The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-07

was seething in political turmoil the
late veteran editor, DR.. Kingsbury,
was editing a daily paper in Raleigh.
This paper was the leader in the fight
at the time to restore a stable govern
ment to the people. DR.. klngsbury
was a virile writer and he kept things
warm. But he was fond of literature,
and it is said that it was not infre-
quent for the paper to come out when
everybody was looking for red hot
political editorial, with the editorial
page devoted to some such dry sub
ject as the authorship of the Junius
letters.
In these stirring times, when one
might write editorials by the yard on
war, on the world wide confusion that
exists, on 1ynchings, on the price of
cotton, or on any of the many sub
jects pushing SO hard upon public at
tentiOn, we propose, like DR.. Kings
bury, to throw all such overheard for
the time being, and bark back to some
of the things that are past. We pro-
pose to tell something of a very great
and a very distinguished man whose
grave lies within twenty-five miles of
Monroe, in Lancaster county-Wil-
liam II. DdVle.
Many an illustrious man who served
| the people of this State in bygOne days
sleeps in an unmarked grave. Not SO
with Davie, who, though his public
career belongs to North Carolina, be
| longs jointly to North and South Car
olina. His grave is in the old WaXhaw
cemetery some miles below the Jack
son birthplace, and is covered by
| large horizontal slab containing an
/ q Ia ~ tn
been written by his friend, Governor
Castor of South Carolina. A half
day trip from Monroe is sufficient to
reach the old cemetery and to give
time for an exploration of its inter-
esting and historic graves.
| Davie was perhaps the most illus
trious citizen Of this State at the close
Of the Revolutionary War and for the
years succeeding it. Though little
past his twenty-first year when he
became conspicuous as a soldier, he
became the most active and useful
local leader of the Americans against
lCornWallis' campaigns in the upper
part of South Carolina and North Car
Olina. He was bat "a years Of age
when he, with a handful Of men, held
1.-The whole army Of CORVALLIS at bay
at Charlotte and caused the famous
English general to denominate that
locality a 'Hornet's Nest" He was
the Harry Percy of the Americans
and beside being a leader Of great
ability, he was a most Sklllful swords
man, and in that day of hand to hand
fighting, was said to have slain more
men in personal combat in battle than
any other man in the army. His per
!, sOnal elegance and grace were beyond
description. In after years when he
: was a member of a special commission
: to the court Of Napoleon a reception
| a a
| French court. 1t is said that at the
reception the Emperor was SO i'm
pressed with the bearing and manner
Of Davie that he addressed all hi:
attention to him as if there had beer
S no other members of the delegation
t The testimony to his militar,
genius was complete. When con
: Quoting the successful operations
. against the British at Hanging Neck
t S. c. Davies force was pilotet
0 through a shortcut by the lad An
= drew Jackson and his brother. Afte
jackson had accomplished his owl
wonderful career, he said that he hat
learned the art of war from William
0 r. DaVie. When General Washington
e was appointed to make preparation
;. for the threatened war with Franc
h after he had retired from the presi
n d'ency, he practically put the Who'll
:. matter of preparation in this sectiol
e in the hands of Davie. In the secon
n war with Great Britain Presiden
Madison appointed Davie a Majo
r General but he felt too old to accept
k General Harrison was then appointe
e in his stead, fought the battle in whic
: Tecumseh was slain, and afterwar
e became President of the United States
II In the Revolutionary War and tn
succeeding years there was no plac
of trust and service to which he wa
not called or in which he did DC
n assist.
"a William Richardson Davie wa
r born in the north of England Whe
3 seven years Of age he was prOugf
Is to the Waxhaw settlement and E5
SIS came the adopted son of his materna
rs uncle, Rev. William Richardson
d minister and teacher who had alread
IN located there in the Scotch-Irish SIC
le tement. He was sent to PrincetO