The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1848-07-08
Romance of the Past.

Romance OF the Fast.
,- The following incidents were related
by Hon. Geo. Ro bertson, Of Kentucky,
in an oratlon delivered at Camp Madi-
son, in that State, on the last anniver-
sary of our National Independence:
In the "Blue Lick Defeat' on the
2olh Of August, 1882, the cormorani of
death fed greedily on the flower of the
first settlement. On that most dread.
ful of days, every settler lost friend,
and every family prop. And on tina,
sanguinary field, the CoIonels Todd and
Trig, the chlvalrous, Captain Harland,
and the gallant, intrepid son of Booze,
lay undistinguished among the promis.
.cuous wolves and vultures, so as not 10
he recognised by their friends, who,
three days after the battle. inferred the
remains. A few of their crumbling
bones, since collected by their country
men, now lie exposed TO the huctuating
breath of the elements. in confused pile
on the summit of the bleak and rocky
plain where the heroes fell. We can.
not now imagine, much less portray
the grief and dependency that perva-
ded the land, at the intelligence Of that
days catastophe. Every bosom hea-
we'd with the ,remulous impulse Of sad.
dened wo. But the survivors, though
mourn(ully bereaved, were not TO be
discouraged or dIsmayed. They were
Hesolved never 10 falter in their first
and last effort to subdue the wilderness
but rather to die in the attempt. lsrael's
God stood by, and sustained the noble
and iorlorn band, for their cause was
His. On the long roll of that days re.
ported slain, was the name Of one who
had, in fact, been captured, and after
surviving the ruthles ordeal of the
gauntlet, had been permitted to live as
a captive-had been taken by tribe
and painted black, as the signal Of tor.
lure and death to all. .......
The night alter the battle twelve
prisoners were stripped and ranged in
line upon log: he to whom We have
specially alluded, being at one extrem.
iiy of the devoted phalanx. The cruel
lcaptors, then beginning at the other
end slaughtered eleven, one by one;
but when they came to the only sur
vivor, though they raised him up also,
and drew their bloody knives to strike
under each uplifted arm, they paused,
and after a long powow, spared his life
why he never knew. ....
For about one year none of his
friends, except his devoted wife, doubt
ed his death. She, hoping against rea-
son, still insisted that he lived and
would return to her. Weoed by anoth-
er, she from time to time postponed the
nuptials, declaring that she could not
divest herself of the belief that her hus-
band survived. Her expostulating
friends finally succeeded in their efforts
to stihe her afectionate instinct; she
reluctantly Welded and the nuptlaI
day was fixed. But just before it dawn
ed, the crack OF rifle was heard near
her lonely cabin, and at the familiar
sound she lenped out like liberated
fawn, calculating as she sprang, "That's
Johns gun" 1t was Johns gun, sure
enough; and in an instant she was once
more in her lost husbands arms. But
nine years afterwards that same hus.
band fell in ST. Clair's defeat; and the
same disappointed but persevering low
er renewed his suit and at last the wild
ow became his wife. The scene OF
these romantic incidents was within
fgun-shot of my natal homestead; and
with that noble wife and matron | was
myself well acquainted.
1a Blessed is the man who has vile,
MS ii is cure for sel6shness: he can
never have his own way.
! Blessed is the young man that has
plenty ofmoney: he will be the fayorile
of all mothers who have grown up
daughters. 4
2 Blessed is the young lady whose
father deals in cotton: it will cost very
little for bustles. .e.s IL. i