The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-08-24
miscellaneous.
CHARGE OF THE HOUNDS.
Incident In the Creek War.

EdttOr Of tie 4hgss and Intelligencer
We were greatly interested in the perusal
of an article in your paper of August TO-
1888, under the above heading. 1t refers to
one of the many bloody engagements be-
tween the Indians and the white people, in
the early part of the present century, in the
territory which has since been erected into
the State of Alabama. The article that you
reprint appears as copied from George Cary
Egglestons paper in HuperS Young Pe0pLe.
This paper, although designed for the instruc-
ton of Young People" and MS such should
be strictly accurate nevertheless INDUCES in
an air of fiction and, as it sometimes hap
pens, and notably SO, in this case, that truth
is stranger than fiction" and as the present
writer is perhaps the only reader ofyour paper
in this State who has any personal knowledge
of the facts, he having frequently visited the
site of Fort Sinquetield and having been
acquainted with an eyewitness and one of
the participants in that "Charge of the
Hounds" we may succeed In interesting your
readers by the recital ofthe actual occurrences
of that most extraordinary and exciting en-
gagement.
The fort referred to-Sinquetied-was To-
Gated in Clark county, Alabama, a county in
which we resided from 1S4S to 1851 afterwards
revisited for some weeks in 1867, and resid-
ed there again from the latter part of 1870 to
1878, living about 10 miles from the site of
the Fort--long since grown over with forest
trees-and have been familiar with the ira
ditional history of the event narrated from
the direct testimony OF one ofthe participants,
for more than thirty years. We were well
acquainted with Mr.. lsham Kimbell, whose
family had just been massacred the day be-
fore the attack upon fort Sinquefield, and to
whose "keener eyes," as stated by the his
torians, was due the escape of the occupants
of the fort from Indian terocity. With
these prelimnaries, designed to show our
familiarity with the events of those dreadful
days, and with the scenes OF their enactment
We will now proceed to quote from the care
fully prepared work OF Mr. Ball, who has en-
joyed every opportunity ofgiving these facts
from Mr.. Kimbell himself. The dreadful
massacre ut Fort Minis had Just been enact
ed by the Indians, under their great and blood
ly leader Weatherford, the white settlers with
all their families had fled in terror to the lit
tie stockades, called forts, which were erect
ed in almost every neighborhood for their
protection against the savages. AT this point
our historian begins the relation of the in
cident, the title OF which heads this paper:
"In the crowded condition of Fort Sinque-
and Ransom Kimbell chose to return to Il
plantation, and both families, on the first of
September, 1918, were remaining at Kimbell's
home, near Bassetts Creek about one mile
from the fort. Suddenly about three clock
in the afternoon, Francis and his warriors
surrounded the house Abner James and a
visitor named Walker were in sight within
the building, and ut these the Indians fired ;
but neither of the men being wounded, they
escaped with Mary and Thomas James, the
latter being fourteen years of age, and reach
ed Fort Sinqueiield lsham Kimble, then
sixteen years of age, was with little brother
at the blacksmith shop, distant from the
house one hundred and fifty yards, when the
first guns were fired. Leaving the shop, and
seeing the Indians already AT their bloody
work within his fathers door yard, he start
ed with his brother for the fort. Avoiding
the road the two boys were pursued, and a
gun was fired, the shot cutting the chincapin
bushes around them, but wounding neither
The lntians do not seem TO have been sharp.
shooters with firearms The brothers, MS
rapidly as possible, made their way towards
the fort, but on crossing Il stream the elder
brother fell and when again ready to dash
forward the younger boy was notin sight
nor was he ever heard ofafterward. What
disposition the Indians made of him is un.
known. No time was then to be lost, and
alone through the woods, lsham Kimbell
FASTENED on. Uncertain as to the precise
direction of the fort, he walked up the in.
Clined body OF pine tree, which the wind
had FRUSTRATED, to take Il view of the sur
roundings, and learn his course. He heard
the voices of the Indians distant then some
two hundred yards on the direct road from
his fathers home to the fort descended from
his dangerous position, and once more dash
ed forward. He was soon after met, almost
exhausted, by Thomas Matlock and John
O'Gwynn, who had heard the firing and were
accommodating, and by them was taken into
the fort Ransom Kimbell was absent from
his home at the time of the attack, on horse
back, but within hearing of the guns. HI
Immediately started for the house, but arriv
ed there only in time to find the inmates al
| murdered by Indian war clubs, scalped, and
the Indians themselves out of sight Dis
tressed, and doubtless alarmed for his OWL
safety, he also went to Fort Sinquetield. The
Indians robbed the house, killed the stock
and retired to the creek swamp. The ceeri
| ty of the movements of the Indians, which
| this narrative discloses, is almost incredible
| Yet the narrative rests on authentic history
and welattested tradition
One might suppose that on the last arrival
that of Ransom Kimbell, at the fort, and OF
his report that the Indians had even ther
disappeared, force would have Immediately
proceeded to the house to care for the bodies
of the dead. But the men, whose families wer,
in the fort, were like Kimbell and James
mostly absent at their plantations, and whel
they arrived at nightfall they were busy il
posting pickets, and making preparations t.
resist night attack. SO the dead, and tn,
the supposed dead, were left to the care o
God alone. A dark night came on. Refresh
ing rain drops fell, One of the scalped wo
men, Mrs. Sarah Merrill, daughter OF Abne
James, struck senseless by the hasty blow o
the Indian war-club revived, as the coo
tear. drops from heaven fell upon her blood,
head; and, true to mothers instinct and
mothers heart began to search among thu
slain for her little child There were two lit
tie children in the house on that fatal day, o
the same size and age, and how, in that darl
night, bloody, and probably dead, was she t.
recognize her own? The dress of the on
was fastened together with buttons, and tn
| nthar nnly with atrinua She fnund har our,