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Having occasion to visit his New River plantation, Colonel Cleveland rode there, accompanied only by a negro servant, arriving at Jesse Duncan's, his tenant, at the lower end of the Old Fields, on Saturday, the fourteenth of April, 1781. Unfortunately for the Colonel, Captain William Riddle, a noted Tory leader, son of the Loyalist Colonel James Riddle, of Surry County, was approaching from the Virginia border with Captain Ross, a Whig captive, whom he had taken, together with his servant, and now en route for Ninety Six, where a British reward appears to have
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been paid for prisoners. Riddle, with his party of six or eight men, reaching Benjamin Cutbirth's, some four miles above the Old Fields, a fine old Whig, and an old associate of Daniel Boone, who had only partially recovered from a severe spell of fever. The Tory Captain, probably from Cutbirth's reticence regarding solicited information, shamefully abused him, and placed him under guard.

Descending the river to the upper end of the Old Fields, where Joseph and Timothy Perkins resided--about a mile above Duncan's--both of whom were absent in Tory service, Riddle learned from their women, that Cleveland was but a short distance away, at Duncan's, with only his servant, Duncan, and one or two of the Callaway family there. Every Tory in the country knew full well of Cleveland's inveterate hatred of their race; how prominently he had figured at King's Mountain, and had given his influence for the Tory executions at Bickerstaff's, and caused the summary hanging of Coyle and Brown at Wilkesboro. Riddle well judged that such a prisoner would be a prize to take along to Ninety Six, or it would prove no small honor to any Loyalist to rid the Rebel cause of so untiring and distinguished a leader in the Southern country.

The prospect of making Cleveland his prisoner was too tempting for Riddle to neglect. His force was too small to run any great risk, and so he concluded to resort to stratagem. He resolved, therefore, to steal Cleveland's horses in the quiet of the night, judging that the Colonel would follow their trail the next morning, supposing they had strayed off, when he would ambuscade him at some suitable place, and thus take "Old Round-About" as he was called, unawares, and at a disadvantage. The horses were accordingly taken that night; and a laurel thicket selected, just above the Perkins' house, as a fitting place to waylay their expected pursuers. During Saturday, Richard Callaway and his brother-in-law, John Shirley, went down from the neighboring residence of Thomas Callaway to Duncan's, to
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see Colonel Cleveland, and appear to have remained there over night.

Discovering that the horses were missing on Sunday morning, immediate pursuit was made. Having a pair of pistols, Colonel Cleveland retained one of them, handing the other to Duncan, while Callaway and Shirley were unarmed. Reaching the Perkins' place, one of the Perkins women knowing of the ambuscade, secretly desired to save the Colonel from his impending fate, so she detained him, as long as she could, by conversation, evidently fearing personal consequences should she divulge the scheme of his enemies to entrap him. His three associates kept on, with Cleveland some little distance behind, Mrs. Perkins still following, and retarding him by her inquiries; and as those in advance crossed the fence which adjoined the thicket, the Tories fired from their places of concealment, one aiming at Cleveland, who though some little distance in the rear, was yet within range of their guns. But they generally shot wild--only one shot, that of Zachariah Wells, who aimed at Callaway, proving effectual, breaking his thigh, when he fell helpless by the fence, and was left for dead.(*) Duncan and Shirley escaped. Cleveland from his great weight--fully three hundred pounds--knew he could not run any great distance, and would only be too prominent a mark for Tory bullets, dodged into the house with several Tories at his heels. Now, flourishing his pistol rapidly from one to another, they pledged to spare his life and accord him good treatment, if he would quietly surrender, which he did.

Wells by this time having re-loaded his rifle, made his appearance on the scene, swearing that he would kill Cleveland; and aiming his gun, the Colonel instantly seized Abigail
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      (*)Richard Callaway had been grieviously wounded on the head, arms, shoulder, and hand by Tarleton's cavalry, at Sumter's surprise, Aug. eighteenth, 1780, and left for dead; yet recovered, though, he had a crippled hand for life. In due time his broken limb, so badly disabled by Wells' unerring shot, healed up, and he lived many years. He aided in running the boundary line from the White Top Mountains to the Mississippi, and died in Tennessee in 1822.

