第 37 节
作者:江暖      更新:2021-02-19 20:44      字数:9321
  immortalize   you;〃   replied   Fraser;   〃if   you   could   swim   the   Ashley;   and
  surprise Gen。 Greene; but let us put the matter to the test。 Here is Serjt。
  Allen; the best trooper and the best swimmer in the corps; and here is my
  horse that cost me one hundred guineas。 Let Allen try it first; better that he
  than   that   all   should   be   lost。〃   The   proposition   was   agreed   to。 Allen   was
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  Life of Marion。
  mounted on the major's charger; and was ordered to swim the river。  〃I'll
  try;〃 said he; 〃since the colonel orders it  but the Lord have mercy upon
  me;〃   and   having   so said;   he plunged   into   the   river。 As   might   have   been
  expected; the current swept him a quarter of a mile below the landing on
  the   opposite     side;   he  attempted   to     land   there;   but  the   fine  horse    was
  swallowed up in the marsh; and Allen escaped with the utmost difficulty。 …
  … This was the last notice we have of Col。 Thompson (Count Rumford) in
  this country: he was a burning meteor but soon disappeared。*
  * Count Rumford told professor Pictet; of Geneva; many years after;
  that   he   had   never   been   able   to   efface   from   his   imagination;   the   horrid
  spectacle of   the dead   and wounded upon these   occasions。    See   Pictet's
  Tour in England; p。 212。
  After the defeat at Wambaw; Gov。 Matthews; having taken much pains
  to find out from Gen。 Marion who was the best cavalry officer of the two;
  Horry or Maham; incorporated the two regiments and gave the command
  to the latter。 The preference appears to have been extorted from Marion。
  The fact was that Horry; though said to be a good infantry officer; failed in
  one   most   essential   requisite   in   the   command   of   cavalry;   and   that   was
  horsemanship。  In several   charges   he   made;  it   is   said   he   was   indebted   to
  some   one   or   other   of   his   men   for   saving   his   life;   yet   possessing   great
  personal   bravery;   his   supreme   delight   was   always   to   be   at   the   head   of
  cavalry。 From the commencement of this narrative; his patriotism has been
  conspicuous: in fact; his property was wasted and his life often exposed in
  the cause of his country; and few men were more devoted to her than Col。
  Peter   Horry。   He   now   resigned;   but   as   some   consolation;   Gen。   Marion
  made   him   commandant   of   Georgetown;   with   full   powers   to   regulate   its
  trade and defend it from the enemy。 It was from thence and Cainhoy; that
  Gen。 Marion after long perseverance; got much clothing for Greene's army。
  But   Col。   P。   Horry;   instead   of   leaving   trade   to   flow   into   Georgetown   as
  freely as the tides which passed before him; put it under such restrictions
  that the merchants soon began to murmur。 About the 20th of April; there
  was an alarm excited among the civil authority of the state; that the British
  in Charleston had been reinforced and were about to attack Gen。 Greene。
  Gov。 Matthews immediately wrote to order Gen。 Marion to his assistance。
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  Life of Marion。
  He lay at that time near Murray's ferry; his men had been dismounted by
  an order from the same authority; and they now set out for Bacon's bridge
  on foot for the first time。 When they reached within eight miles; the alarm
  had subsided; but another had taken place; that the enemy had sailed for
  Georgetown; and the governor ordered Marion there。 After a forced march
  of   four   days   he   arrived   at   White's   bridge;   but   there   was   no   enemy   near
  Georgetown。 In this march of about one hundred and sixty miles; Marion's
  men had but one ration of rice; all the rest were of lean beef driven out of
  the woods in the month of April。 As Ganey's party had been troublesome
  to   the   people    of  North    Carolina;    and   had   not   observed     the  treaty   of
  neutrality with Gen。 Marion; made June 17th; 1781; a joint expedition was
  concerted   between   Gov。   Matthews;   of   South   and   Gov。   Martin   of   North
  Carolina; to subdue them。*   Of   this expedition   Gen。  Marion was   to have
  the command。 His very name was sufficient for the purpose intended。 At
