Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-04-19
The Sturp Teller.
MARI ORIE.
AN OLD VIRGINIA STORY.
CHAPTER I.

AN OLD VIRGINIA STORY. :.
CHAPTER 1.
Upon the night of the Goth of December
1881, the solitary figure ofa man was Duf1et
through the silent, deserted streets of Alex
andria, that quaint, dead, old worn town
which still slumbers upon the banks OF the
Potomac, in the pleasant State of Virginia
Passing down Broadway and Maiden lane
until he had left the last houses OF the toWr
behind him, he met the full blast of the
storm as it swept across the river from the
distant Maryland hills. Verify, a man must
have had important business indeed to nave
been out upon such wierd, uncanny nlght
and the Rev. Nahum Bond, thin, Wlther.
ed, crop-eared young man, OF the true olo
independent type, was, as a rule, tar toc
sensible of the comforts of life to be expo.
sing himself unless he had important busl'
ness in hand. He staggered aloAg Tor a
mile until he arrived at the gatesofa gaunt,
erim old house which stood some way back
from the road, and known to the country
round as Braddock's. His knock at the
door was answered by a negro, who, care,
fully opening it but an inch or TWO, pushed
the muzzle of a huge horse-pistol out, ana
asked who was there. The mention OF ms
name, however, had an immediate lnnu'
ence upon the servant, who threw the oooi
wide omen. welcomed him with broad grin
and led the way across the hall to long,
dark, paneled room, dimly lighted by can.
dies stuck in silver sconces, and where were
seated around table score OF gaunt, grave
faced men, who greeted him with sort OF
quiet enthusiasm, which sounded like dls'
tant thunder.
He who occupied the chair at the head OF
the table-a big, fine looking man, VINO VINO
wore his own iron-gray halrNrose as Mr.
never, Brother Nahum. We waited hall
an hour for you; but as time is short and
business is pressing, we considered 1t best TO
proceed at once"
The Young divine muttered something
about being detained in the town, ana SAT
himself upon the right hand OF the presl-
dent.
A stranger might have been pardoned for
imaoining that the object of this meeting
was some sort of religious celebration, SO
stern and grave were the faces OF It's mem
bers, added to it the presence OF gentleman
in holy orders, and of huge 6rasS-bound
which were streWed about the table. SUIT
it's real character was soon made cle..r Dy
the big man beside the Bible, who rose and
said 7sNow that our number is completed
by the arrival of one of our most earnest
supporters and hearty cO-operators, ! think
7 NAV recapitulate what we have declded
upon for it's benefit. The presence or the
redcoat tyrants upon Mount Pleasant has
become intolerable; and as hitherto Alex
andria has not shown herself to be dlstln-
guished atom of the great glorious mass now
known throughout the civilized World as
the Free and Independent States OF North
America, we, as Representatives of the town,
have resolved that the blow shall be struck.
We are men; and as men, it does not be-
come us to listen helplessly any longer to
the continual complaints which pour in
from all sides, of the rapacious acts ana IN
soIent bearing of those men who call them
selves our superiors. What has been done
at Lexington, at Concord, at Wilmington,
and at fifty other places, can surely pe q gone ne
at alexandria. And What we propose to 90
is this: In five days, the Britishers Will De
celebrating, with their usual profane riot
business and drunkenness, their Christmas
festival; and we propose to take advantage
of their being off their guard, to drive them
ont of the place-into the river, into the
woods, no matter where, so long as 1t be
away from Alexandria. I am not man OF
blood; but, upon an occasion like this, IL
behOoves us to make any sacrifice. They
are not towards, these Britishers; they will
fight, and we must be prepared for 1t; ana
I take this to be our solemn duty as much
to ourselves as to every one to whom tyran-
ny and oppression are hateful"
The grim dark faces which had been grad
ually lighting up during the course OF this
impassioned oration, now relaxed altogeth-
er as the speaker sat down. and loud mur,
a tall weather beaten Potomac pilot arose.
"Good words and true, Brother Hood" he
said "and am sure that we all echo them.
For myself, can guarantee score OF river
side lads who will be match for any tWen-
ty Britishers, grenades, pixies, and all, al
though none Of 'em have ever fired a gun
in their lives except at canvas back or a
jack rabbit. And I suggest that we make
Brother Hoods house, as being away from
the town, our magazine and our place OF
meeting. My friend and 1 have overhaul
ed the cellars in which the Britisher Brad
dock used to keep his wines in '55, and we
have calculated thatwe can stow away there
at least five hundred muskets, with pixies,
swords and ammunition in proportion. Now
about the men we can raise. The British
ers are hundred and fifty. We ought at
least to have three hundred. Cause why
We've discipline and practice against us.
AS said just now, Will write down tWen-
ty for my share"
all men of wealth and position in the neigh
borhood and in few minutes three hun
dred good men and true were guaranteed
for the cause of liberty.
$50 far so good, brethren" said Jeremiah
Hood. "And we must begin at once; fOr
five days is none too much time in which to
make our plans and insure unanimity OF
movement among three hundred men. Let
us each take solemn oath, brother AleXan'
drians, that we will not rest until every
Britisher shall have been expelled from Nlr'
ginia SOIL" He raised the Bible to his lips
and passed it to his neighbor, and so on
round the table.
It was rather striking scene (; the dark
old room, with its Rembrandtesque effect:
of light and shade; the grim portraits OF olc
Roundhead Hoods with biblica! names ano
severe faces the candles in the silver scOnce:
lust giving sufficient light to intensity the
darkness, and to bring out in strong con
trast the shades on the earnest faces. OF the
assembly; all heightened by the low mur
mur of the gruff deep voices, and the riI.e
of steel as each man, raising the Bible to nj:
lips, drew his sword from its Scabbard
The religious ordeal was followed by the
more convivial ceremony of passing rount
a huge black jack brimming with brown
October; for the night was bitter, and many
members of the league had long distances tt
90. Then they took up their broad brim
med hats, buckled their cloaks fast arount
them, and went out, leaving the parson ant
the host alone.
ssFill your pipe, Nahum" said Jeremiah
'and let us speak of our affairs together
A fresh log was piled on the fire, the jacl
was refilled, the pipes were lit, and the tW'
men drew their chairs to the fire. The con
trast between them was striking. On tn