CRAVEN COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA. II5 



Ing party would have been defeated. Aided by the 

 courageous defence of the ladies, most of the ma- 

 rauders escaped ; the captured were summarily dis- 

 posed of ; each was tied to a tree and flogged. The 

 party then, recovering their stolen horses, returned 

 homewards, leaving their prisoners, each at his tree, 

 to be relieved when their friends should have suffi- 

 cient couraofe to 2:0 to their assistance. 



Whatever may have been Col. Maham's reputa- 

 tion as a soldier, it appears that he had rather crude 

 notions of the duties of a citizen. He became in- 

 debted, and his creditor was importunate. Recourse 

 was had to legal process, and a sheriff's officer pro- 

 ceeded to serve him with a writ. 



One morning, just as the colonel was about to 

 sit down to his breakfast, a stranger was announced. 

 He went out to give him a hospitable greeting, and 

 was instantly served with a writ. The old Whig 

 surveyed the document with feelings of astonish- 

 ment and indignation. That he, who had perilled 

 his life and fortune in defence of his country's liber- 

 ties, should be thus bearded in his own castle, and 

 threatened with the loss of his own, was a thought 

 not to be borne, and he instantly determined to 

 make the unfortunate instrument of his creditor the 

 victim. He returned the parchment to the officer 

 with an order (and the colonel never gave a vain 

 order) that he should instantly swallow it, and when 

 the dry meal was fairly engulphed, he brought the 



