The banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1844-1847, 1846-07-15
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FOR THE BANNER.)

ScTlOer, ii you VIII puOllSh IN your pa
per, the inclosed communication from
the "'Southeras Post, Macon Ga, Feb'y
23d 1889.
The incidents related, are strictly
true; but they occurred at different
times and at different camps
The officer Of the guard, (called
Lieut.. CALHART,) know to be Capt
VIM. M. CALHOUN Of our District He
was the late popular commander of that
fine volunteer company, the AbbeuiNe
Artillery, which dates its existence pri-
or to the war Of 1912. Capt CALHOUN
in the Seminole war, was Lieutenant
in Capt. PARKER's company. T.
THE OFFICER OF THE GUARD.
The sun had already sunk in the
west, amid the gorgeous coloring of
southern horizon, and the last streaks Of
day beginning to disappear: when a COM
pany ofmen might have been seen wen
ding their way, IN silence through the
trackless wiids Of Florida. They might
perhaps have numbered hundred, but
their haggard looks and uneasy pace,
showed that they had been wearied by
long and toilsome march. They car
ried their knapsacks loosely s1ung over
their shoulders, and their sunburnt
countanances gradually assumed an air
of settled dependency, as they looked
around upon the savage wilderness en-
either side, now rendered more gloomy
by the sombre shades of twilight, and
thought that here they must pass rest
less night, and perhaps find a bloody
grave. 1t is perhaps a principle in our
nature, that we should couple darkness
with terror, and that the existence Of the
one should frequently be productive of
the other. But there were cifcumstan-
ces connected with their situation, still
more calculated to produce dependency,
if not to cause terror. They were in the
heart of the Indian territory, and sur
rounded by objects dear to the Indians
heart. They were invading the most
secret and sacred haunts of the red man,
and were perhaps, even now, treadlng
upon the consecrated mounds, that con-
tanned the revered ashes of his ancestors.
For these they knew he would contend,
until his pulse should cease to throb,
and his heart to beat. Here, perhaps,
in the days of their glory, they had
gathered around the council fire of their
chiefs, and as they pass the sacred calu-
met, listened to the deeds of daring re-
counted by their venerable heroes And
after having been driven from post to
post, and forced to abandon the most de-
sirable portion ofthcir territory, it was
thought they would, here, amidst the
relics oftheir former greatness, and in the
very theatre of their glory, make an eff
fort, the more to be dreaded, as it was
an effort of despair. Such were the
thoughts, coupled with the circumstan-
ces Of time and place, that infused de-
spondency into the hearts Of those, in
other circumstances, daring soldiers.
Meantime, they had gained portion
Of the forest more elevated than that i'm
mediately around it, but by so gradual
an ascent, as scarcely to be perceivabie
This place was chosen for a camp, and
preparations were accordingly made for
passing the night as comfortable as pos
sible. The ground, as is usual in that
portion ofthe country, was covered with
long grass, which served the double pur-
pose, of beds for the soldiers, and pro-
sender for the horses; while, at small
distances, were huge pines, the growth
of ages, whose clustering tops lowered
towards heaven, and formed a canopy
which partially warded off the dews OF
night = .''
The sehtinels had been posted, the
fires kindled, and the preparations for
supper commenced; and under the ln'
fluence of rest and comfort, cheerfulness
had again, resumed her sway, and the
merry joke began to circulate, when, as
ifby magic, a blaze Of light streamed
from the top Of the tallest tree, at about
the distance of q quarter of a mile Off
another soon appeared in the opposite