the column that night about nine o'clock. Taking up the line of march, on the morning of the 25th, they reached the Hillsborough river, but found the bridge had been burnt and destroyed, and they encamped there until morning. The difficulty of crossing here retarded their movements very much, and on the 26th, they made but six miles. On the 27th, they crossed the Big and Little Ouithlacoochee rivers, and encamped about three miles north of the latter branch. Up to this time Major Dade, being aware that the enemy was continually watching his movements, had adopted every precaution against surprise or attack at night, by throwing up a small breastwork. Early on the morning of the 28th, the illfated party were again in motion, and when about four miles from their last camp, the advanced-guard passed a plat of high grass, and, having reached a thick cluster of palmettos, about fifty yards beyond the grass, a very heavy and destructive fire was opened upon them by the unseen enemy, at a distance of fifty or sixty yards, which literally mowed them down, and threw the main column into the greatest confusion. Soon recovering, however, on observing the enemy rise in front of them, they made a charge, and plied their fire so unerringly, that the Indians gave way, but not until muskets were clubbed, knives and bayonets were used, and the combatants were clinched; they were finally driven off to a considerable distance. Major Dade having fallen dead on the first fire, the command devolved upon Captain Gardiner, and as he discovered the Indians gathering again about half a mile off, he directed a breastwork to be thrown up for their protection; but the enemy allowed them so little time, that it was necessarily very low (only two and a half feet high) and imperfect. The Indians being reinforced, and having stationed about a hundred of their mounted warriors on the opposite side to cut off retreat, they slowly and cautiously advanced to a second attack, yelling and whooping in so terrific a manner as to drown the reports of the fire-arms. The troops soon began to make their great gun speak, which at first kept the enemy at bay, but soon surrounding the little breastwork, they shot down every man who attempted to work the gun,

so that it was rendered almost useless to them. One by one these brave and heroic men fell by each other's side in the gallant execution of their duty to their country. Being obliged, by the inefficient breast work, to lay down to load and fire, the poor fellows laboured under great disadvantages, as, in the haste with which the work was constructed, they selected the lowest spot about that part, and consequently gave the enemy double the advantage over them. Major Dade and his horse, and Captain Fraser, with nearly every man of the advanced-guard, fell dead on the first volley, besides a number of the main column. Lieutenant Mudge received a mortal wound the first fire, and, on gaining the breastwork, breathed his last. Lieutenant Keayes had both arms broken, also, on the first attack; and one of the men bound them up with a handkerchief and placed him against a tree near the breastwork, where he was soon after tomahawked by a negro. Lieutenant Henderson received a severe wound in the left arm, but he heroically stuck to the fight, and fired thirty or forty shots before he died. Dr. Gatlin posted himself behind a log in the centre of the work, and exclaimed that he had four barrels for them; but, poor fellow, he soon ceased to use them, as he was shot early in the second attack. Towards the close of the battle, poor Gardiner received his death-shot in the breast, outside of the enclosure, and fell close to Lieutenant Mudge; the command of the little party then fell on Lieutenant Bassinger, who observed, on seeing Captain Gardiner fall, "I am the only officer left, boys; we must do the best we can." He continued at his post about an hour after Gardiner's death, when he received a shot in the thigh, which brought him down. Shortly after this, their ammunition gave out, and the Indians broke into the enclosure; and every man being either killed, or so badly wounded as to be unable to make resistance, they took off their fire-arms and whatever else would be of service to them, and retreated. Some time after the Indians left, the negroes came inside of the breastwork, and began to mutilate the bodies of those who showed the least signs of life, when Bassinger sprang upon his feet and implored them to spare him; they heeded not his supplica

tions, but struck him down with their hatchets, cut open his breast, and tore out his heart and lungs; such is the report of Clarke, the only survivor. However, I must confess that the appearance of the body on the 20th of February did not seem to indicate that such violence had been committed on him, although one of the slain (a private) was found in a truly revolting condition-a part of his body had been cut off and crammed into his mouth! The negroes stripped all the officers, and some of the men, of their clothing, but left many valuables upon their persons, which were discovered, upon examination, by Major Mountfort, of General Gaines' command, and an account carefully taken by the Major, in order to transfer the articles respectively to the relatives of the deceased. All the military stores were carried off except the field-piece, which they spiked and conveyed to a pond.

Again, at another time and place: orders were issued for one-third of the command to remain on watch inside of the encampment, while one-third was engaged in strengthening the defences; a detachment of 200 of the Louisiana volunteers, under the expert marksman and most excellent officer, Captain Thistle, was detailed for the erection of a block-house near the river, while others were engaged in preparing canoes, &c. Everything went on quietly until about ten o'clock, when the working parties were fired upon, and simultaneously a heavy volley of at least one thousand guns poured into three sides of the encampment, the one nearest the river being the only one not assailed. Numbers of the enemy, concealed by the palmettos and small bushes on every side of the work, came so near, that they wounded the troops on the opposite side of the camp, a distance of two hundred yards. Finding that they could not induce the general to leave his position, the enemy set fire to the grass and palmettos, with a view to burn the breastwork down, but suddenly the wind shifted and carried the destruction towards themselves. The firing continued with unabated fury for two hours, when the enemy retired; and, as the men were instructed by the general, in person, not to expend their ammunition unless " you can see the white of your enemy's eye," it is presumable that

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their loss must have been heavy. The bugle sounded a retreat, when the working party under Captain Thistle, returned to camp without suffering any loss; but the brave captain was of opinion that the enemy suffered very much from his little party, they having concealed themselves in the hammock until the Indians came up close to them without knowing that their enemy was for fighting them in their own way—when Captain Thistle ordered "fire," and many were observed to fall. The captain is a man of strict veracity, and he assured the general he "had a bead upon three."

The war progressed year after year, until power usurped the place of justice. The strong now hold by right of conquest, and "THE FLORIDA WAR IS ENDED!"

PART VI.

THE CALAMITIES OF WAR.

"From mortal eyes dark vapours snatch the sun;

Fires flash; the kindred elements rebel;

All heaven burns black, and, smouldering, shows more dun
E'en than the horrible obscure of hell:

Mid showers of hail, the long, loud thunders yell;
Fields float; the leas are drowned; not boughs alone
Crash in the rushing blast's sonorous swell,
But oaks, rocks, hills to their foundation-stone,
Quake to the roaring storm, or in the whirlwind groan.

TASSO.

If the patriot fails, he is pronounced a rebel-if the tyrant succeeds, he is a hero; the splendour of his achievements dazzles the world, and hides his sins-the victories alone are contemplated, while all that long train of miseries, always following war, is soon buried in oblivion.

We will turn back, for a moment, to where we see kingdoms, empires, and republics, emerge from the clouds of antiquity-sail down the stream of time, and gather, along its banks, a few facts in confirmation of our position.

"Behold the ruins of the cities of the Nile," said Arbaces; "their greatness hath perished-they sleep amid ruins—their palaces and shrines are tombs-the serpent coils in the grass of their streets-the lizard basks in their solitary halls." But, before these palaces and shrines became tombs-before the serpent coiled in the grass of their streets, and the lizard basked in their solitary halls, see where the hostile armies approach; mark the tumult and confusion of the men, the shrieking, wailing and lamentations of women and children; witness the horrors of battle-turn your eyes to the gushing streams of blood-hark! the groans of the dying-look upon the sublime, yet terrific sight, of the flames rolling over the cities like the billows of an ocean of fire; and where, in its wake, dark ruin stalks in all its hideousness.