The herald., 1917-11-08

heart Of the American Sparta.
How Spartanburg came 10 receive
| it's name recalls the story of that
! ThermOpylue which modern historians
recognize as having had much To 10
| In bringing about the effective turning
point Of the Revolution which gave
| freedom to the United States writes
John Walker Harrington in the New
York Sun.
What is now the county Of Spartan
| burg was part Of District &c. a region
which In 1855 was purchased from the
! Cherokee Indians. It's inhabitants
were mostly Scotch and SCotCh-IriSh
families who had come down from
Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Between the Broad and SaIuda riv-
ers. In upper South Carolina. in the
region of the Blue Ridge. they had eS-
| tahliShed the three settlements Of
Upper Fair Forest, Lawson's Fork and
! Tigers. I'm their views Of life and
| conduct these pioneers bore many re-
| SemblanCeS TO the men Of ancient
| Sparta. They were Self-reliant and
aggressive. and endured toll, hardship
and pain without complaint.
When South Carolina cast her lot
with the other colonies she had much
| opposition from the Tories and Loyal
lists within her own borders. To over
come this opposition delegates were
sent out by the South Carolina Council
Of Safety To explain to the people the
situation out of which had grown the
first Continental congress. The repre-
sentativeS Of the council who went 10
| District 96 were William Henry Drny-
ton and Rev. William Tenant.
On their way they stopped at the
house OF Col. Thomas Fletchall. COM
mander Of q regiment consisting os.
tensibly of colonial militia but in
reality Of Tories. They had ncgotia-
tions with him in the hope OF inducing
| him 10 join the popular cause. Find
ing him obdurate. they proceeded fur
tber toward the Blue Ridge.
Mr.. DraytOn later reported that the
people of District 90 were capable of
resisting the Indians and also OF put
! ting check on Fletchall and that
therefore he had taken the liberty OF
supplying them with ammunition from
Fort Charlotte. which was just across
the line between the Carolinas as now
delirCated. Through his influence the
region was made into new divisions
| and he referred to the part where the
frOntiersnen were strongest and most
devoted 10 the cause OF liberty as the
Upper or Spartan district"
Organization Of The spartans.
Mr. DraytOn belonged to race OF
scholars, and to him the organization
of the settlements and the fearlessness
| of the inhabitants suggested very
| strongly the people who withStOod the
| Persian might in Greece. When n
regiment was organized in the dis
| trict Ii was called the Spartan regl-
ment. It's commander was Col. John
| Thomas. Sr. 1.-THE Spartans" were
| attached To the command Of Col. Rich
ardson and took an active part In the
snow campaign in which the Tory
forces were much harried. The name
Spartans was applied In time to all
Of those In northwest South Carolina
and although II Is difficult to trace the
history Of the regiment itself, the
people Of the region were continually
active In the cause Of liberty.
| Although South Carolina was for
three years without regularly or
ganized patriot army. the cause was
kept alive by such men "a Gen. Fran
els Marion, General Sumner and Colon.
ell Thomas Of the "Spartans." on one
occasion Thomas and several Of his
associates surrendered and entered
into an agreement TINT they would not
take up arms for m" balance Of the
| war. II was understood that II they
| retired to their homes they would
! receive protection from the British
| commanders. CONSIDERING however
| that the aCr"om"nt ith 'hom he'd
| been violated. they returned to The
cause and fought rs IN" annalists OF
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