The Shreveport weekly news., 1861-04-29
Selected E1y,sssiy for aas Ne,es.
The First and Last Sacrifice.
An ADVENTURE AT MURDER CREEK.
"a Tale of the Wilderness.l

kAN kAOv IN e ~ - IA ASnDCn M
IA Tale Of the Wilderness.I
MAY ls. It was towards the lat
ter end Of May that set out from
New Orleans, with the intention Of
proceeding overland to Savannah.
/ knew the fatigue should have to
undergo, the delays / should expc-
rience, and the possible dangers !
might encounter; but had heard
and read 30 much Of what there was
to excite admiration in the regions
through which should pass. as well
as to crafty curiosity in the scenes
of savage life l should behold. that
l willingly consented to pay the
price Of such qualifications. Ny i'm
agination kindled at the thought of
,raversing a space of many hundred
miles, through gloomy forests Of pine.
oak, and cedar. over widespread
swamps, across flooded creeks, and
amid tribes of Indians, still roaming
their native wilds. proud and fear
less hunters Of the woods, or linger-
ing on the confines of barbaric life,
till the full tide Of civilization should
sweep away all the ancient land
marks of their race. My fancy was
bewildered with n thousand dreamy
visions Of strange adventures and of
perilous escapes Of romantic hard
ships by night, when camping out in
the woods, and of ceaseless novelties
by day, to gaze and wonder at, in
the sublime desolation Of stupendous
wildernesses. pictured to myself
the path Of the hurricane, sweeping
before it for miles. trees of migh;!est
growth, and covering the earth with
their majestic ruins-the fierce wolf,
and the pouncing panther-the rat
tlesnake aud the alligator--with all
that poetical ardour of mind which
retels in the exciting conceptions of
:antired danger. To me there was
something inexpressibly fascinating
in the idea of plunging into the
depths Of awful solitude, where ma
ture reigned alone; where the breeze
WAS perfumed with odours scattered
by her hand only-where the spark
ling fire flies danced and glittered
before the travellers eyes like festal
fairy lamps, and where birds of un-
known song and plumage made the
air vocal with their wild melodies; in
short, where man, who in towns and
cities is everything, would be nothing
Animated with these feelings, and
excited by the anticipation which they
inspired, left New Orleans any thing
but reluctant to exchange, for a time
S,,1
and fertile plains, clothed with rich
vegetation, and the waters of the
giant stream, the Mississippi-whose
course of thrice ten hundred miles.
here terminated in bleak pine barrens
and arid sand -hiils-tor green savan-
sahs, freshets, Lighthouses, wig-wans,
and Indians with ;heir tomahawks and
scalping-knives. But it Is not my
purpose to dwell upon these topics,
neither do l propose to relate all that
befel me on my journey, or describe
all the impressions produced by what
saw. / shall contine myself to the
details OF a single incident.
The moon was shining gloriousiy,
when, on the 18th night from my
leaving New Orleans. | approached a
deep glen, known by the name o:
Murder Greek. 1t had received this
fearful appeiiation in consequence OF
trasical event which occurred there
some twenty years ago. A party OF
whites, consisting of about thirty per,
sons, including several women and
children, who We're camping out dur,
ing the night, Were suddenly sur.
prised by the Indians, and every one
Of them butchered and scslped.
had made tatiguing days journey
not so much on account of the dis
tance l had traversed, as from the
circumstance of having met with tive
or three large swamps. in which my
horse frequently stuck SO fast that
was afraid l should be compelled te
leave him to his fate, and scrambl,
my way out. as we'll as l could, owe
trunks of fallen trees. Weary, cold
wet. flor the day had been hot, tn
night was sharp and chilly, and ha'
waded knee deep through one of tn
flooded creeks,) and hungry withal
made up my mind to spread IN,
blanket. kindle my fire, and atte
cooking my bacon, and making IN.
coffee, to sleep till dawn beneath ia
thick branches of the lofty trees whic
overshadowed me. Having secure
my horse by a little fence of sapling;
and given him his supper Of India
corn leaves, the only substitute fo
hay. ia sufficient supply Of which
had carried behind me tied Oh hi
back,) l prepared my own my mea
While l was eating it with a relis
Imight have envied, had been pa
tarking of more costly viands, an
watching the beautiful corrusca,ios
Of light produced by myriads of fir,
flies sparkling evanescent iustre j