Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1865-02-28
.fFrom the Camden Journal. l

fOhI1-EtGdE hOURS In A IREE TOP.
My plantation is about three miles from
Camden, on the Waterree. Intelligence
REACHED me on Wednesday last that the
river was rapidly rising. / took a batteau,
in company with strong man servant and
pushed on to rescue my stock. While en-
gagged in capturing three fine hogs, the
head dam on the plantation above broke,
and let loose flood that swept everything
before it, and spread ont about two miles
from bank to bank. In attempting to get
ont, tho batteau washed by the current
against tree, capsized and two of the
pigs drowned. The boat was caught by
the tree in midship, and we managed to
get on the bottom where we stood, three
feet in water. Our frail anchor began to
give way, but there was another tree tea
feet distant beyond our reach from the
boat'-By crawling as far as we could, and
then placing one end of the boat pole in a
fork of the tree and holding the other end,
my companion in distress made his escape,
snd in turn held the pole for me. 1t was
q cotton tree, seven inches az tlfefoots and
about forty feet high. We had scarcely
perched ourselves in its boughs before the
first tree and the boat were swept away.
Here we were up slender tree, with an
angry torrent twenty feet deep sweeping
five feet beneath us, and an expanse ofthe
river more than mile on either side.-
From this time, Wednesday twelve o'clock,
until Friday two o'clock we chung for life
to these frail but faithful limbs. The river
reached its highest on Wednesday evening
at s o'clock, and its roar and width pre-
vented our cries from being heard until
next day. All the first day and night, and
all the second day and night, we shouted
for help and we began to give up all hope.
In my exertion to save the boat, Ehad
thrown off my coat, which we lost, and the
only way we kept ourselves from freezing
to death, was by violently and constantly
striking each other and kicking the tree.
Thursday night, the boy slept soundly,
and it was with difficulty supported him
and cheered him up from giving out en-
tirely. We tasted no food or water, and
felt no inclination to do so, but occasion
ally moiStened my lips, that [ might hal
loo the louder. The waves surged about
us, and we were fearful the tree would be
washed off, as the current seemed to be
heaped mp in the track in which it grew.
Though almost my entire stock Of mules,
beef-cattle, sheep, hogs. fodder, &c, was
swept away, yet so imminent was the peril,
scarcely thought of them for moment.
! Every exertion was made to rescue rs by
several gentlemen, but the torrent was too
| swift and heavy for boat to live. A bat
teau, with two negroes came within hun
dred yards of the tree, when it was swamp
ed and they barely escaped by clinging to
another. About two o'clock on Friday,
Mr. Rush, the overseer on Col. Chesnu's
plantation, with two colored men, reached
the tree in a boat. He, with one ofthem,
took our places on the tree, and we safely
reached the shore, stiff and bruised from
the fearful exposure. The boat returned
'Snd brought off the ether parties. Ny col
sred boy is confined to bed, but is doing
we'll he would have given ont in few
hours longer no doubt. ] am sore in my
limbs, and hosrse, bnt suffer in no other
way, and with gratitude to a kind Provi-
! dence for rescuing us from watery grave,
will ever remember the freshet of JAN
uary II, 1865.