USA > South Carolina > Orangeburg County > The history of Orangeburg County, South Carolina : from its first settlement to the close of the Revolutionary War > Part 34
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lines. "Gen. Provost's whole army", writes Gen. Moultrie, "soon appeared before the town gates, at the distance of about a mile, the advance of his army be- ing about Watson's house, in the afternoon; when I ordered the cannon at the gate to begin to fire, which stopped their progress: We continued at the lines, standing to our arms, all night, and serving out am- munition to the country militia; who only came in the day before, with the governor: we were in expecta- tion of their attacking us that night."
On the next morning, in order to gain time for Lin- coln to come up, Governor Rutledge arranged a par- ley with the enemy through Gen. Moultrie. After gaining the whole day it was decided, principally by Gen. Moultrie, not to surrender the town but to "fight it out", and the truce was declared at an end; and Prévost, fearing that Lincoln would be upon his rear before he could take the city, withdrew that night, filed off to the left, and went to the sea islands.
The following is the account Ramsay gives of this invasion of South Carolina by Prévost while Lincoln was up the Savannah river and Governor Rutledge en- camped in Orangeburgh :*
"The series of disasters which had followed the American arms, since the landing of the British in Georgia, occasioned, among the inhabitants of South- Carolina, many well-founded apprehensions for their future safety." "In this time of general alarm John Rutledge, esquire, by the almost unanimous voice of his countrymen, was called to the chair of government. To him and his council was dele- gated, by the legislature, power 'to do every thing that appeared to him and them necessarry for the publick good.' In execution of this trust he assembled a body
*Revolution in South Carolina, Vol. II, pages 18 to 24.
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of militia. This corps, kept in constant readiness to march whithersoever public service might require, was stationed near the centre of the state at Orange- burgh. From this militia camp colonel Simmons was detached with a thousand men to reinforce general Moultrie at Black-Swamp. The original plan of pen- etrating into Georgia was resumed. With this inten- tion general Lincoln marched with the main army up the Savannah river, that he might give confidence to the country." * "A small force was left at Black-Swamp and Purysburgh for the purpose of defending Carolina". "General Prevost availed himself of the critical time when the Ameri- can army was one hundred and fifty miles up the Sa- vannah river, and crossed over into Carolina". *
"Lieutenant-colonel Mackintosh, * who commanded a few continentals at Purysburgh, not being able to oppose this force made a timely re- treat. It was part of general Prevost's plan to attack general Moultrie at Black-Swamp, to effect which he made a forced march the first night after he landed on the Carolina side, but he was about three hours too late. General Moultrie had changed his quarters, and being joined by colonel Mackintosh's party took post at Tulifinny bridge, in order to prevent the incursion of the British into the state, and to keep between them and its defenceless capital." * X
"The position of general Moultrie at Tulifinny was by no means a safe one, for the British might easily have crossed above him, and got in his rear. A gen- eral retreat of the whole force towards Charleston was therefore thought advisable."
* * * * "Governor Rutledge, with the militia lately encamped at Orangeburgh, had set out to join general Moultrie at Tulifinny bridge; but, on the second day of their march, advice was received of General Moultrie's re-
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treat, and that general Prevost was pushing towards Charleston. This intelligence determined the gover- nor to march with all the force under his command to the defence of the capital."
* "General Moultrie's retreating army, governor Rut- ledge's militia from Orangeburgh, and colonel Harris's detached light corps, which marched nearly forty miles a day for four days successively, all reached Charleston on the 9th and 10th of May. The arrival of such seasonable reinforcements gave hopes of a successful defence."
The following extracts concerning these movements by Moultrie, Lincoln, Rutledge and Prévost are taken from Col. Henry Lee's "Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department", (1812) pp. 82, S3: "Governor Rutledge, with the reserve militia, had established himself at Orangeburg, a central position, perfectly adapted to the convenient reception and distribution of this species of force, which is ever in a state of un- dulation. He was far on Prévost's left, and, like Lin- coln, was hors de combat".
He goes on to describe Prévost's attack on Charles- town, and further says, pp. 83, S4: "The father of the State had removed from Orangeburg with the reserve, to throw himself into Charleston, if possible. What was before impossible, had become possible by the forty-eight hours' delay of Prevost. Rutledge joined Moultrie; and Charleston became safe".
