第 17 节
作者:江暖      更新:2021-02-19 20:44      字数:9322
  major; and commanded a rifle corps during the campaign of Washington;
  in   New   Jersey。   On   one   occasion   Gen。   Washington   rode   out   with   a   few
  French      and   American       officers   to  reconnoitre;      and   Ferguson;      with   his
  riflemen;   lay   in   a   wood   near   to   the   road   by   which   they   both   went   and
  returned。 Washington was conspicuous from his stature; and uniform; and
  the   grey   horse   which   he   rode。   He   passed   hard   by   the   corps;   at   an   easy
  canter; and   Ferguson's  men   were   preparing   to   fire   upon him;  when   their
  leader prevented the act。 Who would not hereafter applaud the character of
  Ferguson?       In   a  letter  which     he   wrote    to  a   friend;   that   contains    this
  narrative;     he    mentions     he   was    glad    he   did   not    know     it  was    Gen。
  Washington at the time; lest he should have been tempted to fire at him。
  But the same generous spirit which prevented it in the one case; would; it
  is more than probable; have actuated him in the other。
  The next meed of praise is certainly due to friendship。 In this action
  the hon。 Robert   Stark; then   a boy of   fourteen; was among the American
  combatants。   Like   a   war   worn   veteran   he   was   seen   firing   his   rifle   and
  encouraging others to the onset。 It was here that; actuated by the cause of
  his country; and the rigourous confinement of his father in irons; he first
  avenged himself of the enemy。 His next battle was at the Cowpens; where
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  he acted as an adjutant under Gen。 Pickens。
  During the time General Marion lay at the White marsh; Capt。 Gavin
  Witherspoon;        of   Pedee;    with    three    or   four   men;    were     concealing
  themselves   in   Pedee   swamp:   in   the   night   he   discovered   a   camp   of   the
  tories; whom he had reason to think were in pursuit of him; and watched
  them till they had all fallen asleep; he proposed to his men to attack them;
  but they were   fearful of numbers。 He then declared he   would take   them
  himself。 Creeping up cautiously; he found that they had encamped at the
  butt of a pine; blown   up by the   roots; and that their guns   were piled up
  against     a  limb;   at  the   distance   of   forty  or   fifty  feet  from    them。    He
  continued to creep till he got possession of their guns; and then called to
  them     loudly    to  surrender。    Not    knowing      his  force;   they    did  so;   and
  Witherspoon's men came to his assistance and tied them; in number seven。
  Gavin; and John Witherspoon; his brother; were two active spirited men at
  this   period。   They   succeeded   each   other   as   captains   in   the   neck   between
  Pedee and Lynch's creek; and at the call of danger were generally foremost。
  After Capt。 Baxter was promoted to be major; Thomas Potts was elected
  captain   of   the   upper   Pedee   company;   he   had   been   captain   in   the   rifle
  regiment of state troops; and was a brave soldier and firm patriot。
  Major Wemyss; in laying waste the country; was particularly inimical
  to looms and sheep; no doubt that he might deprive the inhabitants of the
  means of clothing themselves。 What sheep he did not kill for the use of his
  men;   he   ordered   to   be   bayoneted。   He   burnt   the   Presbyterian   church   at
  Indiantown;   because;   as   he   said;   it   was   a   sedition   shop。   Before   a   house
  was burnt; permission was seldom given to remove the furniture。 When he
  came   to   Maj。  James'   he   was   met   by  his   lady  with   much   composure。   He
  wished to bring her husband to submission; and said to her; 〃If he would
  come in and lay down his arms; he should have a free pardon。〃 She replied;
  〃As to that she could not have any influence over him。 That times were
  such    he   was   compelled      to  take   a  part;  and   he   had   taken   that   of  his
  country。〃     Wemyss      after  this  had    her  and   her   children   locked    up   in  a
  chamber; from whence they did not come out; for two days and a half; and
  until the house was about to be burnt。 Capt。 David Campbell (of Edisto;)
  carried with his own hands; food and other refreshments to a back window
