On the 25th ult., as the United States Mail Stage was attemping to cross Mill Creek, at Nashville, Tennessee, (the water having much swollen by the rains of the preceding night) one of the horses fell across the tongue and was immediately drowned – the fore horse becoming disengaged, escaped. The stage with the remaining horse, the driver and passengers, was washed down by the force of the current; the remaining horse drowned and the carriage upset, the passengers made their escape by clinging to a tree, but the driver would not desert the mail, and floated down the stream more than half a mile, when, being quite exhausted, he was saved by William Osmar, a lad of 14 years of age, who plunged into the stream to his relief. The mail bags had got loose from the stage and were floating down the stream, when the same lad again swam into the creek and brot them out, thereby preventing much loss and distress to many persons interested in the contents. The conduct of this lad being such as to merit more than applause, a subscription was opened at the Post Office for his benefit. Tis said there were several men on the bank of the stream during the whole transaction, who did not attempt to afford any assistance.
Contributed by Nancy Piper, Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania) December 31, 1823 Page 2