Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-11-16
fight his foes until death palsied his hands and
closed his eyes forever.


closed his eyes forever.
Directly as we ran through the pond l saw
the younger Holland (for there were two
brothers by the name of Holland,) shot moi
ten PAGES from me. And why there were not
more of us killed along there l can't imagine,
for the bullets were whzzing thick around us.
A constant fire was kept upon us by the Indi-
ans as we ran, for there were enough of them
for some to load while others fired We soon
came to field in our headlong fight-over
the fence we went. Here l ran side by side
with Dunlap short distance, or until ball
came whizzing between US and tore to pieces
an old stump not three yards before us. He
ran off to the right, and | to the left Hesaid
the Indians did not follow him /; but it seemed
to me if possible, that fresh numbers gathered
on my trail, for the green blades of corn were
popping and flying about in the, air in all di-
rections, and the loose dirt making perfect
storm of dust as the balls would strike the
ground. soon got to fodder stack, and
stopped behind it, thinking that would con-
ceal myself, for was getting pretty tired by
this time; but moments reflection showed
me the folly of such thought, that could
hide in such place from the lynx-eyed saw
ages; and it was well for me that reflection
made me wiser; for here the elder Holland
stopped, was found and murdered.
My clothes were wet and heavy. and i'm
peded my running. My shoes, bayonet, and
cartridge-box were gone, and now only had
my musket and some two hundred dollars in
money. My musket kept, but the money |
hid at the foot of an old tree, for [ thought I
would give the savages as little cause for ex-
ultation as possible. Throwing my clothes
away relieved me some little, and soon over
took my companions, who were leaving me
behind; and the Indians were still farther
back-we were outrunning them. Fear was
a greater incentive to action than even the
thirst for blood. | was becoming exhausted,
came to little dry puddle of water. Have
1t must-so scooped it up in my hands and
drank. Such water so sweet and delicious
1t was far better to me than the ambrosal
nectar; for it revived me, restored nv vast
ing energies, and started again on the race,
which if won was life, if lost was DEATH
| now soon came up with. the most of my
friends whom | had not outrun. We ran
nearly quarter on level ground, when we
came to the foot of large gradual slant.
had got about half way up this rise, when
again became exhausted. | stopped, turned
round, and could see no Indians, though l
could still family hear their whoops and yells.
Some six yards to my left l saw clump of
black-gum bushes. [ concealed myself in
them, but soon getting uneasy, / started again
on the race for life or death. In that patch of
bushes James Martin stopped, and in a few
days afterwards, when we went to look for and
bury our dead, we found him pinned to the
ground with his own bayonet.
Just as gained the top of the hill, felt
perfectly prostrate-calling on my comrades
not to desert me. In vain in vain They
were needless to my agonizing cry. l gave
up there to die. Every scene of my life was
enacted again before my eyes. | thought Of
my parents grief-my mothers cry for her
lost sonny sisters wild Iamentation-every
scene of my happy boyhood. All the friends
that once knew me would soon know me no
more. A soft sleepy langor seemed to be
stealing over me, when bark again hear
those savage cries and yells as if all the spir-
its Of the lower world were suddenly turned
loose on this fair world of ours to devastate
and destroy at their own pleasure. Those
cries infused new life into me, and sent nv
sluggish blood leaping and coursng again
through my veins. But ah poor Peydon,
thou was too far gone-thou vast already on
the confines of this world-and God was too
kind and merclful to let those demon yelIs dis
turb you as you lay painting your life away.
| staggered TO my feet, looked around and saw
the Indians not over four hundred yards be-
hind, brandishing their war-clubs, and their
guns sparkling and glittering in the suns
rays. / turned and looked forward, but with
faint hope. | saw at the foot of the hill on
which | stood, but rather to the left, small
piney-woods swamp. ! made my calculation
to run as far to the left as this swamp, and
conceal myself in it before the Indians gained
the top Of the hill | succeeded in gaining it,
and hid myself as effectually as possible, but
in few moments became uneasy and went
out of the swamp in the opposite direction
from which had entered it but there was
only an open piney-woods country in that d.
rection, and the Indians were so near | saw
that would not do. In this perplexity saw
still smaller swamp making into the one I
had just left. So / concluded | would try my
fortune in that one, for something must be
done, and that in few minutes, or was lost.
| ran into it and buried myself in the mud, all
but my head and my beloved musket to this
had clung during my three mile race. Al
though it impeded my running, | could not
give IT up. was determined if was wound
ed so could not run, / would carry at least
one of those dusky forms with me into that
unknown world. Hardly had | concealed
myself in the mud before heard single gun
hre-then yells Of savage delight. | knew
not then that that lone shot sent poor Peydon
70 his long home. My feelings were awful.