owpens, Colonel Washington cut
him with his sabre, and would have killed him, if be had turned and
fought like a man; at the Waxhaws, Captain Adam Wallace made a thrust at
Tarleton that would have done for him, if a British trooper had not
struck Wallace to the earth just at the time."
"There were many Tarletons among the enemy," said Colson, as "far as
cruelty is considered, but most of them lacked his activity, and were
therefore less formidable."
"It seemed," said Pitts, "as if Tarleton never aimed to win merely, but
to destroy. He said that severity alone could establish the regal
authority in America. If a party of Americans were surprised, they were
not made prisoners, but slaughtered while asking for quarter. He was a
tiger that was never satisfied until he had mangled and devoured his
enemy." And so the veterans went on, talking of the cruelties of
Tarleton, giving his character no more quarter than he had given his
unfortunate prisoners.
"There was another British officer, up in these parts, who was nearly
equal to Tarleton," said Davenport. "I mean General Grey--the man who
massacred our men at Paoli and Tappan. Both these were night-attacks, it
is true, and we always expect bloody work on such an occasion. But it is
known that our men were bayoneted while calling for quarter, which can't
be justified. Did Wayne slaughter the enemy at Stony Point? No; he
spared them, although they were the men who had acted otherwise at
Paoli."
"Grey was known as the no-quarter General, I believe," said Hand.
"Yes," said Davenport; "and he was always selected to do the bloodiest
work--the hangman of the enemy, as we might say."
"Hang Tarleton and Grey," said Hand. "Tell us something of our own men.
Did either of you ever see Henry Lee? he was always one of my favourite
heroes."
LEE'S LEGION.
"Oh! yes," said Kinnison, "I frequently saw Lee, before he went south
with his Legion. He was a noble-looking young man, with the judgment of
a skilful general, and the fire of a natural soldier. I knew several of
his men, who were with him through the whole campaign, under General
Greene. You may have heard what Greene said of him. Speaking of the
principal officers under him, he said Colonel Lee was the eye of the
army, and Colonel Washington its arm; and he afterwards said that he was
more indebted to Lee's judgment and activity for success, than to the
qualities of any other officer. It was Lee who advised Gre
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