Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-01-14
Rebolutionarg Storg,
THE OUTPOST.

the French, aided by vast bodies of the HUI
rons and Iroquois Indians, had begun to
make themselves very disagreeable neighbors
to the British and American colonies in
Northern Virginia, and North west portions
of New York State-the French by their en-
croachment on the frontier, and the Indians
BY their numerous forays and savage barbar-
ity to all who were unfortunate enough to
fall into their hands.
To put stop to these progressive proceed
ings, numerous bodies, both of the regulars
and colonial militia, were despatched to the
several points assailed; among the rest Col
Henry Innis, with company of thirty men,
was ordered to occupy small outpost, or log
fort which at that period, stood within few
miles from the North fork of the Allegheny
river
Having arrived safely at their quarters, the
little company set about ri"hting up the old
post to make it as comfortable as circumstan-
ces would permit and this being done and
order once more restored, sentries we're placed
at all the advanced points of the station,
while the strictest vigilance was both en-
joined and exercised by day and uight.
Among the Virginia riAemen who had
volunteered into the company, was tall,
manly looking young fellow who from fatal
and unerring skill as a marksman had receiv-
ed the somewhat inspiring MONDE PLUME of
Death. But with whatever justice his name
had been applied to him for his skill, his dis
position certainly entitled him to no such ter
ror spreading epithet. On the contrary, he
was the very life of the company.
His rich fund of mother wit, large social
propeusities and constant good nature rem
dered him general favorite with the men
while the never failing stock of game which
his skill enabled him to supply the mess
table of the officers with, not only recon-,
mended him to their good graces, but caused
many little short coming of his to be wink
ed at and passed over in silence, which 9th,
erwise, perhaps, he might not have got over
so easy.
The company had not been stationed at
the fort more than week, ere Death, in one
of his excursions for game, discovered
small farm house, some three miles from the
fort, where lived a certain Miss Hester Stan
hope. whose equal in beauty and amiable
qualities he had never seen before. And to
render himself still more certain of the fact,
he called on the following day, under cover
of the pretense of. having left his powder
flask.
Death was invited to come again by far
mer Stanhope, who happened to be from the
same parish as the father of our hero; and
we need scarcely say that the invitation wa:
both eagerly and joyfully accepted, and a:
often as circumstances would permit, com
piled with.
The second week after this occurrence took
place, was marked by two events, which
thoug III both affecting the welfare of widely
different degrees of importance. The hrs
was, Death had either lost all his skill as
marksman, or that game had removed to
safer or more distant neighborhood, for thu
officers larder had been found sadly wanting
in the items of wood-cocks, black-cocks, ptar
migan, &C., for the week past-and the sec
ond and most important of the two events
was, that in regular succession, four sentluel
had disappeared from the extreme left line
without leaving the slightest trace to educat
the mystery of their disappearance.
This circumstance struck such dread in
to the breast of the company, that no Ont
could be found willing to volunteer to TAX
the post-well knowing it would be only lik
signing their own death warrant to do so
and Col. Innis, not wishing to wilfully sacri
fee the lives of his men by compelling then
to go, enjoined double caution on the re
mainder OF the sentinels, and left the pos
unoccupied for night or two.
Two or three accommodating parties ha'
been dispatched off around the neighborhoo'
in the hope of finding some clue to the mys
terry, or of obtaining some intelligence of tn
enemy, but each of them returned as wise a
they started, with no reward for their troubl
except weary bones.
1t was on the third night of the desertiol
of the post that our hero, Death, was re