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alarm. Our strong hold, with the major part of our army, were now effectually in the hands of the enemy, and those poor deluded wretches the Tories, by this success of their allies at Charleston, seemed urged on with renewed impetuosity in their cruel and diabolical purposes. And dark indeed were the prospects of the friends of liberty about this juncture-despair was depicted in every countenance our sun became obscured, and seemed ready to go down to rise no more, and the bird of liberty appeared as if taking its parting gaze of the fertile and flowery region over which it had hovered, to plant the tree of liberty-beneath whose boughs the dispersed and oppressed of all nations might find an asylum.

What now to do I knew not. It appeared like madness to remain longer surrounded by an overwhelming foe, liable at any moment to be butchered without mercy, and to flee the country was almost equally trying,-many were pursuing the latter expedient, leaving for other sections, where danger was less threatening and where hostilities had scarcely opened. And my brother Bartlet Brown, and myself thought it advisable for us to pursue the same course, so we returned to Virginia, our native State. In consequence of the scarcity of clothing during the war, we were poorly clad, and in a bad condition to set out on a journey of 500 miles, and that too with but the paltry sum of three dollars in our pockets to defray expenses. On reaching the "Ridge," about seventy miles from home, our little party had augmented to the number of sixty or seventy, all fleeing the country with the same object in view as ourselves. Journeying onward, we arrived at Fishing Creek, where we encamped a day or two, not wishing to progress too rapidly for fear of overtaking a detachment of British cavalry under Colonel Tarleton, (10) who we learned had been sent by Lord Cornwallis (11) to attack Col. Buford, and had surprised and defeated him at the Waxhaws, (12) and were on their line of march through Charlotte, North Carolina, which lay directly in our route. Whilst encamped at Fishing Creek, a fellow by the name of Mobley, a Tory, came into our camp as a spy. This fellow was so inquisitive, and so particular

in examining every body and everything about the premises that our suspicions were very much excited in regard to his true character. We however suffered him to depart unmolested. And we afterwards learned that he returned to the encampment, at the head of a large gang of Tories, with a view to capture us, but we anticipated his design, and escaped from his clutches, being at the distance of fifteen or twenty miles when he made his charge upon the tents. Continuing onwards, we arrived in sight of Charlotte, when we again encamped, remaining several days. Here many of our party separated from us for different routes, reducing our number to about thirty.

The citizens of Charlotte despatched a messenger to us, praying that in the event the British, who were marching towards that quarter, attacked the town, we would render them assistance. This we promised to do, provided they would furnish us with ammunition, our supply being almost exhausted. On the return of their messenger, they sent us a keg of powder, and lead in proportion. But at the expiration of three days, waiting for the anticipated attack, the citizens of Charlotte informed us that the enemy had gone back. We then struck our tents and resumed our march, taking with us the ammunition sent to us by the citizens of Charlotte, which served us in the place of money, as we could barter it for bacon and corn at the mills as we passed on. Throughout the rest of our journey nothing of importance transpired. We reached our place of destination in Virginia, our mother country, all safe and sound. Shortly after our arrival there, intelligence was received that depredations and outrages, to an alarming extent, had been perpetrated in South Carolina, particularly in our own district. The substance of which was that McGeart (13) and his company of Tories crossed the Savannah River from Georgia, at Summerlin's Ferry, (now called Stone's Ferry), taking the course of the river, and killing every man he met who had not sworn allegiance to the King. This notorious scoundrel passed in this trip through the neighborhood where my father lived, and brutally murdered seventeen of the inhabitants, among whom were my father, Henry Best, and Moore, leaving John Cave for

