Major Chronicle’s first service was performed as Captain of a company at Purysburg in South Carolina.  Early in the fall of 1780, a regiment was raised in Lincoln county, over which Col.  William Graham was appointed Colonel; Frederick Hambrite, Lieut.  Colonel, and William Chronicle, Major.  It is well known that Col.  Graham, on account of severe sickness in his family, was not present at the battle of King’s Mountain.  The immediate command of the regiment, assisted by Col.  Dickson of the county, was then gallantly assumed by these officers, and nobly did they sustain themselves by word and example, in that ever-memorable conflict.  Major Chronicle was brave, perhaps to a fault, energetic in his movements, self possessed in danger, and deeply imbued with the spirit of liberty.  His last words of encouragement in leading a spirited charge against the enemy, were “Come on my boys, never let it be said a Fork boy run,” alluding to South Fork, near which stream most of them resided.

This patriotic appeal was not given in vain.  It nerved every man for the contest.  Onward his brave boys steadily moved forward, Major Chronicle in the advance, and approached within gun-shot of the British forces.  Just at this time, a few sharp shooters of the enemy discharged their pieces, and retreated.  The brave Chronicle fell mortally wounded, receiving a fatal ball in the breast.  Almost at the same time, Capt.  John Mattocks and Lieutenants William Rabb and John Boyd, also fell.  Major Chronicle was only about twenty-five years old at the time of his death.  The late Capt.  Samuel Caldwell and his brother William, were both in this battle.  William Caldwell brought home Major Chronicle’s horse; his sword and spurs passed into the hands of his half brother, James McKee, and the venerated memorials are still in possession of one of his sons, who moved many years ago to Tennessee.

CAPTAIN SAMUEL MARTIN.

Captain Samuel Martin was a native of Ireland, and born in the year 1732.  When a young man, he emigrated to America, and first settled in Pennsylvania.  After remaining a short time in that State, he joined the great tide of emigration to the southern colonies.  He first entered the service as a private in Captain Robert Alexander’s company, in June 1776, Colonel Graham’s Regiment, and marched to Fort McGaughey, in Rutherford county, and thence across the Blue Ridge Mountains against the Cherokee Indians, who were committing murders and depredations upon the frontier settlements.  In January 1777, he attached himself to the command of Captain William Chronicle, and marched to the relief of the post of Ninety Six, in Abbeville county, S.C., and after this service he returned to North Carolina.

About the 1st of November, 1779, his company was ordered to Charlotte, at that time a place of rendezvous of soldiers for the surrounding counties, and while there he received a special commission of captain, conferred on him by General Rutherford.  With his special command he marched with other forces from Charlotte by way of Camden, to the relief of Charleston, and fell in with Col.  Hampton, at the Governor’s gate, near that city.  Finding that place completely invested by the British army, he remained but a short time, and returned to North Carolina with Colonel Graham’s regiment, about the 1st of June, 1780.