“Now all you —— black rascals you, get up here,” said Captain Sweargen.
The prisoners quickly obeyed.
“Now, you all get down again, on your knees, and hold up your right hands.”
All obeyed. “I solemnly swear,” said the Captain, “I solemnly swear,” repeated the prisoners, “that I will never go into any court to testify, [repeated] nor to know anything about this affair, nor what has been done in Baconsville this evening, nor to-night, nor that I know any of the men who was in the party.”
The prisoners all took the oath.
“Now, you —— rascals, get away from here!”
Each sprung to his feet, and all but two ran for life. Corporal Free dodged behind a tree, and Mann Harris, who was on the edge of the dusky group, stood still.
Fifteen or twenty of the irrepressible “chivalry” leveled their guns upon the liberated prisoners whom the South Carolina rifle clubs had captured from the National Guards, and fired; “just like they was shooting at birds.”
As evidence of the skill of these riflemen it may be mentioned that but one of those colored men was wounded, and he but slightly, though the firing was at fifteen paces.