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diff --git a/26965.txt b/26965.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d98ae3e --- /dev/null +++ b/26965.txt @@ -0,0 +1,4063 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Heroes and Hunters of the West, by Anonymous + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Heroes and Hunters of the West + +Author: Anonymous + +Release Date: October 19, 2008 [EBook #26965] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEROES AND HUNTERS OF THE WEST *** + + + + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + + + + +[Illustration: THE WOUNDED PIONEER.] + + + + +HEROES AND HUNTERS OF THE WEST: + +COMPRISING SKETCHES AND ADVENTURES +OF +BOONE, KENTON, BRADY, LOGAN, WHETZEL, +FLEEHART, HUGHES, JOHNSTON, &c. + +PHILADELPHIA: +H. C. PECK & THEO. BLISS. +1860. + + + + +Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, + +BY H. C. PECK & THEO. BLISS, + +in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District +of Pennsylvania. + + + + +CONTENTS. + +Daniel Boone. 11 +Simon Kenton. 19 +George Rogers Clarke. 24 +Benjamin Logan. 32 +Samuel Brady. 38 +Lewis Whetzel. 45 +Caffree, M'Clure, and Davis. 58 +Charles Johnston. 66 +Joseph Logston. 74 +Jesse Hughes. 81 +Siege of Fort Henry. 87 +Simon Girty. 103 +Joshua Fleehart. 118 +Indian Fight on the Little Muskingum. 129 +Escape of Return J. Meigs. 137 +Estill's Defeat. 144 +A Pioneer Mother. 154 +The Squatter's Wife and Daughter. 167 +Captain William Hubbell. 173 +Murder of Cornstalk and his Son. 185 +The Massacre of Chicago. 189 +The Two Friends. 211 +Desertion of a young White Man, from a party of Indians. 219 +Morgan's Triumph. 229 +Massacre of Wyoming. 233 +Heroic Women of the West. 243 +Indian Strategem Foiled. 250 +Blackbird. 265 +A Desperate Adventure. 268 +Adventure of Two Scouts. 276 +A Young Hero of the West. 299 + + + + +PREFACE. + + +To the lovers of thrilling adventure, the title of this work would alone +be its strongest recommendation. The exploits of the Heroes of the West, +need but a simple narration to give them an irresistible charm. They +display the bolder and rougher features of human nature in their noblest +light, softened and directed by virtues that have appeared in the really +heroic deeds of every age, and form pages in the history of this country +destined to be read and admired when much that is now deemed more +important is forgotten. + +It is true, that, with the lights of this age, we regard many of the deeds +of our western pioneer as aggressive, barbarous, and unworthy of civilized +men. But there is no truly noble heart that will not swell in admiration +of the devotion and disinterestedness of Benjamin Logan, the self-reliant +energy of Boone and Whetzel, and the steady firmness and consummate +military skill of George Rogers Clarke. The people of this country need +records of the lives of such men, and we have attempted to present these +in an attractive form. + + + + +[Illustration: CAPTURE OF BOONE.] + + + + +HEROES OF THE WEST. + + + + +DANIEL BOONE. + + +In all notices of border life, the name of Daniel Boone appears first--as +the hero and the father of the west. In him were united those qualities +which make the accomplished frontiersman--daring, activity, and +circumspection, while he was fitted beyond most of his contemporary +borderers to lead and command. + +Daniel Boone was born either in Virginia or Pennsylvania, and at an early +age settled in North Carolina, upon the banks of the Yadkin. In 1767, +James Findley, the first white man who ever visited Kentucky, returned to +the settlements of North Carolina, and gave such a glowing account of that +wilderness, that Boone determined to venture into it, on a hunting +expedition. Accordingly, in 1769, accompanied by Findley and four others, +he commenced his journey. Kentucky was found to be all that the first +adventurer had represented, and the hunters had fine sport. The country +was uninhabited, but, during certain seasons, parties of the northern and +southern Indians visited it upon hunting expeditions. These parties +frequently engaged in fierce conflicts, and hence the beautiful region was +known as the "dark and bloody ground." + +[Illustration: BATTLE OF BLUE LICKS.] + +On the 22d of December, 1769, Boone and one of his companions, named John +Stuart, left their encampment on the Red river, and boldly followed a +buffalo path far into the forest. While roving carelessly from canebrake +to canebrake, they were suddenly alarmed by the appearance of a party of +Indians, who, springing from their place of concealment, rushed upon them +with a swiftness which rendered escape impossible. The hunters were +seized, disarmed, and made prisoners. Under these terrible circumstances, +Boone's presence of mind was admirable. He saw that there was no chance of +immediate escape; but he encouraged his companion and constrained himself +to follow the Indians in all their movements, with so constrained an air, +that their vigilance began to relax. + +[Illustration: DANIEL BOONE.] + +On the seventh evening of the captivity of the hunter, the party encamped +in a thick cane-break, and having built a large fire lay down to rest. +About midnight, Boone, who had not closed his eyes, ascertained from the +deep breathing of all around him, that the whole party, including Stuart, +was in a deep sleep. Gently extricating himself from the savages who lay +around him, he awoke Stuart, informed him of his determination to escape, +and exhorted him to follow without noise. Stuart obeyed with quickness and +silence. Rapidly moving through the forest, guided by the light of the +stars and the barks of the trees, the hunters reached their former camp +the next day, but found it plundered and deserted, with nothing remaining +to show the fate of their companions. Soon afterwards, Stuart was shot and +scalped, and Boone and his brother who had come into the wilderness from +North Carolina, were left alone in the forest. Nay, for several months, +Daniel had not a single companion, for his brother returned to North +Carolina for ammunition. The hardy hunter was exposed to the greatest +dangers, but he contrived to escape them all. In 1771, Boone and his +brother returned to North Carolina, and Daniel, having sold what property +he could not take with him, determined to take his family to Kentucky, and +make a settlement. He was joined by others at "Powel's Valley," and +commenced the journey, at the head of a considerable party of pioneers. +Being attacked by the Indians, the adventurers were compelled to return, +and it was not until 1774, that the indomitable Boone succeeded in +conveying his family to the banks of the Kentucky, and founding +Boonesborough. In the meantime, James Harrod had settled at the station +called Harrodsburgh. Other stations were founded by Bryant and +Logan--daring pioneers; but Boonesborough was the chief object of Indian +hostility, and was exposed to almost incessant attack, from its foundation +until after the bloody battle of Blue Licks. During this time, Daniel +Boone was regarded as the chief support and counsellor of the settlers, +and in all emergencies, his wisdom and valor was of the greatest service. +He met with many adventures, and made some hair-breadth escapes, but +survived all his perils and hardships and lived to a green old age, +enjoying the respect and confidence of a large and happy community, which +his indomitable spirit had been chiefly instrumental in founding. He never +lost his love of the woods and the chase, and within a few weeks of his +death might have been seen, rifle in hand, eager in the pursuit of game. + +[Illustration: SIMON KENTON.] + +[Illustration: LOGAN.] + + + + +SIMON KENTON. + + +Simon Kenton was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, on the 15th of May, +1755. His parents were poor, and until the age of sixteen his days seem to +have been passed in the laborious drudgery of a farm. When he was about +sixteen, an unfortunate occurrence threw him upon his own resources. A +robust young farmer, named Leitchman, and he were rival suitors for the +hand of a young coquette, and she being unable to decide between them, +they took the matter into their own hands and fought a regular pitched +battle at a solitary spot in the forest. After a severe struggle, Kenton +triumphed, and left his antagonist upon the ground, apparently in the +agonies of death. Without returning for a suit of clothing, the young +conqueror fled westward, assumed the name of Butler, joined a party of +daring hunters, and visited Kentucky, (1773.) In the wilderness he became +an accomplished and successful hunter and spy, but suffered many +hardships. + +In 1774, the Indian war, occasioned by the murder of the family of the +chief, Logan, broke out, and Kenton entered the service of the Virginians +as a spy, in which capacity he acted throughout the campaign, ending with +the battle of Point Pleasant. He then explored the country on both sides +of the Ohio, and hunted in company with a few other, in various parts of +Kentucky. When Boonesborough was attacked by a large body of Indians, +Simon took an active part in the defence, and in several of Boone's +expeditions, our hero served as a spy, winning a high reputation. + +In the latter part of 1777, Kenton, having crossed the Ohio, on a +horse-catching expedition, was overtaken and made captive by the Indians. +Then commenced a series of tortures to which the annals of Indian warfare, +so deeply tinged with horrors, afford few parallels. Having kicked and +cuffed him, the savages tied him to a pole, in a very painful position, +where they kept him till the next morning, then tied him on a wild colt +and drove it swiftly through the woods to Chilicothe. Here he was tortured +in various ways. The savages then carried him to Pickaway, where it was +intended to burn him at the stake, but from this awful death, he was saved +through the influence of the renegade, Simon Girty, who had been his early +friend. Still, Kenton was carried about from village to village, and +tortured many times. At length, he was taken to Detroit, an English post, +where he was well-treated; and he recovered from his numerous wounds. In +the summer of 1778, he succeeded in effecting his escape, and, after a +long march, reached Kentucky. + +[Illustration: SIMON GIRTY.] + +Kenton was engaged in all the Indian expeditions up to Wayne's decisive +campaign, in 1794, and was very serviceable as a spy. Few borderers had +passed through so many hardships, and won so bright a reputation. He lived +to a very old age, and saw the country, in which he had fought and +suffered, formed into the busy and populous state of Ohio. In his latter +days, he was very poor, and, but for the kindness of some distinguished +friends, would have wanted for the necessaries of life. + + + + +GEORGE ROGERS CLARKE. + + +In natural genius for military command, few men of the west have equalled +George Rogers Clarke. The conception and execution of the famous +expedition against Kaskaskia and Vincennes displayed many of those +qualities for which the best generals of the world have been eulogized, +and would have done honor to a Clive. + +Clarke was born in Albermarle county, Virginia, in September, 1753. Like +Washington, he engaged, at an early age, in the business of land +surveying, and was fond of several branches of mathematics. On the +breaking out of Dunmore's war, Clarke took command of a company, and +fought bravely at the battle of Point Pleasant, being engaged in the only +active operation of the right wing of the Virginians against the Indians. +Peace was concluded soon after, by Lord Dunmore, and Clarke, whose gallant +bearing had been noticed, was offered a commission in the royal service. +But this he refused, as he apprehended that his native country would soon +be at war with Great Britain. + +[Illustration: GEORGE ROGERS CLARKE.] + +Early in 1775, Clarke visited Kentucky as the favorite scene of adventure, +and penetrated to Harrodsburgh. His talents were immediately appreciated +by the Kentuckians, and he was placed in command of all the irregular +troops in that wild region. In 1776, the young commander exerted himself +with extraordinary ability to secure a political organization and the +means of defence to Kentucky, and was so successful as to win the title of +the founder of the commonwealth.[A] + +In partisan service against the Indians, Clarke was active and efficient; +but his bold and comprehensive mind looked to checking savage inroads at +their sources. He saw at a glance, that the red men were stimulated to +outrages by the British garrisons of Detroit, Vincennes and Kaskaskia, and +was satisfied that to put an end to them, those posts must be captured. +Having sent two spies to reconnoitre Kaskaskia and Vincennes, and gained +considerable intelligence of the situation of the enemy, the enterprising +commander sought aid from the government of Virginia to enable him to +carry out his designs. After some delay, money, supplies, and a few +companies of troops were obtained. Clarke then proceeded to Corn Island, +opposite the present city of Louisville. Here the objects of the +expedition were disclosed. Some of the men murmured, and others attempted +to desert; but the energy of Colonel Clarke secured obedience and even +enthusiasm. + +The little band soon commenced its march through a wild and difficult +country, and on the 4th of July, 1778, reached a spot within a few miles +of the town of Kaskaskia. Clarke made his arrangements for a surprise with +great skill and soon after dark, the town was captured without shedding a +drop of blood. The inhabitants were at first terror-stricken and expected +to be massacred, but they were soon convinced of their mistake by the +bearing and representations of the Virginia commander. Cahokia was +captured shortly afterwards, without difficulty. + +Clarke's situation was now extremely critical, and he duly appreciated the +fact. Vincennes was still in front, so garrisoned, that it seemed madness +to attempt its capture by direct attack. But a bold offensive movement +could alone render the conquests which had been made, permanent and +advantageous. A French priest, named Gibault, secured the favor of the +inhabitants of Vincennes for the American interest, and the Indians of the +neighborhood were conciliated by the able management of Colonel Clarke, +who knew how to win the favor of the men better than any other borderer; +but on the 29th of January, 1779, intelligence was received at Kaskaskia, +where Clarke was then posted, that Governor Hamilton had taken possession +of Vincennes, and meditated the re-capture of the other posts, preparatory +to assailing the whole frontier, as far as Fort Pitt. + +[Illustration: BATTLE OF POINT PLEASANT.] + +Clarke determined to act upon the offensive immediately, as his only +salvation. Mounting a galley with two four-pounders and four swivels, and +manning it with forty-six men, he dispatched it up the Wabash, to the +White River, and on the 7th of February, 1779, marched from Kaskaskia at +the head of only one hundred and seventy men, over the drowned lands of +the Wabash, against the British post. The march of Arnold by way of the +Kennebec to Canada can alone be placed as a parallel with this difficult +expedition. The indomitable spirit of Clarke sustained the band through +the most incredible fatigues. On the 28th the expedition approached the +town, still undiscovered. The American commander then issued a +proclamation, intended to produce an impression that his force was large +and confident of success, and invested the fort. So vigorously was the +siege prosecuted that the garrison was reduced to straits, and Governor +Hamilton compelled to capitulate. (24th of February, 1779.) This was a +brilliant achievement and reflected the highest honor upon Colonel Clarke +and his gallant band. Detroit was now in full view, and Clarke was +confident he could capture it if he had but five hundred men; but he could +not obtain that number, till the chances of success were annihilated, and +thus his glorious expedition terminated. The object of the enterprise, +however, which was the checking of Indian depredations, was accomplished. +Clarke afterwards engaged in other military enterprises and held high +civil offices in Kentucky; but at the capture of Vincennes his fame +reached its greatest brilliancy, and posterity will not willingly let it +die. + +----- + + [A] Butler. + + + + +BENJAMIN