The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-08-20
RED MEN FEARED HIM.
CAPTAIN SAM DALE's HAND TO
HAND ENCOUNTER.
A Hero OF the Cherokee Wars In the
EARLY Part OF the Century and His
Prowess--Connicts Against
Great Odds.

The capture Of Fort Minis. on Lake
Teusaw. near the Alabama river. by
the Creeks August 80. 1918. riv aled
or rather surpassed in atrocity the
more recent Custer massacre. for be-
sides the men killed numbers OF help
less men. women and slaves were
scalped and mutilated. or else burned
alive the whole number killed being
more than 500.
Among the brave men then living
on the frontier was Captain after
ward General Sam Dale who for
Creeks and Cherokee in Georgia
He was Of Irish descent but was born
in Rockbridge county. Virginia in
the year 1872. His father was we'll
known in Virginia as an Indian fight
err. but in 1884 he removed with his
family to Georgia where later the son
joined company of soldiers to fight
against the Indians
Captain Dale was at the battle OF
Burnt Cork Creek. July ~ 1918.
| and In that engagement was shot in
the breast but the ball having struck
| against one OF his ribs glanced and
came out at his back. notwithstand-
ing which he remained with his COM
pany until the close of the battle.
In November following says the
Philadelphia Times though scarcely
recovered from this wound he was
again in service at the head of de-
tachment for the purpose OF driving
back small parties OF the Red
Sticks" as the Indians were called
from the color OF their clubs and was
one OF the three heroes of the once
famous Canoe Fight" of November
II, 1918. on the Alabama river. In
this fight he and two members OF his
command. Jeremiah Anstell and
James Smith-aided by brave negro
named Cesar who rowed their canoe
attacked canoe containing nine
Indians and Drained them all with
their guns The fight took place
near the mouth of Randon's creek.
Having obtained the possession OF
two boats, a large and small one,
Dale was having his men transferred
from the eastern to the western side
OF the river. when a large canoe con-
tanning eleven Indians was discovered
descending the stream. The Indians
were naked and gaudily painted. and
their chief had adorned himself W tn
dressed panther skin. which par
TALLY covered his head and hung
down his back, giving him savage
but imposing appearance. The
II Ill -.
already across the river with the
large boat only himself and about a
dozen men remaining to be trans
ferred. They fired upon the canoe
from the bank. but the Indians threw
themselves down fiat in the bottom,
and thus several rounds were ex-
changed without result
Finally two of the braves jumped
out of the boat and. holding their
guns high out OF the water swan
toward shore on the side where the
smaller party of white men were. but
heading for point which was
separated from the whites by the
mouth of the creek. q, Smith and
Anstell pursued them and the former
shot one. but Anstell wore buckskin
leggings which. becoming heavy with
water, broke the string which con-
fined them at the waist and fell to his
feet causing him to slip and fall
thus the second Indian escaped in the
thick cane.
Eight of the men on the western
shore now put out in the larger canoe.
with the intention of attacking the
Indians, but on getting near them be-
came alarmed at the odds and put
back again to shore
Dale on the eastern shore, was so
Infatuated by their cowardice that he
sprang into the smaller boat which
was on his side of the river and
called for volunteers to go with him.
All OF tho dozen men who were with
him stepped forward but the canoe
was very small. and could only hold
three persons beside the negro Caesar,
who was rowing. Smith and Anstell
were the two who finally put off from
shore with him. When twenty yards
off from tho Indians they attempted to
fire, but Smiths gun was the only one
that went off, the printing of the
others having been wet The Indian
chief recognized Dale as the canoes
drew together and call out to him:
M Now for it. Big Sam!" that being
the name by which Dale was well
known among the Indians from his
great size and daring.
Caesar, at Dale command. rowed
his boat close to the Indian canoe. and
held them together with his hand
but before they touched the chief
pointed his gun at AnstelL who struck
it partially aside with an oar but
was knocked down by it. The chief
was about to brain him when his own
skull was split open by blows from
the rifles OF Smith and Dale his
brains being scattered over the boat
Dale's blow was given with such
force that his gun was broken, and
during the rest OF the fight he used
only the barrel
Anstell, who was only a youth Of