Vincennes Gazette, Volume 7, Number 15, Vincennes, Knox County, 9 September 1837 — Page 1

"TRUTH AVITIIOI T FEAR." VOLU3IE VII. VINCEXXES, SATURDAY MORNING, SEPTEJIBER 9, 1837. NUMBER 15

We know not to whom credit should be given for the following hymn, which for ublimity of thought, ami beauty of expression, we do ncf recollect to have seen equalled. It has been written many years. Indianiun. HYMN TO THE STARS. Ave! there ye shine, and there have shone. In one eternal '-hour of prime;" Each rolling, luirnincly, alone. Through boundless space and countless time. Aye! there ye shine, the golden dews That pe the realm by seraphs trod; There, through yon echoing vault diilue The song of choral worlds.to God. Ye visible spirit-! hriaht as erst Young Eden's birthnight saw ye shine On all her flowers and fountains t'irt. Ye sparkle from the hand divine; Yes! bright as then, yc smiled to catch The music of a sphere so lair. To hold your high, immortal watch. And irird your God's pavilion there. Gold frets to dust; yet there ye are; Time rots the dimond; there ye roll In primal light, as if each star Enshrined an everlasting soul. Anil do they not! since yon bright throng One all-enlightened spirit own, 1'raised there by pure siderial tongues, Eternal, glorious, blest an 1 alone. Could man but sec what you have seen. Unfold awhile the shrouded past, From all that is, to what has been; The glance how rich, the range how at! The birth of time, the rise, the fall Of Empires; myriads, ages flown; Thrones, tongues, worships; all The things whose echoes are not gone. Ye faw red Zoroaster send His soul into your mystic reign; Yc Saw the adoring Fabian band, The living hills his mighty fine: Beneath his blue and beaming sky, He worshipped at your lofty shrine. And deemed he saw with gifted eve, The godhead, in his works divine. And there ye shine, as if to mock The children of an earthly r-irc; The norm, the bolt, the earthquake's shock, The red volcano's eat'raet fire, ffouu'lit, fimine, plague- and blood, and (lame, Ail nature's ills, and life's worst woes. Are noiiu'ht to you: ye smile the same. And scorn alike their dawn and close. Av' there vc roll, emblems sublime Of Him whose spirit o'er us moves, Ilevnnd the clouds of grief ami crime, Still shining on the world he loves. Jvor is one scene to mortals giv'n. That more divides the soul and sod, Than you proud heraldry of heav'n Yon burning blazonry of God. Tho 20th Dragoons at the Battle of Vimicro. Colonel Taylor, who commanded us, repeatedly asked leave to charge, but was un each occasion held back by the assureuranee that the proper moment was not yot come; till at last General Fane rode up and exclaimed, ".Vow Twentieth! now we want you. At them, my lads, and and let them see what you are made of." Then came the word, "threes about and forward," and with the rapidity of thought we swept around the elbow of the hill, and the battle lay before us. As we emerged up this slope we were directed to form in half-squadrons, the 20th in the centre, the Portuguese cavalry on the flanks; and the brief space of time that was necessary to complete the formation, enabled me to see over a wide extent ot the field. The French were coming on in great force, and with the utmost show of confidence. A brigade of cavalry was in front, followed by a line of infantry, in rear of which again were some heavy columns and guns. On our side there were some infantry who had long and gallantly maintained the hill, but who were so overmatched, that our advance was ordered up for the purpose of relieving them; and never was purpose more effectually served. "Now, Twentieth! now!" shouted Sir Arthur, while his Stall clapped their hands anil gave us a cheer; the sound of which was still in our cars, when we put our horses to their speed. The Portuguese likewise pushed forward, but through the dust which entirely enveloped us, the enemv threw in a fire, which seemed to have the effect of paralysing altogether our handsome allies. Kight and kit thcy pulled, as if by the word of command, and we never saw more of tlicm tut the battle was over. But we went verv dif ferently to work. In an instant we were in the heart of the French cavalrv, cutting and hacking, and upsetting men and horses in the most extraordinary manner possible, till they broke and fled in every direction, and then wc lell upon tne infantrv. It was here that our gallant colonel met his fate. He rode that day, a horse which not all his exertions would suffice to control it, and he was carried headlong upon the bayonets of the French miantry, a corporal ot wliom snoi mm through the heart. The corporal took, of course, his plunder, including the colonel s vaicn, seals, and rinrr set with Mrs. 1 av lor s hair, as well as his horse; and though he sold the animal afterwards, he refused

