Yes," said Kinnison, "he was one of the best officers in the
army--conducting sieges as well as he did partisan movements. Not long
before the British evacuated Charleston, Captain Rudolph performed two
remarkable exploits that tell the character of the man better than words
can. The left of the British line was at a place called the Quarter
House, near Charleston, on what is called the Neck. To protect this post
on the water-side, the enemy had a large armed galley, well manned and
equipped. Captain Rudolph, gaining a knowledge of the exact position of
the galley and her force, formed a plan to capture, or least destroy
her. He chose only sixteen men--the most daring and enterprising in the
Legion, and informed them of his scheme. They were eager for such
enterprises, and everything was soon arranged. A night was fixed upon,
and boats prepared. There was no moon upon that night, which made it
favourable to secrecy. At the appointed time, Rudolph and his men rowed
with muffled oars and ready weapons towards the place where the galley
was anchored. They had to pass very near the British sentinels on the
Neck, but were not discovered; and they reached the side of the galley
before any of the British were aware that the enterprise was afoot.
Twenty-six men who were aboard the galley were made prisoners with
scarcely any resistance, so sudden was the attack. These prisoners were
hurried into the boats; and then Captain Rudolph, seeing that he
couldn't get the galley away from the place in time to get out of the
enemy's reach, set fire to her. The party then gave a shout and pulled
away towards the shore from which they had started. The enemy were
alarmed by the firing of the sentinels, the glare of the burning galley
and the shout of the daring band, and fired some of their artillery
after Rudolph. But it was too late; the Americans escaped, and the
galley was burned to the water's edge."

"That was equal to Decatur's burning of the Philadelphia," said Hand.

"It was," replied Kinnison. "Rudolph was very much of a Decatur in
spirit. Soon after the enterprise I've just mentioned. Captain Rudolph
attacked a party of black dragoons who were out foraging for the
British. The blacks were defeated, and many of them taken. In the course
of the fight, Rudolph engaged one of the largest-sized and boldest of
the black dragoons in a regular hand-to-hand combat; and in a very short
time dismounted and captured him."

"The war in the