The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1917-08-17
THE BATTLE OF BLACKSTOCK
Mrs. Josephine Mccall FAINT.

The Battle of Blackstock fought
Nov. 20, 1880.
Blackstock is situated one and one
half miles on the south side of Tiger
river, across what used to be Bront
Factory Bridge, later Floyd's Bridge,
and still later McCrady's Bridge. 1t
was here on Dutchman's Creek that
the first cotton or yarn factory in this
county stood-thus the bridge got its
first name.
Blackstock was large tobacco
house built of logs, long and narrow
and of two apartments of Is feet
square with Is feet space between
and roof or wall. In the rear of
the house, a few hundred yards, was
the crossing place of the Tiger river;
midway from the house to the river
was hill sloping down from the right
nearly parallel with the house. and
terminating at the road. The house
was on a second elevation below the
hill with open woodland forming a
half moon with its concave to the
| front. The road led from the river
by the right of the house, and, pass
ing it's front. descended through the
field about 100 yards to a small rim
let On the right of the road, oppo-
site the end of the house was a small
pole building. On the second eleva-
ton, in the rear of the house and par
allel thereto, General Sumter en-
camped his troops, expecting that he
would be attacked. He assigned to
each corps it's position. Colonel Hen
/ ry Hampton was directed to occupy
the house with his troops. Colonel
Twiggs of George, the senior officer
under General Sumter, assisted by
Colonel Clarke and Majors Gambler
and Jackson with the Georgia troops,
was to occupy the fence and woodland
to the left of the house. Colonels
Bratton, Taylor, Hill and Mccall were
to occupy the right of the house with
their right formed on the curve of the
rising ground. Their corps was to be
commanded by their general in per-
son. Colonel lacey was directed to
cover the right, and Colonel Winn to
occupy the hill as corps of reserve.
Colonel Gambler had been detached
on the march to collect provisions.
General Sumter's force consisted of
420 men.
Tarleton had information before 10
o'clock on the morning of the Goth of
Sumter's retreat. On reaching a ford
on the Enoree, he found that Sumter
had passed the river nearly two hours
before. He states that a detachment
to cover the rear was waiting there
the return of patrol, and that the
advance guard of the British dragoon
charged this body and defeated them
with considerable slaughter. The
facts, as given by Mccall, were that
Captain Patrick Carr with few men
mad been ordered to reconnoiter, and
had taken prisoners three unarmed
Loyal militia and two boys who had
been to the mill Carr was conduct
ing these men to camp when Tarle-
tons advance guard came upon them.
Carr gave them a shot and fell back
to the main body, leaving the prison.
ers and mill boys behind. These poor
fellows were killed by Tarleton's men.
Tarleton pressed on with his whole
force until o'clock in the afternoon,
when apprehending that Sumter
would pass the Tiger river unpro-
tested before dark, he left his Legion
LIGHT infantry to march at their own
pace. while he made a rapid pursuit
with 10 cavalrymen of the Legion
and so mounted infantry men of the
Sixty-third regiment. Colonel Chan
der with his forage wagon, had just
passed Sumter's picket when the pick
ct fired on Tarleton's van.
Taylor, with his party and wagons,
ran in with the pickets and were close
ly pursued by the British dragons
when they entered camp. Tarlcton
Immediately advanced to the attack,
as he came up with Sumter at Black
stock before 5 o'clock in the evening.
Upon receiving the fire of the
American picket he ordered his infan-
try to dismount, and with the cavalry
made rapid charge through the
fields on the Georgians under Colonel
Twiggs. The British infantry ad-
vanced, and Sumter, leading on Brat
ton, Taylor, Hill and Mccall to the
attack, gained their flank. Colonel
Lacey's mounted infantry advanced to
the west side through a thick wood,
within rs PAGES of the enemy, undis-
covered, when with well--directed
fire 20 men and nearly as many horses
fell. Tarleton's cavalry were afraid