Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-10-23
THE BATTLE OF CAMDEN.
How Baron De EaIo Fell While t1Sh'-
inY at the Head Of His Troops-Ah
Inicresiin. C!d BoolS-Stories
of Marion.

of Marion.
II will seem strange 20 many read
rrs. writes a correspondent oil me Nc'"
y1rh Times. that, in the varied remln-
iscruo,s OF the Revolution called forth
ay lhr recent descriptions OF the statue
II Baron De Kalb. no authentic account
If the battle of Camden, in which he
n.ll. o. of the circumstances of his death
should have Yet appeared. The cur
r,n. condensed Il stories OF the Revolu-
ION, in treating of the first brilliant but
inaly disastrous campaign OF Corn
wallis in tic south, furnish no detailed
dclineation of the action at Camden, in
which. TO quote the words OF 4 con-
temporary writer, ''the northern lau-
rcls OF Gates by a happy con-
i,mction OF events at Saratoga-''de-
Generated into southern willows"
The author of the cpigrammatic sem
,ancc lust cited was Col. Peter Horny,
The friend and companion N arms OF
that idol of South Carolina, Gen. Fran
els Marion, who busted his leisure
hours after the war in the preparation
OF very sparkling and readable biOg-
raphv of the great guerrilla leader
the swamp Fox" rs his tory and Brit
ish aiycrsaries were accustomed to
designate h.m,-whom no vigilance
ever ca .ght mapping.
The book is now, | believe, out OF
print, and in the course of twenty
years rummaging among the volumes
| never met with more than two copies,
| both of them in private hands, and one
Of them mutilated and incomplete.
Racy and amusing are the stories re-
counted by Horny of the deeds of Sergt.
Macdonald on his famous Selim. the
Geetest animal of the Carolnas, out Of
which the redoubtable sergeant did 4
bimoted old tory by representing TO
him that Col. Tarleton had heard of the
| famous racer and wanted it for his own
special mount. Selim was coal black
stallion of Arab blood, whose distented
nostriIs seemed TO scent battle from
afar and possessed, according to the gal
liant Horny, an almost hnman intelli-
gence. Horny records, with the gusto
of the capital story-teller that lie al
ways proved himself, now on one occa-
sion, in a drunken frolic, Scrgt Mac
Donald on his coal-back Selim and a
half dozen of his cronies of Marion s
cavalry dashed into Georgetown in the
open daylight, cutting down the red
coats by the dozen in the streets. Mac
Donald left his bayonet sticking in the
back of British major. Then the
bows dismounted at an inn i'll plain
view of the British barracks, took q
drink to their success, and were in the
saddle and Off in hot haste before the
garrison had recovered from the momen-
tary panic. The memory OF the gal
liant Jasper, who fell at Savannah, also
receives ample justice from Horry's
pen, while his description of Kings
Mountain (whcre one of the tory an
cestors of the De Peysters felD, the
Cowpens, and the unsuccessful and to
our arms disastrous assault on Savan'
nah are among the clearest and most
luminous pieces of military writing
that | have ever had the pleasure Of
reading.
The battle of Camden commenced
in the morning twilight and was hope
lessly contested for hours. Gates haC
hurried forward his nondescript an'
nadequately equipped forces, consist
inc largely of raw Carolina recruits
W tn Il small contingent of continental
commanded by DE Kalb, who had re
peatedly and earnestly warned him o
the improperly folly. indeed o
bringing on Il regular action in tn
present half-disciplined condition o
; The militia under his command. Blu
the impetuous victor of Saratoga no
only declined to take his subordinate
! , advice but intimated that it wa
prompted by cowardice. The old sol
i dier's face darkened as the foolhard
Gates gave utterance TO this sneerin
mputauon, and he replied with dig
nitv. But there was no more to b
. said. He forsaw his fate and the issu
of the battle, and, with the resolution
: to perish on the field rather than out
live the obloquy of the disaster, al
: ranged his affairs that night.
The militia, as De Kalb had fore
: BODIED, broke and fled at the first wolfe
: and rush of the advancing foe, an
: Gates put spurs TO his horse to brini
E the rascals back, as he declared. bu
= did not stop, according to Horny, unit
; he had put eight good miles betwee
> himself aud the melee of the battle
; Exit Gates alike from Camden an
from history. Meanwhile the littl
y handful of continentals bore the brur
{ of the onset of the whole British army
e led by one of its most brilliant o
c licers, the dreaded CORVALLIS. L
= Kalb, dismounted and bareheaded, lie
/ on his men in person and joined in I'll
. hurly-burly of the fight. Wounded
v several places. sword in hand he ell
} gagged in one personal encounter aft
{ another, encouraging his men by vOiC
II as we'll as example. until he was mar
ed for death by many a stalwart TO
g A gigantic British grenadier, the i'd
of his fellows for courage and addres
u, rushed in upon the baron with bayon
ie fixed. The thrust was parted, and L
~ Kalb buried his blade in the Brton
% breast. So deep was the thrust TIL
y. =. the blade stuck fast and could not
=. recovered, and Selling the weapon
d the dying grenadier as it dropped fro
ne his hands the old soldier fought o
81 dealing thrusts thick and fast. Col
Nc tinentals and redcoats went down
Is scores on every band, but he SEEM
.Ic proof alike against bullet and bayon'
W, until at last, pressed back by she
ai1 weight of number, the old hero slipp
IL and fell lie was already mortal
u, hurt-;ndeed. riddled with wounC