myself; with the rapidity of thought I seized the best paddle, seated myself in the stern of the canoe, and moved her forward with astonishing celerity, reaching in a few minutes the land. Whilst paddling, I felt an acute sensation across the back of my neck and shoulders. On reaching the shore I examined myself, and found that they had put three balls through my clothes, two of which had slightly scarified my flesh. Returning to the ferry we severally recovered from our wounds, but never felt again a disposition to repeat our expedition. Poor Best and Colding had scarcely entered upon duty again before they were both killed by some of these very Tories.

On one occasion I was under the necessity of going home on some important business. Soon after my arrival, a company of horse passed directly in front of our residence. My first impression concerning them was that they were a reinforcement of our guard at the ferry. So soon as I had finished my business, I returned with all possible speed, overjoyed at the prospect of an accession to our numbers. On reaching the fort, to my astonishment, I found it completely evacuated. My "reinforcement" turned out to be a gang of Tories from Jackson's Branch, on the Salt-katchie, commanded by that famous old Tory, Ned Williams. When they rode up to the ferry the guard took them to be friends, and gave them a cordial reception, congratulating themselves upon so large an addition to their force. They thus unconsciously and ignorantly delivered themselves up to the enemy, and were taken across the river, and placed in the hands of a large body of British and Tories, stationed at Harbard's store, about two miles from the ferry. The intelligence of this capture reached Col. Leroy Hammond (7) at Augusta, who, without delay, marched down at the head of an effective force, and slew nearly the whole of the enemy-releasing and returning with the whig captives to Augusta, from whence my father, who was one among the number taken, came safely home.

The country now seemed to be almost in complete subjugation to the British. Yet had they not been aided and abetted by those unprincipled and blood thirsty tools, those fiends incarnate, whom it

we are base slander to term men: I say had the Tories but shown themselves the genuine sons of America, the uncompromising, unswerving, champions of liberty, bound together by every social and national tie-the enemy would never have gained a solid foot-hold upon our shores, and tyranny and oppression would sooner have been swept from our land. But how sadly the reverse! They who had grown up “side by side, and hand in hand together," father, son, and brother, were arrayed in mortal and ferocious strife against each other. The friends of liberty were beset on every hand and from every quarter, until drawn from their homes and families, with stout hearts and strong arms they struck

For their altars and their fires,

God, and their native land.

Eternal vigilance and action were indispensable, by which, and with a firm reliance on the God of battles they fought, bled, and conquered.

It was seldom indeed that I sought the peaceful shades of my home, as a respite from the laborious duties and toils of the service. The enchantments of the family circle exercise an almost uncontrollable influence over the hearts and minds of men, and yet sweet as are the voices of those we love, and strongly as do cling our heartstrings around the objects of our affections, appealing to our sympathies in loud and soul-stirring language, still louder and more imperative is the call of our country to duty, and the soldier rushes precipitately from the charms and delights of the family circle to the call of his country, his heart burning with patriotic zeal for glory.

Such was the state of things at this crisis, and such was the fire which burned in the breast of every Whig of the Revolution. It was no time for supineness and lamentation-every energy of the soul had to be exercised, for it was the struggle of weakness against strength, of the undisciplined against the disciplined, and of the raw and untutored militia of an infant country, with the well trained regulars of an old, experienced and skillful nation.

With these truths impressed upon my mind, I allowed myself little or no leisure time, and was either engaged in the performance of

duty in the camp, or scouting, as circumstances required. A short time after the capture of our guard at the ferry, I accompanied Col. McCoy, who took command of a small force on a trip to the Ogeechee River, in Georgia, with the view of attacking a little band of Tories quartered in that vicinity. These we overtook in the woods, before arriving at the rendezvous; a running fight ensued, but from the denseness of the forest we were thwarted in our design, and the Tories made good their escape-for if my memory serves me correctly, not one of them was killed. Thus frustrated and baffled, we returned to Carolina. On our arrival, we learnt that Capt. James Roberts, who had been scouting with a company on the Edisto River, had (whilst encamping for the night), by some treachery of the Tories been delivered into the hands of Col. Chaney and Williams, who cruelly butchered many of his men, Capt. Roberts and the rest escaping only with their lives. For this outrage we determined to have satisfaction. So thirty-six men, myself among the number, immediately volunteered under Capt. Joseph Vince, a fine officer and a brave soldier, to pursue these scoundrels, and to avenge the blood of our brave comrades. We overtook some of their number in what is called the Fork of Edisto River, upon whom we visited summary and immediate justice, killing five or six. From thence we proceeded to Captain Salley's "Cowpens," a few miles distant. Whilst there, our commander rode, unaccompanied, to a mill located near the house of the Pens. Here he was fired upon by several Tories lying in ambush hard by, and seriously wounded by musket shot—in consequence of which he was disabled from doing duty for some time. This unfortunate circumstance interrupting our further march, we were compelled to retrace our steps and return to headquarters, Savannah River.

