out," says
Moultrie, "and returned with prisoners, before I knew that he was gone.
I have known of his catching a party that was looking for him. He has
told me that he could have killed single men several times, but he would
not; he would rather let them get off. He went into the British lines at
Savannah, as a deserter, complaining, at the same time, of our ill-usage
of him; he was gladly received (they having heard of his character) and
caressed by them. He stayed eight days, and after informing himself well
of their strength, situation and intentions, he returned to us again;
but that game he could not play a second time. With his little party he
was always hovering about the enemy's camp, and was frequently bringing
in prisoners."** We have seen what reason was alleged by this brave
fellow for not accepting the commission tendered to him by Governor
Rutledge, for his gallantry in the battle of Fort Moultrie. The
nature of his services was no less a reason why he should reject the
commission. The fact that he seldom allowed himself a command of more
than six men declared sufficiently the degree of authority to which he
thought his talents were entitled.

* "He was a perfect Proteus, in ability to alter his
appearance; perpetually entering the camp of the enemy,
without detection, and invariably returning to his own, with
soldiers he had seduced, or prisoners he had captured."

** Moultrie's Mem., vol. 2, p. 24.--

It was while in the exercise of his roving privileges that Jasper
prepared to visit the post of the enemy at Ebenezer. At this post he had
a brother, who held the same rank in the British service, that he held
in the American. This instance was quite too common in the history
of the period and country, to occasion much surprise, or cause any
suspicion of the integrity of either party. We have already considered
the causes for this melancholy difference of individual sentiment in
the country, and need not dwell upon them here. William Jasper loved
his brother and wished to see him: it is very certain, at the same time,
that he did not deny himself the privilege of seeing all around him. The
Tory was alarmed at William's appearance in the British camp, but
the other quieted his fears, by representing himself as no longer an
American soldier. He checked the joy which this declaration excited
in his brother's mind, by assuring him that, though he found little
encouragement in fighti