Mr. Editor:-I feel confident that you will cheerfully allow me the use of your column to give an account of such brave and courageous actions on the part of one who is now a citizen of our town, as fully deserves to pass into history, side by side with the many brilliant and daring achievements of our own dear Southern soldiers.

The subject of this tale I have to tell, needs no words of praise or approbation at my hands. The deeds therein recorded are sufficiently heroic of themselves, to excite in the minds of all who become acquainted with their truth, the deepest feelings of respect and admiration towards the gallant defender of unprotected and insulted women.

I tell you the story just as it was told to me - without comment - exaggeration or embellishment.

I only wish to assure you that every word that is written and every fact that is contained therein, is strictly and unequivocally true, and can be undeniably proved, by living witness - the most respectable and trustworthy.

In the hero of the story, you will be at no pains to discover one of our most respected and worthy citizens and most quiet unassuming courteous gentlemen - the Reverend Dr. Charles Taylor, of the Methodist Church.

On Tuesday morning the 7^th of March, 1865 while Sherman’s army was (occupying) Cheraw, in and around which town they had been encamped for the four days and nights proceeding our friend Dr. Taylor having heard that an acquaintance of his - a widow lady - Mrs. B, who lived a mile and a half out of town, had been robbed of everything by the Yankees, and, with her children, had been subsisting on boiled corn for the past two days, started out to visit her. He had walked but a short distance when he was met by Mr. J.E.M., who was hurrying down the street, and who informed him that two Yankees (privates of Sherman’s army) were plundering Col. McFarland’s house; and as they were armed, he had hastened out to try to get men though, even if unarmed, to capture and secure the robbers. Dr. Taylor told him to go on and immediately quickened his own steps towards the residence of Col. McFarland’s. On approaching the gate he saw near it, a Yankee soldier, and expected to be halted, but as the Yankee said not a word, he proceeded on rapidly into the yard, and ascending the high flight of steps leading into the house. In the entry he met Mrs. McFarland, with one or two other ladies, and a Doctor M. (who had been left in Cheraw in charge of our smallpox hospital) all much excited, as might well be supposed. Dr. Taylor had scarcely time to ask the question if there were any Yankees in the house when Mrs. McFarlan said that there was one upstairs, plundering. Our friend Dr. Taylor instantly started up the stairs, when Dr. M. told him that he had better not go up until they could get more help - "for" said he "you are not armed, and the fellow has a revolver."---Dr. Taylor paid no attention to the caution but ran on up the stairs. On reaching the platform at the head of the stairs, and looking into the first room he came to (the door of which was standing open) he saw the Yankee helping himself to the contents of a Bureau drawer, while Mrs. H. a sister-in-law of Col. McFarland’s stood by remonstrating. Without wasting any time in refection, Dr. Taylor rushed upon the villain so quickly and so suddenly that he (the Yankee) did not have time to level his revolver at him, and, seizing him by the collar, and the throat, Dr. Taylor after a short struggle, threw him upon the floor, and took him the pistol. The fellow then begged like a dog, in tones and actions the most supplicating and cringing that can possibly be imagined. Dr. Taylor searched him, to ascertain if he had any other fore arms about him, and, finding none, ordered him to get up---then revolver in hand, he marched his prisoner down the stairs, amid exclamations of delight from the ladies, now almost wild with joy. "Shoot him, Dr. Taylor shoot him" exclaimed one, "he has aimed that revolver at our breasts and threatened to kill us, do shoot him." The lady seeing Dr. Taylor hesitate said---"Give me the pistol, I’ll shoot him." Dr. Taylor replied "he is now our prisoner, and we need not act hastily---he will doubtless receive ample justice in due time."

Much more was said, on both sides---the ladies...the Yankee, and he begging lustily for his life. Dr. Taylor finally called for a cord, with which, when brought, he tied the fellow’s hands behind him, and then ordered the other, whom he had left near the gate, to come into the house. He seeing his comrade disarmed, and a prisoner, was reluctantly obeying the order, when the two or three gentlemen, who had been sent for, arrived at the gate. One of them accelerated the Yankee’s pace, by giving him a push or two, and thus assisted him along the path, and up the steps, into the entry.

