Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-09-17
THE OUTPOST:
A Tale of Frontier Life.

Towards the latter part oil Tn
year l75l, the French, aided, b.
vast bodies Of the Huron and lro
lquois Indians, had begun to max
/ themselves very disagreeable neigh
bors 10 the British and American
colonists in Northern Virginia, Ohio
and the Northwest portions OF New
York State-the French by their en-
croachments on the frontier, and The
Indians by their numerous forays
and savage barbarity to all who were
unfortunate enough TO fall into theil
hands.
To put stop to these aggressive
proceedings, numerous bodies, both
of the regulars and the colonial mi.
litia, we're dispatched to the several
points assailed, aud among the rest
Col. Henry Innes, with. a company
of thirty men, among whom were a
party of some dozen Virginia Rifle
meU, was ordered to occupy a small
outpost, or log fort, which at this
period stood within few miles from
the north fork Of the Allegheny riv-
er.
Having arrived safely at their
quarters. the little company set about
righting up the old post, to make it
as comfortable as circumstances would
permit; and this being done, and
order once more restored, sentries
we're placed at all the advanced points
Of the station; while the strictesr Wig
lance was enJoined and exercised BY,
day and night,
Among the Virginia riaemen who
had volunteered into the company
was tall. manly, fne-looking young
fellow, who, from his fatal and uner-
ring skill as a marksman, bad re-
ceiyed the somewhat awe-inspirlDg
nom de plume Of Death. But with
whatever justice bis name had been
applied to him for his skill, his dis
position certainly entitled him to no
such terror-spreading epithet. On.
the contrary, he was the very lteof
the company.
His rich fund of mother-wit, large,
social propensities, and constant good
nature. rendering him general favor
ite with the men, while the never-fail-
ing stock of game which his skill en-
abled him to supply the mess-t table
of the officers with, not only recon-
mended him to their good graces,
but caused many little }" short-com-
in. of bis to be winkedat and passed
over 10 silence, which, otherwise, per-
haps, be might not have got over
SO easily.
The company had not been station
ed at the fort much more than a week
ere Death, while on hunt for game,
discovered that at q small farm house,
some three miles or so distant from
the fort, there lived certain Miss
Hester Stanhope, whose equal IN
beauty and amiable qualities he had
never seen before. And to render him.
self still more certain Of the fact, be
called the day following under cover
of the pretence of having left his
powder flask.
Death was invited to come again
by Farmer Stanhope, who happened
to be from the same parish as the
father of our hero; and We need
say that the invitation was
both agreeably and joyfully accepted,
and, as often as circumstances wonld
permit, complied with.
The second week after this cccur-
renee took place, was marked by
two events, which, though both al
fectiug the welfare Of the little COM
munity at the fort, were OF widely
different degrees in Importance.
The FIRST was, that Death had Ell
ther suddenly lost all his skill as a
marksman, or that the game had re-
moved to safe aud more distant
neighborhood, Tor the officers lar'ier
had been found sadly wanting ID the
items of woodcocks. black-cocks,
&C., for the week past
md the second and most important
If the two events was, that IN reg
.lar succession four sentinels had
disappeared from the extreme lett
inc, without leaving the slightest
race to elucida.e the mystery oil
heir disappearance.
This last circumstance struck such
Tread into the breasts of the rest OF
he company, that no. ore could De|