The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1874-04-15
LEGENDS OF THE REVOLU-
TION.
JASPER'S WELL.
BY ARTHUR ST. CLAIR.

The Quaker poet, Whittier, in
one of his warlike lyrics-made up
of the clash of cymbals, the peal of
trumpets and the roll of drums
breaks out in the following strain:
~an %all when where % camden's nauSf martyrs T ELI
BY every shrine of patriots blood.
From Mouidric's wall to Jasper's WELL
Now, while doubtless nearly all
of my readers have heard of Eutaw
and Camden and Fort Moultrie,
probably very few have heard of
Sergeant Jasper, and even fewer
who have heard of the exploit which
gave the name "Jasper's Well" to
the Southern locality at which it
occurred.
Sergeant Jasper, after his gallant
behavior at Fort Moultrie, was one
of the most distinguished of that
little band of heroes who served
under Marion, and kept a foothold
for liberty in the Carolinas and
Georgia, when the British cause
seemed everywhere triumphant.
Jasper hesitated not to leave the
camp of his commander, and ven
ture again and again within the
British lines in order that he might
obtain information of projected
movements. And it was In one of
these expeditions rs a spy, when he
was accompanied by q comrade
named Newton, that the following
romantic incident occurred.
Two miles from Savannah, in the
noble old State of Georgia one of
the 'sOld Thirteen"-there is a
spring which is well known to trav
elers. Here one day a guard of
British soldies halted to rest. Nor
are they alone. Captive Americans,
accused of treason--inasmuch as
they had accepted o ''protection'
from the British commander, and
afterward, when the American army
had entered that part of the coun-
try, joined the. ranks of their patriot
countrymen--sad and downcast,
for they knew their doom was death,
also flung themselves down in the
grateful shade of the trees that
surrounded the well of the spring
One of these sad eyed prisoners
was man, whose only daughter
was with resolved to abide
with him to the last. She was a
beautiful dark-eyed Southern girl,
named Sallie st. Clair. The writer
of this would be proud to know that
kindred blood to hers runs in his
own veins.
Jasper and his comrade had
marked this sad procession, slowly
vending its dusty way to Savannah
and the gibbet: and Jasper had
been especially touched by the sor-
rowful yet glol ious besuty of Sallie
st. Clair. ave shall rescue them
or die!' exclaimed he to his brave
companion, with set lips
A bold thought, for they were
two to ten, and, besides, they were
entirely unarmed. But in great
cause souls count not the odds
Two men with God are match for
a thousand mere myrmidons of
tyranny.
These men of Marion's pushed
on and got in advance of the SOL
diers and their victims A sudden
thought struck Jasper. as he mark
ed the cool shade of the spring.
"Here they will rest awhile; let us
conceal oul selves in this thicket, p
said he.
It was as he had supposed.
Soon the British guard came up,
halted. and stacked their mnskets.
All but four-two of these remained
ON guard by the muskets. two
others went to the spring for water.
When the latter had reached the
spring. they leaned their muskets
against the tree, preparatory to
dipping up the water.
This was the suspicious moment
Leaping out from their ambush.
Jasper and Newton each seized q
musket Clubbing them, they
Knocked the two soldiers senseless:
then springing like lions upon the
two soldiers who garded the stack
ed muskets, and who hardly knew
a. -