Civil War
At the end of the year 1860, Rock Hill had joined the rest of South Carolina in seceding from the Union. Of the military units organized in Rock Hill, the commanders of those units were Colonel Cadwalander Jones II, his brother Captain Robin Jones, Captain A. E. Hutchinson, and Captain T. B. Meacham. No battles of the Civil War were fought in or around Rock Hill, but then Confederate Captain Cadwalander Jones chased Sheridan’s cavalry from the region while living at home in Mount Gallant recovering from a bullet wound in the Army. Captain Cadawalander Jones’ nephew had been quoted to say, “no town in South Carolina did more in proportion to its population than did Rock Hill.” Dr. E. T. Avery and William Killian of Ebenezer confronted other Union raiders soon after. Killian, 16, was killed in those conflicts. Heavy Rains and flooding of the Catawba River diverted Sherman from destroying Rock Hill. Union General George Stoneman marched to the east of Rock Hill in 1865 heading north for the railroad bridge at Nations Ford, which he and his men burned down. They then marched toward Yorkville, but ended their destruction of York County when word came that the war was over. The editor of the Yorkville enquirer is quoted in the April 26, 1865 issue:
“The mind cannot conceive the full weight of the misfortune that is ours… We are a conquered and degraded people – without rights, privileges, or property, except such as military governors may allow us as conquered provinces… We must confess ourselves responsible… We did not exhibit the fortitude and endurance necessary to achieve the great results we had in view. We were tired of war and were willing to sacrifice honor and national character for peace…”