Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-08-29
NO. XII.
Attack by Cattle on . Red Wagon.

Extract from one of Col. Claiborne's letters
from the pine woods Of Mississippi, published in the
New Orleans Delta:
81 set out tor Augusta, bowling merrily along
in blood red buggy. The road is beautiful
roofed over with trees and vines and the air fra.
grant with the breath Of flowers. There was on
y one drawback-the myrads Of flies of every
species that swarmed around and ravenously cup
ped the blood frum the ears, neck and fanks my
horse. 1t is what is Appropriately termed here,
fly time;' that is to say, the period when this
numerous family Of scourges have it all their own
way, and neither man nor beast can venture into
the wood with impunity. Now the cattle from
thousand hlls,' and even the wild deer, seek
the abodes of men, and huddle around some smo-
king pine, or stand in some open field to escape
their periodical tormentors. On sudden cnrye
of the road found myself in one OF these stamp
ing grounds and simultaneous roar from 6ye
hundred infuriatcd animals gave notice of my dan
ger. 1t is well known that the Spanish natadores
provoke the wounded bulls of the arena by faunt-
ing the moleta or blood red flag before them. It
the color Of my equipage that excited this bel
lowing herd. They snuffed the air, planted their
heads near the ground, tore up the earth with
their hoofs and horns, and glared at me with saw
age eyes. The fierce phaanx blocked the road,
and the part of discretion was to retreat. The
moment | wheeled the pursuit commenced. A
cloud of dust enveoped them, and their tramp
ling feet was like the roll yf thunder. My horse
dashed forward frantic with terror, and on they
plunged, on every side crushing down everything
iu their course, gorng and tumblng over each
other, filling the woods with their dreadful cries.
and gathering nearer aud nearer in the fearful
chase.
The contest now became desperate. In five
minutes we should have been overturned and
trampled to death but al this juncture threw
out nv OyercOat and with an awful camor, they
paused to fight over it, and tear it into shreds.-
driving at full speed, | tossed out cushion the
inluriated devils trampled il Into atoms, and came
rushing against the buggy, and ripping up tho
ribs of nv horse. At this fearful moment we
were provdentially saved. A monstrous oak,
with forked top, had fallen near The road, and
into this plunged my horse breast high, and he
was safe, the blck of the buggy heing then the
only assailable point. At this the wh)le column
made dash, but met the foremost with six dis
charges from reyol,er; two bottles of Sewell
Taylor's best were shivered in their faces next
cold turkey, aud finally, a bottle of Scotch snuff
the last shot in the locker. This did the busi-
ness Such sneezing and believing was never
heard before and the one that got it put out with
the whole troop at his heels, circiins round, seem
ting the blood that had been spilled, and shaking
the earth with their laundering tramp. | was
now fairly in for it, and made up my mind to re-
main until sunset, when they would dsperse, as
in fly time cattle Craze al night. ] was relieved
however, by the approach of some cattle drivers,
who galloping up On shaggy but muscular horses
and with whips twenty feet long, which they
manage with surprising dexterily, soon drove the
herd to their cow pens for the purpose of marking
and branding