Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-10-26
FIGHTING REDSKINS.

INV u1 Ii t4y 02y bAI&Dr Ses S~A
think ever wus 90 completely upset -
wus when We captured the camp on Little
Swanoochee, said Capt. Jim Storne -
be pulled cloud of smoke from lis 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. aud ]
prepared for the worst
Ys see, me q Giner1 Floyd wus alters
great croriies We used to swap terbacker
an borry each others knives. an Ginerl
I'D cuss right sfore me. sames ef nobody
want aroun' Alter we got til 'ongh the
Okeefenobee we heit a council o'war. an
alter it was fn1y greed that Their want
no injuns inside o the swamp. the ques-
ton WIS, 'whar aire theyT Some thought
that they'd gone to the everglades. others
belt to the idee that they wer hidin
out ulongst the ponds and bays an in
the creek swamps like passed. o var
mints.
At last. howsombedever. Ginerl Floyd
says to me. says e.
'-JiIn"-allers called me Jim for short
"whar do you think they sirer
We'll. giner'l" says |. "ef I'm not
badly QUIT 1t, the dod rotted villyuns aire
snealiin aroun' in the big thick on
S'wanoochee."
We'll. | bedurned." says e, ''ef Jim
hain't got more sense than the whole drap
shot gang. you may have my years for
heel tap. and God knows they're tough
enough since these dad blasted gallinip
pers We afoul Of EN- Boys. well 60 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 ef
came across an lngin 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 EN- that
came across
Giner'l Floyd had an old niger named
Sawne what he called his body servyant.
but Their want much servyant bout it.
Tho old rascal had done fo'got everything
but how to steal, an he wus as diff as
post. all SO ly Internal lazy that no
matter what time day it wus his shad
der wus alters in front Of I'm. Jist SO
burned lazy that ne couldn't keep up with
1t.
Ef they wus one thing old Sawnie loved
better'n con Ticker. it WIS to set on u 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
bitn'
We'd broke up camp an we'd marched
up the S'wanoochee to pint bout o mile
blow whar the Big Thick begins an Gin
er'l Floyd halted US an told us to be very
keerful, as we wus in the lnjins' kentry, an
they wer' lible to pop up in the most on
expected places He ordered us to see
that we KEEP our primin' ready. our tiints
well pecked, an wen the time come fur
h., tn, aud Syyprd
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, sot on gyard till bout mid
night that night, an then | rousted Big
jawed John Langford an tole him to take
my place while tuck nap
reckin | slep' mighty SCUM, an Ger
tainly slep the sleep o the jest, for
dreampt kilt seben lnjun warriors at
one her. US they sot on a barrilIin log, an
WAS jest afxin to load my rifle when |
walked up
Jim JIM" come voice, an opened
my eyes an seed Bigjawed John astan'in'
over me
W. t you want, Johny
'Sh The lnjuns amt quater of q
mile of hearn a turkey gobble down
the creek jest afore day, a'ter I'D ben
adozin while -
"Y'orter not aben dozin on picket.
John. hits agin orders. an ye better not
say nothiu mo bout that.
Well as said. hearn turkey, an
| thought I'd have u crack ut i'm, but by
the blue Jehosephat as | was a-creepin'
long down the creek happened to look
down path that led though u openin' in
the thick. whar the creek bends, an thar
sat lnjun with is gun cross is lap. an
| could see dozen more heads 'mongst
the bushes started to shoot, but alter
| saw that the gyard didn't see me !
thought Id better come back an rouse
the men an we'd sroun' EN-. | tell ye,
Jim. hit made my haire rise an my blood
run cole TO think what q nairer resk we
wus a-rouuin
Hit YVES mos sun up. but thick fog
hung over the swamp, an We couldn't see
very fur ahead but wen we toll Gen.
Floyd bout the disSivery he sprung up
an ordered us to git ready to march thout
maxim any noise. All tho camp was up
by this time, an we helt a council of war.
Langford sejested that we throw up
breastworks an let EN- attack us fust.
but we younger ones was dead agin' that
We was ateard they'd git away fom us,
an we jist ruled i'm right out
We'll, hadn't ye better gin NE gyard
to stay with the baggage all protect it?'
says Q
mo. we'll let 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 Giner1
Floyd directed me to take one squad an
cross the creek an go down tother side.
while him an Langford tuck the other
side
Boys, says e. a. We parted we aire
agwine into desper't fight an yc know
lnjuns haint got no mercy We don't
know what the odds aire, but we do know
that no true Georgian il fail to do is
duty Some Of us may fall, but the res
mustn't finch. Go cautiously now. an
les steal march on the yaller devils.
Trust in God an jackson an keep yer
powder dry
Well. I've done heap o tough things
In my day an time, but that was the
hardest norrn's work of my lie was
young en- ambitious an Id alters been
athinkin out how I'd ack CT | wus to
come into ralc war That spcrit Of mine
wus what made 'em 1ect me c3p'u of mill
tia an row that I wus acuniin face to
face with the wild savidges my heart
swelied mp SO big that the collar Of my
huntiu shirt was too small. IN | felt hot
n cold all over.
Slowly an kcerfuily we crep along tell
we come opposit = vhar tho hend wus,
an as we had orders to run EN- out so's
the fellers in the main body, on t'other
side, could have lick at EN- an maybe
make EN- s'render. an. as Giner1 Floyd
said. save ourselves waste o human
blood.
Wen we got to that pint tole the boys
to sorter siperate an keep sharp look
out, an wen the firm got hot to take to
the logs an trees, like Id hearn Ginerl
Floyd say he alters done.
crep along up to rds the bend tell all
of a sudden spied the gyard. Thar he
sot on the bank. an couldn't see is hans
fur the bushes. SOS to tell whuther he had
gun or bow n arrer. but Jest knowed
he had gun
Thinkin o the gun made me think Of
my own, an. by the Blue Jehosaphatl l
jest turned pale w'n thought bout hsv-
in loaded it with small shot for cat
squirls the day sfore We started on the
march. an in the excitement Id fogot to
fire it off an load il with ball Well,
in \ dr., Hro~-