Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-08-09
WIDOW OF THE CONGAREE.
BY BENSON J. LOSING, LII. d.

l was at Fort Motto Station, near the Con
garee River, in South Carolina, on Il bright
frosty morning in January, lS49.
evil you direct me to the Forte Motto
plantation ?" I said to lad.
Pointing up gentle slope he said: "On
the top O the hill is Mr.. Loves House,
which they call Forte Motto. 1t is only a
short walk from here up that dirt road"
At the summit found very aged man,
with thin white hair, resting upon log by
the waysjde.
"Is that Forte Motte?" inquired, point
ing toward a fine house for the region, stand
ing on the high rolling plain which sloped
to the swamps on every side.
$50 they call it," he said "but it amt
the fort we tuck from the British more'n
sixty year ago-burnt 'em out, you may
say"
"Were you one of its captors 2" | asked.
81 reckon was" replied the old man.
"D'ye see that scar ?" pointing to his fore
arm, barred of his sleeve. GA red-coat's bull
let made it in q scrimmage afore the siege.
was Harry'sleftenant. Harry, you know,
was Marion's right-hand man when hunt
ing Tories. He suffered when hurried.
Comm suddenly on a Tory camp, one night,
he wanted to tell us to fire quick. He said,
"Fi-f-f-f-tSho0t, darn ye!" and we
blazed away in the dark"
"Why was this called Fort Motto: ?" i'll
quired.
"Bless your soul ~ said the old soldier
Motto lived here? Mighty plucky woman
was Becky Motto. A purity woman too; as
purity as a pictur, though she was well-nigh
forty year old, and had darter married to
Gineral Pinckney. She was Charleston
lady, and this was her best country-hOuse--
healthy place. The British druv Becky
and her little darters out of her house, dug
big ditch all around it, piled up a high
bank of dirt around the edge of the ditch,
and so made a fort of it purity strong fort
agin muskets and rifles. 1t was a nice
house, but not so fine as Loves which Becky
built right away after the war. L helped
draw timber to build it,"
"The British drove Mrs. Motto and her
family out of her house, did they? Where
did they go?' l asked.
"TO her overseer's, on yonder hill, ," he re-
piled "Becky was rich widder; lost her
husband early in the war, and lived here in
the summer. At that farmhouse she show
ed raal grit, tell We; grit that made us al
feel as if we could willingly die for her;
yes. die for her.
GLOW did she show grit?'' asked, as
l seated myself on the log by the side of the
veteran.
"Well, you see," said the old patriot, as
his voice waxed stronger by the stimulus of
vivid recollections, "they had her house, and
five hundred red coats were in and around
it. Leftenant- Colonel Lee-Legion Harry,
YOU know-a dashing young trooper only
twenty-five year old, had Joined us with
his light horsemen, and we all pushed for
ward, horse and foot, for this place to drive
off the Britishers That very mornin' some
trooper from Charleston came to the fort
with dispatches for Lord RaWdon, at Cam
den. They were about to leave, when we
appeared at Becky's farm house. They
were szeered and didn't 60. Lee had u
little six-pounder, which he placed in bat.
tery on heknoll yonder. The red-coats had
no artillery; so we had 'em, we reckoned."
"Who were Lees troopers ?" asked.
'Mostly young Virginians, | reckon, ready
ready to 90 wherever his country needed
brave men. He was a handsome young,
man, with large black eyes and brown hair,
The CAV uniform of his men made the home
spun Clothes of Marion's brigade look mean
er than ever. But we had the grit as well
as they" .,
that little field-piece?" 1 inquired.
"Lee dismOunted his troops, led 'em into