LOGAN. + + +The real heroic spirit, which delights in braving the greatest dangers in +the cause of humanity, was embodied in Benjamin Logan, one of the first +settlers in Kentucky. This distinguished borderer was born in Augusta +county, Virginia. At an early age he displayed the noble impulses of his +heart; for upon the death of his father, when the laws of Virginia allowed +him, as the eldest son, the whole property of the intestate, he sold the +farm and distributed the money among his brothers and sisters, reserving a +portion for his mother. At the age of twenty-one, Logan removed to the +banks of the Holston, where he purchased a farm, and married. He served in +Dunmore's war. In 1775, he removed to Kentucky, and soon became +distinguished among the hardy frontiersmen for firmness, prudence, and +humanity. In the following year he returned for his family, and brought +them to a small settlement called Logan's Fort, not far from +Harrodsburgh. + +[Illustration: LOGAN JOURNEYING INTO KENTUCKY.] + +On the morning of the 20th of May, 1777, the women were milking the cows +at the gate of the little fort, and some of the garrison attending them, +when a party of Indians appeared and fired at them. One man was shot dead, +and two more wounded, one of them mortally. The whole party instantly ran +into the fort, and closed the gate. The enemy quickly showed themselves at +the edge of the canebrake, within rifle-shot of the gate, and seemed +numerous and determined. A spectacle was now presented to the garrison +which awakened interest and compassion. A man, named Harrison, had been +severely wounded, and still lay near the spot where he had fallen. The +poor fellow strove to crawl towards the fort, and succeeded in reaching a +cluster of bushes, which, however, were too thin to shelter his person +from the enemy. His wife and children in the fort were in deep distress at +his situation. The case was one to try the hearts of men. The numbers of +the garrison were so small, that it was thought folly to sacrifice any +more lives in striving to save one seemingly far spent. Logan endeavored +to persuade some of the men to accompany him in a sally; but the danger +was so appalling that only one man, John Martin, could be induced to make +the attempt. The gate was opened, and the two sallied forth, Logan leading +the way. They had advanced about five steps, when Harrison made a vigorous +attempt to rise, and Martin, supposing him able to help himself, sprang +back within the gate. Harrison fell at full-length upon the grass. Logan +paused a moment after the retreat of Martin, then sprang forward to the +spot where Harrison lay, seized the wounded man in his arms, and in spite +of a tremendous shower of balls poured from every side, reached the fort +without receiving a scratch, though the gate and picketing near him were +riddled and his clothes pierced in several places. + +Soon afterwards, the heroic Logan again performed an act of self-devotion. +The fort was vigorously assailed, and although the little garrison made a +brave defence, their destruction seemed imminent, on account of the +scarcity of ammunition. Holston was the nearest point where supplies could +be obtained. But who would brave so many dangers in the attempt to procure +it? No one but Logan. After encouraging his men to hope for his speedy +return, he crawled through the Indian encampment on a dark night, +proceeded by by-paths, which no white man had then trodden, reached +Holston, obtained a supply of powder and lead, returned by the same almost +inaccessible paths, and got safe within the walls of the fort. The +garrison was inspired with fresh courage, and in a few days, the +appearance of Colonel Bowman, with a body of troops, compelled the savages +to retire. + +Logan led several expeditions into the Indian country, and won a high +renown as one of the boldest and most successful of Kentucky's heroes. +When the Indian depredations were, in a great measure, checked, he devoted +himself to civil affairs, and exerted considerable influence upon the +politics of the country. Throughout his career, he was beloved and +respected as a fearless, honest, and intelligent man. + + + + +SAMUEL BRADY. + + +Captain Samuel Brady was the Daniel Boone of Western Pennsylvania. As +brave as a lion, as swift as a deer, and as cautious as a panther, he gave +the Indians reason to tremble at the mention of his name. As the captain +of the rangers he was the favorite of General Brodhead, the commander of +the Pennsylvania forces, and regarded by the frontier inhabitants as their +eye and arm. + +The father and brother of Captain Brady being killed by the Indians, it is +said that our hero vowed to revenge their murder, and never be at peace +with the Indians of any tribe. Many instances of such dreadful vows, made +in moments of bitter anguish, occur in the history of our border, and, +when we consider the circumstances, we can scarcely wonder at the number, +though, as Christians, we should condemn such bloody resolutions. + +[Illustration: GENERAL BRODHEAD.] + +Many of Brady's exploits are upon record; and they are entitled to our +admiration for their singular daring and ingenuity. One of the most +remarkable is known in border history as Brady's Leap. The energetic +Brodhead, by an expedition into the Indian country, had delivered such +destructive blows that the savages were quieted for a time. The general +kept spies out, however, for the purpose of guarding against sudden +attacks on the settlements. One of the scouting parties, under the command +of Captain Brady, had the French creek country assigned as their field of +duty. The captain reached the waters of Slippery Rock, without seeing any +signs of Indians. Here, however, he came on a trail, in the evening, which +he followed till dark, without overtaking the enemy. The next morning the +pursuit was renewed, and Brady overtook the Indians while they were at +their morning meal. Unfortunately, another party of savages was in his +rear, and when he fired upon those in front, he was in turn fired upon +from behind. He was now between two fires, and greatly outnumbered. Two of +his men fell, his tomahawk was shot from his side, and the enemy shouted +for the expected triumph. There was no chance of successful defence in the +position of the rangers, and they were compelled to break and flee. + +Brady ran towards the creek. The Indians pursued, certain of making him +captive, on account of the direction he had taken. To increase their +speed, they threw away their guns, and pressed forward with raised +tomahawk. Brady saw his only chance of escape, which was to leap the +creek, afterwards ascertained to be twenty-two feet wide and twenty deep. +Determined never to fall alive into the hands of the Indians, he made a +mighty effort, sprang across the abyss of waters and stood rifle in hand +upon the opposite bank. As quick as lightning, he proceeded to load his +rifle. A large Indian, who had been foremost in pursuit, came to the +opposite bank, and after magnanimously doing justice to the captain by +exclaiming "Blady make good jump!" made a rapid retreat. + +Brady next went to the place appointed as a rendezvous for his party, and +finding there three of his men, commenced his homeward march, about half +defeated. Three Indians had been killed while at their breakfast. The +savages did not return that season, to do any injury to the whites, and +early in the fall, moved off to join the British, who had to keep them +during the winter, their corn having been destroyed by General Brodhead. +Brady survived all his perils and hardships and lived to see the Indians +completely humbled before those whites on whom they had committed so many +outrages. + +[Illustration: MASSACRE OF MRS. WHETZEL AND HER CHILDREN.] + + + + +LEWIS WHETZEL. + + +The Whetzel family is remembered in the west for the courage, resolution, +and skill in border warfare displayed by four of its members. Their names +were Martin, Lewis, Jacob, and John. Of these, Lewis won the highest +renown, and it is doubtful whether Boone, Brady, or Kenton equaled him in +boldness of enterprise. + +In the hottest part of the Indian war, old Mr. Whetzel, who was a German, +built his cabin some distance from the fort at Wheeling. One day, during +the absence of the two oldest sons, Martin and John, a numerous party of +Indians surrounded the house, killed, tomahawked and scalped old Mr. +Whetzel, his wife, and the small children, and carried off Lewis, who was +then about thirteen years old, and Jacob who was about eleven. Before the +young captives had been carried far, Lewis contrived their escape. When +these two boys grew to be men, they took a solemn oath never to make peace +with the Indians as long as they had strength to wield a tomahawk or sight +to draw a bead, and they kept their oath. + +The appearance of Lewis Whetzel was enough to strike terror into common +men. He was about five feet ten inches high, having broad shoulders, a +full breast, muscular limbs, a dark skin, somewhat pitted by the small +pox, hair which, when combed out, reached to the calves of his legs, and +black eyes, whose excited and vindictive glance would curdle the blood. He +excelled in all exercises of strength and activity, could load his rifle +while running with almost the swiftness of a deer, and was so habituated +to constant action, that an imprisonment of three days, as ordered by +General Harmar, was nearly fatal to him. He had the most thorough +self-reliance as his long, solitary and perilous expeditions into the +Indian country prove. + +[Illustration: INDIAN CHIEF.] + +In the year of 1782, Lewis Whetzel went with Thomas Mills, who had been in +the campaign, to get a horse, which he had left near the place where St. +Clairsville now stands. At the Indian Spring, two miles above St. +Clairsville, on the Wheeling road, they were met by about forty Indians, +who were in pursuit of the stragglers from the campaign. The Indians and +the white men discovered each other about the same time. Lewis fired +first, and killed an Indian; the fire from the Indians wounded Mr. Mills, +and he was soon overtaken and killed. Four of the Indians then singled +out, dropped their guns, and pursued Whetzel. Whetzel loaded his rifle as +he ran. After running about half a mile, one of the Indians having got +within eight or ten steps of him, Whetzel wheeled round and shot him down, +ran on, and loaded as before. After going about three-quarters of a mile +further, a second Indian came so close to him, that when he turned to +fire, the Indian caught the muzzle of his gun, and as he expressed it, he +and the Indian had a severe wring for it; he succeeded, however, in +bringing the gun to the Indian's breast, and killed him on the spot. By +this time, he, as well as the Indians, were pretty well tired; the pursuit +was continued by the remaining two Indians. Whetzel, as before, loaded his +gun, and stopped several times during the chase. When he did so the +Indians treed themselves. After going something more than a mile, Whetzel +took advantage of a little open piece of ground, over which the Indians +were passing, a short distance behind him, to make a sudden stop for the +purpose of shooting the foremost, who got behind a little sapling, which +was too small to cover his body. Whetzel shot, and broke his thigh; the +wound, in the issue, proved fatal. The last of the Indians then gave a +little yell, and said, "No catch dat man--gun always loaded," and gave up +the chase; glad, no doubt, to get off with his life. + +Another of this daring warrior's exploits is worthy of a place beside the +most remarkable achievements of individual valor. In the year 1787, a +party of Indians crossed the Ohio, killed a family, and scalped with +impunity. This murder spread great alarm through the sparse settlements +and revenge was not only resolved upon, but a handsome reward was offered +for scalps. Major McMahan, who often led the borderers in their hardy +expeditions, soon raised a company of twenty men, among whom was Lewis +Whetzel. They crossed the Ohio and pursued the Indian trail until they +came to the Muskingum river. There the spies discovered a large party of +Indians encamped. Major McMahan fell back a short distance, and held a +conference when a hasty retreat was resolved upon as the most prudent +course, Lewis Whetzel refused to take part in the council, or join in the +retreat. He said he came out to hunt Indians; they were now found and he +would either lose his own scalp or take that of a "red skin." All +arguments were thrown away upon this iron-willed man; he never submitted +to the advice or control of others. His friends were compelled to leave +him a solitary being surrounded by vigilant enemies. + +[Illustration: LEWIS WHETZEL'S SINGULAR ESCAPE.] + +As soon as the major's party had retired beyond the reach of danger, +Whetzel shouldered his rifle, and marched off into a different part of the +country, hoping that fortune would place a lone Indian in his way. He +prowled through the woods like a panther, eager for prey, until the next +evening, when he discovered a smoke curling up among the bushes. Creeping +softly to the fire, he found two blankets and a small copper kettle, and +concluded that it was the camp of two Indians. He concealed himself in the +thick brush, in such a position that he could see the motions of the +enemy. About sunset the two Indians came in, cooked and ate their supper, +and then sat by the fire engaged in conversation. About nine o'clock one +of them arose, shouldered his rifle, took a chunk of fire in his hand, and +left the camp, doubtless in search of a deer-lick. The absence of this +Indian was a source of vexation and disappointment to Whetzel, who had +been so sure of his prey. He waited until near break of day, and still the +expected one did not return. The concealed warrior could delay no longer. +He walked cautiously to the camp, found his victim asleep, and drawing a +knife buried it in the red man's heart. He then secured the scalp, and set +off for home, where he arrived only one day after his companions. For the +scalp, he claimed and received the reward. + +Here is another of Lewis Whetzel's remarkable exploits. Returning home +from a hunt, north of the Ohio, he was walking along in that reckless +manner, which is a consequence of fatigue, when his quick eye suddenly +caught sight of an Indian in the act of raising his gun to fire. Both +sprung like lightning to the woodman's forts, large trees, and there they +stood for an hour, each afraid of the other. This quiet mode of warfare +did not suit the restless Whetzel, and he set his invention to work to +terminate it. Placing his bear-skin cap on the end of his ramrod, he +protruded it slightly and cautiously as if he was putting his head to +reconnoitre, and yet was hesitating in the venture. The simple savage was +completely deceived. As soon as he saw the cap, he fired and it fell. +Whetzel then sprang forward to the astonished red man, and with a shot +from the unerring rifle brought him to the ground quite dead. The +triumphant ranger then pursued his march homeward. + +But it was in a deliberate attack upon a party of four Indians that our +hero displayed the climax of daring and resolution. While on a fall hunt, +on the Muskingum, he came upon a camp of four savages, and with but little +hesitation resolved to attempt their destruction. He concealed himself +till midnight, and then stole cautiously upon the sleepers. As quick as +thought, he cleft the skull of one of them. A second met the same fate, +and as a third attempted to rise, confused by the horrid yells, which +Whetzel gave with his blows, the tomahawk stretched him in death. The +fourth Indian darted into the darkness of the wood and escaped, although +Whetzel pursued him for some distance. Returning to camp, the ranger +scalped his victims and then left for home. When asked on his return, +"What luck?" he replied, "Not much. I treed four Indians, and one got +away." Where shall we look for deeds of equal daring and hardihood? +Martin, Jacob, and John Whetzel were bold warriors; and in the course of +the Indian war, they secured many scalps; but they never obtained the +reputation possessed by their brother, Lewis. All must condemn cruelty +wherever displayed, but it is equally our duty to render just admiration +to courage, daring, and indomitable energy, qualities in which the Whetzel +brothers