Yorkville Enquirer

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A Relic Hunter Rewarded. A writer in the Charlotte Observer makes mention of the following Revolutionary relics which have a peculiar interest at the present time: Some few weeks ago I made a visit to some springs near King's Mountain, and while there I was kindly invited by Rev. Mr. Boyce, the Associate Reformed Presbyterian minister, to take a seat in his buggy and visit Mr. Ormand, who lives three miles from the station, and see some rare curiosities of the Revolutionary war. He seemed to know the object of our visit, and soon brought out his old Bible, once owned by his great grandfather. The book is in a good state of preservation for the treatment it had during the war. It is dated 1769. It is said the Tories came to his house, took the book and opened it, and put it on a horse for a saddle and rode on it for some miles. The horse must have had a sore-back, for the traces of blood are plainly visible on the leaves. Some years after the war the book was heard of on the lower part of Crowder's creek and was returned to the family. Mr. Ormand also has a canteen made of mulberry and beautifully put together. It will hold water now as well as it did during the war, but the rats and mice have somewhat injured this rare curiosity. In the yard, some twenty or thirty steps from the house, stands a venerable old white oak tree, where it is said the Tories hitched their horses, when they were committing depredations on Mr. Ormand's property. At the ground the tree measures 34 feet in circumference; two feet above ground, 27 feet 5 inches; and the branches across extend 115 feet. This is truly a venerable old tree, and now in its old age is loaded with fruit. I was also shown by Dr. Tracy (who has been a resident and practicing physician for many years near King's Mountain) a knife, or rather the remains of one, that is said to have been carried by Ferguson during the fight at King's Mountain. Twenty-five years ago the place where Ferguson was buried was shown to Dr. Tracy by Mr. Grmand, and a great desire to obtain some relic put him to digging; he was rewarded by finding a knife, nail, screw, and gun flint. The doctor took the knife and the other relics were divided out among the party. The knife is one-bladed and bears the impress of having been a fine knife. The handle is rounded at one end for striking fire, and where the rivets go through the handle are traces of pearl. I have no doubt that this knife was the property of Col. Ferguson, who made his threats that he was "stationed on the King's Mountain and all the rebels in hell could not dislodge him." Dr. Tracy has made no effort to open the knife for fear it might fall to pieces, and keeps it carefully wrapped up for future generations to look at.

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