The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-12-15
NLNU,
ARMS N THE NJ

tlemanly manner for his i'll success at
the CoWpenS, and would charge to his
accoun personal the failure of Corn
wallis's plan to crush in detail the pa
triot army of the south.
Now little as | love. OF have cause to
love. Sir Banastre Tarleton-they tell
me he has been knighted II now
wears Il major generals sw~ord-knot-
It's but the part of outSpolier honest
ennity to say tina we owed the victory
at the CoWpens to no remissness on the
part OF the young legion commander
who, il he We're indeed the most brutal.
was also the n,osr active and enterprise
ing of Lord Cornwallis's field officers.
No. il was not remissness nor lack of
bravery on the part Of the enemy.
Twas only that the tide had turned.
Kings Mountain had been fought and
Won, and there We're to be no more
Camdens for us.
In the affair at the COW pastures,
which followed hard upon Richards
Winnsborough, the very elements
fought for us and against the British,
AS for instance: Tarleton, with his ia
nous legion Of horse, and infantry
enough to make his numbers exceed
ours, began his march on the 18th and
was rained on and mired for four long
days before he had crossed the Broad
LIN Illu CSlltC WllIllll SCoullIiS uI9lGAAtS
of us.
Left to himself, Dan Morgan would
have locked horns with the enemy al
the fording of the Pacolet; but in the
council OF war u colonel and John
Howard Of the MaryIanders were for
drawing carleton still deeper into the
wilderness II farther from the British
main, which was by this moved up as
far us Turkey creek. So we broke
camp hastily and fell sack into the hill
country, and on the night of the 18th
TOOK post ON the northern slope OF q
low ridge between two running
streams.
For its backbone Gun force had some
800 men of the Maryland line and two
companies of Nirginians. These formed
our main, and We're posted on the ris-
ing ground With John Howard for their
commander. A hundred and fifty PAGES
IN their front, partly screened in the
open pine. oak and chestnut wooding
of the ground, We're Pickens' Carroll
mans and the Georsians; nilitiamen,
it is true, but skilled rif1emen, and ev-
avenged on Tarleton's pillagets.
Still farther to the front, disposed as
right and left wings of outlierS, We're
Yeates and his fellow bordcrers and
some sixty of the G%eorgians set to feel
the enemy's approach, and in the re-
serve, posted well to the rear of the
Marylanders and Nirginians, was our
own %colonel'S troop guarding the horses
of the dismounted Georgians.
Twas when we We're all set in order
to await the SUMS rising and the enc
lny's approach that Dan Morgan rode
the lines and harangued us. lie was
better ut giving and taking shrewd
blows IMAM at speechmaking, but we all
knew his mettle We'll by now, and
Is, have ,t-r.. -N1-r q, ,N.r,, - = ,,,. T..
laugh at his unWonted gr~andiloquence
and solemn periods. In the harangue
the two battle lines had their orders;
to be steady, to aim low. and above all,
to hold their fire till the enemy was
within sure killing distance.
Ills Il brave old Daniel" said Dick,
whilst the general was saving the air
for the benefit Of the South Carolinans.
Twill not be his fault If we fail. But
you are older at this business than II
of us, Jack; what think o of our
chances?"
1 laughed, and the laugh was meant
TO be grim. 1 knew the tempe, Of the
British regulars, and how, when well
led, they could play the hammer to
amy body's anvil.
ANY raw recruit can prophesy be-
fore the fact" said l. We ave Tar
Teton, his legion, the Seventh. a good
third of the Seventy-tirst, and two
pieces of artillery in our ron II they
do not give "a good account of hem
selves, twill be because Tarleton has
marched them leg-stiff to overtake u.s.
Dick fell silent for a moment. and
when he spoke again some of Dan Nor
CAMS solemnity seemed to have got
into his blood.
81 have a sort of coward i%npricking
that I shan't come out Of this with a
whole skin, Jack; n there's a thing
on my mind that maYhap you al take
off. You have had Madge to yourself
Il dozen times since that day last au-
tu1nn when ] asked her for the hum
dredth time to put me u of misery.
AS I have said, she Would not hear me
through, but she gave me a look as L
had struck her with u Whip. Can you
tell me why?'
The morning breeze heralding the
sunrise was Whispering to the leafiess
branches OVERHEAD, and there Mas Moth
ing in all Dame Natures peaceful set
ting Of the scene to hint at the i'm
pending war-clash. Yet the wal por-
tent was abroad in all the peaceful
morning. and my mood marched with
the lads when l gave him his answer.
. Truly. ! could tell you. Richard; and
it is your due to know it from no other
lips than mine. Mayhap, q little later,
when restitution can GO hand in hand
with repentance and confession"
mo, no." he cut in quickly. Tel me
now, Jack; your little later ma be
all too late-for me. Does she love
you?-has she sal she loves you?"
May, dea lad: she despises me well
and truly, and has missed
the chance of saying SO. Wait
but a little longer and / pledge you on
the honor of ). gentleman you shall
have her for our very own. Will that
content you.
AT my assurance his mood changed
and in a twinkling he became the
dauntleSs soldier who fights not to die,
but to win and live.
with that word to keep me l. shall
not be killed today, L promise you.
Jack; and that in spite of this damned
q~ueasiness that was showing me the
burying trench" And then he added
softly: God bless her!"
I could say amen to that most heart-
lily; did it. and would have gone on to
add benson of my own, but at the mo-
ment there We're sounds of galloping
horses on our front. and presently
three relocated officers, one of them
the redoutable Colonel Tarleton him
self, rode out to reconnoitre us most
coolly.
1 doubt if he would have been so rash
had he known that Yeates and his
borderers We're concealed in easy pistol
shot; but the Simultaneous cracking of
a dozen rifles warned a4d sent the trio
Scuttling back to cover
. Dick swore ~piteously, with the snap
shot Cklr1njEhprS fnrs q 10 rerof strEha