Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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"Blpody Bill" Cunningham (John T. Boifauillett, in Augusta Chronicle.) If ypu wish to read a tyopd-curdling'atory of the brutal deeds of a roost atrocious man, peruse this ar tide. I bave made it my theme today in consequence of a tetter which I have received from Mr. J. H. Crisp, postmaster at Fender, Tift ootmty, Georgia, from which I quote the following: "I should be glad if you would tell me where I could find the facts in regard to the 'Bloody Bill' Cunningham massacre at Hayes' Station, that was enacted in Laurens county, South Carolina, l,n about 1776 to. 1780. 1 was born on a farm in that county which my father inherited from my grandfather, Charles Allen, of Revol ?u nonary rame. i was reared by a widowed mother. "I have heard that my grandfather was in the horrible massacre, bat by some means he missed being killed, and effected his escape, tie died in 1852, before I was born, aged ninetyfour years. ( "A monument was erected on the spot of the massacre, but it was struck by lightning many, many years ago, and broken into fragments. "I should like to learn particulars about 'Bloody Bill' himself, and the terrible butchery of human life which he perpetrated." The awful and thrilling facts I herewith present in this article. I have gathered and synopsized particularly 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. "Coxwin's Memoirs," "Johnson's Traditions," "Oneall's Annals of Newberry," and Howe's 'History of the Presbyterian Church of South Carolina," also contain much interesting information regarding the outrages and atrocities of the infamous "Bloody Bill" Cunningham, or "Murdering Bill" Cunningham as he is called on many historical pages. William Cunningham ("Bloody Bill") was born in Abbeville county South Carolina, according to "QNeall's Annals.'' ? In early manhood he was promising and influential. At the beginning of the Revo lution he enlisted in Capt. John Caldwell's 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 a first lieutenant; another recital is, that when he enlisted it was with the stipulation that he was to be carried to the lower country, but his company being taken to Charleston, he resigned, but was prevailed upon to aocompany the com " man'd to James' or John's Island, and was there put in irons by order of Captain Caldwell, was tried by courtmartial and acquitted. Whatever may be the true story, it is a' fact that Cunningham "deserted 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 British favor, he was appointed a captain and promoted to major. His command was known as Cunningham's Loyalists, having been recruited largely in the vicinity of Orangeburg. I can not within the limits of thus article give an account of all the cruel and outrageous acts performed by Cunningham and his murderous men in the diabolical raids, especially in the up-country of South Carolina, where the most atrocious attacks were made against the defenseless Whig families. 'They literally left the country through which they passed in tears." Cunningham's march "was characterized by celerity and destruction . . . He gave no advertisement 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 solitary farmers and sacrificed to their revenge the obnoxious head of the family ... It was a heartrending scene to witness, the women burying their dead." Owing to the lack of space, I can only tell of a few of the infamous deeds of "Bloody Bill and his notorious characters, who at times numbered 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 information. As I learn from the historians mentioned by me, at this place there was a small block house, inside of which was about twenty-three men, commanded by Colonel Hays. Cunningham reached this place unexpectedly to Hays. This was in the close of the year seventeen hundrec and eighty-one (1781). According to the narratives, the house was set on fire by irons heater] in a blacksmith shop nearby, which were thrown on the roof. The only alternative was either to be burned alive or to surrender themselves. Co*. Hays surrendered on condition thai he and