第 9 节
作者:江暖      更新:2021-02-19 20:43      字数:9322
  Cowpens Hutt disappeared。
  Nothing       could    have    astonished      the   people     more;     than   this   last
  proclamation; those who had taken the paroles expected to remain on their
  plantations in security and ease; but now; they were called upon to return
  to   their   allegiance;   and   assist   in   securing   his   majesty's   government。  The
  purport of which was well understood; they were in fact to take up arms
  against     their   countrymen:        at  the   very    thought     of   which     they    were
  abhorrent。   This   crooked   policy   was   no   sooner   adopted;   than   the   British
  cause began to decline in South Carolina。 The thread of the events above
  recorded;   will   now   naturally   lead   us   to   the   history   of   Marion's   brigade。
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  Life of Marion。
  About   the   end   of   June;  in   this   year;   Capt。 Ardesoif;  of   the   British   navy;
  arrived at Georgetown; to carry the last proclamation of Sir Henry Clinton
  into effect; and invited the people to come in and swear allegiance to King
  George。 Many of the inhabitants of that district submitted to this new act
  of   degradation。   But   there   remained   a   portion   of   it;   stretching   from   the
  Santee to the Pedee; and including the whole of the present Williamsburgh;
  and part of Marion district; into which the British arms had not penetrated。
  The inhabitants of it were generally of Irish extraction; a people; who at all
  times   during   the   war;   abhorred   either   submission   or   vassalage。   Among
  them; tradition has handed down the following story:  A public meeting
  was   called;   to   deliberate   upon   their   critical   situation;   and      Major   John
  James; who had heretofore commanded them in the field; and represented
  them   in   legislature;   was   selected   as   the   person   who   should   go   down   to
  Capt。   Ardesoif;   and   know   from   him;   whether;   by   his   proclamation;   he
  meant      that   they   should     take   up   arms     against    their   countrymen。       He
  proceeded to Georgetown; in the plain garb of a country planter; and was
  introduced to the captain; at his lodgings; a considerable distance from his
  ship。 An altercation of the following nature took place。 After the major had
  narrated   the   nature   of   his   mission;   the   captain;   surprised   that   such   an
  embassy       should    be   sent   to   him;   answered;      〃the   submission       must    be
  unconditional。〃        To   an   inquiry;    whether     the   inhabitants     would    not    be
  allowed   to   stay   at   home;   upon   their   plantations;   in   peace   and   quiet?   he
  replied; 〃although you have rebelled against his majesty; he offers you a
  free pardon; of which you are undeserving; for you ought all to be hanged;
  but as he offers you a free pardon; you must take up arms in support of his
  cause。〃 To Major James' suggesting that the people he came to represent
  would   not   submit   on   such   terms;   the   captain;   irritated   at   his   republican
  language;   particularly;   it   is   supposed;   at   the   word   ~represent~;   replied;
  〃you damned rebel; if you speak in such language I will immediately order
  you to be hanged up to the yard…arm。〃  The captain wore a sword; and
  Major James none; but perceiving what turn matters were likely to take;
  and   not   brooking   such   harsh   language;   he   suddenly   seized   the   chair   on
  which he was seated; brandished it in the face of the captain; and making
  his retreat   good through   the back   door of the house;  mounted his   horse;
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  Life of Marion。
  and made his escape into the country。 This circumstance; apparently trivial;
  certainly hastened the rise of Marion's brigade。 The story narrated; as now
  told; or embellished; always concluded in the same way: 〃you must take
  up    arms    in  support     of  his   majesty's     cause。〃    Many     of   the  people     of
  Williamsburgh         had   submitted     and    taken   paroles;    but   to  be   obliged    to
  imbrue their hands in the blood of their countrymen; was in their minds a
  breach of one of the   commands of   God; and  they shuddered   at the   very
