The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1878-05-15
rERausos,s AvKsaERa


HE foregoing nve words had instituted
rsign-of terror in one Of the loveliest did
Hicts of the Palmetto statea district VI
tered by he Catawalba and Pacolet River
znd their gentle tributaries.
In the month of September, 177s, Corn
wallis detached the notorious Col Fcrguso,
10 the frontiers of North Carolina, for tn
.ostenxible purpose of encouraging the toriei
of that region to take up arms for the King
Ferguson's force consisted In part Of thu
most predicate and abandoned characters d
the partisan days, and his march was marked
by atrocities OF the most shocking dcscrip
ton The hardy men OF the C~arolinas, Ken
lucky and Virginia, rose against the maurau
dsrs, and, led by Boone and other back
woods WORTHLESS, gave them adhesive defeat
at Kings Mountain Ferguson was slain 10
the battle. and his feliov-foragers, number
ing about l 900, were nearly all captured o,
killed.
The conflict revived the hopes Of thu
Southern patriots, and forced CORVALLIS "a
return TO Charleston discounted and cast
down.
ave shall have rest now" the patriots
said. after the battle Ferguson, the dread
ed, Ia 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 battle
Aeld the Americans breathed freer, and the
loyalists in whose interests Ferguson had
marched 10 his death, curbed their loyalty,
and In secrecy swore revenge.
But tho settlements wero soon to !eazn that
the victory at Kings Mountain had nerved
the Ann Of . foe moro terrible than any
which they bad hitherto Known.
The existence Of the new terror was dis
covered BY q boy one morning about . fort
night after the battle. He found the family
Of Archibald Mettson murdered in their own
house, and 10 tho corpses had been pinned
paper bearing these words:
'sThis for the gallant Ferguson !"
This terrible atrocity aroused the country,
and the excitement was heightened by the
finding Of the body Of another murdered
patriot On the cold breast, which had been
piercsd BY pistol balls, WIS the pallid paper
and its words Of terrible import, and the
country knew that . fearful vengeance would
b taken for Kings Mountain.
During the week that followed the discov-
cries I have mentioned, the work Of The
Avsngen was terrible. They fell upon Pc
triot houses at the dead Of night, and left on
The bosom Of thor victims tho Eve words
which had already terrorized the country. II
was In vain that the patriots summoned their
cunning and energy for the capture Of the
band Of demons, which, as II n been dis
severed, numbered SIX mon, masked and
mounted on black horses They came and
went Ike ghosts, but always left behind the
terrible sentence which had made their ex-
istsnce execrable. At times they fell upon
their hunters, and left them upon tho road
dds marked with the sign of vengeance.
Fear began to paralyze the Carolinians
many abandoned their homes for the sako Of
their families; and 1t is probable that The
sntirs district would have been dspopulased
n . short time, had it net been for the cour-
eye of one woman
Her name was Alice B~eauchampe.
u was . dark night in tho last week Of
NOVEMBER, when the heroine Of my story
Ian The house Of q friend Her own house,
which had been deserted for several days,
sas not far awny, and she determed 10 re-
nm TO It for the purpose Of securing an ar
nsas cf apparel left behind in her recent
light
Before she set out on her journey shs was
ssrnsd Of the dangers that environed IL
but she miled and declared that she did not
asar them She could enter the old home
through the kitchen, in the rear, find the
sHxment without n light, and return safely 10
AG fiends
The path she had often traversed was bare
\ d~iscernible but she made good headway,
nod reached her home without incident.-
The silence Of the grave hung about the for
nixon place, and the lifting Of the latch sent
sehm Of terror through the girls heart
Through tho kitchen, across the deserted
pazor, and up the stairs, she crcpt to the
oom where abe had left the obj d Of her
socturnal quest The drawer OF the old bureau
ielded without noise, and Alice was dmwing
orth the garment rhen the voices of men
I'll upon her ears
She started, dropped her prize, and with
Yer heart in her throat crept to the window
hat overlooked the porch in front of the
,ouse.
She could see nothing, for the night was
90 dark but the voices Of men, mingled
nth the champing of bits, continued to "a
ate her ears.
This Ia old ~BeaachaInpe's house." said
ne IT has been deserted for several dayy.
he daughter frightened by the manner In
Ghich we treated her father, has Aed some
there for protection
These words drove every vestige Of color
rom the listeners face they told her who
he men below were, though she could not
ven see the outlines Of their persona Ons
reek prior to her visit, her father, one Of the
ting's Mountain hcroas, was found dead in
palmetto grove, and the words Of FerRu-
on's Avengers lay on his breast Then she
I'D deserted her home, knowing that the
and that had struck her father would not
pare the daughter.
wenmighi the poor girl tremble when she
'und herself 50 near the scourges of the
ountry, and she did not move until she
ssrd thu front door opened by o kick, and
esvhJ booted feet in the room below.
Tnen o calm thought Of her situation drove
~ from her heart, and Alice B~eauchampe
repared for q Of the most daring deeds
1.-The Revolutionary War.
he noise in the house increased, and osths
40 nde jests preceded and followed ths
Ehfning Of a fire on the hearth.
Alice who had longed for a sight Of The
readed six. crept to a spot near the bureau
here there WAS q crack in the floor. Then /,
pPlying her ge to the peek-hole, abe NV
Z via looking men directly beneath her.
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