The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1857-07-15

merciless encmy,--petitioned the Governor
for frontier protecting force. His Excel
lency being aware of their just demands
and willing TO comply, yet, not willing to
compromise the credit of the State, in u.s.
suming burdens that should Justly fall o
"Uncle Sam if possible TO avoid it, new
ertheless, waved such consideration MS in.
comparable to the paramount agricultural
and other interests Of the S;ate--as MANY
OF the frontier citizens were dcserting their
farms-fo:ting and "bunching up" the In
dians having also, by this time exhibited
their hostile intentions by the she odding of
blood-gave his consent for n complete or
gan'Zntl"n of m efficient frontier protect
| ing force, %ith the expectation of rendering
this force of mSunted volunteers TO Uncle
Sam, and should he not accept, then to Sc
cure the pay Of the pocr soldiers by nego-
tiatlng loan with seven per cent State
bonds, fully aware Of the above obstacles
In securing their pay, forage, subsistence,
&c On the 25th Dec. 1855, several com.
panies, mounted volun tcers, organized and
Immediately commenced scouting on the
frontier, discovering many Indian signs and
on several occasions individuals and habitu-
lions were fired upon by the Indians even
IN this neighborhOod at different times some
OF our citizens were fred at by the Indians,
and such was the general terror that it was
common to sec twenty and thirty women
and children-crowded in very small cab
in and often not gun in the ivus,. Capt.
A. ID. Johnston having been elected TO the
command OF the company ip tins County,
perceiving large number Of his men des.
titute of horses and without the means to
provide themselves with provisions, freely
expended his own purse in cQuippng them,
and not only so furnished their provisions
and forage, for two or three months after
they weEc mustered into the State service,
which occurred on the 26th Feb. 1856, by
Gen. Carter,special Agent, appointed BY the
Governor. twas about the middle of May
before subsistence and forage were furnished
the troops by the State, credit having then
been made with merchants Of New Or,
! leans.
Whilst in the State service, Capt. John
ston not only kept out scouting parties
around the frontier settlements, thereby pro-
tecting our agricultural interests, as we all
would have to fort up and desert our farms,
but in connection with Captains, Kindcrick,
Dcrrance, and Hooker, even employed for
short period in the l.. n. S. service. to
scous the Indian Country. in which service,
he ransacked many of the Indian towns
in connection with Lieut. Hartsufi, but his
scanty supplies of subsistence and forage
we,c not equivalent to his energy and amb;-
ton, and therefore had to return without anv
material effect, except 10 give the enemy
warning to keep ut proper distance. On
the 2Uih Dec. 1896, Capt. Johnston 1eom-
pany with other State troops in active ser,
vice, were mustered into the u. H. S. SER
vice. Gen. fIarncy had the assumed COM
mand, to the delight Of the Flordians, as
his known ability pleaded success Hang
the Mormons
Capt. Johnston's company consisting of
about so privates and non commissioned
officers; his son JAS. +. p. Johnston, lst
Lieut.. and Jas. Weeks, I'd. Lieut., were en-
ployed monthly rs an escort and in guard
ing trains until about the I'd March, he
was then ordered to "Fish Eating Creek"
with permission to exercise his own ingen-
nifty in capturing and killing the Indians,
which trust Gen. Harncy does not regret
coniiding in an officer that resolves to sue
ceed or die.
On the Sd March, lie killed an Indian, on
the 18th captured one squaw and child on
the 18th killed an Indian negro; on the 18th
captured one squaw and child and on the
18th April. killed four Indians on the
18th captured one squaw on lhe 18th cap
turcd one squaw and child on The 18th
captured one squaw and child 8 years old
in killed and captured, Is. value of cap,ur-
ed $4,000. Not wishing to make an
invidious comparison, yet 10 do justice to
the gallant Captain and his brave men, we
simply state the fact, that Capt. Johnston
within the same spa:e of time has more
tIlaH QOuDIeu III cUCCtlNe service, nine
volunteer companies and some 1000 or o.
500 regulars-the forge employed against
the Seminolos.
On The lst May Lieut.. Jas. i. p. John
ston with six men having been dispatched
to Fort Kipimme, 80 miles from camp, for
few rounds of ammunition, on his return
about half way from fort to camp, he es>
pied at Il distance-as was thought COM
pany Of volunteers, and spirred on, with
the expectation of meeting friends, but, on
approaching nearer, discovered in rear of
the company women and children, and on
closer examination concluded the number
to be about 35 warriOrs-ihe number Cr
squaws and children not ascertained as they
layed in rear. Lieut.. Johnston then order
ed his six men to halt, and said "boys there
are odds against us, but are you willing to
fight :" Let us fight, was the ansYer.--
BY this time the Indians having no doubt