Litchfield enquirer., 1854-05-18
NisceIiapy.
A FRONTIER SCENE.

The following anecdoie which is highly characteristic of the period of our history
 in which it occurred, and of the persons 10 whom it relates, was communicated to US in conversation, from highly respect able source, and is given without allera. ton, except such as unavoidably occurred in clothing it in our own language.
 Capt. Crawford of Viiginia-.he same who afterward, under the name of Col. Crawford, was taken prisoner, inhuman> ly tortured. and murdered by the Indians; was marching a company from the iron
 tiers of his own State to the Ono river. The occasion is not exactly known it nigh. have been during B,addock's ex> petition in l163. or in some of the ex.
 petitions previous to Dunmore's war,
 which occurred in l774. From the ages of the parlies we rather incline to the former da'e. Ciawford's men were, of course, hunters and farmers from the out skirts of the Virginia settlements most probably young. da'ing. hardy yolun, teers, of the same class as the pioneers who shortly after that period overrun the forests of Kentucky and he himself was bold, en,e, prising man. Previous to his leaving the neighbolhood of the se,> clement, Crawford. by some accident. found himself in want of the means of transportation for some of his baggage or stores, and at place where he halted in the woods fortunately fell in with a wagoncr who had stopped 10 rest his horses at the same post. In such an emergency. Capt. Crawford felt no hesi. ta'ion in pressing the .eam and is driver into the vice. and accordingly commu- nicated his design 10 the wagcner. Tine latter. highly inccnsed. was inclined tc resist what he considered an opposing act but he was alone, inihe midst of 8 military band, who we,e able and ready. at a wold. 10 enforce their commander order. The wagoner was great. gigan. tic, two fisted. square built fellow, who bore ou his fece the marks of many a hard fought battle. He was in fact. a noted brmser. He received Capt. Craw- fo,d's order with an air of great dissat- isfaction, and remained for moment si- lent. looking sullenly at the troops, as tt | if indignantly measuring their strength ae ainst his own weakness. He then ob-
 served to the Captain. that it was hard to 20 against his own will-that every | man ought 10 have a. fair chanee-that he had not a fair chance, inasmuch as the Iudds were co great against him as to de priye him of the power of protecting hts
 own right. He would. however. make lp,oposiiion. which he thought the Cap tain was bound in honor to accede to: "l
 will fight yoa," said he. "or any man T
 your company. If I am whipped. l vii
 % with you 'cheeffully: but fl l couqae
 You must let me cff. !" In making ihi
 proposal, the wagoner showed himself al
 able negotialor. He either knew Craw ford's character, or hsd read il during th'
 interview. The Captain was an exper
 woods man, stout, active and chivalrous and p,idtd q himself on his personal prov , ess. for which he had already obtained some celebrity. To have declined ih' waecner's challenge would have seemed , | to indicate want of manhood-it nigh ieesen him in the eyes of his men-an' his own disposition and code of ethics 2 pc, haps. suggested that the wagone vas entitled. in justice. to flair chGne , which be claimed. He accordingly ac copied ihe challenge. and both partie began 10 strip for the combat.
 Dl At this mnment. . tall young mar who had recently joined the company s and was asiEanger to most of them. VII { had been leaning carelessly againsta tse'
 syeing ths seene Ni.h apparent uncou