The next important movement was the attack on Prévost at Stono. Many of the "country militia", lately brought down from Orangeburgh by Governor Rutledge, were in that engagement.
In September, 1779, when the French fleet, under Count D'Estaing, and the American army, under Gen. Lincoln, moved against the British, under Prévost, in Savannah, the militia of South Carolina were ordered
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to assemble near Savannah. It is said-and it is doubtless true-that some Orangeburgh militiamen fought there.
The next important event of the Revolution was the siege of Charlestown by the British under Sir Henry Clinton and Admiral Arbuthnot, from February 11th to May 12th, 1780, when the city was formally surren- dered.
"The capital having surrendered", says Ramsay, "the next object with the British was to secure the general submission of the inhabitants. To this end they posted garrisons in different parts of the coun- try." One of these posts was established at Orange- burgh. The brick court-house, which stood about where the old "Marchant House" lately stood, was fortified and a garrison placed in it. Another post was established at "Ninety-Six", and the old road now known as the "Ninety-Six" road was used by the British troops passing between the two points. An- other of these posts was established at Granby, in Saxe-Gotha Township, nearly opposite where Colum- bia now stands, where Friday's house* was fortified and garrisoned. At a later period of the war the houses of Mrs. Rebecca Motte, and Col. William Thomson (Bellville) were also seized and fortified as British posts.
For about six weeks after the fall of Charlestown all military opposition to the progress of the British was practically suspended, but the British were not des- tinied to make an easy conquest of the State, for scarcely had the panic caused by the fall of Charles- town subsided before small bodies of militia arose in all parts of the State to harass the enemy, and, fortun- ately for the Southern States, Sir Henry Clinton
*Now known as the "Cayce House".
+Called "St. Joseph", afterwards known as Fort Motte.
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learned that a French fleet was soon expected about New York. This induced the Commander-in-Chief to re-embark for New York early in June, with the greater part of his army. He left Lord Cornwallis as commander-in-chief in the South with about four thousand men.
As early as July 12, a part of Sumter's militia regi- ment defeated a body of British troops and tories un- der Colonel Ferguson and Captain Hucks, respectively, in the up-country. Ferguson and Hucks were both killed. Col. Sumter soon raised 600 men and in less than a month fought two more battles with the Brit- ish at Rocky Mount and Hanging Rock. Col. James Williams, of Ninety-Six District, next defeated a con- siderable party of British and Tories at Musgrove's Mill on Aug. 18th. Various other little engagements were fought, with more or less success to the South Carolinians, during July and August.
Meantime an army of continentals and North Caro- lina and Virginia militia, under Major Generals De Kalb and Gates, successively, had been marching to the relief of South Carolina; reaching this State in August they were joined by various bodies of South Carolina troops, and on the 16th, was fought the Battle of Cam- den in which Gates's army suffered defeat and rout.
The British were very much elated over the victory at Camden, and again flattered themselves that all op- position in South Carolina was effectually subdued, but the spirit of independence was not to be crushed out in South Carolina, and the partisan organizations once more began to operate as Henry, of the Wynd, did, "on their own hook". Scores of skirmishes and and fights took place in all parts of the State-some in Orangeburgh District, already mentioned-and the South Carolina patriots had all but redeemed the State from the hands of the British when Gen. Greene
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arrived in the State from the North to complete the conquest.
As an example of what this partisan warfare was, some accounts of the Revolutionary experiences of Tarleton Brown, of that part of Orangeburgh District which was afterwards formed into Barnwell District, taken from his "Memoirs", will serve. He relates that when troops were first called for in 1775, a draft was ordered in his section, and that he was among those drafted; and that they were marched to Pocataligo, then under command of General Stephen Bull*, where they were stationed about seven weeks. Nothing of importance happening his company was discharged and returned to their homes. Scarely had they got there, he writes, before there was another draft for the first siege of Savannah .; He escaped draft, but was employed by William Bryant to take his place. They embarked in an open boat on the Savannah River, Capt. Moore commanding the company, and passed down the river to Savannah, which they reach- ed in three days. He writes: "We passed some heavy and mortal shots at the enemy, which were re- turned with equal fierceness and more deadly effect". "We stayed at Savannah about seven weeks, and then returned to South Carolina, un- der the command of Gen. Bull." He then relates that having become attached to the army he enlisted in the regular service, in April 1776, at Fort Littleton, Beaufort District, commanded by Captain William Harden. He next, in July 1777, left Capt. Harden and immediately joined Col. James Thompson's de- tachment§ on Pipe Creek, from which point he went
*He was only a colonel at that time.
