The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-12-03

fresh-wa ter supplies. Garcon with some
of his men lay in ambush at the spot,
and while the officer talked with the
negro the concealed men fired upon the
boat, killing Luffborough and two OF
his men. One man got away BY swim
ming, and was picked up by the feet;
two others were taken prisoners, and,
as was afterward learned, Garcon coat
ed them with tar and burned them to
death.
1t would not do to send more boats
ashore, and so the little squadron lay
together awaiting orders from Colonel
Clinch. That officer, as he approached
the fort, captured q negro, who wore a
white mans scalp at his belt, and from
him he learned OF the massacre of Luf-
borough's party. There was no further
occasion or doubt as to what was to be
done. Colonel Clinch determined to
reduce the fort at any cost, although
the operation promised to be a very dif-
ficult one.
Placing his men in line of battle he
sent a courier to the feet, ordering the
gun-boats to come up and help in the
attack. The Seminoles made many
demonstrations against the works, and
the negroes replied with their cannon.
Garcon had raised his aags-a red one
and British Union jack-and whenev-
err he caught sight of the Indians or the
Americans he shelled them vigorously
with his thirty-two FOUNDER.
Three or four days were passed in this
way, while the gun-boats were slowly
making their way up the river. 1t was
Colonel Clinch's purpose to have the
gun boats shell the fort while he should
storm it on the land side. The work
promised to be bloody, and 1t was nec-
essary to bring all the available force
to bear at once. There were no siege
guns at hand, or anywhere within reach,
and the only way to reduce the fort was
for the small force of soldiers-number-
ing only one hundred and sixteen men
to rush upon it, receiving the fire OF its
heavy artillery and climb over its para
pets in the face of Q murderous fire Of
small-arms. Garcon had with him three
hundred and thirty -four men, so that
besides having strong defensive works
and an abundant supply Of large can.
non, his force outnumbered Colonel
Clinch' nearly three to one. It Il true
that Colonel Clinch had tho band Of
Seminoles with him. but they were en-
tirely worthless for determined work Of
the kind that Colonel Clinch had to do.
Even while lying in the woods at q
distance, waiting for the gun-boats to
come up the Indians became utterly
demoralized under the fire OF Garcon'e
thirty-two FOUNDER. There was moth
ing to be done, however, by way OF i'm
proving the prospect, which was Ger.
tainIy hopeless enough. One hundred
and sixteen white men had the Negro
Fort to storm, notwithstanding it,
strength and the overwhelming force
that defended it. But those one hum
dred and sixteen men were American
soldiers, under command Of . brave
and resolute officer, who had made UP
his mind that the fort could be taken
and they were prepared to follow theil
leader up to the muzzle of the guns and
over the ramparts, there to fight thu
question out in hand-t0-hand struggle
with the desperadoes inside.
Finally the gunboats arrived, ant
preparations were made for the attack.
Sailing Master Jairus Loomis, the com
mandant of the little feet, cast hi
anchors under the gums of the Negro
Fort at five o'clock In the morning OF
the 9th of July, 1916. The fort at onc'
opened fire, and it seemed impossible
for the little vessels to endure the storm
of shot and shell that rained upon then
from the ramparts above. They re
piled vigorously, however. but with N
effect. Their guns were too small b
make any impression upon the heav,
earthen walls of the fortress.
Sailing Master Loomis had rouse'
his ships cook early that morning, an
had given him . strange breakfast +
cook. He had ordered him to make al
the fire he could in his galley, and to 81
the fire with cannon balls. Not lon
after the bombardment began the COO
reported that breakfast was ready; tina
is to say, that the cannon balls were re
hot. LOOMS trained one of his gun
with his own hands so that its sho
should fall within the fort instead q
burying itself in the ramparts, and thi
gun was at once loaded with . red-hc
shot. The word was given. the mate
applied and the glowing missile spe
on its way. A few seconds later th
earth shook and quivered, q deafenin
roar stunned the sailors, and VA
cloud of smoke filed the air, shuttin
out the sun.
The hot shot had fallen into the gres
, magazine, where there were hundred
of barrels of gunpowder, and the Negr
. Fort was no more. It had been lite
, ally blown to atoms in second.
The slaughter was frightful. Ther
were, as we know already. three hun
, dred and thirty-four men in the for
and two hundred and seventy Of thel
were killed outright by the explosion
, All the rest, except three men who m
, raculously escaped injury, were wounS
ed. most of them SO badly that the
died soon afterward.
) One Of the three men who escape
, unhurt was Garcon himself. Bad a. Il