CHAPTER XIV.
THE CONVOY.
After the first flush of excitement had died away, leaving in itsstead that tremulous calm which is caused by exceeding great courageor abject fear, we of the Regulation went about our task in properorder and with due precaution.
It was Sidney who, when I was exultant and excited to the verge ofdoing some foolish thing, brought me to a realization of the situationby saying scornfully:
"I'm beginning to grow ashamed of the Regulators. To see them runningaround here as if bereft of reason simply because a rascallycorporal's guard of a convoy is coming this way, one would say theyhad never seen service. Is there like to be so much of credit in thecapture of ten or twenty men by a force of two hundred, that eachfellow burns with a desire to be in the front rank?"
For a moment I was ashamed at having shown so much emotion over whatwas really nothing more than an incident, and then there came to mymind the knowledge that this capture meant more to us of theRegulation than would the taking of a force twice our size, and I saiddecidedly, angry with myself for having been disconcerted by Sidney'sscorn:
"One whose heart is with the cause cannot fail of being excited andanxious at such a time, no matter how small may be the force withwhich we are to contend. It is the idea that the powder is sadlyneeded by our people, which causes our company to be unduly excited.Every man realizes the importance of doing the task well, and, quitenaturally, fears lest it be not performed thoroughly."
Sidney had no reply to make, and I fancy he was somewhat ashamed ofhaving spoken disparagingly of his companions.
Then the word was passed in a whisper for each man to conceal himselfand his horse as near the edge of the road as possible, remainingthere in readiness to spring out at the first word of command.
A squad of ten was sent a quarter of a mile to the north in order tointercept any who might succeed in making their way past the mainbody, and our preparations were complete.
I understood that the word for the attack would not be given until theconvoy was opposite the center of our line, so that we mightcompletely encircle it to prevent escape in either direction.
Then came half an hour of suppressed excitement, during which I coulddistinctly hear the beating of my own heart, and finally, the rumbleof wheels in the distance, proclaiming the near approach of our prey.
The train consisted of two heavily laden carts convoyed by twenty men,as I could see when the force was nearly opposite my hiding-place, andthese details had no more than been noted when Master Howell's voicerang out like a trumpet:
"At them, lads! At them, and make certain none escape you!" To thosewe were about to attack it must have seemed as if the thicket itselfsuddenly sprang out toward them, and before they had time to draw upin line ready to receive us, the party was completely surrounded.
I would have been ashamed had there been no show of resistance, forthe convoy was made up of Carolinians, and, whether they were for theking or the people, it behooved them to display courage.
At the word we could have shot all the little company down, mostlikely at the first volley, and in order to save bloodshed MasterHowell cried sharply:
"Surrender, you of the convoy! We are full two hundred strong, andthere is no good reason why you should throw away your lives!"
While one might have counted ten a deep silence, save for the pawingor stamping of the horses, fell upon all that gathering in the road,and then the leader of the convoy, having seen that there was no hopeof accomplishing anything by resistance, said curtly:
"We can do no less than obey your order to surrender."
"Lay your arms on the wagons, after having dismounted, and then marchtoward the south."
No one spoke while this command was being obeyed until, the men havingmarched down the road a dozen yards or more from the hindermost wagon,Master Howell called upon them to halt.
Then ten men were told off with orders to guard the prisoners, andwhen this squad had taken position near the convoy, our leader said inthe tone of one who has already mapped out his course of action:
"You will march your squad well to the westward of Salisbury, andendeavor to gain our headquarters. Do not take any chances of comingin contact with Waddel's force, and see to it that not a man escapes.You may set off at once, gentlemen."
The prisoners were first searched to make certain they had no weaponsconcealed about them, and then the little party rode slowly up towardSalisbury counting on striking into the thicket before coming withindangerous distance of the town.
When the party had disappeared in the distance, we set about takingpossession of the ammunition.
As a matter of course it was impossible for us to take the wagons withus, therefore each man was ordered to carry such portion of the powderas he could strap to his saddle, and we set about the work, thegreater number of us stripping off our outer shirts, which weconverted into bags by tying up the neck and sleeves.
So great was the supply that even when each trooper had all he couldconveniently carry, there yet remained a full third of the whole, andthis we proceeded to destroy by pouring it into the tiny creek whichbordered the western side of the road. Then the horses wereunharnessed and set free from the carts, which we left where they werein the highway, and our company formed in line once more.
I had supposed that we would be ordered to join the main body ofRegulators; but in this I speedily found myself mistaken, for we rodedirectly to the Yadkin River, and crossed it, going immediately intocamp in a grove of live oaks.
Once this had been done Master Howell sent off five men as scouts, andsoon we came to know that this last detachment was gone to spy uponGeneral Waddel's force.
"Yes," our leader said decidedly in reply to a question from one ofthe older men, "I count on attacking the force which is now atSalisbury. It would be little less than criminal to let slip such anopportunity as is now before us. Waddel is short of ammunition, now wehave captured his supply, and I'm of the opinion that he will make aneffort to join Tryon, in which case we have him at our mercy. It willnot cause us more than two days in time, and we shall be doing greatservice by preventing the union of the forces."
