Alexandria Gazette

Hoax.—While a party of gentlemen were lately approaching Vicksburg, in one of those Loco focos yclept steam boats, a Mr. D. from Maryland, observed to his acquaintance that he had a complete Indian dress, "with feathers, ear rings, nose rings, and paint to suit"—and that he had half a mind to accoutre himself a l'Indienne and pass himself on the Vicksbourgenois as no less a person than Powell, alias Osceola, alas the Devil incarnate. The idea having tickled the fancy of his friend, he retired below, and soon appeared in the costume of the illustrious chief, dressed, tattooed, and to all appearance, a genuine tomahawking child of the forest. When the boat neared the shore, a crowd was attracted, and as the news quickly circulated that Osceola was on board, all the streets, quays, and tops of houses were all thronged with lookers on. In a few minutes the hero appeared and majestically stalked over the deck: "Et verus incessu patuit Indus."

Some of the crowd went on board to get a nearer view; some "to touch the hem of his garment;" but one fellow less credulous than the rest, had the curiosity to peep under his robe, to see if there was any white skin beneath. I know not what discoveries he made, but the report got abroad that the whole was a hoax.—This enraged all the inhabitants of Vicksburg (which by the way, should have been christened Lynchburg) and they began to shew symptoms of tar-and-featherism. But the friends of D. stood by him to a man; each drew a terrific Bowie knife, and set the mob at defiance. As the canaille always quail before any exhibition of strength and courage, they gradually slank away, and the noble chieftain had leisure to change his "outward man" so effectually, that he might have deceived the lynx eyes of the omniscient Vidocq himself.—Transcript.