Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-07

mates of the room into which they were
hurled is almost miraculous. Finally,
Mrs. Alexander, summoning all her cour'
age, sprang through window with
the determination, II possible, Of making
het way to the nearest neighbor and
seek assistance. She had reached gate
leading from her yard, when one Of the
tends discovering her leveled his gun at
her person. She plead in piteous terms
for mercy, and at about the same instant,
Mr.. A., discovering through the window
the peril she was placed in, sprspg out
himself and succeeded in attracting the
attention of the negro, by whom her life
was threatened, who, turning his gun
upon him, fred. Taking advan-
tage of this momentary divertion
Of her would.be assassin's atten-
ton, she fed, but in turning away saw
her husband fall to the ground-as she
had every reason to believe-murdered.
Five buckshot from the negro's gun had
entered the fleshy part Of Mr.. AS right
thigh. At the first shock he fell, but
shortly recovering his strength suf.
fficiently, he again rose to his
feet, seeing which, he was at once
fell upon by four Of the fends, one Of
whom putting pistol to his breast, would
have shot him through the heart had he
not thrown it up with his hand just as
it went of. Another, picking up heavy
piece of grindstone lying at bis feet,
dealt him a blow upon the shoulder,
which again brought him to the ground,
and caused his assailants to retire, prob
ably with the belief that he was dead.
Thus crippled and bleeding profuselyfrom
the wounds in his thigh, though still with
sufficient strength left to crawl, Mr.. A., on
being deserted by the fiends, succeeded in
making his way back into the house and
regaining the room in which he had left
his children. Here, crawling into a
corner and drawing them around him, he
had scarcely accomplished this much,
when from loss of blood, he tainted
away, surprising at the time he was
dying. On leaving him for dead in the
yard, it would seem that the negroes
withdrew (it is supposed to an adjoining
cabin for the purpose of obtaining can
die and matches), and after an absence
of few minutes returned and completely
ransacked the house, appropriating. all
the provisions, wearing apparel, bed
clothing etc., they could make off with.
But not content with this-and the black
est chapter is yet to be whitewater
having murdered, az they had every
reason to believe, and stolen everything
they could place hands on, with view
probably of concealing their hellish
outrage, procuring quantity of fodder
from the stable on the premises, and
placing it under the house, they fred 1t
and fed. The same Providence which
had saved the lives of the unfortunate
family from the deadly missels,
showed upon them by the black fsnds
again interposed. The fodder being
green from the stalk, refused to burn
and thus the unconscious father and his
helpless little ones around him were
spared death even more shocking to
contemplate than that by blade or bullet
could have been. On returning the
second time to renew their bloody
work it would seem the negroes were
astonished at discovering Mrs. As
absence, and doubtless the apprehension
that she would give the alarm caused
them to bring their operations to a close
much more precipitately than they would
otherwise have done. The lives of the
children were scarcely safe in the hands
already dyed with their fathers blood,
and before leaving the demons threatened
to kill them if they cried. The escape of
Mrs. A. was likewise equally miraculous
the hand of her would be assassin being
upon the trigger of his gun when
his attention was called off and the load
intended for her fred into the person of
her husband. And here again, humanity
must instinctive!y shudder and the blood
be chilled to the very heart at the bare
mention of the fact, that Mrs. A. was at the
time in that delicate condition, of physical
and mental sensitiveness, when alarm or
sudden exertion may involve the life
both of mother and child. With
in a week, at the furtherest, OF
delivery, frantic with the thought
Of her husbands death, and her
children's danger, cropping her way
through the darkness, clambering over
fences and bitches with heroism such
as can be aroused only by the strongest
aud dearest feelings of woman's nature,
she travelled fully half mile, and such a
half mile, to the house of her nearest
neighbor, Mr.. ]. W. Saunders, to whom
she told the full story of her perils and
forebodings> Mr.. Saunders scarce hear
isg her through, lost no time in arousing
other neighbors, and with Mr.. j.
R. Robbins aud Capt. J. 81. Graham,
at once proceeded to the scene of the
outrage. Arriving here only a few mo-
ments after the fight of the negroes,
tharr fnnnh Mr. A and his Children