cord; and for the simple reason, that the gallant old men who were actors in those great events are fast dropping into the tomb. Will not every citizen then, who feels proud of the past, do his duty in this matter, and save what he can of that history, before it is too late?

ning Water and Nickojack towns on the river below, where they procured a man by the name of John Vann, who said he was a white man, and spoke good English; although he was a halfbreed. They came up the river, meeting us with flags, and had their guns and tomahawks covered with blankets For one, we intend to do our duty; in the bottom of their canoes. But and we trust that the interesting narra- when they came near, my father said to tive we give in the present number, them, that there "was too many of will not be the only one, by many, them coming at one time!" He was which will grace the pages of the South answered, by the half-breed, Vann, Western Monthly, in time to come. that it was a peaceable time between Certain that the endeavor will meet them and us, according to the Hopewith favor from all who feel aright well and Holston treaties, and they onupon this matter, we shall enter upon ly wanted to see where we were going, the task with a cheerful spirit; and it and to trade with us, if we had any will not be our fault, if we do not res- thing to trade on. By that stratagem, cue from oblivion a mass of material, they succeeded in getting on board of which will at some future period, per- us. There were four canoes that came haps, grace a proud chapter in the an- first; but immediately, there were nals of the past. We now give the number of others discovered out in the cane-bottom, as the river was very high. They met us at a mill, above the town of Nickojack, but landed our boat at the mouth of the branch, that ran into the river near the middle of the town. Vann stated to us, that one of them would go with us over the Muscle Shoals, as it was a dangerous place, but this was all intended to deceive my father, and had the desired effect: for in twenty minutes afterwards, his life was taken, in consequence, as it would seem, of the successful endeavor to save mine.

narration of Col. Brown:

THE NARRATIVE.

a

I was born in North Carolina, on the 2nd of August, 1772. My father was an active man in the struggle for Independence, during the Revolutionary war with Great Britain, and served as a guide to Col. Washington's, and Col. Lee's troops of horse, when they were in Guilford County, North Carolina, at the time of the battle at that place, on the 15th of March, 1781. For this service he received a certificate, paid afterwards in land, when There was a drunken indian amongst the office was opened at Hillsborough, them, although at that time he was soin 1783. He entered several tracts of ber; but when indians are drunk, they land, on Duck river, and on the wa- generally want to have something to ters of the Cumberland and Tennessee; boast about. The fellow had a sword, and he was endeavoring to get to them, and my father and myself were in the when his boat was taken by the Creeks stern of the boat, whilst my two brothand Cherokees, as there was at that ers and the five other men who were all time no road to Nashville, only a path- killed the same day, were in the bow. way, and that by Kentucky. As one The indian referred to, caught me by or two boats had been built in East Ten- the arm, and pulled me to one side; nessee in 1786 or 7, and come down but my father saw him, took hold of the Tennessee and up the Ohio and him, and informed him that I was one Cumberland river to Nashville, getting of his little boys, and he must not touch there safely, my father concluded to go me. He let me go; but as soon as my the same route; but was discovered by the Indians as he passed the Chickamauga towns, and they sent runners across from Chattanooga to the Run

father turned his back on him, he struck him with the sword, cutting his head nearly off. I then ran forward to the bow of the boat. It was near the land

ing, but the Creek indians had taken my mother, little brother, and three sisters, out in their canoes, and as I went to the top of the bank, after landing, I saw my mother at a distance, but saw her no more, until I met her in South Carolina a year from the succeeding fall, when Col. Alexander McGillivray the then commander of the Creek nation, brought her in, and one of my little sisters that he had purchased from the indians who had them in possession. He would have brought my little broth er in, also, but the indian who had him, would not sell him; and we had no Creek Indian prisoners to exchange for him. He remained five years with them, during which period he forgot his mother tongue, but as soon as he got a sight of his book, and recognized the letters, and heard the pronunciation, his language returned to him. I should have mentioned, however, that the next morning after we were taken, the Cherokees followed the Creeks, and took my oldest and youngest sister from them, and brought them back again to Before we got half way home, I heard the town of Nickojack. My oldest the guns firing for the slaughter of my sister was then about ten, and my bro-poor brothers and the other young men; ther that was left with the Creeks, eight but I was so foolish, as to suppose that years of age. My little sister that the they were only trying the guns they Cherokees took from the Creeks had had taken out of the boat, and did not just entered her fifth year. My mother had then been the parent of sixteen children, and the sister that was left with her, was, in age, between my little sister and brother.

