Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1898-01-24
The Rescue al MOrgaltOVn. F.:
BY RIPLEY Upton.
THE CROWD in Morgantown at the

largest which had ever assembled in
North Carolina, or, for that matter, in
the entire country south of the Potamac.
The roads were unusually good in the
summer of l79S, and for 100 miles around
people had ridden over the hills to hear
what the hero of Kings Mountain"
who gloried in having been a rebel and
traitor against England, would say
when put on trial for his life on the
Charge of rebellion and treason against
North Carolina.
The high court did not open until ten
o'clock, and long before that hour both
the courthouse and the square around
it were crowded with men in every va
riety of costume from the uniform of a
general of North Carolina militia to the
buskskin shirt of the Watauga back
woodsman.
They talked, laughed, jostled, dis
puted and apologized to each other after
the fashion of region where you might
jostle a man as much as you pleased
without fata. results, provided you were
sufficiently prompt in expressing regret
for having done it.
The four 'groggeries, which were
ample for the needs of the town on ordi-
nary court days, were swamped with
custom, and nothing but the liberal sup
ply of such pocket pistols" as our colo
nial ancestors carried with them on
such occasions prevented deplorable
epidemic of thirst.
AS it was. the crowd kept in a good
hGmor. There had been only one fight
during the morning, and it was all too
brief. A landed proprietor from one
Of the tidewater counties had been
promptly knocked down by "buck-
skin" from what is now the state of
Tennessee for asserting that the whole
country across the mountains was
dominated by outlawed rowdies who
ought to be hanged on general princi-
pies.
In the crowd which huTahed for this
fight, and for every other which took
place during the day, there was "a tall.
lank. uncouth-looking young man, with
long locks of hair hanging over his face
and his back hair done up in an eelskin
cue" According to Albert Gallatin. his
litilhC was NIblSN cdNhHbh anu llS litlh
stopped to hear the trial, intending to
proceed afterward to Robertson's
colony on the Tennessee side of the
mountains. Gallatin says his dress
was singular and his manners those of
n rough backwoodsman." This is un-
doubtedly true, but it has never been
definitely proven that he was the same
Andrew Jackson who afterward eH-
changed shots with Sewer on the road
to Knoxville.
1t is not necessary for the purpose of
this history to dwell on that point. 1t
is enough to say that he had keen eye
for horsefiesh, aud when three stall
wart backwoodsmen rode up with
led mare whose slim flanks, clean-cut
limbs and erect head showed her aris-
tocratc blood, he was alert at once.
81 want horse to ride over the noun
tains," he said. "Will you sell or trade?"
This is not my day for trad ng!" said
the tallest of the three backwoodsmen
as he dismounted and gave the reins of
his own horse and of the led mare to a
young man, who, as if by prearrange-
ment, pushed out of the crowd to take
them.
II will give you hundred for her!"
Il tell you it's not my day for trad
ing" said the backwoodsman in the
hunting shirt, briskly. Come, gentle
men,
With his companions he pushed
through the crowd to the courthouse
door with the air of man who had busi-
ness there. To offers of"a hundredan and ff-
ty." "two hundred" two hundred and
fifty" for the mare he paid no attention
whatever. The young man in the eel
skin cue. who had followed him half a
dozen steps to make them, returned to
the youth who was holding the mare
and began to question him. At first
uncommunicative to a degree, the
young man finally relaxed and said,
half humorously, half fiercely:
eff Won want IN know who thase mon