The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-08-04


them yet, my men! the dead hare risen,
and come to aid as" The company of
artillery followed, leaving Lieutenant
Armstrong and few men to drag up the
cannon. When one Of the guns, at length,
reached the top of the bank, the rammer
and picker were nowhere to be found
A man instantly wrenched the bayonct
from his musket, and rammed home the
cartridge with the stock, and picked it
with the ramrod. Lieutenant Armstrong
fell beside his piece; but as he lay upon
the ground, he cried out, MY brave fcl-
lows, some of you must fall; but save the
caunon." Such hcroism is always conta-
gious; and the men soon rallied, and
charging home on the savagc>, turned
them i'll flight on every side.
After bury ying his dead and caring for
the wounded, Jackson resumed his march;
and, four days after, reach Fort Strothcr
IN safety. Nearly onc-eighth of his little
army had been killed or wounded since
he left the post, anu he now dismissed the
remainder, who claimed that the time of
their enlistment was expired, and quietly
arrive for him to undertake n thorougc
campaign into the Creek country. They
soon began to come in; for his bravery
and success awakened confidence. and
stimulated the ambition Of thousands,
who were sure to win distinction under
such leader, and, by March, he found
himself at the head of four thousand
militia and volunteers, and a regiment of
regular troops, together with several hum
dred friendly Indians. While preparing
to advance, mutiny again broke out in the
camp. He dctcrmind this time to make
an example which should deter others in
future; and private, being tried and con-
vlctcd, was shot. The spectacle WIS not
lost on the soldiers, aud nothing more was
heard of "A revolt.
Having completed all his arrangements
jackson, with four thousand men. advance
cd, on the 10th Of March, into the Creek
country. At the junction of the Cedar
Creek with the Coosa River, he establish
eel Fort Williams, and left garrison,
then continued his march, with some two
thousand five hundred men, towards his
previous battle-ground at Emuckfaw.-
About five miles below it, in the bend of
the Tallapoosa, the Indians, thousand
strong, had cntrcnchcd themselves, deter
mined to give battle. They were OH sa-
cred ground; for all that tract between tho
Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers known as
the hickory ground" their prophets had
told them the white man could never con-
qucr. This bend contained about hun
drcd acres, around which the river wrap
ped itself in the form of horseshoe.
from whence it derived its name. Across
the neck leading TO this open plain, the
Indians had erected breastwOrk of logs,
seven or eight feet high, and pierced it
with a double row of portfolios. Behind
it, the ground rose into an elevation; while
still farther back, along the shore, lay the
village, in which were the women and
children. Early in the morning of the
25th. jackson ordered Gen. Coffee to take
the mounted riflcmcn and the friendly In
dams and cross the river at ford below.
and stretch around the bend, on the op-
posite bank from the village, so rs to pre-
vent the fugitivcs from escaping He
then advanced in front, and took up his
position, and opened on the brcastwork
with his light artillery. The cannonadc
was kept up for two hours without pro-
ducing any effect. In the mean time, the
friendly Indians, attached to Gen. Coffcc's
command had swan the river and loosen
cn large number Of canoes, which they
brought back. Captain Russcll's com
pany of spies Immediately lcapcd into
them, and, with the friendly Indians. cross
ed over and set the village on fire. and
! with loud shouts pressed towards the rear
OF the encampmcnt. The Indians return.
ed the shout of defiance, and, with a
courage and stcadncSs they seldom en-
hibited, repelIed every effort to advance.
The troops under jackson heard the
din Of the conflict within, and clamourcd
loudly TO he led TO the assault. He, how.
ever, held them back, and stood and list.
ened. Discovering at length. by the in,
cessant firing in a single place, that the
Americans were making no progress, he
ordered the bugles to sound the charge
A loud and thrilling shout rolled along
the American lire, and, with levelIed bay.
onets, the excited ranks prccipitated them.
selves on the brcastwork A witherinp
fire received them, the ritlc-balIs sweeping
like suAden gust OF sIcet, in their very
faces. Not an Indian flinchcd, and many
were pierced through the portfolios; while
in several instances, the enemy's bullets
were welded to the American bayonets
| The swarthy warriors looked o,rimlv
through the openings, as though imper-
yious TO death. This, however, was o
short duration, and soon the breastwork
was black with men, as they streamed up
the sides. Major Montgomery was the
first who planted his foot on the top, but
he had scarcely waved his sword in tri,
umph above his head, when he fell back
upon his companions, dead. A cry o.
vengeance sweIlcd up from his followers
and the next moment the troops rolled
like sudden inundation over the barrier
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