ene to recross
the Dan, and pursue Cornwallis in North Carolina. Even Tarleton was very
careful to keep out of the Legion's reach, when numbers were anything
like equal."

"I always liked Henry Lee," said Warner. "But he was too severe
sometimes. See how he slaughtered the Tories with Colonel Pyle at their
head."

"Yes, he cut the poor rascals to pieces," said Pitts. "I heard that
about three hundred out of four hundred men were butchered on that
occasion."

"It's a fact," said Kinnison; "but I can't think Lee was too cruel
there. You see, it's often necessary to strike a heavy blow to effect an
object; and Lee wanted to put an end to the movements of the tories, who
were collecting in great numbers to join Cornwallis. There was no better
way than the summary one he adopted, of making them feel the consequence
of being traitors to their country and to freedom."

"It served them just right," said Davenport.

"I don't wish to defend the tories," said Hand; "but I think in many
instances, great injustice was done to them. Many of them were honest,
true-hearted men, who didn't think as the Whigs did, or whose thinking
did not lead them to the same conclusion. I scarcely think such men
could be called traitors to their country."

"No; you talk very well," said Davenport; "but if you had suffered from
them, you would have hated the tories just as much as we did."

"Well, don't dispute about it," said Kinnison. "We were talking of
Colonel Henry Lee, and his brave Legion. Cornwallis said he never felt
secure while Lee was anywhere in his neighbourhood; and that he knew how
to seek the weak points of an enemy and strike a blow as well as any
partisan officer he ever knew. He feared Lee as much as Tarleton feared
the night-attacks of the Swamp-Fox, Marion. My friends in the Legion
told me that Lee had as daring and enterprising officers under his
command as the service could boast. Captains Rudolph, Armstrong, and
O'Neil, and many others were the boldest kind of partisans. Rudolph was
a very small-sized man, but one of that sleepless, open-eyed and
determined kind that seems born for enterprise and command. He led the
forlorn hope in the attack on Paulus Hook, and at the sieges of the many
forts in Georgia and the Carolinas; and he it was, who led the famous
charge with the bayonet at Eutaw Springs."

"I saw him soon after he joined the Legion," said Hanson. "Colonel Lee
considered him his best officer, I believe."

"