Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-06-17

negro, Garcia, was their leader. The
Chattahoochee and Flint form the
Apalachicola at the Florida and Geor-
gia boundary, and the fort commanded
the Apalachicola and Flint and was
a refuge for runaway slaves and a
menace to the border settlers. 1t was
on a high bluff projecting into the
river, a deep swamp in the rear. and a
creek above and below. A parapet If
teen feet high and eighteen feet thick
and nine pieces of artillery supple
mented the natural advantages. There
was plenty Of ammunition In the two
magazines and the British had left
5000 stands of arms. But the result
showed how feeble are such defenses
in the hands of men who do not know
how to use them.
Who were the aggressors may never
be positively known. We have only
our own side of the story. Colonel
Clinch, United States army, at Camp
Crawford, above, on the Chattahoo-
chez, was expecting provisions, stores
and artillery from Apalachicola Bay.
and had instructions to reduce the fort
in case 1t opposed their passage. He
started down stream in boats with 116
men. In two companies, under Major
M%uhlenburg and Captain Taylor. en-
countering o. the way a slave-hunting
party Of Greek Indians under Major
Mcintosh, on their way to capture the
negroes for their owners These were
Joined by another party, and the In
dams agreed to cooperate with Clinch.
Information was received that Garcia
and n Choctaw chief had been down
the bay and claimed to have killed
some Americans and captured a boat.
Clinch's force landed near the fort, the
Indians were placed to prevent com
m%unication and an irregular fire kept
up, to which the besieged replied inef-
fectively with artillery. 1t is said that
some days before some Indian chiefs
had demanded the forts surrender,
and that the commander said he had
been put in command by the British
and intended to sink any American
vessels trying to pass, and would blow
up the fort when unable to hold it
after which he had hoisted the red
flag with the British Jack above. This
story may have been invented or en-
larged, for Americans under the cir
cumstances would be disappointed a
lacking an excuse for attack, and Nc
Intosh was on a slave hunt.
The vessels below came up within
four miles, a place was chosen for
battery opposite the fort, the force!
Of Muhlenburg and Taylor were alst
placed on the west bank, Mcintosh ant
the Indians with some Americans In
vested the rear and on the morning o.
the oath two gunboats took position IL
front Of the battery and fire wa
opened on them from a thirty-tw'
FOUNDER in the fort, the reply to which
was 80 successful that speedily a no
shot exploded one of the forts maya
zines, after which the defense was i'm
practicable. The garrison Of about 1O
electives included about twenty-dv,
Choctaws. OF the ome and chill
dren, over 200 in number, not NOR
than fifty escaped the explosion. TIL
besiegers suffered no loss The affai
reads like a fight in the Philippines.
A council Of Indians condemned Gar
cha and the Choctaw chief to death 70
the previous murder Of the Americans
The Spanish negro fugitives were de
livered to the Spanish agent, the Amer
lean to Colonel Clinch for their OWL
ers. A Seminole party coming dow
the river to help the fort heard Of 1t
fall and went home.
Font Forget"