The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1895-08-08


us of the great
a " battles, the great
An events, bus touches
upon them briefly, leaving the details,
all that made up the real life of the
actors, almost wholly unrecorded. And
yet it is only by these details of per-
sonal adventures-th trials, suffer-
ings, sacrifices, perils and heroic eX-
PLOTS of individual men and women
that we can form anything like cor
rect idea of those troublous times,
which developed all the noblest emo
tions and basest passions of the human
heart.
After the British army became es-
tablished in the south, the states of
Virginia, North Carolina and South
Carolina were literally overrun with
organized bands of foragers, marauders
and plunderers, composed in many in,
stances of desperadoes of the vilest de-
Scription. Tories and British soldiers
united in preying upon the weak and
defenseless, and crimes of every enor-
nifty marked their desolating progress.
Houses were seized and plundered, and
frequently burned afterward; cattle
were killed or driven away; old and
young were tortured to make them re-
veal some hidden treasure; females
were kidnapped and treated in the most
outrageous manner; slaves were cap
tured or armed against their masters
and all classes were shamefuliy abused
and even murdered with impunity.
n,D,Dneal b i
were a few badly-clothed, ill-fed
militia and rowing bands of wings,
who fell upon them wherever they
could and often inflicted the most ter
rible retribution, so that the whole
country literally became a field of
ravage, plumber, skirmish, battle and
deSolation.
About fifty miles north of Charles
ton, in the state of South Carolina, on
a branch of the Santee, lived family
by the name of Crofts. Isaac Crofts,
the senior, with his two sons, John
and James, lads yet in their teens, had
joined the brigade of Marion in de-
Tense of their country, leaving the
plantation in charge OF Mrs. Crofts,
her two daughters, and a few negroes
of both sexes. Two months had passed
away without any unusual alarm to
the household, when one dark, cloudy
evening, as the matron and her two
daughters We're seated at supper, they
were startled by the heavy tramping
of body of horse, which shortly drew
up in front of the dwelling. The next
moment there were several heavy
knocks upon the door, as if struck with
a sword or musket, and a hoarSe voice
Numbered out:
open, you internal rebels, in the
kings name, or we'll stave our way i'm"
Heavens! We are lost-we are lost"
exclaimed the mother clasping her
hands with all mothers anguish as
she thought what might be the fate of
her beautiful daughters. of sixteen and
fourteen-the elder a dark-eyed bru-
nette, and the younger a blue-eyed
blonde. oh! what shall we do? What
shall we do?" she pursued, looking
from one pale face to the other of the
two girls who sat at the table with
her.
Let them in at once, since they will
break in if we delay" said Mary, the
elder of the sisters. with that calmness,
irmness and dignity which bespoke her
no ordinary girl. open the door,
Hector, and do not stand there SILVER
ing. Surely the weather is not SO
cold" she continued, addressing
stout negro who stood trembling by
the fireplace, with two wenches cling
ing to him, the eyes and faces of the
whole three expressing the most alb
ject and paralyzing terror.
AS the negro paid no heed to the
command of his young mistress, the
girl started up and ran to the door her
self, reaching il just as it was on the
point of being forced open by the
angry men outside.
81 beg your pardon, gentlemen"
said Mary, as she hastily drew back
the bolts and threw the door open, re-
vealing her graceful and symmetrical
figure to the rude gaze of some twenty
dissipAted. cutthroat-looking fellows,
in the undress uniform of British sol
diefs- II have kept you waiting; it
was not iutentional; it was all the
fault of my stupid servant. Walk in,