Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-03-03

panies throw down their arms and re-
turn to their peaceful homes Me
D.nald alarmed, aband ,l.s mis- at |
tick. precipitately retires, crosses the |
river at night aud axes road where
there may be no lion In his path to |
dispute his progress. We shall see. |
He escapes Moore-but finds CaswH |
at Uorbett's Ferry. His road is block |
ed! Again the willy II ehlander, |
| who is versed in all the strategy of |
war, resorts to movement on thu |
flank, and retiring, crosses the B ack |
aud gains the Sampson road tn vii |
mington. Now he is free the road is
open the way is ci,.,rl H. wril !
surely gain the city and Join the ships
OF war. But alas, for his h,'pes !
Moore, though not bred to arms, i
| equal to the en- rgency. He quickly
dispatches Ellington and Ashe with
two hundred and fifty sons OF New
| Hanover to JOIN Caswrll, or to take
| post at Moort.'s Creek, aud orders
Caswell to fall on tn enemy's rear Or
| join Ellington at this very spot where
now we stand. A hundred mills dis
tant he yet selects his battle fl Id, and
| days before feels yell assured of the
result of the expected CO: f.ct.
Ellington reaches this selected place
of b tile on the evening of the 25th, and
at once prepares for the inevitable en-
counter. He places his men across
this peninsular, and throws up those
earthworks that still bear a silent tes-
timony of that fatal Jay. And then
that little band of patriots calmly
await the moment of battle. Well
might they have dreaded the expected
onslaught The bravery of the High
| ioI. lon
used to the vicissitudes of warfare;
their leaders were bold, experienced.
distinguished for their courage, and
famous for their valor. But Lilliug-
ton and the brave boys of New Han
over knew that their cause was just;
their conscience approved their
motive and their action; their leaders
were neighbors and friends, were en-
deared to their hearts by all the ties
that bind manly men to kindred spir-
it's. 1t was independence they fought
for; with them the momentous issue
was indeed "Liberty or Death" In
those hours of anxious expectancy,
those $50 citizen-soIdiers, men grown
up together, playmates in youth,
friends IN manhood, stood side by side,
with all the resolution of Spartan
band, determined to survive no defeat,
but there to make themselves. if need
be, a willing offering in the cause of
American independence.
But not they alone were TO hear the
shock of the coming storm. Others
were to share the perils and the honors
of the day. Their brothers in arms
the gallant men of Duplin, of Wayne,
, of S tmpson, of Newbern-all those
cbivalrous spirits who came with Cas-
) we'll, swelled their ranks, dispeiied the
J gloom of doubtful contest and gave
them an assurance of victory.
Late in the afternoon of the 26th
Casweli approached, and halted Oh tn )
other side of the stream. At Dightfall
he lit his campfire aud then quie ly
r withdrew to th:- rear of L;llingt on s
/ line. The plarks of the bridge were
f then removed, ard all things were in
! readiness for the attack. a dayhr, ak
it came The brave Hi2hlautlers
reached the dismantled hridg,-and
: still pressed on. Ellington. towering
f grandiy among h $ staiwart mn. en-
couraged them by deeds of Superhu-
1 man endeavors. And Casweli! Oh!
/ of the fay. The result you know
, how the advance guard of the enemy
met their untim Il fate; how the cour-
ageous Mcleod died as heroes di,
| waving his sword and calling on his
men to press on to victory; how many
5 found their grave Ill the waters of the
creek, how the steady fir of th heroic
sons OF New II mover repulsed the vet
Grams of Cuiloden, time aud again, as
, often a. they rushed to the deadly pass
: to renew the contest. But at length
2 Slocumb's company, belonging to Cas-
wells troops, being nee ssarily in the
rear, forded the creek and struck the
| folled enemy on the fl INK, aud by a
r CALLING and we'll directed fire, drove
5 them from the road: and LiIlington,
: charging across the stream, completed
= the route.
= The enemy suffered severely; but
thanks be to the Giver of Victories a
shield was interposed over our patriot
: band in the hour their peril Thus
: ended the first battle of the Rcvou-
ton where the issue was independence
: and entire sepal ntjor. Happy augury
, Au-picious event! A victory al! but
\ btOodiess to the patriots of America!
The utter and complete discontinue
of the enemies of their country. Moore
l arrived the succeeding day and at once
sat about dlearming the insurgents
aud securing the fruits of the victory
{ Eighteen hundred stands of arms.
sayenty-tive thousand dollars in yold
lnany wagons and horses and a great
: Quantity of stores quite invaluable to
the army were soon recovered, and
near one thousand prisoners were
taken. The misguided privates were
released and FASTENED to their homes
The most active and influential of the
officers were removed either TO other
parts of the colony or sent to Pennsyl-
| op1 dictoDf
surrection was wholly quelled The
Congress of the Province shortly af
forwards assembled at Halifax, issued
its manifesto, dec arlng that it held
these Insurgents as misguided friends,
and by a wise, moderate, and con
cillatary policy won over many
to espouse the cause of America
Some of these afterwards performed
signal service during the war. But
the great peril to WllmiI gton was not
yet passed. She had escaped one
scourge; another still portended. Sir
Peter Parker's fleet with the seven
reg ments was daily expected. It had
boen delayed in its departure, and
afterwards met further delays from
storms at sea. Truly the God of
Freedom. the friend of the oppressed,
was interposing in behalf of the threat
| ened Town TO preserve 1t from deS-
truction. The villainous conduct of
the enraged British in the burning of
Charleston, of Portland, of Norfolk,
was a fearful warning to the patriots
of the Cape Fear. But the prospect
of adversely had no terrors for daunt-
less spirits. The followers of Moore
and of Ellington, the associates of
Harnett and of Hooper were ami
mated by zeal quick to sac
rifce all in the defence of the
great cause in which they were
engaged. The enemy's ships having
fallen back to the roadstead at Bruins
wick, Wilmington promptly resolved
to obstruct the channel of the river
and render it unnavigable for vessels
She succeeded, but destroyed herself