The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-06-28
4 Selefteo Cali.
From tie, Saturday Budget,
JENNY BIRCH;
2 =. 80 or.
TIL E r RES c Z E!
A Tale of Revolutionary Times.
-ARTH S. B A X E Il.

=..g. IY- z T IL U II S Il.
cHApTER 1.-THE ATTACK.
It was bright Sunday afternoon, in July,
l776, and the inhabfsants of b had as.
senbled Tor divine worship. 1t is necessary
that we should refer our readers back that they
may know the existing state OF things III Il
4 at The time of the, commencement OF our sto'
1 ,ry. .Sszss
: The war had been wagmg with great fury,
and.the little settlementof R--had not been
EXEMPT from the ravages Of the ruthless sa.
wares in tlre.employsof the British. Numerous
attacks had been. made, and several of the in
habitatts had been killed; but7al at 4 general
surprise and massacre had failed as from th'
superior skill of the brave settlers OF q
they were enabled to encounter. The Indians
in their own mode Of warfare, and were al
ways Oh their guard.
Having iaiied in all attempts to surprise the
settlement the indians suddenly Disappeared =
probably in search of>easer prey. Eut there
was one among them, young chief. who was
still determined to accomplish the object, and
he had greater inducements than rlundser-re-
venge g. =,
,0ndeya, ,,the chief, loyed-.but with the wild
love of a. S;va geAthe .. brightest and best
flower that bopmedEin the pretty valley OF
b. Before the war h. had erdelv"'ed to
y,ilts the maiden s. consent to become Ills
bride. and besthe mistress of lis forest home
But sfhe lovely Jenny BircbSLad smiled at bis
vivid anduiowiag representations of happiness,
and endeavofed to lteach him that a VIII tic
= maiden could never be happy in such situa!
tion. But he still perseyered, and she at last
refused him kindly and decidedly.
Ondega's love wassnow transformed l"to q
bitter hatred, and with hsrows Of revenge he
disappeared from the settlement, said S"otAiHs
more vas heard Of lin till the breaking outot
the Revolutionary war, when news was brought
by some of the settlers that Ondega was one
ofsthe leaders Of the Indians that were COLI
tinnally raraging the surrounding es"untry, aud
had led one of thesparties that atlone5time at.
tackled the setllemeutand were repaised.
: When this WAS communicates TO Jenny
Birch, She was very much alarmed, for She re-
membered the threats Of Ondesa at parting,
and rightly guessed that he was"now e"deavor'
ing to carry the threat nto execution; but ON
her making known her Tears to the settlers,
she was assured that no hand should harm her
as long as thsres was "a man in f. that
eould;rase rifle.
Among the most. earnest in their efforts to
quiet her fears wasf Edwin Person, Il yo"ng
man. lust one year the senior of Jenny -twen-
ty: He was noble hearted, handsome, Hte.ll-
gent, brave, and acknowledged Us lEe best
marksnan in the settlement. There was Il
similarity Of sentiment between Edwin and
Jeany, and they were. always happy when i'll
each others company. aFu
As,we have said before, all the Indians had
left the, vicinity of R-but Ondega and his
followers. Ilehad resolved to take advan,angc
of The fact of the settlers somewhat relaxing
their watch -Gulness, i'll consequence oil the ap-
parent vacation Of the country by the Indians,
tosnake last and desperate effort for rev.
enge. AL his plans we're maturcd, aud ne was
ready to strike the blow that, if successful,
would send sorrow to so many hearts.
Nearlya week before he,openiug ofour sto-
rv, a large number the most experienced an D.,
hardy settlers had left the settlement to go to
another portion of the country to a!d III the
battles for liberty. Little did they know how
much their services were needed at home
All the settlers in the village at the time
were assembled in the church on the Sabbath
Not one, old or young, but, was present. 1t
was the FIRST time. for long while that the
privilege was theirs to hear the word ct God
spoken to them, and they had assembled to
thank kind Providence, Tor preserving their
ives amid surrounding dangers.
Jenny Birch and her parentswere there, ana
Also the parents of Edwin Pierson; but Ed
win was not there! He had accompanied tine
party that had left the settlement.
The structure where the services were held
was a substantial log building, and for safety
from attack, the windows were placed hlgh
from the ground and furnished with heavy oak
shutters which were controlled from the inic-
rior of,thc building. The root was covered
with a species of-slate. The building had
been,made as place Of refuge in times of
danger, hence the peculirity Now to return:
The services had commenced, aud the con-
creraton had just finished singing the morn.
inu hymn. when the shriu war whoop started
them all to their feet, and at the same moment
the large oak door was thrown open, aud an
Indian with upifted tomabawk k, spr:ns into
Tim church and close behind him followed scores
Of painted warriors with the deaic''ing war
whonp still on their lips. l.,
Mr.. Birch was seated behind the door and
as the Indian sprang past him, with the speed
of thought lie leaped upon him and p'n'onrHd
ii, arms behind him. The next moment, ere
the remainder of the savages could fellow, the
strong arms Of one of the settlers had lorceu