The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-04

Utiu Oi tne Impending calamlty. mus
it came about that 10 wonderfully short
time after our arrival the fragrant in
cense of Ia sienprs fet iska announced
that his bountifui cheer had been dis
cusged with the keen relish Of hunter.
The old gentleman was Ia his chattiest
mood; the conversation turned upon the
Old Brick Church and its traditions. and
we were soon listening with the liyeliest
interest to the recital of his fathers
story Of
"TIE MAN WHO WAS. HUNG AND UN.
HUNG"
"I'ye often heard my father tell the
story which | am now, going TO tell you,
but don't think ever told it to any of
you before. The old gentleman was
about twenty-five when the Revolution
ary var broke ont, and he served with
Horny, in Marion's Brigade. of which hu
was most efficient officer. He had
great many strange tales, connected with
the different parts of his neighborhood,
in which he had seen service, ap5 which
he loved TO tell after dinner over a glass
of his rare old brown sherry. 1t some
times seems TO mo that such things never
happen now, even in times of war; but,
perhaps it is only because the events IN
strange to us until we look back at them
under very different circumstances, aud
through long lapse of time. aA !.
"Jhe pine land country around st.
Stephens was then inhabited by the same
class of people who are found living there
now--poor and uneducated men, who
were too lazy to work for themselves, and
too proud to work for the large planters
around them. The abundance of game
and fish in the swamp kept them sup
piled with meat; their wives and dapgh-,
ters cultivated little patches of sickiy
corn. sufficient to give them hoecake and
hominy, and they never wished for any
better fruit than blackberries and per-
simmons. Many of them had strong
dash of Indian and negro blood. and as q
fuie they wero iawlees set, viii, no feli-i
gion and faint idea of morals. Few of
them owned foot of the land on which
they lived, or had any stake in the coun..
try; and yet they were generally as bitter
against the British and Tories as the
wealthiest planters around them, and
they made the best and most reliable
soldiers. You all know how Jasper re-
fused promotion for his gallantry at Fort
Sullivan because he could neither read
nor write. Here and there, however, as
with the gentry of the State, there was
found among them Tory family or
neighborhood /; and this was the feeling
of the 'squatters' between st. Stephens
and Monck's Corner.
"Not far from the latter point there
was notorious rum-shop, kept by man
named Peigler, and within short dis
tance of it lived his elk brothers and
about dozen others, all of them bitter
| hod nhor
borhood was known 8s 'Scufaetowu,' from
the frequent fights which took, place
about Dave Peiglefs groggery,, aud was
terror to the country arou1d. I The
seven brothers especially were regarded
as desperate men and pYofessed horse
and cattle thieves. Every Sunday they
would gather at Dawes shop, and spend
tue day and most Oh the night in drink
ing, fighting, horse.racing, dog-baitipg
and other similar amusements. During
the period of general decentralization,
when the British held Charleston and
had overrun the State, the Partisan lead
ers were compelled to retreat to the
swamps and virtually to disband their
commands. The officers and men would
leave the rendezvous whenever the coun-
try was quiet, and return stealthily to
their homes their faithful negroes
would apprise them of the approach of
danger, and they would retreat to the
swamps in haste, either to lie concealed
for time or to organize some sharp and
sudden blow at the maranding parties.
The Peiglers were very troublesome and
dangerous to the gentlemen of the neigh
bofhood during these clandestine visits
to their plantation homes, acting as spies
and informers, and sometimes forming
parties for their capture. Dave, the tsv.
ern-keeper, was particularly active in
these attempts. He had stolen o great
numoe: of horses, and was suspected Of
several nnrdere 1l.a. ..gl, thonggh these ceald
NV father and his fEicnd and ] neiehbor @
Capt. Theas, had been frequently Sub
jected to his plundering attentions, and
he had loudly threatened to have the
latter caught and hung on acconct of
some fancied injury. It happened &c me
time in 1879 that party of foragers
brought news to Marion's camI on the
Santee that body Of British horse was
moving through the country, and Capt.
Theus and my father were detailed to
command 9 scouting expedition to hang
upon the enemy's flank and watch his
movements. The Captains plantation
lay in their way, and upon visiting it
they found that Dave peigler and Lis
brother Dan had made raid on it but a
few hours before, and driven off several
horses and head of beef-cattle, boasting
tiieJ Ind i frightened the Rebels out
OF the country, and promised to return in
few days and burn tho house anda sett-
Element. The men had been left in
thick piece of woods about q mile off.
and the two gentlemen having secured
their horses behind the garden and,
placed trusty. negro to watch the APP
proaches, were just about to sit down TO
dinner when. their lookout came rushing.
| in With the intelliganca that sEeinlar .sraS.
gailoping up the avenue alone. They
had scarcely time to run to the window
and prime their pistols before the Tory
| was ut the horseraclc, mounted on a fine
blooded stallion which had been stolen
from my fathers place six months before.
The fellow evidently believed himself
| master of the situation, and had no idea
of any enemy being near, for ne was
cunning and swearing that he had left one
Of his pistols IN the dining-room; that If
be failed to find it he would. cut The
/ throat of every negro on the place; and
that anyhow, he meant to pay himself
| for the trouble of returning by taking
anything valuable he could find and
burning the cnrsed Rebels nest at once.
1t would have been easy 10 shoot him as
he stood fastening his horse, and nv
father had rsised his pistol TO obey the
impulse, bat 1'heua caught his hand .laiid
! tvifh cinnohoI knnat. n.,l r...s...,l :, -