Butte record., 1854-06-24
GENERAL SAMUEL DALE.
Els GREAT CANOE FIGHT.


and made 4 settlement acar he site OF
the present town Of Greensboro, Geo
But few days had olaspeJ, when tae
subiec; Of or ske.ch-a y.uth Of six
teen sa-nmeTs-!ound himse.ran orphan
aad in virtue Of his seniority, gaardiza.
ofseven brothers aud sisters. Dispossng
of them in nc best manner his limited
resources would allow, he joined com
parv of volunteers, raised to compel ths
iay5siCns e the Creeks and here com
monced that military carecr, which only
closed when the di-6ealies Of his country
ceased. VI Whoever is ocquaintel with
the history Of the Indian wars-with the
bloody battles OF Barnt Corn ana Holy
Ground-tLe terrible massacre ct Fort
Mtms-the hlz rdous expeditions Of
Ga borne, and the Seminole campaigns
Of Jachsou-kuows enough to appreciate
iha iron nerve AMI daring intrepiIitv
Gen. Dali We viii only notice few
Of those remarkable adventures with
which MS life is so Erplete
His celebrated Canoe Fight, 4" in the
Alabama river, in which he and two Of
bis company, Drained with dubbed rifles.
nine indian warriors, II fair anl open
combat. Is kind Of household word with
our old settlers. Every old crone on
the river could relate to yoa the Incl
dents Of ;ts bloady conflict; while her
aged partner, whose head had whitened
with the erow.lr improvement of this
state. would hohb'e down TO the b1nk,
and point ont the very spot in the bright
waters where the two canoes met; AID
if fpcrchance. tho reader has evor made
trip down the rive, OF that elegant
boat. which bears cur heroes name,
Sam Da'c,) he has d0Ibtiess had des-
icaated to him, bv the conrtcavs Captain,
the time-honored old Beech which marks
lhe spot, as we'll as the high projecting
bank which had previously sheltered the
name-7ake of his boat from the fire OF
the Indians
Soon after the bloody tragedy of Fort
N,m-, marv ofihc whites, urged by their
I snseless condition, aud the increasing
ias'i ties of he Indians, took refuge IN
Tor Madison. As Gen. Claiborne was
prev, ted from marching to their aid,
hv the hostile movements Of the enemy
about St. Stephons's Capt. Dale and
Gel. Carson were left in command OF
the Fort. As soon as his wounds. re
eeiged at Burnt Corn we're Sufficiently
healed, Dale determined to change lis
Inc Of conduct f.om defensive 10 oIan-
siye. Ni,h seventy lnen he proceeded
south westwsrd!r to B7azier's landiag ol
ihe Alabama. Here they found Two ca
noes, belonging TO a negro named Cesar,
WHO informed taem that there were Ia
dians above there OF each SIDE OF the nv
or. IL also rendered yhem the use OF
their canoes, and proderei TO act as their
pilot. Captain Dale Immediately placed
/ the canoes in charge Of Jcremiaa Aus
/ till aud six men, 57ho were ordered 20
keep t4en p4r.lel wi.h the party Oh
land Arriving at the mouth OF Rae
don Creek, the canoe party discovered
fa- Sled with Indiaus, wao, however.
imm lately padded to tie shore ana
ded
The land party, finding it impossible
90 continue thrir route, oa account Of
the thick erne and vines, were ordered
. to cross over, and proceed upon the 9th
er side. While they were efecting
passage. Dale and several Of his men
k;u 3lsd FIRE a snort distance from
toe river. 70 prepare their days meal
Thas engaged, they were cred upon By
party ot Creeks, .com an ambusea lie.
Reircating 10 the rigcr, - as 50 gam the
cover of the projecting bank, they dis
covered large aat-bottomed ean7e, con
tanning eleven armed and painted warti-
ors, The party behind them Eow re-
tired, 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 70 be
manned. Two Of the warriors now left
their boat end swan Tor the shore; but
bali from the unerring rife Of James
Smith perforated the skull OF one, who
immediately sunk; the other gaiusd the
shore and escaped. Eight men had, in
the meantime, manned tho larger canoe,
and we're approaching the Indian boat
bat coming near enough 10 see the NUM-
Der OF riile-muzzles over the edge Of the
boat, they hastily padded back to the
shore