The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-08-21
ar's assault was repulsed.
Fight at Hanging Rock.

"a few days later, on the 9Th @Au-
gust, 1850, he attacked the garrison
at Hanging Rock. That garrison con-
sisted of 500 men, consisting Of the
infantry Of Tarleton's legion, the
, Prince Of Wales American regiment.
part of Col. Brownies corps Of pro-
vincials and Col. Bryan's North Caro-
lima loyalists. The whole was under
the command OF Maj. Garden, of the
Prince of Wales regiment. The at
tacking force numbered about 500.
The result Of the action was not con-
elusive. The British camp was taken
and p.undered, but the American
force finally withdrew. leaving the
field in possession of the British,
whose loss exceeded that Of the at
tacking forces.
Within the space of a month the
] command under Sumter had had
three engagements with British reg
/ ular troops, and in each case the
Americans had been the attacking
party.
while these operation of Sumter
-contemporaneo with similar op-
erations, but on smaller scale. by
other partizan leaders-were in prog
ress, an army was on its way from
the northward to assist the hard
pressed American forces in the south.
This army consisted Of about 600
continental soldiers, composed Of regl-
ments from the Maryland and Della
ware line, and were under the COM
mand Of Gen. De Nalb, but on the
25th July De KaIh was superseded in
his command by Gen 1oratio Gates,
the so-called hero Of Saratoga. Gen.
Gates. with additional reinforcements,
crossed the South Carolina line on the
| 4th August, and, having formed
| junction with the North Carolina MI
litia under Gov Caswe1l, pressed down
towards Camden, where the British
army lay. There Lord CORVALLIS had
taken command and was present in
| person. Sumter, who, with the force
under him, had reached Gates, heard
! that a large convoy, with clothing
and stores for the British army at
Camden was on its way to that point
by the road between NcCord's ferry,
on the Congaree, and the ferry over
the Wateree. about mile from Cam
den. He proposed to Gates that he
should intercept this convoy. Gates
assented and sent to join MIN in the
attack on the convoy detachment OF
400 continental regulars, with two
brass field pieces.
"Sumter's attack was made on the
18th August an5 was wholly success
full The entire convoy and its guard
were captured, and Sumter, with his
prizes and prisoners in his possession,
icommenced his retreat up the west
ern side of the Wateree river.
| Gates, without waiting for Sum-
ter's return, had advanced toward
CORVALLIS who, in like manner, was
advancing himself The two armies
joined in battle near Camden On the
18th August, and the result was one
Of the most complete defeats ever in
hicted upon an American Army
After telling of Sumter's defeat at
I Fishing Creek. his subsequent rally,
the commission of Gov. Rutledge,
making him a brigadier general, and
reciting his history as the great Game
| Cock" leader down to and including
| the date eof his resignation from the
army, in January, 1882, Mr.. Smith
read many testimonials paid to his
lvalor and bravery. His service in
1.-the general assembly was then told
of. and then his services in the ma
tional house of representatives and
the United States senate, down to the
date Of his resignation in 1910.
He was an ardent follower anG
supporter Of Mr. Jefferson and an un-
swerving opponent of the Federal
lists and all the measures which cul-
minated in the alien and sedition
laws Of 119S. In the life of Gen.
Sumter in Appleton's Encyclopaedia
OF American Biography it is stated
that Gen. Sumter was a Jealous Fed
eralist.' No authority is given for this
statement and if We are to be guided
by Sumter's actions in opposing all
Federalist measures and his own
declaration he was exactly the oppo-
site. He was an admrer as we'll as
a supporter of Mr. Jefferson and de-
clared the Virginia and Kentucky res
olution< OF 179S TO embody the true