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

i
now, 1t was only to see, to conquer.
| De Kalb turned away sorrowfully II
silence; but Colonel Williams, presum
ing on a large personal intimacy witt
the general, ventured to eXpostulat
with him upon the precipitate stel
| which he was about to take. He in
sisted upon the necessity of horse, no
only for the baggage and artillery, blu
for the purpose of mounting larg
additional force of the infantry, to &C
as cavalry along the route. But Gate
taking him by the arm, smiled play
fully to his aide, as he replied:
But what do we want with caval
ry, Williams ?-we had none at Sara
toga."
Perhaps it would be safe to asser
that the game won at Saratoga was th'
true cause of the game lost at Cam
den. The folly of such an answer wa
apparent to all but the speaker. Will
a marked Difference, careful not to of
fend, Williams suggested the radica
difference between the two region!
thus tactily compared. He did no
dwell upon the irregular and broker
surface Of the ground at Saratoga
which rendered cavalry next to use
less, and, indeed, perfectly unneces
sary; but he gave true picture of the
country through which they were now
to pass. BY nature sterile, aboundlnt
with sandy plains and swamps, thinly
inhabited, nothing but cavalry coulC
possibly compass the extent or grounC
over which 1t would be necessary tina
they should go daily in order to Sc
cure provisions. He proceeded, and
described the settlers in the neighbor.
hood as chiefly Tories-another name
for a banditti the most reckless ano
barbarous-who would harass his
army at every step, and seek safe GOV:
er in the swamps whenever he should
turn upon them. Williams, who knew
the country, ably depicted its condi'
ton to his superior, and with degree
of earnestness only warranted by the
friendship existing between them. II
was, nevertheless, far from agreeable
to his hearer, who, somewhat peevish-
ly, at length responded:
Colonel Williams, we are to hgh,
the enemy, you will admit? He vii
not come to us, that is clear. What
next? We must go to him. We must
pit the cock on his own dunghill.
1T will be we'll general, If he does
mt pit us there. Though we do seek
to fight him, there's no need of such
an excess of civility as to give him his
own choice Of ground for 1t; and per
nit me to suggest a route by Wh1cf
we shall seek him quite as effectually,
think, and with due regard to your al
ready expressed decision, on better
terms for ourselves"
Proceed" was all the answer OF
Gates, who began whistling the popu-
lar air of Yankee Doodle with much
sang-froid, even while his aide was
speaking. The brow of Williams grew
la instant
we'll knowing the habits of the speak
er, and regarding much more the har-
mony of the army and its prospect OF
success than his own personal feelings
he calmly enough proceeded in MS
suggestions A rude map of the coun-
try lay on the table before him or
which.he traced out the path which ne
now counselled his superior to take
Here sir, your excellency will see
that a route almost northwest would
cross the Peedee river, at or about the
spot where it becomes the Yadkin
this would lead us to the little town o1
Salisbury, where the people are firm
friends, and where the country al
around is fertile and abundant. This
course, sir, has the advantage OF any
other, not only as it promises US plen-
ty of provisions, but as 1t yields US an
asylum for the sick and wounded, IT
the event of a disaster, either in Meek.
lenburg or Rowan counties, in both OF
which our friends are stanch and pow
erful."
The suggestion of disaster provoked
scornful smile to the lips of Gates
and he seemed about to speak, bu,
perceiving that Williams had not yel
concluded, he merely waved his hanC
TO him to proceed. Williams behelo
the smile and it's peculiar expression
and his manly and ingenious counte-
nance was again slightly flushed as ne
surveyed it. His tall, graceful figure
rose to its full height, as he went on tc
designate the several advantages oner'
ed to the army by the suggested route
In this review were included, amone
other leading objects, the establish
ment of a laboratory for the repair
of arms at Salisbury or Charlotte
depot for the security of stores con-
veyed from the northward by the up
per route-the advantage which such
course gave of turning to the left or the
enemy's outpOsts by circuitous route
and the facility of reaching the mos
considerable among them (Camden)
with friends always in the rear, ant
with a river (the Wateree) on the
right. These, and other suggestions
were offered by Williams. who at the
same time, begged to fortify his owl
opinions by a reference to other an(
better informed gentlemen. than him
self on the subject. Gates, who ha(
heard him through with some impa
tience, only qualified in its show b!
the manifest complacency with which
he contemplated his own project, turn
ed quietly around to him at the con
| pluSipn and reDlied- briefly
"All very well, Williams. and yer!
| wise-but we must march now. TO
morrow, when the troops shall halt a
noon. l will lay these matters. as yol
have suggested them, before the gen
eral officers"
| Laying due stress upon the wore
general, he effectually conveyed tn
| idea to the mind of Williams, that
though he had received the sugges
tiOns of friend and intimate, he wa
not unwilling to rebuke the .presump
give counsel. With melanchol,
| shake of the head, De Kalb turne'
away. Jerking up the hips Of his small
| clothes. as he did so. with a sufficient,
discontented movement. Williams FOL
| lowed him from the presence or Tn
infatuated generaliSsimo, and all par
| ties were soon busy in preparation 10
a start.
The next morning. the journey wa
| begun: the army setting forth, un
murmuring. though with but half II
baggage. and with no present prospec
of provisions. Gates, however, seem
ed assured of their proximity an
cheered his officers. and throug
them. the men, with his assurance
At noon the army came to halt. an
here they were joined by Colonel wal
ton. bearing advices from Marion, an
bringing up his own skeleton corp:
which was incorporated with Colone
DiXCn's regiment of the North Car
olina militia The services of Waltor
| as. indeed. had been anticipated D
him. were appropriated at noon by tn
general in his own family. No confer
ence took place at this halt, as Gate
had promised Williams. After a Drle
delay which the men employed in ran
sacking their knapsacks for the scrap
and remnants which they contained
the march was resumed; the wagon
with provisions not yet in sight, an
their scouts returning with no intelli
gence calculated for their encourage
ment.
The country through which tn
Journey was to be taken. exceeded /
sterility all the representations whic
had been made of it. But few settle
ments relieved. with an appearance
human life. the mOnOtonOus originate
81. -,