The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1848-08-16


Trading characteristics af the hoy. ana
ilhsse iixFd TAI destiny which has male
Iie man the brinstd 81 nation and lhs
admiration az the world.
he Eafsanos info ne Ar@g
lnleriiing in graf Iirgr-e the spirit n
his father. the mind of Zsrliary TSylnl
naturally inrllned 10 the military pnsles.
Sim. II was mi. however. until The rap.
Iure ~ the irigaie Chesapeake. nv British
cruiser. in prareful waters. had aroused
The national Indignation and Tendertzl wal
inevitable, that he seriously determined Ia
become a saldier. Animated. then. nv the
loiiiesI feelings Of PATRIOTISM. he procured
commission lram President JelTrrs0n,
aud entered The army on the 81 Of Nav.
lSus. as lieutenant in the 9Th lnlanlry.
'onirary 10 his ardent wishes. during the
first Fur wears "f his serviee no oppnrln-
nifty for distinction presented itself. His
life, however. vas Ear from idle. Ills time
was assiduously devoted TO srhO"ling him.
self in the srienre of war: aud. in Ibis. the
same peTsevering industry and lireless
energy whirh marked his hayhoOd disiIn-
guisheh and sustained him. Early 10
1912. after having hcen proiiiahly engaged
under General Harrison IN his expedition
against the Miami Indians. Lieutenant
Taylor was promoted To 4 CaplaIncy by
President Madison. Al the commerce
ment Of the war with Great Britain. which
was formally proclaimed nn the 10Th Of
June, IN that year. lIr was in command
Of Fort Harrison. rude sinrkade. Of lIl-
ile strength, situated "n the Wabash. near
Terre Haule. in the present State Of ln.
diana. His fore was about fifty men. but
the most Of them were worn down by
sickness and fatigue. In This disabled
condition, with only twenty men fit for
duty, he was attacked. an the irh Of Sep
tcmher. by body of nearly fifteen hun.
dred Indians. But eak as he was. and
slender as his resources. he shaved him.
self every way equal to the occasion.
j Tie Define. Of Fort HarrisOn.'
/ About | | o'clock at night, the attack on
the Fort commenced. and Captain Taylor,
himself an invalid, was awakened from
his bed by the alarm gun Of sentinel.
lie Instantly sprang out, and ordered the
men to their pests. A moment after, the
cry Of FIRE, caused by The burning of the
lower hIorkhouse containing the conirac.
tors property, which hal been fired ny
the Indians. threw all into confusion. The
men were so frightened that Two jumped
The pickets, vainly hoping 10 escape, while
their companions gave up all as lost. The
youthful commanders presence Of mind
did not lnrsake him. Amid the raging of
the flames, the cracking of burning TIM
beers, the bowling of The Indians, and
shrieks Of The women and children, who
had sought his protection, he alone, Of that
little garrison, was firm and untannied.
Ills ready foresight dicovered that, by
throwing of the roof of the barracks all
joining the bluckhouse, to which the
flames had spread, he might save the
buildings, on which the fate Of his COM
mand depended; for these barrark walls
formed a principal part of his delences.
His men, convinced OF. the placticability
Of his plans, worked with alacrity and ac-
complished what was necessary. This
success so encouraged them that all his
orders were soon cleerfully, oheyed. In.
spired. indeed. with his self-pos.ession
and GOODNESS, they worked necessarily.
and not ony extingui>hed tie fire which
was several times communicated to the
barracks, but with temporary breas,work
closed the gap, during the night, which
had been made in the works by the burn
ing of the hlockhouse. <
The Indians did not slarken thei fire
for seven hours, during which shower of
bullets and arrows was poured into the
Fori, and yet Captain raylor's loss, ex-
cept one of the men who was cut to pieces
outside of the pickles, was only one killed
and two wounded. Although severely
repulsed. the enemy remained in sight
throughout, the day succeeding their Sc
cond attack. but apparently with no dis
position TO renew il. On the 18th Of the
month, reinforcement, as oppprtune as
it was unexpected, of several companies
of rangers and Indiana volunteers. came
to Captain Taylor's relief. Advised Of
this increase Of its strength, although
greatly incensed at their disgraceful defeat,
and eager for revenge, the Indians made
no further attempt to take Fort Harrison.
lis defence, all the circumstances review
ed, was certainly mastery performance.
and exhibited the highest grade Of military
talent. II was not, however, as simple
act Of gallantry that it deserved, as il re-
ceived, the full commentator of the coun.
try--lhis was awarded even more to the
excellent results it produced. ltchecked
for while, at least. the insolence, and
cooled the artlor. of the merciless foe that
British intrigue had excited tn raise the
war-cry against the infant settlements on
Notc.-This sketch of Gen. Taylor is prepar-
ed for general circulation It cannot be expected
that . full description of any of the battles will
be attempted. Deiailwill be avoided as much as
possible, SO as to preserve the character OF the
publication - 81