When one has fought and aided in the whipping of a king backed by a great nation, when one has stood a tiny atom in a ragged line of battle facing the on-coming of well-drilled, well-equipped European soldiers, and taken part in the crushing of that great machine into a panic-stricken mob, filling the brain with the heat of that fever which comes in the excitement of battle, it is dull telling simply of the march and of the bivouac. Perhaps because I cannot yet be called a man I linger in the setting down of that which we did where renown was won, than as to how we made our peaceful way from one part of the country to another. Therefore, if I err in describing with too little detail such part of my life while I was numbered among the “Minute Boys of South Carolina,” as were dull or uneventful, the fault must be set down to my great desire to hurry forward into those scenes of moment. It seems to me it should suffice if I say that on the morning after our arrival at Gabriel Marion’s home we departed. I need not say aught concerning that last embrace of my mother’s, or repeat father’s blessing, which he bestowed on us all. Old Peter, carrying even more of our stores upon his aged back than was right, yet insisting upon bearing the greater portion of the burden, went on in advance as a guide, mounted on as good a horse as either of us lads rode. We had taken from General Marion’s plantation whatever might advantage us in the work, for anything he owned was at the service of his country. Thus it was we journeyed like soldiers, in the saddle, although we followed old Peter’s advice and carried all our belongings upon our backs, the negro arguing that at any moment we might come upon the enemy, and in case of being forced to take to the woods, where we could not use the horses, we would not go empty-handed if preparations for flight had been made in advance. It chafed me not a little that at the very outset we should be preparing for defeat, but my father had backed up old Peter, and Gabriel Marion stoutly insisted that as we proposed to be good soldiers, so should we obey the first commands given by those who had the right to dictate--meaning in this case my father, not old Peter. We rode on merrily, our only care being the possible danger which might be in advance of us, never dreaming of anything to be feared in the rear; making the journey across country to the Charleston road before the day was more than half-spent, and halting at night less than a mile south of Gardine’s Ferry. We spent no time in making camp, for none was needed. The horses were picketed in a small grove of cottonwood-trees, and we made a meal from the cooked provisions which we brought with us, after which every member of the party, even including the guide, lay down upon the ground wherever he pleased, giving no heed to keeping guard, because in our ignorance we lost sight of the possibility that the enemy might even at that moment be near at hand.