The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1896-12-04

We quilted our ground at seven
o'clock, and went on for about cou-
pie of hours, without any circumstance
occurring. calculated, to attract at
t,ntion. or deserving of notice. \ few
pigs and turkeys, indeed, which hap
pencd to be at large near Il farmhouse
by the way:side, suffered, it is true, the
fate incident to mortality; and much
laughter was heard from front to rear
of the column, as dogs and men either
failed OF succeeded in the chase. But
of the enemy no traces were discover
ed, though our guide assured us that
several numerous bodies had passed
the night in this neighborhood. About
noon, however, we were put a little
upon our mcttle. and an adventure
took place which record. chiefly for
the purpose Of showing the temper and
disposition of the men with whom we
were now cmbroiled.
The advanced parties having arrived
at the more open country which sur
rounds Marlborough, found themselves
suddenly in the presence of two squad
rons of well-mounted; and handsomely
appointed cavalry. They were com
posed as we afterwards learned. - of
gentlemen volunteers in the service of
their country. To do them justice,
the troopers no sooner saw our men,
than they made spirited effort to cut
down one or two files, which appeared
to be~separHted from their companions,
and at distance from the wood.
Buta single discharge from another
party which they had not observed,
instantly checked them: and they gal
loped'of: :
Almost ut the same moment when
this little affair was going on, some
eight or ten riflemen being discovered
in the wood on the right of the road,
were pursued by Colonel Thornton,
and one of them overtaken. When |
say that the fellow was ovcrtaken, |
mean that he halted of his own accord,
and made signs that he gave himself
up. The Colonel, satisfied with this.
was directing file of his men to go
forward and secure the prisoner, when
the American, with the utmost deliber
alton, lcvclled his piece and fired.
Happily he missed his mark but that
circMmstahce would have availed him
little: had he fallen into the hands of
our people. Fleet of foot, however,
and well acquainted with the country,
he soon managed to battle his pursuers,
who, after having wasted a few rounds
at him, were compelled to abandon the
chase and return to their ranks.
1t has been already stated, that our
corps experienced great Inconvenience,
and was sorely crippled in one of its
most important aims, through the want
of horses We had no, artillery; three
of the smallest pieces ever used, hardly
deserved to be termed such: we were
without cavalry, and even our staff
was miserably provided. The General
felt this, and he did his best to remedy
the evil, by causing every horse which
was found;in the fields or stables near,
!: to Bei eiscized and brought in. BY this
means we were enabled to muster, at
the close of the third day, Il troop Of
about forty hofscmen; and such horse
inch! The men, indeed, We're like 9th
er British soldiers; they were artillery
drivers, and they were commanded by
an officer of artillery; but the horses
were, for the mtst part indifferent
enough, whilst the appointments of the
troopers proved, in many instances, Il
source of merriment, not only to us
but to themselves. 1t was not always
that saddles could be found for the
horses; and when such were totally
wanting, recourse was had to blankets,
doubled repeatedly. and Strapped. on
the animals backs. On other occa-
sions. the absence of bride was COM
pcnsated by Il halter; very many Of
the men made stirrups for themselves
ont of pieces of rope, and a few rode
barc-backed. Nor We're their weapons
more uniform or more graceful than
their horse eqnipage. \ few only car
ricd their own sabres; the rest were sup
piled with the cutlasScs which belonged
to the scamen who dragged the Guns.
Yet this irregular and wretchedly
equipped cavalry proved repeatedly of
dition.
1t was one o'clock. when the neat
houses, and pretty gardens of Mari
borough, pres ntcd themselves to our
view know not whether the scene
would strike me now, rs it struck me
then. were again to visit it; but at
that moment imagined that | had
never looked upon Il landscape more
pleasing. or more beautiful. The little
green hills which on either hand in
closed the village, tutted here and there
with magnificent trees, the village itself,
Struggling and wide, each cottage, be-
ING tar apart from its neighbors, and
each ornamented with tlower-beds, and
strawberries. these, with Il lovely stream
that wound through the valley, formed,
as far as my memory may be trusted,
one of the most exquisite panoramas