Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-05
OLD HAMILTON.
The Last Gun of the Seminole War and
Its Tragic Results.


John Crosby in Jasper { Fla.) Times.
Sentinels were posted round the camp,
with instructions to listen for any sound,
and report il at once. Daylight began to
shown signs of its coming and all hands
had to wait for it before they could hope
to make any discoveries. Norton visited
the sentinels as soon as II was light
enough to do 80 with safety, and just at
day they heard long, keen, sharp Indian
YELL about a mile below them on The river
swamp. One of the sentinels reported to
Norton that he heard something in
patch of palmetto near him that appeared
to be some person trying to initiate bird,
but he was certain it was no bird-it was
somebody whistling.
This bird, or somebody, had to be found,
and it was hazardous business, but Norton
went for him. He hunted the patch care
fully but unsuccessiully, and Went back
to the sentinel, who still insisted that he
was right, and that somebody WAS there.
Norton took bearings of the man and
went again. This time he saw part of a
mans foot exposed in a pile Of drift ana
dead palmetto, and when he looked good
at it and the place he saw the bird was
| covered up in the shape of an Indian.
He was seized by the arm and dragged
forth and marched into camp. He had
been hit with four shot, two in the back,
one of them near the kidneys and the
other about the lungs, one in the arm and
another in the cheek. Either of the shot
in his body would have killed him.
Norton tried to get him to talk but he
would not speak word to him. Hankins
tried him and in answer to the question,
"Wh hat is your name?" in the Indian Ian
guage, he answered "Talawana." In
answer to the question "What is the
chiefs name ~ he answered, "Othlapawa,
Tustenuggee."
There was one of the party Of Indians
that had an immensely large foot and
Hankins, nor indeed did Norton, believe
that it was an Indian or negro, but some
white man. Hankins tried to get him TO
tell who 1t was, but he only smiled
CHASTITY smile and refused to answer. The
bloody water was dripping from his nose,
and they gave him water in a large tin
bucket that had shot holes in it, and be
drank 80 much they feared he would XII
himself, and took the bucket from him.
He never complained, not a groan, or
grunt escaped him--he appeared indiffer-
ent to everything.
There was an old settler along named
Gill, and he decided to kill him with his
knife, but Gen. Bailey ordered him to de-
sist. A court martial was ordered, and
he was sentenced to be hanged, then and
there, by the neck till he was dead.
A gall0ws was made with a couple of
forks and pole, and halter made
of one of the tie-rOpes taken from
one of the horses necks. They tied one
end of the rope around his neck and lifted
him up clear of the ground, and tied the
other end securely. He never uttered a
word or made the least resistance, but
met his fate silently with seeming perfect
indifference. When the men dropped him
he never struggled, but the twist in the
line commenced running out and the body
commenced whirling round, and con-
tinued to turn until the twist ran out, and
the dead Seminole hung there still and
quiet in the bright sunshine of that June
morning.
In searching the camp two head dresses
were found made Of feathers and down,
one white and the other black, both
had long feathers standing upright. The
white one had blood and brains in it, and
the black one was bloody. They found
where heavy objects were dragged in the
direction of the creek then taken up
and carried through the palmetto, as
though several bodies had been dis
posed of in this manner. The surface of
the ground in the camp, where the In
dams were sleeping, was literally raked
with shot. The tree where Norton shot
his man had the mark of his ounce ball
in the side of it. but 1t did not go deep
enough to prevent it from burying itself
deep in the body Of the man he fired at.
The detachment was worn out; men
and horses had been going from Sunday
evening until Wednesday morning, and
the cry was to go home. Old Jack Bill
lainy, who was alcng voted to hunt
more, but he had to give up and go With
the majority. Some days after they had
all reached home safely news came that
three Indians had gone 10 and surrendered
at No. 4, near Cedar Key. One had 80
shot holes in him, another had tour, and
the third was unhurt. They reported one
drowned at the foot log, on the Estein-
hachee; he had both arms broken and fell
into the current, which was deep and
rapid, and he was swept away. Thus
ended the Seminole war. There was
never another gun fired, or another life
taken, after that memorable Wednesday
morning. The carcass Of the dead Semi
mole hanged there until the bones fell to
pieces. 1t was just little too high for
the wolves to reach II, and the buzzartls
could do no more than light and smell
and look on, with greedy, longing gaze.
The actors in this, the last, contest with
the Seminoles, have nearly all Of them
crossed the valley and are resting. Some
OF the younger ones Of the party are yet
living. William Hankfns, to whom l am
indebted for the facts set forth In this nar-
ratiye, is yet alive; he and his young wife
OF that day, are the head Of a numerous
family OF boys and girls and the girls are
all OF them so pretty, and their husbands
love them so well, and stay by them so
close, that one cannot help believing they
are good wives.
The Indians held the regular soldiers in
great contempt, and never failed to show
them by their actions that they regarded
them all, men and officers, as little better
than squaws. No palmer or stronger
proof Of this indifference and contempt of
the regular soldiers could be cited than
the fact that squad of % SeminOles,
heavily laden with plumber, should pass
In broad daylight within 400 yards OF
military post occupied by regular troops.
in open piny woods. What sOgers!
Neapolitan Miracles.
Naples Letter 10 the LOndon DalV Netos, .Jt1lyRI.