Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-03-15
51liscelloMeons.
The Two SPIES.

As EARLY as the year 1870, tho block-
house and stockade above the mouth of the
Hooking river was frontier post for the
hardy pioneers Of the north western territory.
There Nature was in her undsturbed livery
of dark and thick forests, interspersed with
green and towering prairies. Then the for
est had not heard the sound of the wood
mans axe, nor the plow of the hus0andman
opened the bosom OF the earth. Then those
beautiful prsiries waved their golden plume
to the God of Nature; and among The most
luxuriant of these were those that lie along
Hockhockiug Valley. and especially that
portion of it on which the town OF Lancas-
ter now stands.
Here the tribes of the North and West
met TO counsel, and from this spot led forth
the war path in different directions. Upon
one of these occasions, when the war si'Irlt
moved nightly among the sons ot Nature
and the tomaliawk lcapcd in its scabl'ard,
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,
it was asce,tained at the garrison above the
mouth of tie Hockhocking river, that the
Indians were gathering in great number Tor
the purpose of striking a blow Oh some post
of the frontiers. To meet this crisis, two OF
the most skilled and indefatigable spies were
DESPATCHED to watch their movements aud
report.
MCleland and White, two spirits that new
er qailed at danger, aud as unconquerahIe
as the Lybian lion, in the month Of October,
and on one of the balmy days OF indian sum:
mer, took leave of their fellows aud moved
on through the thick plum and hazel bushes
with the noiseless tread Of panthers, ermed
with their unerring and trusty rifles. They
continued their march, skiring the prairies,
till they reached that most remarkable promi.
nence, now known by 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 overlooks the vast plains below. When
this point was gained, our hardy spies had
position from which they could see every
movement Of the Indians below i'll the valley
Every day added a new accession of war
riors TO the company. They witnessed thei
exercises of horse racing, running foo
races, jumping, throwing the tonahawl
and dancing; the old sachems looking OF
with their indifference, the squaws engaged
in their playful gambols The arrival OF
new warrior was greeted with terrible shouts
which, striking the mural face OF Noun
Pleasant, were driven back in the various
indenta,ions Of the surrounding hills, produ
cling revcrberaiions and echoes as if ter
thousand friends were gathered at Il univer
sal levee. Such yells would have strucl
terror to the hearts of those unaccustomec
to Indian revelry.
To our spies this was but marital musi,
strains which walked their watchfulness
and newly strung their veteran courage
From their early youth they had always beel
ON the frontier, and were well practised il
all the subtetv, craft and cunning of lnda
warfare, rs we'll as the ferocity and bloo
ahirstv nature Of these savage warriort
They were, therefore, not likely to be en-
SHARED by their cunning. nor, without des
perate conflict, to fall victims to their scalr
dnc knives or tomahawks. On several occa
.sions, small parties left the prairie and ascer
ded the mount from the eastern side. o
these occasions the spies would hide in tn
deep fissures of the rocks on the west, an
again leave their hiding places when the
nninvited and unwelcome visitors had disaE
pcared.
For food, they depended on jerked yen
son and corn bread, with which their knaE
sacks were well stored. They dare not kir
die fire, and the report Of one Of the
rifles would have brought upon them the er
tire force of the Indians. For drink, they dt
pended on some rain water which still stoo
in the ho,lows Of some Of the rocks; but,
short time this store was exhausted, an
M'Cleland and White must abandon the
enterprise or End new supply. TO aceon
plish this most hazardous enterprise, M'Cl'
land, being the oldest, resolved to make, til
attempt; and with his trusty rife in his han'
and their two canteens strung across b
shoulders, he descended by eircuitous rout
to the prairie, skrting the hill on the nortl
and under cover. OF the hazel thickcts b
reached the river. and turning to bol
point of the hill, be foand a beautiful sprip
within few feet OF the river, now known b
the name Of Cold Spring, on the farm of |