Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1861-07-10


scenes OF novelty on a tour westward-Den McCul
lough-The war feeling in Arkansas Chivalry Of
the Ladies-Thc course Of n. c. admired-Block-
ado OF the " Father OF watcrs'-Crops-An aboli-
tion Preacher hung at Searcy-Another shot-A
Trapper from the Rocky Mountains, &c, &c.
B.-ARKANsAs, June II, 1851.
MR EDToR Thinking that few lines
from an old contributor, now away 'in the far
distant west" would be gratifying to you
and your accomplished better-half' and in
teresting to your ten thousand readers, have
concluded to turn away for awhile from my
legal duties, and commune With the (" Dear
Spirit as have been wont to do IN days
gone bye. Since leaving the. "old North
State my eyes have feasted on scenes of
novelty until have often grown weary, ga.
King at the soulless dramas enacted by the
excited, swearing and busy throngs of the
mighty world, and sighed "for lodge in |
some vast wilderness" or retreat at least
from the whzzing sounds Of rail road car
the sickening tumnlt of large cities-and the
creatng-head.ache noise which attends the
so.called floating palaces which plough
like things Of life, the mighty waters of the
grand old Mississippi
have seen with feelings Of pity and ad-
miration, the almost savage Squatters hut
half concealed amid the luxurious cane on
the banks Of these western rivers-have been
out on the verdant prairies, rendered roman
tic by the tall grass waving to the wind like
the waters Of an inland sea, mingled in the
suspense and participated in the excitement
consequent at race of blooded horses
have seen the ferocious looking Texan Hun
ter with his Lasso, Bowie-knife and other
weapons used by those hardy pioneers, out
on an excursion and ready with his unerrirg
rifle to send fatal bullet on its mission Of
death TO the heart of surprised bear or buff
falo, or bring down the panther or wild cat
from their concealment amid the branches Of
Of some gigantic tree-and also have seen
the Rocky Mountain Trapper, whose stories
are about as incredible, as his personnel is
indescribable.% Bennett, writer in the
New York Ledger, must have been pupil Of
one Of these eccentric specimens of the
genus homo" to portray hunting in the
west as graphically as he does.
1 had the pleasure of meeting in Virginia,
on my way here the American Gar
ibaldi, Ben. Mccullough who is now the
Cynosure of all eyes whithersoever he go
eth gazed on the man of Mexican war
notoriety (the leader | believe Of the Texan
Rangers in that contest) with feelings Of adj
miration and rejoiced to learn that all his ef-
forts were being directed to the great cause
of Southern Rights and Southern indepen-
dence. He has penetrating eye, an athlet.
ic form and presents very impressive ap-
pearance, one, methink, that would strike
terror to the Abeites and inspire in the
hearts Of his own soldiery an invincible spirit
Mccullough, | learn, has taken comMand O.
the Arkansas forces and is anxious to meet
the notorious horse thieves and robbers
Montgomery and Jim Lane, who are expec
ted on these borders with their ruthless anC
blood-thirsty abolition hordeS.
The war feeling has monopolized every
thing else here. The question is not wht
will 90 to the tented field but who will stag
at home; volunteer companies are being or
ganized in almost every community and beg
ging to be admitted into service. Our right
or DEATH is the cry everywhere; hom
guards are forming in nearly every neigh.
borhood for the protection of local interests
these are made up principally of those no
subject to military duty, AS an example c
the bravery and readiness of these pioneer
of the west Ito mingle in the battles dead
ly fray" will relate the following of whic
l was an eye witness; Some time ago mes
senger dispatched from Pocahontas villag
several miles distant, rode into our town an
informed the citizens that several huudre
federal troops encamped the night previou
near p, their object being to seize consit
cradle quantity Of lead, which recently ha
been imported from Missouri, and if any re
sistance was made, to burn and desolaie I'll
town and surrounding country On the re
ccption of this news, persons were immed
ately sent out to every township to infor
the people of tho imminent danger; an
sir, ere night our usual quiet town of Il
(where all were to concentrate prior to marc
ing to meet the inYaders) was literally ali
with soldiers-aot arrayed in the rich orn
mcnts and oStentatious tapestry of milital
show but busted and soiled from thousaI
fields and work houses thGy came forth
meet their northern foe. Nearly every OIL
was armed with rifle old and tried, al
deadly, comparatively speaking, as the etc
nal thunder-bot in the hand of Jove. ID
termination was written on every count
nance, and as ] gnzed on these men of ir
sinews, brawny handsand sunburned brow
the interrogatory occurred to my mind, ct
such people be conquered? |" From t
signs Of the times" was bound to answt
MOI neverll just as We were about leavil
20 defend our sister town Of p, we receiv
tidings countermanding the report "whi
had called together, such vast number
persons" and stating that false impvesSi
had been made by some one coming into
so excited from some cause as to make
mountain o 1t of mole hill - in other aoOr
the report ,cas tlLse, and on learning Il
the honest yoomanry returned to their hon
and avocatops, ready atany moments wal
ing, they said, to leave the plow in the I
finished iurrow--the scythe in the half e
nercd harvest-and the plane in the clos
work shop. to fight for their families and Fl
sides, God and their native land"
Even the ladies Of this part of the vi
yard are expert in the use of fire arms, ,
say if their fathers, husbands, brothers .
sons must 20 to the war; that they are !
pared like Crockett, "to sell their lives
dearly as possible" History says the ag
chiyalry has passed, that its dying X
echoed amid the crumbling ruins of Ror
and Grecian glory but in my opinion
uge remains yet like Ararat in the inun
tion, in tho hearts of the mothers and To-
lassies Of the romantic west
The course Of North Carolina in the
sent crisis. SO far as my knowledge exte
is universally admired here The people
"0ld Rip" always practices the old ad
s,rhs Rocky Mountain Trapper alluded to a
has pronse to furnish me some reliable stor
kfa flfa nine of which he al ,