  Burch's mill on Pedee; a treaty was signed; (June 1782) by which Ganey's
  party   agreed   to   lay   down   their   arms   as   enemies   of   the   state;   to   demean
  themselves hereafter as peaceable citizens; to deliver up all stolen property;
  to apprehend all who did not accede to the treaty now made; to take   all
  deserters from the American army and deliver them up; to return to their
  allegiance     and    abjure   that   of  his  Britannic     majesty。    From    this  treaty;
  Gibson; who killed Col。 Kolb; and Fanning and his party were excepted;
  but     they   escaped。      Fanning     was     properly     of   North     Carolina;     but
  occasionally acted with Ganey; and was one of the most active men; and
  one of the most deliberate murderers of the whole party。 But little defence
  had been made by the tories; only one skirmish took place; in which the
  general's friend; Robert James; was wounded; and at the Bowling Green;
  between Great and Little Pedee; at least five hundred men laid down their
  arms   to   Gen。   Marion。   Thus   ended   an   opposition   to   the   country;   which
  commenced   more   from   the   desire   of   plunder   than   from   principle;   and
  which; except with regard to sex; and some to age; had been carried on in
  the true spirit of savage warfare。 Of Harrison's party; many had gone with
  him   to   the   British;   with   those   who   remained   a   species   of   warfare   was
  waged even after the peace with Great Britain。
  * Capt。 Crafton's letter to Marion; 13th June; 1782。
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  Life of Marion。
  During      Gen。     Marion's     absence;      Gen。    Greene      appears;    from     the
  correspondence;         to  have    been    very    anxious     for  his   return。   After    the
  adjournment of the Jacksonborough assembly; he had crossed the Edisto
  and     encamped      on   the   west    side   of  Ashley     river;   sixteen    miles    from
  Charleston;   and   here   the   sufferings   of   his   men   had   risen   to   the   utmost
  extremity。      They    were    often   without     rations;   and    when    served;    it  was
  generally with lean meat without bread or rice; or bread or rice without the
  lean meat。 They had as yet received no pay; and their clothes were so worn
  and broken; that they were as naked as the Caffres of Africa。 Here; in a
  state of inaction; they became   mutinous; and were plotting to deliver up
  their commander to the enemy。 But it is surprising; that when mischief of
  any kind began to brew in such a situation; that only twelve should have
  been concerned in it; and it is honourable that none of those were native
  Americans。
  About   the   9th   of   July;   Gen。   Marion   had   returned   to   the   Santee;   and
  received   orders   from   Gen。   Greene   to   remain   between   that   and   Cooper
  river; as heretofore。 The militia were now so far relieved; that; by law; they
  were obliged to turn out only one month in three; but were ordered; as we
  have   mentioned   above;   to   be   dismounted;   which   discouraged   them;   and
  rendered   their   movements   less   rapid。   The   experience   derived   both   from
  the   history   of   the   revolutionary   and   the   late   war;   fully   shows   that   the
  militia are effective only when mounted。
  On   the   25th   of   August;   in   this   year;   Lieut。   Col。   John   Laurens   was
  killed   in   a   skirmish   at   Page's   point;   on   Combahee   river。   He   fell   in   the
  flower   of   his   youth;   and   yet   had   long   been   the   admiration   of   both   the
  contending armies。 In history the parallel to his character is perhaps to be
  found   only  in   that   of   the   Chevalier   Bayard:   the   knight   without   fear   and
  without reproach。
  During the remainder of the summer of 1782; Gen。 Marion frequently
  changed       his  encampments         from    place    to  place;   between      Cooper     and
  Santee   rivers;   with   three   objects   constantly   in   view;   to   cut   off   supplies
  from the enemy; to prevent all surprises from their sudden irruptions; and
  to provide for his own men。  His scouting parties still penetrated into St。
  Thomas' parish as far as Daniel's island and Clement's ferry。 At the head of
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