Part 19 (1/2)

Quick as thought, off went Gwinn's musket, close by my side, and down tumbled captain Lewis froround But in the very instant of receiving his death, his musket, which was raised to killmy horse drop, Gwinn dismounted, and led his horse up to me in a moment

Happily for us both, captain Snipes heard the report of our pieces, and thinking that we er, dashed on to our aid, with several ofas they came on

The tory party then fired at us, but without effect, and fled leaving four of Marion's men, whom they had just taken, and beaten very barbarously with the butts of their muskets

This was a fatal day to the tories, who must have lost more than half their number For I had with me not only Macdonald and Snipes, but several other very strong and brave men, whose families had suffered very severely, by British and tory cruelty; and, I aet this, when their swords were hanging over the heads of the fugitives At any rate, they took but few prisoners

In the course of this day's fighting, there happened an affair which served to aht

The tories, who, fro their vexation, by saying, that it was true, ”Marion had proved too cunning for colonel Tynes and captain Barfield, and other British and loyal officers, whom he had attacked; but that there was still one left behind, who, they were sure, if he could come forward, would soon show us quite a different sort of play; and that was colonel Gainey, from the head waters of Pedee”

We answered, that it was all very well; and that we should be glad to see colonel Gainey Now, as God was pleased to have it, who should it be, that with one-third of his nu so to-day, but colonel Gainey; a stout officer-looking felloas too, and most nobly etting a gallant charger But the good book tells us, that ”the race is not always to the swift;” and owing partly to the fleetness of his horse, and partly to a most extraordinary sort of accident, colonel Gainey made his escape froetown, distant little more than two miles

Never on earth did two horses or horse the one, fury urging the other Macdonald declared, that in the chase he had passed several tories whom he could easily have cut down, but like the lion in pursuit of a favorite buffalo, he took no notice of them His eye was fixed on colonel Gainey

Just as they turned Richh to his prey to make a stroke at him with his bayonet

By a sudden jerk, it is supposed, the weapon turned; so that when Macdonald drew back the carbine, he left the bayonet up to the hilt in his back

In this way colonel Gainey rode into town, prodigiously to his own and the mortification of his friends the British and tories

Chapter 17

Spirit of the tories -- assassination of lieutenant Marion -- the murderer murdered -- Marion's reflections on the death of his nephew -- hishis men -- sketch of the brave boy Gwinn

”If ifts bestow, Wilt thou to man ascribe the joy -- To hts for wisest ends The hu friends, Or heaps chastising foes

Not from the BOW the deaths proceed, But froed shaft its speed And gives it power to kill”

And here I ical affair that befell us that day, and which filled us all with grief, because of our beloved general

I mean the barbarous murder of his nephew Of all men who ever drew the sword, Marion was one of the most humane He not only prevented all cruelty, in his own presence, but strictly forbade it in his absence

I have known hiether, with one of hisover the head, a horse that had started, and to punish another for taking away froed chicken

To reason then like men, one would suppose that he was the last person on whom such a cruel blow as the murder of a favorite nephew should have fallen But thanks to God, for that most comfortable doctrine, that not even a sparrow can die until his death-warrant has been signed in heaven; and, since this young man DID die at that time, there can be no doubt but that was the RIGHT time

The manner of his death was this We have told the reader, that, in the course of this day's fighting, we retook from the tories four of Marion's Men, whom they had very barbarously beaten with the butts of their guns On being asked how they came to fall into such bad co ot information that a party of tories were encamped not far distant, on a plantation of colonel Alston's, called ”The Penns” Captain M---- was despatched to surprise them; but he played his cards so badly, that, instead of surprising THEM, they surprised HIM, killed several of his eneral's nephew, lieutenant Gabriel Marion, of the continentals, who, happening at that time on a visit to his uncle, turned out a volunteer, and was taken The tories murdered several of their unfortunate prisoners in cold blood, by first beating them over the head with the butts of theirtheht of such horrid scenes, appearedthem a man who had often been entertained at his uncle's table, he flew to him for protection, and threw hireatly distressed, and tried hard to save him; but the others roared out, that ”he was one of the breed of that d----d old rebel,”

and that they would have his heart's blood They, moreover, swore, with the most horrid oaths, that if theMarion froh also

The unfortunate youth being then thrust from the side of his friend, was immediately destroyed