Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1855-05-03
1f(istrllanrous 3}raomg,
PETER FRANCISCO.

PETER FRANCISCO.
THE SAMSON "r THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.
As late a. the year 1896. there lived in
Western Nir.inia, man whose strength was
30 remarkably. aS To- win him the title Of the
..Virginia Samson He knew nothing Of his
birth or parcnta=e, but supposed he was born
in Portugal, from whence he was stolen when
child. AMI carried 10 Ireland His earliest
rccollcctions were those Of b"yhood in the lat.
ter country. While vet lal he apprcnticed
himself to i sea captain. for seven years, in
pay or pa>>a9r to this country. On his ar
rival. his time and services We're sold To i Mr..
Winston. Of Virginia. in whose service he It.
manned until the breaking out Of the Rcyolu-
rion Bcn- ii an alvcnturou> turn IF mind.
h. SOUGHT anl obtained permission Of his master
% j"in the arm. anl was engaged in active
service dur;ng the whole contest. Such wa>
hi> strength and personal bravery. that no cne-
nv could resist him. He welded Il sword,
th,. blade If which WIS five feet in length a.
though il had been feather, and every one
who came in contact with him paid the forfeit
- ";- life. AZ St"ncy Point, he was one "t
the ''f"rl''"'. hope" which VIVA advanced to cu,
away the :,bah>. anil. n"Et to Major Gibbon
wa> thr iir.; Man IL enter the works. At Bean.
lywinr. and N"nmouth he exhibited the most
fearless bravery. and nothing but hi< inability
70 wri;t. prevented his promotion to COIN
mi>,ipn. Transferred 10 the South he tooii
part in n.".; VI the cn=a.cmcmtS in that See
tiun. anl wards the close of the war, lie was
cn.a.ci in 4 contest Which exhibited in Strl-
in" manner. hi: remarkable >clt-contidcncc and
courage.
One day. while accommodating. h. stopped
I; the house ii Il NAH By the name ofW -.
t. refresh himself While 1T the table. he WIS
surprised b. nine British troopers, who rode
~ 10 the house. anl told him be was their
prisoncr. Seeing that he was so greatly out
numbered he pretended to surrender, and the
Dragons seeing he was apparently very peace
fully inclined, after disarming him, allowed
him considerable freedom, while they sat down
to partale Of the food which he had left when
disturbed. Wandering out into the door-yard
he was acco$tcl by the Paymastcr, who de-
manded Of him everything Of value about him
at the risk Vi his life, in case Of refusal. Il
have nothing to rive" said Francisco. $50 use
YOUR pleasure" '.Givc up those silver buc-
klcs in Your shoes, said the DRAGON. '.Thcy
were the Git Of L tricnl,' replied Francisco,
"anl give them to You | never shall: take
them if YOU will, YOU have the power, but I
never will yi;rc them to any one Putting
his sabre under his arm, the soldier stopped
down to take them. Francisco seeing the op-
rvrtunity, which WIS too good to be lost, sez-
I'd the sword, and drawing it with force from
under the arm Of the soldier, dealt him Sc
we're blow across the skull. Although severe
ly wounded. yet being brave man, the dra-
goon drew pistol and aimed it at his antagon-
,t. who vas too quick for him, however, and
as he pulled the trigger, 4 blow from the sword
nearly severed hi: wrist. and placed him hors
3r c1mLm. The report Of the pistol drew the
other Dragons into the yard, as well as W,
who very ungenerously brought out musket,
which he handed to one Of the soldiers, and
told him to make Use oft. Mounting the on
" horse they could get at, he presented the
muzzle at the breast of Francisco, and pulled
the trigger. Fortunately it missed fire, and
Francisco closed in upon him. A short strug-
Gle ensued, which ended in his disarlning and
wounding the soldier Tarlcton troop Of four
hundred men were now in sight and the other
DRAGONS we're about to attack him. Seeing his
case was desperate, he turned toward an ad-
Joining thicket, and as if cheering on party
of men. he cried out. "Come on, my brave
BOYS; now's your time we will soon dispatch
these few and then attack the main body" at
the same time rushing at the Dragons with
the fury of an enraged tiger. They did not
wait to engage him, but Ael precipitately to
the troop, panic-struck and dismayed. Selling
upop the traitorous william, W, Francisco
was about to dispatch him, but he beggad and
plead so hard for his life, that he forgave him,
and told him to secrete for him the eight hor-
81. which the soldiers had left behind them.
Perceiving that Tarleton had dispatched two
other dragoons in search of'him, he made OFT
into the adjoining wood, and while they stop,
ped at the house, he, like an old fox, doubled
upon their rear, and successfully evaded their
vigilance. The next day he went to W
for his horses; he demanded two Of them fol
his services, and generous intentions. Find
ing his situation dangerous, and surrounded by
enemies, where be ought to have found friends