to part with the watch and its appendages, even when offered for them, as I have understood, more than their value. We were entirely ignorant of the fall of our commanding otliccr, and Ind the case been otherwise, wc were too eager in following up the advantages which we had gained, to regard it at tlie moment. Though scattered, as always happens by the shock

of a charge, we still kept laying about us till our white leather breeches, our hands, arms, swords, were all besmeared with blood. Moreover, as the enemv pave way we continued to advance, amid a cloud of dust so thick, that to see beyond the distance of those immediately about yourself, was impossible. Thus it was till we reaced a low fence, through which several gaps had been made by the French to facilitate the movements of their cavalry; and we instantly leaped it. The operation cost some valuable lives; for about twenty or thirty of the French granadiers hail laid themselves on their bellies beneath it, and and now received us as well as they could upon their bayonets. Several of our men and horses were stabbed, but of the enemy not a soul survived to speak of his exploit we literally slew them all and then while in pursuit of the horse, rushed into an mclosure, where to a man we had well nigh, perished. For the fold in which we were caught were fenced round to a great height, and had but a single aperture the door of which, the enemv, who hast cnedto take advantage of our blunder, imimdiately closed. Then was our situation trying enough, for we could neither escape nor resist; while looking over the wall, we beheld that the French had halted, and were returning in somewhat like order to the front. While we were thus situated, vainly looking for an aperture through which to make a bolt, one of the men, the same Corporal Marshall, of whom I have elsewhere spoken, was maintaining a most unequal combat outside the close, with four French dragoons that beset him together. An active and powerful man himself, he was particu larly fortunate in the charger which he bestro le a noble stallion which did his part in the melee, not less effectual than his master. The animal bit, kicked, lashed out with his fore feet, and wheeled about and about like a piece of machinery, screming all the time; while the rider, now catching a blow, now parrying a thrust seemed invulnerable. At last he clove one enemy to the teeth, and with a back stroke took another across the face, and sent him from hi3 .vuldic. Thn other wo hung back, and made signs to some of their comrades, but these had no time to help them, and the 50th regiment advanced in a line with fixed bayonets. The consequence was an immediate flight by the enemy who had calculated on making every man of the 20th prisoners; and our release from a situation, of all others, most annoying to men who like ourselves, had no taste for laying down their arms. Moreover, to that charge, supported as it was by the simultaneous advance of other portions of the line, the enemy did not ven ture to show a front. They were beaten on all sides, and retreated in great disorder, leaving the field covered with their dead. The 20th dragoons had done their duty, as indeed was abundantly shown by their soiled and crimsoned appearance; and the reception which, they met with from the general staff as they rode back to their old ground in the ravine, was most gratifying. The Portuguese, on the contrary, were yet standing where they had deserted us, formed up like troops on parade, and quite bloodless. YV e had been good friends before this we were never good friends after. We spit at them as we passed, and loaded them with exe crations, while our oiheers turned away their heads, and refused to recognise their former acquaintances. Our next business was to call the roll, and ascertain who were missing. Strange to say the whole of our officers, with the exception of Col. Taylor, answered to their names; and among the men the slaughter was less terrible than might have been expected; yet we had lost some good soldiers, and we lamented them deeply. Then it was proposed by Col. I51akc on whom the command had devolcd, that a party should go out to seek for Col. Taylor's body, and as he asked for volunteers I readily stood forth as one in a crowd, all of them equally willing. Wc moved to the front. Captain Binkham Newland of my troop being! along with us and found the declivity of the hill and the plain being covered with' the killed and wounded. There they lay, English and French thrown promiscuously together, while hordes of peasants, together with women from our own army, were already in full occupation as plunderers. Among other dead men, we passed a French officer, of Voltigeurs, a tall, good looking fellow; who wore in his schakot a beautiful green feather, to which Colonel Blake took fancy. 'Landshcit,' said he, "I should like to have that Frenchman's feather. He will have no further use for it himself suppose you fetch it me." I dismounted immediately, and having taken the feather, I thought to myself, why should I not look for something more? He is dead enough, that's certain, and neither money nor watch can avail him now. Accordingly I turned him over and took all that he had. a watch and three Spanish dollars. This done I rode after the detachment, which was

