The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1877-09-07
An Alabama Tradition.

Inc River Monster that Swallowed Deer
and an Indian, but died from the effects
of Gulping Down the Red Mans Canoe
and Musket.
A correspondent of the Tines, of Gadsden,
Ga, writes: l notice that in your paper
have 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 there can be no
doubt if the tradition of one which was
killed at the head of the Ten Islands in St.
Clair county, be true. 1t is said that in 1916
and 1917, when North Alabama was first be-
ing settled by the whites, there came to that
county from Carolina, Jacob Green, the faith
er of Mr. Abe Green, his son-in-law, Mr..
Wood, and perhaps Mr.. Dill and Jeremiah
Collins, father of Rev. jesse Collins, now of
st. Clair all of whom afterward settled in
that county. When they fist came on their
tour of inspection in search of new home,
they were attracted to Fort Strother, on the
Coosa, IN consequence of its being the spot
where Gen. Jackson, in the Creek war, had
nine miitiamen and one captain shot for
mutiny in his army, on its march into the
Creek nation, on the opposite side of the
river.
During their visit in search of homes they
were induced to go on to the islands to as
certain if they, or any of them, were of suffi.
cient size to make settlement In order to
reach them they procured 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 suffi-
clent size to carry one, or not more than two
persons. Having prepared themselves for
the inspection of the islands, they set out,
and on approaching one, they saw strange
animal of immense size and length, about
the color of a cat fish, but more in the shape
of snake. which seemed to have dritted
upon the edge of a small island, and was
partly out of the water, making movements
and contortions like as if It was in the ago
nies of death. They approached it. 1t was
partly covered by the water and 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 kingdom, but that was certainly a
| water animal of the snake genus. After
watching its movements and holding short
| consultation, they determined to kill it if
bullets would do 50. They then approached
more closely to it and fired several rounds
until they discovered that it was dead. They
then went to it for close examination te
ascertain what it really was, and discovered
from the sharp protuberances and uneven.
ness OF its body on one side and the evenues,
ON the other that there must be somethins
in it. When they discovered that they ha,
never heard or seen or read of such an ami
NAL, they proceeded with their tomahawk
and butcher knives to open it, and in doin,
so, to their utter amazement and surprise
they found in it bark canoe, the horns anC
skeleton OF a large deer, the skeleton of al
Indian, also an old rifle gun, such as the In
dians of that day used, and bow and ar
rows. From finding the above-named arti
cles in it, and their appearance, they conclu
ded that some weeks previous an Indian ha,
killed deer, put it in his canoe, and Will,
crossing the river, the monster had swallow
ed the canoe, with the Indian, deer, an,
other articles in it. The flesh of the Indial
and deer had been digested but the canoe
the gun, the bow and arrows, and bone
were so indigestible as to sicken the mon
ster, and so enfeebled it that it had floate,
to where they found is, and could not escap
from them.
When Others came to the country and thi
adventure was told them. they were incredu
lous, and pronounced the whole story to be
lie. Those who had destroyed the monste
became more sensitive, and declined speak
ing oft any more, although they knew
70 be true