Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-07-28
Old HAMILTON.
The Last Gun of the Bloody Seminole
War in Florida.
.Iaeob 0,osbu. b. .Lnsn.r 49, Tinaea.

@dcoO CROSBY, "a JaSDsf (ttI.) Tunes.
The command was divided; twenty
five remaining with the horses, aud
others going under command of Col.
VIM. l. Bailey with Norton and Han
kins. They crossed the swamp wading
IN water up to their armpits entered
the scrub and crossed it without
finding the camp. They walked one
after the other. with Norton leading.
HIS instructions were, that If any of
the men saw anything unusual who
ever saw it must let it be known
and every man would stop where he was.
They We're proceeding in this way as ST.
lently as possible With no mOon-but
their eyes had been accustomed to dark
ness so long they could see considerable
distances in places. and they could follow
tue trail nearly as well as they could in
daylight. All at once one of the men
spoke and said he saw fire. They
halted and stood still, every man,
but Norton, who walked back to the
man who spoke, and asked him to
point to where he saw the light. This he
did, and Norton, and, indeed, all of them,
could see the white smoke rising from the
charred remains of an Old-fashioned light
wood knot, out IN the open pine woods.
But there was a creek between them and
the Indians, who had crossed it late the
evening before, and campsd in the open
pine, just outside a fringe of saw pal
mettO bordering the creek. This was
about O'Clock Wednesday morning.
Norton and Hawkins went forward to
see how near they could get to the camp,
and found it impracticable to cross the
creek, but they got within about 100 feet
OF the sleeping saVages. They returned
to the men and then commenced the
creeping part of the business, and they
got to the edge Of a sort of lagoon that
mad to be waded. On the opposite side,
between this water and the run of the
creek, there was a dry ridge, quite mar
row. on which the men could form in line
not more than 100 feet from the camp.
They could see the Indians lying on the
ground sleeping and could hear one cough
regularly at intervals Of five or ten mini
utes, as though he was sicM from some
cause, and not sleeping so comfortably as
the others. When the pursuing party
came to the edge of the lagoon the men
were halted silently under some large
live oaks, and ordered to proceed, as ST.
lently as possible, four at a time, and
form in line on the margin of the creek.
W. /. Bailey, Norton, Hankins, and one
other were the first four to cross and get
in position.
The others, instead Of obeying orders,
all started in at once, notwithstanding
they were careful and made as little NOISE
as it was possible. They were discovered,
and one of the Indians got on his feet and
leaned with one hand against a large
pine, looking in the direction of the noise.
Norton saw there was no other alterna-
tive but to shoot now or never. He
claimed the fellow as his that
stood looking at them. They took
deliberate aim. and fired eight loads
of buckshOt right in among the Indians
not more than 100 feet from them. There
was a new trouble that came in then. for
those in the rear, commenced firing. Nor
ton was shot down, to all appearances, as
dead as Julius Caesar, aud Hawkins had
his hat blown off by a charge of buckshOt,
but his head was not in it.
These fellows In the rear after shooting
off all their guns, came up, and Col.
Bailey let in on them, and it was said he
did some splendid cursing. 1t turned out
that Norton was not killed, but that he
fell forward on his face at the discharge
of the frat gun to escape what he believed
certain death. The camp was as silent as
any graveyard-nOt a whOop, or gun, or
grOan, or any sound; for once in their
lives these Indians were thoroughly sur
prised.
The next thing in order was to return
to where Gen. Bailey was left and Barton
Pope was sleeping. They started back
going along silently when they heard an
un unusual noise in direction altogether
unlocked for, as if herd of cattle was
coming, or the whole force of the Seminole
nation. Norton had every man to squat,
and hide himself and wait to see what
caused this cOmmOtion in the scrub. 1t
turned out to be the detachment in charge
Of the horses, who had turned the arm of
the swamp and was coming in the direc-
ton of the firing. They got together and
returned to the place where they fired
upon the Indians.
The creek had to be crossed and the
fringe of high saw palmetto, and Norton,
who seemed to see danger at a glance,
told the men that in that palmetto there
was danger, and plenty of it. The In
dams might be there waiting with their
knives Or tOmahawks to engage in hand
t0-hand struggle, and that great care
must be observed in crossing the creek
and getting through the palmetto.
They pushed in and waded over safely.
Hanklns said he was near the opposite
side when something fellin the creek near
him that made as much disturbance as a
barrel Of -four or sack of corn, but he
pushed on intent upon getting over, and
rushed through the palmetto right into
the camp, with the crowd. There were
no Indians to be seen, dead or alive; they
were all gone. The guns, some of them,
were there, aud shotbags, and quantities
OF plumber, such as bedding and house
hold goods. All this trouble seemed for
nothiDg-there were no dead Indians.