j somewhat in front, and overtaking it, gave I the feather to the Colonel. I was in the

act of stooping forward, and he had reach ed out his hand lor the prize, when a mus ket shot came from behind a bush hard by, and tiie ball whistled between the Colonel's head and mine. We looked about and saw whence the smoke ascened, upon which my officer directed that I would ride jp to the spot, and desire the man, whoever he might be to cease firing. I did so, and found a French grenadier wounded in the thigh, but who, leaning against a bank, was in the act of ramming home another catridge, and persisted in doing so, in spite of my remonstrance. " 1 iirow away that musket," said I, "and I will give you quarter!" "I want no quarter, replied the grenadier; "just stop a moment, and you shall see. I here was no time to deliberate, for he was al ready returning his ramrod, and the next instant would have sent a ball through rav bodv. So I gave him a rap over the .head wnh my sword, which put a stop to all his pugnacious propensities. As a j wounded man I would have gladly spared; but his mood be upon his own head; 1 could not allow him to live and be killed myself. We found Colonel Taylor stripped to the drawers, lying where he had fallen, upon his face; and Colonel Wake, after cutting oil' a lock of his hair, gave directions that he should be burieii. A hole was, in consequence, dug, in which we laid him; not without the hearty regrets of all who assisted at the funeral; after which we returned to the camp, and for a while all was quiet. The Hussar. Major Downing to his Fellow Citizens. Marine Pavilion-, Kockawav, L. I, August 15th, 1837, in sight of the wreck of the Two Pollies. To the People of the United States of North A merica in general,and the great Democratic Family in particular. Fellow Citizens, You have all by this time heard tell of my return to my native land, after an absence now of over two years this grass, and how nigh I came resting my bones along with the "Two Pollies" on this beach, and all mainly owing to a notion that Captain Jumper took that he was more knowing than other folks about his latitude and longitude and soundings, and to wind up all, was willing, right or wrong, "to take the responsibility." Well, the long and short of the matter is, the "Two Pollies" went aslioiv, and there alie lies 110 W, right Oil and on the house I am now in, and as I am in pretty good keeping here, I mean to stick by and wait for tho high tides of of September next, and see if there is anv hopes of getting this vessel olT. I don't mean to quit so long as two sticks of timbor of this vessel hangs together. I know she is worth saving, and if we can save part, jist enough to preserve the model, for there ain't such another craft afloat or on shore in this created airth. In the natural course of things, I suppose that seeing it is now more than two years since I wrote my last letter from France to my old friend Mr. D wight, that I ought to tell where I have been, and what I have been about; but this would be a long story too long to he good lor no thing, and I have no time now to finish it if I once begun it I'll leave that till I got through more important matters. I did not intend writing any thing till the "Two Pollies" was off and safe afloat again: but seeing that all the gnat folkj are at work writing private letters for publications, I thought it was high time to begin, and in doing so, as the Globe says of my old friend the General's letter, "dash it off in the broad bold hand of the venerable chief without the slightest care of punctuating or correcting, fcc." When I left home the last time, on my way to France, to aid in keeping things right there, I sat down at the stain of the Two Pollies, and kept my eye on my native hills till the top of the highest one was lost in a fog cloud that hung over it. I then began to feel considerable wamblecrop'd, and could not help thinking of the time when I was a boy, and when the great platter of Indian dumplins stood smoking on the table, and the family taking chairs all round it; and just then my good old mother calling out, "You Jonny, my son, them plagy cattle arc in the corn field again, run, my boy, and turn 'em out," and away I'd scud, and whilst running I would keep thinking of them dumplins, what changes might take place among them afore I got back again, and, in fact, whether there would be any left at all by the time I got back. And jest so it was this time: theie was my native hills, all smoking in the distance, jest like a row of hot dumplins, and I going off to keep an eye on them Frenchmen; what changes, thinks I, will take place among them hills afore I get back to them! I don't want to underrate dumplins, for I lived on thein nigh half of mv life, b,it I must say, if any man wants to know how much dearer to him is his native hills than any thing else in all creation, let him stand on the starn of a vessel going away from them at the rate of ten miles an hour, and seeing them go down out of sight in a fog bank, and if he don't then feel considerable streaked, depend on it he haint got a country worth returning to. In such a time a man knows how to feel for his country his bull country, and no

