quaker cannons

alright heres to another thinly veiled allusion

today ive been thinking all nostalgic like about this story i came across in one of my sc revolutionary war books. william washington (george's cousin) is one of my favorite characters of the war. commanded light dragoons, tarleton had to chase him all around the state, a chase which eventually led to cowpens, my favorite battle in history (full disclosure: nate byars (relative of mine) owned the land during the battle).

anyway, before that battle, december 1780, washington was outside of camden when he came across 150 or so loyalist militia in a barn that they had fortified. (seems like 150 is a lot to cram into a barn..exaggeration mayhaps?). so washington had about only 60 cavalry, no artillery, and no way of getting these guys out. but of course you cant leave these guys in the barn, cause theyll track you down. youve got to deal with them. washington, or someone, came up with a pretty genius plan if you ask me. the cut down the biggest pine tree they could find, cut a section down to about an 8 foot length painted it black, and slapped it on a wagon axle and wheelset from a nearby farm. they rolled the thing just close enough to the barn to be visible to those inside, but not too close as to give away the ruse.

anyway it worked, the loyalists thought they were about to be blown to shit out of a cannon that had somehow made it through the backcountry, and dutifully surrendered. wonder what they thought when they got close enough to see what it was in actuality? can only imagine. so many stories. local solutions to local problems.