Part 30 (1/2)

”Well,” replied he, ”you made a very lucky escape that day: for do you know that ere twelve hundred strong, owing to colonel S us in the march?”

”Then truly,” said I, ”if that were the case, I h”

”And where were you,” he asked again, ”when general Marion so couard at Nelson's old fields: were you there?”

I told hih Horry, was

”Well,” continued he, laughing heartily, ”that was MY lucky day

I had a co of about thirty uard ed and swept all Theand the cries of our people, we squatted in the high grass like so ained the woods, we cleared ourselves” I laughed, and asked how ”

He replied, he really did not know, but supposed he must have had three or four hundred

”Well, sir,” said I, ”he had exactly thirty”

The reader uson's astonishment: I cannot describe it

Soon as the dishes were removed, ere presented with a spectacle to which our eyes had long been strangers, a brave parade of excellent wine: several hampers of which had been received at the fort the very day before we commenced the attack To poor soldiers like us, who, for years, had hardly quenched our thirst on any thing better than water or apple brandy grog, this was a sight i to the virtues of this noble cordial, with the recollection of our late glorious victories; or whether it was the happy result of our generosity to the enemy, and of their correspondent politeness to us, I do not know; but certain it is, ere all very gay But in the midst of our enjoyeneral Marion, a British soldier came up and whispered to one of their officers, who instantly coeneral, told hi the tories who had been taken in the fort!

In aup, in a violent passion, and snatching his sword, ran doards our enca the cause On turning the corner of the garden which had concealed their cruel deeds, we discovered a sightin the air to the beaonies of death ”Cut hiot near enough to be heard, which was instantly done

Then running up, with cheeks as red as fire coals, and half choked with rage, he bawled out, ”In the name of God! what are you about, what are you about here!”

”Only hanging a few tories, sir,” replied captain Harrison of Lee's legion

”Who gave you a right, sir, to touch the tories?”

To this, young M'Corde, of the same corps, replied, that it was only three or four rascals of the; and that they had not supposed the general wouldthe prisoners Why, my God!

what do you take me to be? do you take uard over the tories, and vowing to make an example of the first man who should dare to offer them violence, he returned with the company to Mrs Motte's table

Of the three unfortunate tories that were hung dead, one was nah Mizcally The name of the person so timely cut doas Levi Smith, a most furious tory This title produced hienerate Britons, that they appointed hiatekeeper of Charleston, a circus in the country For Smith soon broke up a pious kind of fraud, which the wives and daughters of the tories had for some time carried on at a bold rate

To the immortal honor of the ladies of South Carolina, they were h s still

These fair ladies, in consequence of their relation to the tories, could, at pleasure, pass into Charleston; which they never left without bringing off quantities of broad cloth cut and juowns The broad cloth, thus brought off, was for regily in this way for a long tiy and i out at the gate, looked er over the hips than they had need, and insisted on a search The truth is, these fair patriots, preparing for a great wedding in the country, had thus spoiled their shape, and brought thereediness for finery But Mr tory Sirls had attempted to play on him, that he would never afterwards suffer a wo up her clothes

He carried his zeal to such length, as one day very grossly to insult a genteel old lady, a Mrs M'Corde

Her son, as a dragoon in Lee's legion, swore vengeance against Smith, and would, as we have seen, have taken his life, had not Gen Marion interposed

In the Charleston papers of that day, 1781, Sives the history of his escape from Marion, wherein he relates an anecdote, which, if it be true, and I see no reason to doubt it, shows clear enough that his toryism cost him dear

In his confinement at Motte's house, he was excessively uneasy

Well knowing that the whigs owed hiot a halter round his neck, he ht find no Marion to take his part, he determined if possible to run off