Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-03-08
NO. 90.

made many egregious blunders. II he
had opened his artillery on Tarleton
when he was forming his men for ac-
ton, the result would have been far
different. Many Of those in the COM
mand of Colonel Buford were citizens
Of the counties Of York. Chester and
Lancaster, who had gone down to as
sist in the defense Of Charleston. For
safety, they joined the command of
Buford, and while returning home
many were cut to pieces.
We are at a loss to know which to
censure most, Colonel Buford for his
mismanagement, or Colonel Tarleton
for his cruelty. It Is admitted by the
Americans that some Of them laid
down their arms, while others kept up
an Intellectual fire. It was declared.
while the slaughter was going on, that
Tarleton was killed. This incensed the
British. and they hewed the Americans
to pieces without mercy.
On the morning Of the 30th, those
OF the Americans who were so badly
wounded that they were not able to
travel, were," Colonel Tarleton says,
"paroled and placed at the neighbor-
ing plantations, and in meeting
house not far distant from the battle
field" The wounded from Chester
county were in a few days removed to
their homes. On the way home, how
ever, q number Of the wounded be-
came SO weak that they were deposited
in Waxhaw Presbyterian church and
here some died and were buried In the
graveyard.
The meeting house not far distant
from the battlefield, in which Colonel
Tarleton placed some Of the wounded.
was an Associate church within. per-
haps, 400 yards Of the battlefield. The
probability Is that the spring used un-
til lately by Mr.. 8. e. Usher, was the
meeting house spring. This meeting
house was also called Waxhaw. and
so was the whole country from g. short
distance north Of Camden. The meet
ing house not far distant from the
battlefield, was one Of the places at
which Rev. Thomas Clark, M. D..
preached as early as 1859. Some Of
the families with whom the wounded
were placed by Tarleton, were Usher,
Barkley, Hull. Montgomery, Nelson,
Porter, Galloway, Cornes, and others
forgotten.
Thirty-five or G-.y years ago a
plain marble monument seven and
half feet high, and eighteen inches
square at the base, was erected to the
memory of those Americans who fell
in the battle, and rude wall of flint
stones placed around the grave In
which eighty-four of them were
buried. On the east side Of this mon
umental shaft is the following inscrip-
ton:
Nearly the entire command Of Col
onel Buford were either killed or
wounded. Eighty-four gallant soldiers
are buried in this grave. They left
their homes for the relief Of Charles
ton, but hearing, at Camden, Of the
surrender Of the city. were returning.
Here their lives were ended In the
service Of their country"
On the south side Is inscribed:
Erected to the memory and in the
honor Of the brave and patriotic Amer
lean soldiers who fell In the battle
which occurred at this place on the
29th of May, 1880. between Colonel
Abraham Buford. who commanded
regiment of $50 Virginians, and Colo
mel Tarleton Of the British army with
$50 cavalry and like number Of in
fantry."
The inscription on the north side Is:
The cruel and barbarous massacre
committed on this occasion by Tarle-
ton and his command after the sur
render Of Colonel Buford and his reg
iment, originated the American war
cry: Remember Tarleton's quarters
A British historian confesses that at
this battle the virtue Of humanity was
totally forgot"
Some Of the statements contained In
these inscriptions vary from the state
ments made by both American and
British historians. Evidently the num-
ber of Tarleton's forces are greatly ex-
aggerated. while those Of Buford are
greatly diminished.
The massacre Of Buford's forces
aroused the Scotch-Irish settlers Of
Chester, York and Lancaster, and the
result was that he British were de-
feated at Willia.nson's. Kings Noun
tain, the Cowpens and Yorktown.
r. Latham.