The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-11-23
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A MIDNIGHT SCENE,
DURING THE EsEvUEUTHON

The following incident is strictly
a fact. have but arranged in regular
form those circumstances which
heard from the lips OF the actors in the
scene, and in SO doing am very con-
scious that have deprived them of
much that added deep interest to the
event. But the glance, the tonc, the
gesture, the rapid utterance, or the
pause OF emotion, must be imagined
by tho reader, my pen claims no mer-
1T save that OF decorating truth Nth
the mellowcd rccollcctions of friend
ship-tor | knew and loved those of
. whom am about to S, cak, and there
are still some living who could in
.sstantly give to my story "a local habi-
tation and Il nan,e."
Fertile as each Of the sOld Thir
teen"%may be in narrowing and roman
I tic incidents. connected with the War
OF the Rcvolution, none can offer Il
!airer field to the imagination, or to
!. the feelings, than South Carolina. Ma
Sily causes combined 10 make her sit
5Styuation at that period very interesting;
ssalld s,lotsthe least striking was the
Iaufor.
he noble sindlep epsndet lcs, Il did high:
1 toned ense :sof y hon dl,r, the polished
,asrmlarlnets ! M and, accomplished education
lFof her apistocracy, were painfully con
i trastcd by the ignorance and passive
obedience of her numerous slaves; be.
tween these extremes, there was to
be found Il mildle RINK: which seemed
occasionally to exhibit the sterling
characteristics of the one, and the
degraded vices of the other. Good
sense, strict probty: enduring pa,ri-
otism, were prominent traits; but
among tho c, especially, who adhcred
to the ancient order Of things. ana
whose passions and fears were con
stantly excited by the threats of
change and the dread Of danger, there
was sometimes found too trrocity
AN cngerness for plundcr-;l rcadi
ness to engage in scenes Of violence
which scattered terror over many Il
neighbourhood that else would have
known war only in its miIdcr forms.
But at the period speak of, South
Caroln' was also II prey to civil dis
cord; oil the tics of brotherhood were
broken, and as succ SIS crowned either
party, the patriot lriumphcd with
taunting and rcproachiill joy, or the
tory cXultcd N tc prospect OF such :,
relurn to the good old days" as
would make the word treason IL sword
and shield to him. LII the mean time.
according to the depth of the moral
character, feelings Of aversion and
hatred, or of open and manly disunion,
were silently nourishcd or bold
ly avowcd.
Such characters were numerous in Il
southern district of South Carolina.
which lies very near the beautiful riv-
er that separates it from Georgia. The
year l7SO was one of gloom and sor
row to the hearts of its patriots; Char
lesion was in the possession of the
& british; the whole State at the mercy
of,the royalists, and the gallant spir-
sits who had thrown lie and property
into the pciilous stake, were in general
obliged to abandon the one and seek
safety for the other in the depths of
their swamps and the soltudes of
their pine barrens. There were some,
however, who still remained at their
homes, and in bitterness of heart tried.
by a voluntary retirement, to avoid
that expression Of feeling which could
only bring ruin to their helpless fami-
lies.
Among this class was planter,
whose name was P. He DOS.
(, sesscd fine estate on one of the mar
i srow roy and winding waters which empty
INTO Broad river; was young, intelli.
I gent, ardent, and enthusiastic. and
devoted to tho cause in which his coun-
Fry was struggling. Such q character
;5sYas 5, exactly calculated to secure strong
4 friendships iiit and excite strong enmities,
j ma ma time that tried mems souls. Whilst
freedom 1.s' m OF speech was permitted to
hnatan, he3avowed his sentiments with
careless trankness: bold indepcn.
dence, which alternately CALLED and