Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-08-09
FOR THE SPIRIT OF THE AGE.
The Crow Dinner.


The morning rose bright and clear, sin
gle fleecy cloud foated IaziIy towards the
east, dimming for moment the bright rays
of the sun, which sparkled on the bright
leaves heavy laden with raindrops which
now and then came slowly to the margin of
the leaves, and fell to the ground. It was
the 18th of July, and on that day there was
to be Crow dinner. All! in those words
hung the interest with which we welcomed
in that bright and beautiful morning. A
crow dinner-the very name fascinated me,
and | longed for the hour to come that we
should HE away to the romantic hills near
Gray's Mill. was quite a stranger, and
bnt little prepared for the beautiful scenery
which burst -upon me The steer erJe; Jaes;aagg
bright green trees-the sT56th unrippled
milIpond, all combined tol present very
pretty scene for an artist pencil. Then i'm
agine several hundred men gathered on this
spot, each wearing his holiday dress all clean
and neat. Buggies and horses thronged the
roadside. All of this crowd did not belong
to the Grow party; but all we're there thro'
special invitation.
At the hour of eleven some gentlemen
waited upon Rev. A. J. Battle, and reques-
ted him to deliver them temperance lee
ture, which he did very willingly. AS soon
as he arose under the shade ofa broad spread
hickory, and standing upon the ground as a
! platform, every voice was hushed as he in
trodoced his topic The constitutionality of
Law to prohibit the traficin Intoxicating
I A i r. 1
around the speaker, while many sat in their
buggies, and Others on the tinbers piled
close by, listening with fixed attention, to the
array of facts and arguments, by which he
sustained his position and its 5xpgdiency.-
Now had ample time and opportunity for
looking about and making observations -
Two old men were one side not far from me
cooking their barbecue, composed of ten
goodly sized pigs. The fire was bot, and |
should have thought wonld have kept the
Ice pigs far away; but no, around that fire
was their particular favorite haunt, until one
little fellow had his nose severely burnt
then such sqealing-he however learned
wisdom by it and lef: the ground.
When the lecture was concluded, CAPTAIN
Creech called out All the men that belong
,, to the crow party come up;'-then smiling
faces might be seen thronging around their
leader. The company was composed Of l02
! men, equally divided into two parties; one
party headed oy Capt. Creecb, and the 9TH
er by Capt. Kennedy. These parties had
been formed some months before, and each
7 promising on this day 12th of Juiy,) to
5 bring as many crow, hawk and owl scalps as
] he could by any means obtain and it was
: agreed that the party which should bring
5 the most scalps, should eat dinner at the
expense Of the other party. But while
r counting the scalps it was agreed that all
7 should assist in paying for the dinner. On
: counting tie scalps it was ascertained that
t, Capt. Kennedy's party had 38I-while Capt.
. Creech had only 268 making in all 649.
After they had burned the scalps, re-
J, quest was made by the people that the can
' didatesfor Lenoir and Greene, Messrs. Speight
!? and Patrick, should make speech, and OF
n course they complied. Mr.. Speight spoke
e first, but the audience did not pay as much
it attention to his arguments, as they did to
y the temperance. lecture. While Mr.. Pat
: rick was speaking he became thirsty and
y called for water, some was brought in one o.
IF the largest sized gourds, with little oblona
a hole cut on one side Of the neck and tc
r me it was iaughable sight to see him turr
ot up that big gourd which hid bis whole heaG
IS from me. sight not easily fsffgotten. Co
to the gourd was as large as half bushe
rs measure. Before he had closed his speech
n a loud call, All who want any dinner mas
= come and getit, echoed through the crowd
he and every one hurried on to take care G
: number l, causing Mr.. Patrick to end speak
or- ing abruptly. A large wooden tray hoIdln
ed nearly one small pig, with several loaves
to nice corn bread, was brought to me vita b
We coming politeness, and | helped to eat o.
IT, lerow dinner,