have rarely if ever been excelled. + +[Illustration: LEWIS WHETZEL'S STRATAGEM.] + +General Clark, the companion of Lewis in the celebrated tour across the +Rocky Mountains, having heard much of Lewis Whetzel, in Kentucky, +determined to secure his services for the exploring expedition. After +considerable hesitation, Whetzel consented to go, and accompanied the +party during the first three months' travel, but then declined going any +further, and returned home. Shortly after this, he left again on a +flat-boat, and never returned. He visited a relation, named Sikes, living +about twenty miles in the interior, from Natchez, and there made his home, +until the summer of 1808, when he died, leaving a fame for valor and skill +in border warfare, which will not be allowed to perish. + + + + +CAFFREE, M'CLURE, AND DAVIS. + + +About 1784, horse-stealing was as common as hunting to the whites and +Indians of the west. Thefts and reprisals were almost constantly made. +Some southern Indians having stolen horses from Lincoln county, Kentucky, +three young men, named Caffree, M'Clure, and Davis, set out in pursuit of +them. Coming in sight of an Indian town, near the Tennessee river, they +met three red men. The two parties made signs of peace, shook hands, and +agreed to travel together. Both were suspicious, however, and at length, +from various indications, the whites became satisfied of the treacherous +intentions of the Indians, and resolved to anticipate then. Caffree being +a very powerful man, proposed that he himself should seize one Indian, +while Davis and M'Clure should shoot the other two. Caffree sprang boldly +upon the nearest Indian, grasped his throat firmly, hurled him to the +ground, and drawing a cord from his pocket attempted to tie him. At the +same instant, Davis and M'Clure attempted to perform their respective +parts. M'Clure killed his man, but Davis's gun missed fire. All three, _i. +e._ the two white men, and the Indian at whom Davis had flashed, +immediately took trees, and prepared for a skirmish, while Caffree +remained upon the ground with the captured Indian--both exposed to the +fire of the others. In a few seconds, the savage at whom Davis had +flashed, shot Caffree as he lay upon the ground and gave him a mortal +wound--and was instantly shot in turn by M'Clure who had reloaded his gun. +Caffree becoming very weak, called upon Davis to come and assist him in +tying the Indian, and directly afterwards expired. As Davis was running up +to the assistance of his friend--the Indian released himself, killed his +captor, sprung to his feet, and seizing Caffree's rifle, presented it +menacingly at Davis, whose gun was not in order for service, and who ran +off into the forest, closely pursued by the Indian. M'Clure hastily +reloaded his gun and taking the rifle which Davis had dropped, followed +them for some distance into the forest, making all signals which had been +concerted between them in case of separation. All, however, was vain--he +saw nothing more of Davis, nor could he ever afterwards learn his fate. As +he never returned to Kentucky, however, he probably perished. + +[Illustration: A SOUTHERN INDIAN.] + +M'Clure, finding himself alone in the enemy's country, and surrounded by +dead bodies, thought it prudent to abandon the object of the expedition +and return to Kentucky. He accordingly retraced his steps, still bearing +Davis' rifle in addition to his own. He had scarcely marched a mile, +before he saw advancing from the opposite direction, an Indian warrior, +riding a horse with a bell around its neck, and accompanied by a boy on +foot. Dropping one of the rifles, which might have created suspicion, +M'Clure advanced with an air of confidence, extending his hand and making +other signs of peace. The opposite party appeared frankly to receive his +overtures, and dismounting, seated himself upon a log, and drawing out his +pipe, gave a few puffs himself, and then handed it to M'Clure. In a few +minutes another bell was heard, at the distance of half a mile, and a +second party of Indians appeared upon horseback. The Indian with M'Clure +now coolly informed him by signs that when the horseman arrived, he +(M'Clure) was to be bound and carried off as a prisoner with his feet tied +under the horse's belly. In order to explain it more fully, the Indian got +astride of the log, and locked his legs together underneath it. M'Clure, +internally thanking the fellow for his excess of candor, determined to +disappoint him, and while his enemy was busily engaged in riding the log, +and mimicking the actions of a prisoner, he very quietly blew his brains +out, and ran off into the woods. The Indian boy instantly mounted the +belled horse, and rode off in an opposite direction. M'Clure was fiercely +pursued by several small Indian dogs, that frequently ran between his legs +and threw him down. After falling five or six times, his eyes became full +of dust and he was totally blind. Despairing of escape, he doggedly lay +upon his face, expecting every instant to feel the edge of the tomahawk. +To his astonishment, however, no enemy appeared, and even the Indian dogs +after tugging at him for a few minutes, and completely stripping him of +his breeches, left him to continue his journey unmolested. Finding every +thing quiet, in a few moments he arose, and taking up his gun continued +his march to Kentucky. + +[Illustration: CAFFREE KILLED BY THE INDIAN.] + + + + +CHARLES JOHNSTON. + + +In March, 1790 a boat, containing four men and two women, passing down the +Ohio, was induced by some renegade whites to approach the shore, near the +mouth of the Sciota, and then attacked by a large party of Indians. A Mr. +John May and one of the women were shot dead, and the others then +surrendered. The chief of the band was an old warrior, named Chickatommo, +and under his command were a number of renowned red men. When the +prisoners were distributed, a young man named Charles Johnson, was given +to a young Shawnee chief who is represented to have been a noble +character. His name was Messhawa, and he had just reached the age of +manhood. His person was tall and seemingly rather fitted for action than +strength. His bearing was stately, and his countenance expressive of a +noble disposition. He possessed great influence among those of his own +tribe, which he exerted on the side of humanity. On the march, Messhawa +repeatedly saved Johnson from the tortures which the other savages +delighted to inflict, and the young captive saw some displays of generous +exertion on the part of the chief which are worthy of a place in border +history. + +[Illustration: MESSHAWA.] + +The warriors painted themselves in the most frightful colors, and +performed a war dance, with the usual accompaniments. A stake, painted in +alternate stripes of black and vermilion, was fixed in the ground, and the +dancers moved in rapid but measured evolutions around it. They recounted, +with great energy, the wrongs they had received from the whites.--Their +lands had been taken from them--their corn cut up--their villages +burnt--their friends slaughtered--every injury which they had received was +dwelt upon, until their passions had become inflamed beyond control. +Suddenly, Chickatommo darted from the circle of dancers, and with eyes +flashing fire, ran up to the spot where Johnston was sitting, calmly +contemplating the spectacle before him. When within reach he struck him a +furious blow with his fist, and was preparing to repeat it, when Johnston +seized him by the arms, and hastily demanded the cause of such unprovoked +violence. Chickatommo, grinding his teeth with rage, shouted "Sit down, +sit down!" Johnston obeyed, and the Indian, perceiving the two children +within ten steps of him, snatched up a tomahawk, and advanced upon them +with a quick step, and a determined look. The terrified little creatures +instantly arose from the log on which they were sitting, and fled into the +woods, uttering the most piercing screams, while their pursuer rapidly +gained upon them with uplifted tomahawk. The girl, being the youngest, was +soon overtaken, and would have been tomahawked, had not Messhawa bounded +like a deer to her relief. He arrived barely in time to arrest the +uplifted tomahawk of Chickatommo, after which, he seized him by the collar +and hurled him violently backward to the distance of several paces. +Snatching up the child in his arms, he then ran after the brother, +intending to secure him likewise from the fury of his companion, but the +boy, misconstruing his intention, continued his flight with such rapidity, +and doubled several times with such address, that the chase was prolonged +to the distance of several hundred yards. At length Messhawa succeeded in +taking him. The boy, thinking himself lost, uttered a wild cry, which was +echoed by his sister, but both were instantly calmed. Messhawa took them +in his arms, spoke to them kindly, and soon convinced them that they had +nothing to fear from him. He quickly reappeared, leading them gently by +the hand, and soothing them in the Indian language, until they both clung +to him closely for protection. + +No other incident disturbed the progress of the ceremonies, nor did +Chickatommo appear to resent the violent interference of Messhawa. + +[Illustration: CHICKATOMMO.] + +After undergoing many hardships, Johnston was taken to Sandusky, where he +was ransomed by a French trader. Messhawa took leave of his young captive +with many expressions of esteem and friendship. This noble chief was in +the battle of the Fallen Timber and afterwards became a devoted follower +of the great Tecumseh--thus proving that while he was as humane as a +civilized man, he was patriotic and high-spirited enough to resent the +wrongs of his people. He was killed at the battle of the Thames, where the +power of the Shawnees was for ever crushed. + + + + +JOSEPH LOGSTON. + + +Big Joe Logston was a noted character in the early history of the west. He +was born and reared among the Alleghany mountains, near the source of the +north branch of the Potomac, some twenty or thirty miles from any +settlement. He was tall, muscular, excelled in all the athletic sports of +the border, and was a first-rate shot. Soon after Joe arrived at years of +discretion, his parents died, and he went out to the wilds of Kentucky. +There, Indian incursions compelled him to take refuge in a fort. This pent +up life was not at all to Joe's taste. He soon became very restless, and +every day insisted on going out with others to hunt up cattle. At length +no one would accompany him, and he resolved to go out alone. He rode the +greater part of the day without finding any cattle, and then concluded to +return to the fort. As he was riding along, eating some grapes, with which +he had filled his hat, he heard the reports of the two rifles; one ball +passed through the paps of his breast, which were very prominent, and the +other struck the horse behind the saddle, causing the beast to sink in its +tracks. + +[Illustration: INDIANS AMBUSHED FOR JOE LOGSTON.] + +Joe was on his feet in an instant and might have taken to his heels with +the chances of escape greatly in his favor. But to him flight was never +agreeable. The moment the guns were fired, an Indian sprang forward with +an uplifted tomahawk; but as Joe raised his rifle, the savage jumped +behind two saplings, and kept springing from one to the other to cover his +body. The other Indian was soon discovered behind a tree loading his gun. +When in the act of pushing down his bullet, he exposed his hips and Joe +fired a load into him. The first Indian then sprang forward and threw his +tomahawk at the head of the white warrior, who dodged it. Joe then clubbed +his gun and made at the savage, thinking to knock him down. In striking, +he missed, and the gun now reduced to the naked barrel, flew out of his +hands. The two men then sprang at each other with no other weapons than +those of nature. A desperate scuffle ensued. Joe could throw the Indian +down, but could not hold him there. At length, however, by repeated heavy +blows, he succeeded in keeping him down, and tried to choke him with the +left hand while he kept the right free for contingencies. Directly, Joe +saw the savage trying to draw a knife from its sheath, and waiting till it +was about half way out, he grasped it quickly and sank it up to the handle +in the breast of his foe, who groaned and expired. + +Springing to his feet, Joe saw the Indian he had crippled, propped against +a log, trying to raise his gun to fire, but falling forward, every time he +made the attempt. The borderer, having enough of fighting for one day, and +not caring to be killed by a crippled Indian, made for the fort, where he +arrived about nightfall. He was blood and dirt from crown to toe, and +without horse, hat, or gun. + +The next morning a party went to Joe's battle-ground. On looking round, +they found a trail, as if something had been dragged away, and at a little +distance they came upon the big Indian, covered up with leaves. About a +hundred yards farther, they found the Indian Joe had crippled, lying on +his back, with his own knife sticking up to the hilt in his body, just +below the breast bone, evidently to show that he had killed himself. Some +years after this fight, Big Joe Logston lost his life in a contest with a +gang of outlaws. He was one of those characters who were necessary to the +settlement of the west, but who would not have been highly esteemed in +civilized society. + +[Illustration: INDIAN IN AMBUSH] + + + + +JESSE HUGHES. + + +Jesse Hughes was born and reared in Clarksburgh, Harrison county, +Virginia, on the head-waters of the Monongahela. He was a light-built, +active man, and from his constant practice became one of the best hunters +and Indian fighters on the frontier. Having a perfect knowledge of all the +artifices of the Indians, he was quick to devise expedients to frustrate +them. Of this, the following exploit is an illustration. At a time of +great danger from Indian incursions, when the citizens in the neighborhood +where in a fort at Clarksburgh, Hughes one morning observed a lad very +hurriedly engaged in fixing his gun. + +"Jim," said he, "what are you doing that for?" + +"I am going to shoot a turkey that I hear gobbling on the hill side," +replied Jim. + +"I hear no turkey," said Hughes. + +"Listen," said Jim. "There, didn't you hear it? Listen again!" + +"Well," said Hughes, after hearing it repeated, "I'll go and kill it." + +"No you won't. It's my turkey. I heard it first," said Jim. + +"Well," said Hughes, "but you know I am the best marksman; and besides, I +don't want the turkey, you may have it." + +The lad then agreed that Hughes should go and kill it for him. Hughes went +out of the fort on the side that was farthest from the supposed turkey, +and running along the river, went up a ravine and came in on the rear, +where, as he expected, he saw an Indian, sitting on a chestnut stump, +surrounded by sprouts, gobbling and watching to see if any one would come +from the fort to kill the turkey. Hughes crept up and shot him dead. The +successful ranger then took off the scalp, and went into the fort, where +Jim was waiting for the prize. + +"There, now," said Jim, "you have let the turkey go. I would have killed +it if I had gone." + +"No," said Hughes, "I didn't let it go," and he threw down the scalp. +"There, take your turkey, Jim; I don't want it." + +The lad nearly fainted, as he thought of the death he had so narrowly +escaped, owing to the keen perception and good management of Mr. Hughes. + +The sagacity of our border hero was fully proved upon another occasion. +About 1790, the Indians visited Clarksburgh, in the night, and contrived +to steal a few horses, with which they made a hasty retreat. About +daylight the next morning, a party of twenty-five or thirty men, among +whom was Jesse Hughes, started in pursuit. They found a trail just outside +of the settlement, and from the signs, supposed that the marauding party +consisted of eight or ten Indians. A council was held to determine how the +pursuit should be continued. Mr. Hughes was opposed to following the +trail. He said he could pilot the party to the spot where the Indians +would cross the Ohio, by a nearer way than the enemy could go, and thus +render success certain. But the captain of the party insisted on following +the trail. Mr. Hughes then pointed out the dangers of such a course. +Suddenly, the captain, with