The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1875-09-30
A Real Indian Romance.

Il
The Louisville Courier Journal tells this
story: Between Clarksville, Tenn, and
Eddyville, KY, on the Cumberland river,
there is cavern which can only be ep-
tered by diving into the water, and
which has no other light than that re-
hected from the bottom of the river. It
was accidentally discovered by young
Indian chief, while one day diving for
his gun, which he had dropped from his
canoe into the river. The Indian youth
who discovered 1t for long time kept the
secret to himself, and would often resort
to 1t in his lonely hours, where, by the
aid of his flint and piece of dry wood, he
would kindle fire and enjoy himself in
looking at the magnifcence of the SCENE
as the light reflected back millions of
beams from the numerous stalagmites
and stalactites of gigantic size and fantas-
tic forms. The cave was about fifty feet
wide, and about the same in height. In
the course of time this young son of the
forest became enamored with beautiful
daughter of one of the backwOodsmeh in
the settlement. The young chiefs name
was Wallahalla and the girls name was
Agnes Robertson. In those days the
daughters of backwoodsmen could swim,
ride, and handle gun with all the
dexterity and skill of their fathers and
brothers. Arriving at the place the lover
disappeared beneath the surface of the
water and the maiden quickly followed
him. Here he informed her she must re.
main as his prisoner until he gained the
consent of her parents to their union.
Wallahalla then departed to return SOON
after with dried venison and such articles
as were necessary for her comfort. Re
turning to the settlement, Wallahalla
found that the place had been attacked
by the foe and the village burned to the
ground. The parents of Agnes mourned
her as dead, or as lingering in a cap
tivity to which death would be far prefer
able. The young chief was lOudest in his
lamentations over the lost girl, and at the
war dance of his tribe swOre the direst
vengeance against her captors. All the
male portion of the settlement, together
with the friendly tribe to which the
young chief Wallahalla belonged, started
in pursuit of the foe to rescue the girl.
After long and tedious march they
came upon the. enemy in the neighbor-
hood of where Metropolis City, ILL.,, now
stands. A furious battle was fought, in
which the attacking party, headed by
young Wallahalla, dealt death and de-
struction to their foe until the ammuni-
ton was exhausted. At this moment the
enemy was reinforced, and the attacking
party was compelled to retire across the
Ohio. The father of Agnes Robertson
was almost crazed with grief at the loss
of his beloved daughter. In his great
agony he published to the troops the fol-
lowing announcement:
l, Andrew Robertson, will give to the
rescuer of my daughter from the hands OF
the Iowas her hand in marriage, one thou
sand acres of land, one hundred head of cat
tie and horses, one hundred pounds of pow
der, and two rifles.
ANDREW ROBERTSON.
Twenty men, warriors and rifemen,
among them Wallahalla, stepped forward |
and rendered their services. The girl |
herself was a fortune to any man. The |
parent and his trusty friends, with the
exception of those who were to go in pur.
suit of the Iowas in search of Agnes
returned to the settlement on
Little river, near the place now known
as Cadiz, in Trigg county, KY, to rebuild
their huts and the stockade which the In
lians had destroyed. Wallahalla sepa-
rated himself from both parties, and by
circuitous route wended his way to the
cavern in search of his beloved Agnes,
whom he found in almost starving con-
1ition. The full moon shOne forth in all
its splendor on the night of the 25th of
May as they rose to the surface of the
water and entered their canoe to return
10 the arms of the lovely Agnes parents,
and receive the reward and blessing.
Their advent into the settlement on the
morning was occasion for great
rejoicing. Feasting and dancing were
the order for several weeks, and the
young chief Wallahalla was the toast of
the country for miles around. He was
the recipient of presents of land, horses,
cattle, skins, ETC., to larger extent than
my man living since the foundation of
the world. OF the nineteen men who
stepped forward to offer their services to
Andrew Robertson, not one returned to
give in his experience, and the general
existed at that time that they
we're either tomahawked or burned at
,he stake. Wallahalla married and
changed his name to Robertson. Many
IF his descendants lived in the neighbor-
hood of what is now known as Critten-
len county and Trieg county, KY, till
about the year 1878, when they re-
moved to Eastern Georgia.