New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-05-04
"A. Second Pocahontas-

range of American history which is so familiar to
every one as the story Of Capt Smith and
Elizabehan period so repete, it has furnished
subject for the easel of the artist the pen of the poet
and the page of history, until it has become almost
The life OF Smith, from its opening to
its close was continuous romance and it is probable
that had Pocahontas magnanimity been exhibited in
behalf of one Of Smiths men in place of himself her
name would never have filled the niche it now occu
pies. This deduction is drawn from the fact that a
similar incident of more recent date, in which, how
ever, the hero was but private soldier, had onlya
local reputation and will probably be to most Of
our readers 1t furnishes the material for lengthy
romance equal in point OF interest to any OF Coopers
or Irvngs and it is somewhat surprising that it has
not been used. But to the story.
1t seems that at the famous defeat and rout of ST.
Glars army, there were two young men belonging to
the militia regiment which sustained the first shock
of battle named Howard and Fitz Gibbon. They
were both wounded the retreat Of the regiment to
the main body. Howard had received ball on the
instep, which had disabled him from running, and
Ftz Gibbon had been struck by tomahawk, which,
although it did not seriously nJure him, yet mad the
effect to stun him. and when he recovered his senses,
he found himself bound and prisoner with many
others, among whom was Howard. In this situation
they compelled to be eyewitness OF the orgies
of the savages their return from the OF the
retreatng army, and they could readily imagine the
horrid fate to which they had been reserved. They
had been captured by the warriors Of the Missauga
tribe and when the battle was over, and the indians
returned to their homes they were taken to their
village where they obliged to pass the ordeal of
running the gauntlet and received the brutal treat
ment usual upon such occasions. They were then
conducted to cabin adjoining the council.house,
where they were left to darkness and their own sad
forebodings.
liberate upon the fate Of their captives, and the
decision was unanimous that they must die at the
stake The tribe had lost many braves, whose spirits
could not enter the happy hunting grounds unless &C.
L., %ln rhpc pf Iphi fn
avenge them and when Sish-te yongtah their chief,
asked. What say the Missauga braves? shall the
white men die ~ there was an universal . Oh"
and their fate was sealed.
On the following morning preparations were made
to carry out the decision of the Council and at an early
hour the entire population Of the town might be seen
coming from all directions, and centerlng about the
foot of gigantic pineoak which had been cleared OF
its lower branches and otherwise prepared for the
part it was to perform in the coming ceremony.
There was old men and maidens, young men and
matronly squaws, incipent warriors in their gaudy
paint and old men with whitened locks and totterng
hmbs all gathering abont the fatal tree to take part
in the sacrifice to the names of their friends. At
length the prisoners brought fOrthtwo sturdy,
brave and fearless youths, whose span of life had not
reached twenty summers. They were prepared Tor
death by being stripped OF all their clothing except
cloth about their loins, and were conducted by two
warriors, while others formed circle about them,
with arms in their hands, ready to strike them down
in case of an attempt to escape.
As they entered the circle which surrounded the
tree the human wall closed in and shut OIL every
chance and hope of flight rescue, and the victims
looked around upon that assemblage in vain to dis
the least spark OF feeling or sympathy for their
fate. Howard was the first selected for the ordeal
Feeling that effort OF his own could save his life
and that the only way to shorten his suferings
was to submit in silence to his fate, he allowed no
sigh to escape him, no useless pleading or VAIN repn
ing to add to his enemies triumph; but with
stocism which would have done credit to an older and
war he
to bind him with his back to the fatal tree His arms
were drawn behind him, thong passed around them
at the elbow and tied securely, while his feet were
fastened in such manner to the roots as TO prevent
all power of motion except to his head this was left
free. When thus prepared, the sports commenced by
the young men, who, standing at a little distance,
made mark of his head at which they threw their
tomahawks, endeavoring to see how near it they
could strike without hitting it, with the object OF In
timidating their victim, and wringing from his tor
tured spirit evidence of fear or cowardlce Not
a muscle quivered however under this severe test Of
his courage; and then came the old squaWs who stuck
his flesh full of splnters, gashed him with knives
and adopted every diabolical device which their in
genuty could invent to torture without killing him
and finally, to close the scene, several Indians ap
preached with flaming brands to light the funeral pile
4 Already had the greedy flames caught the dry flag
gots which surrounded the victim, and were curling
upward in serpentine wreaths, when light and grace
full form was to dart from the circle OF dusky
| figures, throw itself upon the burning heap, and Ell
Circle Wltnlu itS dTuS ucSh VI VIC JouiE
Twas Oo.na-letah, the darling sister of the chief
Struck with sympathy for the suferings she had wit
messed, and horrfed by the nhumanity exhibited BY
those about her, she nobly determined to save the
prisoners or perish herself The chief astonished al
this unexpected interposon, and horror stricken al
the dangerous situation of his sister, for the mo
ment powerless the next moment he was dashine
the faggots right and left extnguishing the flames
which had caught her robes in their greedy embrace
| and endeavored to tear her from her hold, but il
vain. In the most pathetic tone she begged the life
of the palefaced youth. She plead with her brother
for his sympathy she expostulated and appealed t.
! the warriors who surrounded her to spare the vic
tim as they would be spared. AS well might she ap
peal to the stern rock, the sparkgvng steel ant
it was not until she had offered her entire wealth
furs and sum of money that she induced them tt
forego their savage purpose, and free the prisoner
from their impending fate They were not allowed
their liberty then, but adopted into the fam
lilies of those who had lost their relatives and re
manned in captivity until the treaty OF Greenvill
| freed all prisoners in the hands Of the Indians
The act is not less worthy of praise, however, AM
her name should be ranked with the brightest on his
torys page, and associated with Pocahontas an
Others whose deeds have proved that the finest fee
| ngs Of woman's nature sometimes found anon
the forests wilds well in the hearts of cities.