Duncan M’Krimmon, (a resident of Milledgeville, a Georgia militia man,
stationed at Fort Gadsden,) being out one morning on a fishing excursion,
in attempting to return, missed his way, and was several days lost in
the surrounding wilderness. After wandering about in various directions
he was espied and captured by a party of hostile Indians, headed by the
well known prophet Francis. The Indians having obtained the satisfaction
they wanted respecting the determination of government, the position of
the American army, &c. they began to prepare for the intended sacrifice.
M’Krimmon was bound to a stake, and the ruthless savages having shaved
his head and reduced his body to a state of nudity, formed themselves
into a circle and danced round him some hours, yelling most horribly. The
youngest daughter of the prophet, about fifteen years of age, remained
sad and silent the whole time. She participated not in the general joy,
but was evidently, even to the affrighted prisoner, much pained at the
savage scene she was compelled to witness. When the burning torches were
about to be applied to the fagots which encompassed the prisoner, and
the fatal tomahawk was raised to terminate forever his mortal existence,
Milly Francis, (for that was her name,) like an angel of mercy, placed
herself between it and death, resolutely bidding the astonished
executioner, if he thirsted for human blood, to shed hers; being
determined, she said, not to survive the prisoner’s death. A momentary
pause was produced by this unexpected occurrence, and she took advantage
of the circumstance to implore upon her knees the pity of the ferocious
father, who finally yielded to her wishes; with the intention, however,
it is suspected, of murdering them both, if he could not sell M’Krimmon
to the Spaniards; which was luckily effected a few days after at St.
Marks, for seven gallons and a half of rum. As long as M’Krimmon remained
a prisoner his benefactress continued to show him acts of kindness. The
fortune of war since placed her in the power of the white people, being
compelled, with a number of others of her tribe who were in a starving
condition, to surrender themselves prisoners. As soon as this fact was
known to M’Krimmon, in manifestation of a due sense of the obligation
which he owed to the woman who saved his life, at the hazard of her own,
he sought her to alleviate her misfortune, and to offer her marriage; but
Milly would not consent to become his wife as a consideration of having
saved his life, declaring that she did no more than her duty, and that
her intercessions were the same as they would ever have been on similar
occasions.