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  for   her;   apparently   unknown   to   Wemyss。   Capt。   John   James;   son   of   the
  major;   had   been   taken   in   Charleston;   and   paroled。   He   was   ordered   into
  custody; with the threat; that 〃If he was found to have broken his parole;
  he would be hanged in the morning to yonder tree。〃 Accordingly a court
  martial sat over him in   the morning。 The  witnesses called   were his own
  and his father's negroes; but; strange to tell; no evidence was given against
  him; and he was acquitted。 Such were the mock trials of the British。 As;
  when we come to speak of the battle of Eutaw; there will be many chiefs
  of higher title to be named; it is but justice to Capt。 James now to mention;
  that   before    that  time   he   was   exchanged;      and   fought    there   with   much
  bravery; as an adjutant。 As there was no trade or intercourse between that
  part of the country and a market; people were to be seen; after the fires;
  searching   for   every  thing   they  could   find;   knife   blades; scissors;   hinges;
  nails; &c。 Handles were put to the knives; dishes and plates were rudely
  manufactured        out   of  wood;    and   log   huts   were   gradually     built  by   the
  assistance of one another。 Many negroes were taken out of Williamsburgh;
  these were afterwards recovered by Maj。 James。 Directly after the retreat
  of   Rawdon   from   Camden;   he;   at   the   head   of   five   or   six   men;   passed
  through   the   country   from   Santee   to   an   island   near   Beaufort;   where   he
  found and brought away one hundred and fifty; all plundered from his own
  neighbourhood。   This   account   has   been   inserted   here;   that   the   chain   of
  events might not hereafter be broken。
  It   is   stated;   (page   45;*)   that   Col。   Tarleton   took   Mr。   James   Bradley
  prisoner; the manner in which this was done; and the subsequent treatment
  of Bradley; are well deserving a place in this narrative。 After being chased
  from his breakfast; thirteen miles below; by M'Cottry; Tarleton and a few
  officers came to Bradley's at midday; passed himself as Col。 Washington;
  and    requested     an   early  dinner。    Bradley    provided     dinner    for  him;   and
  unsuspectingly communicated to   him the plans   of his countrymen。 After
  dinner; Tarleton asked him to guide him over two difficult fords across two
  branches of Black river; near his house; Bradley consented; and after they
  had passed Magirt's swamp; Tarleton told him he was a prisoner。 A wild
  Arab would   not   have   treated   him  thus。  Bradley;  though   circumvented in
  this manner; was a wise but unsuspicious man; and before that had much
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  influence in the legislature。 He was sent to Camden gaol; and confined in
  heavy irons; he was often carted to the gallows and saw others executed;
  he   expected   death;   and   was   prepared   for   it;   but   he   had   many   friends   in
  Marion's brigade; and it was well known to the enemy that his execution
  would have been severely retaliated。 He was not released from gaol until
  the 10th of May the next year; when Rawdon retreated from Camden; and
  he   bore   the   marks   of   the   irons   until   his   death。   Being   requested;   on   one
  occasion   he   showed   these   to   the   author;   then   a   youth;   and   said;   〃If   the
  good      of   your     country     requires     the   sacrifice;    be    ready    to   suffer
  imprisonment   and   death   in   its   cause。〃   Soon   after   his   confinement;   Mrs。
  Bradley petitioned Tarleton to liberate her husband; but he treated her with
  scurrilous language and great brutality。 This man; who had been treated by
  Mrs。 Bradley to a plentiful meal; after he had fasted for twenty…four hours;
  and when he and his followers were fainting with fatigue and want; had
  now  the impudence   and cruelty  to   call   her   by  the grossest   names   in   the
  vocabulary of bilingsgate。 Mrs。 Bradley! one of the most humane; gentle
  and affectionate of her sex; who would willingly have offered him bread in
  his true character。 Tarleton even denied her admittance with her supplies to
  her husband; and she sought and obtained it elsewhere。
  * Chapter II Paragraph 8。  A。 L