Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1838-10-11

SKILL OF THE 1NbIANs IN TRACKING
III the surnmert0f tue year 1855, q most
atrociOus aud shocking n,u.der was uuex-
pertcdly committed by a party Of Indians,
on fourteen white settlers. within five miles
Of ohamokIn. The surviving whites i'll
their rage, determined To take their revenge
by numbering u Delaware Indian, who
napprned 10 he III those parts, ana was fur
from ihinking himself iu uny danger. He
was u great friend to tie whites, was loved
and esteemed by them. AMI in testimony
"i their regard, had rc.eived from them tho
name Us Duke llullalrI. Satisfied that his
nation WAS iucapa le of committing such u
loui murder, in Il time Of fproiound peace. nc
told the enraged settlers that he cared not
for his own life but for the honor Oi his
tribe II they would Immediately scud
parry along with him, wuuld engage, ere
the sun went down, 10 bring them OH the
heels Of th,: actual murtlcrcrs The pro
posat "as agreed l" ami Duke Holland,
accompanied by party OF the settlers set
out on the pursuit. They soon found them
selves in the most rocky part of II mount
ain, where MOI Que Of those who accompa
nic,i him was able to discover Il single track
nor would they believe that man had ever
iruddcu upon that ground, us they had 10
jump over Il number of rocks, and IN sn,ne
instances, to crawl over them Now they
began across those rugged nuuntains III or
der |" give the enemy time To escape. and
threatened hin, viii, iistunt death, the mo
ment they should he fully convinced OF the
fraud. 't'hc Indian true To his promise,
would take pains 10 make them perceive
that an enemy had passed along the places
through wh,cli he was Leading them here
he would show them that the iunss on tic
rock had 'ern 'rnri'irn down by the weight
of Il human foot; there. that it hnd been
| tnrn and dragged Inrw ard from iis place !;
further he would point gu. TO them. thar
pebbles Oh tn" rock had been removed from,
their bed, 10y The faul hitting them; thai
dry sticks by bein. lroddrn upon, were bro
ken; and even that in 1t particular place,
an Indians blanket had dragged over the
rocks, removed or lOOsrned ilIc leaves lvin.
there, So thai they lay more fiat. than in
other places; all which the Indian could
perceive Il, he walked .Iuug, without even
stopping. AT last, arrived at the foot of IA
rnoanr nIu on soft ground where the tracks
were deep, he found ouI that tho enciIv
were eight i'll lumber; and from the fresh
ness Of the foot prints, l,c concluded that
they must have eucampcd at no great dis
lance. This proved To lie iile exact truth: {:
'o' di'cf Sh'uiuS VIC clnihtHCe On t'lc OiDeT
side Of the valley, the Indians were seen
encampe,l, some having already lain down
to sleep, while others were drawing off their
legein>, for the same purpnsc. and the
sr'l ps they had taken were hanging up TO
dry. See" said Duke Holland, to his
astonishcd companions. there is the enemy
not of my nation. but Minsoes, as truly
told yon. They are in our power. in less
than half :fn hour they will he fnst asleep
W-ueed not fire ii gun but go up and TOM
ahawk ,hem.-Wo are nearly two to one
and need apprehend no danger. Come OH
aud you will now have your full revenge ~
But the whites, overcome with fear, did no,
choose to- follow tho Indians advice, and
urged him tItake rhem back by The nearest
and best way. lie did so accoriingly. aud
when they arrived at home. late at night,
they reported the number Of Iroquois to
have been so great, that they durs. not ven
ture TO attack them.
This Duke Holland once found a watch
which had been sent from Pi,,shurg. hv n
man who so' tipsv. and lost il in the woods
about fifty miles from the place tn which
he was carrying il. Duke Holland went
III search of ii, aud having disrnvcrcd The
tracks OF the man to whom it had hecn on
trusted, he pursued him un he found thc
lost artirlc, mhr!, he .Ir.ivai to the owner.
------