With the Swamp Fox

the command was halted, much as if we had not heard the

d gloomy thoughts flow through my mind. It was to me as if we were playing the last acts in that drama which should have had a glorious ending

armed force, true to the colonies, then in the Carolinas; let him remember that the Britishers overran our land, even a

ree set out to spy upon the victorious troops coming down from

only make one desperate fight, not against death, but simply a

e on after the command was halted, we were in no mood for leave-taking. Ours might,

ght nor the left, but each man as it were peering into the recesses of his own heart, asking himself in what way the end would come, I ga

t behind, while we two lads and the old man rode forward, hoping almost against hope that it might be possible w

ave the troop; they went forward listlessly, and we had not the hear

ten miles in advance o

of Nelson's Ferry when Gavin Witherspoon's horse stop

o further on. I propose that we halt until a couple of h

e more than willing to follow his advice, and we set about making

g-place, as well as a shelter from the dews of the night. There was little green feed for the horses; but we carried a goodly store of grain on our sa

ate, and then, lame and sore in every joint from the long hours in the

us stretched at full length upon the bed of pine needles, and it seemed a

thicket; yet I could see that the horses were lying down; that my comrades w

an to make a change of position, I saw what appeared to

ses his suspicions, and although this gleam of light was so faint that at another time I wou

and I crept out through the bushes softly until, having traversed a distance of fifty yard

l fire eating, and near by

en the alarm, for I doubted not but that these were enemies. At such time in the history of the

and these four apparently unsuspicious that any save themselves were in the vicinity, that I delayed carrying out the purpose in

eturning to where I had left my comrades; but wriggle

e as to his ability to do something which had been promis

y of rebels who by this time may have returned home, h

much as if the honor of the J

s one other can be found to remain with him,

we for believing you

all they have accomplished has been by surprising our people who are not soldiers; but I gua

the time we come upon them, and word has been sent to the command. Then again, we must trust to your

ghtly I saw that his uniform, which I knew full well, was that of the

e the scarecrow Marion was encamped and put you on their trail wheresoever the forces might be going; but if, n

t, while I, speculating as to what might be their purpose, b

day in order to gain Nelson's Ferry; had most likely met this regiment of the king's, and claimed ability to deliver our people into their hands. It seemed also true

usion; but beyond that I was all at sea, and naturally thought the p

f turning when one of the

ould have left the camp and ridden half a dozen miles in advance. What good can b

dred or more scurvy rebels. Had we stayed in camp some portion of the duty would have come upon us, wh

t there were good quarters to be found at Nelson's Ferr

now I had the full story, and we might return with the information d

eople, captured when General Gates was defeated, were encamped at Nelson's Ferry, six or seven miles away. These fellows, t

eavily upon me a few hours previous, were lightened wonderfully by the thought that fort

forced to do so slowly lest I make so much of noise that the

avin Witherspoon, I pressed both hands upon the

s fully alive to the situation, and I repeated

future movement depended wholly

ixteen or twenty miles after a

than I had ever heard him employ. "We have gained the information for

ing myself whether it might be possible

oken with General Marion," Percy replied as he aros

task; but we accomplished it after a certain fashion, and led them

med impossible to urge the animals at a pace faster than a walk, and it appeared to m

we knew how near to us was the military force, and five minutes later we were standing bes

ter has bef

had played us a good turn, and immediately t

as he ran toward where General Marion was sleeping, and, shaking

ause some sensation in the camp; but never

e saddle, and Percy, Gavin Witherspoon and myself were riding at the head of the column by my unc

st, and although the advance was not rapid, we pressed forward with greater speed than I ha

own knowledge, for certain it is that I fell asleep even while in the saddle, and was

te accident occurred at the last moment, there was an opportunity of our soon learning whether

er that a squad of twenty might be detached to gain possession of the road in the swam

g, came back reporting that the enemy were encamped on the east ba

e his favorite maneuver, the only one by which we coul

position at Horse Creek, and then the advance was resumed, this time at a sl

d in deadly encounter, slumber weighed heavily upon my eyelids

d myself in the saddle, and it seemed as if no more than ten minutes had passed when we wer

for reflect

we who were mounted upon jaded steeds, and half dead for lack of sleep, were about to charge a camp of well armed men, most likely in

was the whispered word passed from man to man, and I saw thos

ortion of the 63d Regulars, as was afterward learned, the result wa

; the thunder of their hoofs; the cries of the enemy as they were awakened from their

a reality, and had I been a spectator instead of

ve yet to see man or boy who can give a clear and detailed account of

d it as a club; that I forced my horse to keep pace with my uncle's steed, who was ev

would prove our final ending, did more to revive the drooping spi

sburg had been pitted against the king's best soldiers, and were come o

these soldiers would re-form, where raw recruits might continue panic-str

de, therefore can I say of a verity that we did not ride after the retreating column mo

we had captured or killed twenty-two regulars, among

one killed an

ers in the colonies, we had recaptured one hundred and fifty men, and it is not

rt of the story, and one which w

posed to be friends to the Cause, because of wearing the Continental uniform, we had added just so much to Gene

were ordered into line, and Major James proposed, with the air of one who thinks he makes what will be accepted without question, that they enroll t

t down that out of that number freed by us at risk of ou

sk one's life without an object, because the king's troops overrun the country, and after t

to his proposal, and the others talked loudly among themselves, or with o

wore the buff and the blue, to hear further reas

been the first to urge his men to enli

als are dispersed or captured; the Virginia and North Carolina militia are scattered to the four winds; Sumter's Legion has been whipped by Tarleton, and their leader is

a slip of paper on which

e greatest rigor; and also those who will not turn out, that they may be imprisoned and their whole property taken from them or destroyed.... I have