The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1897-10-01
BILL A3p'S WEEKLY LETTER.
INTERESTING GEORGIA HISTORY.



Thought ,uataImost everybody vas
dead bat me, especially since Judge
Clark died, the man Of memories, the
historian, the iurIat the nm.able and
loyablo citizen. / want his book as
soon as Mrs. WHY has IL published.
know DO will Dee treasure 30 the old
people. and should be- 90 the young.
/ thought that an my contemporaries
who we're familiar with the public ai-
fairs of fifty aud sixty years ago wero
dead, but I was mistaken Quite o
food of historic letters have come 20
me Of late from venerable and scholar
" men who have awakened from their
long retirement and write me some
most interesting recolleetious Of men
and events Of bygone days What
careful, artistic penmonship illuniues
most OF these letters, reminding me Of
my fathers, and John Mcpherson
Berrien's, and Henry r. Jacksona and
others who were trained 60 write by
the schoolmasters of the olden time.
Here is a long aud scholarly letter
from Mr. S. p. Hale, of jacksonville,
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. 1t took many months for the
soldiers 10 gather these Indians to-
gether, for they kept IN hiding as long
as possible, aud while this was going
ON Mr. Hnle's father and his family
were located at New Echota, i'm what
is now Gordon county. eve lived, "
says Mr.. Hale, Gin o house that my
father rented from Boudinot, and he
purchased from him many articles of
I handsome furniture, among which was
a 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 i'm my house,
/ and on 1t we eat our humble meals
three times a day. / prize it highly as
o souvenir of my childhood, for / 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 and
/ copper-COlored; nose equiline, eyes
| black and piercing, and hair straight,
! black and coarse. He dressed like
white man and spoke broken English
fuently. His father was an Indian,
his mother a half breed, and he was
educated at Morayian mission school.
"BOudinOt was not so tall, but was
a heavier, broader man with attractive
features and polished manners. He
dressed stylishly, wore n tall silk hat
and spoke English in its purity. He
published a newspaper at New Echota
in the Indian dialect, aud we boys did
often play with the type. Boudinot,
whose Indian name was Charles Vann,
was of mixed blood, and while at the
mission school attracted the attention
of Elias Boudinot, wealthy gentle
man of Philadelphia, who adopted
him and gave him his Huguenot name.
This is the same philanthropist who
was the founder and first president Of
the American Bible Society, and gave
it S10,O 900 to start on His will con
tanned many requests to charity, anG
among them ole of $4,000 to provide
spectacles for poor old women.
"But can you tell me anything Of
Paschal-Lieuteuant Paschal. l think
he was a Georgian. He was there al
New Echota on General Woods stat
rs aide de camp and came there with
Captain Derrick's company from Dab.
lonega. He fell desperately IN love
with John Ridges only daughter, Sa
rah, beautiful and lovely girl, anC
the best horsewoman / ever saw. Ht
courted her and married her there
They spent some time at our house
and their marriage was quite a roman
tic episode in our monotonOus life
During their courtship she one day
expressed desire to ride my fathers
horse, 'Muclle John, steed OF blood
and mettle. My father reluctantly
, consented and for her safety had
bride with a very severe bit put OF
him. Paschal as mounted on fas
Indian pony and they were soon away
and out of sight. They rode five or siy
miles to the big spring, and whel
about to return the happy, laughing
girl proposed to swap brides and lie
Muckle John 60 as fast as he pleased
Paschal tried to exchange without he
! dismounting, but the moment Muckl
! John found his mouth free he gave
snort and started home on a wild can
ter. In vain did Paschal try to over
ride his sweetheart 1t was JOIN
Gilpin race and Muckle John neve
slackened his speed until he reache,
the horse block where his rider hal
mounted. She was wild with laughte
. and excitement and declared it wa
: the finest ride of her life and tina
: III On ~ hnran cot tirnd IL ILL.,