The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-11-03
THE GEORGIA HUMORIST
WILLIAM RECEIVES A COMMUNICATION
FROM AN OLD FRIEND
Interesting Georgia History Incidents
Which Occurred When Indians Roamed
the Forests of the Empire State of the
South.

South.
I thought that almost everybody was
dead but me, especially since Judge
Clark died, the man of memories, the
historian, the iurist, the amiable and
tovable citizen. [ want his book as
soon as Mrs. WHY has it published
know it will be treasure to the old
people, and should be to the young.
[ thought that all my contemporaries
who were familiar with the public at
fairs of fifty and sixty years ago we're
dead, but I was mistaken. Quite a
food of historic letters have come to
me of late from venerable and scholar
Iy men who have awakened from their
long retirement and write me some
most interesting recollections of men
and events of bygone days. What
careful, artistic penmanship illumlnes
most of these letters, reminding me OF
my fathers, and John Mcpherson
Berrien's, and Henry R. Jackson's and
others who were trained to write by
the schoolmasters of the olden time.
Here is long and scholarly letter
from Mr.. S. P Hale, of Madisonville,
Tenn, who is now in his seventy
fourth year, and whose father was an
officer in the army that moved the
Cherokees beyond the Mississippi
river. It took many months for the
soldiers to gather these Indians to-
gether, for they kept in hiding as long
as possible, and while this was going
on Mr.. Hale's father and his family
were located at New Echota, in what
is now Gordon county. ''We lived, !"
says Mr.. Hale, Sin a house that my
father rented from Boudinot, and he
purchased from him many articles Of
handsome furniture, among which was
heavy folding leaf dining table made
of cherry wood and finished in artistic
style. This table has been in the fam.
lily ever since and is now in my house,
and on it we eat our humble meals
three times day. prize it highly as
souvenir of my childhood, for I was
then only II years old. remember well
seeing Mr.. Boudinot and John Ridge
and other notable Indians in confer
ence there. Ridge was tall, erect anc
copper-colored; nose equiline, eyes
black and piercing, and hair straight
black and coarse. He dressed like
white man aud spoke broken Engllsl
fluently. His father was an Indian
his mother half breed, and he wa
educated at Moravian mission school
"Boudinot was not so tall, but wa
heavier, broader man with attractive
features and polished manners. Il
dressed stylishly, wore a tall silk ia
and spoke English i'll its purity. Il
published newspaper at New Echot
in the Indian dialect, and we boys d.
often play with the type. Boudino1
| whose Indian name was Charles Fanr
was of mixed blood, and while at tn
mission school attracted the attentio
of Elias Boudinot, wealthy gentle
man of Philadelphia, who adopte
him and gave him his Huguenot name
, This is the same philanthropist VIII
was the founder and first president {
the American Bible Society, and gay
it $4,000 to start on. His will col
tanned many requests to charity, an
among them ole of $4,000 to provi(
spectacles for poor old women.
'sBut can you tell me anything
Paschal-Lieutenan Paschal. l thin
he was a Georgian. He was there
New Echota on General Woods Sta
as aide de camp and came there Wi
Captain Derrick's company from Da
lonega. He fell desperately IN To-
with John Ridges only daughter, S
!. rah, a beautiful and lovely girl, al
the best horsewoman I ever saw.
courted her and married her ther
They spent some time at our hou
and their marriage was quite roma
tic episode in our monotonous III
+ During their courtship she one d
expressed a desire to ride my father
horse, 'Muckle John, a steed OF bio
and mettle. My father reluctan,
consented and for her safety had
=, ~ bride with a very severe bit put
Of him. Paschal was mounted on ii
or Indian pony and they were soon aW
y and out of sight. They rode five or
al miles to the big spring, and VIII
al about to return the happy, laughl
glrl proposed TO swap pfloies anu
II Muckle John go as fast as he pleas,
I'd Paschal tried to exchange without
I'd dismounting, but the moment Muc
r ra John found his mouth free he CAV
=, snort and started home on wild C.
: ter. In vain did Paschal try to ov
ride his sweetheart 1t was a &c
ef Gilpin race and Muckle John ne
slaclzened his speed until he reacl
the horse block where his rider
mounted. She was wild with laugh
and excitement and declared it
x the finest ride of her life and
,es when the horse got tired she las
res him on. But poor Paschal did not
a long time recover from the shock
* *. he feared he would never see his
ling alive any more.
on "Paschal and his bride went W
80 and many y ars ogo I read somett
to about Judge Pasohal out IN Ley
es, Is he the same man?'
I suppose that he was, for Pasf
= did live in Texas for several years
published paper in Austin, anc
1859 contributed largely to tbs cleo
of hic frinnd Sam Houston. as 60