his roen were to be treat*] as prisoners of war. Ramsey's History says: "Colon al Hays and Captain Daniel Williaivu were hung at once on the pole of * fodder stack. This breaking, thoj both fell, on which Major William Cunningham ("Bloody Bill") cut them into pieces with his own sword Joseph Williams, a boy fourteen yean old, cried to his eldest brother, at they were putting him to death: '01 Brother Daniel, what shall I tel mother?" Cunningham turned U r':'V \ ^, i i y?pipw > fp^iwi htm.tdd replied: "Yau ball tell her j nothing, 'you 4?ii ii-.M suckling,' *nd with his swprd hewed him down," . The Ramsey recital continues, "^unnjngfram tijrnad upon the qth^rs and continued og them .the operations c 1 of his savage barbarity, till the pow- * ers of natur Mb* exhausted, and * his weakened hal* refusing to ad- c 1 minister any longer to his insatiate v ' fury, he called upon his comrades to ' 1 complete the dreadful work by 1(111ing whomsoever of the prisoners e they pleased. They Instantly put to death such of them as they personally disliked. Only two fell in action, ' but fourteen vfere deliberately cut 1 to pieces after their surrender. Their ! names and rank wore as follows: Col. Joseph Hays, Capt. Daniel Wil- v Hams, Lieut. Christopher Hardy, 8 Lieut. John Nell, Clement Hancock, c Sr., Joseph Irby, Jr., John Milven, 0 James Feris, John Cook, Greaf Irbjr, e Benjamin Goodman and Yancy Sax- n on." Another of Cunningham's fiendish deeds was the "Massacre at the 0 Turner House," as the crime is call- * ed in history. Captain Sterling Turn- 6 er was a. popular and intrepid officer. On one occasion he, with twenty-two c of his heroic patriots and old Captain a James Butler, took refuge in a hous 1 and bravely defended themselves 1 igainBt an attack by Cunningham and lis forces of two hundred and fifty When the ammunition of Captain 3 Turner's men was about exhausted. 0 and Cunningham set fire to a shed ^ attached to the house, Captain Turner v and his gallant band surrendered, on : eceiving solemn promise that they ^ would be treated as prisoners of war, and were to be sent to the nearest * British post. * According to Historian Johnson, and as I found it in Land rum's His J tory, they were to march out with -dubbed arms, and to ground them in front of the house. Captain Turner ind Butler came out first. As soon as they passed the door of the house 1 Cunningham drew his sword and said: 1 "These fellows had better be paroled ' and I will show you what kind o4 parole they are to have. Do you fol 1 low my example." With this he e made a blow at Butler, but missed him, and Butler, with -his clubbed v rifle, struck one of them to the \ ground, and by a blow from another :e fell dead on the man he knocked 'own. In a few moments every man .vas thus murdered except one, whe ; vas saved with difficulty, by the in- a ercession of a relative belonging to 1 Cunningham's command. "Thus fell ; he venerable Captain Butler and hi' 0 vorthy commanding officer, Captain 1 Turner, together with twenty-three 0 of their brave men. Captain Butler a had been a very active and useful '' fuvtiw ui HIC tauy iinrv U1 me Wd" ind had resigned in favor of Captain Turner, by reason of infirmities ot age?H - ?w *? -+7' i It will be recalled that I stated at he commencement of this article that Cunningham originally enlisted in the Revolution on the American side in the company of Capt. John Caldwell, ?n uncle of John C. Calhoun. Historical accounts say that Cunningham, at the head of a party, rode up to the gate of Major Caldwell and hailed him. The major walked out, >.nd when within a few paces of Cunningham, ''Bloody Bill" drew a pistol and shot him dead , in the presence of his wife, who fainted as she saw him fall. Captain Steadman was sick in bed at the home of Mr. Charles Moore Cunningham shot and killed him on his couch. Two other young men who were in the house tried to escape, but they were fired upon as they ran, 'and fell dead in their tracks. These few instances of a long list of similar villanous deeds, wil serve to give the reader an idea of the atrocious character of "Murdering Bill" Cunningham. Be it sufficient to say that on two of