The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1910-03-25
A Legend OF
Lake CRESCENT.
Written BY JAMES r. HILL.

up The river. The captain correctly sur
missed that il was Confederate gunboat,
that the lookout had discovered him.
and that it was now endeavoring to
make its escape. He Immediately gave
chase, and was not long in observing
that the two gunboatS were about equal
ly matched in speed. The Federal gun
boat carried the heavier and better ma
chinery, but was fed with coal, while
the Confederate was fed with pitch pine
knots, which were about equivalent to
However, the Federal gun
boat seemed to be gaining slightly,
when the Confederate abruptly disap-
peared from view under the massive cy-
press timber that lined the shore.
When the Federal captain reached the
place where the boat disappeared, he
found that another river emptied into
the St. Johns at this point OF course
he at once turned his boat up this I'M
known stream, and followed in the
wake of the fleeing Confederate. This
river, now known as Deep river, is the
most tortuouS streams in Florida, and 10
miles were made without either one
sight of the other, but at last
they emerged from the cypress into a
broad and most beautiful lake. The
northern captain had never beheld such
a sight as now lay before him Eagles,
fish hawks and numerous tropical birds
were flying everywhere, and were loud
ly voicing their protests at this unwel-
come intrusion upon their peaceful
hauntS. Alligators and turtles slipped
from their perch on some Slimey log or
moss covered bank, and dived into the
depth of the dark water. But the cap
tain could not stop TO observe the won
derS of his new surroundings, for there
about three miles ahead, was the Con
federate gunboat, the smoke pouring
from her stack, and her hull fairly cleav-
ing the still waters of the lake. Then
began race of twenty straight miles in
the open water. The Federal captain
redoubled his efforts. He changed the
Stokers every Is minutes. He accele-
rated the draft by turning jet of super
heated steam on the fire. The steam
valves were wide open, and the timbers
of the gunboat Squeaked and groaned
under the strain as she forged ahead,
throwing the spray from her bows far
above her deck. 1t was clear that they
were now gaining. One could plainly
make out the Confederate flag with the
naked eye. They could not be more
than mile apart. Then, again, they
were not more than two miles from the
head of the lake, and as no outlet could
be seen, certainly the race must soon
end. The gunnerS were all in their
places, the ammunition was being passed
up and the guns were all loaded A
she'll was sent after the Confederate,
but she needed not 1t now looked as
though they intended TO beach her, for
she was running straight toward the
shore, but just as they were expecting
10 see her run high upon the beach, she
shot in under the vine-covered trees,
and was lost TO view in the mouth of a
creek. The Confederate captain knew
the waters, and believing he had the
lighter draft boat of the two, his inten-
ton was to take to Haw creek-for
such il proved TO be--and run far up in
TO The shadows where the Yankee boat
could not follow. This would have
worked very we'll had il not been that
a partly submerged log which they en-
countered about one half mile from the
lake barred their further progress, and
changed the Confederate captains plans.
He hurriedly called the men TO their
guns, and ordered the boat scuttled.
The sea cocks were all opened, and the
boat began TO settle. But Just around
the bend was seen the black smoke
from the Yankee gunboat. In another
she came into sight, with the
captain on top of the pilot house, and
the guners in their positions. The
Yankee gun boat had not who1ely turn
ed the bend when a puff of white
smoke, from one of her bow guns,
marked the opening of the battle. The
Confederate guns were we'll served and
the fire of the Yankee guns was returned
with much energy, in spite of the fact
that their own boat was rapidly sinking
Shell after shell from the Yankee guns
tore their deck or burst among the
branches of the trees around their heads
SplinterS from the deck and pilot house
filled the air. Their boat listed to one
side, and, consequently, their guns could
no longer be used. The voice of the
Confederate captain was head through
the smoke calling for every man to save
himself, but just then the very air
seemed alive with missiles, the boat
seemed to be struck in hundreds of
places, and even the water around her
fairly boiled with striking shot The
Yankees had fired a charge of grape and
canister at short range, and had swept
the decks of the sinking Confederate.
The Federal captain ordered the firing
to cease. He hastily ran along side,
and boarded the sinking vessel. A
number of dead and wounded were re-
M ~ Al
last body was taken off, the gun-boat
sank TO the bottom of the creek, carry
ing down the flag with her. The Fed
eral captain did not attempt to follow
the ConfederateS who had fled into the
Jungle, but he landed 10 bury the dead,
among which were two of his own men.
A place was selected where the bank
seemed 10 be somewhat elevated above
the surrounding ground. In fact it ap-
peared to be small knoll. They dug
deep and when they had reached the
proper depth, the spade struck some.
thing hard. Examination proved the
object to be human skull, and the long
straight hair and high cheek bones
showed plainly that it was the skull of
an Indian. By a strange coincidence
they had struck the same place where
Col. Taylor had buried the dead from
the battle with the Seminoles a quarter
of a century before. They placed the
bodies of their own dead, and also those
of their Confederate foes, by the side
of the Indians and piled the ground high
above them.
On the resurrection morning what
strange contrasts will appear when this
group shall rise from their secluded Sc
pulchre. There will be the untaught
Seminole braves who died believing
that they were defending their rightful
heritage, set apart for them by the
Great Spirit. By them will stand Col.
Taylor's daring rifle-men who died be-
lieving that their ancestors had been
divinely led to this land to establish
new civilization, and that no savage
power should be allowed to interfere