第 23 节
作者:江暖      更新:2021-02-19 20:44      字数:9322
  from her foot; and flung it in his face; saying; 〃coward! go meet him。〃 In
  those days kid slippers were not fashionable。
  To increase the panic of the British; Serjt。 M‘Donald; with a rifle; shot
  Lieut。 Torriano through the knee; at the distance of three hundred yards。
  This appears to have softened even the proud spirit of Watson; for; on the
  15th of March;  he wrote a letter to   Marion; stating; 〃we have an officer
  and some men wounded; whom I should be glad to send where they could
  be better taken care of。 I wish; therefore; to know if they will be permitted
  to pass to Charleston。〃 Gen。 Marion wrote for a list of them; and next day
  sent   the   following   pass:   〃Gen。   Marion's   pass;  granted   to   Lieut。  Torriano
  and     twelve    privates。      One    officer   and   six   wounded      men;    with    six
  attendants;   of   the   British   troops;   are   permitted   to   pass   to   Nelson's   ferry;
  thence   to   Charleston;   unmolested;〃   &c。   Col。   Watson   was   now   literally
  besieged; his supplies were cut off on all sides; and so many of his men
  killed; that; he is said by tradition; to have sunk them in Black river to hide
  their number。 There is a quarry of rock in the neighbourhood of the place;
  and the only one in that part of the country; where; it is said; he sunk his
  men。     At   length    Watson;     decamping;      made     a  forced    march     down     the
  Georgetown   road;   but   paused   at   Ox   swamp;   six   miles   below   the   lower
  bridge。 On each side of the road there was then a thick; boggy swamp
  trees were felled across the causeway  three bridges were destroyed; and
  Marion   was   watching   him   with   the   eye   of   an   eagle。   Thus   situated;   and
  having to force a more difficult pass at Johnson's swamp; ten miles ahead;
  Watson most prudently wheeled to the right; and passed on; through open
  piney     woods;     to  the   Santee    road;    distant   about    fifteen   miles。    When
  overtaken by Marion upon this road; his infantry were passing like horses
  at a   full   trot。 Here he   had not so   many obstacles   to   encounter as on the
  other road; and; by wheeling covertly and marching so briskly; had gained
  considerable   ground。   However;   Col。   Peter   Horry   now   advanced                ahead
  with   the   cavalry   and   riflemen;   and   annoyed   him   in   flank   and   in   front;
  while Marion attacked in the rear; until they reached Sampit bridge; where
  the last   skirmish   took   place。   News   from  Doyle   appears   to   have   arrested
  Marion's progress; and summoned him to new perils。
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  Watson      reached    Georgetown;       with   two   waggon      loads   of  wounded
  men。* It is evident from an intercepted letter of his of the 20th of March;
  that he had been hemmed in so closely that he was in want of every thing;
  and   had   taken   this   route   to   Georgetown;   fifty   miles   out   of   his   way;   to
  obtain     supplies。    From    Fort   Watson     to   the  lower    bridge;    he   had   not
  advanced more than forty miles on his premeditated route to join Doyle。
  * Horry's Narrative。
  In   the   mean    time;   Col。   Doyle;    an  active;   enterprising     officer;  had
  driven   Col。   Ervin;   who      commanded   only   a       weak   guard;   from   Snow's
  island。 But before retreating he had Marion's arms; stores and ammunition
  thrown into Lynch's creek。 This; at the crisis; was a most serious loss。
  From Sampit; Gen。 Marion marched   back towards Snow's island; on
  the way he received intelligence that Doyle lay at Witherspoon's ferry; and
  he proceeded forthwith to attack him。 Doyle had taken a position on the
  north side of the ferry; and when M‘Cottry; in advance; with his mounted
  riflemen; arrived at the creek; the British were scuttling a ferry boat on the
  opposite   side。   He   took   a   position   behind   trees;   and   gave   them   a   well
  directed and deadly fire; they ran to their arms and returned a prodigious
  volley;   which   did   no   more   harm   than   that   of   knocking   off   the   limbs   of
  trees among the riflemen。 Doyle had received news; which occasioned him
  to retreat for Camden。 The ferry boat being now scuttled and sunk on the
