xciv 
LIFE OF WILSON. 
encamped about sunset near a small brook, where I shot a turkey, and on 
returning to my fire found four boatmen, who stayed with nie all night, and 
helped to pick the bones of the turkey. In the morning I heard the turkeys 
gobbling all round me, but not wishing to leave my horse, having no great 
faith in my guests' honesty, I proceeded on my journey. 
" This day (Wednesday) I passed through the most horrid swamps I had 
ever seen. These are covered with a prodigious growth of canes, and high 
woods, which together, shut out almost the whole light of day fur miles. The 
banks of the deep and sluggish creeks, that occupy the centre, are precipitous, 
where I had often to plunge my horse seven feet down, into a bed of deep clay 
up to his belly ; from which unthing but great strength and exertion could 
have rescued liini ; the opposite shore was equally bad, and beggars all descrip- 
tion. For an extent of several miles, on both sides of these creeks, the dark- 
ness of night (ibscures every object around. Ou emerging fmni one of the 
worst of these, I met General Wade Hampton, witii two servants, and a pack- 
horse, going, as he said, towards Nashville. I told liim of the mud campaign 
immediately before him ; I was covered with mire and wet, and I thought he 
looked somewhat serious at the difficulties he was about to engage. He has 
been very sick lately. About half an hour beftre sunset, being within sight 
of the Indian's where I intended to lodge, the evening being perfectly clear 
and calm, I laid the reins on my horse's neck, to listen to a Mocking-bird, the 
first I had heard in the western country, which, perched on the top of a dead 
tree before the door, was pouring out a torrent of melody. I think I never 
heard so excellent a performer. I had alighted, and was fastening my horse, 
when hearing the report of a rifle immediately beside me, I looked up and saw 
the poor Mocking-bird fluttering to the ground. One of the savages had marked 
his elevation, and barbarously shot liim. I hastened over into the yard, and 
walking up to him, told him that was bad, very bad I That this poor bird had 
come from a far distant country to sing to him, and that in return lie had 
cruelly killed him. I told him the frreat Spirit was offended at such cruelty, 
and that he would lose many a deer fur doing so. The old Indian, father-in- 
h\w to the bird-killer, understanding by the negro interpreter what I said, 
replied, that when these birds come singing and making a noise all day near 
the house, somehodi/ ivt'll surely die — which is exactly what an old superstitious 
German, near Hampton in Virginia, once told me. This fellow had married 
the two eldest daughters of the old Indian, and presented one of them with the 
bird he had killed. 
"The next day I passed through the (.'hickasaw Big-tnwv. which stands on 
the high open plain, that extends tlirough their country, three or f(.iur miles in 
breadth, by fifteen in length. Here and there you perceive little groups of 
miserable huts, formed of saplings, and plastered with mud and clay; about 
these are generally a few peach and plum trees. Many ruins of others stand 
scattered about, and I question whether there were twenty inhabited huts 
within the whule range of view. The ground was red with strawberries ; and 
the boatmen were seen in straggling parties feasting on theui. Now and then 
a solitary Indian, wrapped in his blanket, passed sullen and silent. On this 
plain are beds of shells, of a large species of clam, some of which are almost 
