiexible and thoughtful moved
along upon his steed like some mas
sive tower. before the dwelling Of the
sturdy rebel; who. uttering no shout,
| waving no hat, giving no sign but that
contempt, gazed upon the warrior
without fear or shrinking.
go, d-n you, go: go where the
drum that beats for you shall be muf-
| fled; go where the bugle that rings in
your ears shall not stir you again In
your saddles: go where the rifle shall
| have a better mark in your bodies
than 1t ever found at Bunkers and at
Lexington"
And as he muttered thus, his old eye
| rekindled, and he watched the last
| retreating forms in the distance, re-
peating to himself the fond hope,
which was then a pregnant sentiment
in the bosom Of thousands, who had
felt long what they could not resent,
and now rejoiced in the belief, conf
IDENTIFY entertained that their enemies
had gone to a battlefield from whence
| they never would rturn. The hour Of
punishment was at hand-so they
fondly thought-and Gates's was the
avenging arm sent for its infliction.
On the night Of the fifteenth Of Au-
gust, without any conference with his
officers, Gates bade his army advance
from Clermont on the route to Cam
den. What was his hope? What, in
deed, we may well ask was his object?
| He literally had no intelligence in res
| pect to his enemy; he had omitted
most of those precautions by which, In
| armies, intelligence was to be procur-
ed. The suggestions Of his own friends
were unheeded, and he deigned no
general consultation. Colonels Will
| liams and Walton, both ventured to
remind him, in general terms, of the
near neighborhood of the foe, doubt
less in force. for on the subject Of
their numbers, no information had yet
| been received. On the same day, an
| inhabitant from Camden, named
Hughson, came to headquarters, af-
| fecting ignorance of the approach or
| the Americans, and pretending warm
| interest in their success. He was
Marylander, and was disposed to be
very friendly with his countrymen, the
| Continentals. He freely gave his in
| formation to ates-information which
was true, so far as 1t went; but which
which was given in just sufficient
quantity to promote the precipitation
CT the American commander and the
| purpose of the British. Gates readily
| believed all that was told him; and
| though suspicious arose in the minds
Of some of the officers around him, the
credulty Of the general himself un-
derwent no lessening from the more
prudent counsels Of his subordinates.
| The spy-for such he was-was ac-
|
| return to Camden, not only with the
| fulfillment of the purpose for which he
went. but possessed Of the more valua-
BILE information with which he was
permitted to return. Besotted self
confidence had actually blinded the
American general to the huge and
fearful trench which he had been d,
| ging for himself, and which now lay
| Immediately before him.
A few hours only divided him from
| his enemy; yet, strange to say, he
knew not that it was CORVALLIS, him
self. who stood opposed to him. The
grave commander had hurried with all
| possible celebrity to the scene of ac-
ton. He knew how greatly the for
tunes Of the colony depended upon the
present contest. Marion was even
| then busy along the Santee, and so
effectually did he guard the passes by
Nelson's and Watson's, that his lord
ship. though commanding fine BODY
of troops, veterans al, fresh from
| Charleston, and superior far to any
| force of the partisan, was compelled
to take a circuitous and indirect route
| in reaching Camden. Marion had
greatly increased his force with a
number Of insurgents from Black riv-
err Sumter too. was in active mo-
| tion, and watched the Wateree river
with the avidity Of a hawk. On the
success Of this battle depended every
thing, for, though to gain it would not
necessarily have secured the conquest
Of CORVALLIS in Carolina, not to gain
it would most probably have been the
loss Of ALL He knew this, and his de-
sire was for early battle before the
troops of Gates were rested; before
the militia could come in to his relief;
and before the spirit of revolt,
throughout the province, should dis
tract. by various risings and stimuli
taneous enterprises. No general was
ever more ready than CORVALLIS to
carve his way out of difficulties with
the strong and the sword. Pol
icy, and his passion alike, persuaded
him now to the adoption Of this stern
arbitrament.
At the very hour that Gates moved
from C1ermont in the route to Cam
den. the British general set out from
that station to attack him in his en-
campment Yet Gates had no intelli-
gence of this, he knew not even that
his lcrdship had reached Camden. He
neglected every means of intelligence.
and the retributve justice, which, In
on moment, withered all the choice
laurels of his previous fame, and tore
l.E lNN-ENN