Now indeed were we doing something in aid of the cause, and my heartleaped high with joy, for it was reasonable to suppose that, in caseour leader accomplished all he had set himself, the main body of theRegulators could readily take care of Governor Tryon's army.
It was at this time, although we did not come to know of it untilafter several days, that Master Rednap Howell showed himself to be agreat leader, inasmuch as he caused to be conveyed to General Waddel,without trouble or inconvenience to ourselves, that information whichwe desired him to have, and the task was performed in this fashion:
Those who had in charge the captured convoy were instructed to allowone of them to escape, after the party were so far north of Salisburythat there would be little likelihood of pursuit, and then it wascertain the fugitive would take refuge with Waddel's force.
All this was done in accordance with Master Howell's orders, and thusit came about that when we were on the easterly bank of the Yadkin,the general came to the conclusion that his wisest course would be tojoin Tryon with the least possible delay, regardless of the fact thatthe powder had been lost.
Within twelve hours after we had made a camp in ambush, one of ourspies came hot foot from Salisbury with the word that the king'sforces at that town were making ready for the march. In addition tothis information we learned considerably to our surprise, thatWaddel's men were in a state of disorder nearly approaching mutiny.With but few exceptions they were members of the militia, and openlyavowed that they would not fight under any consideration; others werefavorably inclined toward the Regulation, and already had manydeserted.
We were unprepared for such good news; but it did not require muchreflection for Master Howell to hit upon a course of action whichpromised success.
Without delay two of our party, the eldest among us, were sent withall speed under
a flag of truce for an interview with the general.They were instructed to warn the commander to remain where he was, orretreat to the coast, as might best please him, otherwise we would atonce engage him.
It was only natural Waddel should believe that the entire force ofRegulators was within striking distance, and while his men were sosadly disorganized he could not well risk an encounter.
We remained in hiding, ready to mount at a moment's notice, and beforeour messengers returned one of the scouts came in with the word thatthe militia was crossing the river, evidently bent on making at leastone effort to join Tryon.
Five minutes after this information was received we were riding out ofthe thicket toward that road which it would be necessary for thegeneral to take if he counted on meeting the governor, and within twohours we were in advance of the king's poor soldiers, ready and eagerfor an engagement.
It was only natural that Sidney and I should be among those who mostdesired to be led against the enemy, for now, the first time in twoyears, might we add to whatsoever good reputation we had made asRegulators, and we put aside the possible danger in the belief thatwe would succeed in distinguishing ourselves.
Skirmishers were sent out to learn when the enemy approached, and theremainder of us waited in anxious expectancy the moment when we mightcome face to face with the foe.
In this we were doomed to disappointment, however.
Waddel also had skirmishers in advance, and immediately his men camein touch with ours they retreated, and soon word was brought that theentire force was retreating across the river again.
Now began a chase, when our horses were fresh, but handicappedconsiderably by the loads of powder they carried, and we were positivesuccess would be ours whenever we could come within range of the foe.
All evidence of military formation was lost sight of as we forded orswam our horses across the river, and in less than half an hour wewere among the rear guard; but even this did not satisfy MasterHowell. He believed the time had come when we might make prisoners ofthe entire force, and panted for the glory of capturing General Waddelhimself.
To effect this fifty of us whose horses were fleetest, and among thenumber Sidney and I, were directed to make a detour across the countryin order to strike the enemy in front before he could gain shelter inSalisbury, holding him there at whatsoever cost until the force wasabsolutely surrounded.
How we rode that day! The horses were sent forward at racing speed,regardless of the danger that they might be foundered by carrying sucha weight, and Sidney and I were among the foremost when we broke coverdirectly in advance of the retreating column.
"Look after the general!" Sidney shouted as we pressed on, our horsesrunning neck and neck. "Now has come the time when we can make namesfor ourselves which will not soon be forgotten!"
We could see the leader and his officers plainly, and rode directlytoward them without taking heed as to whether we were followed; butthere yet remained a sufficient number of the men who were loyal tothe king to prevent us from carrying out the plan.
We speedily found ourselves confronted by a squad of twenty or morewho stood bravely in line while their officers rode swiftly away, andthis little party must be attended to before it might be safe to pushon in pursuit of the prize.
We drew back within the shelter of a clump of trees, where we werejoined by a dozen or more of our men, and then began the first realfight in which I ever took part.
There was no room in my mind for fear. I thought only of what might bedone if we could disperse the party, and I fired and reloaded withoutrealizing that my one desire was to take human lives.
The militia held their ground well, and both sides were at adisadvantage because of trying to take aim while in the saddle. Withsuch marksmen as we had among us that squad of the king's men shouldall have been disabled within ten minutes, and yet half an hourpassed without any perceptible advantage on either side.
