New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-01-08
nGil1y Francis, the Indian Maiden.

because Of the romance Of her after life. But
We presume few have heard the name CT Milty
Francis, though she displayed the same heroism,
magnanimity and tenderness Of feeling IA
Her father was denoninated d prophet among
The seminoles, but was also o chief end warrior,
and man Of great renoWn among bis people.
III the war Of 1872, he Joined the British forces,
and was conspicuous ii several engagements,
and terror to all who heard his name, among
Americans. Hs at one time visited England,
and London paper said in noticing his arrival:
<sThe double sound of q trumpet announced
the approach Of the pabriot Francis, who fought
20 gloriously in our canse in America. He was
dressed in most splendid suit Of red and gold,
and by his side he wore tomahaWk, mounted
in gold 4
These things were Of course given him by his
English friends, as Indians were not accustomed
to dress in this manner among themselves; and
something Of his prince1y bearing and accom-
plished manners may have been acquired by his
association with English officers, but his noble
form and fine countenanee he obtained from ma
ture herself.
He had two daughters, who are said By Amer
iean historians 70 have been accomplished young
ladies, who could speak English with remarka-
BILE fuency, as could all the family, except the
| mother, who began too late in life to succeed in
learning foreign tongue.
During the war, Gil who were ranged ueau
one SIuS5 WtEt VI aGUUEse GonSluefe0 enemies TO
| sill who we're upon the other side, and ths coune
| try was full Of soldiers and military stations.
| open at ell times to attack. At one time SOL
| der named Duncan NJ Erimner, stationed az
| Fort Gadsden, near MilledgeTiIle, Ga went
forth upon fishing excursion and lost his Way
in the woods. For several days lie wandered
about in the wilderness and at length was found
| By u party Of Indians who were commanded BY
the prophet Francis. He was q soldier, and BY
the rules Of war a prisoner, and by the Indian
| code Of warfare, doomed to die. The ordinary
i preparations were made and the victim veg
bound to the stake, around which faggots were
piled that were soon to be kindled to eonsums
him. S
But 8Iilly, the youngest daughter Of the
chief, looked on in sadness. Why she should
| have been 80 much more grieved at such sight
now than ever before, we do not know. ItcouId
not be the first time she had witnessed death st
| the stake, but there had been no recent battle,
and therefore none of the excitement which
would attend the capture of prisoners Of war
on ordinary occasions, SO perhaps it seemed to
her q more cruel deed. Her people had receiy-
ed no recent injury, and he who was to suffer
was not known to have perpetrated any partic-
ular act Of oppression Or outrage. It might be
Imagined that some particular interest had
| been awakened in her heart toward him, but
| after circumstances prove this not to have been
the case. a sense Of justice and sympathy for
suffering alone prompted her, when the torch
was about to be lighted, to throw herssE be-
| tween the prisoner and the fatal knife which
was to slay him before the fire was kind1ed,
and declared that she, too, would die if he were
1 not spared. III IA %s$y
Ali were astonished at so unexpected an act,
for not q word had been before spoken to betrsy
her intentions, and the eSeeutioner paused as if
Iparalyzed Seeing there was hope, she threw
herself at her fathers feet and implored his
mercy.
The chieftain looked long and intently upon
her face, which was very beautiful, and in silence
listened to the tones of her voice, which were
full of anguish, and Was melted from his fierce
anger to yield to the passionate entreaties of
his child The victim was released, and while
he remained among his captors was treated with
the utmost kindness, and from Milly received
] many proofs of the noble and generous spirit
she had at first manifested in Offering herself a
sacrifice for the life of stranger and an enemy.
A few days afterwards, Mr.. Krimner was
ransomed by q party Of Spaniards, and soon
II returned to his friends and his duties as ar
! American soldier. @ 81
!, Soon after this the American army was rein
e forced, and very efficient measures taken to de-
lstroy= the Indian and Spanish towns along the
g frontier. s They marched, says the historian
e ssupon ST. Marks, q feeble town with Spanisl
g garrison, which surrendered without firing
:, gum Among the prisoners who thus almos
passively fell into the hands Of the enemy, wer,
}, the prophet Francis and his family. The prin
q ciples of honor, gratitude and humanity, Woulc
" prompt us to expect that these woald at leas
/ be spared an ignominious death, after the mag
J nanimity which had been shown by them. Bn
q it is unblushingly recorded that $ Francis AM
IS another chief were hung without trial and cere
, mony." They had probably shed much blood
l, and had long rung the war r-whoop through th,
IS wilderness, and fearlessly brandished the war
club, but it was in self.defence 1t might, anc
'e probably would have been bad policy to permi
the proud chieftains to go on free again, chain.
e with sense Of the wrongs they had experienced
:, and would continue to experience, but it #oulc
a seem to us that some way should have been de
J. vised other than to hang the father of Milly
;, Francis, who had saved the life of an American
r soldier, and without exacting from him an,
promise as to his future course as their friend
u or enemy, and delivered him up, to return tt
!, his post and take up arms against them
The Indian chief was deeoyed on board er
: American schooner, and his eldest daughter
y supposing it to be British vessel, soon came
near in her light canoe, but, on discovering he,
mistake, quickly changed the dip of her oar ane
: glided away. The younger was made prisoner
with her father, and it was soon known that shs
) was the heroic girl who had saved the life O.
: Duncan NJ. Krimner. Her beauty as we'll al
: her heroism made her the object Of attraction
: and the officers denominated her the g modern
Pocahontas,' and bestowed upon her the mos
E hattering attention. If she had married al
: American, and come among her husband
friends as the savior of his life, she might hayt
q become as famous in history as the Virginisr
damsel, and her posterity have been proud tt
owe their origin to the daughter of an Indian
chief But when the young soldier offered tbs
: maiden his hand in gratitude for having savet
8 his life, she refused. She did not consider thi
] q proper consideration upon which to found sucl
b a union, and she did not wish to become tn
!. wife or daughter Of a people who had murderes
D her father in cold blood. She said, too, she ha
only performed her duty and would have don
!. the same for any other. She could not under
: stand the policy-she only knew that she an,
!, her proud father had been magnanimous an
Q merciful, and that their family were now loade
n with calamity and disgrace. So the mother an
: daughter turned mournfully away, and soush
d again the solitude Of the wilderness, where thei
8 names have gone out in darkness, like so man,
! that should have been preserved in brightnes
e besides those whose only glory was gained il
their destruction, and who have grown rich OF
the soil watered by their blood.
IS AN EXTRAORDINARY SToRF.-Mr. Francis, il
|, his recently published volume of insuranc
l. anecdotes, relates the following A merehan
IS appeared in the commercial walks of Liverpool