Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1861-04-30
MariOn,s Men.
IFrOu The "camp Fire Of the RcvOluti,

know how the time goes-the General was
pretty hard pushed for ammunition. We
had been tryln' to get some. every how we
could thing of, but could't do it; because,
you see, the British had our little party
penued up close in the swamp. We had
only about fifty men in all. Tarleton and
his troops were huntin' round, and they
had large force Of infantry in the neigh
borhOod. Well, s1methin' had to be done
idle wasn't in the make of Marion. The
only way we could get any ammunition
TO support our wants, was TO attack the
convoy that brought the stores to the Brit
ish in the np;ghborhood These conveys
sumetimes number a hundred men each;
but often moro than that. Besides, they
were provided, in every respOst, for an at
tack.
"Well, Marion resolved to attack one of
those conveys; and he laid bis plan for it
with the greatest care. The principle
things to be done were these:
A party Of our men, rumberin' only
five that was all he could sparc-was to
take q ronte through the woods, just oppo>
site tn the one the whole band were goin,'
and were to Turk around the large deiach-
ment Of infantry in that direction, ard once
in while to show themselves, to make
the British think the whole of our band
was in that neighborhood and then
the commander Of the de atchment would
give the commander at the station where
the convoy came from, notice of the fact,
and thus throw them off the guard. Then,
on the night Of the attack, the whole of
the rest of the band were to march to
place which he mentioned, where there
was good chance for hidin', and better
one for an attack. 1t was a place where
the road, passed through a wood, where
the ground was very much oyergrown with
brushes, at the bottom of a very shallow
ravine. The road just there made short
turn so that when we were stationed on
each side of it, just before the bend, we
could let the advance of the party get
round before we'd attack the convoy, and
then The stores might be secured very
speedily. We had only three rounds Of
ammunition for each man, when we heard
o. an expected convoy of stores These we
had treasured for some time, waiting our
chance.
The party of FIVE were sent on their du-
ty; and, as they sent US word by one of
their number, they done the business just
az we expected; the British thinkin' our
whole party was i'll the neighb0rhood Ger
tain, and sending word to that amount to
the commander al the station where the
convoy was to come from. We we're OF
the ground Marion had fixed upon, before
night when the convoy was expected to
pass. Everything turned out as we wanted
It.
The convoy got to the pass as it grew
farley dark. We were at our post on
horseback, in the wood on each side of the
road. Marion was in command Of party
on the right of the road, who were to Sc
cure the stores and take them through the
wood in that direction. | was with the
party on the other side, end we were to
attack the body of soldiers in the rear of
the stores.
On came the convoy with their torches
and lanterns lightin' the way, never thin
kin any b, dy was gnin' to trouble 'em.-
The advance got fairly around the bend
in the road, and the wagons in which were
the stores were right opposite to US, when
the word was given to our party to fire and
rush on the rear guard and we poured ii
volley into them that staggered 'em at
once. Then we cone down on EN-, from
che sides of the road, like all creation;
hoOtin' and shoutin' at the loudest. At
the same time the party under Marion
came down, from the other side Of the road,
upon the wagons with the stores and while
we were slashing away at the rear guard,
party Of Marion's were securln' the
stores, and draggin' 'em off into the wood
as fast as possible. Such yellin' as we
kept up all the time, you can't think Of
To nights business mad good deal of that,
but it wasn't anything like the other Part
of the horsemen in the rear stood their
ground, but the rest made of back the way
they came. The advance got themselves tur-
ned by the time most of the stores had
been secured by the men of Marion's party,
aud sent to our place of meeting in the
swamp. The rest of his party came tn our
rescue, and helped to beat down the rest Of
the rear guard. But there was no time to
lose; we couldn't stop to take prisoners. The
advance was comm back upon us but
the wagons were in their road, and they
couldn't get at us without great danger to
themselves.
The order was given, and we poured our
last volley into 'em, and then took to the
wood. Marion was nearly the Eastman on
the ground, but he had the best horse.
He gave shout, and fired his pistol into
the foremost horse mans breast, and fol-
lowed his men iEto the wood Just in time
to save himself from the sabres of the rest
Of them, was behind him, and saw him
do it; and then We rode through the wood
nearly side by side We had to 90 quick
" through that wood, tell you. We had
20 cross another road before we got into
the swamp, and there Marion had strong
fears of bein' attacked there. The body of
Il IL l.C 1
dare to follow US at night through the
wood. They had a taste of surprise e.
sides, they had plenty of wounded to take
care of know. My sabre done a pretty
deal of work, and know the rest Vt tie
boys weren't behind me in it. We had
three wounded, but none killed and these
wounded we brought away with u.s. We
passed the crossin' safely, but hurried on
as fast as the carriage of the stores would
let us, we got far into the swamp, and then
we Stacked our pace.
The men were almost worn out with the
hard ride, and carrying the wounded and
the spoil Of our attack. by the time we
reached our camp. We had captured
great deal of ammunition and provisions,
aad they served us for some time ahead
think it was about a month. Our decay
party had arrived some time before u.s.
But mind, we had to keep close for a week
or 60 after that surprise. The British de-
partment were awful wrathy about losin'
their provisions aud ammunition. and the
next convoy had double the number of
troops with it than the other one had I
can't help thiukin' how dashed the redcoat
troops must have felt, ridin' into the Brit
ish camp with their empty wagons
The OUTSET IN THE WoRLD.-DoD't he
discouraged in the outset of life if things
do not go on smoothly. 1t seldom happens
that the hopes we cherish for the future
are realized. Tue path Of life appears
smooth and easy but when we cjme to
travel it, we find it up hill, and generally
steep enough. Don't be discouraged under
onu ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 90 stsadit,, f...--l