tion. In the night a great fall of rain took place, and made the river impassable; there was no bridge across it, except at William O'Neall's mills (now Bobo's) five miles below Chandlers'. To unite the 2d Battalion with the 1st, it had to descend the river, and after encamping for one night, at least, at William O'Neall's, it crossed at his mills, and united with the main body near Coate's shop, (Newberry Court House,) and encamped at the Tea Table Rock. Thence the march was directed, with little variation, for Morgan's camp, at the Grindall Shoals on Pacolet, and afterwards to the Cowpens. I suppose a delay of several days, perhaps three or four, occurred about Bush River. This, at the outside, would have brought Tarleton to the Tea Table Rock by the 9th January; from it to the Cowpens does not exceed seventyfive miles. How eight days could have been spent between these points, is to me inconceivable, especially when Tarleton is represented in history as rushing on his flying foe with his infantry mounted behind his cavalry. This discovery of the true date of his encampment at Bush River, shows that he approached the old wagoner with slow and cautious marches. From Tarleton's Campaigns in the South, now before me, it seems that on the 2d January, 1780, Lord Cornwallis, still at Winnsboro', directed Tarleton, then west of Broad River, "If Morgan is still at Williams'," (in the lower or eastern part of Laurens District, and not far from Ninety-Six) "or anywhere within your reach, I should wish you to push him to the utmost." Morgan never was at Williams'; a detachment from his command, commanded by Cornet Simmons, had previously captured Williams' Fort. On the 4th of January, Tarleton, writing to Lord Cornwallis, thus speaks of the country around Brooks', his encampment: "My encampment is now twenty miles from Birely's, in a plentiful forage country, and I can lay in four days' flour for a move."-Tarleton Campaign. Notes F. and G. 244-5. I annex three bills of goods bought in Charleston: one without date, and one in '83, and made out in South Carolina currency, 7 for 1; the other is 1777, and is made out in the same currency, and appears to have been paid in current bills, issued probably in the State from 1774 to 1783. These three papers will give a better idea of the difficulty of the times than any description. MR. WM. O'NEALL Bo't of RoWL'D RUGELEY 1 Paper Pins 389d; 1 pr Woms Hose 17s6.......... 1 Pr Woms Hose 1786; 2 lb Allspice 10s... 14 yds Green Callimanco, a 10s..... 4 yds Red Durant a 158 is 60s... 20 Bushels Salt a 17s6......... 4 Wool Hats a 13s9 is 55s; 2 yds Callo is 35s.......... 1 Pc Tape 7s6........... 2 lb Coffee is 15s..... 8 Copperas a 286 is 20s; lb Ginger 5s........ 1 India Silk Handkf 62s6...... 187 lbs Bar Iron a 7£.. 55 lbs Ax Barr a 2s6....... 30 lbs Brown Sugar....... 39 Wire Sieve, 35; 5 gallons Molasses a 1286 is 62s6......... 4 : 17 : 6 v2 Quire Paper 786............ Deduct 1 gall molasses....... 0 : 15: £69 196 12: 6 £69 70 Rec'd of Mr. O'Neall 2 Barrls Flour; Gro 606 R 60 446 a 95....... 25 18 6 2 Ferkins Butter 184 R 34 is 150 a 289......... 20 12 6 1 Blk Silk hhkf 3286; 1 Iron Pott 20s................ 2,,12,,6 1 4 1 Tin Kettle 30s, 164 lb Steel at 3s9........... 4,,12,,9 6 5 Plates, 4 Bassons and 1 Dish; ro't 134 lb... pds Black Lasting at 27s6; 1 Frying Pan 26s6. ,,16,,3 6,,12,,6 23 lb Sugar, at 389...... 8,, 5,,* 4,, 6,,3 1 Candle Moto 20s; 6 lbs of Iron at £7 10s... 5,,11,,6 11⁄2 yd Blk Shalloon 26s3; 1 ps Cheek 23 23 ds Received of Mr. Wm. O'Neal Twenty-Eight Pounds Currency, in full of all account as under. THOMS BOURKE. Error in the above 20 Busls Salt £15-being over cost in mistake. Cash rec'd this 23 May, 1778........ 