New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1878-01-09
FERGUSON,S AVENGERS.
A story or Partisan Days.

In the month of September, 1880,
CORVALLIS detached the notorious Col.
Ferguson to the frontiers Of North Caro-
lima, for the ostensible purpose of encour-
aging the tories of that region to take up
arms for the king. Ferguson's force con-
sisted 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 Carolinas, Kentucky
and Virginia rose against the marauders,
and, led by Boone and other backwoods
worthless, gave them a decisive defeat a.
Kings Mountain, Ferguson was slain in
the battle,a his fellow foragers, number
ing about one thousand, were nearly all
captured or killed. ny,
This conflict revived the hopes of the
southern patriots, and forced CORVALLIS
10 return to Charleston, discounted and
cast down. u s S4 4j
Eve 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
tletield the Americans breathed freer,
and the loyalists in whose interests Fer
guson had marched to his death. curbed
their loyalty,and in ecrecy..swore revenge.
But the settlements were soon to learn
that the victory of Kings Mountain had
nerved the arm of the foe more terribly
than any which they had hitherto
known. 13}4k. s
The existence of the new terror was
discovered by a boy one morning about a
fortnight after the BATTLE. He found the
family of Archibald Mettson murdered
in their own house, and to the corpses
had been pinned a paper bearing these
words.
:. his for the gallant Ferguson"
This terrible atrocity aroused the coun-
try, and the excitement was quickly
heightened by the finding of the body of
another murdered patriot. On the cold
breast, which had been pierced with pis-
tol balls, was the pallid paper, and its
words of terrible import, and the country
knew that a terrible vengeance would be
taken for Kings Mountain.
During the, week that followed the dis
coveries [ have mentioned, the work of
the avengers was terrible. They fell upon
patriot houses at deadof night, and left
on the bosoms Of. their victims the five
words which had already terrorized the
country. ItWas in vain that the patriots
summoned their cunning and energy for
the capture Of the band of demons, which
as it had been discovered, numbered. six
men, masked, and mounted on black
horses. They came and went like ghosts,
but always left behind the terrible SEN
tence which had made their existence
execrable. At times they fell upon their
hunters and left them upon the roadside
: marked with the sign of vengeance. NJ 4
Fear began I'd paralyze the Carroll
mans; many abandoned their homes
for the sake Of their families; and it IS
probable that the entire district would
have been depopulated in short time,
had it not been for the courage of one
woman.
Her name was Alice Beauchamps. 5
1t was dark night in the last week of
ovember, when the heroine of my story
q the house Of friend. Her own house,
ch had been deserted for several days,
mot far away, and she had determined
turn to. it for the purpose of securing
icle of apparel left behind in her
flight. j.
ire she set out; on her journey, she
s1ed Of the dangers that environed
he smiled, and declared she did
them. She could enter the
.sough the kitchen in the rear,
.rment without light, and return
her friends.
4, she had often traversed was
srnible; but she made good
reached her home without