Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1854-03-19


and slavery. Furnish me with gun, and wi
show you how can fight as well as die. Tn
place leave not. Here my bones shall lie, bleacl
ing With yours and should either of you escape 70
VIII carry the tidings Of my death to nv few rela
tionsD $50 .'isa 'ais fzS +
Remonstranees proved fruitless The two srie
quickly matured their plan of defence, and vigorous
iy commenced the attack from the front where
from the very small backbone OF the mount, tn
savages had to advance in single file, and withou
any covert. Beyond this neck the warriors avail
ed themselves of rocks and trees in advancing, bu
| in passing from one to the other they must be ex
posed for short time, and moments exposure 0
their swarthy forms was enough for the. unerrin,
rifles of the spies. The Indians being entirely ig
norant of how many were in ambuscade, were NOR
cautious how they advanced.
| After brayely maintaining the fight in front ana
keeping the enemy in check, they discovered lev
| danger threatening them TIE arch foe now raads
evident preparations to attack them on the flank
which could be more successfully done by reaching
an isolated rock laying in one of the sravines on
the southern hill side. This rock once gained by
the Indaps they could brisg the spies under point
blank shot Of the rife without ths possibility Of
escape. Our brave spies saw the utter hopelessness
of their situation which nothing could prevent but
brave companion and an unerring shot These
they had not, but the brave never despair. With
this impending fate resting upon them, they CON
tnued calm and calculating, and as unwearied as
the strongest desire of life and the resistance of
numerous foe could produce. .,--. =
Soon M'Cleland saw tall and swarthy figure
preparing to spring from covert 80 near to the
fatal rock that bound or two would reach it, and
depended on one single advantageous shot; aItho'
but an inch or two of the warriors body was ex-
posed, and that at distance of eighty or hun
dred yards he resolved to risk all; he cooy raised
his rifle to his face, and shading the sight with his
hand, drew bead so that he felt conscious it
would do the work. He touched the trigger with
his finger, the hammer came down, but in place of
striking fire, it broke the flint into many pieces;
and although he felt that the Indian must reach
the rock before he could adjust another he proceed
ed to the task with the utmost composure
Casting his eyes toward the fearful point, sudden
ly he saw the warrior stretching every muscle for
the leap and with the agility of panther he made
the spring, but instead of reaching the rock, he
gave yell, and his dark body fell and rolled down
the steep into the valley below. He had evidently
received death-wound from some unknown hand
A hundred voices re-echoed from below the terrible
shout. 1t was evident that they had lost a favorite
warrior. as well as being disappointed for time,
of the most important movement. A very few
minutes proved that the advantage gained would
be of short duration; for already the spies saw
glimpse Of a tall swarthy warrior cautiously ad-
vancing to the covert so recently occupied by bis
fellow companion. Now, too, the attack in front
was renewed with increased fury, so as to reqaire
the neessant fire of both spies to prevent the In
dians from gaining the eminence and in short
time M'Cleand saw a warrior making preparations
to leap to the fatal rock. The leap was made, and
the 1niian turning somerset, his corpse rolled
down the hill toward his former companion. Again
unknown agent had interposed in their behalf.
This second sacrifice east dismay into the rnlss of
their assalants, and just the sun was disappear
ing behind the western hills, the foe Withdrew to
short distance, to devise some new mode of attack
This respite came most seasonably to our spies,
who had kept their ground, and bravely maintain
ed the unequal fight from nearly the middle of the
day.
Now, for the first time, was the girl missing and
the spies thought that through terror she had es-
capped to her former captors, or that she had been
killed during the fight; but they were not long left
to conjecture. The girl was seen emerging from
behind rock and coming to them with rife in
her hand. During the fight she saw a warrior fall.
who had advanced some distance before the rest,
and while some of them changed their position, she
resolved at once, live or die, to possess herself of
his gun and ammunition and crouching down be-
meath the underbrush she crawled to the place and
succeeded in her enterprise Her keen and watch
full eye had early noticed the fatal rock. and here
was the mysterious hand by which two warriors
fell, the last being the most intrepid and blood
thirsty OF tne ona'"ucc rrftc, and the leader of
the company which killed mo.ne. ....u 49,.
sisters, and took her and her brother prisoners.
Now, in the west, arose dark clouds, which soon
overspread the whole heavens, and the elements
were rent with the peals of thunder Darkness,
deep and gloomy, shrouded the whole heavens; this
darkness greatly embarrassed the spies in their
contemplated night escape, supposing that they
might readily lose their way and accidentally fall
on their enemy; but short consultation decided
the plan: it agreed that the girl should go fore
most, from her intimate knowledge of the localities
and another might be gained in case they should
fall in with any of the parties or outposts. From,
her knowledge of the language she might deceive
the sentinels the sequel proved for scarcely had
they descended hundred yards when low whist
from the girl warned them Of their danger.
The spies sunk silently on the ground. where
by previous arrangement, they were to remain til
the signal was given by the girl to move on. Her
absence, for the space of quarter of an hour be-
gan to excite the most serious apprehensions.
Again she appeared and told them she had suc.
ceeded in removing two sentnels to short distance
who were directly on their route The desee,t
was noiselessly resumed and the spies followed their
intrepid leader for hall mile in the most profound
silence, and implicitly following her footsteps.
A moment afterwards the girl was accosted by a
squaw, from the opening in her wigwam; she repli-
ed in the Indian language and, without stopping,
still pressed forward. In short time she stoprel
and assured the spies that the village cleared
and that they had passed the greatest danger. She
knew that every leading pass was guarded safely
by the Indians, and at once resolved to adopt the
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