The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-01-24
RESCUING A WHITE WOMAN
 FROM INDIAN CAPTIVITY

ing at least will give. you a little history of theirs. Mrs. Dflrs and Mrs. Browns history,
 In 1SI6 the Florida Indians were do- ing mischief and the Government found It necessary to keep troops quartered on the borders of Florida. Fort Scott and Fort Huse were erected to protect the settlers in Early County. Georgia. That was then a new and thinly set tied country. The command of the He had frequent skirmishes with the Indians under the control of Chitta- Fanna-Chula. or old Snake Bone. known to you and others as old Nehemathla, The present General Twiggs was then Brevet Major in the 7th regiment of infantry. and was generally foremost in these skirmishes. Supplies for. these troops had to be carried from New Or- leans and Mobile by water.
 A very large boat with army stores was started from Mobile Point under the command of Ltantenant Scott. Mrs. Stuart was among those on board, her husband. a sergeant, and a hne-looking man at that. had gone with the troops by land. The boat having to be propelled by oars and poles. was long on the trip and by this time the
 
 Attnck on the Boat.
 The old hostile Indians from vari- ous parts of Florida were engaged in it, among others the two you saw hanged at St Marks, Josiah Francis and Semathla- -Nfcco They headee a party and watched the boat. As those on board were hooking and jam. ming as. the boatmen called 1t. near the bank, opposite Q thick canebrake, the Indians fired on them. killing and wounding most of those on board at the first fire.
 Those& not disabled from the first fire of the Indians made the best fight they could. but all board were killed at the first fire except the Mrs. Stuart and two soldiers-Gray and another man whose name I have forgotten, if I ever knew 1t; they were both shot. but made their escape by swimming. to the opposite shore. I must here men, ton a circumstance which I heard from those on the boat and at the time, which I learned from one of the men who escaped and from the Indians who took part in the attack.
 There was sergeant named Mackin- tosh. scotchman, on board whom I knew well. He was with Colonel afterwards. General Thomas A. Smith, before St. Augustine. Fla. in 1872, and was favorite among officers and soldiers. He was an own cousin of the Indian General Macintosh, whose grave you say not long since visit ed. Sergeant Mackintosh was a man of giant size and perhaps more bodily strength than any man have known in our service. When he found all on the boat were lost and nothing more could be done. he went into a little kind of a cabin that the lieutenant haN occupied as his quarter, in which was a. swivel or small cannon; loaded 1t, took it on deck and resting the swivel on one arm as best he could, and the In- dians by this time were boarding the boat. with firebrand he set off the swive1.s which cleared the boat for a flaw lmiantes of Indians. At the firing the swivel he was thrown overheard and drowned. and this clearing of the Indians from the boat for . short time gave Gray his opportunity to escape.
 Mrs. Stuart was taken almost iifeless as we'll as senseless and was captive until the day carried her to your eamp. After taking her from the boat the Indians differed among themselves as to whose captive she or slave she should be-. The matter was left to an old Indian by the name of Bear Head, who decided in favor of Yellow Hand.
 was told by the other Indians that Yellow Hand treated her with great kindness, and respect, I never asked her any questions as to her treatment. and presume she never knew me from any other Indian as both Brown and myself were dressed like Indians. We knew long before we recaptured her, what band she was with and had tried to come up with them before.
 The most tiresome march ever made was one night with the present General Twiggs. He was with some soldiers and was with a party of 1n- dians. trying to rescue her at old Tal- lahassee, but the indians had Left be- fore we reached that plAce I shall never forget. while I lH@. the day we took her from the Indias Billy Mitchell, | a son of the then Indian agent Brown. | Lewis. John Winslett and my self were the only white men that wero with the Indians except old Jack Car | ter, my pack horseman. The white men have named and the Hitchetas under Noble Kenard and the Uchees under Timpoochy Barnard commenced the fight. Shortly after, the firing | we could hear Il female voice calling in English for help, but hostile Indians, though greatly inferior In numbers to our whole force had the advantage of the ground, 1t being a 1ense tAicket and kept the party that first attacked at bay until General arrived with the main 'orce.
 "Rescue The Woman"
 General Macintosh though raised lmong the savages was General yes, le was one of Gods make of Generals.
 could hear his voice above the din of he firearms. Save the white woman. lave the Indian women and children"
 All this time Mrs. Stuart was be- ween the fire of the combatants. said to me "Chulartarla cmathla, iyou Bron and Mitchell go toI hat woman. Chulartarla was the F lame I was known by among the In- Iians. Mitchell was a good soldier. but bad cripple from rheumatism. He ismounted from his horse and said, Boys. let me lead the way! We made the charge with some , Tchees and Creeks, but Mitchell, poor