, 1888-11-16
FIGHTING REDSKINS.

he puueu a CLOUD OF smoke from his old
black pipe, and leaned back in his chair
under the low shed in front of his home.
knew that Capt. Jim had one of his
numerous adventures on his mind. and |
prepared for the worst.
Ye see. me n Giner'l Floyd wus alters
great cronies. We used to swap terbacker
an borry each others knives. an Giner'l
I'D cuss right afore me, same's eff nobody
want aroun'. Alter we got though the
Okeefenobee we belt a council o'war, an
alter it was finly greed that Their VAN
no injuns inside O. the swamp, the ques-
ton wus. 'whar aire they2' Some thought
that they'd gone to the everglades. others
helt to the idee that they wer' q hidin'
out 'mongst the ponds and bays an in
the creek swamps like a passed. O var
mints.
says to me. says e.:
'tJim"-allers called me Jim for short
''wh&r do you think they aire2'
well, giner1," says l, ''ef I'm not
badly QUIT it, the dod rotted ~villyuns aire
s~neallin' aroun' in the big thick ON
S'wanoochee."
We'll. | bedurned," a y g, 'ef Jim
hain't got more sense than the whole drap
hot gang, you may have my years for
heel tap. and Goo knows they're tough
enough since these dad blasted gallinip-
pers We afoul of 'em. Boys, we'll go over
thar an drive Big Thick. an see if Jim
amt bout half right"
Ye see, giner1 liked the warlike man
ner in which spoke. fur he saw that eff |
came across an Ingin hit'd be Katie, bar
the door" with that savage. | had fully
made up my min to shoot down without
quarter every dinged one of 'em that |
came across.
Ginerl Floyd had an old niger named
Sawnie what he called his body servyant,
but Their Want much servyant bout it.
The old rascal had done fo'got everything
but how to steal, an he wus as diff as a
post. an SO mort1y Internal lazy that no
matter what time a day it wus his shad-
der wus alters in front of i'm. Jist SO
burned lazy that he couldn't keep up with
it.
Eff they wus one thing old Sawnie loved
better'n con ticker, it WIS to set on a log
an fish. He didn't keer fur jack an
trout an pike an red bellies. They wus
too brisk fur i'm, but mud cats wus his
glory, becase they tuck their time bout
bitin'.
We'd broke up camp an we'd marched
up the Swanoochee to a pint bout a mile
blow whar the Big Thick begins an Gin
erl Floyd halted us an told US to be very
keerful, as we wus in the Injins' kentry, an
they wer' li'ble to pop up in the most on
expected places. He ordered us to see
that we KEEP our primin' ready, our fints
well pecked, an wen the time come fur
action to be ready to carry fer and sword
into the camp of the hos-tiles. He wound
up by akin US, in bold, big words, to
+trus' in God an jackson an keep yer
powder dry"
Well, sir, l sot on gyard till bout mid
night that night, an then l rousted Big
jawed John Langford an tole him to take
my place while l tuck a nap.
rapGin I CLAW r,;rh+u gor-b o,B 7 oa,
tainly slep' the sleep O tho Jest, for /
dreampt | kilt seben Injun warriors at
one fer, as they sot on a barrikin log, an
| was jest afxin' to load my rifle when l
walked up.
Jim, Jimi' ccr,e a voice, an l opened
my eyes an seei Bigjawed John astan'in
over me.
"W'ot you want, John?"
"Shl The lnjuns amt q qua'ter OF q
mile off. | hearn a turkey gobble down
the creek jest afore day, a'ter I'd ben
adozin' a while"-
"Y'orter not aben dozin' on picket,
John; hits agin orders, an ye better not
say nothin' mo bout that"
well, as | said, l hearn a turkey, an
l thought I'd have a crack at i'm, but by
the blue Jehosephatl as l was a-creepin'
long down the creek happened to look
down a path that led though a openin' in
the thick, whar the creek bends, an thar
sat a lnjun with is gun cross is lap, an
l could see a dozen more heads 'mongst
the bushes. | started to shoot, but a'ter
| saw that the gyard didn't see mo l
thought I'd better come back an rouse
the men an we'd s'roun' EN-. | tell We,
Jim, hit made my haire rise an my blood
run cole to think what a nairer resk we
wus a-rounin'."
Hit was mos sun up, but a thick fog
hung over the swamp, an ye couldn't see
very far ahead, but wen we toll Gen.
Floyd bout the diskivery he sprung up
an ordered us to git ready to march 'thout
maxim any noise. All the camp was up
by this time, an we helt a council of war.
Langford sejested that we throw up
b~reastworks an let 'em attack us fust,
but we younger ones was dead agin' hat
We was afeard they'd git away f'om us,
an we jist ruled i'm right out.
well, hadn't ye better gin me a gyard
to stay with the baggage an protect itY'
says Q.
No, we1nlet it take keer of itself, " said
Gen. Floyd sternly; I'VE want every man
to do his duty today"
well, we was soon ready an Ginerl
Floyd directed me to take one SQUAD AM
Cross the creek an go down t'other side,
while him an Langford tuck the other
side.
Boys" says e, as we parted, we aire
agwine into a desper't fight, an We know
Injuns haint got no mercy. We don't
know what the odds aire, but we do know
that no true Georgian ii fail to do is
duty. Some of us may fall, but the res
mustn't finch. Go cautiously, now, an
les steal a march on the yaller devils.
Trust in God an jackson IN keep yer
powder dryr"
Well, I've lone a heap O. tough things
in my day an time, but that was the
hardest mornin's work of my life. was
young an ambitious IN I'd alters been
athinkin' out how I'd ack eff / wus to
come into rale war. That sperit of mine
wus what made EN- lect me cap'n of mill
tia, an now that Iwus acumin' face to
face with the wild savidges my heart
swelled ND SO bic thn tho collar of my