CHAPTER VIII.
BLACK MINGO SWAMP.
A protracted halt to men whose hearts are heavy is not a desirableboon, and so we from Williamsburg soon discovered.
The first idea in our minds, when we were come into camp and began tobuild shelters for ourselves, each after his own liking, was that wecould enjoy this respite from a roving life, where it was necessary tobe constantly on the alert against danger.
Once we had really settled down, however, and there was nothing ofespecial moment with which to occupy our attention, the hours moved soslowly as to seem like unto days.
At first we three comrades spent a goodly portion of the timespeculating among ourselves as to how long we might be able to hold thefield against the numberless men which the king was sending in pursuit;but after a time we were wearied with such occupation, and began tolong for active duty.
This isolation and sense of perfect security grew irksome, and therewas not a man among the small detachment who would not gladly havefaced a foe of five times our number, in order to shake off thelethargy which began to creep over him after eight and forty hours hadpassed.
On the fourth day after our having settled down in this encampment,Major James and Captain Mouzon were sent back into the lower Carolinasto make certain those who were enlisted in the Williamsburg brigadeheld steadfast to their pledges, and the absence of our uncle was toPercy and I like a great calamity. We looked upon him not only as thehead of the family; but as a true friend and companion-in-arms uponwhom we could rely under every circumstance, and although not thrownmuch in his company because of the position we occupied in the force,the knowledge of his being near at hand, did we need his advice, wasin itself a pleasurable satisfaction which we failed fully to realizeuntil he was absent.
When a week passed and we were "rusting out," as Gavin Witherspoonsaid, it seemed absolutely necessary we have some employment, andthe old man said to me one morning while Percy was making ready thebreakfast:
"Three men have already been sent out as scouts since we came into thiscamp, and such duty is necessary because it stands to reason that theTories will make every effort to discover the general's hiding-place."
"Ay, all you have said is true, Gavin Witherspoon," I replied; "but ofwhat avail is it to us since the general calls upon others to act asscouts, forgetting that we readily performed such duty when it was anhundred times more dangerous than at present?"
"This is how it may avail," the old man said in the tone of one whodefies contradiction. "You shall go this morning to General Marion andoffer the services of us three, promising that we will act as scouts solong as the detachment remains here."
"But if he refuses to detail us for such work?"
"Then pluck up sufficient courage to remind him that we went gladly,when, perchance, every man in the command would have hesitated. By sodoing you may make him understand he owes something to us three."
At first thought I was not willing to browbeat our commander, for itappeared to me that what Gavin Witherspoon had proposed was little lessthan an attempt to bully the general into acceding to our desires; butthe longer I considered the matter the more reasonable did it seem thatwe should be sent out, rather than forced to remain in camp where ourpresence was of no possible benefit.
By going we should take away nothing of value from the encampment, andit might be possible fortune would so favor us that we could rendersome signal assistance, even though it did not seem probable there wasany force of the enemy in that vicinity.
Therefore it was that I did as Gavin Witherspoon requested, and to ourgreat surprise the general not only willingly gave his consent, butsaid it pleasured him much that we should so desire to serve the Cause.
"While we remain here waiting such turn in the tide of affairs aswill give us an opportunity to serve the colonists, it is well to knowthoroughly all the country and its inhabitants," he said in conclusion."Therefore, so that you return to camp and report once in every fourand twenty hours, you not only have my permission; but will lay meunder obligation by acting the part of scouts, spies or whatsoever youchoose to call the officer."
It can well be understood that we did not linger long after thisinterview.
In less than an hour we three, provided with such store of provisionsas would be our portion until the following day, and carrying an ampleamount of ammunition, set out with no idea whatsoever as to wherechance might lead us, save that it seemed wisest to travel toward thesouth, for in that direction lay home and friends.
Gavin Witherspoon at once took command of the party by proceeding inadvance, and we, having good cause to trust him implicitly, were morethan willing to follow as he should propose.
There was no thought in our minds that a single enemy might be near athand.
The only possibility counted upon was that we should run across oneor more Tories seeking to find the encampment, and thus, perchance,prevent discovery.
Thus it was we proceeded with a certain amount of caution, although notdeeming it necessary.
