approached and attacked the camp. Taken by surprise and utterly disorganized, the little party of Whigs, about thirty in number, tailed and took shelter in an unfinished log house without doors or windows. They were fired upon by Cunningham's party, and a demand for surrender peremptorily made. Its terms were enquired by the Whigs and the response of the Tories was that they were unconditional, but that they would receive a communication from them.
Smallwood Smith was selected for the office; Cunningham's first inquiry was who are of your party? On hearing that young James Butler, the son who had been engaged in the affair in which Redliff was killed was among them, he determined to give no terms that would exempt this young man from his sword. Cunningham was well acquainted with the father, Capt. Butler, having served with him in the expedition against the Indians, to which allusion has already been made. It is said he had rather a partiality for him and would have entertained terms of capitulation with the party had it not been for the presence of the son.
Capt. James Butler sent Cunningham a special message that if he would spare his son he would make an unconditional surrender of himself. The young man, however, learning Cunningham's animosity to himself and entertaining the impression that his father or he
