With the Swamp Fox

ing the brief time before the march toward the Tory encampment was really commenced.One found immediately a better steed; another brought assurances fr

he whole brigade, into that encampment which Gavin Witherspoon and I had looked upon, believing it could not be taken by such a force as ours.Out of all those scoundrels who had so lately held the place, believing that those true to the Cause had been virtually crushed by the defeat of General Gates, [105] only two men came forth to meet us, and those two, my brother and Gavin Witherspoon.Is there any need I should say how warm was the greeting between us two lads when I threw myself from the horse and clasped to my heart the dear boy whom I had thought never to see again in this life?It needed no more than an hundred words for him to tell his story.While he remained in the thicket guarding Sam Lee a body of men, who had lately served under Major Gainey, came upon them by chance, and, as a matter of course, he was at once taken prisoner, Sam Lee immediately telling the story of his own capture.Then it was the Tory Sam who became the jailer, and Percy the prisoner.My brother was conducted to Barfield's camp, and there kept under guard of Sam, who did all that lay in his power, save by way of personal violence, to pay off old scores. [106]Gavin Witherspoon, wily as an Indian, had crept up to the very edge of the encampment, and was lying there in the vain hope that some opportunity would come for the rescue, when our force, sent as a decoy, appeared.An hundred or more men were left to guard the encampment, and Gavin hoped the moment had come when he might be of service to the lad.Believing that the Tories would be victorious in the chase, because of superior numbers, he ventured too near Percy, and was himself captured.An hour later the first of the terrified fugitives burst into the encampment, riding straight through it in their wild terror, thus causing a panic among the guard who might even then, because of their intrenched position, have held us in check.In a twinkling Percy and Gavin were free; but in imminent danger of being ridden down by the panic-stricken.Crouching behind trees, or at the stronger [107] portions of the intrenchments, they awaited our coming, and when we rode into camp came forth to greet us as I have said.Our force remained in the captured quarters until next morning, and during the evening Gavin Witherspoon, Percy and myself had much to talk about.My brother and I were come by this time to look upon the old man as a comrade, and well we might, after the friend he had proven himself to be.While we talked only concerning ourselves, and looked after our own welfare, General Marion and the officers of the command spent the time discussing how it might be possible for so small a force to uphold the cause in the Carolinas, for since the defeat of Gates ours was the only body of men in the colony to oppose the foe.It was as if the king's troops had indeed crushed what they were pleased to term "rebellion," and more than one man in the brigade whose fidelity to the Cause could [108] not be questioned, asked his comrade if it were wise to longer remain in arms when we were virtually whipped.The outlook was gloomy indeed for those who had hoped to be freed from the burdens the king had put upon them; but, fortunately for the Cause, General Marion and Major James were not the men to give in beaten so long as life remained.Even while some among us were making ready to say openly that the time had come when we must submit, those two gallant gentlemen were planning for the future—planning as to how four hundred or less might best oppose ten times their number of trained soldiers.Gavin Witherspoon, Percy and myself, while listening to the faint-hearted ones or discussing the situation between ourselves, hoped that the general would call upon us for some especial mission, even as he had when we were sent to spy out Barfield's camp; but the time was not come when we were needed for a venture of any [109] moment, as we learned an hour before daybreak next morning.Then the men were aroused with orders to breakfast from the Tories' provisions as hurriedly as might be, and make ready for the forced march.Among those with whom I talked, when in the gray light we made our preparations for the march, not a man believed there was the slightest question we should continue upon the offensive.All understood that we could not in safety remain much longer in the Tory camp, for unless those whom we had routed were greater cowards than was generally believed, they would soon recover from the panic into which we had driven them, and return to make an attack.Therefore it was that we set out believing the move was made simply for the purpose of changing quarters, and when orders were given that each man take from the Tory stores so much of provisions for himself, or provender for his horse as could be [110] carried conveniently behind him, we fancied it was the general's purpose to so outfit the brigade that it might lay in hiding two or three days without being forced to venture forth in search of food.Before noon came, however, all understood that some maneuver was in progress.Instead of riding rapidly, as would have been the case had we counted on simply exchanging one encampment for another, we went forward at a leisurely pace, making no halt until the sun was high in the heavens, when we were come to the ford on Black River, half a dozen miles or more south of Kingstree.Then the men and horses were allowed a rest of an hour, after which we bore nearly due west until we struck the road leading from Georgetown to Nelson's Ferry, and the word was whispered from man to man that the commander had it in mind to strike yet another blow at the red-coated enemy before we laid down our arms. [111]It is well known, as a matter of course, that the "war-path" from Charleston to Camden crosses Santee River at Nelson's Ferry, and here, above all other places, would one who was eager for fighting be likely to get his fill.More than once during the day had we learned from planters, who were true to the Cause, additional particulars concerning the blunder of General Gates, and before nightfall we understood beyond a peradventure that the story told by Sam Lee was only untrue in so far as it did not contain all the disasters which had befallen the American arms.Now we knew how many prisoners had been taken, and, what was more to the purpose, learned that our unfortunate countrymen were being sent as rapidly as possible from the scene of the one-sided conflict to Charleston.It was an hour before sunset, and we were holding the same pace at which we started, with no evidence of going into [112] camp, when Gavin Witherspoon said bitterly, as if the thought had just seized him:"Lads, if it so be you have any curiosity concerning this long march of ours, during which we have traversed the Williamsburg district apparently for no other purpose than to come upon an enemy who may crush us wi