to
come within a few hundred yards of the fort. From that they began to
advance by a parallel--a wide trench--and by the 10th of the month
they were so far successful that they felt warranted in demanding a
surrender. They sent a summons to M'Pherson, but he gallantly refused
to comply.

"That evening our men heard that Lord Rawdon had retreated from
Camden, was coming in that direction, and would relieve Fort Motte.
The next morning beacon fires could be seen on the high hills of
Santee, and that night the besieged were greatly rejoiced to see their
gleam on the highest ground of the country opposite Fort Motte. They
were delighted, but soon found that they had rejoiced too soon.

"Lee proposed a quicker plan for dislodging them than had been thought
of before. Mrs. Motte's mansion, in the center of their works, was
covered with a roof of shingles now very dry, as there had been no
rain for several days and the heat of the sun had been great. Lee's
idea was to set those shingles on fire and so drive the enemy out. He
had been enjoying Mrs. Motte's hospitality and her only marriageable
daughter was the wife of a friend of his, so he was very loath to
destroy her property, but on telling her his plan, he was much
relieved to find that she was not only willing, but desirous to serve
her country by the sacrifice of her property.

"He then told his plan to Marion and they made haste to execute it. It
was proposed to set the roof on fire with lighted torches attached to
arrows which should be shot against it. Mrs. Motte, seeing that the
arrows the men were preparing were not very good, brought out a fine
bow and bundle of arrows which had come from the East Indies, and gave
them to Lee.

"The next morning Lee again sent a flag of truce to M'Pherson, the
bearer telling him that Rawdon had not yet crossed the Santee, and
that immediate surrender would save many lives.

"But M'Pherson still refused, and at noon Nathan Savage, a private in
Marion's brigade, shot toward the house several arrows with lighted
torches attached. Two struck the dry shingles and instantly a bright
flame was creeping along the roof. Soldiers were sent up to knock off
the shingles and put out the fire, but a few shots from Marion's
battery raked the loft and drove them below. Then M'Pherson hung out a
white flag, the Americans ceased firing, the flames were put out, and
at one o'clock the garrison surrendered themselves prisoners of war.

"Then