The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-08-04
ADVENTURE OF 4 RANGER.

Daring hardihood. readiness of resource,
and patience in overcoming difficulties, are
nowhere so well or SO frequently eXcmplificd
as among the hunters and back woo1smcn OF
Amcrica.-Thc following account Of one Of
these entcrprisin- and rcsolutc men appear
ed upward Oftwcn'v years ago, in a pcrlodi
cal in Illinois, and lis truth is vouchcd for bv
the writer:
Tom Higgins. rs he was usually called is a
rative of Kentucky, and is one OF the best cx
amplcS cXtant Of the genuine back oolsman.
--Du:ing the last war; at the age of nineteen,
he enlisted in the Rangers, a corps OF noun
ted men raised expressly for the protection
OF The western frontiers. On the the 30th of
August. 1914, he was one of the party OF
twelve men. under Lieut.. Journey. who were
posted at lIil's Station, small stockade. a
bout three miles south of the present village
of GrcenvIle, and something more than TWEEN
y mics from Nan'l.lia. Those towns were
not then III existence. and the surrounding
country was one vast wilderness During the
day last mentioned, Indian signs were seen
about halfa mile from the station and at
night the SavagcS were seen Irowllnr near
the fort, but no alarm was given. On ihe fol-
lowing morning. early. Mr. Journey moved
ont with his party in pursuit Ct the Indians.
Passing around the fence OF 4 cOrnticld al
loinlng the to,t they struck across the pra-
lrc and had not preceded more than quar-
ter OF a mile. when, in crossing a small ridge.
which was covered with hazel :hckct. in
fail view Of the station. they tell into an am
bu>cadc of Indians who rose suddenly around
them. to the number of seventy or eighty.
and fired. Four OF our party were Killed. a
mong whom was Lieut.. journey. One other
fell badly wounded, and the rest fled, except
Higgins.
1t was an uncommon >ultrv morning. The
day was Just lawning, a heavy dew had fallen
the ce'ling night. the air was still and
humid and The smoke from the Guns hung IN
a cloud over the spot 'ndcr the cover of
this cloud. Higgins surviving companions
had escaped suppo>in. all who were left
were dead. or that. at all events, it would he
rashnes> TO attempt to rescue them from SO O.
overwhelming force. Higgins horse hav-
ing been shot through the neck. fell to his
knees. and rose again several times. Bcliev
ing the horse mortallv wounded he dsmoun-
ted. bat finding the wound had not greatly
disabled him. he continued to bold the bride:
for, as he now felt confident of beir. able to
make good his retreat. he determined to fire
Oft his gun before he retired He looked a
round .or trce.-There was but one, a small
elm, and he made for this, intending to shoe;
from behind it but at this moment the cloud
arose partially from before him, disclosing to
his view anumber of Indians, none of whom
discovered him. One OF them stood within
few PAGES. loaGfng his GUN and at him IIc-
"in> took deliberate aim, and :lIe Indian i,il
lIicgins, still concealed Nv The smoke. reload
ed his gun and turned to hv. V lien low
voice near hailed him with Tom. vou won't
leave me :"
On looking round he discovered the speak
cr 10 he one of his comrades. named i;ur.r>>.
who was !vnr wounded on the c,ounl and
le REPLIED Instantly. No. I'll not take leave
of You. Come a,orr, and III take care Of
vou."
can't como" rcr'i,1 R,roc>< "mv Ico
ia ssma>l,,l all 70 n:e,.s IIcuins .n~,nr ,rom
the saddle. and nic kino Nh his conrad. lwho>e
ankle bone was broken in III, arms l,. rro.
ccclcl TO lit him on h;s horse. tellin, him
10 t|v. and that he wonl1 make his own WAY
on foot. Hut tbc horse t.k;nc tr;cht IL This
instant. darted of. lcayins Ui,r,ns. with his
wounded friend. on ,oo,. Stiu ,bc bravery
Of the former was >n.l; ;cut for every cu.I-
cencv. and scttinc Burrr>, down GENTLY. he
told HIM: Now. INV rood fellow Won must
hon of while STAY lrtwe.n Won and tL,. In
elians to keep them Off" iu>truc,ino him at
tl,,. same, time 70 ect into th. L;,l..,, ,,r,.s
and crawl az close 10 tho oro,nd ,s nof-;l,,
History does no, r,lat, a mor. a~;,t.r..,.J
act O, bcro ~r than This of U;rc;ns. whc h,v.
in, the certain n,.,rs .f ...,,.., f.o,, s,,,.,,
imminent n,r;I voluntarily r,y.. ,h..w rn Ix
o.Tcr;nr his bors. - , wonri,I c,mr,l, ,n,l
Who n,h.,n t,., ,,o,,,,,s ;.,.~,s,;"., .. u,
fea,cd AND his own r..,r.,, was SIN ,.r,.,;...
b,. remained a, .h,. hazard &c his );i,. - ,ro.
te,t his ,r;;nnlrd friend
The c1oud Of .mosc-vL;,.h had ,,r.;,,y
opencI before him. as y. faced M, rp.mx
sill Law thick h,.b;n1 him ard a. h.. ,,nro
ed through this. he left il, too,.ther with III,
ri,l,e and the hazel Thicker. I,tw,cn him and
In. main body Of the. Indians and WAS r,.ti,iuc
unobsevycd Lv Them. Tnd,r These cir,.,,n.
stances !, i Iroh,,,le ,,,.,, # h.. l.l r;..r,..
ed IN \ ,;rcrt l;n, toward tIe .,,,;on b. r,;.,I.
very really have cfi,cteJ L;s .s,.,,,o r,.
Hnrr,ss was slowly cr,vI;,,n IL ,ha. i;
r.ctior. and the o,llan, Il;@a;n. who coo,l,
Survived ,Lo uh' y. ,,,,,,,,-J ,a..,. ,la, =.
he nI,r>ucd tho s,,no .r,c,. all .,o,,IJ l.,
discovered h;s r~;,.,d ,vo,,J y, o,1,n,ar,I
II. ,L..r.. .oro tool ,l,o L..r,; ,,l.,,;,, -,
1.,;,,;,, tro,, H., .rno ,.o,,,... ,.. ,,.a.
anv Of, ,bc enemy who .hor,Jtunw h;,' na,,IJ a,',
NOT fan j, with Rur,,nss WI az. :.,,o.'.;','
he moved >tcal,hi,v a]onr ,,ro,,h III. snotn
and bushes. inteud;no when br cm.rccJ 20
retreat At tulI ,nced. Hut A. hc ,,., ,hc ,h;cL
ct. he bchell a LARGE Indian near him and
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