Newspapers / The Transylvania Times (Brevard, … / Oct. 28, 1971, edition 1 / Page 30
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, . 2:^ eiKp;-/! - , ; I ) p , • ; Revolutionary War Cattle j Drive Route To Be Traced By - Cal Carpenter When the guests and members of the North Carolina Society of County and Local Historians meet this Sunday, they will take a Fall Tour through an area rich iii history. It ‘ is right here in Transylvania county; one that is, unfortunately, not as well known as it should be. The group, jointly sponsored by the Ce dar Mountain Community Club and the Transyl vania Historical Association, will gather at the Cedar Mountain Community Center Sunday morning for a full day of activity. High spot of the meeting will be the tour, conducted by members of the local historical association, of in area that looms larger than most people realized in the early history of these United States — the area in and around Cedar Mountain, Connestee Falls, and the Sylvan Valley where Brevard is located. Beginning at the headwaters of the Green River, which rises in Transylvania county, first flows east toward Hendersonville then south ward into South Carolina, the group will trace the latter part of the route taken by a detach ment of Revolutionary War soldiers who drove a herd of cattle from Cowpens, just over the border in South Carolina, into the upper French Broad’s Sylvan Valley before the bat tle of Cowpens in January 1781. This mun dane seeming action was an important factor in the defeat of a British army, and thus in eventually securing American independence. It was also directly responsible for the first set tlers coming into the area that is now Transyl vania County. LIKE FICTION The story of this cattle drive into the moun tain fastness of Western North Carolina, then largely unexplored and populated only by a few wandering Cherokee Indians, reads like his torical fiction. But it is fact — a page of his tory that deserves to be better known. To briefly set the background: After the Colonies declared their independence, the British, under Lords Howe and Cornwallis, achieved little in the way of strategic mili tary success in the first years. Despite the fact that they won several bloody battles and captured the larger cities of the northeastern seaboard in their beginning campaign in 1776, they still had re-enforced the King’s rule in only a small area in the northeast. The vast geographic body of the 13 rebellious colonies was still intact and supporting General Wash ington’s army. Recognizing the necessity of breaking the geographic solidarity of the rebels, the very competent British leadership devised a “south ern strategy;” that is, invade and split the south and then move northward. This was begun with an assault on Charleston, S. C. in 1776, with land forces supported by the powerful British navy, but it was repulsed. "V.'i ’• • They tried again in 1778 with more suc cess. Combined land and sea forces captur ed Savannah and the reduction of a large part of Georgia quickly followed. Then, in 1780, a similar attack on Charleston succeeded. At this point it appeared that Lord Cornwallis was in a position to achieve his objective; re duce the Carolines and leave General Wash ington and his army cut off in the area along with the Virginia - New Jersey - New York, coasts. Two battles prevented the full success of thus strategic British plan : Kings Mountain, in October, 1780, and Cowpens in January, 1781. At Kings Mountain, Colonel Ferguson’s bloody defeat convinced Cornwallis that he couldn’t carry his campaign into the back country, that he'd have to stay close to territory controlled by British sea power. At Cowpens, the American long rifles deprived him of most of Colonel Tgr leton's light troops, forces most necessary to ov errunning the Carolina*. THE CATTLE DRIVE ore the kettle of Cow Fell of 1780, that the tory with that strategi £'K£m1£S£.*iE coming British, hid their food and drove their cattle off to safety. A large herd of these cattle had been gathered in the pea vine pasture* along the Catawba River near Cowpens — that’s how the present town got its name. And knowing of the British need for food and determined that the enemy should not have the cattle, the Americans decided to drive them northward into the vast wilderness of the mountains where the British would never find them. A military detachment was assigned as herdsmen — men with names like Benjamin Davidson, William Davidson, John Carson— names that are now known as founders of Tran sylvania county. And these men began the long drive: up the Catawba to the confluence with the Green River, up the Green River into the climbing foothills; through the passes and val leys of the ever - rising mountains until the rush ing Green River was little more than a brook. On they went, near what is now the Green River Road, past the place where the present Blue Ridge Baptist Church stands. Following an even earlier Indian trail, the drive toiled on northward, along what is now Reasonover