The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-04-27

.bering about one thousand, were nearly all
captured or killed. % 7oi'y1-I
This conflict revived the hopes Of South
ern patriots, and forced Cornwallis to return
to Charleston discomftted and cast down.
We shall have rest now the patriots
said, after the battle. Ferguson. the
dreaded, is dead, and the few tories who Z es. s.
capped with their wretched lives are not
strong enough to do US harm.'s gs-y.si a o.,
Everywhere in the vicinity of the battle
feid, the Americans breathed freer, aud the
loyalists in whose interest Ferguson had
marched to hisdeath, curbed their loyalty
md In secrecy swore revengesa 80 a.fseAs /,
But the settlements were soon 70 learn
that the victory Of Kings Mountain had
nerved tho arm Of foe more terrible than
any which they had hitherto known.
The existence of the now terror was dis.
covered by q boy one morning about fort.
night after the battle. Hc found the family
OF Archibald Meltson murdered in their
swn house, and to tho corpses had been pin
ned paper bearirg these words: i .a.
This for the gallant Ferguson n nu
This terrible atrocity aroused the country,
and the exoitement was quickly 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 import.
and the country knew that a fearful ven
geance would be taken for Kings Noun
tain. ~, -
During the week that followed the,dis.
coveries l have mentioned, the work Of 'she
Avengers was terrible. They fell uoon
foakrint hesvneo k.<L a .lc.l 20 -
on the bosom of their victims the five s&sf3s
which had already terrorized the country.
1t was in vain that the patriots summoned
their cunning and energy for tho capture of
the band Of demons, which, as it had been
discovered, numbered, six men, mounted on
black horses. They came and went like
ghosts but always left behind the,terrible SEN
tence which had made their existence exc
cradle. At times they fell upon their hun
tors, and left them by the roadside, marked
with the signs Of vengeance. Fear began,
to paralyze the Carolinians; many aban.
doned their homes for the sake Of their
families aud it is probable that the entire
district would have been depopulated in o
short time, had it not been for the caurage
of one woman.
Her name was Alice Beauchampe.
1t was dark night in tho last week Of
November, when tho heroine of my story
left the house Of friend. Her own house,
which had been deserted for several days,
was not far away, and she had determined
to return to 1t for the purpose of securing an
article of apparel left behind in the recent
fight. s2a
Before she set out on her journey, she
was warned Of the dangers that environed
it; but she smiled, and declared that she
did not fear them.F She could enter the
house through the kitchen, in the rear, find
the garment without light, return safely
to her friends. qs5fslsst. = ,,,.... s
The path shs had often traversed was
barely discernible, but she made good head
way and reached her home without Incl
dent. The silence Of the gave hung about
the forsaken place, aud the, lifting Of the
latch sent chill of terror tosthe young
girls heart. Through the kitchen, across
the deserted parlor and up the Stairs, she
crept up to the room where she had left the
object of her nocturnal quest The drawer
Of the old bureau yielded without noise, and
Alice was drawing forth the garment when
the voice ofmen 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 front of the
house a ~ = - = o" s.g o.,
She could see uothing, for the night was
too dark but tbs voices Of men mingled
with champing Of bits, continued to salute
her ears. sA irS .i,
This is old Beauohampe's house. said
one. IL has been deserted for several days.
q II o n -