  opposite side; and Lynch's creek being swollen; and at this place wide and
  deep; Gen。 Marion proceeded up the creek; and swam over it at the first
  place   he   reached;   five   miles   above Witherspoon's。 This   was   the   shortest
  route to come at Doyle。 He pursued all that day; and the next morning till
  nine or ten o'clock; when he came to a house where Doyle had destroyed
  all his heavy baggage; and had proceeded on with great celerity towards
  Camden。 This seemed mysterious at the time; but here Marion halted。
  It appears from what follows; shortly; as well as from Horry's account;
  that   this   pursuit   was    undertaken     by   Gen。    Marion     with   the   desperate
  resolution of either selling his own life and that of his followers; as dearly
  as   possible;   or   of   cutting   his   way   through   the   enemy   to   make   good   a
  retreat   into   North   Carolina。   Happily   for   his   country;   Doyle   evaded   him;
  and thus prevented the dangerous attempt。 The general now received the
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  Life of Marion。
  melancholy   account   of   the   extent   of   his   loss   in   ammunition   and   other
  stores    on   Snow's     island;   which     under    present    circumstances      appeared
  irretrievable。      However       he    was    but    little  disposed      to   brood     over
  misfortunes;   and   if   he   had;   his   enemies   were   not   inclined   to   allow   him
  leisure。 In the mean time Col。 Watson; having refreshed and reinforced his
  party;   and   received   a   fresh   supply   of   military   stores   and   provisions   at
  Georgetown;   proceeded   again   towards   the   Pedee。   On   his   march   he   had
  nothing to impede him but a few bridges broken down。 He took the nearest
  route    across    Black    river   at  Wragg's     ferry;   and   crossing     the  Pedee     at
  Euhany; and the little Pedee at Potato bed ferry; he halted at Catfish creek;
  a mile from where Marion court house now stands。  Here Ganey's party
  flocked in to him in such numbers that he was soon nine hundred strong。
  Gen。   Marion   returning   from   the   pursuit   of   Doyle;   and   hearing   of          the
  approach of Watson; crossed the Pedee and encamped at the Warhees; five
  miles from him。 At this place he consulted with his field officers then in
  camp; and informed them that although his force was now recruited to five
  hundred men; that yet he had no more ammunition than about two rounds
  to each man; and asked them 〃if he should retreat into the upper parts of
  North   Carolina;   or   if   necessary   to   the   mountains;   whether   they   would
  follow   him。〃   With   a   firm   and   unanimous   voice   the   resolution   to   follow
  him was adopted。 These field officers; whose names should be engraved
  on tablets of brass; were Cols。 Peter Horry; Hugh Horry; James Postell and
  John Ervin; and Majors John James; John Baxter and Alexander Swinton。
  Not long after this resolution was taken; Gen。 Marion met Capt。 Gavin
  Witherspoon;   who   said   to   him;   〃General   had   we   not   better   fight   Col。
  Watson before any more tories join him。〃 〃My friend;〃 replied he; 〃I know
  that   would   be   best;   but   we   have   not   ammunition。〃   〃Why;   general;〃   said
  Witherspoon;   〃here        is  my   powder      horn   full;〃   holding    it  up。  〃Ah!    my
  friend;〃 said Marion; 〃you are an extraordinary soldier; but as for others;
  there   are   not   two   rounds   to   a   man。〃   Witherspoon   passed   off   in   silent
  sorrow; but as soon as he reached   his camp;  met Baker Johnson; an old
  tried whig; who begged him for God's sake to give him something to eat;
  and he set before him some cold rice in a pot。 While Johnson was eating;
  Witherspoon sat pondering over what he had heard for some time; but at
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  last inquired; 〃What news; Johnson?〃 〃Fine news;〃 said he; 〃I saw a great
  number   of   continental   troops;   horse   and   foot;   crossing   at   Long   bluff。〃
  〃Come and tell the general;〃 said Witherspoon。 〃No;〃 replied the other; 〃I
  am starving with hunger; and if the general wants the news he must come
  to me。〃 Witherspoon   immediately posted off to the general;  who lost   no
  time    in   g