|
Progress of Revolution
Source: A History of Marlboro County: With
Traditions and Sketches of Numerous Families,
1897
If hitherto the patriots in Carolina had
occasion for rejoicing that they had gained some victories,
and generally held their own against superior forces, the year 1780
opened with gloomy prospects for the cause of liberty. The approach
of great armies threatened their feeble
defenses.
Charleston was again to be
besieged, and the Pee Dee militia were called to aid in its
defense. A portion of the regiment under
Lieutenant-Colonel Kolb and another division under Colonel Hicks,
with Major Tristram Thomas, all men of Marlboro, were put upon
the march to the scene of conflict, while another
detachment under Major Benton remained upon the Pee Dee under arms
to watch the movements of the Tories, who were always especially
active in predatory warfare when any considerable portion of the
available men were away from home.
Charleston was
taken after a heroic defense of about forty days. Tidings
of the British success, and surrender of so many of the best men of
the land, filled the inhabitants of the whole country with
consternation and alarm. The approach of Wemys with his
troopers, to reap the fruits of victory, intimidated many into an
enforced allegiance to British rule. His progress
was marked with blood, destruction and conflagration, and it is not
surprising if many submitted, while others yielded in form, with a
secret reservation to resist when opportunity
offered. Few were bold enough to answer as old
Thomas Ayer did when urged by his neighbors to accept the protection
tendered: "it is not a question of property but of liberty."
And yet the cruelties perpetrated by the British and Tories
inspired a spirit of resistance and revenge that
atoned in large measure for their partial temporary demoralization.
Wemys did not long remain at Cheraw, but moved down the river to
Georgetown, and thence to Broad river, where he was captured by
General Sumter, and is said to have experienced unexpected humane
treatment from the men he had wronged. The men whom he
plundered—whose houses he had fired, had the honor to treat him as a
prisoner of war.
In June of this year, 1780, Major Me
Arthur, with his regiment of Highlanders, came from Camden to
Cheraw to have a convenient correspondence with the Tories, and
strengthen their cause, and forage upon the wealthy planters of the
Pee Dee. For a little while he made his headquarters at
Long Bluff. There it is said he "offered a reward for the
capture of Thomas Ayer," a noted Whig of Marlboro and a terror to
the Tories. He had led a band of daring scouts against a
nest of Tories, whom he severely punished by hanging a number of
them.
Mc-Arthur's reward was soon won by a company of Ayer's
Tory neighbors. They tied their captive with buckskin
strings, which of course would stretch when wet. But
about the time they reached Hunt's Bluff on their way to
"Headquarters," a terrific thunderstorm broke upon
them. As the river was to be crossed and several miles traveled
before reaching Long Bluff, it was decided to keep their prisoner
guarded in an old out-house near the river till the next morning's
dawn, and then resume their journey. Thinking that the
prisoner was secure, some of the party, including the leader, went
off in search of supper, leaving, as they supposed, a sufficient
guard. In the meantime Hartwell Ayer, the
brother of Thomas, got word of what was going on, and in the
darkness of the night dashed up to the door of his brother's
prison.
In a rage he dispatched most of the
guard, and sent Thomas back to his home to relieve the anxieties of
his household, while Hartwell and his party went in pursuit of other
game and left bleeding and wounded two more of the party they had so
unceremoniously cheated out of the coveted reward. McArthur was
terribly incensed when he heard of the fatal miscarriage of his
cherished scheme and crossed the river with a formidable party. Mrs.