unreasonable obstinacy, called aloud to those +who were brave to follow him and let the cowards go home. Hughes knew the +captain's remark was intended for him, but smothered his indignation and +went on with the party. + +They had not pursued very far when the trail went down a drain, where the +ridge on one side was very steep, with a ledge of rocks for a considerable +distance. On the top of the cliff, two Indians lay in ambush, and when the +company got opposite to them, they made a noise, which caused the whites +to stop; that instant two of the company were mortally wounded, and before +the rangers could get round to the top of the cliff, the Indians made +their escape with ease. This was as Hughes had predicted. All then agreed +that the plan rejected by the captain was the best, and urged Hughes to +lead them to the Ohio river. This he consented to do, though fearful that +the Indians would cross before he could reach the point. Leaving some of +the company to take care of the wounded men, the party started, and +arrived at the Ohio the next day, about an hour after the Indians had +crossed. The water was yet muddy in the horses' trails, and the rafts that +the red men had used were floating down the opposite shore. The company +was now unanimous for returning home. Hughes said he wanted to find out +who the cowards were. He said that if any of them would go with him, he +would cross the river, and scalp some of the Indians. Not one could be +found to accompany the daring ranger, who thus had full satisfaction for +the captain's insult. He said he would go by himself, and take a scalp, or +leave his own with the savages. The company started for home, and Hughes +went up the river three or four miles, then made a raft, crossed the +river, and camped for the night. The next day, he found the Indian trail, +pursued it very cautiously, and about ten miles from the Ohio, came upon +the camp. There was but one Indian in it; the rest were all out hunting. +The red man was seated, singing, and playing on some bones, made into a +rude musical instrument, when Hughes crept up and shot him. The ranger +then took the scalp, and hastened home in triumph, to tell his adventures +to his less daring companions. + +[Illustration: FORT HENRY.] + + + + +SIEGE OF FORT HENRY. + + +The siege of Fort Henry, at the mouth of Wheeling creek, in the year 1777, +is one of the most memorable events in Indian warfare--remarkable for the +indomitable bravery displayed by the garrison in general, and for some +thrilling attendant incidents. The fort stood immediately on the left bank +of the Ohio river, about a quarter of a mile above Wheeling creek, and at +much less distance from an eminence which rises abruptly from the bottom +land. The space inclosed was about three quarters of an acre. In shape the +fort was a parallelogram, having a block-house at each corner with lines +of pickets eight feet high between. Within the inclosures was a +store-house, barrack-rooms, garrison-well, and a number of cabins for the +use of families. The principal entrance was a gateway on the eastern side +of the fort. Much of the adjacent land was cleared and cultivated, and +near the base of the hill stood some twenty-five or thirty cabins, which +form the rude beginning of the present city of Wheeling. The fort is said +to have been planned by General George Rogers Clarke; and was constructed +by Ebenezer Zane and John Caldwell. When first erected, it was called Fort +Fincastle but the name was afterwards changed in compliment to Patrick +Henry the renowned orator and patriotic governor of Virginia. + +At the time of the commencement of the siege, the garrison of Fort Henry +numbered only forty-two men, some of whom were enfeebled by age while +others were mere boys. All, however, were excellent marksmen, and most of +them, skilled in border warfare. Colonel David Shepherd, was a brave and +resolute officer in whom the borderers had full confidence. The +store-house was well-supplied with small arms, particularly muskets, but +sadly deficient in ammunition. + +In the early part of September, 1777, it was ascertained that a large +Indian army was concentrating on the Sandusky river, under the command of +the bold, active, and skilful renegade, Simon Girty. Colonel Shepherd had +many trusty and efficient scouts on the watch; but Girty deceived them all +and actually brought his whole force of between four and five hundred +Indians before Fort Henry before his real object was discovered. + +[Illustration: PATRICK HENRY.] + +On the 26th, an alarm being given all the inhabitants in the vicinity +repaired to the fort for safety. At break of day, on the 27th, Colonel +Shepherd, wishing to dispatch an express to the nearest settlements for +aid, sent a white man and a negro to bring in some horses. While these men +were passing through the cornfield south of the fort, they encountered a +party of six Indians, one of whom raised his gun and brought the white man +to the ground. The negro fled and reached the fort without receiving any +injury. As soon as he related his story, Colonel Shepherd dispatched +Captain Mason, with fourteen men, to dislodge the Indians from the +cornfield. Mason marched almost to the creek without finding any Indians, +and was about to return, when he was furiously assailed in front, flank +and rear by the whole of Girty's army. Of course, the little band was +thrown into confusion, but the brave captain rallied his men, and taking +the lead, hewed a passage through the savage host. In the struggle, more +than half of the party were slain, and the gallant Mason severely wounded. +An Indian fired at the captain at the distance of five paces and wounded, +but did not disable him. Turning about, he hurled his gun, felled the +savage to the earth, and then succeeded in hiding himself in a pile of +fallen timbers, where he was compelled to remain to the end of the siege. +Only two of his men survived the fight, and they owed their safety to the +heaps of logs and brush which abounded in the cornfield. + +As soon as the perilous situation of Captain Mason became known at the +fort, Captain Ogle was sent out with twelve men, to cover his retreat. +This party fell into an ambuscade and two-thirds of the number were slain +upon the spot. Captain Ogle found a place of concealment, where he was +obliged to remain until the end of the siege. Sergeant Jacob Ogle, though +mortally wounded, managed to escape, with two soldiers into the woods. + +The Indian army now advanced to the assault, with terrific yells. A few +shots from the garrison, however, compelled them to halt. Girty then +changed the order of attack. Parties of Indians were placed in such of the +village-houses as commanded a view of the block-houses. A strong party +occupied the yard of Ebenezer Zane, about fifty yards from the fort, using +a paling fence as a cover, while the main force was posted under cover on +the edge of a cornfield to act as occasion might require. + +Girty then appeared at the window of a cabin, with a white flag in his +hand, and demanded the surrender of the fort in the name of his Britanic +majesty. At this time, the garrison numbered only twelve men and two boys. +Yet the gallant Colonel Shepherd promptly replied to the summons, that the +fort should never be surrendered to the renegade. Girty renewed his +proposition, but before he could finish his harangue, a thoughtless youth +fired at the speaker and brought the conference to an abrupt termination. +Girty disappeared, and in about fifteen minutes, the Indians opened a +heavy fire upon the fort, and continued it without much intermission for +the space of six hours. The fire of the little garrison, however, was much +more destructive than that of the assailants. About one o'clock, the +Indians ceased firing and fell back against the base of the hill. + +[Illustration: THE ALARM AT FORT HENRY.] + +The colonel resolved to take advantage of the intermission to send for a +keg of powder, which was known to be in the house of Ebenezer Zane, about +sixty yards from the fort. Several young men promptly volunteered for this +dangerous service; but Shepherd could only spare one, and the young men +could not determine who that should be. At this critical moment, a young +lady, sister of Ebenezer Zane, came forward, and asked that she might be +permitted to execute the service; and so earnestly did she argue for the +proposition, that permission was reluctantly granted. The gate was opened, +and the heroic girl passed out. The opening of the gate arrested the +attention of several Indians who were straggling through the village, but +they permitted Miss Zane to pass without molestation. When she reappeared +with the powder in her arms, the Indians, suspecting the character of her +burden, fired a volley at her, but she reached the fort in safety. Let the +name of Elizabeth Zane be remembered among the heroic of her sex. + +About half-past two o'clock, the savages again advanced and renewed their +fire. An impetuous attack was made upon the south side of the fort, but +the garrison poured upon the assailants a destructive fire from the two +lower block-houses. At the same time, a party of eighteen or twenty +Indians, armed with rails and billets of wood, rushed out of Zane's yard +and made an attempt to force open the gate of the fort. Five or six of the +number were shot down, and then the attempt was abandoned. The Indians +then opened a fire upon the fort from all sides, except that next the +river, which afforded no shelter to besiegers. On the north and east the +battle raged fiercely. As night came on the fire of the enemy slackened. +Soon after dark, a party of savages advanced within sixty yards of the +fort, bringing a hollow maple log which they had loaded to the muzzle and +intended to use it as a cannon. The match was applied and the wooden piece +bursted, killing or wounding several of those who stood near it. The +disappointed party then dispersed. + +Late in the evening, Francis Duke, son-in-law of Colonel Shepherd, +arriving from the Forks of Wheeling, was shot down before he could reach +the fort. About four o'clock next morning, Colonel Swearingen, with +fourteen men, arrived from Cross Creek, and was fortunate enough to fight +his way into the fort without losing a single man. + +This reinforcement was cheering to the wearied garrison. More relief was +at hand. About daybreak, Major Samuel M'Culloch, with forty mounted men +from Short Creek, arrived. The gate was thrown open, and the men, though +closely beset by the enemy, entered the fort. But Major M'Culloch was not +so fortunate. The Indians crowded round and separated him from the party. +After several ineffectual attempts to force his way to the gate, he turned +and galloped off in the direction of Wheeling Hill. + +[Illustration: DARING FEAT OF ELIZABETH ZANE.] + +When he was hemmed in by the Indians before the fort, they might have +taken his life without difficulty, but they had weighty reasons for +desiring to take him alive. From the very commencement of the war, his +reputation as an Indian hunter was as great as that of any white man on +the north-western border. He had participated in so many rencontres that +almost every warrior possessed a knowledge of his person. Among the +Indians his name was a word of terror; they cherished against him feelings +of the most phrenzied hatred, and there was not a Mingo or Wyandotte chief +before Fort Henry who would not have given the lives of twenty of his +warriors to secure to himself the living body of Major M'Culloch. When, +therefore, the man whom they had long marked out as the first object of +their vengeance, appeared in their midst, they made almost superhuman +efforts to acquire possession of his person. The fleetness of M'Culloch's +well-trained steed was scarcely greater than that of his enemies, who, +with flying strides, moved on in pursuit. At length the hunter reached the +top of the hill, and, turning to the left, darted along the ridge with the +intention of making the best of his way to Shor' creek. A ride of a few +hundred yards in that direction brought him suddenly in contact with a +party of Indians who were returning to their camp from a marauding +excursion to Mason's Bottom, on the eastern side of the hill. This party +being too formidable in numbers to encounter single-handed, the major +turned his horse about and rode over his own track, in the hope of +discovering some other avenue to escape. A few paces only of his +countermarch had been made, when he found himself confronted by his +original pursuers, who had, by this time, gained the top of the ridge, and +a third party was discovered pressing up the hill directly on his right. +He was now completely hemmed in on three sides, and the fourth was almost +a perpendicular precipice of one hundred and fifty feet descent, with +Wheeling creek at its base. The imminence of his danger allowed him but +little time to reflect upon his situation. In an instant he decided upon +his course. Supporting his rifle in his left hand and carefully adjusting +his reins with the other, he urged his horse to the brink of the bluff, +and then made the leap which decided his fate. In the next moment the +noble steed, still bearing his intrepid rider in safety, was at the foot +of the precipice. M'Culloch immediately dashed across the creek, and was +soon beyond reach of the Indians. + +After the escape of the major, the Indians concentrated at the foot of the +hill, and soon after set fire to all the houses and fences outside of the +fort, and killed about three hundred cattle. They then raised the siege +and retired. + +The whole loss sustained by the whites during this remarkable siege, was +twenty-six men killed and four or five wounded. The loss of the enemy was +from sixty to one hundred men. As they removed their dead, exact +information on the subject could not be obtained. + +The gallant Colonel Shepherd deserved the thanks of the frontier settlers +for his conduct on this occasion, and Governor Henry appointed him county +lieutenant as a token of his esteem. A number of females, who were in the +fort, undismayed by the dreadful strife, employed themselves in running +bullets and performing various little services; and thus excited much +enthusiasm among the men. Perhaps, a more heroic band was never gathered +together in garrison than that which defended Fort Henry, and it would be +unjust to mention any one as particularly distinguished. We have named the +commander only because of his position. + +[Illustration: TREMENDOUS LEAP OF MAJOR M'CULLOCH.] + + + + +SIMON GIRTY. + + +During the long warfare maintained between the pioneers of the west and +the Indians, the latter were greatly assisted by some renegade white men. +Of these, Simon Girty was the most noted and influential. He led several +important expeditions against the settlements of Virginia and Kentucky, +displayed much courage, energy, and conduct, and was the object of bitter +hatred on the frontier. Recent investigations into the stirring events of +his career have shown that however bad he might have been, much injustice +has been done his memory by border historians. + +Simon Girty was born and reared in Western Pennsylvania, near the Virginia +line. His parents are said to have been very dissipated, and this, +perhaps, had some influence in disgusting him with life in the +settlements. Becoming skilled in woodcraft, he served with young Simon +Kenton, as a scout upon the frontiers. He joined the Virginia army in +Dunmore's wars, and, it is said, showed considerable ambition to become +distinguished as a soldier. He was disappointed, and so far from gaining +promotion, was, for a trifling offence, publicly disgraced, it is said, +through the influence of Colonel Gibson. The proud spirit of Girty could +not brook such a blow. With a burning thirst for revenge, he fled from the +settlements, and took refuge among the Wyandottes. + +The talents of the renegade were of the kind and of the degree to secure +influence among the red men. He excelled the majority of them in council +and field, and neither forgave a foe, nor forgot a friend. He was +successful in many expeditions after plunder and scalps, and spared none +because they were of his own race. He was cruel as many of the borderers +were cruel. Becoming an Indian, he had an Indian's hatred of the whites. +The borderers seldom showed a red man mercy, and they could not expect any +better treatment in return. + +The