Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-12-10

negro, Garcia, was their leader. Tho
Chattahoochee and Flint form the
Apalachtcola at the Florida and Geor-
gia boundary, and the fort commanded
the Apalachicola and Flint and was
a refuge for runaway slaves and
menace to the border settlers. 1t was
on a high bluff projecting into the
river, 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
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
Muhenburg and Captain Taylor, en-
countering on 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 a Choctaw chief had been down
the bay and claimed to have killed
some Americans and captured boat.
| Clinch's force landed near the fort, the
| Indians were placed to prevent com
munication 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 1t,
after which he had holsted 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 at
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 a
battery opposite the fort. the forces
Of Muhlenburg and Taylor were also
placed on the west bank, Mcintosh and
the Indians with some Americans in
vested the rear and on the morning of
the oath two gunboats took position in
front Of the battery and fire was
opened on them from a thirty two
FOUNDER in the fort, the reply to which
was 30 successful that speedily a hot
shot exploded one of the forts maya
zines, after which the defense was i'm
practicable. The garrison of about 100
electives included about twenty-five
Choctaws OF the women and chill
dren, over 200 in number, not more
than fifty escaped the explosion. The
besiegers suffered no loss The affair
reads like fight In the Philippines.
A council Of Indians condemned Gar
cha and the Choctaw chief to death for
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 own
ers. Seminole party coming down
the river to help the fort heard of it's
fall and went home