The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-08-21
"Bleody Bill. cunniash.m
.(John T. Boifauillett, in Augusta
- Chropicle.l

q. 40
.(John 7. Boifauillett, in Augusta
- Chronicls,l :
If you wish to read q blood-cur-
ding fhtory Of the brutal deeds Of a
most atrocious man, peruse this ar.
ticle. I have made 1t my ,theme TO-.
day in consequence of letter which
! have received from Mr.. .. H. Crisp,
postmaster at Fender, Tiff county,
Georgia, from which l quote the fol-
lowing:
~ should be glad if you would tell
me where I could find the facts in
regard to the Bloody Bill Cunning
ham massacre at Hayes Station, that
was enacted in Laurens county, South
Carolina, IN about 1775 to, 1880. I
was born on a farm in that county
which my father inherited from my
grandfather, Charles Allen, of Revol
lutionary fame. / was reared by q
widowed mother.
u have heard that my grandfather
was in the horrible massacre, but by
some means he missed being killed,
and effected his escape. He died in
1852, before 1 was born, aged ninety
four years.
"A monument was erected on the
spot Of the massacre, but it was
struck by lightning many, many
years ago, and broken into frag-
ments.
II should like to learn particulars
about Bloody Bill himself, and the
terrible butchery Of human life which
he perpetrated."
The awful and thrilling facts T
herewith present in this article. ]
have gathered and synopsized par
ticularly from Ramsey's History Of
South Carolina" published in 1853,
and from Landrum's Colonial and
Revolutionary History of Upper
South Carolina" printed in 1897.
"Corwin's Memoirs" "Johnson's Ira
ditions," "Oneall's Annals of New
berry," and Howe's History of the
Presbyterian Church of South Caro-
lina," also contain much interesting
information regarding the outrages
and atrocities of the infamous
Bloody Bill" Cunningham, or "Mur-
dering Bill" Cunningham as he is
called on many historical pages.
William Cunningham ("Bloody
Bill"J was born in Abbeville county
South Carolina, according to
"QNeall's Annals" In early man
hood he was promising and influen-
tial. At the beginning of the Revo
luton he enlisted in Capt. John Cald-
wells company, which was composed
of the most respectable young men
in the region Of Saluda.
One account says that Cunningham
was disappointed in not receiving the
commission of first lieutenant; an
other recital is, that when he enlisted
1t was with the stipulation that he
was to be carried to the lower coun-
try, but his company being taken to
Charleston, he resigned, but was pre-
vailed upon to accompany the com
lnand to James, or Johns Island, and
was there put in irons by order of
Captain Caldwell, was tried by court
martial and acquitted.
Whatever may be the true story,
it is fact that Cunningham desert
ed the American cause and became an
active partisan on the British side.
His service was, for the most part
directed against Marion."' His dar.
ing and aggressiveness won the Brit
ish favor, he was appointed captain
and promoted to major. His COM
mand was known as Cunningham's
Loyalists, having been recruited
largely in the vicinity of Orangeburg.
I can not within the limits of this
article give an account Of all the
cruel and outrageous acts perform
ed by Cunningham and his murder
Gus men in the diabolical raids, es-
pecially in the up-country of South
Carolina, where the most atrocious
attacks were made against the de-
fenseless Whig families. They liter
ally left the country through which
they passed in tears" Cunningham's
march "was characterized by celebrity
and destruction He gave no ad-
vertisement of where he was going
Plunder, burn and murder was
his motto In the unsuspecting
hours of sleep and domestic security,
they entered the houses of the soli-
tary farmers and sacrificed to their
revenge the obnoxious head of the
family 1t was a heartrending
scene to witness, the women burying
their dead"
Owing to the lack of space, can
only tell of a few of the Infamous
deeds of Bloody Bill and his noto,i-
GUS characters, who at times num-
bered three hundred mounted men,
The massacre at Hays Station in
the vicinity of Little River church, in
Laurens county, is the one about
which Postmaster Crisp asks infor-
nation Az 7 laor,, fropo &ba b;o