The Egg
Peddler
Sally Salter's spying en¬
abled small force to
overcome the British.
By CARY E. TRAWICK
Colonel Thomas Robeson sal ai the
head of the table in the front parlor of
the farmhouse of Gabriel Holmes and
studied the faces of those gathered
there. After the Battle of Moore's
Creek Bridge most of the fighting in
the American Revolution moved north
until near the end of the conflict. The
defeat of the Tories at Moore's Creek,
however, did not stop the British
sympathizers in the Cape Fear area
from terrorizing those who desired to
be free of the dominance of the Mother
Country.
Robeson, in a slow easy voice, began
to speak. “Men, there’s a force of
Tories camped across the river, just a
few miles from Elizabeth Town. How
many there arc we haven’t been able to
find out. We do know Colonel Slingsby
is with them and presume he is in com¬
mand."
"Wait just a minute Colonel,"
started the man at the opposite end of
the table, “if you have in mind what I
think you have — just forget it. We
couldn't begin to round up as many
men as they can and not nearly as many
supplies!”
’’Calm down," intervened Colonel
Brown, "hear him out. Something’s
got to be done. We can’t just let them
keep going around the country in bands
burning barns, killing stock, and com¬
mitting any other crime they like
against anyone who won’t swear al¬
legiance to the King."
"If you will just give me a few
minutes." continued Robeson. "I think
I can convince you that this is the time
to take action against the Loyalists. I
have commitments from about seventy
men who can be here within two hours
if we decide this is the time to take ac¬
tion." Robeson explained in detail his
plans for a surprise attack on the
Tories.
The man at the other end of the
table, still skeptical, asked, "How are
we going to find out how many men
they have? We can’t go busting over
there with only seventy men and no
idea of how many they have!"
Colonel Brown replied, "Sally Salter,
the wife of one of our men. has volun¬
teered to find out how many there arc.
She has a plan that will allow her to get
into their camp."
The men talked for about another
hour, discussing the news of the war
from the north and the success of Na¬
thanael Greene at Guilford Court
House. They then, after agreeing to
meet again in two days, dispersed.
The next morning Sally Salter,
Colonel Robeson, and Colonel Brown
met on the banks of the Cape Fear
River across from Elizabethtown. The
two men helped the young woman into
a flalboat and pushed her off toward
the opposite bank. Sally was dressed in
a calico dress which was noticably old
and not quite the right size. In the bot¬
tom of the fiatboat she had two large
baskets of eggs. She propelled the boat
further out into the river with the aid
of a long pole and when it reached the
main current, it was taken downstream
by it. She then laid the pole aside and
guided the vessel toward the other side
with the rudder. Finally she reached
the opposite bank, a man’s job com¬
pleted no less ably because done by a
woman. After securing the boat to a
tree with a rope, she started toward the
Tory camp.
After advancing to within fifty yards
of the encampment, the morning still¬
ness was broken by the sentinel’s
charge — "Who goes there!”
Sally, in the shyest tone she could
muster, answered. "Don’t shoot! I
mean no harm. I only thought y’all
might buy some of my eggs."
The guard cautiously went to where
Sally was and convinced it was not a
trap, escorted her to his commanders.
One of the commanders was, as
Colonel Robeson thought, Colonel
Slingsby. Also with the Tories in a
leadership capacity was Colonel God-
den. The two commanders, after in¬
tently questioning Sally as to where she
came from, who she was, and whether
she was loyal to King George (which
she answered in the affirmative), de¬
cided this was a practical answer to a
pressing problem — feeding their
army. The warm look in Colonel
Slingsby's eyes when he told Sally they
would take her eggs, made her feel a
little ashamed, knowing his decision
might spell doom for himself and his
army. She did not. however, allow her
emotions to interfere with her mission.
As Sally started out of the camp
(Con i in ned on page 20)
10
THE state. October 15. 1969
