This is the famous adventure of Carter's
Mountain, which has been so often resounded through the slanderous
chronicles of Federalism. But they have taken care never to detail the
facts, lest these should show that this favorite charge amounted to
nothing more, than that he did not remain in his house, and there singly
fight a whole troop of horse, or suffer himself to be taken prisoner.
Having accompanied his family one day's journey, he returned to
Monticello. Tarleton had retired after eighteen hours' stay in
Charlottesville. Mr. Jefferson then rejoined his family, and proceeded
with them to an estate he had in Bedford, about eighty miles southwest,
where, riding in his farm some time after, he was thrown from his horse,
and disabled from riding on horseback for a considerable time. But Mr.
Turner finds it more convenient to give him this fall in his retreat
before Tarleton, which had happened some weeks before, as a proof that
he withdrew from a troop of horse with a precipitancy which Don Quixote
would not have practised.
The facts here stated most particularly, with date of time and place,
are taken from the notes made by the writer hereof, for his own
satisfaction, at the time: the others are from memory, but so well
recollected, that he is satisfied there is no material fact misstated.
Should any person undertake to contradict any particular, on evidence
which may at all merit the public respect, the writer will take the
trouble (though not at all in the best situation for it) to produce the
proofs in support of it.
Pages:
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80