Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-03-15

tions, Marion led the way back t
where Singleton with his troop await
ed him; and few minutes only hac
elapsed when they stood once more
together in close conference. The
brief history Of past events was soor
given, and the major was delighted
| to meet with the unqualified approVa
Of his superior. He learned from Ma
rion that Col. Walton had gone for.
hours before his arrival, having beer
anxious to find active service at as
early a time as possible. He had moi
endeavored to dissuade him, as his
was an independent commission
though the determination Of Marion
himself, was to proceed with the same
object in the same direction. his
force, with the recruits brought by
Singleton, was now something more
respectable in numbers, II not In
equipment. In arms and ammunition
not to speak Of clothes and the usual
equipages Of camp and horse, they
were miserably deficient; but with
the hope that the continentals were
provided well, and with q surplus
this matter gave the partisan but lit
tie concern. The small supplies OF
arms and ammunition which Singleton
had succeeded in picking up and
bringing from the neighborhood OF
Dorchester was gratefully welcomed
and, with a new hope from this sea-
sonable arrival of his men, Marion
determined earnestly to press his ad-
vance to a union with the powerful
army supposed to be coming on with
Gates.
To Singleton he partially unfolded
his determination, though he entered
iaf vel
determined as to the time and route
of his purposed movement. 1t was
necessary that he should first ascer-
tain the precise position Of Gates; and
again, he had the duty yet to per-
form, in part, which he had voluntar-
ily undertaken, of destroying all the
boats upon the river at the various
crossing places, which might other
wise be employed to facilitate the
progress Of Lord Cornwallis, to the as
sistance Of Rawdon at Camden; upon
which place 1t was now understood
the first effort of the approaching
southern army would be made. There
was little doubt that CORVALLIS would
soon be apprised, If, indeed, he was
not already-of the necessity of his
presence at Camden; for, though
Singleton had arrested one courier,
and Marion himself another, 1t was
not to be expected that others would
not succeed in passing with intelli-
gence. where the line Of country to
be watched was so extensive. To re-
tard the movements of the command
er at Charleston-to keep him back
until Gates should be able to strike
his first blow, was an object quite too
important to be foregone or given up
with great effort; and an understand
Marion
assigned one Of the two leading routes
to the designated ground OF battle, TO
each of the partisans.
Marion had done much already to-
wards his object. He had destroyed
more than two hundred boats on both
sides of the river, sparing neither
canoe nor periagua. All within reach
had been broken up, save the rev
which he still employed for his own
purposes in the swamp, gathering pro-
visions, for the facilitation Of his own
progress. Another day, and Singleton
would not have found it easy to say:
Swim the Esk river, where ford
there was none"
That night, as soon as the whole
party had come up. the passage was
effected, and without any great diff
guilty. The horses swan beside the
boats, secured by ropes and brides,
while their riders, for the time, occu-
MED a more secure seat within them
than they might have done upon
their saddles Ball, the famous horse
Of Marion, led the way for the rest
and he went through the water as
freely and fearlessly as a native-born
Of the element. The rest followed with
some little shivering and restiveness,
but, with the boats, they soon reached
mounted
and ridden through the river-sedge,
over the fallen tree, and safely, al
length, into the island thicket which
formed the hiding place of the Swamp
Fox on the Santee.
The boats, filled with the women,
and children, and prisoners, under a
small guard, had a more tedious
though more secure and easy passage
to the same spot. Soon as they left
the current Of the river and got with
in the foliage, the swamp-suckers'
with an old experience, seized upon
their long canes, twenty feet In length,
to the end Of each of which prong OF
the deer's antlers, and some times a
crotched stick of some hard wood, had
been tightly fastened. With these,
catching the overhanging limbs and
branches that fenced in a crooked
creek that led to the island, they drew
themselves along. Without dip OF oar
or plash of paddle, silently and STILL
as if endued with a life Of its own,
the boat swept through its natural
abode, a familiar tenant Of its depths
Torches flashed along at intervals upon
the banks to guide them, but tney
were perfectly unnecessary to the ire
quent dwellers in the swamp. They
who steered and led the way could
.,ln Il I.. frrht nd 1n n
| fearing, and answering from their
designated path, with the ease OF a
citizen along the high-road. The ra-
pidity of their movements. through
scenes only distinguishable when the
torch flashed over them, delighted and
astonished the men from the low
country, who now traversed them FOL
the first time. Porgy was absolutely
overcome with anticipations. He could
not refrain-such was the good-humol
which the novelty Of their progress in
spired-from addressing Doctor oak
| enburg, who sat beside him In the
boat. on the subject of his musings;
.'This. Doctor Oakenburg," said he
this is a region-so Major Singleton
tells me-which, in the language OF
Scripture. may be said to flow will
milk and honey"
The d,?tOr. terrified before into ST.
lence. was now astounded into speech
Milk and honey" he exclaimed
with wondering.
"Ay, doctor, milk and honey! tina
is to say, with fish and terrapin, whicf
take to mean the same thing since
nobody would desire any land in whlcf
there was no meat. The phrase, mill
and honey, simply means to conVe!
the idea of a land full of all thing:
that men Of taste can relish or we ma!
even go farther in this respect, ant
consider it a land teeming with al
things for all tastes. Thus, yours
| Doctor Oakenburg-even your Wiz
taste for snakes and cells has beer
consulted here not less than mine 10
terrapin Along the same tussock OF
which the bullet-head repOses, you
will see the mOccasin crawling conn
IDENTIFY. In the same luxurious walloV
with the SOW, you will behold the 81!
alligator watching the growth daily o
her interesting little family. Th'
summer duck. with its glorious plum
age, skins along the same muddy lax
on the edge of which the ID bodies
crane screams and crouches; and ther
are no possible extremes in nature t
which a swamp like this will not Civ
shelter, and furnish something t
arouse and satisfy the appetite. 1t 1
| u.,rl1 in itSalf and 7 cal Ia before