Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1854-01-14
MASSACRE AT BLouNTs FORT.
ny J. n. GIpDINos.

vet found the ruins Of what was once called
"Blounts Fort" Its ramparts are now covered
with Il dense growth of underbrush and small trees
You may yet trace out It's bastions, curtain, aud
magazine. AT this time the country adjacent pre-
sents the appearance Of an unbroken wilderness
and the whole scene is one Of gloomy solitude, as
sociated as it is with enc Of the most cruel massa
cres which ever disgraccd the American arms.
The fort had originally been erected by civilized
troops, and when abandoned by its occupants nj
the close Of the war; in 1915 it was taken posses
sion Of by the refugees from Georgia But little
IS yet known Of that pcrsecutCd peoples their his
tory can only be found in tie national archives at
Washington. They had been held as slaves in the
State referred to but during the Revolution they
caught the spirit of liberty at that time prcya-
lent throughout our land, and fed from their OPP
pressors and found an asylum among the aborig-
ines living in Florida.
During forty years they he'd cfTcctually eluded,
or resisted, ali attempts TO rc-cnslaye them. They
true to themselves, to the instructive love OF
liberty, which is planted in every human heart
Most Of them had been born amidst pcrs, reared
in the forest, and taught from their childhood I,
hate the opprcssors Of their race. Most Of thos,
who had been personally held in degrading soryi
tudc whose backs had been scared by the lash %
the savage overscer, had passed to that spritlon,
where the clankng Of chains is not heard, wher'
slavery is not known. Some few Of that class yc
remained. Their gray hairs and feeble limbs, how
ever, indicated that they, too, must soon pass awny
OF the three hundred and eleven persons residing
in "Bounts Fort" not more than twenty had beer
actually held in scrytude The others were dc
scendel from slave parents, who fed from Georgia
and according to the laws Of slave States, were LA
bic to suilcr the same outrages to which their an
cestors had been subjected.
1t is most singular feature in slaye-hOldng NOR
ais, that if the parents be robbed Of their liberty,
deprived Of the rights with which their Creator has
endowed them, the perpetrators of these wrongs be
comes entitled to repeat them upon the children of
their former victims. There were also some few
parents and grandchildren, as well as middle-agcl
persons, who sought protection within the walls ol
the Fort against the ygilunt slayc-cachers who oc-
casionally were seen prOwling around the fortfca-
tions, but who dare not venture within tho power
Of those whom they sought to ensGye.
These fugityes had planted their gardens, and
some Of them had 1Jcks roaming in the wilderness;
all were enjoying the fruits of their labor and CON
graduating themselves upon Icing safe from the
attacks Of those who enslaye mankind. But the
spirit of oppression is inexOrable. The slavehod-
ers finding they could not themselves obtain pos
session of their intended victims called on the
President ofthe UnitedSates for assistance to perpe
trae the crime of enslaying their fellow men. That
functionary had been reared amid southern institu
tions lie entertained no doubt of the right of one
man to enslaye- another. Lie did not doubt that II
a man held in serytude should attempt to escape
he would be worthy Of death. In short he fully
sympathised with those who sought his official aid
lie Immediately directed the Secretart of War to
issue orders to the Commander Of the Southern
Military District of the United States" to send
detachment Of troops to destroy "Blount's Fort"
and to "seife those rho occupied ii and return them
to their masteys"*
General Jackson, ut that time Commander of the
Southern Military District, directed Lieut.. Colonel
Clinch to perform the barbarous task. | was at
one time personally acquainted with that officer,
and know the impulses of his generous nature, and
can readily account for the failure of his expcdi-
ton lie marched to the vicinity Of the Fort, made
the necessary recOgnisanco, and returned, making
report that "the fortifcaton not accessible by
land -"
Orders were then issued to Commodore Patterson,
directing him to carry out the directions OF the Sec
retary Of Of War. lie at that time commanded the
American Hotilla lying in "Mobilc Bay" and in
stantly issued order to Lieut.. Loomis to ascend
the Appelachicola River with two gun-boats "to
seize the people in Blount's Fort, deliver them to
their owners, and destroy the Fort"
On the morning of the 18th Sept, A. d. 1916, n
spectator might have seen several individuals stand
ing upon the walls Of that fortress watching with
intense interest the approach of two small vessels
that were slowly ascending the river, under full
spread canvass, by the aid of light southern
breeze. They were in sight Mt carly dawn, but it
was ten o'clock when they fured their sails and
cast anchor opposite the Fort and some four or five
hundred yards distant from it.
a boat was lowered and soon n midshipman and
twelve men were observed making for the shore
They were met at the waters edge by some half
dozen Of the principal men in the Fort, and their
errand demanded.
The young officer told them he was sent to make
demand Of the Fort and that its inmates were to
be given up to the shareholders then on board the
gun-boat, who claimed them as fugitive slaves v-
The demand was instantly rejected, and the mid
shipman and his men returned to the gun-boats
and informed Lieut.. Loomis Of the answer he had
received.
As the colored men entered the Fort they related
to their companions the demand that had been
made. Great was the CONSERVATION manifested by
the females, and even portion Of the sterner eeS
appeared to be distressed at their situation. This
was observed by IN old patriarch, who had drunk
the bitter cup of serytude, one who bore on his
person the visible marks Of the throng, well as
the brand of his master, upon his shoulder. lie
saw his friends iautered. and he spoke cheerfully
to them. lie assured them that they were safe
from the cannon shot of the enemy--that thore
were not men enough on board the vessels to storm
their Fort, and finally closed with the emphatic dec
laration: "Giee me liberty gire me death !" This
saying was repeated by many agonized fathers and
mothers on that bloody day.
A cannonade was soon commenced upon the Fort
but without much apparent effect. The shots were
harmless they penetrated the earth OF which the
walls were composed, and were there buried, with
out further injury Some two hours were Thus
spent without mjuring any person in the Fort
They then commenced throwing bombs. The burst
ing Of these shells had more effect There Was no
shelter from these fatal messages. Mothers gath
cred their little ones around them and pressed their
babes more closely to their bosoms, as one cxplo-
sion after another warned them of their imminent
danger. by these explosions some were occasion
ally wounded and few killed. until, at length the
lhrioks of the wounded and groans Of the dying
were heard in various parts of the fortress.
Do you ask why these mothers and children were
thus butchered in cold blond? | answer, they were
slain for adhering to tho doctrine that Fall men are
endowed by their Creator with the ihalieRabb rigM
10 enjoy lie and liberty" Holding to this doctrine
of Hancock and of Jefferson, the power of the ma
.yds Executive documents o. this ID Session 18th Congress
fit beysd that this report suggested by the hnmapy