CHAPTER V
The next day, after some healthful exercise upon the deck, the childrenreturned to the saloon, and gathering about Grandma Elsie, begged foranother story.
"Something historical?" she asked with her pleasant smile.
"Yes, grandma, if you please," replied Elsie. "I liked your storyof Marion so much, and should be glad to hear about some otherRevolutionary soldier who helped to drive away the British."
"Well, if you would all like that, I will tell you of Sergeant Jasperand his brave doings."
The other children gave an eager assent, and Mrs. Travilla began.
"History tells us that William Jasper was born in South Carolinain 1750. That would make him about twenty-six years old when theRevolutionary War began. He was patriotic, and at once enlisted as asergeant in the Second South Carolina Regiment.
"In June, 1776, a British fleet appeared off Charleston bar, andseveral hundred land troops took possession of Long Island, separatedfrom Sullivan's--on which was our Fort Sullivan--only by a narrowcreek. At half-past ten o'clock on the morning of the 28th of June theBritish ships anchored in front of our Fort Sullivan, which instantlypoured a heavy fire upon them.
"But I shall not go into a detailed account of the battle, which,Lossing tells us, was one of the severest during the whole war,redounded to the military glory of the Americans, greatly increased thepatriotic strength at the South, and was regarded by the British asvery disastrous; for the loss of life on their ships was frightful.
"But I must tell you of a daring feat performed by Sergeant Jasper. Atthe beginning of the action, the flag-staff of our fort was cut away bya ball from a British ship, and the Crescent flag of South Carolina,that waved opposite the Union flag upon the western bastion, felloutside upon the beach. Jasper leaped the parapet, walked the lengthof the fort, picked up the flag, fastened it upon a sponge staff, andin the sight of the whole British fleet, whose iron hail was pouringupon the fortress, he fixed the flag firmly upon the bastion. Then heclimbed up to the parapet and leaped, unhurt, within the fort, threecheers greeting him as he did so."
"Oh, how brave he was!" cried Ned. "I hope they gave him a reward forit."
"Yes," said his grandma, "the governor, on the day after the battle,visited the fort, and rewarded Jasper with the gift of his own smallsword, a handsome one which hung by his side, and thanked him in thename of his country. He also offered him a lieutenant's commission; butthe young hero declined it, saying, 'I am not fit to keep officers'company; I am but a sergeant.'
"He seems to have had no educational advantages, as he could neitherread nor write."
"Oh, what a pity!" exclaimed several young voices.
"Yes, it was," sighed Mrs. Travilla. "I hope you are thankful, mydears, for your superior advantages.
"I have read that Jasper was given a roving commission, and choosingsix men from the regiment to go with him, he went here and there, andoften returned with prisoners before his general knew of his absence.
"Jasper had a brother who had joined the British, but he loved himso dearly that he ventured into the British garrison to see him. Thebrother was greatly alarmed at sight of him, lest he should be seizedand hung as an American spy, his name being well known to many of theBritish officers. But Jasper said, 'Don't trouble yourself; I am nolonger an American soldier.'
"'Thank God for that, William!' exclaimed the brother, giving him ahearty shake of the hand; 'and now only say the word, my boy, and hereis a commission for you, with regimentals and gold to boot, to fightfor his Majesty, King George.'
"But Jasper shook his head, saying that though there seemed but littleencouragement to fight for his country, he could not fight against her.He stayed two or three days with his brother, hearing and seeing allthat he could, then bade good-by and returned to the American camp by acircuitous route, and told General Lincoln all that he had seen."
"Grandma," said Ned thoughtfully, "it seems to me he did not tell thetruth when he said he was not an American soldier. Was it right for himto say that?"
"I think not, Ned; but I suppose he thought it was, as he meant by itto help his country's cause. But remember, my dears, it is never rightto do evil even that good may come.
"But to go on with my story. Jasper soon went again to the Englishgarrison, this time taking with him his particular friend, SergeantNewton, a young man of great strength and courage. Jasper's brotherreceived them very cordially, and they remained several days at theBritish fort without causing the least alarm.
"On the morning of the third day the brother said to them, 'I havebad news to tell you.' 'Aye, what is it?' asked William. His brotherreplied that ten or a dozen prisoners had been brought in thatmorning, as deserters from Savannah; that they were to be sent thereimmediately, and from all he could learn, it would be likely to go hardwith them, as it seemed they had all taken the King's bounty."
"What does that mean, grandma?" asked Ned.
"That they had agreed to remain British subjects instead of fightingfor their country; and for that the British were to protect themagainst the Americans. But it seems they had changed their minds andgone over to the cause of their country.
"Jasper asked to see the poor fellows, and his brother took him andNewton to the spot where the poor fellows were, handcuffed, and sittingor lying upon the ground. With them was a young woman, wife of one ofthe prisoners, sitting on the ground opposite to her husband, with herlittle boy leaning on her lap. Her dress showed that she was poor, andher coal-black hair spread in long, neglected tresses on her neck andbosom. Sometimes she would sit silent, like a statue of grief, her eyesfixed upon the ground; then she would start convulsively, lift her eyesand gaze on her husband's face with as sad a look as if she already sawhim struggling in the halter, herself a widow and her child an orphan.The child was evidently distressed by his mother's anguish, and weepingwith her.