There he also was searched, and was found to be unarmed, evidently having relied upon the revolver of his accomplice, as being sufficient protection in the prosecution of their purpose, well knowing, as he probably did that the citizens of the town had been stripped of all kinds of fire arms, and that every dwelling had been thoroughly searched for them by Sherman’s followers. Dr. T(aylor) also tied this fellow’s hands behind him, and the two prisoners were then securely confined in a vacant room in the basement.

During the conversation that ensued, Mrs. McFarland said to our friend, the Doctor, "If I had a pistol, I would not have been afraid of that Yankee---I would have shot him down as soon as he entered the house." Dr. Taylor then handed her the revolver, saying---"allow me to present you with this one, and then you can defend yourself, should any more of these rascals molest you." She accepted it, but a few moments after, (when Dr. Taylor informed her that he had been on his way to visit Mrs. B., when he was first informed of the Yankees’ being in the house) and when he was about leaving the residence of Mrs. McFarland to proceed on his walk, she accompanied him to the gate, and, handing back to him the revolver said---"Dr. Taylor, you had better take this pistol with you." He replied, "Oh, no, I have no idea that I shall have any further use for it." The lady, however, insisting upon it, he took the pistol, and, buckling the belt, under his coat, around his waist, slipped the weapon into its leathern case, not dreaming, however, that he would have the least occasion to use it.

His walk to the residence of Mrs. B. lad him by a neighborhood road, through a piece of woods, on the outskirts of the town. Just at the point where this road crosses the public road to Camden, he met an armed Yankee cavalryman, riding up the latter road, at a slow gait, followed by a negro man, mounted on a very fine horse. The first impulse of Dr. Taylor was to halt them, but, on reflection, he thought that perhaps the negro was armed likewise, and that, should they both resist, the match would be very unequal. As soon as the Yankee saw him he reined up his horse, and asked him how matters were going on in Cheraw, At that instant Dr. Taylor resolved to attempt his capture at all hazards and accordingly while answering the question propounded by the Yankee, he very quietly, and unsuspiciously slipped his hand under his coat until it reached the handle of the revolver, and, drawing it as quick as thought, he pointed it at the Yankee, and ordered him to dismount. In relating this adventure to our informant, Dr. Taylor remarked that he had never before thought it possible for a man to dismount from a horse as quickly as did this fellow. He seemed to fall from the saddle as if he had actually been shot, but alighted on his feet, exclaiming at the same moment---"Don’t shoot, I surrender---I surrender," and proceeded in the most expeditious manner possible, to unbuckle his sword, and to give up his pistol. He still kept on repeating "I surrender---I surrender, : accompanied with divers earnest entreaties not to kill him, for Dr. Taylor still kept the revolver leveled at his head, thinking it possible that the fellow might be playing false with him, and that he might still have some weapon concealed about him, with which he might turn upon his captor. Neither did Dr. Taylor lower the muzzle of the pistol which he held in his right hand, until he had approached, and thoroughly at arm’s length searched his prisoner, with the left. He then ordered him to march along a few steps in advance in the road, and, mounting the horse, told the negro, whom he had also found to be unarmed, to follow him, on pain of being instantly shot, should he attempt to escape. In this manner he returned with his prisoners to Col. McFarland’s house, and thence having added to the party the two he had first captured, marched them all together, down the street to the Town Hall (then used as a Confederate Hospital) where he turned them over to the proper authorities. On searching the cavalryman a gold bracelet, and several other articles were found, concealed in his packets, and wrapped up in his overcoat and blanket, showing conclusively that his vocation had also been that of a dastardly thief and robber, towards the defenseless, instead of that which properly and legitimately belonged to the duties of a soldier. The negro man, it afterwards appeared had been enticed away from his owner (Mrs. Hart of Darlington) and placed upon the fine horse which the Yankee had stolen from Mr Abel Gandy, of the same District, to which gentleman the horse was returned, a week or two after, on proper application.

It will thus be seen, from a perusal of the account of these unexpected adventures that our friend Dr. Taylor having left his house with no more warlike intentions that those which were involved to a visit of humanity to a friend in distress, returned, in the course of an hour, with four prisoners---two horses---a McClellan saddle and equipments---a sword, and two pistols, the valuable results of a little unpremeditated independent scouting.

Truly Yours,

A lady Subscriber

Sumter, SC June 1866