Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-03-19
Hherarp
From the biography of Rev. j. B, Fuller.l
The Two Spies.

4 The Two Spies. s,s
4 As early as the year 1890, the block-house an
stockade above the mouth of the Hooking ri
er, was a frontier post for the hardy pioneers
the northwestern territory There nature was
her undsturbed livery Of dark and thick forest
interspersed with green and towering prairies-
Then the forest had not heard the sound of til
woodman's axe. nor the plow OF the husbandma
opened the bosom of the earth Then those beau
tiful prairies waved their golden plume to the Go
OF nature; and among the most luxuriant of thes
were those that lie along the Hockhockiug Valley
and especially that portion of it on which the tow
OF Lancaster now stands. 20
Here the tribes of the North and West met t,
counsel and from this spot led forth the war patl
IN different directions. Upon one of these occa
sions, When the war spirit moved nightly among
the sons OF Nature, and the towahawk leaped in
Its seabbard, and the spirits of their friends who
had died in the field Of battle visited the warrior
in his night visions and called loudly for revenge
II was ascertained at the garrison above the mouth
Of the Hockhoekihg river that the Indians were
gathering in great numbers for the purpose OF
striking a blow on some post of the frontiers. To
meet this crisis two of the most skilled and ndefat
igable spies were despatched to watch their move
ments and report AA1 e----'i y-'
M'Cleland and White, two spirits that never
quailed at danger, aud as unconquerable as the
Lybian lion, in the month of October, and on one
of the balmy days of Indian summer, took leave Of
their fellows and moved on through the thick plum
and hazel bushes with the noiseless tread of PAN
thers, armed with their unerrng and trusty rifles.
They continued their march, skirting the prairies,
till they reached that most remarkable prominence,
now knownby the name of Mount Pleasant. the
western termination of which is perpendicular
cliff of rocks of some hundreds of feet high. and
whose summit from a western view, towers to the
clouds and oyer-looks the vast plains below When
this point was gained, our hardy spies had a posi-
tion from which they could see every movement of
the Indians below in the valley.
Every day added a new accession of warriors to
the company. They witnessed their exercises of
horse racing, running foot races, jumping. throw
ing the tomahawk and dancing; the old saehens
looking on with their Indian indifference. the souaws
engaged in their usual drudgery, and the children
engaged in their playful gambols The arrival of
new warrior was greeted with terrible shouts,
which, striking the mural face of Mount Pleasant.
were driven back in the various ndentations of the
surrounding hills, producing reyerberations and
echoes as if ten thousand fends were gathered at
universal levee. Such yells would have struck ter
ror to the hearts of those unaccustomed to Indian
revelry .s a.r. s..
To our spies this was but martial music--strains
which walked their watchfulness, and newly strung
their veteran courage. From their early youth
they had always been on the frontier, and were
well practised in the subtley craft and cunning of
Indian warfare, well as the ferocity and blood
thirsty nature of these savage warriors. They
were, therefore, not likely to be ensnared by their
cunning, nor, without desperate conflict, to fall
victims to their scalping knives or toinahawks.-
On several occasions small parties left the prairie
and aseended the mount from the eastern side
On these occasions the spies would hide in the deep
assures of the rocks the west and again leaving
their hiding place when their unlimited and unwel-
come visitors had disappeared
For food, they depended on ierked yerison and
corn bread, with which their knapsacks were well
stored. They dare not kindle fire. and the report
of one of their rifles would have brought upon
them the entire force of the Indians For drink
they depended on some rain water which still stood
in the holows of some of the rocks; but in short
time this store exhausted, and NI' CIelapd and
White must abandon their enterprise or find new
supply. To accomplish this most hazardous enter
prise, NJ Cleand being the Oldest resolved to make
the attempt; and with his trasty rife in his hand
and their two canteens strung across his shoulders
he descended, oy circuitous route to the prairie.
slSirting the hill the north and under cover of
the hazel thickets he reached the river and turning
to bold point of the hill, he found a beautiful
spring within few feet of the river, now known
by the name of Cold Spring, on the farm of d.
Talmadge, Esq. He filed his canteens and return
ed in safety to his watchful companion 1t was
now determined to have fresh supply of water
every day, and this duty was performed alternate
ly.
On ono of these occasions, after White had filed
his eanteens, he sat few moments watching the
limpid element as it came gurgling out of the bo-
som of the earth when the light sound of footsteps
caught his practiced ear, and when turning around
he saw two squaws a few feet from him. Upon
turning round the foot of the HILL the eldest squaw
gave one of those far reaching whoops peculiar to
Indians. White at once comprehended his peril
Gus situation. If the alarm should reach the camp
or town, he and his companion must inevitably
perish. Selfpreservation compelled him to infict
noiseless death on the squaws, and in such man
ner as, if possible, to leave no trace behind. Ever
rapid in thought, and prompt in action, he sprang
upon his victims with the rapidity and power cf
lion, and grasping the throat of each sprang into
the river He thrust the head of the eldest under
the water While making strong efforts to sub
merge the younger, who, however, powerfully re-
sisted him, and during the short struggle with this
young athletic squaw, to his astonshment she ad-
dressed him in his own language though in almost
inarticuate sounds.
Releasing his hold, she informed him that she
had been a prisoner for ten years, and was taken
from below Wheeling and that her brother and
herself were taken prisoners. but he succeeded on
the second night in making his escape During
this narrative White had drowned the elder souaw.
and had let her float off with the current where If
would probably not be found out soon. He now
directed the girl to follow him, and with his usual
speed and energy pushed for the mount. They had
scarcely rone half way when tbev heard III. olorr,