ta tied to the tail of a cart. A reward
was offered for information that would lead to the arrest of the man who
shot Grierson, but the reward was never claimed. The whole army probably
knew who had fired the fatal shot, and no doubt the commanders knew,
but their knowledge was not official. No further notice was taken of the
matter.

The capture of Fort Grierson cheered the hearts of the besiegers, and
gave them renewed courage. Fort Cornwallis was next invested. This
stronghold was commanded by Colonel Brown himself, who was as bold as
he was cruel. He was mean enough to expose to the American fire the aged
Mr. Alexander and other unfortunate patriots who had long been held as
prisoners. Captain Samuel Alexander commanded one of the companies close
to the fort, and could see and recognize his venerable father, who had
been placed in an exposed position by Brown.

It is not necessary to describe all the events of the siege. Brown held
out as long as he could, but was finally compelled to surrender. On the
5th of June, 1781, Brown, with three hundred men, marched out of Fort
Cornwallis, and that stronghold was immediately taken possession of by
Captain Rudolph. A strong guard was detailed by the American commanders,
to protect Brown from the just anger of the Georgia soldiers, under
Clarke, Williamson, and Jackson. To insure his safety, he was carried
to the quarters of "Light Horse Harry" Lee. The next day he and a few of
his officers were paroled and sent down the river in charge of a party
of infantry instructed to guard him. Ramsay, in his "History of the
Revolution of South Carolina," says that Brown was recognized at Silver
Bluff by Mrs. McKay, who thus addressed him: "Colonel Brown, in the late
day of your prosperity I visited your camp, and on my knees supplicated
for the life of my son; but you were deaf to my entreaties. You hanged
him, though a beardless youth, before my face. These eyes have seen him
scalped by the savages under your immediate command, and for no better
reason than that his name was McKay. As you are now prisoner to the
leaders of my country, for the present I lay aside all thoughts of
revenge; but when you resume your sword, I will go five hundred miles to
demand satisfaction at the point of it, for the murder of my son." The
probability is that Mrs. McKay used no such stately language. No doubt
she walked up to Brown, shook her finger in his face, and exclaimed,
"You miserable villain! I