Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-09-30

! yltS d uOteu Tory, Win company Oh
four hundred mounted Loyaljsts, was
close at hand, making for Tarleton's
camp, unawares that he had moved. Lee
resolved to capture the whole party by
by stratagem. Sending forward a coup<
le of troopers to meet the tories and con-
duct them to camp, he placed his militia
and ritiemen in ambush on each side of
the road and drew up his legion in props
er form to receive the tory battalion. 1t
was his intention to lead the tories into an
ambuscade, and take them all prisoners.
To the honor Of Col. Lee, be it recorded
that he did not contemplate nor plan the
massacre which followed.
As the tory band approached, Lee sent
his Adjutant TO greet the Colonel and d.
rect him where to post his men. The Ad-
jutant returned with word that Col. Tar
leton's wishes should be cheeriuIy COM
piled With Lee snw that his stratagem
was working TO perfection. Col. Pyle
marched his men to the place indicated
by Lee, and drew up in two ranks along
| the road, in such manner that they were
hemmed in by the concealed militia on
one side and Lees legion on the other.
When the tory iine was formed, Lee, at
the head Of his troopers, rode slowly
towards it. and passed along directly in
front, until the two CoIonels were oppo-
site TO each other. As Lee extended his
hand to Pyle, the loyaIists raised the
snout Of "God save the King" in which
the Americans joined, in order to carry
out their plan and prevent discovery.
Col. Lee then complimented the tory
Colonel on the number and the equip
menl Of his corps, and hoped they would
do good service in the Kings canse
He then turned and was about TO give
The signal for The legion to cover the tory
troops with their carbiues, when a sudden
burst Of musketry, mingled with yelIs
and cheers, broke from the lower eX- [
tremity Of the line.
The tories discovering the America mi
litia aiming at them, perceived they were |
betrayed, aud commenced firing their car ,
blnes, The militia returned with heavy |
EoIley, which killed more than forty men. +
\ terrible hand to hand fight now ensued !
n which the Americans were completely +
victorious. Lee and his chief officers en- :
ieavoredto stop the carnage, but the men,
'ry OF many tory outragss nerved the :
lrtns of the troopers and they hewed down s
heir hated enemies, without needing their
:rIes for quarter. Some two hundred men Il
recording 10 some accounts, were killed S
n less than twenty minutes. Stedman, Il
u his history Of the war, puts the number Il
# killed and wounded at three hundred "
'ut Botta, who is generally first rate au- e
horIty, thinks this number too large Fl
Tradition says that ninety horses were al q
0 killed and wounded. Col. Pyle, bad 3
Y injured by sabre cut, fled for shelter I
small pond near by, and plunging :,
nto the water, concealed himself among =
ne reeds, with nothing but his head above -
ae surface, until the fight was over and Il
he field deserted. He then crawled out =
nd made his way to the British camp. l
The Americans did not lose a man or 3
orse, killed or wounded! v
A few of the tories managed to reach te
le British camp and carry to Tarleton 10
'e terrible intelligence that Pyle's detach- be
tent was cut to peices by the rebel vaga- cc
onds.' Expecting, with good reason, al
Iat those same 'vagabonds' were in search re
him, the Colonel broke up his camp az
I'D pushed for The main army, Lee fol- q
wing hard upon his track. "a
Much valuable plunder was taken from ~
G defunct tories. Their equipments -, -
I'd arms were all new, from the British ~ -,
pres, and soon replaced the miserable u
ms borne by some of the American q
'ops. Sixty five horses were also taken, St'
tn new saddles and rigging complete. LEI
'e, reinforced by three hundred Virgin er
rifiemen, pushed after TarIeton, until So
was within few miles of the main ar bu
:. Fortune, the capricious goddess, ge
d Lee afterwards, gave US Pyle and So
red Tareton.' m
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EARLY RISING. The celebrated Dr. mi