The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-08-21

Charles Town in 1880 We find no l1-eil-
ton of him in military service. He Is
not mentioned in any of the military
operations during the last half OF
HIS. or in 1879, or the first half OF
1850.
e1he late Gen. Wilmot c. DeSaus-
sure prepared list Of the names OF
the officers who served in the South
Carolina regiment on the Continental
establishment. This list was printed
by order of the legislature OF South
Carolina in 1885, and republished IN
the Year Book of the city Of Charles
ton for 1898. In this list it is stated
that he resigned on September 2o,
1778. No authority for this state
nent is given. The list gives his rank
as lieutenant colonel Of the Sixth reg
iment. which is evidently mistake
as he was a full colonel. McCrady IN
his history states that domestic at
fiction having come upon him in the
loss of all his children but one, the
inactivity of the service at the time
induced him to resign in September,
1777.
However all this may be. in Feb
ruarv. 1880, the Continental congress
resolved to reduce the five infantry
regiments in the establishment IN
eonth Carolina to three. The five reg
iments before known. respectively, as
the First. Second. Third. Fifth and
Sixth. we're combined and reduced to
three. and the officers named We're;
Col. G. c. Pinckney to the First
Tjeut. Col. Marion to the Second, and
Coz Thomson. to the Third. with Hen
derson as lieutenant colonel Of the
Third.
british Oyerrln South Carolina.
.on the 18th April, 1880, Lieut..
Col Tarleton at the head of the BTU
ish cavalry, surprised and practically
destroyed the American cavalry, com
n,anded by Gen. Huger, at Monck,s
Corner. On 18th May the city OF
Charles Town had been surrendered
to the British, under Sir Henry Chm
Ton. carving with this surrender the
entire regular American army IN
South Carolina. On the 9Th May,
Tarleton had again surprised and de-.
feated the remnants of the American
cavalry at Lenud's ferry, on the San
tee. The only organized body OF
American troops left in South Caro-
lima was a force of about $50 CONT
nentals, under Col. Buford Of Virgin
ia. who. after the fall Of Charles
Town. was in full retreat towards
North Carolina. Tarleton pursued
him with great celerity-came up
with mir, at Waxhaws, in what is
now Lancaster county. and, although
having a much inferior force, attack
ed at once and practically destroyed
Buford's entire force-Tarleton's
troops refusing quarter, and continr-
ing the massacre after surrender in a
way that gave proverbial force to the
term .Tarleton's quarters
..The effect Of this succession Of de-
feats was to practically terminate
armed resistance in South Carolina
The entire State lay. as it seemed.
PROSTATE and helpless at the mercy
Of the enemy.
con the 4th June, 1850, Sir Henry
Clinton wrote from his headquarters
in Charles Town that he could assert
that there were few men in South
Carolina who were not either his pris-
oners or in arms with him
This was true. Every continental
organization had been captured or
dispersed The militia were stunned
and despondent at home, awaiting
each man to see what would be the
next step. The only armed men in
field were the British troops and
their Tory sympathizers, who now
gathered. organized and began to as
sert themselves. 1t was the lowest
ebb of the tide
British Burn Sumters Home.
..In his pursuit OF Buford Tarleton
passed through Clearmont now the
region around Stateburg, in Sumter
county. In his passage the British
went to the plantation OF Sumter
and burned his house. turning his
family out Of doors In the preface
to some verses on Sumter. published
in the Charleston Courier on 14th
November, 1863, the writer states
that Gen. Sumter was aroused from
sleep by his servants on the approach
of the British and took shelter in
+b;ol,o+ within 2 few hundred Yards