Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-07-12
From the Southern Banner.
Captivity of Mrs. Crawley.
nv w STRICKLAND.

D1 W. 1hNOhbaNO' nc
During the war of 1919, upon the from ia
tier settlement of the State Of Tennessee, "
lived a man by the name of John Crawley. W
His family consisted of himself, his wife and Of
three children. He also had living with "a
him, in the same house, another man, who =
had a wife and one infant child. In the
summer of 1878, while Crawley, his son (
Camp, and the overseeer, were from home
on ahunting excursion, suddenly was heard, (
near the dwelling Of Mr.. Crawley, the keen
crack of the rife, followed instantly by the
startling sound ofthe war-whoop. Too well
Mrs. Crawley understood its meaning
Hostilities had already commenced between
the Indians and the United States. In a
moment, as is always the case with a mother,
Mrs. Crawley's thoughts turned to her two
little children. What was to be done, must
be done quickly, as a party of about thirty
Indians were approaching the dwelling with
all possible speed. She seized the eldest
of the two, a lad of sufficient age to have
some sense of danger, raised a plank Of the
floor, and dropped him into the cellar,
charging him not to speak, nor cry, or
make the leastnoise. He obeyed, and was
found by his father upon his return home,
unframed. But before Mrs. Crawley could
do any thing with the youngest, the Indians
were about to enter, and she had to conceal
herself behind the door. Soon the savages
were in, doing their work of death and plum
der. They despatched the overseer's wife
by shooting her through. They dashed the
brains Of both children out against the wall,
plundered the house and disappeared. Mrs.
H..-lo- .o-.oSaoJ - how oonoooIpont nm.
discovered, While bordering on the hor-
rors of the scene around her, she heard
footsteps approaching it was two Indians
returning. They entered, searched the
house, and one Of them discovered Mrs.
Crawley, and raised his tomahawk to strike
the fatal blow. She made signs for mercy ;
the other Indian %interposed in her behalf
and she was made a captive.
T For eight days they travelled on, until
they had reached, as she supposed, the very
heart of the Indian country. On the night
of the eighth day, when they had encamped,
the warriors painted themselves, and made
etbsy4Aegqpustrations Of some hostile inten.
two squaws along, who had to prepare ove1
: night their morning meal. One of then
]. plying Mrs. Crawley, (for woman, wheth
Q er in Christian or heather countries, Away
IS has a heart) made her to understand tina
before the sun went down the next day
q she was sentenced to die by torture an,
q that she had better make her escape, if pos
sible. One chance only seemed to offer it
self to her mind, and that was to 90 fo
It water, to a creek near the camp, while tn
warriors were asleep. She did so-leftth
water vessel, and attempted to escape. Sh
got into the creek and following its channe
4 two or three miles, discovered the trunk G
a large hollow tree that had fallen from th
bank Of the creek; into this she immedis
L tely entered. Soon the yell was raised, an
is might be heard in every direction, the Who'll
Of the next day. Several times Mrs. CraN
y ley heard her pursuers pass over the log i
which she lay concealed. When nigh
- came, the yelling ceased, and the pursu
ht seemed to be abandoned. But Mrs. GRAY
is ley knew something Of Indian characte
and feared the pursuit would be renewe
er the next day. Still something must
: done. To remain where she was, s~tarvatio
and death were certain. To undertake
- journey of several hundred miles through
wilderness country with no light to guic
Id her pathway, save the twinkled starlight
O. and even that oftentimes obscured by son
dark and lowering clouds, whose vivid fasl
u es and muttering thunder could only ad
a terror to the somewhere the shrill not,
of the panther, the providing of the vol
50 the Kissing Of serpents, the yelling of say
ges, the trembling, and upheaving wit
ne dangers, of the very earth itself, would hay
been sufficient, one might think, to owe
whelm with despair, the stoutest heart
IN But tho thoughts of her home, her husbar
y and children, made her reckless of all diff
~ c%ulties, and dangers, and she resolved
see her home again, or to die in the attemr
nd That night she set out and had to trav
he altogether by night, and subsist upon be
IN ries and roots. Eight wearisome DAYS al
lg, nights had passed, and still she had n
ad reached the white settlements. Oyercor
with hunger and fatigue, her strength b
gan to fail-to hold out much longer, wit
nd out something more to subsist upon, W
out of the question. To die of ~starvatio
er. in a wilderness, away from her home, b
he children and her friends, was somethi
too horrible to contemplate. To go a secol
,lto time into captivity, would be but to me
be death in the most appalling form.
As she was travelling on, amid the dan
he ness that enveloped her, revolving the
oss things in her mind, just before daybre
18th on the ninth nightof her journey, she fouI
ng herself in the suburbs of an Indian villas
She approached an Indian hut, resolved
enter and procure something to sustain i
a little longer. The mistress of the hut
he received her kindly, gave her a large co
led dumpling, and told her to hasten away,
to the huntsmen of the village would soon
nd up. In order to elude the vigilance Of
lot Indians in the event of a betrayal, she p
nus sed out of the village on the same side S
~ had entered it. Daylight overtaking /
IT, she had to conceal herself in a briar thic
YET ct, near the village. That night a VII
Ak man, an Indian trader, lodged in that '