Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-04
FIVE OF A KIND.
-.,narks Caused by kSt'leF >
Charm.
rrom the GI06e- Democrat.

Charm.
from the Globe Democrat.
..pv11LB. July Is.-Iu the same con-
- 49, s,acoming under my personal Cd
'ro,I5p. may mention the following
y - facts which though at the time
'as IA much comment and wonder, ana
- e. are remembered by many, do not
va WEI nave ever been published. In 1863
so,cas. commanded by Gen. Forest
!. u severe engagement with the enemy
~ tbens. East Tennessee. Among the
- ortached to my brigade was Ten
S..oa regiment, largely composed OF
,.5orts of the locality where the en-
. ,a'.,,,pnt was fought. Among the mum
vas one Geo. Wallace, II my memory
yves me right, who was shot through
q -iybt breast. After the engagement
...,rss brought to the hospital quarters
.~oatnant. and when his clothing was
.,.,np.d from his body there was revealed
4 me left breast SO perfect picture OF
sttIasnake. coiled with its head reared
- Il about to strike. that his physicians
sSiiaved it to nave been puncIufeu WIN
iifink Some two weeks afterWard
chief surgeon, Dr.. lnangrum, recalled
4 NJ matter to mind by saying that ne nad
oeted Wallace concerning IL, ana had
4 Non rold by him that 1t was not artlhcIal,
4 INF family birthmark, Whlch couid De
NIud on some portion OF the DOoy OF
4 .ra,.r one of his brothers and sisters, OF
4 I'm he mad i've. was so astODished
4 ~ his improbable story that upon the
4 49, onnortunitv [ sought Mr.. Wallace to
4 oorn Inc story from hlsOwn lips. 1t was
.5me ak months after, however, when
4 @a4 him on his return to his command az
,sr ia recovery, and this is what he told
ma and What,O on a subsequent occasion, L
@1na verified by the statement OF the
notber and two daughters, whom L saw
# their home near cambridge, East Ten
0sseaa lust previous to the close OF the
@Nv mother was a Burton and an
i .iGht6-b blood Indian. She was reared in
ins mountains near Cumberland gap, her
H other being a dlstiller and farmer. When
about wears Of age she by some means
became charmed with a rattlesnake,
which had its home in ravine near the
suring about 200 yards from the dwelling.
der parents however, did not discover
he fact until she was 5 years OF age, and
two summers had passed. All that was
Known was that during the summer
months she would cry to 20 to the spring,
and as the family was large she WAS gen.
orally allowed to have her way. During
the winter she would occasionally go to
The spring and return frettul, but it was
in the latter part OF the second summer
the real cause was discovered. She was
then able to talk good deal, and, one
rainy dav her mother having refused to
allow her to go out, she cried and COM
planned about her snake drowning 80
much as to attract attention to her words,
but Der story did not arouse any particu-
lar suspicion. The next day being bright,
however, she appealed to her mother TO
allow her TO 90 and see her snake, and the
mother determined to accompany her.
Arrived at the spot her mother was horEi-
ied to see a huge rattlesnake approach
the child from a creVice in the rock, and
snatching her up she ran screaming to the
house Mr.. Burton, happening to be at
home and hearing the screams of his
wife, snatched up mis- rife and rushed out
4 Of the door to her, when lie discovered the
reptile still in pursuit. Raising his gun
be shot it in the body, Gripping it. and
s. gathering a club proceeded TO finish his
Il work Of destruction. The mother in the
meantime stopped out Of breath and set
& the child down. No sooner did it realize
what was going on than it ran screaming
& toward the father and fell in a spssm
Just as he killed the reptile. Alarmed be-
y0nd measure, the father carried his babe
to the house, ana when it recovered con-
sci0uspess it again began to cry tor the
Aake. Being of superstitious turn Of
mind, and having been brought up in the
nake-eharming faith, Mr.. Burton was
almost beside himself with fear for the life
Of his child. But, being of a practical
q turn OF mind, he decided to skin the rep
ile have it stuffed and give it to the
Il clild.n
This was done, and when | visited
The residence Of Mrs. Wallace she showed
me the still stuffed and cOiled serpent for
QT which she seemed to have a strange
aleetIon even yet, and said:
= can't help it il it has marked all my
children. 1t seems to me it would kill me
% part with it,"