Ayer with two sons, Lewis Malone and Zaccheus, had barely time to
escape to a hiding place in the swamps. Foiled again, the desperate
McArthur burned the dwellings,, killed the stock, sparing only a
barn filled with corn,, which he probably meant for his own horses,
but which was hastily removed and secured for the family when the
British left. An humble, faithful neighbor by the name of James
Sweat (a kinsman of the family, of that name now living in the
county), in the kindness of his heart, fed Mrs. Ayer and her boys
for several weeks. Mr. Sweat afterwards became a Baptist preacher of
useful life in the State of Georgia. Nathan Sweat, the brother of
Jamesr was caught about this time by some of McArthur's party and
was held as a prisoner for some days. Discovering which was the
fastest horse in the camp, he managed to mount him one day and
instantly made a dash for liberty. The friendly swamp received him
and stealthily he worked his way to his mother's door for a morsel
of food, and as she hastily reached it to his hand she cried
"Nathan, the enemy is upon you"; quick as thought the spurs were
applied and again he flew, his pursuers at his heels. The steps
lengthened between them, and McArthur was worsted again and Sweat
caught no more, but "lived to fight again."
But in the
progress of events, it was thought needfuli to withdraw the force
under McArthur to a situation less-exposed. Reports of advancing
Continentals caused the advanced posts like Cheraw,where McArthur
had returnedr to be drawn in, Accordingly about the last of July,
preparations were completed. A portion of the troops, along with the
sick and a number of negroes whom they had captured and persuaded to
leave their masters, were to be sent down to the river on boats
to Georgetown. Somehow or other the Whigs in the neighborhood
conceived the idea of capturing this flotilla. James
Gillespie a man of much influence, has been awarded the praise for
this bold idea. As he moved down the river with a few
trusted neighbors, the patriotic citizens gathered to give
aid. Major Tristram Thomas was given command. Hunt's
Bluff was chosen as the point of attack. In a
sudden bend of the river, a battery was thrown up immediately upon
the bank. Was it armed ? Yes, with
threatening looking cannon, but wooden, harmless
guns.
After awhile the silent
garrison beheld the floating armada slowly
descending the stream. Thomas made as formidable a show
of his little command as he could; some of them armed with pieces as
harmless as the pole cannon mounted upon the
bank. Yet he boldly demanded an unconditional
surrender ; and it was made, and more than a hundred prisoners
were sent to North Carolina. Scarcely had the bloodless action ended
before a large boat on its way from Georgetown to Cheraw with
supplies for McArthur hove in sight, as it was being pushed up the
stream-It too, was turned over to the American army. It
were well if all the enterprises of the American army could have
been as successful and bloodless. But not so.
A
few days after the events just recorded General Gates made his
appearance on the Pee Dee at and above Cheraw, with a considerable
force, on his way to Camden. His presence revived the hopes of the
people wonderfully. He offered" pardon to all who had subscribed
paroles imposed upon them by the hand of conquest," excepting, of
course, such as had turned their hand against the patriot cause.
Hope again came to the despondent. Hope, which alas, was to be tried
most sorely by Gates' defeat at Camden and his consequent retreat
through the country into North Carolina
For a time the warfare on the upper Pee Dee again became
desultory and irregular, but of a most distressing nature. Nobody
knew when a band of Tories would sweep down upon a quiet
neighborhood, drive off the stock, set fire to the buildings and
fences, and murder some well-known Whig. But towards the end of the
year the coming of General Greene in the State, and to the Pee Dee,
inspired confidence again. Although the results of the year's
campaign had been, on the whole, against the cause of liberty, it
required but a spark to set the people all ablaze with enthusiasm
for the cause they had espoused. Their spirits, sometimes
disheartened, but never crushed, now revived again. Sufferings
chastened but could not extinguish the love of liberty, nor could
disaster quench the purpose to defend their rights to the bitter
end.
.
|
|
This is a FREE website.
If you were
directed here through a link for which you paid $ for, you can
access much more FREE data via our South Carolina index page
at http://www.genealogytrails.com/scar/index.html
Also make
sure to visit our main Genealogy Trails History Group website
at http://genealogytrails.com for much more nationwide
historical/genealogical data and access to other state/county
data
|
Copyright ©
Genealogy Trails 2008
All Rights Reserved with Full Rights Reserved for Original
Contributor
|