Until late in the afternoon we traveled along the banks of the WaccamawRiver, our faces turned toward Williamsburg, and then Percy said, as hethrew himself at full length by the side of the stream:
"We are come on a mission which cannot bear fruit, and it makes littledifference whether we halt here, or five miles further on. Havingremained so long in camp without exercise, my legs tire quickly, and Ipropose to rest for the night."
We were ready to gratify him in this respect, the more so because allof us were in much the same condition, and therefore it was that ourscout came to an end, for the time being, hardly more than fifteenmiles from the starting-point.
Surely we had no reason to grumble against fortune on this our firstvisit in the Upper Carolinas.
Such food as we had was ready cooked, and in order to make camp it wasonly necessary to lie down among the bushes, where for a time all sleptas we had not done during the time of idleness.
The sun was within an hour of setting when I awakened and found mycompanions lying in restful attitudes, but with open eyes.
They also had satisfied the desire for slumber.
How it chanced that we three remained there without speaking one toanother, I know not; but so we did, strangely enough, and because ofour unwitting silence were we enabled to accomplish that which hadseemed improbable.
Human voices in the distance, but sounding nearer and nearer, attractedour attention, causing all three to rise and seek better concealment,when we saw through the foliage a party of seven armed men coming upthe bank of the stream from the south, and proceeding with a certaindegree of caution which told that they were in search of something orsome one.
Although not absolutely certain, we felt reasonably sure thesetravelers were enemies, and well we might, considering the fact thatnowhere between here and the Carolinas was it known that any friends ofthe Cause had habitation.
When the party passed where we were in hiding, they had ceasedconversation; therefore we had no means of determining who they were,save that all wore portions of a Britisher's accouterments, while ourfriends still held to the powder-horn and shot-pouch.
Not until they were lost to view in the distance did either of usspeak, and then it was Percy who said, much as if he had made animportant discovery:
"They are Tories, and searching for General Marion's encampment."
"I allow all that to be true, lad, and now what may be our duty?" GavinWitherspoon asked.
"To learn where they halt for the night, and then carry the informationback to camp," my brother said heedlessly, for indeed that seemed to bethe only course left for us.
"There is in my mind a better plan, lad, and, if it so be you two arewilling to take the chances, I venture to predict we will carry yondergentlemen before General Marion, instead of hastening ahead to tell himthey are coming."
"Do you mean that we three are to attack seven?" Percy asked, and theold man said with a smile:
"I have seen both y
ou lads ride gallantly forward when it was a caseof twenty against one, and yet you hesitate with the odds not much morethan double against us?"
"Percy does not hesitate," I replied, jealous lest there should bea question as to the courage of one of our family. "So that it is inyour mind, Gavin Witherspoon, we will agree to anything that has thefaintest hope of success."
"This is my plan: Yonder strangers are doubtless enemies; but if theyprove to be friends, then have we done them no harm by carrying outthat which is in my mind. We will follow so far in the rear that thereis no danger of being discovered until they camp for the night, andthen it will go hard indeed if we fail to find an opportunity formaking them prisoners."
I did not agree with Gavin Witherspoon in his belief that we mightreadily make prisoners of seven men; yet was I well pleased to venturethe attempt, believing something of good might come, even though wefailed in the purpose. It was seldom we who held true to the colonieshad an opportunity of striking even so slight a blow as this when theodds were no more than two against one, and it would have been follyfor us to have refused such a chance.
Percy, once the plan was made plain, did not consider it necessary tosay whether he agreed to it or not.
To his mind, all who were acquainted with him should know he wouldfavor any plan, and there was little need for Gavin Witherspoon to gofurther into details than he had already done.
"It is such work as this for which we left the camp," Percy saidquietly, "and if the strangers are friends, we can atone for any roughhandling by showing them the way to General Marion's camp."
This, so nearly as I can repeat it after these many years, was all thatpassed between us regarding the venture, and we set off on the trailwithout further delay.
There is less difficulty in successfully stalking a man than a deer,and this last had both Percy and I performed time and time againuntil it seemed to us like a simple task. Therefore it was that GavinWitherspoon had no green hands to aid him in the work he had cut out.
Keeping so far in the rear as to hear the noise as they forced theirway through the underbrush, and yet not so near that we might by anypossibility be seen, the three of us followed this little company whomight be friends, but were probably enemies, until the going down ofthe sun, when we knew from such sounds as came to us that they hadhalted.