exertions of Girty to save his friend, Simon Kenton, from a horrible +death, have been noticed in another place. That he did not make such +exertions more frequently on the side of humanity is scarcely a matter of +wonder--inasmuch as he could not have done so consistently with a due +regard to his own safety. After he had become a renegade, the borderers +would not permit a return; and as he was forced to reside among the +Indians, he was right in securing their favor. Besides saving Kenton, he +posted his brother, James Girty, upon the banks of the Ohio, to warn +passengers in boats not to be lured to the shore by the arts of the +Indians, or of the white men in their service. This was a pure act of +humanity. The conduct of Girty on another memorable occasion, the burning +of Colonel William Crawford, was more suspicious. + +[Illustration: COLONEL CRAWFORD AND HIS FRIENDS, PRISONERS.] + +In the early part of the year 1782, the incursions of the Indians became +so harassing and destructive to the inhabitants of Western Pennsylvania, +that an expedition against the Wyandotte towns was concerted, and the +command given to Colonel Crawford. On the 22d of May, the army, consisting +of four hundred and fifty men, commenced its march, and proceeded due west +as far as the Moravian towns, where some of the volunteers deserted. The +main body, however, marched on, with unabated spirit. The Indians, +discovering the advance of the invaders gathered a considerable force, and +took up a strong position, determined to fight. Crawford moved forward in +order of battle, and on the afternoon of the 6th of June, encountered the +enemy. The conflict continued fiercely until night, when the Indians drew +off, and Crawford's men slept on the field. In the morning, the battle was +renewed, but at a greater distance, and, during the day, neither party +suffered much. The delay, however, was fatal to Crawford; for the Indians +received large reinforcements. As soon as it was dark, a council of war +was held, and it was resolved to retreat as rapidly as possible. By nine +o'clock, all the necessary arrangements had been made, and the retreat +began in good order. After an advance of about a hundred yards, a firing +was heard in the rear, and the troops, seized with a panic, broke and fled +in confusion, each man trying to save himself. The Indians came on rapidly +in pursuit and plied the tomahawk and scalping-knife without mercy. +Colonel Crawford and Dr. Knight were captured, at a distance from the main +body--which was soon dispersed in every direction. + +On the morning of the 10th of June, Crawford, Knight, and nine other +prisoners, were conducted to the old town of Sandusky. The main body of +the Indians halted within eight miles of the village; but as Colonel +Crawford expressed great anxiety to speak with Simon Girty, who was then +at Sandusky, he was permitted to go under the care of the Indians. On the +morning of the 11th of June, the colonel was brought back from Sandusky on +purpose to march into town with the other prisoners. To Knight's inquiry +as to whether he had seen Girty, he replied in the affirmative, and added, +that the renegade had promised to use his influence for the safety of the +prisoners, though as the Indians were much exasperated by the recent +outrages of the whites at Guadenhutten upon the unresisting Moravian red +men, he was fearful that all pleading would be in vain. + +Soon afterwards, Captain Pipe, the great chief of the Delawares, appeared. +This distinguished warrior had a prepossessing appearance and bland +manners, and his language to the prisoners was kind. His purposes, +however, were bloody and revengeful. With his own hands he painted every +prisoner black! As they were conducted towards the town, the captives +observed the bodies of four of their friends, tomahawked and scalped. This +was regarded as a sad presage. In a short time, they overtook the five +prisoners who remained alive. They were seated on the ground, and +surrounded by a crowd of Indian squaws and boys, who taunted and menaced +them. Crawford and Knight were compelled to sit down apart from the rest, +and immediately afterwards the doctor was given to a Shawnee warrior, to +be conducted to their town. The boys and squaws then fell upon the other +prisoners, and tomahawked them in a moment. Crawford was then driven +towards the village, Girty accompanying the party on horseback. + +Presently, a large fire was seen, around which were more than thirty +warriors, and about double that number of boys and squaws. As soon as the +colonel arrived, he was stripped naked, and compelled to sit on the +ground. The squaws and boys then fell upon him, and beat him severely with +their fists and sticks. In a few minutes, a large stake was fixed in the +ground, and piles of hickory poles were spread around it. + +Colonel Crawford's hands were then tied behind his back; a strong rope was +produced, one end of which was fastened to the ligature between his +wrists, and the other tied to the bottom of the stake. The rope was long +enough to permit him to walk round the stake several times and then +return. Fire was then applied to the hickory poles, which lay in piles at +the distance of six or seven yards from the stake. + +The colonel observing these terrible preparations, called to Girty, who +sat on horseback, at the distance of a few yards from the fire, and asked +if the Indians were going to burn him. Girty replied in the affirmative. +The colonel heard the intelligence with firmness, merely observing that he +would bear it with fortitude. When the hickory poles had been burnt +asunder in the middle, Captain Pipe arose and addressed the crowd, in a +tone of great energy, and with animated gestures, pointing frequently to +the colonel, who regarded him with an appearance of unruffled composure. +As soon as he had ended, a loud whoop burst from the assembled throng, and +they all rushed at once upon the unfortunate Crawford. For several +seconds, the crowd was so great around him, that Knight could not see what +they were doing; but in a short time, they had dispersed sufficiently to +give him a view of the colonel. + +His ears had been cut off, and the blood was streaming down each side of +his face. A terrible scene of torture now commenced. The warriors shot +charges of powder into his naked body, commencing with the calves of his +legs, and continuing to his neck. The boys snatched the burning hickory +poles and applied them to his flesh. As fast as he ran around the stake, +to avoid one party of tormentors, he was promptly met at every turn by +others, with burning poles, red hot irons, and rifles loaded with powder +only; so that in a few minutes nearly one hundred charges of powder had +been shot into his body, which had become black and blistered in a +dreadful manner. The squaws would take up a quantity of coals and hot +ashes, and throw them upon his body, so that in a few minutes he had +nothing but fire to walk upon. + +[Illustration: CAPTAIN PIPE.] + +In the extremity of his agony, the unhappy colonel called aloud upon +Girty, in tones which rang through Knight's brain with maddening effect: +"Girty! Girty!! shoot me through the heart!! Quick! quick!! Do not refuse +me!!" + +"Don't you see I have no gun, colonel!!" replied the renegade, bursting +into a loud laugh, and then turning to an Indian beside him, he uttered +some brutal jests upon the naked and miserable appearance of the prisoner. +While this awful scene was being acted, Girty rode up to the spot where +Dr. Knight stood, and told him that he had now had a foretaste of what was +in reserve for him at the Shawnee towns. He swore that he need not expect +to escape death, but should suffer it in all the extremity of torture. + +Knight, whose mind was deeply agitated at the sight of the fearful scene +before him, took no notice of Girty, but preserved an impenetrable +silence. Girty, after contemplating the colonel's sufferings for a few +moments, turned again to Knight, and indulged in a bitter invective +against a certain Colonel Gibson, from whom, he said, he had received deep +injury; and dwelt upon the delight with which he would see him undergo +such tortures as those which Crawford was then suffering. He observed, in +a taunting tone, that most of the prisoners had said, that the white +people would not injure him, if the chance of war was to throw him into +their power; but that for his own part, he should be loath to try the +experiment. "I think, (added he with a laugh,) that they would roast me +alive, with more pleasure than those red fellows are now broiling the +colonel! What is your opinion, doctor? Do you think they would be glad to +see me?" Still Knight made no answer, and in a few minutes Girty rejoined +the Indians. + +The terrible scene had now lasted more than two hours, and Crawford had +become much exhausted. He walked slowly around the stake, spoke in a low +tone, and earnestly besought God to look with compassion upon him, and +pardon his sins. His nerves had lost much of their sensibility, and he no +longer shrunk from the firebrands with which they incessantly touched him. +At length he sunk in a fainting fit upon his face, and lay motionless. +Instantly an Indian sprung upon his back, knelt lightly upon one knee, +made a circular incision with his knife upon the crown of his head, and +clapping the knife between his teeth, tore the scalp off with both hands. +Scarcely had this been done, when a withered hag approached with a board +full of burning embers, and poured them upon the crown of his head, now +laid bare to the bone. The colonel groaned deeply, arose, and again walked +slowly around the stake! But why continue a description so horrible? +Nature at length could endure no more, and at a late hour in the night, he +was released by death from the hands of his tormentors.[B] + +Whether Girty really took pleasure in the torture of Colonel Crawford, or +was forced by circumstances to seem to enjoy it is a question which +historians have generally been in too much haste to determine. It is well +known that at the time of Crawford's expedition the Indians were very much +exasperated by the cold-blooded slaughter of the Moravian red men at +Guadenhutten--an atrocity without a parallel in border warfare, and to +have seemed merciful to the whites for a single moment would have been +fatal to Girty. Indeed, it is said, that, when he spoke of ransoming the +colonel, Captain Pipe threatened him with death at the stake. Let justice +be rendered even to the worst of criminals. + +Dr. Knight, made bold or desperate by the torture he had witnessed, +effected his escape from the Shawnee warrior to whose care he was +committed, and after much suffering, reached the settlements. From him the +greater portion of the account of Crawford's death is derived, and +corrected by the statements of Indians present on the occasion. Simon +Girty never forsook the Indians among whom he had made his home; but his +influence gradually diminished. Some accounts say that he perished in the +battle of the Thames; while others assert that he lived to extreme old age +in Canada, where his descendants are now highly respected citizens. + +----- + + [B] M'Clurg. + + + + +JOSHUA FLEEHART. + + +Extraordinary strength and activity, with the most daring courage and a +thorough knowledge of life in the woods, won for Joshua Fleehart a high +reputation among the first settler's of Western Virginia and Ohio. When +the Ohio Company founded its settlement at Marietta, in April, 1778, +Fleehart was employed as a scout and a hunter. In this service he had no +superior north of the Ohio. At periods of the greatest danger, when the +Indians were known to be much incensed against the whites, he would start +from the settlement with no companion but his dog, and ranging within +about twenty miles of an Indian town, would build his cabin and trap and +hunt during nearly the whole season. On one occasion this reckless +contempt of danger almost cost the hunter his life. + +[Illustration: JOSHUA FLEEHART.] + +Having became tired of the sameness of garrison life, and panting for that +freedom among the woods and hills to which he had always been accustomed, +late in the fall of 1795, he took his canoe, rifle, traps, and blanket, +with no one to accompany him, leaving even his faithful dog in the +garrison with his family. As he was going into a dangerous neighborhood, +he was fearful lest the voice of his dog might betray him. With a daring +and intrepidity which few men possess, he pushed his canoe up the Sciota +river a distance of fifteen or twenty miles, into the Indian country, +amidst their best hunting-grounds for the bear and the beaver, where no +white man had dared to venture. These two were the main object of his +pursuit, and the hills of Brush creek were said to abound in bear, and the +small streams that fell into the Sciota were well suited to the haunts of +the beaver. + +The spot chosen for his winter's residence was within twenty-five or +thirty miles of the Indian town of Chillicothe, but as they seldom go far +to hunt in the winter, he had little to fear from their interruption. For +ten or twelve weeks he trapped and hunted in this solitary region +unmolested; luxuriating on the roasted tails of the beaver, and drinking +the oil of the bear, an article of diet which is considered by the +children of the forest as giving health to the body, with strength and +activity to the limbs. His success had equalled his most sanguine +expectations, and the winter passed away so quietly and so pleasantly, +that he was hardly aware of its progress. About the middle of February, he +began to make up the peltry he had captured into packages, and to load his +canoe with the proceeds of his winter's hunt, which for safety had been +secreted in the willows, a few miles below the little bark hut in which he +had lived. The day before that which he had fixed on for his departure, as +he was returning to his camp, just at evening, Fleehart's acute ear caught +the report of a rifle in the direction of the Indian towns, but at so +remote a distance, that none but a backwoodsman could have distinguished +the sound. This hastened his preparations for decamping. Nevertheless he +slept quietly, but rose the following morning before the dawn; cooked and +ate his last meal in the little hut to which he had become quite +attached. + +[Illustration: FLEEHART SHOOTING THE INDIAN.] + +The sun had just risen, while he was sitting on the trunk of a fallen +tree, examining the priming and lock of his gun, casually casting a look +up the river bank, he saw an Indian slowly approaching with his eyes +intently fixed on the ground, carefully inspecting the track of his +moccasins, left in the soft earth as he returned to his hut the evening +before. He instantly cocked his gun, stepped behind a tree, and waited +till the Indian came within the sure range of his shot. He then fired and +the Indian fell. Rushing from the cover on his prostrate foe, he was about +to apply the scalping knife; but seeing the shining silver broaches, and +broad bands on his arms, he fell to cutting them loose, and tucking them +into the bosom of his hunting shirt. While busily occupied in securing the +spoils, the sharp crack of a rifle and the passage of the ball through the +bullet pouch at his side, caused him to look up, when he saw three Indians +within a hundred yards of him. They being too numerous for him to +encounter, he seized his rifle and took to flight. The other two, as he +ran, fired at him without effect. The chase was continued for several +miles by two of the Indians, who were the swiftest runners. He often +stopped and "treed," hoping to get a shot and kill or disable one of them, +and then overcome the other at his leisure. His pursuers also "treed," and +by flanking to the right and left, forced him to uncover or stand the +chance of a shot. + +He finally concluded to leave the level grounds, on which the contest had +thus far been held, and take to the high hills which lie back of the +bottoms. His strong, muscular limbs here gave him the advantage, as he +could ascend the steep hill sides more rapidly than his pursuers. The +Indians, seeing they could not overtake him, as a last effort stopped and +fired. One of the balls cut away the handle of his hunting-knife, jerking +it so violently against his side, that for a moment he thought he was +wounded. He immediately returned the fire, and, with a yell of vexation, +they gave up the chase. + +Fleehart made a circuit among the hills, and just at dark came in to the +river, near where the canoe lay hid. Springing lightly on board, he +paddled down stream. Being greatly fatigued with the efforts of the day, +he lay down in the canoe, and when he awoke in the morning the boat was +just entering the Ohio river. Crossing over to the southern shore, he, in +a few days, pushed his canoe up to Farmer's Castle, without further +adventure, where he showed the rich packages of peltry, as the proceeds of +his winter's hunt, and displayed the brilliant silver ornaments, as +trophies of his victory, to the envy and admiration of his less venturous +companions.