The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1857-07-02
CAROLINA SPARTAN.
For the Carolina Spartan.
WHITE FAWN AND GOLDEN EAGLE.
A TALE OF INDIAN LIFE.

a TALE OF INDIAN LIFE.
Indian Story-both legendary and his
toric-which has been preserved by tradi'
ton, or created by the tasteful and happy
conceptions Of genius, has never ceased
to interest the cultivated mind Of the supe-
rior race, which occupies the wide plains
and rich hunting grounds of people
now almost extinct. Even nations perish
and pass away, whilo other nations succeed
them, in the uuceasing changes on the sur
face Of our planet, like the growth, decay,
and reappeararce of summer vegetation.
Who were the red meul To whom were
they akin! Whence did they come! We
know whittier they depart; but what Of
their originl What affinity had they with
other and older nations; and with whom!
Had they improved from q still ruder and
lower race; or had they lapsed into barba-
rism from condition Of higher civilizations
Are these the wandering sons of lost Israeli
Who shall declare their generation! Full
we'll we know the erodus Of this strange
people-their genesis must remain, for the
present at least, enveoped in the mist and
darkness of the unwritlen past.
The literary world are indebted to the
genius of Mr.. George Catlin for much nc
curate information Of Indian character and
Indian customs and manners derived from
personal observation, and preserved by a
skilfull use of both pencil and pen; while
the rich anl varied fancy of Mr.. j. FEM
more Cooper ha, added lustre aud wealth
to American literature in his unriValed
Indian fctions. Capt. Marryatt has gather
ell flowers in the same ield while Mrs.
Sigourney, in one OF her fugitive pieces, on
Indian names, has invested the general
subject with the warmth and sympathy of
true poetic sentiment:
aye say they have all passed away,
That noble race aud brave;
That their light canoes have w.nishci
From off the crested wave:
That mid the forests where they roamcd
There rings nn hunters shout,
But their name is your waters
Ye may not wash il ont
IT'S where OntGri0'S blow,
Like surge is curl,d; -;
Where strong Niagdrd's uIundcrs wake
The echoes of the world
Where red Missouri bringeth--
Rich tribute from the West,
And RdPpahaHn0ck swcetly sleeps
On green pUginia'S breast:
Monadnook, on his forehead hoar,
Doth seal The sacred ,rust,-
Your mountains build their monuments,
Though ye give tle winds their DUST
About tho year A. ID. 1920, young
man of good family, residing in Charleston,
South Carolina, became involved in per
sonal difficulty, and unfortunately shot an Of
fcer of rank and position u the colony; for
which offence he would probably have suf
fered the extreme penalty of the law, had
he not fled, as there was much feeling excl
ted against him in the community. His
first purpose was to retreat into the Indian
country west, and remain until the popular
excitement had abated, and then to return
and submit to a judicial investigation of his
crime. But minsling freely with some
friendly tribes, he soon became enamored
of the wild freedom of Indian life, and spent
nearly all his after years among the tribes
Of Western Carolina. 1t was only when
he was far advanced in age and long after
he had been given up as lost, that he found
means and inclination to communicate once
moro with his family. a journal kept by
young Fenueau-the Huguenot exile
which subsequently passed into tho posses
sion of his only surviving sister, has fur
nished the principal facts Of tho following
tale, which have been deemed of sufficient |
interest, as characteristic of Indian life, in
those early periods, to justify their publica
ton; and especially so, AS the actors and
parties interested in, and affected by them,
have long since passed away. At the peri
cd Of which we write there were two largo
and powerful Indian tribes inhabiting con-
tiguous portions Of the more level plano
country, east Of the Blue Ridge mountains
embracing all the upper or western part of
what isnow known as Spartanburg District,
and part Of tho eastern, or lower portion of
what is now known as Groenvillo District,