After a melancholy journey, during which we were so absorbed by our feelings, that little was said; we reached the fatal spot, it being pointed but by one of the party who formed my friend’s escort.’  It was on the edge of a dense hammock, by the skirts of which lay some enormous trees, which had been levelled by a recent tornado.  From behind this barricade the Indians had unexpectedly fired on the party—­the attack was so sudden, that they appeared to have been quite taken by surprise.  This was the more extraordinary, as the whole neighbourhood was of a description likely to be chosen by the red men for an ambuscade.  The party attacked must have been in great trepidation, for, from what I could glean, the survivors put spurs to their horses’ flanks, and galloped off to Fort Andrews, leaving my poor friend entirely at the mercy of the enemy.  The survivor, who accompanied us, stated, that they were riding in Indian file, as is customary there; that poor H——­ was in front of him; and that, directly the Indians gave their fire, he saw him fall backwards from his horse, at the same time raising his left hand to his head.  He could tell no more, the horse he was on having wheeled round suddenly, and been urged on in retreat by its rider, who was in the greatest imaginable terror.  Had the party halted, and returned the fire, for they were well armed, in all probability some of the marauders would have been laid low, or, if the Indians were but few, they might at least have rescued my poor friend.

We found footmarks of Indians, which we traced; by these it appeared that they were in small force, and that when H——­ fell from his horse he recovered his feet, and ran from the enemy, in the direction of the plain, for about two hundred yards—­here it was evident he had been overtaken, and his skull cloven with a tomahawk from behind.  We soon discovered his remains in the sand, denuded of every particle of flesh and muscle by the vultures and the ravenous wolves.  We collected the bones with reverential care, and placed them in the waggon, for transit to Fort Andrews.

On the bones of the little finger of the left hand was an emerald ring, which I had often seen the murdered man wear, and which, being covered with blood and sand at the time of the catastrophe, no doubt escaped the attention of the villians who perpetrated the atrocious act.  The left jaw was fractured by a rifle-bullet, which knocked him off his horse backwards, as described by one of the survivors.

In the pines opposite the place of ambush, we found several balls imbedded, and one had lodged in the pummel of the saddle of the man who was present, and who formed one of our party.  It appeared probable that there were not more than four or five Indians engaged in the attack; a force which might easily have been repelled and annihilated with ordinary courage, but formidable enough to men wanting the presence of mind which is necessary under such circumstances.