Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1880-01-16
An Alabama Pioneer,

The news reached us yesterday of the
not unexpected death, at his home in
Clarke County, of jeremiah Austill,
father of Judge Austill of this Chan
Gerry Division. He died at the ripe age
of eighty-six years, possessed of the re-
spect and confidence of all the people,
and revered for the long life of useful
ness, honor and patriotism he has lived
on the soil of Alabama. Mr.. Austill
was born in South Carolina in 1894.
His father, Captain Evan Austill, was
one of the brave defenders of Fort Mad
ison after it had been evacuated by
Colonel Carson. His mother was the
only sister of Col. David Files, who set
tied in Washington County, and who
died in 1920. Thus Mr.. Austill may be
regarded as the last connecting link be-
tween the Alabama of to-day and the
Territory as it existed before admission
into the Union in 1920. When he was
but nineteen years of age an incident
occurred in his life which made him
celebrated in the annals of this State.
1t was during the Indian depredations
excited by Tecumseh, in 1918. Capt.
Sam Dale, man of immense size
and personal strength, with a COM
mand of Clarke County men and a few
Mississippi volunteers, started out upon
an expedition to disperse the Indians,
who were prowling through Clarke and
Monroe Counties. When the expedi-
ton had crossed the Alabama, Captain
Dale, Mr.. Austill and ten other whites
and negro named Cesar, being in the
rear and not yet crossing, they were
notified that the Indians were upon
them. They retreated to the river side,
and there saw approaching them a
canoe containing eleven warriors. Two
of the warriors swan ashore; one was
killed and the other escaped. Dale
then manned canoe, and into it
leaped Dale, Austill and Smith and the
negro Cesar. The negro padded out
to meet the enemy, and placing his boat
alongside of the Indian canoe he held
the two together, and the battle began.
| The odds we're nine savages against the
three whites. The chief hailed the
whites with, "Now for it, Big Sam"
and presented his gun at Austill' s
breast. The youth struck at the chief
with an oar. The blow was evaded
and the rifle of the Indian came down
upon Austill's head. Smith and Dale
at the same moment struck down the
chief with their.rifles to the bottom of
the canoe, dashing his brains out
Dale's gun was broken from the stock,
but he still fought with the barrel. Re-
covering himself from the blow of the
chief, Austill dispatched a second and a
third Indian with his dubbed rifle.
Smith was successful in laying two
more Indians at the bottom of the boat.
Caesar held the canoes firmly, and the
three whites kept foot in each canoe
while they dealt their fatal blows. An
Indian struck Austill with a war-club,
which felled him across the sides of the
boats, and, while PROSTATE, another
had raised his club to dash out his
brains, when Dale, by a timely blow,
buried his rifle barrel deep in the war
rior's skull.
Austill recovered his feet, wrested a
club from one of the savages and
knocked him into the river. Not a
word was spoken except the exclama-
ton of the chief at the beginning of the
fight, and request from Caesar to Dale
to use his bayonet and musket, which
he handed him. Having laid all the
WdTTlOrS low, Ino unTee heroes, WlLn Lne
aid of Caesar, lifted up the bodies and
threw them into the river, amid the
shouts of applause from the command,
which had witnessed the battle from
the bank. The victors, after their ia
nous encounter, padded away safely
under heavy fire from the Indians on
the bank they had just left.
Mr.. Austill resided in Mobile for
many years, and represented this coun-
ty in the Legislature in 1845. He sus-
tanned the highest character for moral
as well as physical courage and for in
tegrity and for dignity of demeanor.
He was a true citizen, and of devoted
patriotism. At the outbreak of the
Confederate war Mr.. Austill, although
at the age of sixty-six, volunteered his
services to the State.
Now that this good and true citizen,
a landmark in the history of Alabama,
has passed away, it would be proper for
the General Assembly to bestow his
name upon the next county which may
be legislated into existence. We have
done honor to the memory of Dale, and
should now do public honor to that of
A - J. IA