[C] + +----- + + [C] Hildreth's Pioneer History. + +[Illustration: A MOUNTED RANGER.] + + + + +INDIAN FIGHT ON THE LITTLE MUSKINGUM. + + +In the latter part of September, 1789, an alarm being given that Indians +had been seen in the Campus Martius, on the Ohio, a party consisting of +five or six rangers, ten volunteer citizens, and twelve regular soldiers +was collected for pursuit. + +The men went up in canoes to the mouth of Duck creek, where they left +their water craft. The more experienced rangers soon fell upon the trail, +which they traced across the wide bottoms on to the Little Muskingum. At a +point about half a mile below where Conner's mill now stands, the Indians +forded the creek. In a hollow, between the hills, about a mile east of the +creek, they discovered the smoke of their camp fire. The rangers now +divided the volunteers into two flanking parties, with one of the spies at +the head of each, and three of their number to act in front. By the time +the flankers had come in range of the camp, the Indians discovered their +pursuers, by the noise of the soldiers who lagged behind, and were not so +cautious in their movement. They instantly fled up the run on which they +were encamped. Two of their number leaving the main body, ascended the +point of a hill, with a ravine on the right and left of it. + +[Illustration: AN INDIAN BRAVE.] + +The rangers now began to fire, while the Indians, each one taking his +tree, returned the shot. One of the two Indians on the spur of the ridge +was wounded through the hips, by one of the spies on the right, who pushed +on manfully to gain the flanks of the enemy. The men in front came on more +slowly, and as they began to ascend the point of the ridge, Ned Henderson, +who was posted on high ground, cried out "Kerr! Kerr! there is an Indian +behind that white oak, and he will kill some of you." Kerr instantly +sprung behind a large tree, and Peter Anderson, who was near him, behind a +hickory, too small to cover more than half his body, while John Wiser +jumped down into the ravine. At that instant the Indian fired at Anderson, +and as John looked over the edge of the bank to learn the effect of the +shot, he saw Peter wiping the dust of the hickory bark out of his eyes. +The ball grazed the tree, just opposite his nose, and glancing off did him +no serious harm, but filling his eyes with the dust, and cutting his nose +with the splinters. At the same time Henderson, with others, fired at the +Indian, and he fell with several balls through his body. The brave fellow +who was killed lost his life in a noble effort to aid his friend, who had +been wounded through the hips, and could not spring up on to the little +bench, or break in the ridge, where he was standing. + +While occupied in this labor of love, the rangers on his flanks had so far +advanced, that the shelter of the friendly tree could no longer secure him +from their shots, as it had done while his enemies were more in front of +him. The wounded Indian escaped for the present, although it is probable +he died soon after. The other five Indians, there being seven in the +party, seeing that their enemies outnumbered them so greatly, after firing +a few times, made a circuit to the right and came up in the rear of the +soldiers, who were occupying themselves with the contents of the kettle of +hog meat and potatoes, which the Indians in their hurry had left boiling +over the fire. The first notice they had of their danger was the report of +their rifles. It made a huge uproar among the musketeers, who taking to +flight, ran in great alarm for protection to the rangers. As it happened +the Indians were too far off to do much harm, and no one was injured but +one poor fellow, who was shot through the seat of his trowsers, just +grazing the skin. He tumbled into the brook by the side of the camp, +screaming at the top of his voice, "I am kill'd, I am kill'd," greatly to +the amusement of the rangers, who were soon at his side, and dragging him +out of the water, searched in vain for the mortal wound. The dead Indian +was scalped, and his rifle and blanket taken as the legitimate plunder of +a conquered foe. The other five retreated out of reach of the rangers, +after their feat of frightening the soldiers. They returned to the +garrison, well pleased that none of their men were killed, but much vexed +with the soldiers, whose indiscretion had prevented their destroying the +whole of the Indians, had they encircled them as first arranged by the +leaders of the party. It served as a warning to the Indians not to +approach too near the Yankee garrison, as their rangers were brave men, +whose eyes and ears were always open.[D] + +----- + + [D] Hildreth's Pioneer History. + +[Illustration: THE DEFIANCE.] + + + + +ESCAPE OF RETURN J. MEIGS. + + +During the continuance of the Indian wars, from 1790 to 1795, it was +customary for the inmates of all the garrisons to cultivate considerable +fields of Indian corn and other vegetables near the walls of their +defences. Although hazardous in the extreme, it was preferable to +starvation. For a part of that time no provisions could be obtained from +the older settlements above, on the Monongahela and Ohio; sometimes from a +scarcity amongst themselves, and always at great hazard from Indians, who +watched the river for the capture of boats. Another reason was the want of +money; many of the settlers having expended a large share of their funds +in the journey on, and for the purchase of lands, while others had not a +single dollar; so that necessity compelled them to plant their fields. The +war having commenced so soon after their arrival, and at a time when not +expected, as a formal treaty was made with them at Marietta, in January, +1789, which by the way was only a piece of Indian diplomacy, they never +intended to abide by it longer than suited their convenience, and no +stores being laid up for a siege, they were taken entirely unprepared. So +desperate were their circumstances at one period, that serious thoughts of +abandoning the country were entertained by many of the leading men. Under +these circumstances R. J. Meigs, then a young lawyer, was forced to lay +aside the gown, and assume the use of both the sword and plough. It is +true that but little ploughing was done, as much of the corn was then +raised by planting the virgin soil with a hoe, amongst the stumps and logs +of the clearing, after burning off the brush and light stuff. In this way +large crops were invariably produced; so that nearly all the implements +needed were the axe and the hoe. It so happened that Mr. Meigs, whose +residence was in Campus Martius, the garrison on the east side of the +Muskingum river, had planted a field of corn on the west side of that +stream in the vicinity of Fort Harmar. To reach this field the river was +to be crossed near his residence in a canoe, and the space between the +landing and his crop, a distance of about half a mile, to be passed by an +obscure path through a thick wood. + +[Illustration: AN INDIAN WARRIOR.] + +Early in June, 1792, Mr. Meigs, having completed the labor of the day a +little before night, set out on his return home in company with Joseph +Symonds and a colored boy, which he had brought with him as a servant from +Connecticut. Immediately on leaving the field they entered the forest +through which they had to pass before reaching the canoe. Symonds and the +boy were unarmed; Mr. Meigs carried a small shot-gun, which he had taken +with him for the purpose of shooting a turkey, which at that day abounded +to an extent that would hardly be credited at this time. Flocks of several +hundred were not uncommon, and of a size and fatness that would excite the +admiration of an epicure of any period of the world, even of Apicius +himself. Meeting, however, with no turkies, he had discharged his gun at a +large snake which crossed his path. They had now arrived within a few rods +of the landing, when two Indians, who had been for some time watching +their movements and heard the discharge of the gun, sprang into the path +behind them, fired and shot Symonds through the shoulder. He being an +excellent swimmer, rushed down the bank and into the Muskingum river; +where, turning on his back, he was enabled to support himself on the +surface until he floated down near Fort Harmar, where he was taken up by a +canoe. His wound, although a dangerous one, was healed, and he was alive +twenty years afterwards. The black boy followed Symonds into the river as +far as he could wade, but being no swimmer, was unable to get out of reach +of the Indian who pursued them, and was seized and dragged on shore. The +Indian who had captured him was desirous of making him a prisoner, which +he so obstinately refused, and made so much resistance that he finally +tomahawked and scalped him near the edge of the water. To this alternative +he was in a manner compelled, rather than lose both prisoner and scalp, as +the rangers and men at Campus Martius had commenced firing at him from the +opposite shore. The first shot was fired by a spirited black man in the +service of Commodore Abraham Whipple, who was employed near the river at +the time. + +From some accident, it appears that only one of the Indians was armed with +a rifle, while the other had a tomahawk and knife. After Symonds was shot, +Mr. Meigs immediately faced about in order to retreat to Fort Harmar. The +savage armed with the rifle, had placed himself in the path, intending to +cut off his escape, but had no time to reload before his intended victim +clubbed his gun and rushed upon his antagonist. As he passed, Mr. Meigs +aimed a blow at his head, which the Indian returned with his rifle. From +the rapidity of the movement, neither of them were seriously injured, +although it staggered both considerably, yet neither fell to the ground. +Instantly recovering from the shock, he pursued his course to the fort +with the Indian close at his heels. Mr. Meigs was in the vigor of early +manhood, and had, by frequent practice in the race, become a very swift +runner. His foeman was also very fleet, and amongst the most active of +their warriors, as none but such were sent into the settlements on +marauding excursions. The race continued for sixty or eighty rods with +little advantage on either side, when Mr. Meigs gradually increased his +distance ahead, and leaping across a deep run that traversed the path, the +Indian stopped on the brink, threw his tomahawk, and gave up the pursuit +with one of those fierce yells which rage and disappointment both served +to sharpen. It was distinctly heard at both the forts. About sixteen years +since, an Indian tomahawk was ploughed up near this spot, and was most +probably the one thrown at Mr. Meigs; as the rescue and pursuit from Fort +Harmar was so immediate upon hearing the alarm, that he had no time to +recover it. With the scalp of the poor black boy, the Indians ascended the +abrupt side of the hill which overlooked the garrison, and shouting +defiance to their foes, escaped in the forest. + +The excitement was very great at the garrison, and taught the inmates a +useful lesson; that of being better armed and more on their guard when +they went out on agricultural pursuits. Had Mr. Meigs tried any other +expedient than that of facing his enemy and rushing instantly upon him, he +must have lost his life, as the Indian was well aware of his gun being +unloaded. On his right was the river, on his left a very high hill; beyond +him the pathless forest, and between him and the fort his Indian foe. To +his sudden and unexpected attack, to his dauntless and intrepid manner, +and to his activity, he undoubtedly owed his life. + + + + +ESTILL'S DEFEAT. + + +One of the most remarkable pioneer fights, in the early history of the +west, was that waged by Captain James Estill, and seventeen of his +associates, on the 22d of March, 1782, with a party of Wyandotte Indians, +twenty-five in number. Seventy-one years almost have elapsed since; yet +one of the actors in that sanguinary struggle, Rev. Joseph Proctor, of +Estill county, Kentucky, survived to the 2d of December, 1844, dying in +the full enjoyment of his faculties at the age of ninety. His wife, the +partner of his early privations and toils, and nearly as old as himself, +deceased six months previously. + +On the 19th of March 1782, Indian rafts, without any one on them, were +seen floating down the Kentucky river, past Boonesborough. Intelligence of +this fact was immediately dispatched by Colonel Logan to Captain Estill, +at his station fifteen miles from Boonesborough, and near the present site +of Richmond, Kentucky, together with a force of fifteen men, who were +directed to march from Lincoln county to Estill's assistance, instructing +Captain Estill, if the Indians had not appeared there, to scour the +country with a reconnoitring party, as it could not be known at what point +the attack would be made. + +[Illustration: SLAUGHTER OF MISS INNES.] + +Estill lost not a moment in collecting a force to go in search of the +savages, not doubting, from his knowledge of the Indian character, that +they designed an immediate blow at his or some of the neighboring +stations. From his own and the nearest stations, he raised twenty-five +men. Whilst Estill and his men were on this excursion, the Indians +suddenly appeared around his station at the dawn of day, on the 20th of +March, killed and scalped Miss Innes, and took Munk, a slave of Captain +Estill, captive. The Indians immediately and hastily retreated, in +consequence of a highly exaggerated account which Munk gave them of the +strength of the station, and number of fighting men in it. No sooner had +the Indians commenced their retreat, than the women in the fort (the men +being all absent except one on the sick list,) dispatched two boys, the +late General Samuel South and Peter Hacket, to take the trail of Captain +Estill and his men, and, overtaking them, give information of what had +occurred at the fort. The boys succeeded in coming up with Captain Estill +early on the morning of the 21st, between the mouths of Drowning creek and +Red river. After a short search, Captain Estill's party struck the trail +of the retreating Indians. It was resolved at once to make pursuit, and no +time was lost in doing so. Five men of the party, however, who had +families in the fort, feeling uneasy for their safety, and unwilling to +trust their defence to the few who remained there, returned to the fort, +leaving Captain Estill's party thirty-five in number. These pressed the +pursuit of the retreating Indians, as rapidly as possible, but night +coming on they encamped near the Little Mountain, at present the site of +Mount Sterling. + +[Illustration: CAPTAIN ESTILL.] + +Early next morning they put forward, being obliged to leave ten of the men +behind, whose horses were too jaded to travel further. They had not +proceeded far until they discovered by fresh tracks of the Indians, that +they were not far distant. They then marched in four lines until about an +hour before sunset, when they discovered six of the savages helping +themselves to rations from the body of a buffalo which they had killed. +The company was ordered to dismount. With the usual impetuosity of +Kentuckians, some of the party fired without regarding orders, and the +Indians fled. One of the party, a Mr. David Cook, who acted as ensign, +exceedingly ardent and active, had proceeded in advance of the company, +and seeing an Indian halt, raised his gun and fired. At the same moment +another Indian crossed on the opposite side, and they were both leveled +with the same shot. This occurring in view of the whole company, inspired +them all with a high degree of confidence. In the meantime, the main body +of Indians had