New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-02-25
Historical "Reminiscences.
Capt. Merritt and nerry's Omcers,

euc 1oVOluClOu III Vic OOUIll, are ~
meagre IN personal incidents-with.
out which History would he dry
and somewhat tedious study-thas
the ''snatcher up of unconsidered
tritles'' has but a barren field to
CLEAN, when compared with other
portions of the original thirteen
States. Whether it is that the
South has lacked the services of "A
local historian, to gather and pre-.
serve in print the details of the con.
test, ere the actors IN those stirring
scenes had passed off the stage, or to
whatever cause the paucity Of su, b
material is to be ascribed, it is no
less unsatisfactory and unfortunate
that the minuti@ of the partisan
warfare, liz that region of country,
are sadly deficient.
There is probably no more inter.
esting page of American history
than that in which is recorded the
deeds of Marion and his men; and
yet the historical reader looks in
vain through the pages of "The life
of Marion,'' for those interesting
details which he expects 10 find III
sitting down to its perusal. Col.
Henry, an officer in Marion's bri.
gade, has lefta record, however, OF
some few stirring scenes and Incl
dents which afford a pleasing in.
sight into some of the difficulties
aud trials through which the wings
were obliged to pass, in their strug-
giles to beat back the invaders of
their hearthstones-the hated Bri.
tish-and their coadjutors, the
blood-thirsty tories.
The following incident in which
he was a participant, we will let
him relate himself:
Il was sent by Gen. Marion to
reconnoitre Georgetown. proceed.
cd with guide through the woods
all night. At the dawn of day |
drew near the town. laid in am
buscade, with thirty men and their
officers, near the road. About sun
rise chair appeared with two la.
dies, escorted by two British Off.
GERS. | was ready, in advance,
with an officer, to cut them off, but
rejecting that they might escape
and alarm the town, which would
prevent my taking greater numbers,
| desisted. The escort and chair
halted very near me, but soon the
latter went on and the officers gal
loped in retrograde into the town.
Our party continued in ambush I'M.
til 10 o'clock A. NJ.
'Nothing appearing, and men
and horses having eaten nothing for
thirty.six hours, we were hungered,
and retired to a plantation Of my
quartermaster's, Mr.. White, not
took place. 49, four ladies' ladies'
appeared, two of whom where Mrs.
White and her daughter. I was
asked what wanted. l answered,
food--refreshment. The other two
ladies were those whom I had seen
escorted by the British officers.
They seemed greatly agitated, and
begged most earnestly that l would
go away, for the family Was very
poor, had no provisions of any sort,
that | knew they where wings, and
surely would not add to their dis.
tress. So pressing were they for
my Immediately leaving the plan.
tation, that l thought they had
more in view than they pretended.
[ kept my eye Oh Mrs. White, and
saw she had smiling countenance,
but said nothing. Soon she left the
room, and l left it also, and went in
to the piazza; laid my cap, sword,
and pistols on the long bench, and
walked the piazza, when discov.
cred Mrs. White behind the house
chimney, reckoning me. I got to
her, undiscovered by the young la
dies, when she said, Col. Henry, be
on your guard; these young ladies
are just from Georgetown; they are
much frightened, and l believe the
British are leaving it, and may soon
attack you. AS to provisions, which
they make such route about, |
have plenty for your men and hor.
ses in yonder barn, but you must
affect to take them by force. Hams,
bacon, rice, and fodder are there.
You must insist on the key of the
barn, and threaten to split the door
with an axe unless Immediately
opened | begged her to say no
more, for l was well acquainted
with all such matters-to leave the
aides, and everything else, to my
management. She said Yes, but to
not ruin us; be artful and cunning,
Or Mr.. White may be hanged, and
lll our houses burnt over our heads. ;
1--WE both secretly returned, she
TO the room where the young ladies
were, and | to the piazza l had just
left.''
No time was allowed him, how.
ever, to extort the provisions. He
had scarcely arrived at the piazza
when has videttes gave the alarm Of
an approaching enemy, and forget
ling that his cap, sword, and pis.
tolls lay upon the bench, he mounted,
left the enclosure, and rushed into
The melee. The enemy proved to
be party Of seventeen British dra.
goons under a command Of a Capt.
Merritt, brave and nettlesome
!. -. r