The Monitor., 1891-03-27
HISTORY OF SALEM COUNTY.
A Collection of most Interesting
Facts. Traditions, Anecdotes, ETC..
Relating TO It's History and
Antiquities.
IGontinued from last soesk. ]


pearpd to be an almost unanimous dispo-
sltion 10 the militia to 60 over the bridge
and cbastlse them. The most " ary Of the
officers opposed the movement proposed,
because the orders of the commanding
officer bad been peremptory, that they
were to stand their ground. aud defend
The bridge to the last extremity, should
the enemy attempt to force passage in
his absence.
Duang this psrley among them, little
Frenchnan by the name OF Decoe, lieu
tenant, who was full of fght, represented
to Capt. William Smith, then the senior
officer present, how easy it would be for
them TO 90 over aud ''drnb those insolent
rascals." Capt. Smith being equally ami
matt d, forthwI Ith mounted his horse, and
called upon his men to follow. They i'm
m.diateiy obeyed aud marched on. or
rather huddled promiscuously along the
road, with scarcely any military order.
rhe decoyiug enemy, seeing the confused
manner in which the militia were ap
proa ching them, ieigned retreat. Capt
Smith, being in advance OF his men, was
calling upon them to hasten on, saying,
I'VE will have them before they get I, 0
Mill hollow, "a ravine over which tue
then road leading to Salem passed, and
During this higgledy piggledy march
ing, If | may SO call it, no one thought,
while passing, to examine either the barn,
dwelling house, or swamp in the rear OF
it. " hen the militia had advanced some
yards hey ond the house, the enemy rose
up, and poured folth upon our people a
most destructive fire, from the swamp.
house, barn, and fences, under which
many of them were secreted. The militia
were thrown iuto confusion. lt was at
this moment that Capt. Smith displayed
great bravery and presence OF mind Ill at
tempting 10 rally his men, but they were
SO completely surprised that he could not
form them into line. The light horse from
| the woods HOW came dashing among them;
but their horses, being ubtrained, soon
| frightened at the clash of arms and report
| of guns, and could not bs brought within
| striking distance of the sabre, except in a
few instances. Our people fetreated fight
ing in small squads, and although at first
surprised, and attacked in flank and rear,
they made good their retreat across the
bridge, but with the loss of bet .een Thirty
aud forty of their comrades.
| Col. Hand, of the Cumberland militia.
being Informed by Col. Holmes that the
enemy Were in salem, put his regiment III
motion. aud was hastening to JOIN Holmes
1T Quinton's bridge, aud by All unforeseen
| Providence, as designed, he arrived there
at the very moment when the enemy was
dealing death and destruction among our
people. Immediately ou his arrival, he
| placed his men in the trenches which our
soldiers h I'd but little while before left,
and opeucd upon the pursuing enemy such
continued and well directed fire, as soon
4 n, hair nd
people from being cut to pieces. Hand
had with him two pieces of artillery,
which, when they opened, soon obliged
| the enemy to face about. Capt. Smith
| had some of his hair shot away from the
| back part OF his head, bullet grazed his
| loins, aud his horse received two bullets
in him, yet he carried his rider safe over
the bridge, and then fell dead under him.
One extraordinary act of consummate
bravery and desperate daring during the
fight, deserves to be recorded. lG was
that which was performed by Andrew
Bacon, of the militia, man whose life
was protracted until he was past eighty
years of age before lie died. After our
militia had effected their retreat across the
creek to their works. Bacon seized an axe,
aud set to with all his might, with a de.
termination to cut down tho draw of the
bridge, as it was apparent the tesign OF
the enemy was to beat and drive our sol
diers from their trenches, if possible; he
perseyered in chopping, ("hlle the enemy
were directing their shot at him, until he
cut away the draw, and rendered it impas-
sable; as he was fastening TO the trenches,
he received a wound, which, poor fellow,
rendered him cripple for life The enc
my being now foiled, notwithstanding all
their cxertiOus to cross the creek, and
seeing the dra of the bridge cut away
aud destroyed in their presence, were re-
luctantly obliged to give up the contest,
ard return tu Salem.
Colonel Mawhood. exceedingly cha
grined that Major Simcoe, with his fiue
battalion, coulo not drive our people from
their Entertainments, was determined not
10 permit them to bid defiance to his ma
j sty's arms any longer, and resolved on
,he morrow to make Que desperate effort.
witch all his disposable force. to dislodge
| the militia from their stronghold, and
crush them Tor their insolence. Our troops
being well aware that the pride of the ene-
my was excessively mortified in being
| thus foied by raw and undisciplined
militia, in their attempt to take the bridge,
employed the remainder of the day in
| strengthening their breastwOrks and other
deiences-in administering all the COM
fort in their power to their wounded com
| rades, and ~ bulyiDg OF the dead. Their
feelings being now wrought up to the
| m N nj. ttnxr nsata rod