Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-07-16


"By Heaven, Baxter" said one captain
to another as they met, "look how our men
fall and not hope furnishing their murder
ers. As we'll seek to thread the mazes of a
labarynth as this light and open wood in
safety. See, there drops another officer"
Scarcely had he finished his speech ere q
ball whistled so close to his ear that he felt
it.
"Good God," said Baxter, pale with ex-
cessive agitation, "this is the most coward
ly species of warfare I ever encountered
We must get out of this ground, or else make
up our minds to be buried here"
owe dare not-stir without orders. We
have our place assigned, and must not evac-
uate it. And yet it is dreadful to stand
here, comparatively idle, and be shot down
like sparrows," replied the other, as be bit
his lips until they bled.
Men were falling here and there in every
direction, while the din of the battle was
heard whithersoeVer any combatant might
turn.
Now and then a riAeman was dislodged
and killed but the invisible foe remained
as numerous, and serviceable to the cause Of
liberty, as ever. On the outskirts of the
wood-or rather in sort of clearing made
by the hand of nature-was tall oak tree
as stately and dignifed as George Washing
ton. Within three hundred yards of this
tree was circle of English soldiers, dead,
and almost all marked in the forehead, or
about the breast, by single shot. At reg
ular intervals the sharp crack of a rifle was
distinguishable above all other sounds and it
was surely followed by the immolation of
victim. This had been observed, with trem-
bling, by both officers and privates during
an hour or more; and what was also palpa-
bic was, that the unseen dispenser of dissolu-
ton picked off the company's officers in pre-
ference to the men in the rank. The shots
at least became so frequently and fatal that
search was instituted to oascertain theirsource.
1t could not be found. Like the great plume
of Murat among the Austrians, the invisible
marksman became the talk of the whole left
of the line, and ultimately the matter reach
ed the cars of Grant.
"Order out platoon instantly" cried he
to one of his aids, "and let it be held in readi-
ness to make short work of all found engaged
in this assassin-like method Of combat
Pause not until this lurking foe is dislodged
and rendered powerless."
This order was communicated to the pro-
per personges, and second search was in.
dulged. The file ofmen detailed to the du.
ty of the search were led by a captain re-
markable for his height; and when they
came within musket range of the tall tree,
the sharpe ringing report so terrible was the
precursor of his death. A corporal saw the
smoke, and noticed stir among the branch
es. With keener eye and quicker percep-
tions than the rest, and being, withal, an old
soldier who had seen service in other fields
where England had deluged innocent soil
with the best blood of its offspring, he at
once guessed the whereabouts of the invinci-
BILE marksman. The moment he communi.
Gated his discovery to the rest there was a
speedy retreate indicated towards the plan
toon. This body at once dashed towards the
towering oak, and halted within musket shot.
"That for your leader" shouted voice
from the branches; and, true to the marks
mans purpose, the ball entered the brain Of
the ill-fated commander. A yell of rage
was uttered as the officer next in rank step.
ped up, and paused moment.
"That for the nearest man on the right ~
exclaimed the voice, and again his victim
bit the dust.
"Now, men," cried the Briton, waving
his sword with frantic excitement over his
head-"Now, men, 6re-fre, I say, before
he has time to reload"
The volley started the echoes of the
heights, and the muskets beched forth thei,
contents, in fame and smoke. A few twigs
dropped from the tree, but the tenant vas
to every seeming unburt.
"No," he spoke, in sonorous and decr
voice that was distinctly heard and hac
something unearthly in it tones-"No! mol
yet 1 lack three men, by my tally, to make
up the amount devoted to the god Of ven
geance. Here is for one"
A cavalry soldier was dashing by; hi
horse had taken fright and could not b.
checked Once more the fatal rife uttered
its death song and the alarmed steed flew ri
derless on its way.
"Burn the tree down :" exclaimed one o
the men. "Fire can be communicated It
the trunk easily"
"Will you undertake the deed?" inquired
the commander, with sneer
~ will" replied the man. Clear SOM
wadding from your coats and give it to ME.
They complied with his request, and de
livered to him with alacrity what they pro
cured from their we'll padded garments
He now became the lion of the field, as tn
|, rifeman had been. Every eye centered Of
the private as he made up loose parcel o
inAammable stuff. A pile of the dries
branches tbereabouts was next obtained AM
broken into respectable brush faggots. Th
private then fired the wadding with the loci
of his musket and little powder, and fan
ned it into blaze. With the lighted mas
in one hand, and the bundle of brush in tn
f other, he started manfully to the tree-th
t platoon following him few PAGES, and al
most ;mnarcontihlv narrowing the distanc