Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-03-28

|
GERS, she rode off on brisk gallop. St
crossed the Wateree River at Camde
Ferry and pressed on toward the high bill
of Santee.
Emily was riding at rapid pace throug
an open dry swamp when one of the Tor
scouts, who were on the watch, seized he
bride and bade her halt. With perfec
composure and firm voice she demande
by what authority she was arrested. Th
young scout was confounded by the az
pearance and manner of his prisoner
| They had observed woman riding in an
parent haste from the direction of Greene
army toward the camp Of Sumter and sus
pected her errand. She proved to be
young maiden, fair as lily, with milo
blue eyes and profusion of brown hair
The young scout, smitten with her beauty
and air Of innocence, released his holf
upon the bride, when an older companion
made Of sterner stuff, seized the reins anc
led the horse to an unoccupied house or
the edge of swamp and bade her dis
mount. The young soldier gallantly as
sisted her to alight, and she was taken into
the house. With proper dclicacy the
scouts sent for Mrs. Buxton's mother, liv
ing mile distant, to search Emily's per
son.
81 went with mother" said Mrs. Bux
ton, ''to see a woman prisoner. The door
of the house was guarded by the younger
scout, who was Peter Simons, son of a
neighbor two miles away, and right gal
liant young fellow he was. After the wal
he married my sister, and that youngsteI
who took your borse where you alighted is
their grandchild
'Then you saw the young prisoner? ?''
asked.
Eyes, and helped mother search her,
We were amazed when we saw, instead of
a brazen-facsd, middIe-aged woman, as we
supposed spy must be, a sweet young
girl about my own age, looking as innocent
as pigeon. Our sympathies were with
her, but mother performed her duty faith
fully. We found nothing on her person
that would afford suspicion that she was
spy. She was released by the scouts,
who offered her many apologies for detain-
ing her. She had been too smart for them.
While alone in the house guarded by Peter
Simons she had eaten up Greene's letter
piece by piece. So, secure from detection,
she willingly submitted to our search, and
told us frankly who she was.
My name is Geiger-Emily Geiger p
she said. My father is a planter near
Winnsborough, in Fairfield, and l am on
my way to visit friends below
"Wasn't she smart ?" said the old lady.
''She acas going to visit friends below
Sumter and his men-our friends likewise,
for that matter. When the scouts dismiss
ed her we took her to our house, gave her
some refreshments, and urged her to stay
with us until morning. But she could not
be persuaded, saying the two armies were
so near it might soon become impossible to
reach her friends. Peter Simens had ac-
US home and offered to escort
Emily to her friends as protector. She
declined his offer and rode away, bearing
our silent blessings. We saw no more of
her until after the war;
''Did she reach Sumter camp in safety?"
l inquired.
''Yes, and delivered Geene's message al
most word for word as he had written it."
Sumter and Marion joined forces and
FASTENED to fridays Ferry, at CRANKY
Rawdon, baffled, did not attempt to cross
the Congaree, but fled before the pursuing
Americans toward Oraugeburg, on the
Edisto.
''You say you saw no more of Emily
Geiger until some time after the war;"
remarked. "What was her fate ?"
ga happy one. She had married a rich
young planter on the Congaree, named
Thurwitz. They had been on a visit at
her fathers house in Fairfield, and went
out of their way to visit the scene of her
exploit in 1881. They had crossed the
Wateree at Camden Ferry, as she had done
before, visited the house in which she had
been searched, and rode to our house to
thank my mother for her kindness on that
occasion. They had with them sweet
little baby few moths old. Peter Simons
was then my sisters husband and at our
house. Emily stood face to face with her
jailer for an hour. She freely told her story
and owned that she was much startled
when Peter seized her bride, but she con-
trolled her feelings. She told US of her
dinner on Greene's dispatch, and thought
how silly the young scout was in leaving
her alone in the house while he guarded the
door on the outside. Peter wasn't much of
a Tory, and we all rejoiced that kind
Providence had protected Emily from de-
lection.
"The ways of God are mysterious" said
the venerable matron, laying her hand Oh
my knee. "Peter's son married Emily's
daughter-the sweet little baby she brought
to our house-and their son owns planta-
tion few miles from here"
BENSON ]. LOSING, LID.