The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-09-02

le4L bAlSHL SlluB III the breast,
and then a surprising weakness, which
caused me to fall, utterly unable to
support my own weight | have since
wondered if my sensations may not
have been like those Of Gen. Braddock
when he was wounded at the Monon.
gahela.
One of the three men behind me fell
at the same time, but, unlike myself,
he fell never to rise-he was killed
dead on the spot.
Caleb Allen, Percy Rawson and two
others sprang off at full run, as they
saw no chance of returning the fire
with effect; SO that there remained nc
one near me except the dead man and
Tom Granville.
Tom had been protected by the tree
against which he leaned and think Il.
likely that the Indians from their DO.
sition could not see the spot where he
stood Probably in the confusion they
may have supposed that he had fed or
been killed
He had turned with his back to a
tree, and pressing his body close
against it, he stood wholly motionless.
A stir amorg the cedar boughs told
that the red miscreants were about
coming down to scalp the dead and
wounded and pursue the flying.
think the action of the dogs had
caused them to fire sooner than they
otherwise would have done; but be
this as it may, the intervening
branches probably prevented them
from shooting at the men who were
running.
Never had my hair appeared more
precious to me than when | heard the
yelling monsters in the act of descend
ing the trees. And what could Tom
Granville be thinking of that he did
not run for his life?
All at once | saw a rife CLEAN as
he clapped the breach up to his face.
There was a steady deadly aim-then
bang" it spoke. The report was fol
lowed by sort of "scratchey" sound
on the tree trunk, and next a dead,
heavy "clump" on the ground.
| knew that Tom could fire 16
charges from his repeater without re-
loading; and now l saw his purpose.
There might not be 16 Indians. but
whether less or more he would thin
them out terribly before any of them
could get to the ground alive from
their height of 40 feet.
Then bang! bang! bang!" almost
fast a
the Maine boys rifle; and for every
"bang" there was that wretched
"clump!" as body fell to the earth.
The redskins were nine in number,
and six of them were killed in their
attempt to descend. A seventh was
shot just as he reached the ground;
while the remaining two succeeded in
their escape.
Our four companions had halted
upon hearing Toms rapid firing and
seeing him apparently still unframed;
but the affair was SO quickly over that
they had no opportunity to assist him.
My own wound was now attended to,
after which the poor fellow who had
fallen by the fire of the savages was
buried in a shallow grave, which was
dug with knives and stakes and pro-
tected by pile of stones | was
then placed on litter Of cedar boughs
and so conveyed to camp on the Shout
ders of the stout miners.
It is probable that the Indians who
had fired upon us had seen us at some
distance, and supposing that we would
keep a straight course for the little
thicket, had climbed into the trees to
await us, when the fear that the dog
had scented them caused them to hurry
matters and commence the attack too
soon.
My wound proved severe one, and
1t was long before l recovered.
Our men broke up their mining
camp, which had never been very
profitable at the best, and retired to
safer quarters, taking me along with |
hem.
1t is needless to say that the fame OF
Tom Granville spread like prairie
ire He was lionized, not only by the
but by all others.
His modesty, however, continued I'M
hanged, and he was the same simple,
Unaffected youth as before.
He has since, as | learn, become
wealthy; but whatever his success in
ife, feel sure that it has been justly
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