Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1838-02-24

try.
y The personal security afforded by the
!, steam boat to the adventurer, upon tho
? Ohio and Mississippi, can only be appre
q ciated by him who, in returning to hi,
family, was obliged TO encounter the haz
= ards of 'the WiLderness." The country
: so denominated extended at that early pe,
! Rod from point far within the present
i limits Of the State Of Mississippi, near ia
I Nashville, in Tennessee, covering space
Of 500 miles, Inhabited solely by savages,
and few desperate ruffians, more bloody
than they, men Of plumber and violence.
A we'll mounted horseman occupied from
i9 to Is days in performing the journey
but pedestrians, forming by far the great
er number, if they escaped the hands Of
the robber, and the pestilence of the
swamps, required from 90 to so.
The facilities Of Bank paper and ex-
change were then unattainablc, and each
individual carried the returns Of his toll
and enterprise in gold and silver Great
Temptations were thus held out TO the
robber, who concealed in the fastness Of
the forest, perpetrated his acts of violence
and cruelty with little fear of detection.
The rich trader in his produce and slaves,
and the poor boatman, bearing back to his
family his hard earned pittance, were
alike the victims of rapacity; and life was
frequently sacralieed to the passions or
fears Of the banditt.
About the year 1909, the wilderness
was infested by notorious freebooter,
who, with two sons, and few other des-
perate miscreants, were the terror Of the
peaceful traveller. From the morasses
Of the southern frontier, to the silent
shores Of the Tennessee river, the name
of MASON and his band was known and
dreaded Their depredations became at
length SO frequent and daring, that the
citizens of the adjoining territories were
driven to adopt measures for their suppress
sion; but the knowledge ofthe wilderness,
possessed by the banditti, their circum-
specton and enterprise, not surpassed by
the savages among whom they wandered,
bafIled every attempt concerted for their
capture. One of these incidents, as de-
tailed by contemporary, possesses some
interest; and some Of the individuals COM
posing the party, it is believed, still sur
yiye, who will attest the general truth of
the narrative, though unimportant errors
may be observed. They wiltat all events
recollect the Jokes and good sayings occa-
stoned by the result Of the expedition.
A robbery and murder Of more than
usual attroclty had been perpetrated, and
n number of citizens Of the then Missis-
sippi territory, united in determination
to pursue the robbers and bring them to
Justice or put them to death. Under the
command (itis believed) Of the late Col.
B., the party well mounted and armed,
commenced their march. Soon after en-
tering the borders of the wilderness they
came upon the trail Of Mason, and ascer-
tanned that he was but a day or two IN adj
vance, making towards Pearl river; they
pushed on day and night, and did not hal'
until they came to the river-they
found new evidence Of party having
preceded them, and they did not doubt but
, that it was he Of whom they were IN pur
suit-but men and horses were all IN nee6
of rest and sustenance, they therefore re-
, solved TO strip their horses, repose Tor
, few hours, and again renew the chase
, Those preliminares being disposed oil
: two of the party strolled to the pahk Q
/ the river, and tempted by the GOODNESS
' and beauty of the stream, went IN to bathe
{ In the course oftheir gambol, they crossed
: to the opposite shore, where society," uh
!. der the then present circumstances, amor
4 ded them very little satisfaction. 4,
8 Mason, aware that he was pursued
! and having ascertained the superior lore
a Of. his pursuers, determined to effect D,
q stratagem what he could not hope to 40 o
: open contest. The path into the torres
was here narrow, and much beset wat
@ undergrowth, and he placed his men
Q ambush, so that by a sudden onset the pa
n ty of Col B. on entering the woods, woul
c be thrown into confusion, and thus DC 81
Q sily despatched or routed. Chance now
r ever produced a success more comple'
"a than he conld have anticipated. NO sol
= ner had the two naked and unarmen me
= reached the eastern shore OF the rear
70 than Mason rushed upon them before the
W could collect their thoughts or comPtt.
O. bend their danger. He was a maze a =,
n let;c figure, and roughly clad in the leatI
n ar shirt and leggins common to the ihu
IL ans and hunters Of the frontier.
i "a am glad to see you, gentlemen !" ., Sal
- he an rcastically, ssand though our NEE
inc did not promise to be quite 50 irlena !,
m an just as we'll satisfied; my ;, ,as,s an
or ammunition will cost less thah 1870 i.1, -,
Il His prisoners were thunderstru!ck !. an AZ
=. totally Incapable Of reply. Having b
- - csS Z guard over them, Mason wo l x,
~ deliberately down TO the shore, and hail'
y. W t ,Ss party on the opposite bank, who y
81 Wy ,nsssed he scene that had been detail,
nd IN amazement and apprehension r.