Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-08
THREE GREAT BATTLES.
Saratoga, Kings Mountain and
Yorktown.
EACH OF DECISIVE IMPORTANCE
Interesting and Accurate Review of the American Revolution
Showing the Means That Made Possible the
Establishment of the United States

that can never be paid for her action
in these matters. Candor, however,
compels me to say that the French
alliance probably caused the Ameri-
can people to relax their own Ell
forts, and to depend too largely on
the alliance with France.
This great battle practically closed
the campaign in the year 1777. UP
TO this time the war had been carried
on generally north Of Maryland. In
.177S, it was decided to carry the war
into the south, for the reason that
it was supposed that here the re-
sources of the colonists were less,
and British force would be more ef-
fective.
ly reduced by the British army. In
1880, active warfare was almost en-
tirely confined to the south. Begin
ming with the siege and capture or
Charleston, on May 18th, this ca
lamity was followed by unprece-
dented success of the British armies
in South Carolina. Georgia, already
in the hands of the enemy, South
Carolina was quickly overrun. The
capture Of Charleston was followed
by the defeat Of Gates at Camden, the
Buford massacre in Lancaster coun-
ty, and the surprise and defeat OF
Sumter at Fishing Creek.
The only successful show Of resist
ance was on the 18th Of July, when
Captain Huck, Of the British army,
with a considerable force, was de-
feated by Colonels Bratton and Lacy,
at Brattonsville, in York county.
This time was the darkest period
Of the Revolutionary war. From
Charleston to the North Carolina
line. the state, with the exception
of Marion, who was hiding in the
swamps, was practically free from
Whig opposition. The governor OF
the state was a fugitive. In fact,
the commonwealth of South Carolina
at that time was without a govern
ment.
While the patriots could no longer
reasonably hope for success, the
spirit of liberty burned with quench-
less flame in the breasts Of the Wings.
This flame was famed by the wanton
cruelty Of the British, and particu-
larly by the acts of the bloody Tarle-
ton in the Buford massacre, where,
after resistance had ceased and quar-
ter asked for, he put between two
and three hundred men to the
sword. This gave the Wings a new
rallying cry, Remember Tarleton.'
And it is an instance worthy Of note
that the password at Kings Noun
tain was "Buford."
After the surrender Of Charleston,
the British boasted that the conquest
of South Carolina was complete, but
they did not know the spirit which
actuated, and the love of liberty that
controlled, the Wings Of the two
Carolinas and Virginia.
On the oath Of May, 1880, Captain
John Mcclure, with party Of Wings
attacked and defeated a band Of
Tories under Captain Houseman at
Beckhamville, in Chester County. On
the 26th Of May, two days after
wards, Colonel William Bratton and
Captain John Mcclure, with small
body of their Whig neighbors, at
tackled and routed a band of Tories
at Mobley's Meeting House, on Little
River in Fairfield county. On the
goth of June, 1880, at Ramsour's
Mill, on the South Fork of the Ca
tawba, the Tories, under Moore and
Welsh, were defeated by the Wings
under Colonel Locke.
Huck's defeat was followed by the
battle of Musgrove's Mill, South
Carolina, which was fought on Au-
gust 18th, resulting in a most i'm
portant victory for the Americans
under Colonel Shelby. The British
loss in this affair was SO killed, so
wounded and 70 prisoners. At the
close of the battle, Shelby was in
formed of the defeat of Gates at
Camden, and the necessity of reach
ing the mountains in order to avoid
the British forces.
mi h.
ing the mountains, they were met by
Colonel Mcdowell, and Colonel Shelby
proposed that the army be raised to
cope with Ferguson. 1t is important,
for the truth of history, that 1t be
stated that the undertaking which
eliminated in the battle Of Kings
Mountain originated with him, while
it is true that Ferguson afterwards
notified the followers Of Shelby and
Major Robertson that If they did
not desist from their opposition to
the British army, he would march
an army over the mountains, hang
their leaders, and lay their country
waste with fire and sword"
A short time after receiving this
message, Colonel Shelby visited
Jonesboro to consult with Colonel
Sewer, commander in Washington
county, NOTln SdIol 1hS iSSoi'
Of this conference was that 1t was
determined to carry out the plans Of
Colonels Shelby and his associates,
formed after the battle Of Musgrove's
Mill. Colonel Shelby solicited the aid
of Colonel William Campbell OF
Washington county, Va. At first,
Colonel Campbell, on account Of
treatened local dangers, declined, but
afterwards consented. The time
and place appointed for the meeting
of the forces under the Whig
leaders was the 25th of September, at
Sycamore Shoals, on the Watauga
river. At this time, Ferguson, with
his army was stationed at Gilbert
Town, n. C. According to agree
ment amongst the Whig leaders, on
the 25th of September, 1880, Colo
mel Campbell's 200 men, Colonel
Shelbys and Colonel Sewers regi-
ments Of 240 men each, and the forces
of Colonel Mcdowell met at syca-
more Shoals. Before the march COM
menced, Colonel Arthur Campbell, of
Washington county, Va, with 200
additional men, arrived. The Wings
were armed generally with the Deck
ard rifle supposed at that time to be
the best.
The men had very little baggage,
consisting at most of a blanket and
cup, a small amount of provisions,
principally "parched corn meal, mix
ed as it generally was, with maple
sugar" A skillet for each mess was
about all the cooking utensil the
patriots had. No provisions were
carried along for the horses.
After a short talk and prayer by
Rev. Samuel Doak, Of the Watauga
settlement, on the morning OF the
26th of September, the patriots took
up their line of march in search Of
Ferguson.
Ferguson. on the 9th Of Septem-
ber, moved from Gilbert Town to
the Green river region, seeking for
Colonel Clark, the Whig leader from
Georgia. On the 30th Of September,
he was advised that the mountain
men were after him. So intense was
he, however, on capturing Clark that
he moved slowly-so slow, in fact,
that he remained in camp at one
place two days.
On the 5th of October, he seems
to have awakened to his danger, and
he writes CORVALLIS a letter, indi-
eating that he needs assistance. In
the meantime, Colonels Edward
Lacy and James Williams, of South
Carolina, and Colonels Graham and
iul,t Of n