St. Landry democrat., 1880-06-26
OLD TINE HEROISM.

1t was sultry morning in the mont
of August, 1882. Freshly the gree
woods waved around the little settle
mcnt of Bryant Station, pitched in tn
far Western wilderness, near the shin
ing Kentucky River.
The previous summer party of set
tiers from Lexington had built thei
cabins at this place, and surrounde,
them by fence of logs, called a stock
ade. A deep, narrow ditch was dug
and large, long logs were planted in i
upright and close together. when tn
soil was filled in around them.
Such fence or palisade was usual,
fifteen or twenty feet high, and an eff
Gent fertilization against an enemy tina
had no cannon with which to destroy it
1t was built with crooks or angles
called bastions, and was pierced will
many loopholes, through which those
inside could discharge their rifles at :
foe outside.
Ingress and egress was afforded by ;
heavy gate of logs, swinging on huge
wooden hinges, which, when closed
was as strong as any part of the walls
There were about fifty families living
within Bryant Stockade-one hundred
and fifty souls in all. The men were
principally farmers, and their beautiful
farms lay without the fort, covered at
this time with corn, potatoes and flax
ripening for the harvest.
On those green, growing crops the
settlers were depending for their Win
ters support, and they guarded them
with watchful eyes. There was labor
and care in it, for daily the husbandman
worked in the field with his trusty rifle
beside him, and night and day guard
stood sentinel in the little watch-tower
on the walls to prevent an Indian sur
prise.
1t was a peculiar time on the frontier.
lncited by English agents the Western
savages were waging fierce war against
the encroaching whites. The red men
were carrying devastation far and near,
burning cabins and hamlets, and put
ting their prisoners to death with cruel
torture. APPLY was Kentucky termed
s. the dark and bloody ground"
Upon this particular morning there
was unusual stir within the stockade.
All night long the men and women had
been busy cooking, moulding bullets and
making preparations for an early march
to Hays Stockade, near which they had
just heard Captain Holder had been de-
feated by the sayages. At sunrise the
whole garrison stood on the parade
ground, all armed and equipped, and
their knapsacks holding food for four
days.
The women and children were all out
saying goodbye. Captain Reynolds
had issued his last orders, and the gate
was about to be opened for their depart
ure, when suddenly every face paled
and the little children began to cry
with fear at the horrible War-cries of
Indians.
There was rush to the picketing,
and through the portfolios the settlers
saw on the hillside, among the stand
ing corn, forty or fifty savages brand
ishing their tomahawks, firing guns and
fearful whoops
81 Let's out at them,'' cried one of
The young men. :" We outnumber and
can beat them in open fight Instantly
thirty of the pioneers rushed to the gate;
there they were stayed by some of the
older men. Versed in backwoods life
they knew Indians too well to thus ven
lure their lives by leaving the fort.
$50 not out for your lives" said
Captain Reynolds, an experienced 'front.'
ersman. Yondor band of yelling In
lians is only decoy party to draw us
out where some larger concealed force
would destroy u.s.
So none left the stockade at that |
ime, but afterward, when it was quite
certain that a large body of the say
yes were gathered in the surrounding
woods, the settlers determined to send |
ONE one to Lexington to warn the peo-
lie there, and to obtain assistance.
Two of the garrison volunteered to
the dangerous mission. There
we're horses in the fort, and mounting
wo of the swiftest, the brave men
arted out of the open gate, and rode
s fast as they could down the Lexing-
On road
Everybody in the stockade looked to
BE them fall, shot down bv Indian bull
,ts. but the concealed enemy remained
quiet, thus showing that they
ounted on their presence being unsus-
ected, and were also numerous enough
OF to fear any reinforcements that
hight be sent from neighboring sta
ons.
The Indians among the corn were not
sight OF the gate or of the road, and
Icy still continued to make their hor-
BILE noises.
"Yell aWayr' exclaimed an old In
ian fighter. eve amt fools enough
} go out and lose our scalps, and the
lrned imps ought to know it, )
The garrison now held a council in
der to consider what was best to do. |
hey felt that they were but a handful |
sside the enemy, and knew not what
leir savage foemen would attempt. It
as determined to keep constant |
atch on every side of the fort, but in
} other way to show any suspicion Of
le ambuscade in the woods. {
The sun mounted higher and higher
the heavens and its heat grew fervent. ,
he men on guard began to weary, and
hat was worse, they began to be very
irsty. The garrison was confronted
Z a dilemma of an alarming nature. I