Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-05-25
FERGUS0N'S AVENGERS.

The foregoing five words had Instituted
a reign of terror in one Of the loveliest
districts of the Palmetto State-a district
watered by the Catawalba and PacOlet
Rivers and their gentle tributaries.
In the month Of September, ITS, Corn
wallis detached the notorious Col. Fergu-
son to the frontiers of North Carolina, for
the Ostensible purpose of encouraging the
tories Of that region to take up arms for
the King. Ferguson's force consisted in
part OF the most profigate and abandoned
characters of the partisan days, and his
march was marked by atrocities of the
most shocking description. The hardy
men of the Carolinas, Kentucky and Vir-
ginia, rose against the maurauders, and,
led by Boone and other backwoods worth
les, gave them a decisive defeat at Kings
Mountain. Ferguson was slain in the
battle, and his fellow-foragers, numbering
about 1000, were nearly all captured or
killed
The conflict revived the hopes of the
Southern patriots, and forced CORVALLIS
to return to Charleston discounted and
cast down.
1--WE shall have rest now," the patriots
said, after the battle. Ferguson, the
dreaded is dead, and the few tories who
escaped with their wretched lives are not
strong enough to do us harm"
Everywhere in the vicinity of the bat
tlefeId the Americans breathed freer, and
the lOyaiists III whose interests Ferguson
had marched to his death, curbed their
loyalty, and in secrecy swore revenge,
But the settlements were soon 20 learn
that the victory at Kings Mountain had
nerved the arm OF foe more terrible
than any which they had hitherto known.
The existence of the new terror was
discovered by boy one morning about a
fortni ght after the battle. He found the
family of Archibald Mettson murdered in
their own house, and to the cOrpses had
been pinned paper bearing these words
This for the gallant Ferguson!''
This terrible atrocity aroused the coun-
try, aud the excitement was heightened by
the finding of the body of another muir
dercd patriot On the cold breast, which
had been pierced by pistol balls, was the
pallid paper and its words of terrible i'm
port, and the country knew that fearful
vengeance would be taken for Kings
Mountain.
During the week that followed the dis
coyeries have mentioned, the work of
the Avengers was terrible. They fell
upon patriot houses at the dead Of night,
and lett on the bosom OF their victims the
five words which had already terrorized
the country. 1t was in vain that the pa
triols summoned their cunning and ener-
gy for the capture OF the band of demons,
which, as it had been discovered, num-
bered six men, masked and mounted on
black horses. They came and went like
ghosts, but always left behind the terri
BILE sentence which had made their exist
ence execrable. At times they fell upon
their hunters, and left them upon the
roadside marked with the sign Of ven
geanCe.
Fear began oparalyze the Carolinians
many abandoned their homes for the sake
of their families; and it is probable that
the entire district would have been depOp-
ulated il a short time, had it not been for
the courage OF one woman.
Her name was Alice Beauchampe.
1t was dark night IN the last week of
November, when the heroine of my story
left the house Of a friend. Her own
house, which had been deserted for sew
eral days, was not far away, and she de-
termined to return to it for the purpose OF
securing an article OF apparel LETT behind
in her recent flight.
Before she set out on her journey She
was warned of the dangers that enyirOned
it; but she smiled and declared that she
did not fear them. She could enter the
old home through the kitchen, in the
rear, ind the garment without light,
and return safely to her friends.
The path she had often trayersed was
barely discernible; but she made good
headway and reached her home without
incident The silence of the grave hung
about the forsaken place, and the lifting
of the latch sent chill Of terror through
the girls heart. Through the kitchen
across the deserted parlor, and up the
stairs, she crept to the room where she
had lett the object Of her nocturnal quest
The drawer of the old bureau yielded
without noise, and Alice was drawing forth
the garment hen the voices Of men
fell upon her ears.
She started, dropped her prize, and
with her heart in her throat crept to the
window that overlooked the porch in from
Of the house.
She could see nothing, for the night wa
too dark; but the voices of men, mingled
with the champing OF bits, continued to sa
lutte her ears.
''This is old Beauchampe's house,
said one lit has been deserted 70
several days. The daughter, frightened