thing but his country. Talk to hnu then about party politics and see how small, and mean and contemptible all the little hasty dirty differences of party squabbles appear. Whig, Tory, Hank, AntiHank, Hard Currency, Paper Currency, Loco Foco Aristoracy, Democracy, Jackson, Denton, Van Buren, Kindle, Nigger, Anti-Nigger, Monopoly, Tammany and and Anti-Tammany, and Uncle Joshua all becomes mixed up like a ball of ravlins of old stockings, and aint worth no more, and this brings us all to the only point worth thinking about; and as I have not time to dress up a long story, I appeal to (very native bum citizen (tho only class I care to talk to jest now) to think with me and if I am not right let him tell me where and how I am wrong. I have now seen all countries except China and the Sandwich Islands and a small part of Russia and I can say that I have seen no people that can hold a candle to

us and all that is wanting on our part is to feel and act as we ought to feel and to act and that fur every man who has got a rale grit in him to unshackle himself from all nasty party prejudices and look to the good of his country as he would to his own good and that of his family and children. In some countries where I have been, the will or wish of man is the law of the land when he whistles he says, let no dog bark. Is it to be so with us? Are we an independsnt and Free People, and yet to be whistled into the traces and fancies of any man or set of men? I for one icinVt I'll see anv man or set of men, or any oilier man in Kamscatka first. Well, what is the puzzle now be fore us? We are all at odds and ends. Party that selfish deceitful monster nas ucen at worK. and twisted us into a snarl, and it is our business to untwist it wind oil' the best part for our own use, an throw the rest to the devil where it come from along with those who wick edly strive to draw lines between the people and set one class up against ano ther, jest to serve their own party pur poses. It would be a useless task for me to go into all the causes, why and wherefore, to show how we trot into the scrape we are now in it is enulF to know we are in a scrape, and I don't know a shorter way to explain it than to say, that if a fartarmer wants to see his farm well tilled he wont lake a watchmaker to till it n a hattnaker, or a shoemaker, or a nailmaker, or a carpenter, or a mason, or any kind of manufacturer, wjnfe 0r,-i.l u'nrl mnn i, insist him, he won't employ persons who don't know any tiling about the tiade. A ship builder won't employ a hatter or mason to aid him in building a ship, and wice wcrsa. Some folks can kill Ingins and some can manage finances every man to his trade; there is a trade and call ing for every man; but if in the course of party management a tinker says he can cut a coat better than a tailor, it would not be strange if some of us should have a tin kittle tied to the tails of our coat flaps and so it is in matters of more imporportance. But what grits agin the grain with me, is to see some folks who have been put into high offices by us "the people" and paid by us out of our earnings twenty-five thousand dollars a year or about seventy dollars a day, besides house rent and other clippings turn round and tell its their masters what they want done and what we must do, because they say so. Has it come to this then, in this country of laius made by the people for their own good, that any man in office, and well paid by u5 for his services, and shall dare to dictate to us our duty, when his duty is simply to follow the laws ire cause to make through our representatives for his and our guidance? Shall it be also that any man who has been in office and well paid for his services, dare to presume upon his former popularity to dictate to us by his opinions and notions what we should do, when it can be seen without spectacles lie has made a gross mistake, and like the fox tiiat has lost his tail in the trap, now wants all of us to cut oil' our tails, so as to cover his mistake. If such things are to be, and we are slaves to fall into these notions, then for one. I'll scrape oil" the name of die "Two Pollies of Downingville," and paint cm her stern "The Nigger of Araby," and any man who wears a collar may cemmand her. Fellow Citizpns I aint in the humor jest now to tell von the fatal eiror you are laboring under. 1 am one, one ol yourselves, beaten down, shipwrecked, and humbugged almost ashamed to say how it has all come about as it has btr.nise in tellino- votl the Story, I tell it to all creation, and that is what I don't like. I would rather keep our family quarrels within the walls of the old homestead; and that is the reason, when I was abroad and among foreigners, I heard them talk about and reading aloud the Globe and other oflicial papers containing matters I was ashamed of, I would say that "Globe" was published awav down in South America, and that the' folks there were all kouuterfeit Americans they had papers editors and towns all called after our own. and there warn't no depenaenc; u ucr,ut in 'em. But as I said jeat now, wc are in a scrarc, and I mean to try as a good cit-

