Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-10-05
Song of the Sea Turtle.
s' The love of the Turtle. ."-Byro


j My kinsman, the Turtle Dove;
/ The paroquetl can see him yet
Wore gaily his coat of green;
While the parrot talked, and the parrottoed walked
| Complacenty viewing the scene;
The elamberng vine did strive to entwine
In whose branches sat the vevety cat,
While the wild deer grazed the turf
Beneath the shade the lizard made
His home in verdant spot
And under the brake the glossy snake
| Sided on-and we heard him MT
! Grabs and snais each thronged the beach
Beneath the swaylng tree,
Whose rustlng made in the constant {" trade
Music most sweet to me;
And the wide-mouthed shark, like thief in the dark
Prowled in search of his prey,
But his dorsal fin showed the place he was in
Like boats sail over the bay.
In this dusty street, where people meet
| In strange assorted troop
| Where suckers come in to imbibe their rum,
And partake of Turtle soup
I Fond memory brings the breeze that sings
Oer that beautiful island spot,
And in fearful grief seek relief
seek-but find it not!
Incidents of Fron tier Lfe-Thirty-Five Years Ago.
In the Michigan Journal of the 18th instant, we
tna the following narrative, which we have never
met with before, embracing stirring incidents of bor
der history, in which it will be seen the present ven
erable Senator from Michigan bore a responsible
and hazardous part:
From the Cleveland Herald
Upon the ' Planet " Lake Superior Exclusion we
met Mr.. C. c. Trowbridge, of Detroit, who. among
many facts connected with the Indians of the upper
country, related one which does such honor to the
courage of General Cass that take the liberty of
relating it.
In 1920 an expedition under Gen Cass, then Ter
ritorial Governor of Michigan, was made along the
shores OF Lake Superior and the head-waters of the
Missssipp for the purpose of curbng the hostility
existing between the different Indian tribes and the
cultivation of amity between the Indians and the
whites. 1t was an expedition of over four thousand
miles in extent, and performed in bark canoes,
ting out from Detroit Gen Cass's suite consisted of
Capt David &. Douglass, of the Engineers; Henry
c. Schoolcraft, MneraIogist; Alex Wocott, Physi-
cian; ; Lieut.. Mackay, of the Artillery; r. A. For
syth, Secretary James Duane Doty, Journalist A.
R, Chase and C. C. Trowbridge, Assistants to
Capt D.
At the Saut Ste. Marie the party entered into ne
gotiatons with the Indians for the purchase of
piece of land upon which the garrison now stands
The lavish expenditure of British money in the an
nua presentation of gifts TO the natives and the Mig
gardly policy of our Government towards them had
inspired the Indians with respect for the nation
and contempt for the other. The war; then lately
closed had increased British influence to onr injury,
and the presence of British garrison the Cana
dian side of the river fountain of bad counsel
to the red men and place OF safety in case OF need.
The feeling therefore, of the Indians friendly
towards this expedition, and the enterprise one
of great danger.
Gen Cass invited the chiefs to his tent, in the GEN.
ire of which was pile of tobacco pa,t of which
was 10 be smoked on the occasion and the residue
presented to the Indians at the close of the council
The chiefs appeared en- costume, san cmloteS, sans
everything the "breech CLOTH
The leader, tall, muscular fellow of thirty years,
with the devil in his ugly face, was an exception.
He wore, beside the ' breech CLOTH" single eagles
feather gracefully attached to the top of his head
red coat with skirts and two gold epauIettes
of British M ajor General. Uncle Sam dspens-
ed such favors to his red children. Gov. Cass
explained the object of his mission he the cutva
ton of friendship between them and their deadly
Sioux enemies, and also between all the red child
and their father, the President To this end our
Government had planted military posts among the
Sioux On the Mississippi, and wished to do the
at that point. The Governor also explained that
although by the treaty of Greenvile the territory at
the Saut belonged to us-it having previously been
purchased of their fathers, by the great King
of Wumilegoshe, or Frenchmen, and subsequently by
the SdgeHosh, or Englismen-yet he was willing to
pay them also for what he wished namely, parcel
four miles square.
The chiefs were surIy and taciturn, and argument
and coaxlng were of avail, and Gov Cass was
compelled 10 tell them that as the should
rise on the morrow so surely should their great
father the President establish the proposed military
post The Governor advised them to listen to
friendly counsel and avail themselves of the last op
porunlty for obtaining compensation. Here the
Governor paused for reply, and ordered his inter-
prefer, William Riley, to light the pipe. Having
smoked thereof, it offered 10 the chief, who re-
fused it, and committed the grossest political insult
known TO the savage code by kicking over the pile
OF tobacco and rushing out with his train of chief
tains.
The Indians walked rapidly up The river about half
a mile to a rising ground where their lodges were
erected and Immediately hoisted in front of their
camp large British flag This act was reported to
Gov. Cass, whO upon the instant, commanding none
TO accompany him the interpret r, walked rap
idly into the camp of these excited and now deadly
savaged red men, seized the British flag, threw it
upon the ground, broke the staff and, ordering the
Interpreter 10 roll up the flag and carry it 10 the
Governors camp, told the Indians that if they dared
repeat the insult he would fire upon them. The In
dians stood amazed at the daring of the Governor
thus alone 10 enter their camp and thus tn threaten
them, as the entire force of his expedition consisted
OF buI II soldiers IL Canadian Uouaguers 9 friendly
Indians Interpreters, suite of eight, and small
escort to that point of 25 soldiers under Lieut.. John
Pierce, brother of the President
In ten minutes from the time Gov Cass with such
fearessness carried from the camp of these warriors
the flag, every woman and child and their equi-
page, were on their way in bark from the In
dian camp towards the British fort the river
and George Johnson informed the Governor that an
attack OH the coming Nil hit planned by the furi-
Gus warriors. Of the nine friendly Indians all (save
one noble fellow) surrendered their arms and resov.
ed to remain neutral. The suite buekled on their
belts, and, armed TO the teeth, were out with their
small band of soldiers, as dark night drag
ged It's weary hours IN momentary expectation of the
l scalplDg knife and tomahawk OF numerically supe.
or force OF deadly savages, fred by hatred and by
the certainty OF crushing their mortal foe at blow
Day dawned after a sleepless night, and this band Of
brave men Were spared a which would nev;ta
bly, have cost many lives.
1t was subsequently ascertained that deliberate
plan had been formed for the massacre of everv one
of Gov Casss party upon lis entrance into the coun
try, and that several hundred warriors we're within
t call the Saut at the time OF the council for that
! purpose. This plan was ihwarted in part by the
a daring bravery of Gov Cass IN The occasion of biz