New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-12-28


cloak clcssr around me, casting myself uPqn q
grassy bank, while my mind foamed far ano
vide, among distant friends ard scenes that were
daguerreo,yped upon my hearts tablet. Look.
i,y 10 at the palo orb, which sailed in queenly
,nsicsty ,hfcuph the blue, clocdi.lantea OCEAN
OF ether. thought Of Heore's beautiful idea
Sweet nsoos il like Grotcns, sage.
70 make thy disc its anpis page,
sod.sn,s my ,sosssht; 10Y wishes wishes there
No,v waadss Ger DE starry sty,
should smile upon the orb, 10 meet
The recollection END mud sweet;
Tho reyrsies Of fond regret;
Ard NIL my heart and soul would send
To many dear loved, distant fnana "
i NV SENSES, drowned in the dreamy rsveiie pro
aused by the strsnge yet beautiful wish OF the
: poet, gradually gave way 10 the advances OF
.sTir'd Natures s,yse. res,oser. ba!u,y Sleep
rum which the sweet carroIling of birds and the
h:eis's cal aroused me, 10 Look upon the first
sosy hlush Of the young day, as it'simidly stole
from It's night-shadow couch, Kissing the psarIy
dsw.drops from the monop5lisiBg flowers, and
applying the las. finishing colos-touch of psrfec-
ton to Dame Natu;e's toilet.
Hastily we made our dejeune, which delicate
repast consisted Of raw pork and ships biscuit,
and mann ny our boats, prepared to leave this
sadly beautiful island
- Ere took my seat in tho boat, pulled up
young magnolia, and planted it upon the grave
of the young Indian maiden, whom, had tof-
gotten to state, we had buried separately from
the sterner and harsher sex feeling that the
pure and delicate lily would not be fitting COM
!. panion for the decaying oak that there was
: something too pure In her to be contaminated
BY the touch even in death, Of the blood-stained
warrior.
- Some other hand had rudely carved on the
bark of the ovefhanging cypress, cross, the
symbol of a religion probably unknown TO her
{ who had SO lately been summoned to witness the
: dread reality Of all it teaches. But however
1 ignorant of our religious forms that paor girl
might have been, I doubt not that she had a re-
hgion, q pure and moral one toe; for have yet
90 meet an Indian who does not believe in the
power, and goodness of "Great Spirit" who
will reward the good and punish the wicked; l
have vet to see the sanage who believes not IN
some moral teaching faith and for many years
z i have occasionally met with the unschooed
aborigincs. in Their own territories and in those
( far southern chimes, where, from the time OF
Cortez and Pizaro up, they have been slaves
and bonGsnen, held beneath rod and yoke OF
irGn.
We left theisIand, and bent our course towards
that part Of the main land, to which the Indians
had on the preceding day retreated. Our boata
moved as lightly over the ripping waters as if
their; crews had net been diminished, and the
careless smiles, the merry eye, and lively chat,
told how sean the chill throwa by death around
men who are used to his presence, can be melted
sway--how light lis effect on such es have felt
and refelt his shadowy gloom. 1t is like tran
sient shade thrown upon the surface OF the blue
oceart by q passing cloud, felt or seen but for a
Az. IL.
less past for ever.
Az we rowed on, gliding over a lake that had
never before to our knowledge borne white
mans keel unless in the early days of enterprise,
when Spain's noblest cavaliers, emulous Of Me-
thusalch's reel Of time, sought
y $ Though tangled bake and forest een,'
the fountain OF perpetual youth--passing among
the Aowery islands, which, like brilliant gems OF
many hues in an szure sitting, were scattered
around as; the lively paroquet, the hamingo, with
Its coat of crimson down, and the pink curlew
would rise In whisling circles above our heads
screaming furth their alarm, appearing to know
shat we were strangers and intruders there. 10
the distance, the greybrown bnzzard lowered
oyer the pine.barreD, seeming with his ever hun
S battle. : ' :
The part of the main land towards which we
were now approaching, was thickly wooded with
heavy live oaks, and here and there few moss.
hung, spectral looking cypress trees. From oui
reckoning, we supposed ourselves near the spot
where Colonel, (now Brigadier GeneraD Taylor
had engaged an immense body of the enemy, on
Christmas eve, 1886, whom after a severe and
bloody fight, he drove from Their position, with
the loss Of near $50 men on his side, while, SC
far MS known, the loss on the sido of the enemy
was compare lively trifing. In this action, the
hardest fought during the war, the gallant 9th
Regiment of U, S. Infantry suffered greatly, one
Company being almost entirely annihilated, Its
officers all slain, with one exception, and hardly
man escaped uncrippled. Here In the foremost
rank fell the gallant Col. Thompson, Lieut.. Var
Swearnren, aud host Of Others whom at pres
ert We have neither space nor time to enumerate
The Indians, for weeks prepared for the confess.
had by many cunning vile and stratagem
drawn Col. Taylor to The spot, and after deliver
ing few fatal fires, when the bayonet opened
the branches Of their covert, fed to the lake
where The Colonel having no boats. could not
pursue them. Had the coal, calm, deliberate
bravery here exhibited, been displayed upon a
civilized field, the gallant 9Th would have beer
iaudcd to the skies, hat it is thought by many
TINT lite glory can be gained in an Indian war
Isis because the wilderness hides the face of the
menacing foc2 IL it because one cannot see the
haad which filings death through the ranks, thai
less bravery need be display cd in the combat
with the savage, ne who has no ear for mercy
and thinks it a crime to give even the hslploss
woman quarter2 False. unjust and mean are
such idens. Men can gaze upon an advancing
column, whenit moves upon the same ground as
that which they occupy, formed of men moulded
and framed ss they, with much more GOODNESS
T., ddr,cx
where every tree and shrubhy bush concoals u
aesdly foe; whsre the whiz Of a rifle bailis their
only, warning, their music, unearthly yells
which are echoed on every side by the sroans Of
those who sro falling uaavenged around, by
hands invisible. In such place, at such . time
kavs stood, ard the ,remor of every leahet
would send chill cold as death to my heart
every whoop seemed the laugh Of a demon,
waiting 10 drag mo to my grave and gladly