Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1851-07-25
GuAits' DRpartmrnt.
MARY SLOCUMR.

Valor and lntrepidlty. The following incl
dent relates to a lady of North Carolina,
Mrs. Slocumb. Her maiden name was
Hooks; she was born in the County Of
BERTHE, in 1760. She was present at one of
the bloodiest battles ofthe revolution, where
the united regiments of Col Ellington and
CasWelI, encountered Mcdonald at Moore's
Creek. We will give a part of the story in
her own words:
The men all left on Sunday morning.
More than eighty went from this house with
my husband.
And 1 slept soundly and quietly that
night, and worked hard all the next day;
but / kept thinking where they had got to !;
how far where and how many of the regu-
lars and tories they would meet, and ]
could not keep myself from the study. l
went to bed at the usual time. but still
continued to study. As 1 lay-whether
waking or sleeping I knew mott had a
dream ; yet it was not altogether a dream,
(she used the words uneonsciously ola poet
not then in being.) l saw distinctly a
body wrapped in my husbands guard cloak
-bloody-dead and others dead and
wounded on the ground about him. l saw
them plainly and distinctly. 1 uttered a
cry and sprang to my feet on the floor and
50 strong was the impression IN my mind
that / rushed in the direction the vision
appeared, and came up against the side of.
the house. The fire in the room gave little
light, and | gazed in every direction to catch
another glimpse Of the scene. l raised the
light everything was still and quiet. My
child was sleeping, but my woman was a.
Wakened by mycrying out or jumping on the
floor. If ever ! felt fear it was at that mo-
ment.-Seated on the bed. 1 reflected a few
moments and said aloud, i must go to him.
told the woman | could not sleep, and
would ride down the road. She appeared
in great alarm but l merely told her to
lock the door after me and look after the
child. l went to the stable, saddled my
mare, as feet and easy anag as ever travel
ed I; and in one minute we we're turning
down the road at full speed. The cool
night seemed after a mile or two's gallop to
bring reflection with it and | asked myself
where / was going, and for what purpose ?
Again and again | was tempted to turn back;
but l was soon ten miles from home, and my
mind became stronger every mile l rode.
I should find my husband dead or dying.
was as firmly my presentiment and convic.
ton as any fact in my life. When day
broke / was some thirty miles from home.
KNEW the general rout our little army expec
ted to take, and had followed them withoui
hesitation. After sunrise l came upon
group of women and children, standing anC
sitting by the road side, each one of then
showing the SAL anxiety of mind 1 felt
Stopping a few moments, | inquired if tn
battle had been fought. They knew Meth
ing.
Again / was Swimming over the groun
through a country thinIy settled, and yer,
poor and sHampy; but neither my ow
spirits nor my Beautiful nag's failed in tn
least ; we followed the well-marked trail
the troops.
The sun must have been well up, sa
eight or nine o'clock, when | heard SCUM
ike thunder, which l knew must be cannol
1 stopped still, wheR presently the cannc
Numbered again. The battle was the
fighting. What a fool my husband cou
not be dead last night, and the battle on
fighting now2 Still. as 1 am SO near, 1 W
20 on and see how they come out. So awi
we went again, faster than ever ard l fouI
by the noise Of guns that 1 was near t
Aght. Again | stopped, l could hear mt
kete, ! could hear rifles, and l could he
shouting. | spoke to my mare and dash
on in the direction of the firing, and t
shouts were louder than ever. The bli
path / had been following brought me il
the Wilmington road leading from Moor
Creek Bridge, a few hundred yards bel
the bridge. A few yards from the road,
der a cluster Of trees, were lying perhi
twenty men. They were the wounded.
knew the spot I; the very trees and
position Of the men l knew as if l had 81
Il a thousand times. had seen it all mig
I saw all at once but in an instant
whole soul was centred in one spot
there, wrapped in his bloody guard clio
was my husbands body! How l passed
few yards from the saddle to the placed ne
knew. / remember uncovering- his h
and seeing q face clothed with gore fro
dreadful wound across the temple. /
my hand on the bloody face twas wal
and an unknown voice begged for wat
brought Il; poured SON in his mou
washed his face; and behold it
Prank Cogdell."
Afer binding up The wounds of sew