The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-09-17

I. bbitl Well this one was eighty feet
Mol with very thick walls. We had 70 lie
aa3 down for they kept up constant Ere,
suffering the glass and rafting the balls
around Us as they rebounded. By lying Ia
this manner, they could not see us. # they
walked out far enough to bring our bodies IA
view as we lay, it was too far 20 reach us
with their rifles, besides, the marshy soil
aud Mangrove bushes were obstacles 70 Their
doing So.
There we lay, Carter and ], the flames roar
ing beneath and pouring out az the windows
The oil casks would burst and some three
hundred gallons We're burning, aud you may
guess il was no pleasant summer evening
we spent, the Indians cracking away when
ever they saw any part Of Us exposed, and
the stones beginning 10 feel q1ite warm UNI
der us. forgot to say that they had SCI ire
70 the dwelling which was now rapidly cons
surning, We lay tolerably comfortable until
the copper on the tfap-door heated redhot
and the door fell in. Now the fire roared up
through the narrow doorway, aud the heat
was intolerable! The Indians ceased firing
and suppose were looking on enjoying the
scene. Our clothes, that is shirt and pants
aloons, Were continually getting on FIRE and
wewOuld tear off the pieces and throw them
away; was now nearly naked, all she hair
was singed off my head, and my eyes were
nearly burnt out. now, In the agony Of
the moment, threw my feet over the sides
Of the wall and let my legs hang down to-
avoid the heat, preiering the balls OF the In
dams TO the fire. a singing and numbing
sensation told me each time that was hit,
still etthem hang for some monlents.-
Carter was wTiihing and throwing himself
about, exposing bis body to the Indians
& Master, said he, ssI'm wounded.
$50 am Carter" said sand have long
ago prayed to God to save my soul, and you
had better do likewise, for we will never
see daylight again.
called to Carter soon after, but the poor
fellow was dead, and strange as it may seem,
in that situation, felt louely when found
he was dead. o, if had hae the boy Mack
with me! But I'm glad he Was'nt,--still a
man cares less about dying and fights better
when he has SOME one 10 talk TO, and to
cheer hin when he stands up bravely to it..
Thought Of home and my boyish days as
lay scorching, and as / thought, dying with
a death-thirst, for [ did not know how was
wounded, being literally rGb0 with the burn
ing. Yes, il Is strange that l should then
think of friends long, long ago forgotten, -
and now, since j have been talking to you
these three days, somewhat of the same
feeling comes over me, for it is long slime
since have seen any one who would notice
sold Thompson in his patched, fsherman's
garb;-but let that pass.
When / found poor Carter was dead,
showed and rolled him nearer the flames and
crawled along side Of the body which served
TO keep off little of the heat; still it was
intOlerable, Once / thought of throwing
myself over the iron railing, for / fancied
myself dying, so great was the agony was
in; then I thought of the triumph of the In
dians.i in taking my scalp hairless as it was.
/ took the keg of powder and crying aloud
8 God haze MERCY on my souE"! threw it down
the doorway and waited calmly to be blown
up. 1t was, perhaps about five seconds
before it exploded, sending current Of fire
and burning fragments up the doorway, and
carrying off the top of the lantern! 0, it
was horrible! Yet, there | lay, alice still.
I had powder flask attached to cord around
my neck, pulled this off (for the string was
burnt in two) and hurled it away; it struck
an Indian on the head and Knocked him
down; he rose up and must have looked very
foolish for they all set up loud laugh at him.
Instead of putting an end to my suffering
by blowing myself up with the powder, it
only tended to prolong my life, for the stair
way fell with the explosion and the flame
ceased.
A thick smoke continued to ascend through
the doorway from the smoulderings below.
rolled the body Of Carter down through
the door, and il fell in the fire. One side of
the body was roasted brown, and while lay
beside it could smell the flesh as it was
cooking. 1t was soon, no doubt, devoured
by the flames below, but I could not see
down for the smoke and heat.
Daylight at last came. was now out of
danger from the Indians, for was 80 feet
from the ground. Still they tried to get up
to me to take my scalp. Two Of the Indians
/ knew very well, Joe and Bob, as they were
called; they had been at sea and were pretty
good sailors. They undertook to ascend by
the lightning rod, Of which they made lad
der by tying short bits Of wood on which
they would mount, them binding another
stick, mount again, and SO on, until about
half way up. / was prepared to give them
the high fall. had an Old knife with which
I quietly commenced saving the copper
wire in two which kept the rod fast az Top.
and which / could reach as 1 lay; but they
desisted after getting half way up. These
two scoundrels spoke to me IN English sew
Sral times during the previous day, sayingi if
/ would open the door and surrender they
would not harm me, but the devil trust chem,
knew them 100 well for that Il. was now
about ten O'Clock in the forenoon and they
an prepared 70 leave, number going on
board my litae vessel and the rest
along the beach, carrying away every
thing that was at all valuable. And here
was /, on the the 26th Of July, on my back,
at the top of the Light House with six rifle
balls in my feet and legs, The skin off my
body in many places, lying on q store floor
with the sur shining in my face OF the
coastof Florida where had been for months
without seeing white mani Three days
lay il this situations with a burning fever;
my very brains it seemed 70 me were dried