but that we were going on our journey the next morning; to which he made no further answer, than-"let us go,” for,-as I afterwards learned-the indian had told him that they would kill all the men directly, and I was SO large, that "very likely when they got into the frolic of killing the others, they might knock me over!" The indian referred to, was the son of the old white man's wife, a half-breed, before she saw old Tom Tunbridge, the white man; and I was large enough to help his mother hoe corn. The wife of old Tunbridge was a white woman, who had been taken a prisoner when a little girl, down about Mobile. She was of a French family, and never could get back to her relatives till she was grown; and then she said that "if she went back, the white people would not think any thing of her after being raised by the indians; and if she stayed there, she would be thought as much of as her neighbors," therefore, she concluded to remain with the indians.

But to return to my narrative, as to my own movements. When the boat landed, an indian brought an old white man to me, who said he wanted me to go home with him. I enquired, where he lived? He replied, "about one mile out of town!" I then turned to one of my older brothers, for permission, and he said I might go; but that I must be back in the morning, soon; as the half-breed had informed him that the head chief of the town of Nickojack was not at home, but would arrive that night-that he would make the indians give up all that they had taken, and we would all be permitted to go on our journey again.

I then informed the old white man that I could go with him that evening,

dream of myself being a prisoner. But in about fifteen or twenty minutes after we arrived at our destination, a fat old woman came in, and appeared to be very angry at old Tunbridge and his wife, for bringing me away. She said, "all the rest were killed, and that I was so large, that I would see every thing and be a man after a while; that I would pilot an army there and kill them all!" It was all in the indian language, of which I knew nothing then; but they afterwards told me all that she said. She also stated, that her son would be there directly, and she knew that he would kill me.

Old Tunbridge then informed me that all my friends were killed, but that I would not be hurt, although the old squaw had that moment declared, that her son, who was a headman from the town of Tuscagee, opposite to Chatta nooga, would be there in a few minutes, and she knew that he would kill me.

The old man, Tunbridge, then got up pray; but he said, "it was not worth and stood in the door of the cabin, and while!" As the indian jerked me out directed me to sit on the side of the bed, of the door, I saw that there were ten of which stood behind the door. I did not them surrounding it. Some of them had know what he meant, by his movements; their tomahawks in their hands, others but he kept looking down the road that had knives drawn and guns cocked, all led to the town. In a few minutes, the ready to dash me into Eternity. But old squaw's son came, and was at the they concluded they would first strip off corner of the cabin before old Tun- my clothes, and not bloody them. This bridge saw him, for he came through the delayed them somewhat, and whilst they cane-brake, and not by the road. The were at it, the old French woman again indian enquired of Tunbridge-wheth- interceded with them "not to kill me er "there was not a white man in the there, nor on the road where she carried house?" The answer was "No!-there was a little white boy in there." The indian then said, "he knew how big I was," and that "I must be killed." Tunbridge said "it was not right to kill women and children!"

The indian's reply was--in the words of his mother-"that I would see every thing and be a man after a while-that I would pilot an army there and have them all cut off."

water!" She begged them to "take me out to the mountains, where the wolves would eat me up!" They then answered that "they would take me to Running Water, which was four miles off," that "there were no white people there, and that they would have a frolic, knocking me over."

I, however, knew nothing of what they had said to her, and as soon as my clothing was taken off, I fell on my knees, to pray, but old Tunbridge told me to get up-that they would not kill me there, but did not inform me that they were going to have a "frolic" over me, at Running Water.

