But to return to our story. "Meriot," you'll say, "and his brother officer, brought `their pigs to a bad market'." Yes, indeed: but not a jot worse than some of their friends came to the very day afterwards.
On the morning of that day, Marion, now concealed in the swamps, near Georgetown, was pleased to order me out on a second excursion.
"Take captain Snipes," said he, "with thirty men, and proceed down the Sandpit road, in quest of the enemy. The moment you discover them, whether British or tories, charge with spirit, and I'll warrant your success."As we approached the bridge, still moving on very circumspectly, in the woods, we discovered at a short distance, a body of horsemen, perhaps a hundred, apparently in great confusion, and very anxious to form.
Instantly we took the road, and clapping spurs to our horses, dashed upon them at full speed, at the same time shouting as we rushed on.
The enemy broke and fled in all directions. We pursued.
Then you might have seen the woods all covered with armed men;some flying, others pursuing; and with muskets, and pistols, and swords, shooting and cutting down as fast as they could.
From the unevenness of the ground, and rapidity of the charge, my men were all soon out of sight, leaving with me but a lad of fourteen, named Gwinn, who carried a musket. At that instant, a party of nine or ten men were seen advancing, whom I took for whigs, and challenged as such, asking if they were not friends?
"Friends! O yes!" replied their captain, (one Lewis) "friends to be sure;friends to king George!"
Quick as thought, off went Gwinn's musket, close by my side, and down tumbled captain Lewis from his horse, with a heavy squelch, to the ground. But in the very instant of receiving his death, his musket, which was raised to kill me, took fire and shot my horse dead on the spot. Seeing my horse drop, Gwinn dismounted, and led his horse up to me in a moment.
Happily for us both, captain Snipes heard the report of our pieces, and thinking that we might be in danger, dashed on to our aid, with several of my troops whooping and huzzaing as they came on.
The tory party then fired at us, but without effect, and fled leaving four of Marion's men, whom they had just taken, and beaten very barbarously with the butts of their muskets.
This was a fatal day to the tories, who must have lost more than half their number. For I had with me not only Macdonald and Snipes, but several other very strong and brave men, whose families had suffered very severely, by British and tory cruelty; and, I am afraid, they did not forget this, when their swords were hanging over the heads of the fugitives. At any rate, they took but few prisoners.
In the course of this day's fighting, there happened an affair which served to amuse us not a little on our return to our camp that night.
The tories, who, from time to time had fallen into our hands, were often easing their vexation, by saying, that it was true, "Marion had proved too cunning for colonel Tynes and captain Barfield, and other British and loyal officers, whom he had attacked;but that there was still one left behind, who, they were sure, if he could come forward, would soon show us quite a different sort of play;and that was colonel Gainey, from the head waters of Pedee."We answered, that it was all very well; and that we should be glad to see colonel Gainey. Now, as God was pleased to have it, who should it be, that with one-third of his number, we had been chasing so to-day, but colonel Gainey; a stout officer-looking fellow he was too, and most nobly mounted. Macdonald made a dash at him, in full confidence of getting a gallant charger. But the good book tells us, that "the race is not always to the swift;" and owing partly to the fleetness of his horse, and partly to a most extraordinary sort of accident, colonel Gainey made his escape from our Scotsman.
The chase was towards Georgetown, distant little more than two miles.
Never on earth did two horses or horsemen make greater exertions.
Fear impelling the one, fury urging the other. Macdonald declared, that in the chase he had passed several tories whom he could easily have cut down, but like the lion in pursuit of a favorite buffalo, he took no notice of them. His eye was fixed on colonel Gainey.
Just as they turned Richmond corner, Selim had brought his master near enough to his prey to make a stroke at him with his bayonet.
By a sudden jerk, it is supposed, the weapon turned; so that when Macdonald drew back the carbine, he left the bayonet up to the hilt in his back.
In this way colonel Gainey rode into town, prodigiously to his own and the mortification of his friends the British and tories.
