The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-06

Bibb then addressed the general at some
length l heard a number of persons
address General Lafayette on his route
through Alabama. but none surpassed
cambridge Bib, and none equaled him,
unless it was Hitchcock, and DR.. Hustis
at Cahawba. 1 have always been looked
upon as Unconditional, but gazing upon the
face of the most distinguished patriot
that it had ever fallen to my lot to look
upon, added to the feeling remarks of
Mr.. Bibb on the occasion, caused me, as
it did nearly all who were present, to
shed tears like SO many children.
After the address at the river all
marched to Fort Mitchell hill, where there
was an immense crowd OF Indians, their
chief, the Little Prince, at their head
He addressed the French captain
through the interpreter, Mr.. Hamley, in
true Indian style. l could understand
much of his speech, but cannot begin to
give it as Mr.. Hamley could. The In
dian chief. Little Prince. said that he
had often heard of the mighty French
captain, but now I see him, I take him
by the hand, l know from what see he
is the true one have heard spoken of;
l am not deceived; too many men have
come long way to meet him. He is
bound to be the very man the Ameri-
cans were looking for" The prince, after
satisfying the general that he the
PRINCE was entirely satisfied that the
general was the real and true man spoken
of and looked for, then went on to say
that he had once warred against the
Americans. and that the French captain
had warred for them, and Of course they
had once been enemies, but were now
friends; that he Ghe prince was getting
, old, which his withered limbs would
show, making bare his arms at the same
time, that he could not live long; but he
! was glad to say that his people and the
whites were at peace, and he hoped they
would continue SO. That he had raised
q set of young warriors that he thought
would prove worthy of their sires If there
, should ever be call TO show themselves
! men, and that as ball play was, outside
| of war, the most manly exercise that the
. red man could perform, he would, for the
entertainment of the general and his
friends, make his young men play
game Of ball. The old chief then turned
to his people, and said to them: "You are
in the presence of q great man and war
rior; he has commanded armies on both
sides of the big water" that he had seen
many nations of people; that he had Wis
1 tied the six nations in Red Jackets time
| tthe general told the Indians he had WIS.,
tied the six nations); that every man
must do his best, show himself a man,
and should one get hurt he must retire
without complaining, and by no means
show anything like i'll humor or angry
feelings. The speech ended and about
200 athletic young Indian men, stripped to
the waist band, paired (rneaning, went in
couples) themselves off, and went
at it. 1t was a ball play sure enough
| never beheld anything in the line of hui
man skill and effort to equal it, and I act
ually would travel farther to see such g.
show than / would to see any other per-
formed by man, and willingly pay a high
price for it. The play ended and we all
went out to headquarters at Big Uchee.
where we were kindly treated by our
generous old friend Haynes Crabtree
We remained that oight at Crabtree's
and the next day reached Fort Balm
bridge, where an Indian countryman lived
by the name of Kendall Lewis, as perfect
gentleman in principle as ever lived
In or out of the nation, and had plenty
and it in fine style. The next day we
started for Line Creek. 1t fell to my
lot to point out many Indians, as we'll
as places, for we were stopped at almost
every settlement to shake hands. and
hear Indian speeches. Among many things
and places that were pointed out to the
general was the place where Lott was
killed (whose death started the fearful
Creek Indian wars the old 'Lettered
Beech tree" at Persimmon swamp, the
old Council Oak, Floyd's battle ground,
the grave of James McGirth. That night
We reached Walter B. Lucas. Everything
was done up" in style, and better than
1t will ever be again. One thing only
was lacking. time-we could not stay
long enough The next morning we start
ed for Montgomery. Such a cavalcade
never Travelled that road before nor
since.
On Goat Hill (the site of the present
capitol of Alabama) and near where Cap
tain John Carr fell in the well, stood
Governor Pickens, and the largest crowd
I ever saw in Montgomery Some hum
dred yards east of the hill was Sand fat
where General Lafayette and his attend
ants quit carriages and horses, formed
a line and marched to tho top of the
hill AS We started, the band struck up
the old Scottish air, Hail to the Chief"
AS we approached the governor Mr.. Hill
introduced the general to him. The gov
ernor tried to welcome him, but when 1t
was announced that he was the COM
mander of the whole American forces he
was scarcely able to utter a word. As
I remarked before, Governor Pickens had
no superior in the state, but on that 90
casion he could not even make a speech.
But that did not prevent General LaTay-
cite from discovering that he was great
man; 1t only goes to prove what Is often
! said, that many who feel most can say
least, and many who have no feeling say
too much. vs.
The people of Montgomery did their
duty Col Arthur Hayne, who was q
DISTINGUISHED officer in the army during
the war of 1s1B and who was the politest
gentleman / ever saw, was the principal
manager. If the Earl of Chesterfield had
happened there he would have felt as
did.
Several steamboats, were in waiting at
the wharf and the next morning General
Lafayette and his party, accompanied by
many others, started for CAhawba, at
that time the seat of government of the
state of Alabama. At Cahawba, as In
Montgomery, every honor possible was
paid to the great patriot and friend Of
America, in her hour of distress. There I
shed more tears when beheld the meet
ing of the general with Major Porter,
whom he had known In the American
revolution. The general examined the
old ditch that had been cut by his coun-
trymen many years before, and during
the French possession of Alabama terri
tory. An old cannon was shown him also
which was left by the French army when
they quit the country. He remarked that
those relics caused sad feelings; and yet.
there was still pleasure, a kind OF mel
ancholy pleasure, which he could not de-
scribe.
About this time gentleman was
wounded from the firing Of a cannon on
a trading boat. The general visited the
wounded man. and took much interest
in his welfare; he was told that the gen.
tieman had many friends who would care
for him. told the general that the
wounded man was an old camp mate Of
mine, and he replied lone good soldier