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GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS 295
Goose, recognizing the signal, raised her beautiful head and uttered an affectionate
whinny in response. This was more than he could stand. With a broken trowel
which he found in his cell, he tore the masonry from around the prison bars; then,
with almost superhuman strength, he pulled out one of the bars and, through the
narrow crack, squeezed his long body and, rushing out, sprang on Gray Goose and
dashed away. The guards called to him to halt, but he only shook his fist at them
and yelled a dreadful curse, and plunged into the darkness on his fleet-footed steed,
heedless of the musket-balls that whistled about his head.
MeGirth's whole nature was seemingly perverted by the bad treatment which he
had received. He deserted to the enemy and joined the British army, and from
then to the end of the war fought ferociously against the Americans. Of course,
the bad treatment which he received from the American officer was no excuse, but
MeGirth was as unprincipled as he was brave and fierce.
He was made a colonel in the British army and put at the head of a powerful
Tory band, which for many months was the scourge of the state. He was a perfect
ruffian in his manner of warfare. From the Florida line to Elbert County and over
into South Carolina his name was a terror to the people. Many were the fearful
stories told of MeGirth and his blaze-faced horse. A whole book might be written
about his daring deeds and his inhuman cruelties. He was twice wounded, but was
never taken prisoner. A big reward was offered for his capture, and thousands were
trying to catch him and often had him in a tight place; but in every emergency he
was saved by the fleet foot of his best friend, Gray Goose.
After the war was over, he went to Florida, which was then owned by the
Spaniards. For some oftense or crime there he was arrested and thrown into prison
in the old fort of St. Augustine. After an imprisonment of five years he was
released, but he was so weak and broken in health that he could barely drag himself
back to his wife in his rude country home in Sutnter District, South Carolina. There
he soon died in peace, and there he now lies buried.—"Stories of Georgia History,"
J. Harris Chappell.
But there were some Tories of an altogether different pattern. Mr. John Couper,
in a letter written when he was eighty-three years of age and dated St. Simon's
Island, April 16, 1842, narrates an anecdote of the famous and eccentric Capt. Eory
Melntosh, who was attached as a volunteer to an infantry company, at the time
of the siege of Fort Morris. The company was within the lines which Colonel Fuser
had thrown around the fort and the adjacent town of Sunbury. Early one morning
when Eory had made free with mountain dew, he insisted on sallying out to summon
the fort to surrender. His friends could not restrain him, so out he strutted, clay
more in hand, followed by his faithful slave Jim, and approached the fort, roaring
out:
"Surrender, you miscreants. How dare you resist his Majesty's arms!"
Col. John Melntosh, his kinsman, was in command of the fort, and, seeing his
situation, he forbade any one firing, threw open the gate, and said:
"Walk in, Mr. Melntosh, and take possession."
"No," said Eory, "I will not trust myself among such vermin; but I order you
to surrender."
Just then a rifle was fired, the ball from which passed through his face, sidewise,
under his eyes. He stumbled and fell backwards, but immediately recovered, and
flourishing his sword retreated. Several shots followed. Jim called out: "Bun,
massa, run, dey kill you.''
"Eun, poor slave," indignantly exclaimed Eory; "thou mayst run, but I come
of a race that never runs.''
Jim stated ta Mr. Couper that, in rising from the ground, his master put his
hand for the first time to one of his cheek-bones and, finding it bloody, he raised it
to the other also; both were covered with blood. He backed safely into the lines.*
NANCY HAKT'S BRAVE EXPLOIT.—Among the heroines of history an exalted rank
must be assigned to the Boadicea of the Eevolution—Nancy Hart.t Born of the
* White's '' Historical Collections of Georgia.''
t Nancy Hart's maiden name was Nancy Morgan. She came from North Caro
lina, and is said to have been related to Gen. Daniel Morgan, of the Eevolution. Her
husband, Capt. Benjamin Hart, came from Kentucky; and his brother, Thomas Hart,
was the father-in-law of Henry Clay and the uncle of Thomas Hart Benton.