The North-Carolinian., 1854-04-15

ARTENTIRE.
xhne nfIc-Hh great Canoe Fight.

I'M = r. -. = - 9 go sos
his & a. samael Dale was yet.a 10y,
sett from Virginia, and made a
| IA !:.e site of the present town OF
= 80 But afew DAYS had elapsed
| sS!c1 abjeet of our sEeteE---a youth OF
an sa.mmers-found himself an orphan;
Len Y! tta. of his seniority, gnardsan Of sey-
the u Is and sisters Disposing OF them U / /
! al,aa 5anner his limited resources Would
70 se.sssS Sosned .company4of volunteers, rased
cen 3 Z e invasions Of the Greeks; and here
/ .lsss-, that military caree which oniY,f,
as not p5siiosc- il 7sss:ow r
vf.>ioeSS Is acquainted with the history ef the !
Indian wais-with the bloody battles of Burnt
Corn aud Holy Ground--the terrible massacre
| of Fort Minis 1.-The hazardous expeditions of
Claiborne, a4i the Seminole campaigns of
! sJacksot-knf-s enough to appreciate the iron
nerve ard Gfng intrepidity Of Gen. Dale.
| We will onlyhotce a few of those remarkable
| adventures VIII which his life is so replete.
| His celebr@cd .tCanm Fight" in the Ala
bama rver il which lie and two of his COM
pany braincdiwith dubbed rifles, nine Indian
warriors in fir and open combat, is kind of
household wdl with our old settlers. Every
old crone Oh lie river could relate to you the
incidents of II, bloody conflict; while her aged
! partner, who4 head had whitened with the
growing Improvement Of his State, would hob
bic down 70 tf bank and point out the very
spot in the brtht waters where the two canoes
met; and if, lerchance, the reader has
made IL trip dtwn the river, that elegant
boat which beass hero's name, (Sam Dale,)
he has doubtleS had designated to him, by the
courteous captaS, the time-Eonored old beach
which marks thdspot, as we'll the high pro-
jecting bank which had previously sheltered
the namc-sake flis boat from the fire of the
| Indians.
Soon after the Moody tragedy of Fort Minis,
many of the whiteA urged by their defenceless
| condition. and the increasing hostities of the
| Indians, took refuge in Fort Madison. AS
Gen. Claiborne wal prevented from marching
to their aid, by theI hostile movements Of the
| enemy about st. Stephens, Capt. Dale and
AS soon as his wounds, received at Burnt Corn,
were sufficiently healed, Dale determined to
change his line of conduct from defensive to
offensive. With seventy men he proceeded
enthusiastically to Braziers landing on the
Alabama. Hero they found two canes, be-
longing to negro, named Caesar, who Informed
them that th.re Indians above there, on
/! each side oft'-- river Hs also tendssrSsd them
80 rsc Of the caro-, ,rntcred so.act as
/ their pilot Captain Da'c ihnsa 'a'eiy placed
4liiii 111lial1 - 1tf p !; I'LL "a;
of Randd : Creek, the canoe party discovered
a boat, filled with Indians wlo, however, inl-
mediately padded to the shore and fed. The
land party, finding it impossible to continue
their route, on account Of the thick cane anea
vines, were ordered to cross ever, and proceed
upon! the other side While they were etfecting
Il passage, Dale and several Of his men kindled
fire SHIT distance from the river to pre-
pare their days meal. Thus engaged, they
were fired upon by party of Greeks from an
mbuscade.-Rctreating to the river, so as to
gain the cover of the projecting bank, they dis
covered large fat-bottomed cann containing
eleven armed and painted warriors The party
J).l oh
his own conrsc towards those in the boat. As
beth of his canes We're on the opposite side,
Dale ordered the larger to be manned.
Two OF the warriors now LETT their boat and
swan for shore, but bali from the unCrr.ng
rifle Of James Smith perforated the skull of one,
who Immediately sunk; the other gained the
shore and escared Eight men had, III the
approaching the Indian boat; but coming near
enough to see the number Of r:ticmuzzles over
the edge of the boat, they hastily padded back
! to the shore
/ Dale, exasperatcd ''y this ''cIear back out ,
as he termed it, of his men, shouted to them i'll
| a scornful Tone "to look and three brave
men do what eight towards had shrunk from :
and followed by Austill and Smith, sl,rarg inte
| the smaller cann which the faithful Caesar had
lust brought over. Padding their cann direct
ly towards their enemies, they soon commenced
! the "Cana Fight " proper-so celebrated il
! a alabama tradition.
When within twenty PAGES Of the indians
our heroes arose III their canT, to give them al
opening broadsidc: but unfortunately, the rrim
| ing of their guns wet and they failed te
| fire Had not the same accident hefacn the
enemy the result Of the fight might have
been very d iftercnt. Dale now ordered Caesar
to bring Ms boat alongside the other, and Iol6
them together. The warriors, confident of then
strength, and eager to grapp!e with three men
whose guns would not fire. allowed their boa
! to move leisureiv along with the current. \:
the two neared each other, the chief arose. ane
with an ejaculation Of defiance to Big Sam, -
he could draw trigger, the latter directed blow
at him, which wonld have proved fatal had il
not been adroitly avoided. The canes came
together with a jar, which threw Austl slightI,
Oil his balance. and ere he could regain it, wei
directed bio" from war-club prostrated hin
across the boat. \ half dozen powerful arms
were rised to complete the work, when the
heavy rifle of Dale came down upon the head
| of the chief, with force which sunk it deel
into his skull Smith had been not less active
and bis trusty barrel had fallen with like effect
upon the skull of another warrior and the two
now felt their death throes in the bottom G.
| the canee. Austil had III the meantime recov
cred, added strength 10 the work OF destruction
The bold Caesar held the boats together witt
an iron grasp and with foot i'll each, oul
heroes fought.-Two successive blows from
AustllPs rifle despatched two Of the enemy, ont
Of whom fell overheard. Thinking to make sure
of his foe BY a second stroke, Austill leanes
r 30 or