Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-03-07


on both sides. A sentinel at the ex.
treme rear of the tents was fired upon
tomahawked and scalped, before the
''alarm" had reused the camp. Har.
rison shouted his men to arms, but the
favourable situation Of the enemy pre-.
vented the fire of the whites from being
at oil destructive, while on every side
were falling the bravest ofou men
I Defeat stared the white men in the
face, and the chill look of death was
setting in every countenance. The
bravest quailed, and tottered beneath
the thunder ofthc savage fire: and the
war whoop rang upon the still morning
as the knell of bright anticipations and
glorious hopes. The chances of VIC
tory were against the white men;
the dnskiness of the morning pre-.
served the enemy from the consequent
ces of the firing of the forces. Men,
DRY wandered back to the freside OF
the soldier, and imagination pictured
the widow and the orphan resting upon
the cold charity ofthe world. At this
criticize juncture. Daviess, the intrepid
Daviess, shouted to his Kentucky ran
gers to follow him to the charge as tho
only measure of success. His com.
mand was obeyed instantly; they rush.
ed down the declivity upon the foe on
the left ofthe encampment, and receiv-
ed manfully the fire of the Indians
Dayiess fell: yet with his las: breath he
cheered his men to victory. One i'm
pulse and the conquest was ours. The
determined spirit ofthe rangers struck
terror to the savages, the prediction of
their prophet was proved false*--and
their lines gave way. Numbers ofthe
red men fell dead upon the spot. The
retreating whoop of the fugitives start
ed the remaining wing, and in a few
minutes the field was in quiet possession
of the white men.
What a scene did the ground exhibit
upon the return ofthe light OF day.
Forty the bravest and stoutest ofthat
camp lay weltering in their gore, and
the groans of the wounded sounded aw-
fully in the ears of the survivors.
A deep grave was dug between two or
three large oaks, and the fallen soldiers
slept there together. No long funeral
train accompanied the corpse Of the
worthy dead to their last dwelling place
on earth. No alfectionate wife bent
over the couch of the fallen warrior,
and wiped off the clammy sweat of
death, that gathered upon his manly
but stricken brow: but brave and stern
hearts were bowed low upon that battle
ground, and many an unspoken pray
er ascendcd to the throne of Omnipo-
tence, that the worthy dead might be
happy in future world.
The troops left the encampment the
second morning after the engagement,
IL the ground was not visited by white
men for several weeks. 1t appeared,
however, that the Indians had return.
ed some few days after the battle, and
disinterred the remains of the dead boz
dies, and stripped them Of their clothing
and left their naked bodies exposed
upon the ground. Up to 1921, their
bones were bleaching upon the theatre
81 their glorious deaths unhonored and
unsepulchred. On the 4th of July of
that year, a numerous assemblage of
persons, among whom were many Of
the survivors Of the battle, and rela-
tives of the fallen, met upon the battle
ground, and having collected the scat
tered and bleached bones, placed them
together in one coffin, bearing upon the
lid the inscription, in gilt letters, Crest
warriors, Rest" and re-interred them
with the honours of war, upon the side
of the hill, on the right Of the encamp-
ment ground. No marble obelisk rears
its gorgeous form above the grave, no
sculptured monument gives the story
of their glorious death to the visitor:
but far more holy feeling than the
sight of such honor would conjure up,
burns within the bosom Of the Ameri-
can as he gazes upon the rude mound
ofearth that is thrown up above their
bones.
"Lowly may be the turf that covers
The sacred grave Of their last rcpose,
But oh! there's glory aroundit hovers.
Broad as the day break, and bright as its
close"
A rude pannelled fence is around the
grave; and the wind whistles wildly
through the large oak that stands at
the head of the enclosure. The men,
cries of those who fell in that struggle
will be cherished until America forgets
to honor her brave forefathers-till she
loses recollection Of the deeds which
have made her what she is.
My companions and myself had stop
ped longer on the ground than We in
tended. AS the old gentleman gave
last look at the interesting snof he said.