Now it was only a matter of waiting, which, under almost anycircumstances, is the most difficult task to perform patiently; yetevery lad who has hunted wild turkeys is well schooled in such work,and it can safely be said that we did not risk a failure by beingover-eager.
The men, although having advanced with but little caution, realizedthe fact that there might be enemies in the vicinity, for they forborebuilding a camp-fire, and this fact rendered our work rather moredifficult than it otherwise would have been.
After it was certain they had settled down for the night we stolenearer and nearer, until it was possible to hear the conversationcarried on in an ordinary tone, and then we remained motionless untilthe time for action should arrive.
When we were come thus far I believed we should hear such words aswould declare whether these seven men were friends or enemies, and inthis I was not disappointed, although we failed to learn anything ofimportance.
While eating supper one of them, in the course of the ordinaryconversation concerning the tramp of the day, remarked:
"There is no probability we shall find any of the rebels during thenext two or three days' march, for as yet we are among those who remainloyal to the king."
The words as written above were all we had to give us a clue to thecharacter of these strangers; but they were sufficient.
We knew now, as well as if these men had explained at length, that theywere in search of General Marion's encampment, and from that instant,answering for Percy as well as Gavin Witherspoon, I know that the threeof us counted on making a capture at whatsoever hazard.
Not until fully an hour after the men had stretched themselves upon theground and the last word was spoken between them, did we make a movetoward nearing the encampment.
Then it was that I would have gone forward, risking the danger with thebelief that my life had better be made the price, rather than eitherof the others, when the old man laid his hand on mine as he whisperedsoftly in my ear:
"It is for me to go, first, because I have had more experience in suchwork, and again, on the plea that I can best be spared to the Cause ifeither of us must pay a penalty for leading in the attack."
Although there may be the twang of a braggart in the words, still mustit be set down that I tried to restrain Gavin Witherspoon, but withoutsuccess.
When I would have pushed him away he held me back, and it seemedimpossible to advance without such a squabble as would have given thealarm.
I was absolutely forced to let him take the lead; but Percy and I keptclose upon his heels.
When, after creeping so cautiously that not a twig snapped beneathour weight, we had come to the small cleared place on the bank of thestream which the men had selected as an encampment, we saw that theywere sleeping near the foot of a pine tree that had been overturned bythe wind.
The overhanging mass of roots formed a certain sort of shelter whichserved to protect them from the dew.
Their rifles were stacked against one of the branches at a distance offully three yards from where they lay, and, as a matter of course, itwas necessary to first secure possession of these.
As Gavin gathered up the weapons, Percy and I called upon the sleepers to surrender.--Page 183.]
Gavin did his work, as we knew beyond a question he could do, and whenhe raised himself beside the weapons, we two, Percy and I, sprang toour feet, calling upon the sleepers to surrender.
They had no other choice than to obey, and sheepish indeed were theseseven after we had drawn them up in line, when they understood howsmall was the force which had taken them prisoners.
Yet were they reasonably good men, so far as Tories go, inasmuch as noone spoke a word, all refusing to answer the questions which we asked.
So far as we ourselves were concerned this made little difference, andwithout delay, although they as well as ourselves were fatigued, mostlikely, by the long tramp, we began the return to General Marion'scamp.
As it proved later, our capture was of great importance, even thoughthe prisoners stoutly refused to give information when the generalquestioned them, for their presence showed that Tarleton was hot afterus, knowing somewhat of our whereabouts, and the time was come when wemust retreat yet further, or return to the task of showing the invadersthat the spirit of liberty in these southern colonies was not yetcrushed out.
Now let me set down here what we had learned since the day when we setfree the one hundred and fifty Continentals who refused, save in thecase of the three true men, to join our force.
Major Wemyss had marched for seventy miles from Nelson's Ferry,straight across the district of Williamsburg, desolating a path fifteenmiles in breadth after such merciless fashion that one would have saidhe had been taught in the schools of the savage.
All the dwellings on his way, save those habited by well-knownTories, were given to the flames; the people were plundered of theirpossessions; such property as the troops could not use was destroyed,while the animals were wantonly shot and allowed to rot where theyfell.
Those who were thus plundered saw all their belongings swept away byfire, and they, even to the women and children, were held forcibly backto prevent them from saving the smallest article of value.
