The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-05-22
An Episode OF the Creek War of 1886.
Correspondence Courier Journal.


Correspondence Courier-Journql.
CRAWFORD, MIss., May 3.-About the
last Of June, during the Creek trouble.
of 1886, John Landrunl, a yound man o
20, belonging to Capt. Frederick Cook.
company stationed at Girard, received
permission to 60 down the Chattahoochee
River TO visit sick friend at Fort Jones
Landrum passed the first night at Fort
Mitchell. The next morning he crossed
the Chattahoochee to its eastern side and
resumed his journey. After two or three
hours travel he came across Capt. Jar.
mans company, of some so men, and az
they, too, were going down the river, be
fell into their ranks. AS noon ap.
preached, Capt. Jarman, with his com
pany, turned of the road to the right
and after miles march, came to the
site Of house which had been burned
some weeks before by the hostile Creeks.
Adjoining the ruins of the house was q
small oat patch G: about two acres. The
soldiers dismOunted, tied their horses to
the palings which iuclosed the house, cut
some oats and gave them to their horses.
Notwithstanding the evidence before
them, no apprehension was felt in regard
to the Indians, as it was supposed they
were all on the western side of the Chat.
tahoochee. After having fed their horses
all went leisurely down to a creek about
GOO yards to the south and there ate their
dinners. The place was primeval pine
forest, the hill gently sloping from the
creek up to tho house. After dinner
some of the soldiers went bathing in the
creek; some busted themselves washing
their shirts, while others sat or lay on
the ground in the shade of the trees and
pasGe.s awe. Inc time :n talking and
jesling. A general abandon pervaded
the whole camp. Not for one moment
did single soldier there dream that
fierce Muscogee warriors lay crouchng
within rifle shot all around, their eyes
cleaning with hate and vengeance, and
all awaiting the signal to begin their
bloody work. In moment, like sud.
den peal Of thunder, the fierce war.
whoop rose loud and clear, accompanied
by tho fire of scores of rifles, and the
work of death began. Many of the
soldiers were slain outright, some on
land, some in the water and others
severely wounded, among these Capt.
Jarman. The survivors sprang to their
feet; the weapons of some were not in
reach, others seized such weapons as were
near at hand, and the general cry was to
run to their horses. Some Of the men
lifted the wounded Captain from the
ground and attempted to bear him up
the hill. After going few yards they
placed him on the earth, SO as to return
the Indians fire, when there came anoth-
er volley, and fatal bullet terminated
Capt. Jarman's life. With the men yet
surviving it was race for life. The
Greeks were In front and rear and ON
both sides Of the way leading back to
their horses, and there was an unceasing
blaze of rifles. Nearly every fugitive
perished in running that bloody gauntlet,
q few only reaching their horses, among
these Landrum and Bob Billups. The
Greeks swarmed on every side, and
opened fro upon men and hor' IS. The
soldiers were shot out of the saddle rs
soon as mounted. Landrum and Billups,
side by side, resched their horses, and
sprang into their saddles. The moment
they wheeled of Billups fell, shot dead,
while another bullet brought Landrum's
horse to the ground. In the twinkling of
an eye, he sprang upon the horse of his
dead comrade, and, amid shower of
bullets, Tudo away at full sleed toward
the east. 4 single glance sufIiced to
show that he was the sole survivor of the
men who had reached the horses. Aftor
going about LEO yards he saw u warrior,
directly in his course, take q stand be.
hind tree. There was no way to avoid
him, 80 Landrum, urging his horse to
the top of his speed, bore straight
toward the tree. AS he came nearly
nvNpoaiko tho Trlion fovtI, LII
his gun, but fortunately for Landrum he
pulled the trigger moment too soon.
The ball passed through the left sleeve
of Landrum's coat, slightly grazing his
arm1 The warrior gave vent to an ex.
clamation Of disappointment as the
white man galloped by unscathed. Ian.
drum was now clear of his foes. He
reached tho road, turned his horses head
sorthward, and slackened not bride.
rein until he reached Columbus with the
tidings Of death and disaster. Some
hours after his arrival at Girnrd, that
night, another fugitive came in from the
field of the slain. This man, unlike the
rest, had not attempted to ystreat to the
horses, but early in The action succeeded
in breaking through the Indian line on
the west, and thence made bis way
through the woods direct to Girard.
These two we're, 80 far as is known, the
only survivors Of the massacre. In
day or 30 afterward Landrum went down
on O boat with burial party to the scene
of the massacre. The dead were found
strewn from the creek all along the slope
up to the house. They had not been
plundered or scalped. All around the
house lay the dead horses, every one, it
seems, having been killed except the one
on which Landrum made his escape. A
few Indians we're supposed to have per-
ished in the fight. The soldiers dug
several pits, in which the dead were
buried. Such was the fate of Jarman's
company, q sacrifice to the vengeance of
the fierce Muscogee. s'v -H
Mr. John Lsndrum. s7os. wkes1 ting
writer received this episode of savage
warfare, is still living, and is well.
known and respected citizen of Noxubee
County, Miss.
u. S. HALDERT.