The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-07-26
AN ALABAMA TRADITION.
ffM9 Monster fHas DSu1goSsSAs =
Deer and an Indian, and D1geste0
I. Them. Bnf Died From the Effects OF
GulpinS Down the Red Mans C1aOe
lYo aud Muxket. "a rE1 Fs.sss3st- .ssls3nss


Deer and an Indian. and DiEested
: Them. Bat Died From the Effects Of
GulpIn4 Down the Red Mans Cnaoe
tttt. the asd.den lsa,) Times. n, :.
I noticed that in your papef ksve been
published imperfect descriptions OF
strange water animals of huge size being
seen in the Coosa. That monsters OF
which We can find no name in animal
history were in that river many years
ago thefe can be no doubt, If the tradition
of one which was killed at the hesh of the
Ten Islands, in St. Clair County, be trde.
1t is said that in 1916 and 1917, when
North. Alabama was first being settled by
the whites, there came to that county
from Carolina, Jacob Green, the father
of Mr.. Abe Green, his son-in-law, Mr..
Wood; and perhaps Mr.. Dill and jeremiah
Collins, fa,heT OF Rev. Jesse Collins, now
of ST. Clair, all of whom afterwards set
tied in that county. When they FIRST
came on their tour of inspection in search
of their new home, they were attracted to
Fort Strother, on the Coosa, in conse-
quence OF It's being the spot where Gen.
jackson, in the Creek war, had nine
militiamen and one Captain sho. for
ihulluf III lis army, Oh Ato hioiS INV
the Greek Nation, ON the opposite side of
the river. That place is but few miles
below the head of the Ten Islands, and is
opposite to some of them. They; as all
other persons coming into the country at
that time, brought with them firearms
Tor their protection.
During their visit in search of homes
they were induced to go ON to the islands
to ascertain if they, or any of them,
were of sufficient size to make a settle
ment. In order to reach them they pro-
cured Indian canoes, made of the
bark of trees, in which to cross over
the water to the islands These bark
canoes were very small crafts, only of
sufficient size to carry one, or not more
than two, persons Having prepared
themselves for the inspection of the
islands, they set out, and on approach
| ing one they saw a strange animal of
immense size and length; about the color
of catfish, but more in the shape of
snake, which seemed to have drifted
upon the edge Of a small island, and was
| partly out of the water, making move
ments and contortions as if it was in the
/ agonies of death They approached it.
IL was partly CoYcieu ny Tic "aoc. anu
partly on dry land, but was of such
enormous size and strange shape as to
battle all their ideas of such animals, or
/ their names in the whole animal king
dom, but it was certainly water ami
NAL of the snake genus. After watching
its movements and holding short con-
sultation, they determined to kill it if
bullets would do so. They then APP
preached more closely to it and fired
several rounds until they discovered that
| it was dead. Then they went to it for
close examination to ascertain what it
really was, and discovered from the
sharp protuberances and unevenness
of its body on one side and the even
ness of the other that thefe must be
something in it. When they discovered
| that they had never seen nor heard nor
read of such an animal, they proceeded
with their tomahawks and butcher knives
to open it, and in doing so, to their utter
amazenleiit and surprise, they found in
it bark canoe, the horns and skeleton
of a large deer, the skeleton of an In
dian, an old rife gun, such as the Indians
of that day used, and bow and arrows.
From finding the above named articles
in it and their appearance, they conclud-
ed that some weeks previously an Indian
had killed deer, put it into his canoe,
and, while crossing the river, the monster
had swallowed the canoe, with the In
dian, deer and other articles in it. The
flesh of the Indian and deer had been
digested, but the canoe, the gun, the bow
and arrows, and the bones were so indi-
gestible as to sicken the monster and SO
enfeeble it that it had floated to where
they had found it, and could not escape
from them.
When others came to the country and
this adventure was told to them, they
were incredulous, and pronounced the
whole story to be lie. Those who had
destroyed the monster became more SEN
sitive, and declined speaking of it any
more, although they knew it to be true.