13 £28 NO. 6. The Irish settlers of Newberry did not locate themselves in one body. Some, the Thompsons, McQuerns, Drannans, Youngs, Fairs, Carmichaels, and Hunters, settled in the Stone Hills, or just in the west margin of that tract. The descendants of many of them are still residents of the district. The place now called Stony Battery was the residence of two of the Thompsons, Daniel and William. Samuel McQuerns was a blacksmith; honest, industrious, and persevering, he succeeded in securing a competence. His shop stood at the spot where the old Congaree road, now called the Rush River road, turns off from the Lee's ferry road. He was a man of remarkable physical powers, but could not compare with his father, who, when a laborer, in Ireland, said, he did two men's work in a day, and had two men's allowance. Sam' McQuerns had been impressed as a sailor, in the British navy. He was present at Spit Head when the Royal George, of 110 guns was sunk. His description of the scene was awful. It was pay-day on the ship; most of the sailors had their women on board. He represented that 300 such were drowned. He usually closed that portion of his account by saying "there was a brave slaughter of w -s, till you." He was one of the boat's crew sent on the perilous duty of the rescue of many of the drowning men. The officer of his boat observing a man pick up a goose, knocked him down instantly, saying, "dr -n y're eyes, will you offer to snatch a goose when men are drowning all around you?" The sinking of this noble ship is matter of history. The gallant Admiral went to the bottom, in her cabin, seated in his chair, apparently overwhelmed in an instant by the rushing flood. It seems that the accident occurred by running her metal to one side, and thus careening her until she shipped the sea, which in an instant filled her immense bowels, and sunk her in that element over which she had floated the symbol of "Britannia rules the waves." These settlers were Seceders, now called Reformed Presby terians. Their meeting house, Prosperity, is still in the place where first worshipped the emigrants. As a body, none better deserved the character of good citizens than they did. In hard and industrious labor, as mechanics and agriculturists, they laid the foundations of that competence which they respectively acquired. Few of the original settlers survive. William Fair is the only one of them now living, near the original Irish settlement, called the Stoney Hills. He is now a very aged man, approaching to eighty, but still retaining much of the activity of his younger years. He may often be seen on a sale day, walking the streets of Newberry, slender, tall, and straight, as if time had made a slight impression upon him. By continual industry and temperate habits, he has raised and educated a large family, and provided an ample inheritance for them all. His sons, Jas. Fair, Esq., of Abbeville, Archibald Fair, of Florida, Col. Simeon Fair, of Newberry, Dr. Samuel Fair, of Columbia, Gen. E. Y. Fair, of Montgomery, Alabama, and Dr. Drury Fair, of Selma, Alabama, are the best proofs which can be offered of their ancestor's worth. Another, William Hunter, the oldest son of good old Nathan, is, I presume, still alive.† Two years ago I saw him at the Court House, and he said to me, (if I remember right,) that he was then in his eightysixth year. Everything about him seemed to me to say, that the stout constitution of the Irish weaver might carry him safely beyond ninety. Most fervently do I wish it may! For none better deserve the blessing of length of days than such an honest, pure-hearted, laborious mechanic, as he has always been. Another settlement of the Irish commenced just about Frog Level, and extended along the Charleston road, north and west to Crotwell's old place. In this section were found the Boyds, (not the family of our Ordinary,) McClelands, Greggs, Wilsons, Conners, Neals, McNeils, Camerons, Flemings. Some of these were as remarkable for their thrift as the Stoney Battery settlers, but this was not the case in general. * Since writing the foregoing, he died, Monday, 15th December, 1851, in his 82d year. †This was written in 1850. Since then he has been gathered to his fathers. |