Road and U. S. Highway 276. Just south of Brevard, the drive descended the rugged Mill Hill after passing Connestee Falls (where the old mill stood that much later gave the hill its name), and onto what is now Island Ford Road. Then, moving westward, the gaunted cattle and tired men finally reached the East Fork section of Transylvania. There the cat tle were held while the British took their loses at Cowpens and moved on. After Cowpens, the weakened British army pushed on across North Carolina to another bloody, but not so strategically important bat tle, at Guilford Court House near the Virginia border in March 1781. Though tactically a British victory, Guilford Court House so weaken ed Cornwallis’ force that a more thorough in vasion of the South was impossible. He retir-. ed first to Wilmington and then turned away and joined the British forces in Virginia. That was n May. He surrendered to Washington at Yorktown on Oct. 19, 1781, some five months later. DROVERS RETURN What became of the cattle? No one knows for sure. It is presumed they were driven back down the long trail to their; j owners, : hut that is not important historically. What is important is that the military herdsmen, in their mountain camps here in the Sylvan valley, discovered rich, level river bot toms for farming, tall timber for cabins, and plentiful game for food. They probably spent the winter of 1780-81 here and experienced our mild temperatures in the protection of the moun tains. They visualized snug cabins and home steads ; they decided to return. , Many did. These Revolutionary War cat tle herdsmen, who had contributed materially and probably unknowingly to America victory by depriving the British of badly needed food, became Transylvania county’s first settlers. Cub Scouts Of Pack No. 711 To Have Pinewood Derby, 28th Officers for this year are: ■ ■? ' . ' Cubmaster—Don Culin Secretary—Jim Heglar Treasurer—Don Blackwell Outings Chairman— Chrome Reddick Cub Scout Pack No. 711 un der the leadership of new Cub master Donald Culin will have their first pack meeting at the first United Methodist church on Thursday, October 28 at 7:00 p.m. The October theme is Fire Prevention, and the major por tion of the meeting will be in the form of a fire engine race— a variation of the Pinewood Derby, held annually for several years. Cars in the shape of fire engines have been made of wood by the boys and their dads, and prizes will be awarded the fast est cars, the slowest cars, and the one with the best design. An exciting evening is antici pated. Publicity and Institutional Representative-Carolyn Cox are Judith Lee, Lou Parker, Mary Stowell, Rita Atstupenas, Kitty Watson, Sue Heglar, Sue Passmore, Lois Hannah, Eleanor Cline, Ima Hay, Kay Metoyer and Bronis Odom. To Hold Youth Day Sunday At Church Of God Sunday, October, 31, Wili be Youth Day at the Brevard Church of God on French Broad street Rickey Burrell, of Henderson ville, will be the visiting youth speaker for the day. The youth of the church will be in charge of the services dur ing the day. They will be serv : Sunday school superin of all the Sun classes, choir direc Historical Blue Ridge Baptist Church "Homesteaders" To Have Party Friday Evening The See-Off “Homsteaders” will have a halloween party at the Community Center on Fri day, October 29th, beginning at 6:30 p. 21. Games, prizes and refresh ments will be available for children and adults. When you think of prescrip tions, think of VARNER’S, adv. Achievement Book Winners ) Announced, Day Successful The annual Achievement Day for Extension Homemak ers in Transylvania county was held Friday, October 22, in the American Legion build ing. Mrs. Edwin Rice, council president, coordinated the ac tivities of the day. Mrs. John Rhyne was in charge of the luncheon. Achievement books were judged and winners include: First place—Glady Branch Club, Mrs. Lamar Hamilton, president, Second place — Cherryfield Club, Mrs. Glennon Parker, president, Third place—Cedar Moun tain, Mrs. Donald Shipman, President. Exhibits of handmade items by members in each club were visited in the afternoon. Industry’s need for commun ications circuits is expected to increase by 230% between 1975 and 1985. Communications sa tellites will meet much of this demand. Keep Tuned To WPNF 12 4 0 On Your Dial “WONDERFUL PISGAH NATIONAL FOREST” 1, ■PI TRY TIMES WANT ADS ATTEND THE BIG FESTIVAL AT BREVARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL November 13th At 5 P. M. • Country Store • Grab Bags • Hit-The-Hippie • Dart-Baloon Busts • House Of Horrows • Cake Walks • Cartoons • Concessions FREE BICYCLE TO BE GIVEN AWAY (Donated By Carolina Tire Company) SPONSORED BY THE BREVARD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL P-TA THIS PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE IS CONTRIBUTED BY Olin CORPORATION PISGAH FOREST. N. C
The Transylvania Times (Brevard, N.C.)
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Oct. 28, 1971, edition 1
30
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