New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-03-02
Gen. Samuel Dale.
HIS GREAT CANOE FIGHT.


! HIS GREAT CANOE FIGHT
4 In 1874, when Samuel Dale was yet a boy,
ms father moved from Virginia, and made set
tlemeht u near the site Of the present town OF
greensboro, Geo. But few days had elapsed.
when the subject of our sketch--a youth of six
teen summers-found himself an orphan and
IN virtue OF his seniority, guardian of seven
brothers and sisters. Dsposing of them in the
best manner his limited resources would allow.
ne Joined company of volunteers raised to repel
the lnvasions of the Greeks; and here com
mehcea that military career, which only closed
when the difficulties of his country ceased We
do not propose to follow it up. Whoever is ac-
quainted with the history Of the Indian Wars
with the bloody battles of Burnt Corn and Holy
dround-the terrible massacre of Fort Minis
the hazardous expeditions of Claiborne, and the
| seminole campaigns of Jackson--knows enough
10 appreciate the iron nerve and daring intre-
pldity ct Gen. Dale. We will only notice few
OF those remarkable adventures with which his
life is SO replete
His celebrated ''Canoe Fight in the Ala
bama river, in which he and tive of his company,
Drained, with dubbed rifles, nine Indian war
r1ors, IN fair and open combat, is kind Of
household word with our old settlers Every
old crone on the river, could relate to you the
incidents OF the bloody conflict; while her aged
partner, whose head had whitened with The
growing improvement of his State, would hobble
| down to the bank, and point out the very spot
| IN the bright waters where the two canoes met:
and II, perchance, the reader has ever made a
Trip iowa the river, on that elegant boat, which
| pears our heros name, (Sam Daley he has
| doubtless had designated to him, by the court
eous captain, the time-honored old Beech which
marks the spot. as well as the high projecting
bank which had previously sheltered the name
sake OF his boat from the fire of the Indians
Soon after the bloody tragedy of Fort Minis
many OF the whites, urged by their defence
less condition, and the Increasing hostilities of
the Indians, took refuge in Fort Madison. As
| Gen. Claiborne was prevented from marching 10
their aid, by the hostile movements of the enc.
my about st. Stephens, Capt Dale and Col
| carson we're left In command of the Fort As
soon as his wounds received at Burnt Corn. were
sufficiently healed, Dale determined to change
his line OF conduct from defensive to often
slve. With seventy men, he proceeded south
Westwardly to Braziers landing on the Ala
| bama. Here they found two canoes. belong
ing to negro. named Cesar, who Informed
them that there were Indians above there
on each side of the river He also tender
ed them the use of the canoes, and proffered to
act as their pilot, Captain Dale Immediately
placed the canoes in charge of jeremiah Austiil
and SIX men, who were ordered to keep them
parallel with the party on land. Arriving at
the mouth of Randon's Creek, the canoe party
discovered boat filed with Indians, who, how
ever, immediately padded to the shore and fed
The land party, finding it impossible to continue
| their route, on account Of the thick cane and
vines, were ordered to cross over, and proceed
up on the other side While they were effectnp
a passage, Dale and several of lis men ,ndle5
a hre short distance from the river, to prepare
their days meal. Thus engaged, they were
fred upon by party of Creeks, from an ambus-
cade. Retreating to the river, so as to gain the
cover of the projecting bank, they discovered a
large hat-bottomed canoe, containing eleven
armed and painted warriors. The party be-
hind theml now retired, leaving Dale to choose
his own course towards those in the boat AS
| both OF his canoes were on the opposite side
Dale ordered the larger one to be manned. Two
of the warriors now left their boat and swan
Tor shore; but a ball from the unerrinC rifle of
James Smith perforated the skull OF one, who
Immediately sunk; the other gained the shore
and escaped. Eight men had in the meantime,
manned the larger canoe, and were approaching
the Indian boat; but coming near enough to
see the number of rifle muzzles over the edge
of the boat, they hastily padded back to the
| shore.
Dale, exasperated by this clear back OUT
as he termed it, of his men, shouted to them in a
| scornful tone, "to look and see three brave men
do what eight towards had shrunk from; and
followed by Austill and Smith, sprang into the
smaller canoe, which the faithful Caesar had
just brought over. Padding their canoe direct
y toward their enemies, they soon commenced
| the "Canoe Fight proper - so celebrated in
Alabama tradition
When within twenty PAGES of the Indians our
heroes arose in their canoe, to give them an
opening broadside but unfortunately, the pri-
ming of their guns was wet, and they failed to
tlre Had not the same accident befallen the
enemy, the result of the canoe fight might have
been very different. Dale now ordered Caesar
to bring his boat alongside the other, and hold
them together. The warriors, confident of their
strength, and eager to grapple with three men,
whose guns would not fire, allowed their boat to
move leisurely along with the current As the
two neared each other, the Chief arose, and with
an ejaculation of defiance to &c Big Sam, level
ell his gun at Smiths breast; but before he could
draw trigger, the latter directed blow at him.
which would have proved fatal, had it not been
adroltly avoided, The canoes came together
with jar, which threw Austill slightly off his
balance, and ere he could regain it, well di-
rected blow from war-club, prostrated him
across the boat half dozen powerful arms
were raised to complete the work when the
heavy rifle of Dale came down upon the head of
the Chief, with force which sunk it deep into
his skull. Smith had been not less active, and
his trusty barrel had fallen with like effect
upon the skull of another warrior, and the two
now felt their death throes, in the bottom of the
canoe, Austill had, in the meantime, recovered, |
anu duued ms strength TO the work ROIuSStfuCtlon
The bold Cesar held the boats together with an
iron grasp, and with one foot in each, our heroes
fought. Two successive blows from Austill's
rifle, despatched two of the enemy, one of whom
fell overheard. Thinking to make sure of his foe
by a second stroke, Austill leaned forward to
strike, when he was again prostrated by an In
dian club. The exulting savage, never forgetful
of scalp. raised the -whoop-seized his vic
tim by the hair-the sealp-kn glittered in
the air, when another timely blow from Dale's
dubbed rifle divided his skull Tradition says,
that so great was the force of the blow, the
skull was split from the crown to the vertebral
column. In the meantime Smith, at the other
end of the canoe, grappled with two lusty war
riors, He was powerful man; but the chances
now were against him. The iron-elutches of
one OF his assailants are upon his throat-the |
tomahawk of the other above his head He
sees his danger; one foot is in one canoe, one
in the other; with a desperate effort he gets
both feet in one canoe, and draws one Indian
after him, while the sudden movement separates
the end of the boats and leaves the other be-
hind, to meet the fate of those who had already
come within the range of Dale's and Austilfs
Seen Dale Of his great size and strength
was known TO the Indians as Big SAM