"Jasper and Newton felt keenly for them in their misery. They silentlywalked away into a neighboring wood, tears in the eyes of both. Jasperpresently spoke. 'Newton,' he said, 'my days have been but few, but Ibelieve their course is nearly finished.' Newton asked why he thoughtso, and he answered, because he felt that he must rescue those poorprisoners or die with them, otherwise the remembrance of that poorwoman and her child would haunt him to his grave.
"'That is exactly what I feel, too,' replied Newton, 'and here is myhand and heart to stand by you, my brave friend, to the last drop.Thank God, a man can die but once, and why should we fear to leave thislife in the way of our duty?'
"Then the two embraced each other and at once set about making thenecessary arrangements for carrying out their desperate resolution."
"Oh, how brave and kind they were!" exclaimed Elsie Raymond. "I amproud of them as my countrymen."
"As we all may be," said her grandma, then went on with her story.
"Shortly after breakfast the next morning the prisoners were sent ontheir way to Savannah, guarded by a sergeant and corporal with eightmen."
"Why, that was ten men for our two men to fight!" exclaimed ElsieDinsmore.
"But I hope our brave fellows didn't give it up," said Elsie Raymond.
"No," replied her grandma; "Jasper presently took leave of his brother,and he and Newton started on some pretended errand to the uppercountry, but as soon as fairly out of sight of the town they struckinto the woods and hurried after the prisoners and their guard, keepingout of sight in the bushes and anxiously watching for an opportunity tostrike a blow.
"I think that to most men it would have seemed great folly for twounarmed men to attempt to strike a blow at ten men carrying loadedmuskets and bayonets. But they were very brave and not willing togive up their countrymen to the dreadful fate the cruel British hadappointed for them.
"Jasper said to Newton, 'Perhaps the guard may stop at the Spa toquench their thirst, and we may be able to attack them there.'
"The Spa! What was that, grandma?" asked Ned.
"A famous spring about two miles from Savanna
h, where travellers oftenstopped for a drink of its good water," she replied, then went on withher story.
"Jasper and Newton hurried on and concealed themselves among the bushesthat grew thickly around the spring. Soon the soldiers and theirprisoners came in sight of it, and the sergeant ordered a halt. Thatgave our heroes a little hope, though the odds were fearfully againstthem. The corporal, with his guard of four men, led the prisoners tothe spring, while the sergeant, with the other four, grounded theirarms near the road, then brought up the rear. The prisoners, weariedwith their long walk, were permitted to rest themselves on the earth.Mrs. Jones took her seat opposite her husband, as usual, and her tiredlittle boy fell asleep on her lap. Two of the corporal's men wereordered to keep guard and the other two to give the prisoners a drinkout of their canteens. They obeyed, drew near the spring, rested theirmuskets against a pine-tree, then dipped up the water, drank, filledtheir canteens again and turned to give the prisoners a drink.
"'Now, Newton, is our time,' whispered Jasper. With that they sprangfrom their concealment, snatched up the two muskets resting against thetree, and in an instant shot down the two soldiers who were upon guard.The other two Englishmen sprang forward and seized their muskets; butbefore they could use them Jasper and Newton with clubbed guns levelleda blow at their heads, broke their skulls, and down they sank, pale andquivering, without a groan. Then snatching up the muskets, our heroesflew between the other British soldiers and their arms, grounded nearthe road, and ordered them to surrender, which they immediately did.Then they--our men--snapped the handcuffs off the prisoners and armedthem with muskets."
"Oh, how good!" exclaimed Ned and the little girls who were listeningto Grandma Elsie's story.
"But what did Mrs. Jones do while that fight was going on?" asked ElsieDinsmore.
"At the beginning of it she fainted," replied Mrs. Travilla, "and herlittle son stood screaming piteously over her. But when she recoveredher senses and saw her husband and his friends freed from theirfetters, she seemed frantic with joy. She sprang to her husband, and,with her arms about his neck, sobbed out, 'My husband is safe, blessGod, my husband is safe!' Then snatching up her child, she pressed himto her heart, exclaiming, 'Thank God, my son has a father yet.' Thenkneeling at the feet of Jasper and Newton, she pressed their handsvehemently, but so full was her heart that all she could say was, 'Godbless you. God Almighty bless you.'"
"Oh, how nice!" exclaimed Ned, clapping his hands in delight.
"Then what did they all do, grandma?" asked Elsie Raymond. "Not go toSavannah, I suppose, as the British were there?"
"No; they recrossed the Savannah River, taking the arms and regimentalsof the dead, their prisoners, too, and safely joined the American armyat Parisburg, where they were received with great astonishment and joy."
"No wonder there was astonishment," said Elsie, "that two men couldbeat ten."
"That was because the two were Americans and the others onlyEnglishmen," chuckled Ned. "Is there any more story about Jasper,grandma?"
"Not much," she replied. "He was killed at the siege of Savannah in1779. Several gallant defenders of the French and American colors hadbeen shot down; Sergeant Jasper sprang forward, seized the standardsand kept them erect; then he, too, was prostrated by a bullet and fellinto the ditch. He was carried to the camp, and soon died. Jasper'sname is honored in Savannah; they have made that evident by bestowingit upon one of the city's squares."