Sadly they toiled along.

The skeleton horses dropped beneath their riders, and were left, saddled and bridled, for the vultures and the wolves.

On their route to Fort Strother they passed directly by the ancient Indian fort of Talladega.
It will be remembered that a terrible battle had been fought here by General Jackson with the Indians, on the 7th of December, 1813.

In the carnage of that bloody day nearly five hundred Indians fell.

Those who escaped scattered far and wide.