The Hawk-eye and Iowa patriot. (Burlington, Iowa) 1839-1843, 1841-02-04

Dill va aP If the Seminoles at Indian Key
enate. .0mmet, where he was residing with
contas. family, was drawn up by daughter
r az was an eye witness of the dreadful
Of debae gene THE NARRATIVE.
Wonld Id !, The morning of the 9TH of August,
.seen two and three O'Clock, we were
EN- hi. ,sened from a sound sleep, by the
1 ian war whoop and the discharge of
the en-, - Father was lying at the time in
h a pesl hammock, to watch Sarah who had
ion Sv.s !. dangerously i'll some weeks. Fa-
Or it, pyoas.. Mother, Sarah and myself sprang
lont. ~ our beds at the same time. while
addres, Indians we're firing at the chamber
" of MI ,,dovs, and the glass falling. We had
on to ~ 4.hed the head of the stairs to descend
sssn thought Of Henry, who had no!
moved y soke, and l ran back to his bed for
on Of ,baln: we then ran down TO small room
,,be foot of the stairs in which was
ollowip, ran door that led to the cellar which
I'D moys, + used for bathing, las the tides filled
,wice d day. Father accompanied US
commits. The door, and then said 81 will 90
orted ita,.,k and see what | can do Soon
lslons o3 her he went up stairs, mother called as
lrad as she dared to him, and told him
Is of theJ he had no caps to his rifle he replied
he sevea know it, but l will see what | can
nd equ.l Il constantly entreated mother to GO
lawn into the water, but she refused,
aa .fdeg linking father would soon be down to
right Oh % with us, until we heard the Indians
thereof, dmaking into the house of Mr. Howe.
or 800 which was opposite ours. then told
lement noher they would soon break into our
er acre. Ipuse. and we al. should be murdered. -
MT this 1--we then went into the cellar, passed
ZION toa through the bathing room into small
state at asce, say three feet high, four wide
exceed md ten long, walled up with rocks and
'efmore thick plank over the top, covered with
ec,ivey mari and rocks, and the plank again, TO
rom all make it even with the wharf, which ex-
prevent ended beyond it, and was separated from
ucipa'. 1hby palmetto posts driven deep in the
''emens narl; under this wharf was large turtle
grant. crawl Tor pen.) Soon after we had Sc
.ase Of reted ourselves in this place, heard
isa'of' my father on the upper piazza calling to
he Indians in Spanish, telling them she
would was physician" upon which they gave
'oposl' ,shout and left the house.
of the While thev wore rome i WAC evident
oi Inc 10 us, from the noise we heard, that my
father came down and closed the trap
would door through which we had passed, and
'Nsule. drew heavy chest of seeds that was in
lole Of the room over it, thinking, no doubt, he
winch should be saved, and, by thus doing. he
might save us. Aad this kind act was
CUES be last nv dear father ever did for his
"a the hmiIy. During this time, we heard the
~ Inc Indians breaking into the different houses
while ours remained untouched. But
4l. about day break they returned, jumped
con- upon the piazza, and commenced batter
ing a ing away at the doors and windows, and
nPuon We heard one of them say stop that
'hefec hey then rushed up stairs; the same
o Inc voice said they are all hid;' $ the old
IN IN man up stairs'-for my father had evil
enacs deniy retreacd to the cupola, which was
Shlch entered by a heavy trapdoor. Soon we
hsard them pounding at the door with
oora'e most horrid yells. but, from its strength
con, Il resisted for some time, but when it
anu gave way, their yells were like demons ;
from and it was then their most cruel and
'u1uh heartrending work was accomplished
ne The massacre of my dear, lamented faith
'a'l0n en- We soon heard them breaking glass,
insure crOckery, doors, windows, and, indeed,
ne ., every thing they could lay their hands
srea' upon; while our trunks, chest of cloth
3 IN. .h ing, boxes of dry goods, groceries, &C.,
u '0 we're being carried over our heads, and
loaded into boats; and most Of the time
spr We were in our place Of secretion, there
ioun' we're three Or four Indians sitting over
ASef- our heads talking and giving their com
mands. At one time they lifted up a
y ue' Sard from the wharf, and looked down
eys. I'd seeing nothing but the turtle, they
mos' did not look towards the end where we
s''iOn we're secreted had they done SO, we
1ufo' should most inevitably have been dis
rang covered and mastered. Soon after sun
'h' Hse, the smoke began to fill the cellar,
:, but did not affect US much until about an
oi'e' hour before we left, when the whole
'as house fell into the cellar it then be-
anu came intolerable. 1t was so thick that
n. although we were clasped in each other
mo arms. we could not see ourselves. At
~, H. this time, the planks which supported the
LA panks which supported the rocks over
;ss our heads took fire. During this time,
we kept our faces closer to the water.
81 plasered our heads with mari, and
,nor, Threw the water constantly over us to
'"; Keep the air in motion, and to cool it, SO
!. NAT we could breathe. When the planks
80. 'ook fire, we commenced throwing the
l !, mari upon them TO eStinguish the flames.
,v Henry soon began to scream, when
=. mother held his mouth with her hands,
. earring that the Indians would hear him,
and held his arms, until he burst from us,
NJ, declaring that he would rather be killed
,0n y the Indians than be burnt to DEATH
81. DE forced aside palmetto post, and pass
HE ca through the turtle crawl. and got out.
while we waited in horrible suspense,
-. linking that he would be killed, and our
ed discovery be inevitable; but hearing no
IL. :