+February, 1776.
¿State regulars-not Continentals.
¿Col. James Thompson is mentioned in Gen. DeSaussure's pam-
.
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on an expedition to Georgia under Capt. John Mum- ford. In this expedition Mumford was wounded and John Booth killed.
He next relates that during the final siege of Char- lestown, "Captain Mumford, in attempting to make his way to the American Army, was attacked at Morris' Ford, Saltketchie, by old Ben John and his gang of Tories. In this encounter the poor fellow lost his life, and a truer patriot and braver soldier never fell. He now sleeps at the foot of a large pine, on the left hand side of the main road to Barnwell C. H., a few rods South of the bridge, just at the turn of the road from which you can see the bridge". * * *
"In conjunction with Joshua Inman and John Green, I raised a company of horse, which we called the 'Ran- gers,' with the view of scouting those sections of the country adjacent to the Savannah River, both in Geor- gia and Carolina, as occasion required."
*
"A few months subsequent to this period, I withdrew from the 'Rangers' at Cracker's Neck, and connect- ed myself with a company of militia keeping guard at Burton's Ferry. We exchanged shots almost every day with the British and Tories, who were on the op- * posite side (Georgia)." *
"On one occasion I was under the necessity of going home on some important business. Soon after my ar- rival, a company of horse passed directly in front of our residence. My first impression concerning them was that they were a reinforcement of our guard at the ferry.
phlet, and by the Journal of the Council of Safety, as having been commissioned as captain of the Round O company, of the Colleton County Regiment, Jan. 11, 1776. As he seems by the above to have commanded a regiment in July, 1777, he must have raised it in the meantime in the section between the Edisto and the Savannah rivers. Major Bourguoin is mentiened as of Thompson's command.
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So soon as I had finished my business, I returned with all possible speed, overjoyed at the prospect of an ac- cession to our numbers. On reaching the fort, to my astonishment, I found it completely evacuated. My reinforcement turned out to be a gang of Tories from Jackson's Branch, on the Saltkatchie, commanded by that famous old Tory, Ned Williams. When they rode up to the ferry, the guard took them to be friends, and gave them a cordial reception, congratu- lating themselves upou so large an addition to their force. Thus they unconsciously and ignorantly de- livered themselves up to the enemy, and were taken across the river and placed in the hands of a large body of British and Tories, stationed at Harbard's store, about two miles from the ferry. The intelli- gence of this capture reached Col. Leroy Hammond at Augusta, who, without delay, marched down at the head of an effective force, and slew nearly the whole of the enemy, releasing and returning with the Whig captives to Augusta, from whence my father, who was one among the number taken, came safely home". Following this the writer gives some idea of the toils and perils of the Carolina Whigs in those dark days, and then he goes on to tell of an expedition into Georgia, and upon the return to South Carolina he says: "We learnt that Capt. James Roberts, who had been scouting with a company on the Edisto River, had (whilst encamping for the night, by some treach- ery of the Tories,) been delivered into the hands of Col. Chaney and Williams, who cruelly butchered many of his men, Capt. Roberts and the rest escaping only with their lives. For this outrage we deter- mined to have satisfaction. So thirty-six men, myself among the number, immediately volunteered under Capt. Joseph Vince, a fine officer and a brave soldier, to pursue these scoundrels, and to avenge the blood of
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our brave comrades. We overtook some of their number in what is called the 'Fork of Edisto River,' upon whom we visited summary and immediate jus- tice, killing five or six. From thence we proceeded to Captain Salley's 'Cowpens', a few miles distant. Whilst there our commander rode, unaccompanied, to a mill located near the house of the Pens. Here he was fired upon by several Tories lying in ambush hard by and seriously wounded by musket shot-in consequence of which he was disabled from doing duty for some time. This unfortunate circumstance interrupting our further march, we were compelled to retrace our steps and return to headquarters, Savannah River".