zen, loving my country and every uvef ul class of citizension it as a man should; to get us out of it. We are all ashore,

jest as the ' I wo Pollies is but we have not gone to pieces yet, nor she nother, and 1 don t think we shall; but this depends on ourselves. I have known pilots in my day run a ship on shore, and to kiver his mistake, wished every other pilot would do the same thing. I have seen a cook spoil a whole potof broth, and when turned out, laugh in his sleeve to see his successor do the same tiling. T 1 1 have seen gi cat politicians and Generals who have failed in their experiments, so far forget the interest of those who employ them, as to turn and curse party leaders and soldiers, and wish to kivcr tip their disgrace by wishing their successors the same misfortune. I knew once a captain of a steamboat who did not know his business, and blew up his boat and passengers, feel as happy as a bird when he heard that others had been as unfortunate as himself, and gravely say, that for his partjhe was sure there was no safety in steam engines. And now we see some folks equally ready to blow up the hull Banking system, because in their mismanagement of it they have burnt their fingers, and now say that all links are sad monsters. Jest so would a tinker who boasted of knowing all about a steam engine, and after having tinkered changes in Jts pipes and valves, and blown it all to ctarnal smash, say "all engines are dan gerous and anti-democratic away with them, and let us take to oars and poles again; jest so but this is enough for the present. And till I have time to write to you again, let us all remember that when weak, bad, or foolish men combine it is time for sound, good and intelligent folks to unite. So no more at present from your old friend and fellow citizen. J. DOWNING, Major, 2nd Brigade Downingville Militia. Official returns of the Congressional vote of the whole state, which we publish as matter for reference hereafter. FIRST DISTRICT. Ratlill" Boon , John I'itehcr. Orange countv, Vanderburgh, Crawford, Gibson, Harrison, Spencer, Perry, DuboU, Pike, Warrick, 751 22' 235 471 410 364 321 181 281 471 '.to 427 3" a 27 C39 981 259 319 170 26 256 -JGO 1177 4531 SECOND DISTRICT. John Ewing, John Law. Putnam, Vigo, Clay, Sullivan, Greer, Owen, Lawrence, Davis, .Martin, Knox , 1088 817 615 271 703 315 419 694 403 1S1 432 4887 Jno. S. Si 768 339 219 506 511 683 587 2.'.0 M7 5728 THIRD DISTRICT. Wm. Graham.

monson. Washington, 1021 1068 Jackson, 709 402 Jennings, 727 r, Jefferson, Wi f.UH Floyd, 681 593 fc'cutt, 385 250 Clarke, 729 1218 5717 43110

FOI RTH DISTRICT (ico. If. Dunn: Amos Lane.

Rush, 1279 H'.lt! Decatur, 995 f,20 Franklin, 962 Oil Rij.ley, C,(,4 478 Dearborn, 1323 1005 Switzerland, 868 117 6091 5057

FIFTH DISTRICT James RanJen.J' Jonathan

-Vet 'arty Fayette, 630 766 " Wayne, 2130 1099 Randolph. 579 419 Henry, loss I 707 Allen. 16 ;$I0 Huntington, 82 16 Noble, 61 ',7 .lav, 5H 66 Crant, 205 123 Delaware, 511 397 I'nion, ' 19 3S6 Fulton, 46 55 Wabash, 109 86 Adams, 31 39 Steulwn, 73 24 Wells, 13 4 7 Lagrange, 183 17 1 662 1 4 Mi 1

SIXTH DISTRICT Win Herod. James II. Rav.