dead, who afterwards recovered. They burnt my father's house level with the ground, and destroyed everything he possessed-my mother and sisters escaping by fleeing to the woods, in which they concealed themselves until the vile wretches departed. But the work of death did not stop here. This atrocious deed of the sanguinary McGeart and his band, was shortly succeeded by another equally, and doubly cruel. The British Colonel Brown (14) marched down from Augusta with an overwhelming force of Tories and Indians, and taking their stand at Wiggins' Hill, commenced a slaughter of the inhabitants. The news of which reached the ears of those brave and dauntless officers, Cols. McCoy and Harden, who soon hastened to the defence of the terrified Whigs, and coming upon the enemy, charged upon them and killed and routed them to a man, Col. Brown escaping to the woods. Colonels McCoy and Harden, having accomplished all that was required of them, retired from the field of action, after which Brown returned with the residue of his force, and retook the "Hill," at which he remained until he hung five of our brave fellows, Britton Williams, Charles Blunt, and Abraham Smith, the names of the other two not recollected,-then he decamped for Augusta. My brother and myself were now in Virginia, among our relations and friends, and would have been as happy as we desired had it not been for the intelligence from South Carolina, particularly of the section we had left. Hearing that the British Tories and Indians had murdered our father, and sixteen more of his neighbors, burning to ashes his house, and all within it, our mother and sisters escaping to the woods, with little or nothing to support upon, and no male friend to help them, my blood boiled within my veins, and my soul thirsted for vengeance. We now learnt that General Washington had sent an army to the South, under the command of Gen. Gates (15) and Baron DeKalb, (16) and we determined forthwith to set out for the seat of strife we had left. In our journey we passed Anson Court House, North Carolina, which we found to be a hot bed of Tories. Col. Wade and his company were stationed there, and the Tories were flocking in and rallying under

him from all quarters. On the day of our arrival there, a large gang came in, headed by a fellow who doubtless thought he was doing great things for the King and his servile subjects. My mind could but revolve upon their delusion, and the little value they set upon the rich gems of liberty and independence, with which the Whigs were so enamored, and for which they so hard struggled. It has often been a matter of astonishment to me how we escaped the swarm of Tories at Anson C. H. But so it is, we did, and being eager to accomplish our journey and lose no time, we traveled through long and chilling rains, it being in the fall season, exposing ourselves to imminent danger, for the fever raged with great mortality at that time in that region of country. While at Anson C. H. a fellow endeavored to prevail on us to stay all night with him, but from his suspicious appearance we declined his invitation, and declared our intention to pursue our route, notwithstanding the storm that was then raging. On that night, as well as on several preceding ones, we took shelter under large trees in the swamp, our clothes being as wet as water could make them, and our bodies almost chilled through. In the morning it cleared off, and we pursued our journey.

Overtaking General Marion (17) at Kingstree, Black River, S.C., we immediately united with his troops. Marion's route lay then between the Santee and Little Pedee Rivers; and being desirous to intercept and defeat Col. Watts, who was then marching at the head of four hundred men, between Camden and Georgetown. Every arrangement and preparation was made to carry into execution his design. All things being now ready, Watts appeared in sight at the head of his large force, and as they marched down the road with great show and magnificence, (hoping, no doubt, to terrify and conquer the country) they spied us; at which time the British horse sallied forth to surround us. Marion, with his characteristic shrewdness and sagacity, discovered their manoeuvres, anticipated their object, and retreated to the woods some four or five hundred yards, and prepared for them. In a few moments they came dashing up, expecting to find us all in confusion and disorder, but to their astonish

ment we were ready for the attack, and perceiving this, they called a halt, at which time Marion and Horry ordered a charge. Col. Horry (18) stammered badly, and on this occasion he leaned forward, spurred his horse, waved his sword, and ran fifty or sixty yards, endeavoring to utter the word charge, and finding he could not, bawled out, “damn it, boys, you, you know what I mean, go on.”

We were then doing what we could, pressing with all rapidity to the strife, and before the British could get back to the main body, we slew a goodly number of them. Being eager to do all the damage we could, we pursued the fellows very close to the line of their main body, and as soon as they got in, Watts began to thunder his cannon at us, and to tear down the limbs and branches of the trees, which fell about us like hail, but did no other damage than to wound one of our men, Natt. Hutson, and one horse slightly. Marion, now finding his force, which consisted only of two hundred men, (though sterling to a man, brave, fearless, and patriotic) was too small to give Watts open battle, guarded the bridges and swamps in his route, and annoyed and killed his men as they passed.

For prudence sake, Marion never encamped over two nights in one place, unless at a safe distance from the enemy. He generally commenced the line of march about sun-set, continuing through the greater part of the night. By this policy he was enabled effectually to defeat the plans of the British and to strengthen his languishing cause. For while the one army was encamping and resting in calm and listless security, not dreaming of danger, the other, taking advantage of opportunity and advancing through the sable curtains of the night unobserved, often effectually vanquished and routed their foes. It was from the craftiness and ingenuity of Marion, the celerity with which he moved from post to post, that his enemies gave to him the significant appellation of the "Swamp Fox." Upon him depended almost solely the success of the provincial army of South Carolina, and the sequel has proven how well he performed the trust reposed in him. His genuine love of country and liberty, and his

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