At length Tunbridge informed him that I was his son's prisoner, and that "he must not kill me!" This was a very great insult to tell him he could not do as he pleased. He came right up to Tunbridge, face to face, and sternly en- When they came to start, they gave quired-if "he was going to be a friend me my pantaloons again, and moving of the Virginians?" The reply of Tun- off, had probably gone seventy or eighty bridge was "no!"-for he saw the fel-yards, when Cutteotoy bethought himlow was furious, and would have tomahawked him in a moment.

Tunbridge then stood back out of the door, and said "Take him along!" This was the first word, during the dispute, he had spoken in English.

Cutteo toy, for that was the name of the warrior-followed him right in. He came with his knife in one hand, and his tomahawk in the other; and with as much vengeance depicted in his countenance as I ever witnessed in a human face.

I was within six feet of the door, but the old French woman begged him not to kill me in the cabin. He did not want to hurt her feelings, and answered -that "he would take me out of the cabin." He was a very large, strong man, and he caught hold of me with one hand, and jerked me to the door. I begged Tunbridge to ask him to let me live one half hour, that I might try to

self that he was doing a bad business for his own interest. He stopped his men, and told them,-that he must not kill me, and that they must not do it, for as they were under him, it would be as bad if they killed me, as if he were to do it himself-for, he urged, "the fellow that took the white boy is a warrior, and he, Cutteo toy, had taken a negro woman out of the boat, and had sent her up by water, and if he killed me, or if they were to do so, it would be bad for him, for the fellow that took me would go and kill his negro! He did not want to lose his negro;" and he said, further-that all the indians in the nation could not save his negro if he killed me!"

And well might Cutteotoy fear Chiachattalley, for that, in the indian language, was the dreaded warrior's name

although he was generally called by the whites, Tom Tunbridge, after his step-father

He was still back in town, and as an evidence of his being a warrior, although it had been a peaceable time with the nation from the time he was a boy, and he was then only twenty-two years old, it was said he had killed six white men! He had been off with the Shawnees and Creeks, a monster in the shedding of blood, and was afterwards killed in attempting to burn Buchanan's Fort, four miles from Nashville. I was there and saw him a corpse in 1794. The number of men he had killed in six years and four months, from the time I was exchanged to the period when I stood over his lifeless body, is unknown by any one living, but it must have been a large number. He was a man about six feet high, strong and active, the overseer of the town, and the leader of "ball-plays" and dances; and I have no doubt if he had succeeded in burning and taking Buchanan's Fort, it would have made him the head man of the Cherokee nation.

my hair, any how; and coming behind me, she took a lock from the crown of my head, cutting it off with an old knife, and holding it up; then kicking me in the side with a great deal of fury, she bragged that "she had got the Vir ginian's hair;" which appeared to afford fine fun for the men.

Cutteotoy then called to old Tunbridge to take me back to the cabin, that he himself loved me, but that he would not make friends with me then, but that he would be back in three weeks, and if I lived until then, he would make friends with me! But the others said it was not me he loved, it was the negro!

The above occurrences took place on Friday, the 9th of May, 1788, a clear, warm day, the hour about two o'clock. The head man of the town of Nickojack was not at home, as the half breed,Vann,-had said; but he came home that night, and was very much displeased at what had taken place. And he declared that although he had had To return to myself. After Cutteo- the command of that town, he never toy had given them his "talk," and had stained his knife in white man's whilst he was at it, I expected he had blood; but in war with the Shawnees he only stopped to butcher me. I fell on had many years before that, stained it. my knees again and tried to pray, and On Saturday, young Tom Tunbeg the Lord for the sake of Jesus to bridge and his mother both went to see have mercy on my poor soul, expecting the old chief, about me; and he directevery moment the tomahawk to sink in-ed them to bring me into town the next to my brains; and after I had prayed, day, and let him see me. According. possibly five or ten minutes, I remen- ly the old French woman took me in bered the mercy and favor the good Lord on Sabbath morning, and when he saw showed to Stephen when he was stoned me, he directed the old woman to tell -that he was enabled to see the Heav-me to come and shake hands with him, ens opened, and the dear Savior sitting on the right hand of God; and involuntarily opened my eyes! Looking up, as they were gathered all around me, I happened to discover one of them smile; whereupon, casting my eyes around, I saw the countenances of all changed from ferocity to mildness, which was the first gleam of hope I had.