Johnson, 692 561 Bortholomcw, 1075 97 Shelby, 824 701 Hancock, 491 :J96 .Marion, 101 1 13!7 Morgan, 619 618 Hendricks, 1058 372 Monroe, S31 4:?.Madison, 867 253 Cas, 59 311 Miami, 2-r 4S Boonc, ' 315 Hamilton, Drown. 11 " 9635 58H

SEVENTH DISTRICT Alberts. White. N. Jackfon.

Vermillion, 1027 219 Parke, H59 279 Montgomery, 1623 353 Fountain, 1003 510 Tipjcraiioc, 1461 659 Clinton, 412 259 Carroll, 531 467 St. Joseph, 899 13S White, 177 fli Kosciusko, 265 HO Elkhart, 322 289 Warren, 681 476 I.aporte, 701 223 Lake, 81 53 I'orter, 115 75 Marshall, 117 45 10737 3369

Melancholy destitution of a Clergy man. We find in a copy of an English paper, (the NufTolk Chronicle of June 17th last,) the following melancholy story. Had such an incident occurred in this country, how quickly it would have been pounced upon by the English Tory writers on America, and tortured into pages of comment on our manners, morals and institutions: "f )n Tuesday last," says the Chronicle, "a Clergyman of the Established Church named the Uev. Mr. Norman, who had graduated at Oxford, was brought up at Liiion Hall police office, with his wife md two children, being found the preceding night sitting on the steps of a door, in lllack-friars-road. 1'he defendant said he had been curate of a church in the county of l'ife, in Scotland, but that the people of the place having embraced the doctrines of Irving, his congregation dwindled away until at length lie had no hearers. He also fell into an exceedingly bad state of health, and with a view of having proper medical advice, as well as to obtain another curacy, he determined on making his way to London. Since his arrival, however, not having succeeded in the ob ject he had in view, and having expended all the little ready money that he had, ha was driven to very great distress. A few shillings were given him, and he was recommended to apply to the parochial au thorities for relict, nis wiie i witnin a short time of her confinement' The unfortunate defendant and his family wero ragged in the extreme, and, although in such a condition, it was evident from their looks and general appearance and demeanor, that they were persons above the common class of society. He, it appeared, since his arrival in town, had been employed by a clerical agent agent in composing manuscript sermons, for which he was paid at the rate of 2s. each, but this employment having of late ceased, was ths occasion of his distress and that of his family." ☞ The St. Charles Clarion of the 19th, gives the following description of most foul murder in Lincoln County, in this state. Such demons should be expelled from society. FOUL MURDER. We learn that a most brutal murder attended with circumstances shockingly aggravating, was committed, last Saturday evening, at a place known as Kimball's grocery, on Big Creek, Lincoln county. The murdered man was named Henderson and the murderer Foster. It seems, that, a week before the murder, the parties had some difficulty, the nature of which we have not learned. On the evening above mentioned, Henderson, who was at home with his wife and family, was requested by a person to walk over to the grocery. Henderson accordingly left home taking with him two small children his sons. As he approached the grocery, Foster, who had just come out of it, met him, in the yard and so far as we learn, without any words whatever, immediately set upon him with a large hunting knife, and in a few minutes, inflicted no less than eleven wounds upon his body, many of which were mortal and produced almost instant death!— There were several persons witnesses of the scene besides the two children.— They say they were not aware of what was going forward — but the children say, that their father was constantly crying out, that Foster was murdering him and that they saw the gleam of the knife in the moonlight, every time it was drawn from their father's body. To the children one of whom was ten years old, it was a scene of agony and horror, beyond the power of language to describe. After the murder Foster was in and out the grocery, several times. The body in the yard, not being received into the house until the next day and was there watched by one or two of the bystanders, who were moved by the piteous spectacle of the weeping children, and who kept off dogs and hogs, that were ready to fasten upon the corpse. Next day some persons at a distance, hearing of the affair repaired to the scene of the murder and took care to have the body buried. Henderson has left a wife and four small children. Foster has not, that we learn been yet apprehended. ⭤⭤ ●⯄●⭤⭤ "Did yo run away from Texas?" said a man to his friend who returned from that country in something of a hurry shortly after Fanning's massacre. No— oh no. I did not run away exactly. but I gave some 'em a specimen of awful tall walking!""