Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1857-05-21

to make his escape His answer was that
he had done no harm, as an Individual to
the Tories, and therefore had nothing to
fear from them; for he dreamed not that
political differences would be revenged by
murder in cold blood
Presently the body Of men came nearer
they halted at the gate, and with loud hail
called for the owner Of the house. The ma
jor quieted his terrified wife, and walked
out-with manner so composed that tt
would have commanded respect from apar-,
ty of soldiers-to meet Cunningham. That
outlaw had once served under his command.
But the front of determined, wickedness
could not be abashed before the clear eyes
ofhonor and virtue, when irresponsible pow
er was in the hands Of such wretches. As
Caldwell came within few PAGES of the
leader Of the party, the latter deliberately
drew pistol, took aim at his heart, and
fred The major sank to the ground,
and in a few moments expired.
Mrs Caldwell, the widow, always persis-
ted in her assertion that the shot was fired
by Bloody Bill Cunningham, himself" p
But the account of another person, who
knew the victim well, was that s'the deed
was committed by two videtts, who happen
ed to be in advance of the captain !; and that
when Cunningham arrived, he affected to
deplore the bloody tragedy, protesting that
he would as soon have shot his own father p
The account given in s'Curwin's Memoirs
confirms this statement. =
The compunction of the Tory leader if
real, was short-lived His men entered the
garden with their horses, and rode up and
down in iendlike sport. They then burst
into the house, plundered it of everything
they chose to carry off, and set it on fire,
watching the flames with hateful glee as
they rose on high and wrapped the building,
and riding off with yells of satisfaction. n
The scared inmates were left to seek shelter
where they could, and the widow seated in
the yard beside her slaughtered husband.
Not many months after this tragical oc-
currence, a lad named James Creswell, who
afterwards rose to the dignity of Colonel,
and was even then noted throughout. the
neighborhood for his active hostility to the
loyalists, happened to be staying at the house
of Rebecca Caldwell, the mother Of the mur-
dered officer. One of the negroes came
running in with the startling intelligence
that body Of Tories was coming along the
road toward the gate. A moment after
wards, they were in full sight, and escape
was impossible The lads death was cer-
tain. should he be discovered. 49,
Glide yourself, Betsy, quickp' exclaim-
ed the old lady. "And you James do as Z
bid youp' She snatched down some of her
daughters clothes from the closet, and hur-
riedly ordered young Creswell to dress him
self in them, which The did as quickly as
possible. 'ats
Mrs. Caldwell, meantime, ordered her
own horse and Betsy's horse to be saddled
Immediately, saying she was going in great
haste to visit Mrs Neely. BY the time the:
enemy were in the yard, 4 3 horses, ready
for the ride, stood before the door. The
matron walked out in her bonnet and shawl,
and seemed little disconnected at sight of
the strange intruders. ''
"Come along, Betsy she cried impa-
tiently: "come along; you know am in a
hurry"
Out walked a tall, awkward figure in fe-
male toggery, the bonnet slouched over the
face SO as completely to conceal the features.
The two passed through the midst of the
Tories, sprang upon the horses. passed
through the gate, and set off at full sgallop
on their journey. The intruders, mean
while, were inquiring eagerly for their m
tended victim, and set men to watch, the
doors, while they searched the whole house
for James Creswell.
The young woman finding further con-
cealment impossible, came forth from her
hiding place, confronted the enemy, and
was soon recognized as the real Betsy" :"
The marauders saw that they had been trick
ed, and that the youth whose life they wan
ted was beyond their reach; and they re-
venged themselves by stripping the house
of all the movable goods it contained. One
of them swore--as it usually happens after
wards-that he had his suspicions-for 'tthe
ga'al took mighty long steps as she went to
mount her horse" -
At the close Of the war, Elizabeth Cald-
well married Robert Gilman, the son of
a revolutionary officer, and himselfa gallant
soldier of that stormy period. The revolu-
tion had stripped them of all their property.
Roberts own account Of his beginning in the
world is worth preserving. "After [ was
married. said he, my father gave me land
for settlement. took my axe and went
out into the woods, about mile from his
residence, to select place for house, leav-
ing my wife to prepare my breakfast and
bring it to me. found spring, and chose
a place to set my house cut down a tree
for the first log, measured it and began to
think ovnr nv fi,t11ro nrnsnocts eo;d IN