Three of our men were down, and four of theirs had dismounted or beenknocked out of the saddle; but by such time the general and hisofficers had surely succeeded in making good their escape.
From the sounds of firing which came from every direction we knew fullwell that all our party was engaged, and the question had just comeinto my mind as to whether this force of Waddel's had been as badlydemoralized as we were led to believe, when I heard shouts in therear, and a moment later saw Master Howell ride up with eight or tenmen at his back.
"Throw down your arms, and surrender!" he cried to our adversaries."The remainder of the command have yielded, and you can do Tryon nogood by holding out longer!"
In a twinkling the men came forward empty-handed, and the fight waswon; but I failed to feel any great elation because of what we hadlost, while Sidney was furious with rage.
"But for their holding out, we two might have captured Waddel with,perhaps, some of his officers. It is a clear case of cheating, and wehave got the worst of it!"
"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth," I cried laughingly, for mysorrow was dissipated by Sidney's rage. "We never counted very surelyon capturing the general, and should thank our lucky stars that wehave deprived him of his force, for thus have we weakened Tryon."
He would not be consoled for the lost opportunity of distinguishinghimself, and for a moment I really believed he was on the point ofstriking the disarmed men who had baffled his desires.
There was no reason why we should not feel proud of our work. We hadcaptured the ammunition, which was the first task set us, and, inaddition held as prisoners a force which Governor Tryon counted on asadding to his own. Surely we had done well, and if the remainder ofthe Regulators could do as much, then was it certain Tryon would bedriven in shame from this portion of the colony.
Now it was that we had more prisoners than were convenient. As amatter of fact it would be impossible to feed them during the march tothe Alamance where we counted on meeting our companions-in-arms, tosay nothing of providing them with horses, for not more than half thenumber were mounted, therefore Master Howell called for a consultationin which all hands were to take part.
It was not necessary to spend very much breath over the question as towhether we would try to hold them captives. They must be disposed ofin some manner, and without loss of time; but yet our duty was to makecertain they did not join Tryon.
After hearing such propositions as our people had to make, and some ofthem were wild indeed, Master Howell raised the question as to whetherit would not be wise to release them on parole?
This was the solution to the whole matter, and if he had so stated itat first, we would have decided within a few seconds.
On being consulted, our prisoners declared that they would readilytake an oath not to bear arms against us until after having beenproperly exchanged, and all seemed pleased at being able to get out ofthe scrape so easily.
The men were formed in a hollow square, and each was required torepeat the oath Master Howell administered, after which we partedcompany, the paroled force going toward Charlotte, and we riding atfull speed toward the Alamance, for it was to be expected that Tryonwould go there to seek us.
I would it were possible for me to set down all the details of ourmovements; but the yarn has already been spun out to such a lengththat much which might, possibly, be interesting to strangers must beomitted.
It suffices to say that within three days after this encounter withGeneral Waddel's force, we of the two hundred which had been sent outto gather in a supply of ammunition rejoined the main body ofRegulators, and much rejoicing was there in camp after our story hadbeen told.
It was as if each of us had done something remarkable, to judge ofthe treatment we received, and certain it was that those who had beenweak-kneed regarding our chances of a successful opposition to Tryon,straightway became convinced that we could force him to retreat whenthe two forces came together.
During our absence it had been decided by our leaders that we wouldawait the enemy on the banks of the Alamance, and there was no goodre
ason to change the plan after we returned. We now had plenty ofpowder, and the women from roundabout melted lead into bullets untilour wants were fully supplied.
We had already fought and captured a full third of the force GovernorTryon counted on bringing with him, and this was done by only twohundred of our people, therefore it seemed positive that when we metthem, a thousand Regulators against no more than fifteen hundredmilitia and a few companies of soldiers, the result would be in ourfavor.
Twenty men or more were sent out as scouts and the remainder of ourcompany lounged idly in camp, when, as a matter of fact, every momentshould have been spent in fortifying the position.
More than one of our people suggested that it would be a good plan tothrow up breastworks, but our leaders gave no heed to the suggestion,and for the reason that they were suddenly plunged into distress notunmixed with dismay.
Our old commander, the man upon whom all relied at such a time, wastaken with a most serious illness, and it was believed that his dayson this earth were few.
It was necessary to carry the old gentleman to a dwelling, and half adozen of our best men undertook this duty, leaving the command of theforce to Herman Husband, that member of the force in which we placedimplicit confidence.
As I look back upon that time, when all were confident regarding thefuture, it seems indeed strange that we should have selected as MasterHamilton's successor the only member of our company who would play usfalse.
It was as if the gallant Master Hamilton had but just been carriedaway from us, when the scouts came in with the news that Tryon wasapproaching, having heard of General Waddel's defeat.
Then it was we leaned upon Master Husband, that man for whom we hadrisked our lives three several times in order that he might be sparedimprisonment, and learned in the end that he was no more than a brokenreed.
The Boy Spies with the Regulators Page 14