these occasions he and his men murdered thirty-five persons. Unceasing efforts were made to capture Cunningham, but without success. On one of these pursuits a number of his men were seized, killed and buried in a common grave at the foot of the hickory trefc whero they met their death. After the Revolution, "Bloody Bill" fled from South Carolina to the Spanish possessions in Florida. His final fatehas never been recorded by historians, so far as my readings have disclosed. His property in South Carolina was confiscated. I , m , 1 Illiteracy in Cuba Said to be Increasing t Havana, Cuba, Aug. 18.?Illiteracy i among white Cubans between the > ages of 10 and 14 years has increased c 16.5 percent between 1907 and 1919, c ? nnrl nmnno Kloolra OO Q *oni?/*ont ?? i cording to an analysis by Diario de la { Marina of data contained in the 1919 j Cuban census, which has just been c made public. The paper points out c I that this increase in illiteracy oc- ( > curred while Cuba enjoyed self gov' ernment, and declares that it indi- t 1 jcates a fundamental crash;" failure f of the Cuban school system. i The following figures are quoted < I Joy Diario de la Marina to substanti- | ate its analysis. The 1907 census ( showed that 70.6 percent of native t ) white and 69.9 percent of native f i black children could read and write, j ' The 1919 tables showed a decrease in } i these percentages to 55.1 and 47.6 1 t respectively. In pointing the moral of its analy- \ I sis, the paper asserts that this il- t > literacy imperils the republic, for the ( I ignorant children of 1919 will soon j 1 be the citizens who will direct the 1 > country's destinies. j N i t Viia, The CriMUnof % *?" The Life ctf the Wotfrl New York, Aug 17?(By the Asa iated Press).?Proof of the paieoi olpgist'a pet theory that Asia wi he "mother of continents" and tl radle of life on this globe?carfryir vith it great promise of the discovei n the wastes of the Gobi desert * he long-sought "missing link" in tl ivolution of mankind?has been four >y the Third Asiatic Expedition 1< >y Roy Chapman Andrews for tl tnlbrican Museum "of Natural Hi ory, Henry Fairfield Osborn, tl Museum's ' director, announced toda The "proof," to the uninitiate vonld appear to be just a heap of fo ilized bones, dug up by a band ? urious men in the frozen wastelan< if Mongolia. But to the mind trail d in groping back through hundret f thousands of years for history < he days when man was not, thei ossilized remains of dinoaurs or ither prehistoric beasts and reptil< urnish a conclusion simple and. ii yituble as "two times two." . . . The discoveries, barely hinted at i able dispatches, are fully report* nd interpreted by Dr. Osborn?oril nal proponent of the "Asia, moth< f continents" hypothesis?in the cu an> Soo.io. * m v??v ioouc vi uiu inai^a^iiit; nam, XI nagazine cooperated with the Mi earn and the American Asiatic Assi iation in organizing this most an litious of all similar expeditions, t< irard the financing of which liber; ontributions were made by J. ] forgan, John D. Rockefeller, Ji Irs. Willard D. Straight, George 1 laker, Darwin P. Kingsley, Dwigl V. Morrow, Childs Frick, W. A. Ha iman, the late H. P. Davison ar nany others. -the hypothesis put forwaxd by D )sborn in 1900?and now confirmt o his satisfaction?was based on tl act that two great deposits of r uains of animals at the dawn peric f mammalian life on the northei emiaphcre has been found previou y at widely separated points?tl ne in Europe, the other in the An rican Rockies. They could not have original chere the remains were found, D )sborn reasoned, else they wou lave spread westward from Euro] nd eastward from the Rockies du ng the period of early dispersa fence, he held, they must have ori| nated at some halfway spot on ii ess explored side of the globe, tra ling as far as the Rockies on tl ne hand and Europe on the othe efore the early sun set on the la f their line. He then drew up eries of charts locating Asia as tl lispersal center, and plotting o vilh a nicety remarkable in view < he expedition's discoveries, the spo rhere the first centers probably we A little farther on than the epcpec ion has gone so far is the secti< abelled "primate"?the species ipe held by paleontologists to he ieen the first ancestor of man. So enthusiastic has Dr. Osborn b ome over the expedition's discove es to date, and the promise for tl uture that he plans to sail for P !