Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-02-21
For the Nashville Patriot.
LEGENDS OF THE sOUTH-No. VII.
TuscaIuza.
Il. vIReTsIA FREEoH.

The celebrated character 50 generally known as scauz
the Black Warrior Cszique who in the days OF
Soto appears to have Of the most potent PROF
and warke Of the native chefains Of the South Hs e
rtores embraced the greater portion OF what now cost
tues the States Of Alabama and Mississippi and he OF
Of the few ancent heroes have le local associations
perpeiuate their memories
The river uscsIoosa or Black warrio- which waters
native valley bears his name and also given to t.
former capital Of the State Of Alabama.
Oh chimes of Ella, that wake and roll
With saddened sweep along, -..r
The lonely miDstrels dreaming soul,
Rcw thrIlingiy, and strong
Yeehant Of ages vague, and vast,
Long mingled with the mighty Pasti
Uprising as your solemn swell
Peals upward to the skies,
Gas 'twsre the final trumpet's knenD
Tie buried dead arise
Shades Of the beautiful and gra d,
Past g'ores OF our Southern land.
A star that rises fierce and red
Above the clouds Of war,
A lurid light abroad to shed,
High cleaning from afar:
So shines in legendary fame
The hanghty Tuscauza's name.
His picture lies engraven deep
On old Traditions page,
The type OF heroes gone to sleep
In that far distant age,
When first De Soto, rash and bold,
Debarked upon the "shores Of Gold"
Not quite ablshed, yet in amaze,
And with a ma eIess fear,
We pause,-and on that picture gaze;
(Ah were the chieftain here,
Such glance the wary fishers eye
Upon the stormy mere, a..-
Might east upon the gooming sky,
Detecting danger near;
Then quickly draw his barque to shore,
Ere bursts the tempesrs angry roar)
Firm is his lip his look austere,
Yet with shade Of guile,
His smile sarcastic aod severe,
Is half frown the while;
And his a cheek that neither blenched,
Nor crimsoned quick with ire,
Yet burrows DER its surface trenched
Bespeak soul Of FIRE
And lend his aspect stern and high,
A wild and haggard majesty.
Huge-boned those brawny limbs mustf,el,
(Could we but span them round)
Like massy fakes of plant steel,
BY iron sinews bound!
The years that DER that form have rolled
Have turned the heart to stone,
But left a spirit uncontrolled,
Where passions rage alsne;
As torrents hid from human ken,
Rave madly down some darksome glen.
His glance is keen, his brow is stern,
His eye Of swsrthy glow;
But little may the stranger learn
OF angry depths below;
Yet Their. they lie, securely hid
In cummings placid ray,
As hides some dread abyss amid
Its urea hs Of dazzling spray,
And that serene and mellow haze
That broods DER AuSumn's dreamy daysl
'Tis seeming all-beneath the veil
His soul burns deep and strong,
It's vengeful passions never fail
To wreak its sense Of wrong;
For, when youth, he left the path
Of love, beneath ban,
He grew midst agony and wrath,
stern yindictive man,
Who strove to hide by fierce dsdain,
wound that never healed again.
Yet was he brave-his warrior fame
Was echoed far and wide;
Nor Death himself, tits said, could tame
His gallant spirits pride.
He met tn unerring Archer's dart,
With bearing high and bold:
No throb seemed bursting from his heart
His eye calm and cold;
His death-song's wild majestic close
Like strains Of victory uprose.
IT'S o'er-his arrows all spent,
And crushed his crest Of prde
In some dark mound, his bow unbent,
Lies crumbled at his side.
Long years agone, ike some keen blade
Resigned to earth and rust;
That form in martial pomp arrayed,
Has mouldered into dust,
Til cen the blind worm fears no harm
From such decsyed and nerVeless arm.
Yet lives his name among the brave
Who ruled this Southern land
Who fought, and wrested but dgrdUe
From the oppressor's hand.
stream that seeks the Southern
stlll bears his naughty name,
And still the annals of the free
Bear record Of his fame.
The picture fsdes-the wild chimes swell:
Dark warrior chief, farewell, FAREWELL
FOREST HOME 1856.