Makers and Romance of Alabama HistoryRiley, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin)
History
Makers and Romance of Alabama History
Riley, B. F. (Benjamin Franklin)
Alabama -- Biography; Alabama -- History
Being on the side of the river opposite that on which his boats were, Dale
called across the river to his men to bring the boats. Six sprang into a
boat and started toward Dale, but when they got near enough to see that
the canoe was filled with savages lying flat, they sped back. Just below
was a free negro named Caesar, with a boat and gun, and Dale shouted to
him to bring his boat, and when the negro declined, Dale yelled to him
that unless he should come at once, he would cross the river and kill him,
when Caesar crossed a hundred yards below the canoe of the Indians. Dale
and two of his men sprang into it, and Caesar was ordered to head off the
boat of the Indians.
So soon as the boats touched, Dale sprang up and placing one of his feet
in each boat, the nearest warrior leveled his gun at him, but it flashed.
Quickly clubbing it, he dealt a blow at Dale's head, he dodged, and
shivered the head of the Indian with his gun. Austill sprang up, but was
knocked down by an Indian, who in a moment more would have killed him, but
Dale broke his gun across the warrior's head. Austill grasped the barrel,
and renewed the onset. Dale being without a gun, Caesar handed to him his
gun with a bayonet attached. The boats drifting apart, Dale leaped into
the Indian boat alone, while the other bore away. Smith fired and wounded
the Indian nearest Dale, who was now standing like a monument in the boat
of the Indians, two of whom lay dead at his feet. At his back the wounded
savage snapped his gun at Dale several times, while four powerful warriors
were in front. Too close to shoot, the foremost one dealt a blow with his
gun at Dale, who parried it with his gun, and then drove the bayonet
through him. The next made an onset, but was killed by Austill. The third
came, but was thrust through with the bayonet. The last was a giant
wrestler, well known to Dale, and as he strided over the prostrate bodies
of his companions, he yelled: "Big Sam, I am a man--I am coming--come on!"
With this, the big athlete sprang forward, clubbing Dale with his heavy
musket. He struck Dale's shoulder with such violence as to dislocate it,
when Dale buried the bayonet into his body. It glanced around the ribs and
stuck fast into his backbone. Dale held him down while he was struggling
to recover, and when Dale jerked it out, he leaped to his feet and with a
wild yell sprang furiously at the big white man, but Dale was ready with
the bayonet which he drove through his heart. Within ten minutes eleven
Indians had been killed, six of whom died by the hands of Dale.
A LEAP FOR LIFE
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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