The Secret Shot; Or, The Rivals Of Misty Mount — page 33: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ENSIGN AND BUGLE. borough, in North Carolina. Cornwallis pursued, in the hope of repossessing the whole region lying South of Virginia. In this advance he commanded his main force in person, while one detachment, under the notorious Colonel Tarleton, rayaged the country nearer the sea-coast, and another, under Colonel Ferguson, proceeded through the Highlands, near the upper frontiers of the State, and across the sources of the rivers. The principal object expected of Ferguson was the rousing of the loyalists in that remote and sparsely-settled quarter to rebel openly against the authority of Congress, and lend their aid to the British arms; While endeavoring, with consider- able success, to carry out this programme, Ferguson was advised by Cornwallis of an attack about to be made by an American party of seven hundred militia, under the valorous Colonel Clarke, on the British garrison then stationed at Augusta. That garrison had, meantime, held out four days against the attack, and, at the end of that time, were relieved by Colonel Cruger, with a large force, which compelled the Ameri- cans to withdraw. «Ferguson now proposed to lay in wait for the retreating Clarke, ata place called Knye’s Mountain. But, while halting to execute this design, he heard of the approach of a new enemy—-still so ‘in- defatigible were the efforts of the patriots in watching and harassing every movement of the foe in his triumphal march. This hew party was a large number of riflemen, mostly mounted, which thad been drawn together under the command of Colonels Campbell, Cleaveland, Williams, Sevier, Shelby and others. They were mainly from Kentucky and the upper sections of Virgi- nia and North Carolina, and were by no means such a force as Ferguson could afford to despise. It had been the intention of General Gates to employ this force, like that of Clarke, to surprise and capture Augusta, In fact, this little army, with the exception of Cleayeland’s command (which remained at Valleyton, in North Carolina), had al- ready started upon this mission, and were southward, between Augusta and Ferguson’s ambush, when they heard of Clarke’s rez pulse at Augusta, which altered their inten- tions considerably, as it would be madness for them to attempt the storming of the strong works at Augusta when defended by rs siror” » {ove¢ as Cruger’s. So they de- 2 ~. “Xabout and attack Ferguson, “\csaauis they were well in- * 81 formed, and Cleaveland reeeived orders, as we haye seen, to march immediately from Valleyton, and coéperate in the attack from the north. Thus Ferguson, while lying in wait for Clarke’s return, was exposed to a force which had been watching his own course with similar kind intentions. He, however, though unable to escape, did not despair, but took an exceedingly strong po- sition on the summit of King’s Mountain, the approaches to it being exceedingly difli- cult, rough, precipitous, and thickly tim- bered. | Let us now leave the Americans as they approach the rocky fortress from the south, and return to our hero, whom we last saw riding in hot haste from the mourning man- sion of Misty Mount to his riflemen’s quar ters at Valleyton. Although not wanting in the soldierly ardor which burns brighter at the prospect of battle, the heart of Cleaveland was woefully depressed with every hoof-beat that lengthened the distance between him and Misty Mount, where the sire of his beloved was lamenting her loss in lonely despair, and in the neighborhood of which, perhaps, she herself was im- mured—bewailing . what fate—exposed to what peril? His shuddering imagination shrunk from the contemplation of its own dark imagery. The horror that possessed ‘him, as he thought of her in the hands of an unscrupulous enemy, was indescribable. And then this order to battle, which tore him from a search for, the eidolon of his heart—it was agonizing. The soldier strug- gled with the lover in his distracted breast. The joyous bugles of his riflemen, as they enthusiastically struck their tents—the merry jingle of their spurs as they sprung to their saddles for the. war-path—the neighing of the steeds and the lively flutter of the starry ensign in the morning air— aul these found but a faint echo in the com- mander’s bosom, which had been wont to bound exultingly in response to their mar- tial sound, but where now his new love moaned in anxiety and pain. It was, there- fore, with a haggard cheek and somber brow that Cleayeland rode at the head of his two hundred brayes on this bright autumnal morning. It is true, he was usually some- what melancholy and reserved ; but, not s° when adyancing to battle. His men could not help noticing the present gloomy ©M- trast to the glad, victorious expression which usually hung, like a Jaurel wrenth, Gomi boo (Q) KSEEGO im