Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-07-01
Miscellany.
THE DEATH OF PARKER.
A TALE or THE REVOLUTION.


independence. Few, very few, now remain
amongst us of the gallant spirits who surviv-
ed that fearful contest; and soon in the COM
mon course of things all of them will be gone
forever, and with them all hope Of recovering
from oblivion many deed of manly daring,
now only preserved in the memories of those
who achieved, or those who witnessed them
After the seige and fall of Charleston, in
the year 1880, and the shameful violation of
the articles of treaty by the British officers,
the war in South Carolina became essentially
OF partizan character. The State was over
run but not subdued. Bold spirits arose ev-
cry where TO assert their liberties, and they
were frequently and instantaneously crushed
by powerful and unsparing foe, and no rec
objection now survives of themselves or their
deeds; but not all of them thus pefished.-
One fearful contest tradition has preserved,
which / will endeavor to record--a struggle
of man with his fellow mana pursuit-a
pistol shot, and death.
| Capt Jacob Rumph, (known after the Re-
volution better, perhaps, as Gen Rumph,) of
Orangeburgh district, was the commander of
a troop of cavalry raised in his neighborhood
to protect themselves and their families, but
who lost no occasion of aiding their friends
| or annoying their enemies. They are all
gone; history has not recorded their names
but few boider spirits struck for liberty i'm
that eventiul war. Capt. Rump was man
of prodigious size and strength, of great cour-
age and GOODNESS in the hour of danger, and
though of a harsh and imperious disposition,
no one was better fitted for the command of
the hardy and intrepid men who composed
his corps They were usually dispersed at
their ordinary avocationS on their farms, but
they united at moments warning from their
| leader.
Not long after Charleston was taken by
tho British, Captain Rumph was returning
with Two of his wagons, which had been sent
into Charleston with produce, in charge of
Dutchman named Houselighter; and while
slowly riding in company with his wagon,
on small but strong horse, his mind gloom
lily brooding over the oppressed and almost
hopeless condition of South Carolina, he had
reached a large pond on what is now called
the old road, about seven miles below the
village of Orangeburgh, when he was sudden
ly reused by the approach of three men on
horseback, whom he instantly recognised as
his most deadly foes. They were well
mounted, and armed, like himself, with
sword and pistol.
When the hcrsemen had reached the oppo-
site side of the road to Captain Rumph, they
halted for moment, and would have APP
preached him nearer, but he, placing himself
in the best posture of defence he could, cal
|
| "Gentlemen, stand OIL wish to have no.
thing to do with YOU"
| The tories, for such they Were, surveyed
him for an instant, and after short confer
ence with each other, to Captain Rumph's
great relief rode on, and soon disappeared at
the next turn of the road.
! Rumph, though he saw with no little sat-
isfacton that the tories had passed on, yet
was too well acquainted with them to sup
pose for moment that he was to get of so
easily. lie knew very well thatthe short re-
spite thus given him was only that with an
increased force he might become their prey
with less danger to themselves. He rightly
conjectured that the three who had passed
him In the road were only scouts, sent to APP
prehend him if unarmed, and who, if he had
ncautiousy suffered them to approach him,
would have shot him down while off his
guard.
Casting about him for n moment for means
of escape from his willy foes, the danger of
his situation became fully apparent. The
three troopers he knew belonged to the corps
of the sangunary Cunningham, party of
which, he was certain, was in the neighbor-
hood, under the command of one Of his sub
altern officers; and Captain Rumph, after
carefully surveying his situation, became fui-
ly conscious OF his extreme danger of falling
into the hands of his mercilcss foe. He was
mounted upon strong but slow horse, and the
thought of escape on horseback was abandon
ed by him without hesitation. He was arm
ed with trusty cut and thrust sword and a
brace ofpistols but il would have been mad
ness, he well knew, to think of opposing
himself TO such odds as he was sure would be
brought against him. There was no time to
be lost. His only chance of escape at once
flashed across his mind, and he Immediately
to the pond already mentioned, and tied him
fast to Il tree. He then took off the greater
part of his clothes and left them near his
horse, to induce the suspicion that he had
concealed himself in that pond. But that
was very far from his real intention. He
walked in the water, near the margin Of the
pond, until he had gained the side opposite
to which he had tethered his horse, and
choosing with some caution the place at
which he could best leave it, he set of at Il
rapid rate through the pine woods towards
home, distance of sixteen miles.
In the meantime, the three troopers, who
as Captain Rumph truly supposed, Were
party detached to seize him if they could, re-
turned to their main body, consisting ofabout
twenty men, under the command of Lieut..
Parker, and reported the situation in which
they had left Capt. Rumph. Without loss Of
time the whole party set of TO overtake him.
Upon their arrival at the pond, they found
that the wagons had proceeded but little
distance from the spot which they occupied
when the three tories passed them. and Capt.
Rumph's horse and clothes were in the same
situation in which they had been when left
by him. The whole party rode up TO the
wagons, and fercely inquired ofpoor House
lighter, who was pale with terror, where
Rumph was. He pointed to the pond, and
they rode up to the place where the horse