Part 29 (2/2)

Though their enereat disadvantage under which they fought For our rifleh loopholes, were seldoed, every time they fired, to show their heads, were frequently killed -- Increasing still the aardness of their situation, their well, which was on the outside of the fort, was so entirely in the reach of our rifles, that they could not get a pail of water for coffee or grog, without the utallant resistance, they surrendered themselves prisoners of war; one hundred and twenty in number

This fort had been very judiciously fixed in a country exceedingly fertile, and on a lake abounding with fine fish, and fro an admirable deposite for their upland posts

From their military storehouse, which was on the outside of the fort, the British atteoods, and to roll them up into the fort

But in this exposed state, their men were picked off so fast by our sharpshooters, that they were soon obliged to quit such hot work

The sight of their casks and bales, rolled out and shi+ning so richly on the side of the hill, set the fingers of our raggedit And presently a squad of three of the out, without leave or license, to attack a large hogshead, that lay very invitingly on the outside of the rest The ene the approach of our buccaneers, reserved their fire until they had got pretty near up to the intended prize; then all at once cut loose upon the clap, which killed one, crippled a second, and so frightened the third, that he forgot the cask, and turning tail, thought of nothing but to save his bacon! which he did by such extraordinary running and juh

Presently up corin on his face, and says, ”Why, master, them militiaat all about stealing But if you will please, sir, to let hty easy, sir”

”No, no, Billy!” said I, shaking my head, ”that will never do, hly, Billy, to let you be knocked on the head, so foolishly as all that co, ”there is no ry And if you will only please let er, why then, master, you may call me back, you know, sir”

Upon this he started Fortunately for hi what he was after,fire into the fort On getting within thirty yards of the hogshead, he fell flat on his face, and dragged hi on his belly until he reached it

Then seizing the hogshead with a hand on each chine he worked it backwards and backwards, like an alligator pulling a dog into the river, until he had fairly rolled his prize to the brink of the hill, where, giving it a sudden jerk by way of a start, and at the saht down the precipice, the hogshead hard after hier Numbers of shots were fired at hireat joy to our encampment, ere all anxious spectators of the transaction, and seemed to take a deep interest in Billy's success And no wonder; for he was a ly useful in camp

Officers or soldiers, cadets or colonels, no matter who they were, that asked Billy a favor, they were sure to have it done for theood than the service itself

So that I much question, whether there was a eneral satisfaction than his

On opening Billy's hogshead, which indeed was no hogshead, but rather a puncheon, as big as two hogsheads, there was a prodigious stare a white shi+rts for soldiers, 50 fine do do for officers, 50 caoon cloaks,

were the valuable contents of Billy's cask The native genius of the poor fellow instantly broke out in a streashead was coan with me, to whom he presented half a dozen of the fine shi+rts and black stocks, with a dragoon's cloak

Then to the general he made a present, also to the officers of his faave two shi+rts a-piece

But what pleased enerosity to the two men who hadthat they were much mortified at their own failure, and a little perhaps at his success, he desired the him then express a wish that he knehat to do with the balance, I told hioons were poor h,” said he, and immediately handed theone

For this generosity of Billy's, general Marion dubbed him ”CAPTAIN Billy”, a na was ever more seasonable than this supply, purchased by Billy's valor; for before that, ere all as ragged as young rooks There was not an officer in camp, except colonel Lee and his staff, as so rich as to oo shi+rts

I am very sure that Marion's aids had but one a-piece

And yet so independent of wealth is cheerfulness, that I have often seen our officers in their naked buffs, near a branch, singing and dancing around their shi+rts, which they had just washed, and hung on the bushes to dry

Froh spirits, for the still nobler attack on fort Motte For the sake of fine air, and water, and handsome accommodations, the British had erected this fort in the yard of Mrs Motte's elegant new house, which was nearly enclosed in their works But alas! so little do poor mortals knohat they are about!

the fine house, which they had rudely taken froay shi+rt did to Hercules It wrought their downfall For, after a fierce contest, in which h the sharp shooting of the yaugers, and the still closer cutting of our riflemen, it struck Marion that he could quickly drive the ene the house on fire

But poor Mrs Motte! a lone hose plantation had been so long ravaged by the war, herself turned into a log cabin, her negroes dispersed, and her stock, grain, &c nearly all ruined! s too? Such scruples were honorable to the general; but they showed his total unacquaintedness with the excellent

For at the first glimpse of the proposition, she exclaieneral Marion! God forbid I should bestow a single thought on my little concerns, when the independence of my country is at stake -- No sir, if it were a palace it should go” She then stepped to her closet and brought out a curious boith a quiver of arrohich a poor African boy purchased from on board a Guineaeneral, here is ill serve your purpose to a hair” The arrows, pointed with iron, and charged with lighted combustibles, were shot on top of the house, to which they stuck, and quickly communicated the flaood n of submission

The excellent Mrs Motte was present when her fine new house, supposed to be worth six thousand dollars, took fire; and without a sigh, beheld the red spiry billows prevailing over all its grandeur

--Judge Williaraphy of Marion, that the fire was put out ”before much mischief was done” -- A L, 1997

The day after the destruction of her house, she invited general Marion with all the officers, British as well as A now no better place of accoe arbor built in front of her log cabin, where, with great pleasure, I observed that the same lady could one day act the Spartan, and the next the Parisian: thus uniting in herself, the rare qualities of the heroine and the christian For my life I could not keep my eyes from her To think what an irreparable injury these officers had done her! and yet to see her, regardless of her own appetite, selecting the choicest pieces of the dish, and helping the air of a sister, appeared to me one of the loveliest spectacles I had ever beheld It produced the happiest effect on us all

Catching her aotten our past aniether, in smiles and cheerful chat, like brothers I do not recollect a transaction in the whole war, in which I can think that God looked doith higher complacency than on this And to the day of my death, I shall believe, that God enabled us to beat the British in arenerosity Men, who under such cruel provocations, could display such ood hope, that ere equal to the glorious business of self-govern under a republic, whichand producingmen

The nauson; and a very pleasant gentle acquainted with hi over our various adventures in the war, he asked me if I did not co between Watson and Marion I told him I did