Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-02-14

of the fray. On two occasions Aad ne saved
tie life of his superior Offices. when the uplted
tomahawk slittered with the Asaffuf expectation
Of its yictin,'s blood. He ,hadaalisted in the
service year previous, ASA private; and al
thousb promotion to the rank of, nonrom
missoned officer had been offered him on &C.
count of his good qualities asa soldier andh-
telligence as u man, he had refused its accept
anct; declaring that as his only desire was to
serve his country, he was willing to serve
tI,rou ch the war us private, leaving all condl.
tions above that;to soldiers more competent and
more ambitious He was the son of respec-
table farmer, whose industry had enabled him to
raise up and respectfully educate large family
"a man of severe discipline, whose watchtul
eve detected youthful faults in time to prevent
their maturing to crimes. He had been lntI-
mate with the family Of the Zanes, and, when
Ashley expressed desire to enlist, the old
man easily prevailed upon Cox Silas to enrol
him. among his own men. - i.
Now we will not pretend to say that there
had been any particular understanding between
Miss Elizabeth and the young gentleman above
spoken of previous to his becoming SOLDIER
though such thing might possibly have been
in mute way. Verbal declarations certainly
had not been made; for an owl told how, one
moonlight evening, while he was sitting IN the
shady branches of 4 chesnut chat stood but
few yards from the fort, |
lr.sse ----"Considerng as well he might,
80, Ways and means for supper That night.
he looked about with solemn scowl, and be.
held coming from the shadow of the fort a lover
and his mistress-he knew it was a lover and
his mistress, they spoke so tenderly to one ai'-
other. E;
They came out from the fort stealthily, and
stole softly over the green sward to the foot of
the chesaut, and sitting down upon one OF the
knarled io,ts, said kind things, uttered sacred
VOWS. and breathed lervent- sighs one to the
other They sat there an hour-a good hour
by the march Of Saturn-talking aud signing
all the while. when, calling upon all tue stars
| to witness their oaths, and sealing their VOWS
with kiss, they retired
Itwas but short time after this occurrence
! that the seiyc of Wheeling was commenced BY
the British and Indians; and although the place
was defended with zeal and an unlimited
amount of courage, the hopes Of the beseiged
grew somewhat dim as they looked forth upon
the masses that surrounded them. A scarcity
of provisions was not what alarmed them, tor
of those at present they had n sufficient sup.
ply: hut alarm became almost CONSERVATION
when it WAS announced on the second day OF
the seige, that their powder was short. Sever.
Al desperate assaults had been made by the
enemy 10 break irto the fort, but Colonel Zane
and his men repulsed and drove them back as
vigorously as they assaulted. The Indians on
two or three occasions attempted the destruc-
ton of the fort and block.hous by ire;,but in
! each instance they were shot down ere the
fappot and the burning brand could be applied.
But ultimately those in the fort began to ialsin
their hopes of a successful defence, when the
word was passed around that they were Ill the
possession of few charges OF powder onl y.
There was an abundant supply in the block
house, which they had been prev \eated from
removing BY the suddenness of the assault
but how was it to be gotten now! Surrounded
by the most invcterate of foes, what possible
| method could be adopted to procure them sup.
DIV of ammunitoR Their condition must be
i known to the enemy the moment their fires
slackened, and then they could easily be de.
stroyed without the least show of deiencc.
Tie second day of the siege had well Ugh
worn .away-it was in the middle OF the
afternoon. The last shot had been fired
the last grain Of powder was exhaus.
ted. Now, what swas to be done' Nal e
terms of ca pitula,on, or despairing. submit t"
fate? They in the block.house still held out
bravely, and little concert Of action might
save them, for the enemy already began,'o
show symptoms of wavering At this cri. is
Colonel Zane called his men around him, y. d
after describing to them the situation in which
they were placed, he desired to know if there
was any one among them desperate enough to
attempt a passage throuy h the enemy to tie
block.house. He added that it was indeed a
ollorn hope, but at the worst could not re.
main in their present condition. No answer
followed the appeal. Tile mel gazed at ter
commander and into the eyes of each other
with the most complete despair, and with faces
blank with any ray of hope. Elizabeth stood
by the side of her brother, silent; but that 81.
lence was more eloquent than the words of
the Colonel. Perhaps, though, slight pang
might have futtersd her pulse to hear no one
speak. Was there NOT one brave enough 10
peril life for the salvation of the wholes Am
muuition was all that was wanted. Que keg
of powder, and they were free! At this mo.
- ,- ,,,, stennad mOdestly forward