heard the alarm and returned, and the two hostile parties +exactly matched in point of numbers, having twenty-five on each side, and +were now face to face. The ground was highly favorable to the Indian mode +of warfare; but Captain Estill and his men, without a moment's hesitation, +boldly and fearlessly commenced an attack upon them, and the latter as +boldly and fearlessly (for they were picked warriors) engaged in the +bloody combat. It is, however, disgraceful to relate, that, at the very +onset of the action, Lieutenant Miller, of Captain Estill's party, with +six men under his command, "ingloriously fled" from the field, thereby +placing in jeopardy the whole of their comrades, and causing the death of +many brave soldiers. Hence, Estill's party numbered eighteen, and the +Wyandottes twenty-five. + +The flank becoming thus unprotected, Captain Estill directed Cook with +three men to occupy Miller's station, and repel the attack in that quarter +to which this base act of cowardice exposed the whole party. The ensign +with his party were taking the position assigned, when one of them +discovered an Indian and shot him, and the three retreated to a little +eminence whence they thought greater execution could be effected with less +danger to themselves, but Cook continued to advance without noticing the +absence of his party until he had discharged his gun with effect, when he +immediately retreated, but after running some distance to a large tree, +for the purpose of shelter in firing, he unfortunately got entangled in +the tops of fallen timber, and halting for a moment, received a ball which +struck him just below the shoulder blade, and came out below his collar +bone. In the meantime, on the main field of battle, at the distance of +fifty yards, the fight raged with great fury, lasting one hour and +three-quarters. On either side wounds and death were inflicted, neither +party advancing or retreating. "Every man to his man, and every man to his +tree." Captain Estill at this period was covered with blood from a wound +received early in the action; nine of his brave companions lay dead upon +the field; and four others were so disabled by their wounds, as to be +unable to continue the fight. Captain Estill's fighting men were now +reduced to four. Among this number was Joseph Proctor. + +Captain Estill, the brave leader of this Spartan band, was now brought +into a personal conflict with a powerful and active Wyandotte warrior. The +conflict was for a time fierce and desperate, and keenly and anxiously +watched by Proctor, with his finger on the trigger of his unerring rifle. +Such, however, was the struggle between these fierce and powerful +warriors, that Proctor could not shoot without greatly endangering the +safety of his captain. Estill had had his arm broken the preceding summer +in an engagement with the Indians; and, in the conflict with the warrior +on this occasion, that arm gave way, and in an instant his savage foe +buried his knife in Captain Estill's breast; but in the very same moment, +the brave Proctor sent a ball from his rifle to the Wyandotte's heart. The +survivors then drew off as by mutual consent.--Thus ended this memorable +battle. It wanted nothing but the circumstance of numbers to make it the +most memorable in ancient or modern times. The loss of the Indians, in +killed and wounded, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers after the +shameful retreat of Miller, was even greater than that of Captain Estill. + +It was afterwards ascertained by prisoners who were recaptured from the +Wyandotte, that seventeen of the Indians had been killed, and two severely +wounded. This battle was fought on the same day, with the disastrous +battle of the Blue Licks, March 22d, 1782. + +There is a tradition derived from the Wyandotte towns, after the peace, +that but one of the warriors engaged in this battle ever returned to his +nation. It is certain that the chief who led on the Wyandottes with so +much desperation, fell in the action. Throughout this bloody engagement +the coolness and bravery of Proctor were unsurpassed. But his conduct +after the battle has always, with those acquainted with it, elicited the +warmest commendation. He brought off the field of battle, and most of the +way to the station, a distance of forty miles, on his back, his badly +wounded friend, the late brave Colonel William Irvine, so long and so +favorably known in Kentucky. + + + + +A PIONEER MOTHER. + + +The mothers of the west deserve as wide a fame as their fearless husbands +and brothers. In no situation were courage and resolution so much required +in women as in the western wilderness, during the Indian wars, and even +the celebrated heroines of European history seem to us ordinary in +comparison. + +In the fall of 1779, Samuel Daviess, who resided in Bedford county, +Virginia, moved with his family to Kentucky, and lived for a time, at +Whitley's station, in Lincoln. After residing for some time in the +station, he removed for a time to a place called Gilmer's Lick, some six +or seven miles distant from said station, where he built a cabin, cleared +some land, which he put in corn next season, not apprehending any danger +from the Indians, although he was considered a frontier settler. But this +imaginary state of security did not last long; for one morning in August, +1782, having stepped a few paces from his door, he was suddenly surprised +by an Indian appearing between him and the door, with tomahawk uplifted, +almost within striking distance. In this unexpected condition, and being +entirely unarmed, his first thought was, that by running round the house, +he could enter the door in safety, but to his surprise, in attempting to +effect this object, as he approached the door he found the house full of +Indians. Being closely pursued by the Indian first mentioned, he made his +way into the cornfield, where he concealed himself with much difficulty, +until the pursuing Indian had returned to the house. + +[Illustration: SCALPING.] + +Unable as he was to render any relief to his family, there being five +Indians, he ran with the utmost speed to the station of his brother, a +distance of five miles. As he approached the station, his undressed +condition told the tale of his distresses, before he was able to tell it +himself. Almost breathless, and with a faltering voice, he could only say, +his wife and children were in the hands of the Indians. Scarcely was the +communication made when he obtained a spare gun, and the five men in the +station, well armed, followed him to his residence. When they arrived at +the house, the Indians, as well as the family were found to be gone, and +no evidence appeared that any of the family had been killed. A search was +made to find the direction the Indians had taken; but owing to the dryness +of the ground, and the adroit manner in which they had departed, no +discovery could be made. In this study and perplexity, the party being all +good woodsmen, took that direction in pursuit of the Indians, which they +thought it most probable they would take. After going a few miles, their +attention was arrested by the howling of a dog, which afterwards turned +out to be a house-dog that had followed the family, and which the Indians +had undertaken to kill, so as to avoid detection, which might happen from +his occasionally barking. In attempting to kill the dog, he was only +wounded, which produced the howling that was heard. The noise thus heard, +satisfied them that they were near the Indians, and enabled them to rush +forward with the utmost impetuosity. Two of the Indians being in the rear +as spies, discovering the approach of the party, ran forward to where the +Indians were with the family--one of them knocked down the oldest boy, +about eleven years old, and while in the act of scalping him, was fired +at, but without effect. Mrs. Daviess, seeing the agitation and alarm of +the Indians, saved herself and sucking child, by jumping into a sink hole. +The Indians did not stand to make fight, but fled in the most precipitate +manner. In that way the family was rescued by nine o'clock in the morning, +without the loss of a single life, and without any injury but that above +mentioned. So soon as the boy had risen on his feet, the first words he +spoke were, "Curse that Indian, he has got my scalp!" After the family had +been rescued, Mrs. Daviess gave the following account of how the Indians +had acted. + +[Illustration: GOING INTO CAPTIVITY.] + +A few minutes after her husband had opened the door and stepped out of the +house, four Indians rushed in, whilst the fifth, as she afterwards +learned, was in pursuit of her husband. Herself and children were in bed +when the Indians entered the house. One of the Indians immediately made +signs, by which she understood him to inquire how far it was to the next +house. With an unusual presence of mind, knowing how important it would be +to make the distance as far as possible, she raised both her hands, first +counting the fingers of one hand, then of the other--making a distance of +eight miles. The Indian then signed to her that she must rise; she +immediately got up, and as soon as she could dress herself, commenced +showing the Indians one article of clothing after another, which pleased +them very much; and in that way, delayed them at the house nearly two +hours. In the meantime, the Indian who had been in pursuit of her husband, +returned with his hands stained with poke berries, which he held up, and +with some violent gestures, and waving of his tomahawk, attempted to +induce the belief, that the stain on his hands was the blood of her +husband, and that he had killed him. She was enabled at once to discover +the deception, and instead of producing any alarm on her part, she was +satisfied that her husband had escaped uninjured. + +After the savages had plundered the house of everything that they could +conveniently carry off with them, they started, taking Mrs. Daviess and +her children--seven in number, as prisoners along with them. Some of the +children were too young to travel as fast as the Indians wished, and +discovering, as she believed, their intention to kill such of them as +could not conveniently travel, she made the two oldest boys carry them on +their backs. The Indians, in starting from the house, were very careful to +leave no signs of the direction which they had taken, not even permitting +the children to break a twig or weed, as they passed along. They had not +gone far, before an Indian drew a knife and cut off a few inches of Mrs. +Daviess' dress, so that she would not be interrupted in travelling. + +Mrs. Daviess was a woman of cool, deliberate courage, and accustomed to +handle the gun so that she could shoot well, as many of the women were in +the habit of doing in those days. She had contemplated, as a last resort, +that if not rescued in the course of the day, when night came and the +Indians had fallen asleep, she would rescue herself and children by +killing as many of the Indians as she could--thinking that in a night +attack as many of them as remained, would most probably run off. Such an +attempt would now seem a species of madness; but to those who were +acquainted with Mrs. Daviess, little doubt was entertained, that if the +attempt had been made, it would have proved successful. + +The boy who had been scalped, was greatly disfigured, as the hair never +after grew upon that part of the head. He often wished for an opportunity +to avenge himself upon the Indians for the injury he had received. +Unfortunately for himself, ten years afterwards, the Indians came to the +neighborhood of his father and stole a number of horses. + +Himself and a party of men went in pursuit of them, and after following +them for some days, the Indians finding that they were likely to be +overtaken, placed themselves in ambush, and when their pursuers came up, +killed young Daviess and one other man; so that he ultimately fell into +their hands when about twenty-one years old. + +The next year after the father died; his death being caused, as it was +supposed, by the extraordinary efforts he made to release his family from +the Indians. + +We cannot close this account, without noticing an act of courage displayed +by Mrs. Daviess, calculated to exhibit her character in its true point of +view. + +Kentucky, in its early days, like most new countries, was occasionally +troubled with men of abandoned character, who lived by stealing the +property of others, and after committing their depredations, retired to +their hiding places, thereby eluding the operation of the law. One of +these marauders, a man of desperate character, who had committed extensive +thefts from Mr. Daviess, as well as from his neighbors, was pursued by +Daviess and a party whose property he had taken, in order to bring him to +justice. While the party were in pursuit, the suspected individual, not +knowing any one was pursuing him, came to the house of Daviess, armed with +his gun and tomahawk--no person being at home but Mrs. Daviess and her +children. After he had stepped in the house, Mrs. Daviess asked him if he +would drink something--and having set a bottle of whiskey upon the table, +requested him to help himself. The fellow not suspecting any danger, set +his gun up by the door, and while drinking, Mrs. Daviess picked up his +gun, and placing herself in the door, had the gun cocked and levelled upon +him by the time he turned around, and in a peremptory manner, ordered him +to take a seat, or she would shoot him. Struck with terror and alarm, he +asked what he had done. She told him, he had stolen her husband's +property, and that she intended to take care of him herself. In that +condition, she held him a prisoner, until the party of men returned and +took him into their possession. + +[Illustration: THE SQUATTER'S WIFE.] + + + + +THE SQUATTER'S WIFE AND DAUGHTER. + + +On the Illinois river, near two hundred miles from its junction with the +Mississippi, there lived in 1812, an old pioneer, known in those days as +"Old Parker the squatter." His family consisted of a wife and three +children, the oldest a boy of nineteen, a girl of seventeen, and the +youngest a boy of fourteen. At the time of which we write, Parker and his +oldest boy had gone in company with three Indians on a hunt, expecting to +be absent some five or six days.--The third day after the departure, one +of the Indians returned to Parker's house, came in and sat himself down by +the fire, lit his pipe and commenced smoking in silence. Mrs. Parker +thought nothing of this, as it was no uncommon thing for one or sometimes +more of a party of Indians to return abruptly from a hunt, at some sign +they might consider ominous of bad luck, and in such instances were not +very communicative. But at last the Indian broke silence with "ugh, old +Parker die." This exclamation immediately drew Mrs. Parker's attention, +who directly enquired of the Indian, what's the matter with Parker? The +Indian responded Parker sick, tree fell on him, you go, he die. Mrs. +Parker then asked the Indian if Parker had sent for her, and where he was? +The replies of the Indian somewhat aroused her suspicions. She, however, +came to the conclusion to send her son with the Indian to see what was the +matter. The boy and Indian started. That night passed, and the next day +too, and neither the boy or Indian returned. This confirmed Mrs. Parker in +her opinion that there was foul play on the part of the Indians. So she +and her daughter went to work and barricaded the door and windows in the +best way they could. The youngest boy's rifle was the only one left, he +not having taken it with him when he went to hunt after his father. The +old lady took the rifle, the daughter the axe, and thus armed they +determined to watch through the night; and defend themselves if necessary. +They had not long to wait after night fall, for shortly after that some +one commenced knocking at the door, crying out "Mother! mother!" but Mrs. +Parker thought the voice was not exactly like that of her son--in order to +ascertain the fact, she said "Jake, where are the Indians?" The reply +which was "um gone," satisfied her on that point. She then said, as if +speaking to her son, "Put your ear to the latch-hole of the door I want to +tell you something before I open the door." The head was placed at the +latch-hole, and the old lady fired through the same spot and killed an +Indian. She stepped back from the door instantly, and it was well she did +so, for quicker than I have penned the last two words two rifle bullets +came crashing through the door. The old lady then said to her daughter, +"Thank God there are but two, I must have killed the one at the door--they +must be the three who went on the hunt with your father. If we can only +kill or cripple another of them, we will be safe; now we must both be +still after they fire again, and they will then break the door down, and I +may be able to shoot another one; but if I miss them when getting in, you +must use the axe."