After Cutteotoy had given his reasons why neither he nor his men should kill me,—the wish that he had for a negro to wait upon him and his wretched moth er,(this pitiful reason quelling all fears before expressed that I might grow up to guide an army there to cut them off,-) the fat old woman said she would have

which I did. He then directed her to inform me that there was no way I could be saved, but to make an indian of me; and for that purpose he would place me in his own family, and I must call him "uncle," and young Tom Tunbridge I must call "brother!" And as I had long hair, it must be cut off in the indian fashion, and that I must go dressed like the indians.

Accordingly, they trimmed my hair the same day, and shaved the entire sides of my head, leaving only a small scalp-lock on the top of it to tie a bunch of feathers to. They also took away my pantaloons, and gave me in exchange their own substitute for the

same, merely a piece of coarse cloth moved. I went down, lifted my
about four feet long, and ten or fifteen
inches broad.

Thus dressed, I was sent into the field, with probably fifty indians, on Monday. As to the rest of my costume for the occasion, I had a short pair of leggins, and a short old shirt, with a brooch in the breast of it, it coming down only to my waist. My neck collar was pulled open, my thighs and head were bare, and it being a hot day, by ten o'clock, the back of my neck and head were all blistered to a puff, by the intolerable heat of the sun. By twelve, I was really sick, and with a smart fever upon me. But the good Lord sent a thunder storm and drove us out of the field, and it rained to that degree that we could not go back to the field for several days; and during the time, by greasing the sores caused by the sun, in a few days there came a skin upon the place that stood the heat thereafter. I have no doubt, if it had not been for the rain, I should have fainted before night.

The Irishman kept a store; and the indians were often there, trading. I had never been with them previous to this time, consequently, their appearance and every thing they did or said, was new to me, causing me to watch them closely. Old Tunbridge told me I must not do so, for, said he, it always makes an indian angry to look at him. As the road from Running Water town to Nickojack led by our spring, I had been cautioned also not to let the Creek indians catch me out, lest they might kill me; and as I did not know a Creek indian from a Cherokee, the old French woman sent with me her grand-son who could talk English, to keep me on my guard against the Creeks, when we went to the spring. This lad knew all the indians, and as we were going one day to the spring, about two weeks after I was taken, I saw several indians about, at which the little boy appeared much alarmed, and I knew very well that it was myself who was in danger, if any was really to be apprehended. After looking at them a little while, he said they were Cherookees, and my fears were therefore re

buck

et of water, and started for the cabin; when two of them got upon their horses and crossed the branch that ran from the spring. One of them galloped up alongside of me, and checked his horse. As I had been cautioned not to look at them, I had paid little or no attention to his movements, but now, as I glanced my eye up at him, I discovered that he had a scalp hanging at his breast, and one side of his head was painted red and the other black. I felt a little alarmed, but did not know what to do. In an instant, he sprang from his horse down by my side, and struck me on the side of the head with the but-end of a bush about one inch in diameter, and four feet in length. I was so near him, the first stroke he made, that it did not hurt me much; but the second blow he gave, I was farther off, and it knocked me out of the road, but still I did not fall; and the third blow only slightly touched me. He belonged to my own family of indians, and had been away with the Shawnees, at war; and had had three of his companions kill. ed. He said-explaining his conduct

that when he saw me it made his blood so hot, he could not help whipping me; and if he could have knocked me down, he would have beaten me well."

was

A few weeks after this occurrence, the old French woman and myself were hoeing corn. The old woman about two steps ahead of me, when suddenly as she got to the end of her row, she dropped her hoe, sprang to me, and ordered me to run to a house which was about eighty yards off, where some of my indian relations lived. I ran, but saw nothing to run from. She sent one of the women back after our hoes, and we staid in the town nearly all the day. Late in the evening she took me by a bye-way home, not informing me what was the cause of her alarm, for six or eight months afterwards; when she told me there was an indian in the weeds at the end of my row, painted black, who had his tomahawk drawn ready to dash out my brains as soon as I should have come to the end.

A few days after this, the indian lad