108 N A R R A T I V E O F A N
q h a p . for fhelter tindçr thé Very fame free which had fupported
x x ‘ , him juft before; but the foldier .inftantly advancing,
aud puttóog the ;mutóte of his mufket tothoirebed’5 ear,
blew out bis brains, while feveral of his éöuntifymen* in
fpite o f their fpells and charms* ftsared the faime fate.
Being now about to enter the town, a rebel captain,
wearing a tarniftied göld-laced hat* and bearing in his
hand a torch o f flaming ftf&w* feeing their ruinihrevitae
ble, had the refolution to ftay and fet tlhe town on five
ia our prefencfe, which, by the drymefe o f the houfes, in—
ftantly prbdueed a general ooilflagration, when tbei firing
from the Woods began gradually to ceafe. This bold and
mafterîy manoeuvre not only prevented that carnage to
which the common foldiers in the heat o£v»Stofÿ are but
touprotao, but &îf® afforded the enemy bn opportunity o f
retreating with their wives and children, and carrying off
their moft ufefui effo€fe ; whiift o«fr -pnrfhif, and fefcfog
the fpoii, were at ente fruftrated both by the afèeftdïög^
flames, and the unfathomable- na-arfh, which we fôofi d-if~
covered ©a ail fides eo furitound nis, Ws b the Macmbeeà^û
« Behold the battle is before us, and behind tis., and the water
« o f Jordan on this fide, and that fide, and the marjhy zn&fareji» ,
fo that there is no 'place for us to turn aïkfe.”
I rfiuft indeed confefs that within this Taft hour the
continued noife Of thé firing* fhouting* fwearing, and
hallooing o f black aùd White men mixed*1 together ;
the-gfoahs o f the wmttided and the dying, dttf Weltering
2 in
'ElX P E D I T I O N T O ST? R I N A M. 109
Im blood and in duft; the Ihrift-'Toutt&^dfr the negro c h a p .
horpsyfrom ‘feWeriy "quarter,1 and the' crackling o f the ^ x x ‘ j
b u rn itig v ih 'ig e to which i f We add the clouds o f fmoke
that every where'-Tuffouttdted* us, the afcending flames,
formed, oa the whole, fiaeb an uncommon fcene
as T carfnot defcribe, and would perhaps not have-been
unWorthy o f the pencil o f Hbg&fth l this fcene I have,
however* faintly endeavoured to reprefent in tfoe fr-m-
tijp k c e^ where* i s¥ney bv after the heat o f the action,
fatigued, and dejectedly foekihg on the bpdy of an
Unfortunate rebel negr&j 'Who, with his mulket in his
hand,* lies’proftrate at my feet.
* In fhoft* having walhed off the duft, fw-ea*, and blood,
and having reffolhed ourfelves with a dram and -a b it of
bread till the flumes fobfided, wo next went to infpe&
fehe flunking ruihs; isnd found the above town to have
' eonfifted of about one hundred houfes hr huts, feme o f
which were two ftor'res high. Among thegdnwing alhes
we- picked-up feveral trifles that had- efcaped the flameS*
fuch W filver fpoons and forks, which we fuppofed, by
the marks BW. to have been pillaged from the Brunfwick
eftate in Rio Cottica. We found aifo iome knives, broken
china and earthen pots; among# the latter one filled
with rice and palm-tree worms fell to my ihare:.as this
wanted no .fire to drefe the contents, ,and as nay appetite
was very keen, I emptied it in .a few minutes, and made
a very hearty meal. Some were afraid this -mefs had been
left behind with tj. .view to ,poifon., us; - but this fufpi-
| cion, I