The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-04-09
Kate Beverly.

mountain road, and looked down into the va
ley Of Wyoming beneath us. We'll, that spo
: calm and beautiful as it now is, was once til
scene of massacre. God help met the agonie
Of that day almost wiring my heart to think {
them, even after the lapse Of fifty years.
4 I have heard it was fearful time, and 70
have often promised to tell me that tale Of YOU
own connection with it. Yet if the subject b
so painful to you, I dare scarcely make the re
quest
No, boy said the old man, sadly, I wi
tell it for the promise is Of old standing, and
\ feel to day as if / could relate that traged
with less emotion than usual. Sit down Of
this rock and give me moment to rest, I vii
then commence my story.
While the old man wiped the prespiratiol
from his brow, and sat tanning himself will
his broadrimmed hat, I took the place pointet
out near his side and spent the moments tha
. elapsed before he began his narrative in gazing
at the landscape before me.
Sitting on huge boulder, at the edge of tn
mountain, just where the hill began to sop
down in the valley, we commanded view o
one of the most unrivalled landscapes in tn,
world. To our left rose up the mountain, botl
rugged and barren, like the back of some vas
monster reared against the sky; but on th.
right nothing interposed to destroy the view
whose loveliness SO far exceeded even nv ex
Pectatlons that for some minutes gazed on thu
scene In mute admiration Beneath me stretch
ed the valley, diversified with gently slopine
elevations, and sprinkled with fields of waving
golden grain; while here and there patch o
woodland, with its dark green hue, lay slum
bering on the landscape, the surface of the for
est ever and anon varying to lighter tint as
the wind swept over the tree-tops. Righ
through the centre of the valley meandered
the river, now rolling betwixt bluff banks, and
now stealing gently among the rich meadow
lands In the distance, until at length it turned
to the left, and skirting the foot of the far of
hills, was lost behind the profile of the noun
tain before US. In the centre of the vale was
the village, with its white houses and airy
church steeples smiling over the scene. Fan
away on the horizon stretched a line of hills
their dark blue SUBMITS half hid by the clouds,
which raped them in veil of gauze. Nc
sound came up from the valley. Occasionally
the twitter of bird was heard from the sur
rounding hills, while the low tinkle Of tiny
waterfall on our left kept monotonously sound
mer's sun poured down upon the landscape,
and every thing around was bright, and gay
and beautiful. | was still lost in admiration at
the scene, when the old man signifed his rea-
dness to commence his tale.
1T is now fifty years ago since l came to
this valley, a young frontier man, with hardy
constitution, love of adventure, and the re-
putation Of being the best shot on the border;
the place at that time, settled principally by
families from Connecticut, even then bore ira
ces of is present luxuriant cultivation. Many
of the families were in good circumstances, 9TH
ers had seen better days, and altogether the
society was more refined than was usual on the
frontier. Among all the families, however. in
the valley, none pleased me SO much as that
Of Mr.. Beverly; and of his freside circle, his
second daughter, Kate, was in my eyes the
gem. How shall describe her beauty? Love-
ly without being beautiful, with sy1phlike
form, laugh as joyous as the carolaQf a bird,
a step lighter than that of a yo,iI lawn in
sportive play, and disposition soSsHiable as
to win, irresistibly, the love of all who met her
Kate Beverly was scarcely seventeen before
won any youth in the valley. Why it was that
she preferred me to all the rest, cannot say;
perhaps it was the consciousness of some mys-
terious sympathy linking us together, OF per-
haps it was that we both came from the same
town in Connecticut and had been schoolmates
in childhood. So it was, however. 1t soon
began to be known throughout the valley that
before another season elapsed, Kate Beverly
would become my wife.
"Oh! how very happy we were those days
too happy indeed to last. l will not dwell
upon them, for they fll my soul with agony.
Suffice it to say, that while dreaming of bliss
such as mortals never experienced, the war of
the revolution broke out; and after hard strug-
gle between my passion and my duty, the lat
ter conquered, and joined the army. Kate
she rather loved me the more fa1it. Though
her woman nature caused her, shed tears at
my departure, her reason todsAer that was
right. and she bid me God speed. -
Heaven bless you, Harry she said and
bring this unnatural war to conclusion. |
cannot bid you stay, but pray that the neces-
sty for your absence may soon cease"
time rolled by; the American cause was
still doubtful, and the war bid fair to be pro-
racted into years; had risen to be captain
n the regiment, when Ireceiyed informa
ion that the tories and Indians intended max
ng descent on the valley of Wyoming.
new the unprotected situation Of my adopted
district, and trembled for the lives Of those
leld most dear. At first credited the rumor;
nance, however, threw in my way an oppor-
unity Of ascertaining the reality ofthe descent,
nd became convinced that not moment was
0 be lost if would save the lives Of those |
owed at home. My determination was at once
AIKEN; solicited for leave of absence; it was
efused; ] then resigned my commission, and
ct forth for Wyoming.
! shall never forget my emotions when
rev near that ill-fated place; it was on the
cry day Of the massacre, and the first intima-
on I had Of the calamity was the mangled bo-
J ofone Of heinhabitants, whom had known,
oating down the stream. A cold shiyer ran
trough every vein as l gazed upon the terri
le sight, and thousand fears agitated my
osom; but my my worst surmises fell short Of
le truth. When hours after met some of
'e fugitives, and they rehearsed to me that
lie OF horror, / stood for moment thunder
ruck, refusing to believe that beings in hu- !.
AN forms could eeollg perpetrate such deeds;1