  thought。      They   had   besides;   had   two   officers   put   over   them;   by   the
  British    commander;        Amos     Gaskens      and   John    Hamilton;      the  first  they
  despised   on   account   of   his   petty   larceny   tricks;   and   the   last   they   hated
  because of his profanity。 About this time; news of the approach of Gates
  having   arrived;   a   public   meeting   of   this   people   was   called;   and   it   was
  unanimously resolved to take up arms in defence of their country。 Major
  James was desired to command them as heretofore; and they again arrayed
  themselves under   their captains William  M‘Cottry;  Henry  Mouzon;  John
  James;* of the lake; and John M‘Cauley。 The four companies; resolved on
  this great   enterprise;   consisted of   about   two hundred   men。   Shortly  after;
  Col。  Hugh   Giles; of   Pedee;  proposed   to   join   them;   with   two   companies;
  Whitherspoon's   and   Thornly's;   and   his   offer   was   gladly   accepted。   Gen。
  Gates had now arrived on the confines of the state; and in a consultation;
  held among these officers; it was agreed to send to him; to appoint them a
  commander。         This   was    a  wise    resolution;    and    attended    with    the  most
  salutary   consequences。   In   the   mean   time;   they   made   prisoners   of   Col。
  Cassels; Capt。 Gaskens; and most of the officers appointed over them by
  the British;  and   took   post   at   the pass of   Lynch's   creek;  at Witherspoon's
  ferry。 At this period; the tories on Lynch's creek; in the neighbourhood of
  M‘Callum's        ferry;   had   already    begun     their   murders     and   depredations。
  Messrs。 Matthew Bradley; Thomas Bradley; and John Roberts; respectable
  citizens;  who   had   then   joined   neither   party;   and   also; some   others;   were
  killed    by   them;    in  their   own    houses。    These    were    headed     by   the   two
  Harrisons;      one   afterwards      a  colonel;    the  other    a  major    in  the   British
  service; whom Tarleton calls men of fortune。 They were in fact two of the
  greatest     banditti    that   ever    infested     the   country。    Before     the   fall   of
  Charleston they lived in a wretched log hut; by the road; near M‘Callum's;
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  Life of Marion。
  in which there was no bed…covering but the skins of wild beasts; during
  the contest the major was killed; but after it was over; the colonel retired to
  Jamaica; with much wealth; acquired by depredation。 Capt。 M‘Cottry was
  now  posted   in   advance   of   Witherspoon's   ferry;   at   Indian   town;   and   Col。
  Tarleton;      having     crossed     at   Lenud's      ferry;   and     hearing     of   the
  Williamsburgh meeting; advanced; at the head of seventy mounted militia
  and cavalry;   to   surprise Major   James。   M‘Cottry; first   receiving notice   of
  his   movement;   sent   back   for   a   reinforcement;   and   immediately   marched
  his company; of about fifty mounted militia; to give him battle。 Tarleton
  had been posted at dark; at the Kingstree; and M‘Cottry approached him at
  midnight; but Tarleton marched   away a few hours before he arrived。  By
  means of the wife of Hamilton; the only tory in that part of the country; he
  had gained intelligence of M‘Cottry's approach; as reported to him; with
  five hundred men。  The latter pursued; but; perhaps fortunately; without
  overtaking him。 In this route Tarleton burnt the house of Capt。 Mouzon;
  and after posting thirty miles; from Kingstree up to Salem; took Mr。 James
  Bradley   prisoner;   the   next   day。   Soon   after   this   Lieut。   Col。   Hugh   Horry
  arrived from Georgetown; and by right he would have had the command
  of Major James' party; but he declined it for some time。 Of him more will
  be said hereafter。 On the 10th or 12th of August; General Marion arrived at
  the post; at Lynch's creek; commissioned by Governor Rutledge to take the
  command of the party there; and a large extent of country on the east side
  of   Santee。   He   was   a   stranger   to   the   officers   and   men;   and   they   flocked
  about him; to obtain a sight of their future commander。** He was rather
  below the middle stature of men; lean and swarthy。 His body was well set;
  but his knees and ankles were badly formed; and he still limped upon on