My attention was called to the scene, by the noise, curses and screams that proceeded from it; and, on going a little in that direction, I came upon the parties engaged in the skirmish.

Mr.Siever, the overseer, had hold of Nelly, when I caught sight of them; he was endeavoring to drag her toward a tree, which endeavor Nelly was sternly resisting; but to no purpose, except to retard the progress of the overseer's plans.
Nelly--as I have said--was the mother of five children; three of them were present, and though quite small (from seven to ten years old, I should think) they gallantly came to their mother's defense, and gave the overseer an excellent pelting with stones.

One of the little fellows ran up, seized the overseer by the leg and bit him; but the monster was too busily engaged with Nelly, to pay any attention to the assaults of the children.

There were numerous bloody marks on Mr.Sevier's face, when I first saw him, and they increased as the struggle went on.

The imprints of Nelly's fingers were visible, and I was glad to see them.
Amidst the wild screams of the children--"_Let my mammy go"-- "let my mammy go_"-- there escaped, from between the teeth of the bullet-headed overseer, a few bitter curses, mingled with threats, that "he would teach the d--d b--h how to give a white man impudence." There is no doubt that Nelly felt herself superior, in some respects, to the slaves around her.