The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1883-02-10

chief among them being Mrs. Hanna
herself and her two beautiful daughters, |
the aristocracy of Westmoreland.
lin old times the wedding day was |
the brides day, and the next was the |
groom's. and was called the Unfair
and this was a more festive occasion |
than the marriage itself. SO You see /
my story happened not at a wedding, |
really, but at the Unfair.
Everything went merry enough
until the middle of the afternoon.
There had been dancing, and playing,
and great glee after dinner, when sud-
denly, like clap of thunder out OF
a clear sky, a terrible war-whoop burst
on their ears, and host of painted
savages rushed into the mansion 1t
seems they had attacked Hanua's Town
about noon most of the people escaping
into the fort; and then, before anybody
could get away to give us warning at
Millers, they had come unawares upon
our place.
"Most of our people were captured; a
few men who were moving grass in the
meadows, and some who were at home
in their cabins, fled into the woods and
escaped. All the wedding company
were taken; the bride and groom, Mrs.
Hanna and her daughters, John Brown
lee and all his family but one little
child, which was rescued by young
man and hid in a rye-field, in all, forty
five souls. Most of them were released
and came home within couple of
years, among them the young married
couple; but some were tomahawked on
the march Brownlee was one of these.
He had been leader against the In
dams in several expeditions, and some
of the red men recognized him and re-
membered with anger his bravery. On
the retreat Brownlee was loaded by
them like pack horse with great
burden of things they had stolen in our
cabins; and he had taken in addition his
youngest child, about my age. and so
was walking beside his wife. At one
spot he stopped slightly TO arrange his
load, when an Indian sunk a tomahawk
in his brain. AS he fell to the ground
the same dripping blade cleft open the
skull of the yellow-tressed lite child.
And as my mother (your great-grand-
mother), also in the line of captivcs,
screamed at witnessing such a butchery,
the monster who did it turned and
hewed her down. Mrs. Brownlee saw
the bloody deed and the death throes of
her husband and babe in silent horror,
and from that moment was never sane
again. She drifted along with the rest
of the captives, especially for by
Mrs. Hanna, at length reached Canada,
and by British officers who pitied her
condition was sent back to Westmore-
land; a dozen Years later she was yet
silent. with hands always clasped and
| ewes fixed on the ground
"But my own share in that fearful
event remains to be told.
My mother was at the mansion, and,
as | said before, was taken prisoner and
slain. Nv father had also been there
most of the afternoon, but as my grand
mother remained in our cabin in charge
OF me, baby, he had stepped home fol
few minutes to look after our welfare.
1t was at this moment that the war
whoop sounded and the attack began
, A glance told my father that nothing he
could do would avail to save my mother
or rescue any but grandmother and me
if even this could be done. But as oul
, cabin was at the farther side of the
: hamlet, at the very foot of George:
Hill, he decided to try and escape into
the thick woods little distance up the
, slope. Catching me in his arms anC
: taking his mother by the hand he hur
| ried us toward the forest. Hardly haC
, we started when the rowing eyes of sew
) eral savages spied us and pursuit wa
4 instantly made. Grandmother was ole
: and feeble, and the fright and haste al
most overcame her so that she coulC
hardly walk. My father, seeing THU
q and noting how fast the Indian
were gaining on us, balanced il
r his mind which to give up anC
: which to try and save, his mother o
his child. And this question was settleC
h when he reached the edge of the woods
5 for at that point he dropped me upol
, the ground, and, devotng all hi
Q strength to his mother, escaped the say
: ages and reached Georges Farm, few
= miles distant. What would become o
( me he could not imagine, though h
a said that until darkness shut down, ant
he came back to search for wife AM
| baby, he had constantly before his eye
:. vision of my scalp of glossy ringlet
Q in red mans bloody hands. Whel
V night came he stole to the clearing t.
\ examine the state of affairs. AS h
t crept out from among the trees an
| listened and gazed all was still, but no
!, all dark Below him at several point
e were glowing beds of Goals, and tn
d smoky air told him that the hamlet wa
4 not only bereft of its people but burne
4 to the earth. Warily crawling dow
q the hill he came first to the smolderin
4 remains of the Courla cabin, next wer
r the embers of the Dunlaps' little house
and next to this stood our own. But
a as he approached. what was his amaze
a ment to discern, instead of bed {