Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-12-16
MUSGROVE'S Mill
Brilliant, Incident Of American ReVo.
80 '''''. lutiOn.
BRITISH FORCE GOT GOOD DRUBBIKG
Americans Under Shelby, Clark and
Williams Went After Superior
Force of British and Tories, and BY
Good Strategy and Hard Fighting

Won the Victory.
Newberry News and Herald.
The fight at Musgrove's mill was one
Of the important battles of the Revolu-
zion in South Carolina and shines like
brilliant Jewel out of an uncertain
past. The date, was August 18th,
1889. This was only two days after the
disastrous defeat Of Gates at what is
known as the Battle of Camden" but
the participants in the Musgrovc affair
were ignorant of the results at Cam
den.
The leaders on the American side
were: Col. Shelby from the Holston
River country in Tennessee then
North Carolina), Col. Elijah Clarke of
Georgia, and Col. Williams, whose
home was on Little river, near the
Newberry- -Laurens line, as l am in
formed There had been some fight
ing at the "old Iron Works." some
miles further north than the Mus
grove place and Col Ferguson had
LEFT his wounded at Musgrove's and
had pushed on to the neighborhood of
what is now the city Of Winnsboro to
await news of the battle of Camden
Shelby and the others were camped at
Smiths ford near the North Carolina
line about forty miles away from
Musgrove's, on the evening of the 18th
of August. About two hundred men
left Smiths ford about sundown of the
17th, and riding all night arrived about
one mile north Df the Enoree, where
the mill Is located. about dawn on the
18th. 1t was agreed by Shelby, Will
iiams and Clarke that the command
should be held by all three jointly; and
they sent out scouting party, who
came into conflict with Tory patrol
several being injured on each side. At
this juncture our people learned that
the British had been reinforced by
Capt. Innes from Ninety-Six with a
troop Of two hundred men--the regular
garrison at Musgrove's being under a
British officer, Major Fraser. Some
ish force was five hundred men, Our
forces decided that it would he rash to-
attack so large a body Of men and that
it would be equally hazardous to re-
treat; and they were left no alternative
but to fight. ''., .! aH.'''
When the patrol came in with news
Of the slight skirmish, there was wild
excitement in the British camp. Capt
Innes was for marching over at once
and "bagging the whole lot of scurvy
ragamufflns" without waiting for the
patrol of one hundred men who had
gone about eight miles away, to return,
and this was decided on.
Our forces took position on tim
bered ridge about half mile on the
other side Of the mill and ford. The
lines were in a semi circle on the top
f the mill about three hundred yards
in length, concealed by the woods,
with a hastily improvlscd breastwork
Of such material as was at hand.
Shelby was on the right, Williams
in the center and Clarke on the left,
with twenty horsemen on the flank un-
der Josiah Culbertson. Capt. Inman,
who had already done signal service in
Georgia, with about twenty-five mount
ed men, went forward as a decoy, to
fire upon the British at the ford, to
provoke them to cross and gradually
TO lead them into the ambush prepared
by Shelby and the others. The plan
worked to perfection and the British
came forward in high glee at forcing
Inman at the point of the bayonet. In
man still kept up the pretended resist
ance until the British were near enough
for our men to "see the whites of their
eyes," AS the enemy were in about
seventy-five yards of the Americans
they being in some confusion in the
ardor of the pursuit were met with an
unexpected and deadly fire from, our
side, but they bravely rallied and with
a force numerically superior to ours, at
the point Of the bayonet pressed on
the right wing of Shelby, which gradu-
ally gave way, but his left wing hold
ing its position. Clarke sent a small
force to She by's assistance and this
was timely indeed. At this juncture
Innes, who had led the attack, was
shot from his horse by one of the rifle
men from over the mountains, upon
which occurrence Shelby rallied his
men and gradually forced the assault
ing party back, Culbertson's flanktng
party doing yeoman service just then.
Major Fraser was also seen to be
wounded. Several of the officers Of the
enemy were shot down and in the re-
sulting confusion, Clarke and the 9TH
ers made Il furious attack on the en-
emy and soon drove them off the field
after about twenty minutes of fighting,
in much disorder Captain Inman was
pressing them with his usual zeal and
fell pierced by many balls The vocal
discords made by the retreating British
together with the means of the dying,
| the smoke the noise of battle, all
made the occasion one Of great and
! exciting dramatic interest. The whole
thing soon became a route as the persu-
| ing Americans, with sword and rife,