At this time my father's family lived at the Big House, now belonging to Col. Hay, of the Boiling Springs, and a man by the name of Adam Wood lived a near neighbor to them, with whom I formed an acquaintance and entered into an agreement with, that in the event either of our families were attacked, we should render each

other every assistance in our power. But a short time elapsed from the period of the said agreement before a band of Tories, passing through that section at night, stopped at Wood's house, killed him, and commenced a general work of destruction, laying waste everything which chanced to be in their way. I distinctly heard the uproar and the firing of arms, and from the direction I knew Wood was attacked. Having retired for the night, I immediately arose, and in company with three others set out for the seat of action. When within a few yards of the house, observing their large and overwhelming numbers, I deemed it prudent to secrete ourselves by the roadside until they had passed. We lay concealed but a few minutes when, having completed their work of death and desolation, the whole party rode by, two deep. As they passed I counted them, and they numbered one hundred and fifty, headed by those notorious scoundrels, robbers, and murderers who defeated the gallant Roberts on the Edisto as before stated, Chaney and Williams. They now made their way for the "Big House," but apparently pressed for time, and finding no one at home, (my father's family having taken the precaution during my absence to remove therefrom) they proceeded on their course towards Capt. Vince's station, on Savannah River. Believing that they intended an attack upon the fort, I suggested to John Cave, one of my companions, that we had better set out forthwith, and if possible head them, and apprise Capt. Vince of his danger. So mounting our fleetest horses, we sallied forth with all possible speed, and after considerable difficulty, threading our way through the swamps, we arrived at the fort just before the break of day. I requested the sentinel to inform the captain that I had important intelligence to communicate to him, and desired as quick an interview as possible. The captain returned an answer that he was sick and confined to his bed. I replied that I could take no excuse,— sick or well, he must come out directly. This authoritative command brought him forth immediately. I then related to him what had transpired at the Big House, of the enemy's numbers, and of his approach towards that garrison, advising him at the same time to

evacuate the fort as soon as possible, unless he felt assured of his safety, and of his being able successfully to contend against so formidable a body, tendering, at the same time, our assistance. He stated to us that this force consisted of but twenty-five men, expressed great doubts of his ability to defend himself against such a numerous enemy, and thought it policy to adopt my suggestion to leave the fort, which was agreed on, and in a few minutes the fort was left to the mercy of the of the enemy, who in the course of one hour afterwards made a charge upon it with his full force, confidently expecting a prize but instead of a prize they had the sore mortification to find that their deep laid scheme and hellish design on this occasion was completely baffled.

From this point they turned towards their headquarters on Edisto. In crossing the Lower Three Runs, they stopped at the house of a Mr. Collins, a very quiet and inoffensive man, and far advanced in years, say about eighty-five. Whatever may have been the sentiments of this old gentleman, he maintained a strictly neutral position, shouldering arms on neither side; yet those fiends of darkness dispatched him, with his head as white as snow, by the frost of many winters, for an eternal world. How, how could these monsters in human shape dream of prospering, when murdering the aged and inoffensive in this horrid and brutal manner, and why all this bloodshed? Because the honest Whigs of the Revolution, knowing full well the rights of man, and daring to maintain them, refused to be galled by the servile chains of a foreign despot, and to bow submissively to his barbarous impositions. It was this which inspired them with invincible fortitude and zeal, and enabled them to throw off the tyrant yoke, and to declare themselves "free, sovereign, and independent."

I continued scouting both in Georgia and Carolina with very little intermission, until the British under Sir Henry Clinton took Charleston, with Gen. Lincoln's army of 4,000 men in 1780,-the intelligence of which threw the whole State into consternation and