*%/? t Urv itrmf-Aw LIU?9 i.uv. triii x n^au^uaivviO) uv ember 15, to get first hand repor ind aid in mapping out the campaif or the second year of the five ye; >rogram. Writing, with elation, on the r ioi*t received from Mr. Andrews, E Jsborn said of the fossil deposits: "This discovery gives the answ 0 one of the four great questio: vhich the expedition sought to solv lamely, whether ancient Asia is tl nother of the life of Europe to tl ar west, of North America to tl ar east. It is a kind of realization 1 poleontologic Garden of Eden? he birthplace, or Asiatic homelan rom which many kinds of reptil ,nd mammals spread westward ai astward. "The existence of such a cent ias long been a matter of pure the y?we have waited until 1922 erify it. This verification has con irith unexpected suddenness and wi i completeness beyond our fonde topes, and there still remains foi -ears in which the great expeditio inder Roy Chapman Andrews w ill out the details." Mr. Andrews' report was made in etter dated May 9 at Urga, in upp Mongolia. The party had set o rom Peking a month before, travel ng the desert by motor truck towa rurin, where they planned to meet aravan of 75 camels with suppli< vhich had been sent on head. Halfway across Mongolia, betwe Calgan and Urga, the attention he explorers was caught by some i eresting geological exposures, ai amp was made. While supper w ooking, the three geologists of t jarty?Walter Granger, Charles Jerkey and Frederick Morris?beg, >roapecting, and within a few yar >f camp, discovered some bones iinosaurs. This was the first disco ;ry of giant reptiles in northern As The region promised to be so i eresting that Mr. Andrews left t teologists at work and pushed on Puriiv 1f>2 milea nnnt.h nf TIrcrn wi >ther members of the party, to me :he caravan. He accompanied t aravan to Urga, planning to plun leeper into the heart of Asia. B it Urga he received a letter from t fossil-hunter-b^-chief, Granger, tei ng of such rich discoveries that tarried back. The dinosaurs, remains of whi vere discovered in great profusii vere found to belong to the Upf Cretaceous period?very close to t Vge of Reptiles?and to bi strikin y similar to those' of the Rockies tmeilca and those found in Euro] I ' I t 1 On top *tif 'jtiril dfcwntir beds were J ldytrs of awB|wHm fowlli, belong* ing to the period of mammal life?the Idleui.' Above these were ?- fossils beleaftaf to the Lower Mion" cene or latdjjftW1' parted,' and mingled 18 with these* "iNe It thenpemains of a u giant manftlrt Uoi fotod either in IK Europe op fttftth America, bUttUniy lar to one >UWl"bfl?ne yi%n ago 3' in BaluchNpta/ ttxttfcwest of India, and dubbM Baluchitherium?<the largest land lanlAal known to have existed. 10 Other fifittagt tteiuded fossils of s* rhinoc-erc ses, Immense tortoises, large ie carnivorae,-trtffcodBmr and turtles and ^ enotigh others to make a Barnum weep that none *Uch still live. B~ These bygone animals, said Mr. 9 Granger, boffe Unmistakable re* semblance to those found in Wyom3~ ing, including two kinds of flesh-eat' ing dinosaur* and a smaller running 3 fellow called the Ostrich dinosaur. There wewT^other fossile, of the u dinosaur known as the Iguanodonts? 96. a tall, two t||Ked herbivorous beast 1? which ranged from southern England to the-Xow^JSiBiey coast. ^ Describing -bis trip, Mr. Andrews wrote:"We reachaftTurin Without a single 31 accident and, as We approached the r" outskirts of t|0? Mpngollan town, wc ie saw a large caravan and decided tp J" camp. These I suddenly recognized 3 the AmericaXBjPag and realized that it was the caiavan of the American ?" Museum Expedition. it had been p Ave weeks on 4he way from Kalgan and had just arrived one hour before p' us. Pretty fta* connection for a 700h4* mile journey.ogprosa- the plains, was it not? We went over to the great id i*ocky outcrope-giid pitched our tents. The caravan followed and reached our r encampment one hour later. It was i?j in inspiring .sight as the 76 camels ;e wound up frstf) the plain with the American flag rat the head. It made )(j me realize, as nothing else had, that .n the Third Atfn?ia ?. Expedition was g really an ac?msplished fact, that all the long days and months of preparan_ tion in New ?ork<had resulted in this: it was a dream come true." ^ Gubernatorial Contests Attract . Attention jC . ' In Montana I- Cheyenne, WjTO., Aug. 19.?