Men were hanged without semblance of trial, and when their loved onespleaded for mercy, the British soldiery rode them down.
All the time it seemed almost as if the good God had forsaken thecolonies, and yet we came to know that all these acts of barbarouscruelty were necessary to arouse our people from the fear and thedespondency into which they had fallen.
It did arouse them.
It forced men into the ranks of the patriots who otherwise would ha
vewaited quietly by until the colonies or the king should have proven aright to the country.
Within two days from the time the seven scouts were taken prisonersand we had arrived at our encampment, the hour was come when we shouldreturn, and among those on the banks of the Waccamaw who held steadfastto General Marion, there was no one who did not rejoice because themoment for action was at hand.
Taking the prisoners with us, we set out on a forced march, which wascontinued night and day until we had seen the sun rise and set threetimes while we yet remained in the saddle, save when it was absolutelynecessary to give rest to our steeds.
Then we were come to Lynch's Creek once more--to the old camp--where wefound all those who had waited behind until the signal should be given,with the addition of more than two hundred new recruits--men who hadbeen driven by the cruelty of the king's hirelings into the ranks ofthose who would save their country.
More than this, those whom we met gave information that Major Wemysshad retired to Georgetown, wearied with chasing the Swamp Fox, and abody of six hundred well-armed Tories were encamped near Black MingoSwamp, fifteen miles below where we were halted, under command ofCaptain John Ball.
Here was our work cut out for us, and like the true patriot and ardentsoldier that he was, General Marion gave us no cause to complain ofhesitation on his part.
It was less than four hours from the time our command was halted, andwhile yet we were exchanging greetings with those who had parted fromus so many days before, that our commander, calling the men in a bodyaround him, thus spoke:
"Hardly more than two hours' ride from here are encamped a force ofthese renegades whom we call Tories. They outnumber us slightly; buteven though there were twice as many, yet I believe you who have servedso gallantly under me since I came into the Williamsburg district,could whip them in the open field. We are told that recruits areflocking from every quarter of this portion of the colony to join us,and by waiting we may double our strength; yet at the same time it ispossible that the enemy will take the alarm and flee. I propose that wemarch at once, and within twenty-four hours from the time of returningto the scene of our labors strike such a blow as shall give Tarletonand Wemyss to understand that the spirit of liberty has been revived,rather than broken, by their butcheries and their barbarities."
A ringing cheer, in which every man participated, was the answer tothis speech, and more than that no commander could need.
Five minutes later, it could not have been more, we were in the saddle,led by two sons of Captain Waties, who had already made themselvesfamiliar with the approaches to the enemy's camp, and Major James, myuncle, said as he reined his horse in that he might fall back betweenPercy and I for a moment:
"Lads, we have once more taken up the work, and with such a commanderI venture to predict that it will not cease, until the last adherent tothe Cause has yielded up his life, or we have brought the Carolinas outfrom under the sway of the butchers."
Gavin Witherspoon, who had been riding slightly in the rear, spurredhis horse forward until he could speak with my uncle:
"Whereabout in the Black Mingo are these scurvy scoundrels encamped?"
"At Shepherd's Ferry on the south side of the stream."
"Then we must cross that bridge on planks, if I mistake not, in orderto come at them?"
"You are right, Gavin."
"And so many horsemen as we number may not be able to do that withoutgiving an alarm."
"It is a chance which we must take. Whether they have warning of ourapproach, or not, from the moment we reach the causeway our advancemust be rapid."
Then my uncle rode ahead to join General Marion, and we, tired andsleepy from being long in the saddle without proper hours of rest,relapsed into silence until we were arrived at this same bridge ofwhich Gavin had spoken.
It was midnight, and I had said to Percy that all the odds were in ourfavor, so far as taking the enemy by surprise was concerned, when theforemost of the troops clattered across the planks.
Within sixty seconds an alarm gun was heard from the Tory encampment.
Now was come the time, and the first, when we two lads were to takepart in a conflict where the enemy was expecting us.
It would be a real battle, and Percy cried, clasping my hand as wespurred our horses on at a gallop lest we be left in the rear:
"We may perchance come to our death, Bob, before the sun shall riseagain; but it shall never be said that we failed to follow the head ofthe family wherever he might lead!"
With the Swamp Fox: A Story of General Marion's Young Spies Page 8