Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-11-08

countrymen, or 1 will perish in its
defence.
Col. Travis was killed in action
and fell beside the cannon that he
was fighting.
Has this hero q monument IN
Eage6eld9
Would that more space were at
my disposal, to continue this look
back into old times. Snug, self
satisfied and self-seeking, many of
us have forgotten the powerful cost
to our ancestors of creating this
civilization. Few of US know the
terrors of the Revolutionary era.
Between Indians and Tories, a
Wing patriot carried his life in his
hands. He never knew, when 60
ing to bed at night, whether he
would be aroused before morning
by warwhoops or Tory yells.
Let me tell you story of one OF
my own family-for all the Wat
sons of the Carolinas are of the
same blood as myself.
Capt. Michael Watson had won
signal victory over the Indians on
little river (in 1776) and he thus be.
came man of local repute as a
fighter. The Tories feared him,
and determined to kill him. They
went to ais home one night. In,
stead of surrounding it, they went
to one end of it; and instead of 60
ing right to work, they stood there
discussing plans of attack. Moth
ing wakes a sleeper much more
readily than whispers in the room
or muffied voices outside. So Cap,
tain Mike was wide awake in a
couple of seconds. He heard the
men debating the plan of attack
The Captain decided to leave home
Immediately. Selling his gun, he
ran out of the other end of the
house, and in the quickest possible
time, put himself in the woods,
about so yards off.
Then he played the old trick OF
ordering up men who were not
there.
Napoleon saved himself once or
twice by that ingenious device;Gen.
N. B. Forrest did it, time and
again-oh, it's as old as warfare.
Captain Mike, safe in the dark
woods, began to yell:
"Here they are,' boys! IKe'ye got
'em eohere ace aoa'at 'ena! Come on
f6oysh CHARGED -,..-.-..
Bang! went his gun. And the
Tories fell into panic and fled.
But he lived in hornets nest,
and after many narrow escapes, he
was shot down as he was leading an
attack against which he had strong.
ly advised, but had been overruled
by Col. William Butler.
Captain Mike Watson had a
grandson, Captain Tillman Wat
SON. He married well and accumu'
lated large fortune. Somehow OF
other he broke into the State Sen
ate. The Captain was honest, but
his stock of knowledge was not
ponderous. While he was mem
ber of the State Senate, somebody
sought his opinion of the Kansas
Nebraska bill, then subject OF
endless and acrimonious debate In
Congress.
"What do you think of this here
Kansas-Nebraska bill, Captain Wat,
son?"
"Why, Sir. answered the sena'
tor with prompitude and emphasis
why, Sir, if it is just bill it
should be paid at once, and without
further discussion"
By the way, Edgefeld used
to be the place where everybody in
that section who wanted to fight OF
kill somebody went to do it. From
all that l have heard there has been
more private war in that town than
in any other whatsoever. 1t fire.
quently happened that the casuali,
ties of one days cuttings and shoot.
ings exceeded those of one of oul
little Indian scrimmages or Philip
pine battles. Mr.. Mims-with an
unholy local pride-pointed to a
hill, northward of where we were,
and said, six were killed there in
one day."
Of course, it was long ago.