The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-09-04
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
From the New York Dutchman.
NOT A BIT OF DANGER;
OR. A STRONG GAME OF EUcRE.

OR, A STRONG GAME OF EUCRE.
Courage, moral or physical, Is q great gift,
but presence OF mind, IN moments of peril, is, in
some cases, a superior merit; in nine cases out
of ten, discretion is better than valor. A man
may guard against, by presence of mind, that
which the most obdurate courage cannot sue
cessfully combat; but GOODNESS or self pos
session have their drawbacks, as our story
Indicates.
Wehave heard Of very eccentric and sim
gular man, who carried on business in Bayou
Sara, down in the Mississippi country, some
years ago; Tufts was his name, TO which the
liberal hearted Mississippians had gratuitous-
ly added Captain-Capt. Tufts.
Captain Tufts was born on the frontier
during the days Of Indian fights and border
warfare, and lived years amid danger and
death in the South. To look at the old man
! one need hardly be told that be haaa some
pretty hard knocks, and no doubt indulged in
as many "scrimmages" as most folks could
boast of out there; as his head, hand, etc.,
| exhibited as many cuts and thrusts, humps
| and bruises, dots and discolorations, as the
hero ofa hundred Prairie fights, or score of
Peninsular campaigns, could well exhibit
And yet, no man wore a more peaceful-bar-
rim the warlike scars we mentioned-mild and
benevolent aspect, than that Captain Tufts
| and indeed his disposition and general man.
| ner was well daguerreotyped in his plain,
unvarnished, though engraven countenance.-
To fully illustrate the character and manners
Of the old Captain, we will relate few of his
adventures, which impart the causes and ef-
| fects OF the "outward signs'' Of the Captain's
| we'll tattooed complexion.
During the "Creek War;" as it was called,
Tufts was volunteer, serving under the COM
mand Of Gen. Jackson; and it so chanced that
Tufts end small party of his "fellow sogers'
| got astray from the main body, and went
blundering ndsbogtrotting through q swamp
| in which some four or FIVE hundred of the enc.
| my were encamped. and though it soon be.
| came evident that Indians were not far of,
and the companions Of Tufts were suspicious
ly uneasy, he pushed forward with long rifle
over his shoulder, calling out to his tardy
companions, who Jagged behind
Come along, come along, boys, there aint
no danger,"
Thus seduced, much against their WILL the
four companions OF the self-satisfed Tufts,
came along, and, all Of sudden, just as Tufts
| had uttered for the fftieth time-"come along
boys, there aint no danger''-a shower of arr
rows and bullets drove half Of the sentence
down poor Tufts throat-knocked him head
over heels among the brush, and killed three of
his four companions.
Some how or other, TUFTS crawled off, and
was picked up the next day, by some friends.
quite bewildered with wounds, but still insist
ing-"there aint no danger!'
The next exploit of considerable note, was
the finale Of bear hunt, in which Bruin hav-
ing killed two dogs belonging to Tufts, and a
fellow hunter, he crawled into dense chaparel
and disappeared; and though Tufts was told
by his companion that wounded bears in a dark
jungle were letter let alone, he insisted that
there W. M danger and wop. uok inu eroupd
the retreat ofthe bear until the wrathful animal,
gathering himself up for one grand, desperate
charge, rushed upon Tufs-Tufts fired into the
| monsters teeth, and received blow from Bru.
in that broke poor Tufts arm and to,e his scalp
half off! ltwas in vain that Tufts yelled to his
flying comrade that there was not a symptom
of danger: the comrade cleared himself and re-
ported Tufts torn TO shreds; but next morning,
Tufts was found by party OF hunters, in a
miserable condition, lying near his dead adver-
sary, and as his friends stood off a few yards
and hailed him. true TO his instincts, Tufts, in
the best tone OF voice he could raise, said
"Come up, boys, don't be afraid-there aint
a spec ofdaager"
Every body, near about, may have heard of
a certain desperate character whom sheriff
attempted to arrest in the courtyard at Nash
vile, during the sitting of court over which
Judge Andrew Jackson presided. The desper.
ado, holding himself upon his reserved rights
Ii. e. bowie and pistol)held the Sheriff and his
posse at bay.
"Tufs." said Judge Jackson, recognizing
his old acquaintance in the court, Tufts, 60
out and arrest that man; you can do it, by the
Eternal"
"Judge," said Tufts, "t kin be done, for
there aint no kind ofdanger in it,"
But the moment Tufts advanced upon the
ruffiar., followed by the iron nerved Judge, the
H.ad hull LOT MT oh cheek
of poor Tufts. laying him fiat upon his back for
a moment. Every bodv thought he was killed,
but in jifFy up jumps Tufts, shouting
"We've got INN, told you there weren't no
dangeEn Jackson had advanced; fixed his
eagle eye and the muzzle of pistol upon the
ruf1lan, and arrested him.
Firing salute, on the 9th of January, at
Memphis, that old cannon rebounded and acted
so unruly that Tufts proposed lashing the
piece firmly to platform; somebody ventured
to inquire ii the piece mightBt bust
Bust" said Tufts, who was swinging the
match ready to touch off the cannon-"busl!
no, there aiat any danger"
Tufts touched off the piece, and his friends
found him doubled up, with halfdoZen COM
pound fractures of limb and body, some eight
good rods from the muzzie OF the bursted can.
non. Tufts voice was near gone-he assayeo
to say somethng-a bystander put his ear to
the poor fellows lips, and heard IN very
faint tone
Il say told 'em there rasnf much dan
ger 20
When the gamblers were routed at Match
ez. Tufts was a resident of the city, kept a
store and done some trading on the risef.-
The gamblers having fortified s.a themselves dss% ,he u
one OF their principal dsns, tney denea .ns
citizens 10 ousr them. Tufts lived close Dy,
and was one OF committee appointed by the
citizens, to go TO the gamblers and to notify ,hy
ssmhIers ordered them of, and at once fired
1pon the committee. who, being missed. lost
no time in getting away, needless OF Tufts
raliying cry
Some back, men, stand your ground
there ais'tany danger"
OaIy just then, one Of the gamblers threw
a rock, which. hitting poor TUFTS between the
eyes, rendered his sissun ever after, very OBJ
lque. Tufts recovered and made bis appear
ance on board the Ben oher0d; il was her last
and fatal trip.
The boat was very crowded. She was new,
tnl fat nuJ naoutar. With marty of