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Walters who was present, and by dint of his great strength, and under a high state of excitement, dextrously handled her as a puppet, keeping her between him and his would-be assassin. Wells seemed vexed at this turn in the affair, and hurled his imprecations on the poor woman, threatening if she did not get out of the way, that he would blow her through as well, not appearing to realize that she had as little power as a mouse in the clutches of a ferocious cat. Cleveland getting his eyes on Captain Riddle, whom he knew, or judged by his appearance, to be the leader, appealed to him if such treatment was not contrary to the stipulations of his surrender. Riddle promptly replied that it was, and ordered Wells to desist from his murderous intent, saying that they would take Cleveland to Ninety Six, and make money out of his capture. The terrified woman who had been made an unwilling battery, was now released from Cleveland's grasp as from a vise; and the whole party with their prisoner and his servant were speedily mounted, and hurried up New river. This stream, so near its source, was quite shallow, and the Tories traveled mostly in its bed to avoid being tracked, in case of pursuit.

Soon after the Tory party had called at Cutbirth's, on their way down the river, young Daniel Cutbirth and a youth named Walters, who were absent at the time, returned; and encouraged by Mrs. Cutbirth [=Elizabeth Willcockson, daughter of Sarah Boone and John Willcockson], though only fourteen or fifteen years of age, they resolved that they would take their guns, select a good spot, and ambuscade Riddle on his return, and perhaps rescue whatever prisoners he might have. But on the return of the Tory party the next day, they made so much noise, and gave so many military commands, that led the youthful ambuscaders to conclude that they had received a re-inforcement, and that it would be rashness for two singlehanded youths to undertake to cope with numbers so unequal. So Riddle and his party reached Cutbirth's undisturbed, and ordered dinner for himself, men, and
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prisoners. One of the Cutbirth girls [probably the older Mary, but possibly her younger sister Sarah], not engaging willingly in this service, received abuse, and even kicks, from the Tory leader. Their hunger appeased, they proceeded up New river, mostly along its bed, till they reached Elk Creek, up which they made their way in the same manner. Colonel Cleveland, meanwhile, managed unperceived, to break off overhanging twigs, dropping them into the stream to float down as a guide to his friends, who he knew would make an early pursuit. From the head of the south fork of Elk, they ascended up the mountains to what has since been known as Riddle's Knob, in what is now Watauga County, and some fourteen miles from the place of Cleveland's captivity, where they camped for the night.

Early on that Sabbath morning, Joseph Callaway and his brother-in-law, Berry Toney, wishing to see Colonel Cleveland on business matters, called at Duncan's, and learned about the missing horses, and the pursuit; and at that moment they heard the report of the firing at the upper end of the plantation, and hastened in that direction, soon meeting Duncan and Shirley in rapid flight, who could only tell that Richard Callaway had fallen, and Colonel Cleveland was either killed or taken. It was promptly agreed, that Duncan, Shirley, and Toney should notify the people of the scattered settlements to meet that afternoon at the Old Fields, while Joseph Callaway should go to his father's, close by, mount his horse and hasten to Captain Robert Cleveland's, on Lewis' Fork of the Yadkin, a dozen miles distant.(*) His brother, William Callaway, started forthwith up the river, and soon came across Samuel McQueen and Benjamin Greer, who readily joined him; and all being good woodsmen, followed the Tory trail at best they could, till night overtook them when some distance above the mouth of Elk Creek, and about ten miles from the Old Fields. William Callaway suggested, that he
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      (*) Joseph Callaway was a member from Ashe County, in the House of Commons, in 1804 and 1806.

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and McQueen would remain there, while Greer should return to pilot up whatever men may have gathered to engage in pursuit of the Tories.

By night-fall, Captain Robert Cleveland and others, to the number of twenty or thirty, good and tried men, who had served under Colonel Cleveland, had gathered at the Old Fields, determined to rescue their old commander at every hazard, even though they should follow the Tory party to the gates of Ninety Six. Greer made his appearance in good time, and at once they were on the trail of the enemy.(*) They reached William Callaway and McQueen awhile before day; and as soon as light began to appear, John Baker joined Callaway and McQueen, to lead the advance as spies. A little after sun-rise, having proceeded four miles, they discovered indications of the enemy's camp on the mountain. But little arrangement was made for the attack; nine men only were in readiness--the others were apparently some distance behind; and only four or five of these were designated to fire on the enemy, the rest reserving their shots for a second volley, or any emergencies that might happen--of these was William Callaway.

