The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1848-06-26

VIC W tnot Tic utCiiSlc III SidI,
of Scott and of Webster, willvie with each 9TH
er in enthusiastic support Ct ZACHARY TAYLOR.
Their several States will be found pressing to
to the van of the Wing fleet, nor suffer them
selves to be enticed to shipwreck and destruc-
tion BY the song Of the syren.
CAPT. ZACHARY TAYLOR AT THE
SEIGE OF FORT HARRISON IN 1872
Extract of letter from Captain Zachary
Taylor, commanding Fort Harrison, hadi-
ana Territory, to GourrnOr Harrison,
dated.
FORT HARRISON, Sept 10, 1912
DEAR SIR:-As had not been able 10
mount guard Of more than six privales and
two non. commissioned officers for some time
past, and sometimes part Of them every 9TH
er day, from the unhealthiness Of the com.
pany,l had not conceived my force adequate
to the defence Of this pos, (should il be Wig.
orously attacked) As had just recovered
able to keep up much through the night
Afier tattoo | cautioned the guard TO be vigil
lent, and ordered one Of the non-commis-
stoned officers LAS sentinel could not see
every part Of the garrison,) to walk around
the inside during The whole Of the night, 10
prevent the indians from taking any advani-
age ofus, provided they had any idea of at
lacking US. About IL o'clock, ! was awak.
ened by The firing Of one OF the sentinels.-
sprang up, and ran out; and ordered,
the men to their posts, when my or.
derly seIjeant, who had charge Of the upper
block house, called out that the Indians had
fred the lower block house, which contained
the property Of the contractor, deposited in
the lower part, the upper having been as.
signed 10 corporal aud ten privaies as an
alarm post. The guns had begun TO fire
pretty sharply from both sides. directed
the buckets TO be got ready, and water bro,
from the well, and The fire exlnguished
Immediately, as il was hardly perceivable
at tina, time. Blu. from debility, or some
other cause, the men were very slow i'm ex-
eculing my orders. The word fire appeared
TO throw The whole of them into confusion:
by the time they had got the water aud bro
ken open the door, the fire had unfortunate.
ly communicated TO quantity of whiskey,
the stock having licked several holes through
the lower part Of the building, after The salt
which was stored there, through which The
Indians had introduced the fire, without be.
ing discoved, as The night was very dark ;and
IN spite of every exerliOn we could make
use OF, in less than moment il assembled 10
the roof, and baffled every effort TO ex,m.
guish il. As that block house adioined the
barracks that make part of the Notifications,
mos; OF tie men gave themselves up for lost,
and had the greatest difficulty in getting
any ofmy orders executed. And, sir, what
from the raging Of the fire, the yelling and
of several hundred Indians, the
cries Of nine women and children, IA part
soldiers and part cilizens' wives, who had
taken shelter in the fort, j and the dispondng
Of so many men, which was worse than all,
can assure you that my feelings were very
unpleasant and in fact there were no more |
han ten or fifteen men able to do great
deal, the others being sick or convalescen,
and 10 add 10 our other misiortunes, Two of
The sIou,est men in the fort, that had every
confidence injumped the pickeis and left us.
But my presence of mind did moi for mo.
ment forsake me. l saw that by throwing
off a part of the roof that joined the block.
house which was on fife, and keeping the |
end perfectly wet, that the whole row Of
might be saved, and leave only an
oil Is or 20 feet for the Indians, after
The house was consumed, and that tempo
rary breast work might be erected TO prevent
their even entering there. convinced the
men that this could be accomplished, and il
TO inspire them with more 6rmness
and desperation. Those that were able,
while others kept up constant fire from
he other block.houses and the two 5astionsl
the roofs ofihe houses, with DR..
Clark at their head, under shower of bull
els, and IN less than moment threw off as
much oil the roof as wa necessary. This
vas done with the loss Of only one man, and
wo wounded, and am in hopes neither of
hem dangerously. The man that was kill.
I'd was little deranged, and did not get off
he house as soon as directed, or he would
LOT have been hurt. Although the barracks
we're several times in a blaze, and an i'm
nense quantity OF fire against them, the
nen used such exeriions that they kept il
'nder, and before day raised temporary
reastworks as high as mans head. The
"uidus Couthucu " pOui III ucdVy ufe OF
all, and an innumerabIe quantity of arrows,
uring The time The attack lasted, in every
art Of the parade. had but one other man
illed, nor any other wounded inside the
ri, and he lost his life by being too anx-
Jus. He got into one Of the galIies in the
aston, and fired over the pickeis and call:
d out TO his comrades that he had killed
n Indian, and neglecting to sioop down, in