The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-04-01
PA. FRIDAY, APRIL l. 1881,

necessarily, like iends, the black did ter
ribe execution i'm grim and sinister silence.
l remarked that his white teeth, however,
were as eloquent as our scouts eyes.
''I don't pretend that was so cool as to
make those observations at my leisure. The
fact is I wasin sweat, thinking how could
escape from my perilous situation. At such
times one sees and is impressed by much,
though he seems to notice butfew particulars.
1 could have been behind that palm but a
very few minutes, yet more passed through
my noddle than could relate in hours. To
return to the black warrior-he had just dis
charged his piece, and was reloading it,
when, drawing my rifle forward, as lay at
length, and taking sight with the muzzle
between the stalks, let drive.
Il saw my man drop his rife and leap.
The next moment my screen of stalk-crack-
ling as if attacked by fire, was shattered al
most into dust by rifle balls, one of which
struck me in the face, happily without touch
ing bone. No knife could have made a
C eaner wound. l scarcely felt it at the time,
though it has left the ugly scar you see.
The moment / drew the fire l sprang TO my
feet and ran for shelter into the hammock
where our lads were.
Until that day ! had but poor opinion
of the blacks as fighters They were not adj
mtted into the army at that period, only as
servants and teamsters, but were taken into
the navy. Our statesmen, it would appear,
have always thought that any kind of mater
! ial is good enough to make sailor of. We
had several with us. One bright mulattO,
was favorite with all in the command into
which, by his goOd-n -natured saliies and con-
slant cheerfulness, he had often put heart
+ when we had been disposed to give way un-
der the hardships and privariors consequent
/ TO the service we were in. Upon this occa-
sion he conducted himself under fire as gal
/ lantiy as it is possible to any of whatever
( color nation or Iank.
I "Our lieutenant had by ;his time discover
ed that lie had caught Tartar, and must
abandon the prize. He had no doubt made
up his mind to die on the field rather than
/ escape to disgrace. However, ordering the
buger to sound 'S0lve qui pen' he stepped
! to fun view Of those yelling red devils, as
coolly as if at parade muster on board ship
1t would have been miracle if he had es
capped that storm of bullets. When he fell
Sam the mulatto, and one or two others raj
to his assistance. But the brave fellow;
never reached him.
"Obeying, in the liveliest manner, his las
ORDER Everybody shift for himself" W,
made all sail for the boats. / have been il
several uncomfortable positions since, bu
none that l would have been willing t,
change for that of heating Tom CoX's ira
verse through the bush with those Seminole
after me like pack of hounds in full cry
except that of crossing the naked bog witt
the red devils dropping us right and left
speaking with relation to my own place il
the Struggling line of so many Of us as go
back to it.
'It was nothing more than massacre
Out of a hundred and thirty five we number
ed when we left the boats, we mustere,
twenty-five when we reached the post {
which We made our way. One poor fellow
came in two days after, having Travelled
over a hundred miles with ball IN lis groin
1t NAV appear Incredible, but the instinct o
life is wonderfully strong in man."
Here ne again glanced at his watch.
'AIy times up and I'm glad it is. l aIway
feel mean when think os that affair thoug
there were more than six bundled warriors
as was afterward learned ambushed in tina
huumock, in wait for large body of troop
known to have been approaching; and o
which they doubtless mstouk us tor the ad
vance guard else it's quite probable l shoul
not be here to relate the story"
While he was speaking he rose, and, 'Civin
his glass n hasty twirl, to revive its droopin
contents, he as hastily disposed of these
Then saIuting me with n polite movemer
he left with a quick, huoyant step that woul
: shame many a man of thirty.