Page:Eventful life, and curious adventures of Peter Williamson.pdf/22

 39 The Life ff Peter Williamson. 40

ton, and heard of this tragedy ; he was a young gentleman who had for some years paid his addresses to Miss Long, and was in a very little time to have been married to her. Dis- tracted, raving, and shocked as he was, he lost no time, but instantly raised 100 resolute and bold young fellows, to go in quest of the villains. As I had been so long among them, and was pretty well acquainted with their manners and customs, and particularly their skulking places in the woods, I was re- commended to him as one pro- per for his expedition. Being quickly armed and pro- vided, we hastened forward for Mr. Long’s plantation on the 29th, and after travelling the most remote and intricate paths, through the woods, arrived there the second of May, dubious of our success, and almost de- spairing of meeting with the savages, as we had heard nor could discover nothing of them in our march. In the after- noon some of our men being sent to the top of a hill to look out for them, soon per- ceived a great smoke in a part of the low grounds. This we immediately, and rightly con- jectured, to proceed from a fire made by them, We according- ly put ourselves into reular or- der, and marched forwards,re- solving, let their number have been what it might, to give battle. Arriving within a mile of the place, Captain Crawford, whose anxiety and pain made

him quicker sighted than any of the rest, soon perceived them, and guessed their number to be about 50. Upon this we halt- ed, and secreted ourselves as well as we could, till 12 o’clock at night. At which time, sup- posing them to be at rest, we divided our men into two divi- sions, 50 in each, and marched on ; when coming within twen- ty yards of them, the captain fired his gun, which was im- mediately followed by both di- visions in succession, who in- stantly rushing on them with bayonets fixed, killed every man of them. Great as our joy was, and flushed with success as we were at this sudden victory, no heart among us but was ready to burst at the sight of the unhappy young lady. What must the thoughts, torments and sensa- tions of our brave captain then, he, if wen we, who knew her not, were so sensibly affected! For, oh! what breast, though of the brutal savage race we had just destroyed, could, with- out feeling the most exquisite grief and pain, behold in such infernal power, a lady in the bloom of youth, blest with every female accomplishment that could set off the most exquisite beauty ! Beauty, which render- ed her the envy of her own sex, and the delight of ours, endur- ing the severity of a windy rainy night! Behold one nur- tured in the most tender man- ner, and by the most indulgent parents, quite naked, and in the open woods, encircling with her