Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-10-01

j ) ] = Z N
cultural ana GonlnmdaI fymnssts
OCTOBER 1, Is
vance. Such was the topography Of the countr
; and such were the precautions adopted to guard a
gainst surprise. .T ....-
The village, at this date was crowded, to reple
ton, by refugees from the low country, who hae
fled, from their blackened 'homesteads along the
coast, to tho interior, for safety and shelter. :.
= It was shout the hour Of eleven when horse
man cane at an easy cantsr, along the road leading
from Sedgewick's Pond-as we shall designate the
milLseat above referred to. The carbine slune
across his shoulder, and the repeater thrust into
his belt, seemed scarcely in keeping with the sane
tity of the holy day Of rest and the sacred services
Of worship which were about to commence, as was
announced by the bell in graceful spre just ahead
of him, which after one or two minutes Of impa.
tient changing, had suddenly ceased its din AS he
passed the church door, which was wide open, the
solemn strains Of the organ sweIled out upon his
ear, and he unconseiousy paused and sat, drink.
ing in with enraptured senses, the grand, nelan.
choly, dirge-ike music chat swakened 90 many sad
and sacred and tender associations It ronedupon
his ear like some voice from the happy past, gone
never to return again 'i - @i --a.
With head askant and gaze directed upon the
ground, he sat unconscious of all around him. lis.
tening az though, for the last time, to the soul.
subduing music Of the sanctuary. That morning
he had gone out to meet the enemy and report
their movements; miles away from this sunny VII,
lage, from which the voice Of prayer and praise
was now ascending, he had suddenly found himself
inpresence Of portion Of their cavalry force, and
had only escaped by precipitate fight, in which
the bullets of the enemy whistled fearfnly around
him. Hard pressed BY two Of the foremost, who
were mounted on horses Of remarkable speed, he
would have been overtaken and cut down, had be
not turned in his saddle, and, with his repeater,
shot them down, one after another, as theywere al
most within swords length. One of the horses
he was sofotunate ss to have captured and brought
of with him. Now, with his hands fresh from
the slaughter Of his enemies, he has paused tc
his ears with doubly soothing and melting in
huence, after the excitement and danger Of the
conflict.
"Good morning, Victor" shouted cheerful
voice. s'You seem to be dreaming to-day" Vic
tor raised his head and found Harvey Haley stand
ing upon the sidewalk of the street, within few
feet of him, with his cartridgebox buckled around
his waist, and his musket thrown across his shoul
der.
"Good morning, Harvey" replied Victor, riding
up to the sidewalk and extending his hand to biz
old comrade. "I see you are wide awake and
ready for the fight" .., Co.,.
"Yes, if the enemy should come, " rejoined Har
vey; "but who can tell us that. p"
,'T can," answered Victor. II have been cut
scouting to satisfy myself, and met them few
miles below hurying up at q rapid rate. Anc
Harvey, you will find captured horse stabbed By
Snip, at your place. I was pursued by couple o.
mounted men of the enemy, and would certainly
have been captured, had not made good use o.
my carhine and repeater. brought off the bes
horse-the other stopped when his rider fell. ]
did not care to make parade and talk about the
affair by bringing my prize through the streets.
put him up quietly in your stables. Itmight sub
ect my mother to injury and insult in case the enc
my succeeds, to have my name mentioned in con-
nection with the affair. ....
"You are right Victor; and it is quite thought
full in you, too,' rejoined Harvey Haley 1.-THE
less noise and boasting one makesabout such thngs
the better, especially when it is so doubtful how
the fight will go. I say doubtful, although you
and I and few others have verylittle doubt about
it. The enemy are very likely to come in just at
easily as if the militia were lying at home asleep II
their BEDS and they would enter this little affair o.
yours under the head Of bushwhacking, and pun
ish it by burning up your mother splace, root and
branch. No one knows of it yet2''
."No one at an," replied Victor IT reported
the enemy coming and simply told that founc
the horse loose in the road, and made few plausi
bic enquiries for the owner"
II suppose, Victor, we shall meet at the mil
again, in the course Of an hour rtwo if not, wher
this affair is over come out to my house and We
can consult what is best forus to do. We can't re
main in this neighborhood many hours after the
fight. Goodbye, and don't forget to meet me al
my house, as soon as we have got through with the
fight, if we come out alive
The comrades shook hands and parted Harvey
Haley to hasten on to the scene Of the anticipated
conflict, and Victor to aid his mother in sending
few valuables to some place safety, now that the
advance of the enemy was no longer matter o.
uncertainty.
In truth, too, the young soldier desired few
parting words with one whose love was hardly less
dear to him than that ofa mother. When the en-
emy had again assembled his legions around the
beautiful city of Petersburg and the sound of hi
guns hourly alarmed the city with their roar, Mel
lie Danvers had again taken refuge with her aunt
Mrs. Vernon, in that old city by the sea- which
had now been abandoned to the enemy. A kino
invitation had been given them, by Mrs. Garnett
to take refuge with her; and cut off from theil
home in Virginia, by the ruin of the roads now ir
possession of the enemy, they had thankfully &C
cepted her kind invitation, and were now domi
ciled with her. Their fate, should the enemy sue
ceed in taking possession of the village, after the
excitement and irritation Of conflict, might vel
excite, in the breast of the young soldier, the
gravest apprehensions. 1t was not the policy o.
the commanders turned loose upon the country tt
1 l. fo~h