e the tone of the letter
was thus lugubrious, its language was offensive. He applied to the
partisans the epithets "banditti and murderers". Marion returned no
answer to this precious document, but renewed his order to his nightly
patrols, to shoot the sentinels and cut off the picquets as before. He
thought the measure quite as legitimate in such a war, as the burning
the house and hanging the son of the widow.

But though Marion returned no answer by the flag, to the letter of
Watson, there was a dispatch by one of the brigade, of a somewhat
curious character. There was a sergeant in the brigade by the name of
McDonald, of whom something has been heard before. He was the same bold
fellow who had so closely pursued Major Gainey into Georgetown,
leaving his bayonet in the possession and person of the latter. He was
distinguished by his great coolness and courage, an extraordinary degree
of strength, and a corresponding share of agility. He was as notorious
among the enemy for his audacity, as he was among his comrades for his
great modesty and goodness of heart. It appears that, among some of
Watson's captures, while pressing hard upon our partisans, had been the
entire wardrobe of McDonald. The sergeant felt it as something more than
a loss of property that his clothes should be taken by the enemy. It was
a point of honor that he should recover them. His message to Watson was
of this purport. He concluded with solemnly assuring the bearer of the
flag, that if the clothes were not returned he would kill eight of his
men. Watson was furious at a message which increased the irritation
of his late discomfiture. Knowing nothing himself of McDonald, he was
disposed to treat the message with contempt; but some of his officers,
who knew better the person with whom they had to deal, begged that the
clothes of the sergeant might be returned to him, for that he would
most certainly keep his word if they were not. Watson complied with
the suggestion. When the clothes appeared, McDonald said to the bearer,
"Tell Col. Watson, I will now kill but four of his men." Two days after
he shot Lieut. Torriano through the knee with a rifle, at a distance of
three hundred yards.

Marion, the next day, took post on a ridge below the ford of the river,
which is still popularly called "The General's Island". His rifles still
effectually commanded the passage and baffled every attempt of Watson
to cross. Pushing M'Cottry and Conyers over the riv