The writer next describes how a band of one hun- dred and fifty Tories under Chaney and Williams murdered Adam Wood, one of his neighbors, and burned his house; and relates that after the outrage the Tories started towards Capt. Vince's station, on Savannah River, and that he (Brown) suggested to John Cave that they warn Capt. Vince of his danger, which they did. He states that as Vince's force num- bered only twenty-five it was thought best to abandon the fort, which was accordingly done, and when the Tories arrived they found nothing. He then goes on; "From this point they turned towards their headquar- ters, on Edisto. In crossing Lower Three Runs, they stopped at the house of a Mr. Collins, a very quiet and inoffensive man, and far advanced in years, say about eighty-five. Whatever may have been the sentiments of this old gentleman, he maintained a strictly neu- tral position, shouldering arms on neither side: yet those fiends of darkness dispatched him, with his head as white as snow by the frost of many winters. for an eternal world." He writes that he continued scouting in both Carolina and Georgia until the fall of Charles- town; that after the fall everything looked so dark and
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gloomy in South Carolina that his brother, Bartlet, and himself determined to refugee to Virginia until the outlook in Carolina should become brighter; but that they had scarcely reached Virginia when they learned that the Tories had been committing many outrages in South Carolina, "particularly in our own dis- trict. The substance of which was that McGeart and his company of Tories crossed the Savannah River from Georgia, at Summerlin's Ferry (now called Stone's Ferry), taking the course of the river, and killing every man he met who had not sworn allegi- ance to the King. This notorious scoundrel passed in this trip through the neighborhood where my father lived, and brutally murdered seventeen of the inhabi- tants, among whom were my father, Henry Best, and Moore, leaving John Cave for dead, who afterwards recovered. They burnt my father's house level with the ground, and destroyed everything he possessed- my mother and sisters escaping by fleeing to the woods, in which they concealed themselves until the vile wretches departed. But the work of death did not stop here. This atrocious deed of the sanguinary McGeart and his band was shortly succeeded by an- other equally, nay, doubly cruel. The British Col. Brown marched down from Augusta with an over- whelming force of Tories and Indians, and taking their stand at 'Wiggins' Hill', commenced a slaughter of the inhabitants. The news of which reached the ears of those brave and dauntless officers, Cols. McCoy and Harden, who soon hastened to the defence of the terrified Whigs, and coming upon the enemy, charged upon them and killed and routed them to a man, Col. Brown escaping to the woods. Cols. McCoy and Har- den, having accomplished all that was required of them, retired from the field of action, after which Brown returned with the residue of his force and re-
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took the 'Hill,' at which he remained until he hung five of our brave fellows-Britton Williams,* Charles Blunt, and Abraham Smith, the names of the other two not recollected-then he decamped for Augusta."
The old veteran then relates that when Bartlet and himself heard of these outrages they at once returned to South Carolina to avenge the killing of their kin- dred; that at "Kingstree" they found Gen. Marion and joined his brigade. Account is given of several of Marion's engagements, and then the writer once more returns to his own district. He says:
"On the first day of April, 1781, I left Gen. Marion on the Big Pee Dee River, in company with eighty others, forming a detachment under command of Cols. Harden and Baker, and Major John Cooper. The two last named officers were from Midway settlement, Georgia. There were also several other brave and energetic men who rendered themselves conspicuous in the war in our detachment, Fountain Stewart, Robert Salley, the Sharps and Goldings, from Georgia. Our route lay by the 'Four Holes'. Crossing the Edis- to at Givham's Ferry, we fell in with a man who as- sisted Brown in hanging the five brave fellows at 'Wiggins' Hill'. We gave him his due, and left his body at the disposal of the birds and wild beasts. Pur- suing our march, we came to 'Red Hill,' within about two miles of Patterson's Bridge, Saltkatchie. It was now in the night, but the moon being in full strength, and not a cloud to darken her rays, it was almost as bright as day. Near this place were stationed a body of Tories, commanded by Capt. Barton. They were desperate fellows, killing, plundering, and robbing the inhabitants without mercy or feeling. A company of men, commanded by Major Cooper, were now sent to
*Britton Williams had been a member of the State legislature. (See page 276.)
