Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1854-02-22
HARRISBURG, Va, WEDNESDAY MORNING, FEBRUARY a. 1854

I
unknown wilderness. alng the Vermont
shore. For four days be lived on birch bark
then he caught few Gil. and managed OIL
80 to secure wild duck. The fish and duck
he ate raw Thus he latored on during ten
days Ills feet meanwhile. had become 50
badly cut and SO intolerably sore. that he
could scarcely crawl. and swarms Of mosqui
toes made every moment 81 rest moment Of
misery, While thus wretched and worn out,
be was bitten on the calf 0frhc leg by rat
tie snake. What did tbs young hero do
then? Yield and die ? Not he. With a
stroke Of bis jack knife he laid his leg open.
producing penteous ads Of blood. AMI With
another slew the poisonous reptile. Aud
then came . day or two 6such xpericnce us
few meet with in this li!ef Sammonds. worn
to a skeleton. with feet Issged from wear and
tsar--l.is leg wounded; ard not soul within
twenty miles to help--lay there under the
log where he d been bitten. little FIRE burn
ing by him. which be had kindled by the aid
Of dry fungus, livingson the rattle. snake
which he had slain lie atc the heart and
fat first, and felt strengthened by The repnst
There he lay, under the log for three dsys-
patient and surgeon. sick man. hunter, cook
and nurse, all in one. On the third day the
snake was nearly picked to The bones. and he
was too weak to fetch wood to cook the re-
maindcr. Jacob made up his mind that
death could not De postponed, ard ha,in al
ready Shown how little division Of labor was
needed in such cases. determined to essay
one moro Office, and with his knife proceeded
to carve bis epitaph on the lg by his side.
But God was not far off from that brave
mar. He fell asleep and renewed strength
flowed into his limbs. On the fourth day he
rose refreshed, aud having made sandals OF
his hat aud waistcoat. proceeded to hobble on
his way once moro. taking with him as stores
the unconsumed portion Of his snake That
night he vas again comfoited being assured
by somc means to him unknown lie was near
fellow men. Rising with this faith he s.rug-
gled on till the afternoon, when be reached
a house and was safe 1t was the 2Stb of
June. 1880 Such were the fortunes Of ia
cob Sammonds
Ills brother Frederick was less fortunate
lie bad made many efforts, to 10 purpose, to
find Jacob. who when he fell, would not per-
init Frederick to stop to help him, ard 10
ceeking him had rua a.Assy risks. Al length,
he crossed the Sorel; killed an OK: made
some jcrkcd beef; and for several days tray
eled along the eastern shore 81 the Champlain
without i'll lack But on the morning of the
eighteenth day he awokc sick pleu,sy was
upon him fever in his veins pain in every
iimb. 1t began to rain also. and there he
lay, this other young hero not far from lis
brother who at that very moment, in that
very heigl borl God. was nursing his rattle
snake bite there he lay. knowing not that
any one was near him. for three days. on the
earth. in the summer rain aud lis blood nj,
on Grc, For three days, VIC say. lie lay thus
helpless lie ate Of his beef, but it was
spoiled. lie managed, however to crawl to
frog pond near by, put aside the green.
coating of the poll and drank lie caught
frogs. too. and toasted, though not French
man in any Of his tastes probably. Thus he
lay, for fourteen days aud nights; ard hav.
ing resigned all hope of life, he put his bat
upou pole, that it might be seen from the
lake.
1t was seen by an enemy; and he was
found senseless aud sp@chless, and carried
shame on the human creatures that bore
him black to his prison again And rot to
his prison only, but to Us darkest dungeon;
aud there, for fourteen months, in utter dark
ness. he lay in irons--in irons so heavy aud
SO tigh. that they alto into the flesh os his
legs, 50 that the flesh came off to the bone
Aud Cor fity six years aierwards--for be was
living in 1887, aud may he living yet--the
wounds then made did rot heal. The Brit
ish officer, whose heart en::,.iied him know.
ugly !" 80 TINS thing, vas captain of the
$50 regiment May G'd have mercy on his
soul
But F,edariak's adventures were not yet
ended for eeitber was bis captivity over nor
bis spirit broken In November, l7Sl, he
with others was transferred to an island
above Montreal, in the rapids Of the St. Law.
reuce There. as first step he organized
another plot for escape which failed and as
second step. jumped with companion from
the island Into the rapids, navigating among
the sharp rocks and fearful shoals with their
best skill. Landing on the north side ofthc
st Lawrence, they fought club battle With
a yillaue fnll of Canadian Freedman con