(By the Associated ?res s) ? Interest in Wyoming's primary election August v~ 22 centers in the contests in both the le Republican and Democratic parties !r? for the gubsrnatorial nomination. Bt I he United ^States senatorship is not a an issue in the Lri mary for the rcaac son that there il only one candidate ut in each party f>r. the nomination? of Frank W. Monthly floor leader of the national House) of Representatives, rc Republican,. ajftjQhn B. Kendrick, incumbsnt,who seeks re"* election. The wW^l-Kendrick fight }Tt in November, hWrever, is expected to ?* be one of the nstst spectacular in the ve history of Wynning politics, both having a large {personal following. e" Robert D. Carey, incumbent'' has r" been challenged, for the Republican nomination for Governor by John W. e" Hay of Bock Springs. The issue beP tween the two m^n has been over the ta matter of econottty in state govern?n ment expenditure, Hay charging the ar administration With extravagances. Governor Carey- has denied the charges. >r- The Democratic-contest for governor is between William B. Ross, the er straight party candidate, Frank Mcn8 Dowell, indorsed~by the conference e: for progressive political action, the i*e farm-labor movement. There are two candidates for the k- Republican nomjnation for Wyomof ing's only merfioer of Congress and three for the Democratic nomination. lt> All state officers; two justices of the es supreme court, in addition, will be nominated. er County Campaign Meetings ?" yy to Tuesday, August 22, morning, Blaci, rte Rock; night, Ottaray Mills, tk Wednesday, Aagust 23, Cross Keys, 8t Thursday, August 24, morning ur West Springs; and Buffalo at ? n, o'clock p. m. HI Friday, August 25, morning, Jonesville; and Wallace Mills, night, a Saturday, August 26, morning, Keler ton; and Lockhaft at night, ut Monday, AugUit 28, 8 o'clock p. m ?- Union, at monun^snt. a Legion BsundsfWill -s> Compete lin New Orleant e" New Orleans, 'Aug. 20.?New Or ^ loana will ow f t\ A1%a 1 n A iv uuo tt ii* V/IUI.1 ?*?* biic loij^t'Sb an "" sembly of musical organizations ir its history durirtjg the* American Ijc as gion national eotavention next Octo ber, according to plans announced bj **' the convention band contest commit Bn tee. More than 100 bands and drun corps from all sections of the Unite States are expected to compete ii prize contests. Entries, which wii n" be restricted to Legion organizations ho will be judged by a committee of Nev *? Orleans musicians as the units marcl Iin by the reviewing stand in the conVen !6t tion parade. Prizes for the band contest will be *e First $1,000, second $600, third $260 Sut Bands will be judged on the pollowinj he points: Playing 76 points, appear ance 10 points, marching 10 points h* and number of instruments 6 points The winner of 'lllte drum corps con test will receive $260 with a priz >n? of $100 for second place. Playini >er will count for B0, points, gppearanc he 20 points, marching 20 points an< '0* number of instruments 10 points, in >* pe. "Cross Crossing* Cautiously." .... # r I I I ^jk. hhuhhi i I WAN! f i rmi i i 1 EIGHT THOUSAND DOLU SUBSCRIPTIONS TO STOCK If WE ARE PUNNING TO TAI CROPS A YEAR. ONE THOU PRODUCE. YOU WILL HELP AND YOU WILL BE MAKING MENT IF YOU WILL TAKE $5 OF STOCK IN THIS ENTERPRIS HELP US TO HELP UNION I DIRECTLY, YOURSELF. | OUR ONE AND ONLY i '% OPERATIVE CAPITAL. TAKE T | Union Canning & P I LEWIS M. RICE, P! x i T X T T T : f f ? w X t ' f i V T y ' T ' T 1 I J o mk I ? V hed| X LRS ADDITIONAL i J THE CANNERY. ? CE CARE OF FIVE % SANH AfPFQ AU * i/ruiA/ X~IVIUJU VI ^ A GOOD CAUSE X A SAFE INVEST- X. .0, $100 OR $500 I E. I COUNTY AND, IN- | T 3HAR? NEED IS | STOCK! | i Y reside it. Y i T X X X X X Y ? Y nanmoHM T t T t T T T T X T ? T * I X X I I