Some of the Tories had already breakfasted, while others were busily employed in preparing their morning meal. Colonel Cleveland was sitting on a large fallen tree, engaged, under compulsion, in writing passes for the several members of Captain Riddle's party, certifying that each was a good Whig--to be used, when in a tight place, to help them out of difficulty, by assuming that they were patriots of the truest type, Cleveland's commendation passing unquestioned along the borders of Virginia and the Carolinas. But "Old Round About" had a strong
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      (*) Greer was one of Cleveland's heroes. One of his fellow soldiers stole his tobacco from him, when he threatened he would whip him for it as soon as he should put his eyes on him. Cleveland expostulated with Greer, telling him his men ought to fight the enemy, and not each other. "I'll give him a hint of it, any way," said Greer, and when he met the tobacco pilferer, he knocked him down. Greer's hint was long a by-word in all that region.--Col. W. W. Lenoir.

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suspicion that their urgency for these passports betokened that the moment they were completed, his days would be numbered; and thus naturally but a poor penman, he purposely retarded his task as much as possible, hoping to gain time for the expected relief, apologizing for his blunders, and renewing his unwilling efforts. Several of the Tory party were now gathering up their horses for an early start, and Cleveland was receiving severe threatenings if he did not hurry up his last passport.

Just at this moment, while Captain Riddle and Zachariah Wells were especially guarding Cleveland and Captain Ross--the former with Cleveland's pistol presented at his breast, and the latter with his gun aimed for instantaneous use, if need be--the relief party were silently creeping up; and the next moment several guns were fired, and the Whigs rushed up, uttering their loudest yells. Colonel Cleveland, comprehending the situation, tumbled off the prostrate tree, on the side opposite to his friends, lest their balls might accidently hit him, and exclaiming, in his joy, at the top of his thundering voice, "Huzza for brother Bob!--that's right, give 'em h--l!" Wells alone was shot, as he was scampering away, by William Callaway in hot pursuit, and supposed to be mortally wounded, he was left to his fate; the rest fled with the aid of their fresh horses, or such as they could secure at the moment--Riddle and his wife among the number. Cleveland's servant, a pack-horse for Tory plunder, was overjoyed at his sudden liberation. Cleveland and Ross were thus fortunately rescued; and having gained their purpose, the happy Whigs returned to their several homes. William Callaway was especially elated that he had had the good fortune to shoot Wells, who had so badly wounded his brother, Richard Callaway, at the ambuscade at the Old Fields.

Shortly after this occurrence, Captain Riddle ventured to make a night raid into the Yadkin Valley, where on King's Creek, several miles above Wilkesboro, they surrounded
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the house where two of Cleveland's noted soldiers, David and John Witherspoon, resided with their parents, and spirited them many miles away in the mountain region on Watauga river, in what is now Watauga County, were both were sentenced to be shot--blindfolded, and men detailed to do the fatal work. It was then proposed, if they would take the oath of allegiance to the King, repair to their home, and speedily return with a certain noble animal belonging to David Witherspoon, known as "the O'Neal mare," and join the Tory band, their lives would be spared. They gladly accepted the proposition--with such mental reservations as they thought fit to make. As soon as they reached home, David Witherspoon mounted his fleet-footed mare, and hastened to Colonel Ben. Herndon's, several miles down the river, who quickly raised a party, and piloted by the Witherspoons, they soon reached the Tory camp, taking it by surprise, capturing three, and killing and dispersing others. So the young Witherspoons fulfilled their promise of returning speedily to the Tory camp, bringing the O'Neal mare with them; but under somewhat different circumstances from what the unsophisticated Tories expected.

The three prisoners taken were Captain Riddle, and two of his noted associates, named Reeves and Goss. On their arrival at Wilkesboro, a court martial condemned them to be hung; but as if to curry favor with the soldiers, or get them in a condition so he might escape, Riddle treated them freely to whisky. Learning which, Colonel Cleveland frankly informed him, that it would be useless to waste his whisky in such efforts--that he would be hung directly after breakfast. The three notorious freebooters were accordingly executed, on the hill adjoining the village, on a stately oak, which is yet standing, and pointed out to strangers at Wilkesboro. Mrs. Riddle, who seems to have accompanied her husband on his wild and reckless marauds, was present, and witnessed his execution.