The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1877-03-07
in THE EVERGLADES.
4 Story d ftke Seminole War IN Ftoridd-
The Deadly Swan.p.

4 Story Or me Seminole War IN Floridd--
The Dradiy Scamp.
The exploration Of the everglades of
Florida hiring 10 light many incidents of
the long and terrible Seminole war. Be-
yond the Mules Wallow' there u q
marsh about which the most remsrkeble
stories are narrated. II Is called Feather
Bed Bay No wild animal when chased
l,y the hunter was ever known To cross II;
the baying ~ the hounds might force The
.lesr little way from the friner earth.
hut II will then become alarmed with It's
rapid sinking nnd struggle out even into
the jaws OF DEATH Under the tread of
any living thing upon the treacherous
tussocks the whole surface Of the marsh
viii .reniblea rs ifit were merely = fioaling
scum on hidden depth of water. AS ONE
surveys It's tall furze and tufted grass,
traversed by the quivering fluctuations
pnsduced by fhe breeze. aud ponders oh
the frightfnl stories Of the lives which
have been smothered Ia tile unfathomable
slime, his wonderment al the application
af the name Of Feather led Bay ceases.
II was comparatively unknown TO the
whites until one battle took place. The
Indians, In retreating. hoped by their
superior lightness of foot to cross the
Feather Bed Bay before they were over
taken. They would have avoided Il had
they moi been pressed very hotiy, and by
badly attaining the oikpr shore they
thaught that the whites would be induced
10 attempt 10 follow them. But they
trrriiation af the moment prevented the
safe laaszsge upon which they hal
reckoned. The surface Of the bay shook
uuder so many nioccasined feet. aud
warrior after warrior sunk In the slime,
his last breath gnryiins up Ike the croak
OF the frog ut twilight. To add TO the
horror ofthe scene, which even to the
heated whites was repulsive, Indian
women. vhom runners had warned Of the
nearing struggle ~ they SAT fishing on the
margin of"Sink o. Pinhooks.' appeared
on the further side of Feather Bed Bay
wringing their hands aud tearing their
hair with terror NJ their husbands,
biotaers, lovers aud fathers struggled
with the strange cyclops. Some ofthem
even flung themselves with long resoun-
ding and long remembered shrieks Into
the fatal pool OF miro and disappeared
with their defenders. Sialwart warriors,
whose cspp~ry frsl seemed 10 have
assumed rrdder hue from having been
psiniesi with The blood OF the whites.
painfully struggled back TO the shore,
with eyes glHring. tongues proiruding
and fscss slrsnkei with sweat and gore.
There the whites. with the passion ofre-
veuge grimbly burning In their eyes.
slood firing at the figures which atisnipt-
Ing 10 resch the other side; and those
who struggled hack, affrighied with death
In 20 sieksning foTni. wsrs given their
quirtus ny blows inflicted with the butts
of their musks,s. Their bodies were
lhruss back into the mire aud never seen
more.
Flty of the .avsges ra.ssd 'Festher Bed
Bay, either by treading the tussocks with
superior quickness aud ability OF by run
ming around Il with their utmost speed
The latter example was followed by many
of the writes. who resumed the pursuit.
afisr preventing the escape from the mirs
IL two braves who iolisd nearly shoulder
deep 60 the edge. Someof the whites here
lurnea back. Out Others forgetting disci-
pline aud not hearing the voice Of com-
mand. pressed ON In hnt pursuit. The
night had fallen and the sound Of breaking
vines aud shrubs aud the splashing of the
water in the morssser a The fugitiyer
swept through was all that guided the sol
aler. On, on. they went; The faint light
u The moon only served 10 confussall
neither oljecis. and The vlslzs of pine and
cypress assumed strange aspects as they
sped ainng. Therr was sort of intoxi>
eaiIon 10 the wilIns-s. seirdnsss and un-
certainty of the hunt. There was danger
Of nmb,~h by Wild bsas:s as well N by
savaEs-. They heard tie snsri % the
panther over their heaIs fiequsntly ~
they passed. iuto the dense tangIe Of the
palmetto hammocks or tight eye junglcs.
Hut they were men who had caurs 10
thirst for the hiood of the Seminoles. and
they knew during these hours of night
only Of the now near, nov distant, sound
of their footsteps end hated voices, some
times the sobs of the quefnlous squsws,
.omelImes the dsfying yells Of the fisnd
/ like warriors.
Judging by the position Of The moon.
they went easlwsrt from The Sink o. Pin
honks, where thsrs stood few deserted
wigwams, croasd several streams and
Ihicks,' and finally approached large
Island IN the mids: of great sxpanss oI
water and forest. The island Was densely
and closely shaded with nsgnoliss, bays
and live oaks. spd great camp fire IN the
center east sbout wonderful glow. whicl'
dlrcIosed 10 them circle af many wig
vans. The Indians stood NJ bay and re-
newsd the aght But they were surprised