The native American., 1838-01-06

these together, species of rope was formed, by
which, in the dead of the night, he and his mer
let themselves, without noise, down into one o.
the amplest hollows at the mountains base. The
camp of Claudius Pulcher was sleeping in secu.
rity when this bold band fell upon it, destroyed
and dispersed it utterly, and got possession of all
its arms and baggage. Three thousand men were
thus scattered perished, by the nocturnal onset
lof little more than two hundred escaped slaves.
From this moment the name of Spartacus spread
through Italy. The discontented and the oppress-
led crowded from all quarters to his standard. He
hesitated then not moment in assuming the cha
racter of the champion of liberty, and issued a
proclamation of which the following are some
of the kindling sentiments:
"What is easier it said, ethan to surprise and
crush towards, enervated by opulence and by
pleasure, wretches, who know nothing but to quar-
rel and strive among themselves about their lux
uries Feasters and sacrilegious! !! the golden cups
of their drunken rcvels belong rightly and solely
to the altars of the gods. In blind and shame
full submission is all their strength. Let us re-
sumo this day the superiority which is ours.
Consider the multitudes who, groan in chains, as
we have groaned; despise the riches which are
the glory of our tyrants, and which alone make
them look dreadful whilst they are contemplate.
Rise up! brave comrades, without delay or deli
beration. The courage which hesitates is coward
ice. 1t depends upon you to deliver your coun-
try from its oppressors; and the land belongs, by
right, to the most fearless
Such words possessed an ilusive spell which
they have not yet lost The effect of the pro-
clamation was, that ten thousand combatants, in
the space of one month, were added to the force
of Spartacus. When this army, for it deserved
at that period the name, had been furnished with
arms and horses, Spartacus exercised it long in
military discipline; divided it into companies and
cohorts; into light and heavy troops and rifle
corps; and placed it under the command of the
seventy gladiators who had accompanied him in
his second escape. The force being composed
chiefly of Gauls and Thracans, the two principal
generals Immediately under himself were, the one
"a Gaul, and the other Thracian, and national
jealousies were thus avoided. Many small towns
were, in the course of the first march, taken; the
slaves every where liberated, who in short time
swelled the army to the number of forty thou
sand; and horrible retaliations were perpetrated
on the noble AMI the rich. Outrages and atroci-
ties of this kind, however, Spartacus did all in
his power to check, but in vain.
The Roman Senate now sent another army
against this formidable band Of insurgents. Ten
thousand men were put under the command of
Varinius, for the purpose of extirpating them.
The smallness of this body shows in what con-
tempt the Romans held the slave army. Spar
tacus, though so superior in numbers, resolved,
like great general not to attack the disciplined
and compact force sent against him in regular
battle fhe could avoid it, knowing that mere wild
and tumultuous courage, little amenable to com
mand, is no match for skill and obedience, though
numerically in vast inferiority. He ordered re-
treat behind the mountains of Lucania; but the
Gauls especially, with Crixus, their command
er, at their head, looked upon this pusillanimi
ty. They were determined, separating them
selves on the occasion from Spartacus, to fight,
and were completely defeated. The retreat took
place. The rebel army arrived in Lucania with
out being attacked or incommoded. On the con-
trary, Spartacus found an opportunity during his
march to fall upon Roman division commanded
by Furius, and completely routed the two thou
sand men of which it was composed. Varinius
had nearly, few days after, by skilful manGu-
wiring, shut up his enemy in sterile spot, encos-
ed on the one side by mountains almost mpassa-
Bile, and on the other by the swollen and rushing
water courses which fall into the Gulf of Taren-
tum.
The way in which Spartacus extricated him
self from this difficult position is striking. His
camp was regularly formed. Soldiers mounted
guard continually at its gates; sentinels relieved
each other, and military order and precision seOm-
ed to prevail throughout. But one night at the
second watch, just at the time of relieving guard,
Spartacus and his whole army marched out, keep
ing the deepest silence. A trumpeter was left in
the camp; and at proper distances number Of
bodies, lately dead, were stuck up, armed and
dressed in imitation Of the sentinels of the adj
vanced posts From time to time the trumpeter
sounded the accustomed signals. Great fires
were also lighted to complete the deception. The
Romans conceived no suspicion. In the morn
ing they found the camp void, and were struck
with stupefaction at being SO completely duped
From this time the offensive war of Varinius
was turned into defensive one. He felt the su-
periority of his adversary. He was also obliged
to divide his army into two corps. He detached
Cossinius to the south, and marched himself in
the northward direction. Spartacus learning this
disposition from volunteer spies he had all over
the country, resolved to profit by it. He left the
main body Of his force under Crixus, and marched
with his light troops with incredible speed upon
Cossinius. BY sunset he had crossed the Auf-
dus. He found his adversary encamped by the
salt marshes, at present called the Lago salso
Cossnius heard at the same moment Of the ap.
proach and attack of Spartacus. Just as the night
came on, the slave general fell with the sudden.
ness of thunderbolt upon the Roman Legions