The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, August 13, 1953, Image 13
\
Thursday,
1 13, 1953
THE CLINTON CHRONICLE
Paj?e Fir#
BATTLE OF MUSGROVE’S MILL
WAS HIGHUGHT OF REVOLUTION ^
(By WILLIAM C. LAKE. In Th«
' Chariot !• ObMrTtr)
Union.—Tuesday, the 18th of Au
gust, marks the 173rd anniversary
of the Revolutionary War Battle of
MusgroveSs Mill near Union.
The brilliant strategy of Captain
Shadrack Inman, who led a detach
ment of 25 mounted Americans
opened the battle with a ruse at
tack on the British post. It result
ed in the death of the brave youth
ful officer but the battle was a vic
tory for the Americans.
In August, 1780, General John
McDowell of North Carolina, com
manded about 2,000 militia sta
tioned at Smith’s Ford on Broad
River. Colonel Elijah Clarke of
Georgia, was second in command.
Col. Isaac Shelby of North Caro
lina, commanded a regiment.
News reached General McDow
ell’s headquarters that a camp of
300 Tories were at Musgrove’s Mill
on Eno®ee Riven
Col. Shelby conceived the idea
of breaking up this camp.
Judge John Belton O’Neal says
that “the term of service for which
the men had enlisted at McDowell’s
camp was just about to expire.”
All Volunteers
Colonel Shelby, therefore, asked
for vounteers and obtained a force
of about 300 mounted men. His
idea was to make a surprise at
tack at Musgrove’s Mill and rout
the Tories. Secrecy and ,- speed
were necessary to accomplish this
plan. It was 40 miles from Mc
Dowell’s camp to Musgrove’s Mill.
Just before dark on the evening
of August 17 Shelby’s forces left
McDowell’s camp. During daylight
the men rode in the woods, but
when darkness came they entered
the roads.
Col. Thomas Brandon, Col. James
Steen and Major Joseph McJun-
kin of Union county, acted as
guides for the troops.
The horsemen knew that Major
Patrick Ferugson with his British
Rangers and Loyalists were en
camped at Fair Forest Shoals in
Union county, so they steered clear
of this post for fear they might
get wise to their purpose.
When Shelby’s forces were with
in about half a mile of the Tory
camp they learned that on the
night previous that the King’s
American Regiment commanded by
Col. Alexander Innes, of New
York, about 300 strong, had reached
the Tory forces at MusgroveSs —
Encounter Patrol
Shortly, the enemy patrol fell
in with Shelby’s advanced corps.
The patrol was immediately fired
upon and driven in. The enemy had
one killed, two wounded and the
other two of the five-man patrol
fled for the camp. Two Americans
were wounded. This gave the ehe-
•my the alarm.
The American forces were worn
to a frazzle by all night’s riding
over rugged terrain. They were too
tired.to retreat and too grave not
to fight.
Grouno was selected for the en
gagement, stretching at right an
gles across the road, about one-
half mile from Enoree River. The
lines formed a semi-circle. Both
ends of the lines extended into a
wooded area.
Shelby took command of the
right wing, Clarke the left and Col.
James Williams of South Carolina
ni the road in the center.
Breastworks of logs were hastily
thrown up. Within half an hour
they had one breast high.
False Attack
Captain Inman with a company
of 25 mounted men was sent in ad
vance to make a false attack on
the enemy. This feint was well
executed. Inman and his men
charged on the enemy and fired
their pieces, and then as planned
fled in apparent confusion.
When the two members of the
Tory patrpl returned to camp and
told of the approach of the Ameri
cans, the British camp was in a
quandary. Immediately Col. Innes,
Captain Abraham DePeyster, Capt.
Davis Fanning and Col. Daniel
Clary went into a conference at the
British officers headquarters in the
Mfcsgrove residence.
7 T1
tack, was the only American offi-! previously announced October 12.
cer to lose his life.
Historian Lyman C. Draper said
that “Great credit is due Capt.
Inman for the successful manner
in which he brought on the action,
and the aid he rendered in conduct
ing it to a triumphant issue.”
Capt. Inman followed the chase
of the retreating British and Tories
and while doing so he was shot sev
en times, one a musket ball, which
piereved his forehead.
He is said to have fallen near the
trunk of a Spanish oak. A> monu
ment has been erected nearby to
his memory.
Court Postpones
Until December 7.
The decision was to give battle.
Their forces were much larger
than the Americans and they fig
ured it would be snap.
While Inman and his horsemen
were making the foil attack, the
other forces under Col Williams
were concealed behind the breast
works.
The enemy struck the center of
the American line after the flight
of Inman’s detail and pressed for
ward in pursuit of his horsemen,
but were in disorder, shouting
“Huzza for King George^”
On approaching the breastworks if 1"
they were unexpectedly met with)XpnrAnStinil LfKfi
deadly fire, but npt until the Amer- VUJW
leans had seen the whites of the
enemy’s* eyes. The order had
come down the line to hold their
fire until then—and they did.
After an hour's fighting the left
wing of the enemy,, the King’s Reg
iment, drove the American right
wing, under Shelby, from their
breastwork. The American left
wing, which was opposed by the
Tories, maintained its position.
Make Charge
The right wing gradually gave
way, while the left flank contained
its connection with the center of
the breastwork. At this juncture
Col. Clark sent his 401-man reserve
to Shelby’s aid. Shelby then rallied
his men and ordered a charge.
They leaped over the. breastworks
and the enemy was broken and
fled in confusion.
It was a complete rout along the
whole line, and the enemy was
chased to the Enoree River with
great slaughter.
Col. Shelby said that the battle
of Musgrove’s Mill was the hard
est and best fought action he was
in. It was considered one of the
most brilliant affairs fought by any
partisan corps during the Revolu
tion.
Captain Inman, who led the at-
Washington, Aug. 4.—Race seg
regation in public schools will be
reargued before the Supreme Court
starting next Dec. 7 instead of thd lators and conventions which rati-
Court Clerk Harold B. Willey,
disclosing this today, said the de
lay came at the request of Atty.
Gen. Brownell, who wanted more
time for the Justice Department
to work on the new brief in the
cases.
Segregation practices in Kansas,
South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware
and the District of Columbia ar?
involved directly in the court ac
tions.
The Supreme Court first heard
arguments last December. Then on
June 8 it announced no decisions
would be reached until after re-
argument.
Brownell’s request for deferment
was made in a letter which said
other attorneys involved in the
cases had no objections to post
ponement of the reargument. <
The attorney general added that
the questions which the court
wants discussed on reargument “re
quire intensive study of a large
range of legal and historical mate
rials, such as the understanding of
the Congress and the state legis-
fied the 14th Amendment, con
cerning its effect on segregation in
public schools.”
The 14th Amendment, adopted
after the Civil War says states
may not abridge the privileges and
immunities of citizens, nor deny
them equal protection of the law.
The Supreme Court in calling for
the reargument said it wanted to
know if the highest tribunal has
the power in construing the
Amendment, to abolish segregation.
It also asked if a ruling against
segregation would require an im
mediate decree admitting Negro
children to schools of their choice,
or if a decree might be framed to
permit a -gradual adjustment to a
public school system having no
color distinctions.
The Justice Department in ia
“friend of the court” brief filed
before the first argument last De
cember took a stand against con
tinued segregation in public
schools.
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