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see what they could do with those murderers. In a few minutes after their departure we heard them fighting, which continued nearly one hour, when Cooper returned and told us he had killed the greater part of them, with but the loss of one man, John Stew- ard, from Georgia."*
The writer then gives an account of the capture of Pocataligo by Col. Harden. The next day Col. Mc- Coy's detachment came up and the Brown brothers joined him and turned their faces once more toward home. On their way home they chased Ned Williams and his gang of Tories into Saltkahatchie swamp. Continuing he says: "Next morning we went up to the 'Big house,' now belonging to Col. Hay, and there found those of my father's family that the Tories and Indians had left, whom we had not seen before for twelve months."
After recounting various other expeditions in which he and many of his neighbors took part he goes on to say: "Although the war had closed, the Tories were still troublesome, plundering and occasionally killing the inhabitants."
We now return to the regular army. After his de-
*Extract from a letter from Col. Harden to Gen. Marion:
"Camp on Saltketcher, April 18th, 1781.
" Dear General:
"This will be handed to you by Mr. Cannon, who will acquaint you of many particulars, which I can't mention at this present .- On Saturday, on the Four Holes, I came to a musterfield, where I took a Captain and 25 men, and paroled them, and on Sunday night got within six miles of Captain Barton, and six men to guard him. I de- tached Major Cooper and fifteen men who surrounded his house and ordered him to surrender, but he refused; a smart fire commenced and Major Cooper soon got the better, wounding Barton, who is since dead, and one other, killed three and took two prisoners. The Major got slightly wounded and one of his men, and lost a fine youth, Stewart, who rushed up and was shot dead."
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feat and rout at Camden, in August 1780, Gen. Gates took a stand at Hillsborough, N. C., where he collect- ed up his scattered army, but moved down to Char- lotte at the end of 1780. On December 2nd, 1780. Gates was superseded by Major-General Nathanael Greene. Greene at once commenced operations. On January 17th, following, a part of Greene's force, un- der Gen. Daniel Morgan, won a signal victory over the British under Col. Tarleton, at Cowpens, and the Am- ericans began at once to recover much of their lost ground. Battle after battle was fought, with more or less success to the Americans, and within one year nearly every fortified position outside of Charlestown had been either captured or so harassed as to cause an evacuation of it.
On February 19th, 1781, General Sumter crossed the Congaree in force and appeared before Fort Granby*
* "Camp at Friday's Ferry, Feb. 20th, 1781.
"Dear Sir:
"Hurry of business obliges me to be laconiek. I arrived at this place yesterday morning about four o'clock. Shortly after, attacked the fort, with which I have been ever since engaged. Everything hitherto favorable, and have no doubt but I shall succeed, if not in- terrupted by Lord Rawdon, who, I know, will strip his post as bare of men as possible to spare, to obviate which, as far as may be in your power, it is my wish that you would be pleased to move in such a di- rection as to attract his attention, and thereby prevent his designs. Timely assistance in this way portends much good to this State. I have also to request that every inhabitant of this State, westward of Santee be permitted to join their respective Regiments, or rather im- mediately repair to my station. I desired Col. Marshall, with what men we could collect to march down, east ward of Camden, and will probably fall in with you in good time. I wish and beg that you may suppress every species of plundering, as the greatest evils to the pub- liek, as well as individuals, are experienced thereby. You cannot be too particular. The enemy oblige the negroes they have to make fre- quent sallies. This circumstance alone is sufficient to rouse and fix the resentment and detestation of every American who possesses com- mon feelings. I shall be happy to receive an account of the state of things to the East and Northward. If you can, with propriety, ad-
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in Orangeburgh District, and destroyed all the British stores. Lord Rawdon, then commanding the British forces in South Carolina, immediately marched from Camden to the relief of Fort Granby, upon which Gen. Sumter retired. Of this attack Simms says, p. 209: "Such was the vigor with which he pressed the fort, that bis marksmen, mounted upon a temporary struc- ture of rails, had reduced the garrison to the last straits, when they were relieved by the unexpected approach of succor under lord Rawdon, who appeared on the opposite bank of the river. Unable to contend with the superior force of the British, Sumter made a sudden retreat." Gen. Moultrie says, Memoirs, p. 273, that Gen. Sumter the next day "appeared before an- other British post near Col. Thompson's", which was probably "Bellville" itself.
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