Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1869-05-27

escaped, but were hotly pursued by their merciess
captors, the whole body Of impetuous and brave
hearted Frenchmen were rushed with headlone
speed to the rescue, and were soon face to face With
the late lost ones whom they greeted with such
shouts of joy, it was averred as had never before
come from the lips and hearts Of men on that beau
tiful ''Prairie Of the Dogs"
To say that the two heutenants and' their fail
companions were greatly as well as most agreeably
surprised at these unexpected greetings and coria
congratulations, would be but to convey . faint
idea Of their astonishmeut. They indeed had nc
conception of the real cause of all this tumultuou'
rejoicing, until the old pioneer, before mentioned
rode forward, and IN accents Of broken, almost sob
bing elequence, depicted the intense excitement
and grief which the discovery Of the capture Of
the ieuteuans and ladies, by the ruthless sssages
had occasioned throue ehout the village Lieuteu
ant Wilson esssyed an explanation, but the Ole
man, motioning theeutenant to be silent, gave hi
order, and away dashed the whole party towards
the village-the ''rescuers'' filed with joy ovel
the fortunate turn of events and happy results o
the morning, while the sides of the rescued
were splitting with laughter at the ludicrous mis-
take Of their friends.
Arriving at the village the lieatenauts and hdies
without being permitted q word in explanation,
were rapturously greeted by men, women and chill
dren, in every manner calculated to manifest the
great Joy of the population consequent upon their
miraculous escape from tomahavks and scaaping
knives, after passing that dreadful night in the
custody of savages 7.-.s. ''..-.
Few men have lived who, at any period Of their
existence possessed stronger sewl or control over
himself than Lieutenant Davis; yet in vain did he
on that occasion exert every faculty and power to
repress the rsibihdes of his naturein order to rem
der an explanation possible. Much less, was il
possible for the ever-mery and great-hearted Lieu
tenant Wilson to do 80. These ludicrous circum
stances, with the exuberance of public rejoicing
all jabbering away in French and English at the
same it utterly impossible for either
Of the rescued party to get in word edgewise
or otherwise, and 50 thecrowd gradually dispersed
Colonel Taylor, however, ''smslt q mice, " and
was not long in ascertaining the true state Of al
fairs-that is, that JEFF Davis and his daughter,
Knox, had engaged in Runaway match, with
Lieutenant Wilson and the beautiful Miss Stree,
as groomsman and bridesmaid. Truth would out,
and in less than an hour every man, woman and
child in the village knew all about the wedding
and as they discussed the singular affairs and ad-
ventures Of the morning, the most uproarious
shouts Of laughter arose from every group and
household. '-'
There was, however, one face amid that wide.
spread scene Of mirth and gsyety that was hvid
with rage ;; two lips tightly compressed tive eyes
flashing with indignation; and one strong hand
grasping, now and again, the hilt Of an oft.hied
sword. The reader may well imagine that / refer
to Colonel Zachary Taylor, before whose angry
glance brave indeed must have been the heart that
did not become faint.
Colonel Taylor having declared, with an oath
strong as he everused, that underno circumstances
would he ever forgive Davis or become reeoneiled
with his daughter an alienation thereafter existed
as wide as the poles Of the earth.
y
Sixteen years had passed away on the wheels o.
time, when General Zachary Taylor and Coione
Jefferson Davis met in foreign country, amid the
sickening scenes of blood, carnage and battle, in
defence of their oountry's homer, and over both o.
whose commands dedantly Roated "the star-spaD'
gled banner "a flag which at that date (January
9Th, lS47, was in truth and reality the emblem Of
liberty and equality. Wherever on that sanguina'
ry field the fierce contest ragged and duty called,
there was seen the noble and soldierly form Of Col
Jefferson Davis ut the head Of the "First Missis'
sippi Rifles" than which no more courageous, gal.
liant and glorious regiment ever unsheathed sword
for national honor. This was the battle OF Buens
Vista, in Mexico, where Colonel Davis was severe
ly, and it was at the time supposed mortally,
wounded by cannon ball and by the fall of his
horse, the latter being instantly killed.
1t was evening at Buena Vista; the great bat
tie had been fought American arms and valol
had triumphed, the dead were being buried, and
the wounded humauey cared for by comrades
hands, when General Taylor mounted bis splendid
war horse, ''OM Whitley" and hurriedly made bis
way to the markee of Colonel jeff Davis. Aniv'
ing at the wounded Colonel's quarters, the General
quickly dismounted, stepped to the Coloners cot,
grasped him by the hand, pressed it fewently, and
almost overcome by emotion, said: ''Jef, you have
saved US the day with your glorious 'aaes'-le'
me confess that Knox knew your worth and you,
mettle better than l did. "
From that moment, throughout the war, and
indeed, until the death Of President Taylor, the
warmest friendship existed between those old COM
panions in arms. Even when General Taylor was
the Whig President of the United States and JET;
ferson Davis a Democratic United States Senator
from Mississippi, amid all the political strifes Of
the time, no feelings other than those Of the pu-
rest, unsel6sh regard ever existed between them.
Let us trust, through hopeful augury, if naught
else, that another reconciliation may oecur-thas
the people Of our beloved country may become
again united under and acknowledge obedience to
the Constitution. Emulating the example Of the
ustrious hero of Buena Vista, let us truly realize
that while Ito err is human" it BELTS the brave
to be forgiving and magnanimous.
The History OF THE TUNE OF "DKE. THE
Memphis Post tells this story of "Dixie:"
I'm the first place, the song and chorus OF Dix
ie' was composed and arranged by Dan Emmet,
one of travelling minstrel party, who, while at
Mobile in the winter of 1s47-4S, heard some ne
gro laborers singing on the levee while loading a
steamboat with cotton The thought struck Dan
that with little change of measure it could be
made good song and walk around, which gen.
orally winds up negro minstrel concert Dan ar
ranged it and produced it. It became success,
and was sung and played all over the country by