Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1845-06-20


and duer reports ofthe Indian guns. The
fight became already more than doubtful; for
as the fierce impetuosity Of the savages cool
ed at the unexpected check they had re-
ceived, the deep Anglo-Saxon passion noun
ted higher in the breasts Of the whites. Not
that they gave vent to it, but il burned in
tenseIy within, rousing and concentrating
all the faculties, and giving double strength
aud aleriness TO mind and sense. With
forebeads knit, aud lips pressed close togeth-
err, they calculated the effect of every shot,
and seized every advantage that offered.
The Indians continually shouted taunts
and insults in broken English or Canadian
French. There was one warrior, in partic-
uar, who had been remarkable for his reck-
less intrepidity in the first onset, and now
lay crouched behind pile of rocks and logs,
loading and firing, and abusing his enemy
meanwhile to the best Of his power. He adj
dressed himself especially to the nearest
white man, by no means INDUCING him with
that igurative rhetoric which | have read
that the Indians are accustomed to employ
OH such OCCASIONS on the contrary, his Ian
guage was the vlest and most proiane that
he could gather from the refuse of white
men, mingled with lying boasts of his own
exploits Among the rest, he told his hear
err that he had killed his wife, and eaten her
heart, and to give emphasis TO his assertion,
he raised the scalp of woman on his RAM
rod, and shook it above the rock. The
white man did not reply word. but he no.
ticed spot IN the pile of logs behind which
he knew the savage lay, where the wood
,oarnoI tn hio .,ffsr iantlu dor ava1 n al
low the passage ola bullet and at this place,
he fired his rifle. The Indian did not shrek
as he received the wound, but rose convul-
sively from his shelter. when two more bull
lets were Instantly fired into him, and he
dropped dead. At this the dishearlened In
diaus broke leaping backwards from tree
TO tree, they retired up the hill the white
men pressed upon them with every faculty
at its tension hand, foot, and eye on the
alert Thus, in spite Of the disadvantage
Of the ground, they forced them slowly up
the ascent
Many rods up, diapidated old oak tree,
covered all over with wens and protuberan-
ces, rose from the midst of the rocks, and
stretched its solitary branch over the stream.
1t had once been the monarch Of that forest,
but the lightning had splintered away its top,
aud age had filled its gigantic trunk with
decay. Around 1t the savages chung tena-
cousy, and made their last stand. Al
length, as the bullets hailed in upon them
and the white men pressed them closer and
closer, they broke entirely, and with wild
cry retreated, scattering up the Forest
Then for the first time, stern deep shout
very different from the quavering yells o.
the Indian, burst from the throats of the
frontersmen. Throughout the fight, my
ancestors rifle had done good service, bu
now he could contain himself no longer
That impetuous ardor that sometimes sleeps
, beneath the habitual coldness of New-Eng
land, now rose and mastered him. WheT
the savages broke, he sprang out of hi
shelter. Clear the way, scoundrels ! III
shouted, dashing up the ascent with his ri
: fle dubbed but then his cap was strucl
; from his head thousand sparkles fashe'
: before his eyes, and he fell down headlong a
: mong the decayed logs and the wet moss
His companions, more experienced aud NOR
? cautious, did not follow his example. With
/ out giving the least advantage to the retreat
e ing enemy, or allowing them moment
: rest, they drove them on toward the top @
: the mountain. The smothered reports @
: the rifles the shouts, and occasional scream
# grew fainter and fainter, till they we're los
d in the distance:
d sand silence settled, wide and still,
q On the lone wood and mighty hill
h No trace of the fight remained but tn
smoke that chung in the damp, motionlcs
II air, and the dead who we're scattered abor
= the wood.
g Among these, to all appearance, was M
k ancestor. He lay on his face, poor fellow
f which had rested on his left arm as he fel
j. while the blood dropped from his forehead
e Yet he was not dead, or should never haS
If lived to write this history Of his exploits
h He laid four hours, as he told my grandf
e Their, in swoon, for the bullet had ploughe
d across his temple, within hair's-breadth
ID his life; my grandfather well remembers Il
ID scar, which is indeed plainly visible in Il
,e portrait of my ancestor which hangs in Il
n, best parlor OF my respected relative Brig
n der General ARENAS Carver, physician,
TX the town of Swanzey, New-Hampshire.-
II When his senses returned, he was in sta
re of wretchd bewilderment. He was qui
$, obivious of all that had happened, and u
ID conscious OF every thing around. A sem
y, oficy GOODNESS chilling all his limbs, and
$, dull pam in his head, were his only sens
ir tions when his eyes opened, till the drea
G. forms of the savage rocks and trees odtrudt
n themselves on his vision like a nightmare
c. He felt about him with his hands, al
c, grasped them full of clammy oozing moss
ly Then, turning his eyes upward, he behe
ey what increased his perplexity and confusio
&c 1t was pale, though handsome female fac