The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-10-07
mARY,s BRAVE EXPLOIT.
The Heroic Action OF Carolina Girl at the
Revolutionary Siege OF Charleston.
From the London Lilly Lcarcs.

From the London Lilly Lcares e e
During the war between England and
America in 1779, General Provost march
ed from Savannah and laid seige To-
Charleston, but hearing of the advance Of
General Lincoln, he struck his tents and
made rapid night retreat to Savannahi
then crossing the Stone ferry, he fortified
himself on the beautiful island of ST.
John. In this island stood splendid
mansion, surrounded by extensive pleas
ure grounds, made beautiful by tropical i
vegetation, and where the voices of the
birds were rivalled by the laughter Of
happy children. at play. Eor In thiEs
house there lived fifteen children, eight
of them having been born there; the
other seven little orphan cousins, adopted
by Mr.. and Mrs. Gibbes on the death OF
their mother, Mrs. Fenwick.
Mr.. Gibbes was an invalid and a Grip
pie. who could only be moved about the
grounds in chair on wheels; but ne;
seldom required the attendance OF his
faithful black servants, for the children,
frisking around him, always furnished p
spirited team from their own numbers:
ONLY ne had sometimes to submit to the s
sudden desertion of all his steeds, and
entered merrily into the general con-
yersation and fun when his carriage was
brought to an ignominious standstills
whilst from behind the great trees peeped
laughing faces, with cries OF Papa 1ss
"Uncle Robertp
Over all this social brightness and joy
the neighborhood of hostile soldierya
brought strange terror, which was
increased tenfold when General Provost
selected the ground.foor of Mr.. Glbbes, g
beautiful house as quarters tor his froops,
leaving the family to crowd themselves
as best they might into the upper roops:.
No more games at hide and seek in the !:
park for the children now. nor excursions
on the bath.chair for the invalid, and all
feeling of home was taken from house 1
shared with such inmates.
Mrs. Gibbes was obliged to take her
husbands place in managing the estate
and domestic affairs, leaving the entire
charge of the children to the eldest
daughter, Mary Anna, q girl only thirteen s
years of age, whose calm bravery made
them all feel less frightened in her pres;sI
ence. Z,
ST. Johns island was only thirty miles.
from Charleston, and when the Americans
officers heard that Peaceful Retreat, e,
the name of Mr.. Gibbes house, was In
the hands of the enemy, they determined
to rescue it, and two galleys were at once
despatched up the river with orders to
dislodge the enemy, but not to fire on the;
mansion. a thick plantation skirting
the river was the point behind which
they anchored, and then the darkness and y
stiffness of the night where broken by theS
fash and roar of cannon booming on ALL
sides of the British encampment. $
Officers and men, suddenly aroused
from the sleep they had thought SO Z
secure, were rushing about in dismay and.
confusion, and you may imaginetth the ter
ror of the family up stairs when awakened
to the horrors of a midnight attach. q
They soon found that it was conducted%
by friends, but they knew nothing OF the
orders to preserve the house, and thought
it best to make rapid escape. So the
poor invalid was carried into his chair,
and the household crept out by 8 back
door, brave little Mary carrying one, and
sometimes two, of the terrified children
1t was a new experience for them to be
wandering in the darkness, with only thst-
few garments that they had hastily dress S
ed themselves with to protect them from
the pitiless rain, the little ones stumbling
in the deep mud, and crying in their
childish helplessness. But it wa. Worse
when the road at the back of the house,
which ther had chosen for safety, brought
them near the river and exactly within.
range of the guns. ~
The eshot ratified past them, Q ball crashs}
ed through the trees close at their sioga
charge of grape-shot cut the boughs1
overhead, but Mrs. Gibbes and Mary
each. staggering onward beneath theiI
burden, cried aloud to the Father IN
heaven 10 be their shield, and most won.
derfully He protected them, 30 that they
had passed unhurt through the terrific
fire storm and reached at last the house
of one of their field hands, quite out OF {
reach of the guns. Into this little place
they thankfully crowded, and Mrs. Gibbes
in a state of utter exhaustion, sank I.
upon low bed; bat as the children
clustered round her she started up, the
mothers eye missing one of the fifteen.
"Oh, Mary! where ia John 2"
The poor little girl looked around, and
then with q moan of anguish, cried
"Oh, mother, mother he's left J"
That was the worst moment of all.
The little child was one of the orphans
and very dear to them. Mr.. and Mrs.,
Gibbes, mastering their emotion, consult
ed earnestly together, and then their
attention was turned to Mary, who had
knelt for moment in prayer at the side
of the bed, and then arose with. q calm,
steadfast face, saying:
Mother, I will 60 for baby"
The mother thought of the house, per.
haps even now in flames or filled with
bloodshed, but to all she only answered 5
"God will take care of me" and pressing
her child in passion of tenderness to
her heart, the mother let her go forth in
charge of this Divine Protector. :
Cannon to right of her! ~,
Cannon to left Of her! -
Volleyed and thunderedn
But unimpeded now by any burden,
the brave girl sped along the dangerous
path, God covering her head in the night
of battle, and came at last to the old
home and to the room where this boy had
been sleeping, and opening the door she
saw him sitting up in his little cot
stretching out eager hands to her and
cooling with delight. ~;
Only few minutes more, and she
came for the third time into the terrific
hailstorm of shot and shell; but rushing
through it as though she bore charmed
life, and clasping the child with clutch
that almost frightened him, she came out
of range of the guns, and within range OF
the many eyes that were straining them
selves for the first glimpse of her.
"Out of the jaws of death" she was
welcomed with thanksgiving too deep for
words. The boy thus nobly rescured
lived to become General Fenwick, famous
in the war of 1872.
The tablet to the memory of Mrs.
Sarah Gibbes stands now on the wall Of
St. Paul's Episcopal church in this city.
VIM. Henry Fitz Lee, son of the
late Gen. Robert E. Lee, has been nomi.
mated for Congress by the Democrats of
AZ. E;ohtb D;etr;ot of Viroinia IN suc.s