The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-03-08
A Romantic Relic.

HOlnanuc keilc.
1 once had pointed out to me, at
Peale's old museum, i'll Philadelphia,
bow and quiver which had history.
What became of the articles when the
curiosities of that musuem were divided
I do not know.
An African prince, captured i'll battle,
begged so hard that his bow and culver,
which had been his fathers might be
left in his possession, that the request
was granted. Captivity, of course,
meant slavery. For beggarly sum he
was sold by his black captor to SLAYER,
and in time found his way to South Car
olina, where he became the property of
Colonel Note. He brought his bow and
culver with him, and in his new home,
with arrows fashioned by his own hand,
he brought down many a choice bit of
game for his masters table. The slave
was strong and remarkably intelligent,
as well as willing, and as the master was
kind and humane, the life of the dusky
prince was far from unhappy or irksome
The whole family priced him, and he, in
turn, became strongly attached to them
At length the slave died, and after ha
had. gone, his bow and quiver, the story
of Which he had often told in eloquent
language, were preserved as relics OF the
faithful servitor in the colonels family,
for the family could not but gratefully
remember the services, the fortitude and
the answering fidelity OF the strong and
gentle Iambo.
During the Revolution, Colonel Motto
fell while fighting for liberty. In the
campaign of 1871 his widow was driven
from her house on the Congaree river,
and the place was turned into British
garrison and strongly fortified. In time
this garrison was beseiged by detach-
ment of the American army, but its de-
fenses were SO strong that the force was
not sufficient to take it by assault. The
American commander, who was q South
Carolinian, and an old time friend of the
Motto family, went to the widow, now
living in poor hut within sight of her
stately mansion, and told her that 'the
preservation of her house and property
was the only impediment to the capture
of the British.
"What would you do?" asked Mrs.
Motto.
.'Set the mansion on fire and burn
| them out" was the officers reply.
"And how will you set it on fire 2
| 81 have not yet thought, madam. l
! had regard for your wishes in the mat
! ter, and wished first to consult you.
! The widow reflected awhile and then
asked
"When would be favorable moment
for applying the torch ?"
"This very night, after the sentinels
are posted, and the rest of the garrison
asleep"
"Make your arrangements, said the
patriotic woman, "and at your signal
will set the house on fire for you"
"You?"
eyes. I will do it."
The officer saw that she was i'll earnest,
and he went his way to make prepare
tions.
And then the widow went at her work.
One of the children had brought away
with them from the house Iambos bow
and quiver of arrows. The arrows were
long and finely made. with steel heads
and delicately feathered shafts. With {
lot of loose tow she made torches of thu
arrows, the prepared heads OF which sh'
set in pail filled with spirits of turpen
tine.
At eleven o'clock at night the Ameri
can commander came and told Mrs. MOTIF
that all was ready. Taking the pail
with the soaking arrows, in her hand
she called upon her stout servant to at
tend her. He was powerful fellow
and used to the bow. Arrived at fa
vorable locality, she opened her lantern
and lighted pitchwood splinter. The
the servant fixed an arrow torch to til
bow string, and the widow set the in
hammable tow on fire. In another III
slant the fiery messenger was sped on it
way, and it alighted upon the roof Of tn
mansion, far from the immediate reacl
of the garrison.
Bys the time five of these ignite,
torches had been surely landed upon dii
ferent parts of the roof, the mansion wa
in flames beyond the power of til
aroused inmates to subdue them.
And yet the brave, noble woman di
not lose much of her property. Th
,, British, fearing horrible death b
fire, laid down their arms and surrer
dered, and joined with their captors i
extinguishing the flames, which was az
', complished before the fire had extende
, below the garrets.