Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-04-22
under circumstances 50 alarming, behaved

! under circumstances So alarming, behaved
as u..,,,Ia ,inen surprised, always aio anu
ALWAYS will behave, s. e. they took to Their
"scrapers" and made themselves scarce;
az paddy would say, in no time and less.
| Still Middleton was heard roarlhg along
the cam oiuz groun., parade Parade !"
| Enrased that he sh uld thus extend Inc
alarm, stout BRUSH sergeant OF dragons
named Johnson, mounted Oh a rapid char
ger, dashed on al cad of his troops, IN pur-
suit of Middleton, and Coming up. with
him hand over hand, close 10 Tayior's hre
would quickly have cut him down, when
Taylor said TO one of his men whom be
knew to be a prime marks-man, Ton,
can't you stop that bold soldier ?" "rll
try SIR" said The ri1eman, and grasped
bis hre>!ock, but at the same time heaved
a sigh, as soIrowing to kill so brave Toe
But what could he do? That brave toe
or Col. Middleton must die. In moment
he had his rifle on the poise then gIan-
eng quick eye along the shining tube
till he had brought the fatal bead 10 bear,
he gave fire. The gallant Johnson only
saw the flash-Heaven, in mercy, threw
the sleep of death over all that followed
pierced through the shattered brain, the
mighty warrior dropped at once a poor
lump of liieless clay, and, tossed from his
| horse with all his useless arms. was rolled
over almost into one OF Taylor's fires
Swift as thought, out from his lurking
place ran little Nat White, and snaiching
up the dead mans carbine and cartoucb
box, flew back 10 his comrades with q
I'll "A u h..
Taylor didn't Tell you so this morning,
that if zee got to fighting should soon haze
gun put into ny hands p Presently,
just as Taylor had loretold, the British
having fairly chased our miliIamen across
Broad River, to the huge amszemeEt OF
the mud cells and cats, came swarmirg a.
round Taylor's fires, thick as wild geese
around the stacks OF rice, and as noisy too;
curslng the id rebels as pack OF cow
ardly rasCals, for running of so soon with
| out Stopping to give 'em little bi: of fun. In
that awful pause, their Iegimentals shining
iE the Iight-wood blaze like sea Of blood,
with metal buttons aud cross belts bright
as, ay, Taylor gave the word, and his
, whole platoon poured in a murderous IRE,
mourDlulIy answered by the cries aud
groans OF the wounded and dying. Only
thirty seven guns were fired, and yet two
and forty OF the enemy came down-lwo
of whom, in the language of that day, play
ed possum. The British returned the lire,
hu kiled only one man. Very little mere
was done on either side, for The Ameri-
| cans, as ii content, like their own gene
: rous ratilesnakes, with The deadly wounds
| they had inflicted on their enemy, retired
with sulen JOY into their darksome woods;
and the British, leaving SO many OF their
dead companions, with badly wounded
: general behind them, were glad to hot
! back TO Columbia. The next morning
soon as Captain Taylor AMI his men re-
turned TO the ground, the British Doctor
came in 10 dress their wounded He hap
pened to be an lrishman. and as usual, a
Jolly sort of fellow for as Taylor quIzzed
MIN concerning the heavy drubbing which
his counlrymen (meaniDg the British, had
given him last night, he replied with
mixed laugh and blush, ''.arrah pom my
shoui noe honey but The boot zOns on The
rong leg Them id .feiio1ss there out Of
The black scamp, played hi U,th us. y
Gen. Sumter too. came in. and as Taylor
expressed regret that he had done no
better, be replied with magnanimily that
does him more honor than the most bril-
liant victory could have done, o my
brave fellow, do not talk sO-you did won
ders. could not, for my soul, think
where such heavy firing came from.
On searching the pocket of the brave
sergeant Johnson. they found letter
which be had just received from bis mo-
Their 10 London Ii served TO show, in
what midnight darkness the ministry had
contrived to keep the people of Englaad
with respect to the war in America In
Der letter, the fond molbe: heartily con.
graduates her" dear son on the blessed
ne@s which they had just received, VIZ
That the rebellion in the colonies was all
happily extinguished land that her dar-
ling child, now that peace was restored,
was no longer exposed 10 the dangers of
war-and how glad she should be il she
come out TO see him, and be with hin once
more before she died" All! happy mo-
ther lhought capt Taylor, with deep
Sigh, as turning from the letter, he beheld
poor Johnson, the beloved subjec! Of it, a
/ pale corpse on the sands, and his manly
face and locks all matted and CHASTITY with
blood-ab happy mother, whose eyes
are not permitted to see this sight.
| -
FOR EIEN NEVIS.