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

| COucnlDB us temple, Ill LIS UIaSSauoCil
vanished, and he begged for his life, like
the coward that he was. Theus did no
utter single word, but, stepping out o.
the piazza, sounded three long notes o.
his horn. The grinning negro had with
out any orders brought stout piece o.
rope, and tied the feet of Peigler securely
together; then taking one of my fathers
pistols he mounted guard over the pris-
oner while his two captors sat down to
their frugal dinner. Neither of them
had spoken a word to the conquered
rufian, nor did their conversation after
the capture make the slightest allusion to
him. The signal had been heard, and
the squad of homespun cavalry galloped
up to the front of the house just as the
two rose from the table. The negro was
ordered to unite Peigler's feet, and Theus,
speaking to him for the first time, COM
manded him to mount his horse. The
men, most of whom recognized him,
looked significantly at each other as he
sullenly obeyed, and one of them dis
mounted, and coolly picking up the rope
with which he had been tied, fastened it
in coil behind his saddle, frightened his
girths, and, mounting again as if the last
act was his only reason for alighting,
rode up and took hold of the bride OF
the stolen animal, upon which the pris-
oner had been placed. A scout was then
detached to gather information about the
enemy's cavalry, and after a few neces-
sary orders the command moved rapidly
down the road.
"Peigler maintained q sullen silence
and avoided the looks of his guard, but
his eye wandered restlessly over the road
and the woods which bordered it. He
knew perfectly well what he had to ex-
pect, but the first impulse of cowardice
had given way to desperate resolution,
and he made up his mind, as he after
ward acknowledged, that it was better to
be shot or sabred in hopeless attempt
at escape than to submit quietly to the
rope. His arms were tightly pinioned,
but his legs were free, and he suddenly
leaped from the saddle, just as they were
approaching the Old Church, and darted
into little bay by the road side.
"Take him alive, men 7 shouted the
Captain; and in moment the whole
party were scattered over the woods in
pursuit. The outlaw had the advantage
of the horsemen in the thick cover
through which he ran, and they would
have been forced to shoot him to prevent
his escape if his foot had not caught in a
bullace-vine, throwing him heavily to
the ground. He was soon secured and
dragged back to the road. The Captain
ordered halt, and began to inspect the
trees, which you know are mostly oaks
and hickories near the Brick Church. 1t
was not long before he found one suited
to his purpose, and, as few formalities
were observed in those days when Tory,
rope and tree were so conveniently
brought together, preparations were soon
made for the execution. The rope was
fastened securely to q stout limb, the
saddle was removed from the stolen
horse, and the prisoner was set astride of
him bareback, with the moose around his
neck. When man finds death inevita-
BILE, he must be a poor creature, indeed,
if he does not summon up all his man.
hood to meet it; and Dave Peigler, cow
ard and bully as he was, astonished his
executioners by the cool defiance with
which he faced his end. You know
there's straight reach Of quarter of a
mile in the State road at that point, and,
Just as the rope was adjusted and the
word was about to be given, o cloud of
dust was seen on the Charleston side, and
the play of the sunlight could be noticed
on the metal equipments of a party of
British cavalry. My father said he dis.
tinctly heard the clatter of their sabres
as they galloped rapidly toward the scene.
There was not a moment to be lost, for
the enemy had ten times the number of
the Partisans, and every man sprang into
his saddle and gathered up his reins for
run. Theus tore stout twig from q
chinquapin bush and struck the mettled
stallion heavily on the flank, and then,
as the horse darted wildly from under
the doomed outlaw, the whole party
dashed into the woods at half speed, leav-
ing him swinging in the air.
"The men were, too much accustomed
to these emergencies to require any or
ders. They knew every foot of the woods
by night or day as we'll as e policeman
knows his beat, and they scattered like o
flock of turkeys, each man taking his
own course and making his own way back
to camp. A few days after my father
was detached to bear dispatches to Pick
ems, who was operating on the Saluda,
and when he again joined his command
it was in the Catawba country, and it
was two years before he had another
chance to visit home. The negroes told
him that Dave Peigler had been buried
by the British in old St. Stephens
churchyard, and there was not one of
them who would have passed the church
alone in the daytime or at night under
any circumstances for they declared
that the outlaws ghost could be seen at
any time after dark, sitting on the church.
step, with rope round his neck, rum
bottle in one hand and horseman's pis-
toll in the other"
Just here Ned Poole, who was always
ready with some inquisitive question,
took advantage of a pause, occasioned by
the Colonel's filling his glass with sherry
and lighting q fresh cigar, to inquire
did they ever find the pistol that Peig-
ler left at Capt. Theus's house?"
II never heard of it if they did," re-
sumed the Colonel; "but about five years
ago the washboard of the dining room
wall was removed and the lathing taken
off for repairs, and rusty old horse
pistol was found, heavily loaded with a
brace of balls, the pan caked with what
had once been powder, and the flint as
sharp as if picked only yesterday. I
never thought of it before, but it may
have been Dave Peigler's; for 1 remem-
Der, as boy, seeing a large rathole, in
the panelling, which 1 always thong ht it
would be such fun to poke keys into.
Perhaps one of the houseboys found it
and threw it into the hole.
"Well, the most singular part of the
story is yet to come. Three Of the re-
naming brothers were killed during the
war; one died of mania-a-potu one was
Jrn,ypod IN Ripp;n ornol- n flor n drnn ken