--The daughter equally courageous with her mother +assured her she would. Soon after this conversation two more rifle bullets +came crashing through the window. A death-like stillness ensued for about +five minutes, when two more balls in quick succession were fired through +the door, then followed a tremendous punching with a log, the door gave +way, and with a fiendish yell an Indian was about to spring in, when the +unerring rifle fired by the old lady stretched his lifeless body across +the thresh-hold of the door. The remaining, or more properly the surviving +Indian fired at random and ran, doing no injury. "Now" said the old +heroine to her undaunted daughter "we must leave." Accordingly with the +rifle and the axe, they went to the river, took the canoe, and without a +mouthful of provision except one wild duck and two black birds which the +mother shot, and which were eaten raw, did these two courageous hearts in +six days arrive among the old French settlers at St. Louis. A party of +about a dozen men crossed over into Illinois--and after an unsuccessful +search returned without finding either Parker or his boys. They were never +found. There are yet some of the old settlers in the neighborhood of +Peoria who still point out the spot where "old Parker the squatter" +lived. + +[Illustration: ATTACK ON CAPTAIN HUBBELL'S BOAT.] + + + + +CAPTAIN WILLIAM HUBBELL. + + +In the year 1791, when the Indians were very troublesome on the banks of +the Ohio, Captain William Hubbell, Mr. Daniel Light, Mr. William Plascut, +Mrs. Plascut and eight children embarked in a flat-bottomed boat to +proceed down the Ohio. + +On their progress down the river, and soon after passing Pittsburgh, they +saw evident traces of Indians along the banks, and there is every reason +to believe that a boat which they overtook, and which, through +carelessness, was suffered to run aground on an island, became a prey to +these merciless savages. Though Captain Hubbell and his party stopped some +time for it in a lower part of the river, it did not arrive, and has never +to their knowledge been heard of since. Before they reached the mouth of +the Great Kenhawa, they had by several successive additions, increased +their number to twenty, consisting of nine men, three women, and eight +children. The men, besides those mentioned above, were one John Stoner, an +Irishman and a Dutchman, whose names are not recollected, Messrs. Ray and +Tucker, and a Mr. Kilpatrick, whose two daughters also were of the party. +Information received at Galliopolis confirmed the expectation, which +appearance previously raised, of a serious conflict with a large body of +Indians; and as Captain Hubbell had been regularly appointed commander of +the boat, every possible preparation was made for a formidable and +successful resistance of the anticipated attack. The nine men were divided +into three watches for the night, which were alternately to continue +awake, and be on the look out for two hours at a time. The arms on board, +which consisted principally of old muskets, much out of order, were +collected, loaded, and put in the best possible condition for service. +About sunset on that day, the 23d of March, 1792, the party overtook a +fleet of six boats descending the river in company, and intended to +continue with them, but as their passengers seemed to be more disposed to +dancing than fighting, and as soon after dark, notwithstanding the +remonstrances of Captain Hubbell, they commenced fiddling and dancing +instead of preparing their arms, and taking the necessary rest preparatory +to battle, it was wisely considered more hazardous to be in such company, +than to be alone. It was therefore determined to proceed rapidly forward +by the aid of the oars, and leave those thoughtless fellow-travellers +behind. One of the boats, however, belonging to the fleet, commanded by a +Captain Greathouse, adopted the same plan, and for a while kept up with +Captain Hubbell, but all its crew at length falling asleep, that boat also +ceased to be propelled by the oars, and Captain Hubbell and his party +proceeded steadily forward alone. Early in the night a canoe was dimly +seen floating down the river, in which were probably Indians +reconnoitering, and other evident indications were observed of the +neighborhood and hostile intentions of a formidable party of savages. + +It was now agreed, that should the attack, as was probable, be deferred +till morning, every man should be up before the dawn, in order to make as +great a show as possible of numbers and of strength; and that, whenever +the action should take place, the women and children should lie down on +the cabin floor, and be protected as well as they could by the trunks and +other baggage, which might be placed around them. In this perilous +situation they continued during the night, and the captain, who had not +slept more than one hour since he left Pittsburgh, was too deeply +impressed with the imminent danger which surrounded him to obtain any rest +at that time. + +[Illustration: A SIOUX CHIEF.] + +Just as daylight began to appear in the east, and before the men were up +and at their posts, agreeably to arrangement, a voice at some distance +below them, in a plaintive tone, repeatedly solicited them to come on +shore, as there were some white persons who wished to obtain a passage in +their boat. This the captain very naturally and correctly concluded to be +an Indian artifice, and its only effect was to rouse the men, and place +every one on his guard. The voice of entreaty was soon changed into the +language of indignation and insult, and the sound of distant paddles +announced the approach of the savage foe. At length three Indian canoes +were seen through the mist of the morning rapidly advancing. With the +utmost coolness the captain and his companions prepared to receive them. +The chairs, tables, and other incumbrances were thrown into the river, in +order to clear the deck for action. Every man took his position, and was +ordered not to fire till the savages had approached so near, that, (to use +the words of Captain Hubbell,) "the flash from the guns might singe their +eye-brows;" and a special caution was given, that the men should fire +successively, so that there might be no interval. On the arrival of the +canoes, they were found to contain about twenty-five or thirty Indians +each. As soon as they had approached within the reach of musket-shot, a +general fire was given from one of them, which wounded Mr. Tucker through +the hip so severely that his leg hung only by the flesh, and shot Mr. +Light just below his ribs. The three canoes placed themselves at the bow, +stern, and on the right side of the boat, so that they had an opportunity +of raking in every direction. The fire now commenced from the boat, and +had a powerful effect in checking the confidence and fury of the Indians. +The captain after firing his own gun, took up that of one of the wounded +men, raised it to his shoulder, and was about to discharge it, when a ball +came and took away the lock; he coolly turned round, seized a brand of +fire from the kettle which served for a caboose, and applying it to the +pan, discharged the piece with effect. A very regular and constant fire +was now kept up on both sides. The captain was just in the act of raising +his gun a third time, when a ball passed through his right arm, and for a +moment disabled him. Scarcely had he recovered from the shock, and +re-acquired the use of his hand, which had been suddenly drawn up by the +wound, when he observed the Indians in one of the canoes just about to +board the boat in its bow, where the horses were placed belonging to the +party. So near had they approached, that some of them had actually seized +with their hands the side of the boat. Severely wounded as he was, he +caught up a pair of horsemen's pistols and rushed forward to repel the +attempt at boarding. On his approach the Indians fell back, and he +discharged a pistol with effect at the foremost man. After firing the +second pistol, he found himself without arms, and was compelled to +retreat; but stepping back on a pile of small wood which had been prepared +for burning in the kettle, the thought struck him, that it might be made +use of in repelling the foe, and he continued for some time to strike them +with it so forcibly and actively, that they were unable to enter the boat, +and at length he wounded one of them so severely that with a yell they +suddenly gave way. All the canoes then discontinued the contest, and +directed their course to Captain Greathouse's boat, which was in sight. +Here a striking contrast was exhibited to the firmness and intrepidity +which had been displayed. Instead of resisting the attack, the people on +board of this boat retired to the cabin in dismay. The Indians entered it +without opposition, and rowed it to the shore, where they killed the +captain and a lad of about fourteen years of age. The women they placed in +the centre of their canoes, and manning them with fresh hands, again +pursued Captain Hubbell and party. A melancholy alternative now presented +itself to these brave but almost desponding men, either to fall a prey to +the savages themselves, or to run the risk of shooting the women, who had +been placed in the canoes in the hope of deriving protection from their +presence. But "self preservation is the first law of nature," and the +captain very justly remarked, there would not be much humanity in +preserving their lives at such a sacrifice, merely that they might become +victims of savage cruelty at some subsequent period. + +There were now but four men left on board of Captain Hubbell's boat, +capable of defending it, and the captain himself was severely wounded in +two places. The second attack, however, was resisted with almost +incredible firmness and vigor. Whenever the Indians would rise to fire, +their opponents would frequently give them the first shot, which in almost +every instance would prove fatal. Notwithstanding the disparity of +numbers, and the exhausted condition of the defenders of the boat, the +Indians at length appeared to despair of success, and the canoes +successively retired to the shore. Just as the last one was departing, +Captain Hubbell called to the Indian, who was standing in the stern, and +on his turning round, discharged his piece at him. When the smoke, which +for a moment obstructed the vision, was dissipated, he was seen lying on +his back, and appeared to be severely, perhaps mortally wounded. + +Unfortunately the boat now drifted near to the shore, where the Indians +were collected, and a large concourse, probably between four and five +hundred, were seen rushing down on the bank. Ray and Plascut, the only +men remaining unhurt, were placed at the oars, and as the boat was not +more than twenty yards from the shore, it was deemed prudent for all to +lie down in as safe a position as possible, and attempt to push +forward with the utmost practicable rapidity. While they continued in +this situation, nine balls were shot into one oar, and ten into the +other, without wounding the rowers, who were hidden from view, and +protected by the side of the boat and the blankets in its stern. During +this dreadful exposure to the fire of the savages, which continued about +twenty minutes, Mr. Kilpatrick observed a particular Indian, whom he +thought a favorable mark for his rifle, and, notwithstanding the solemn +warning of Captain Hubbell, rose to shoot him, he immediately received +a ball in his mouth, which passed out at the back part of his head, and +was almost at the same moment shot through the heart. He fell among the +horses that about the same time were killed, and presented to his +afflicted daughters and fellow-travellers, who were witnesses of the +awful occurrence, a spectacle of horror which we need not further +attempt to describe. + +The boat was now providentially and suddenly carried out into the middle +of the stream, and taken by the current beyond the reach of the enemy's +balls. Our little band reduced as they were in numbers, wounded, +afflicted, and almost exhausted by fatigue, were still unsubdued in +spirit, and being assembled in all their strength, men, women, and +children, with an appearance of triumph gave three hearty cheers, calling +to the Indians to come on again, if they were fond of the sport. + +Thus ended this awful conflict, in which out of nine men, two only escaped +unhurt. Tucker and Kilpatrick were killed on the spot, Stoner was mortally +wounded, and died on his arrival at Limestone, and all the rest, excepting +Ray and Plascut were severely wounded. The women and children were all +uninjured, excepting a little son of Mr. Plascut, who, after the battle +was over, came to the captain, and with great coolness requested him to +take a ball out of his head. On examination, it appeared that a bullet +which had passed through the side of the boat, had penetrated the forehead +of this little hero, and remained under the skin. The captain took it out, +and the youth, observing "that is not all," raised his arm, and exhibited +a piece of bone at the point of his elbow, which had been shot off, and +hung only by the skin. His mother exclaimed, "why did you not tell me of +this?" "Because," he coolly replied, "the captain directed us to be silent +during the action, and I thought you would be likely to make a noise if I +told you." + +The boat made the best of its way down the river, and reached Limestone +that night. From that time forth no boat was assailed by Indians on the +Ohio. + +[Illustration: CORNSTALK.] + + + + +MURDER OF CORNSTALK AND HIS SON. + + +Cornstalk, the commander of the Indians in the battle of Point Pleasant, +was possessed of a noble heart as well as a genius for war and +negotiation. He was ever anxious to maintain an honorable place with the +whites and they returned his friendly inclination by putting him to +death. + +A Captain Arbuckle commanded the garrison of the fort, erected at Point +Pleasant, after the battle fought by General Lewis with the Indians at +that place, in October, 1774. In the succeeding year, when the +revolutionary war had commenced, the agents of Great Britain exerted +themselves to excite the Indians to hostility against the United States. +The mass of Shawnees entertained a strong animosity against the Americans. +But, two of their chiefs, Cornstalk and Redhawk, not participating in that +animosity visited the garrison at the Point, where Arbuckle continued to +command. Cornstalk represented his unwillingness to take a part in the +war, on the British side: but stated, that his nation, except himself and +his tribe, were determined on war with us, and he supposed, that he and +his people would be compelled to go with the stream. On this intimation, +Arbuckle resolved to detain the two chiefs, and a third Shawnees, who came +with them to the fort, as hostages, under the expectation of preventing +thereby any hostile efforts of the nation. On the day before these +unfortunate Indians fell victims to the fury of the garrison, Elenipsico, +the son of Cornstalk, repaired to Point Pleasant for the purpose of +visiting his father, and on the next day, two men belonging to the +garrison, whose names were Hamilton and Gillmore, crossed the Kenhawa, +intending to hunt in the woods beyond it.--On their return from hunting, +some Indians who had come to view the position at the Point, concealed +themselves in the weeds near the mouth of the Kenhawa, and killed Gillmore +while endeavoring to pass them. Colonel Stewart and Captain Arbuckle were +standing on the opposite bank of the river, at that time and were +surprised that a gun had been fired so near the fort, in violation of +orders which had been issued inhibiting such an act. Hamilton ran down the +bank, and cried out that Gillmore was killed. Captain Hall commanded the +company to which Gillmore belonged. His men leaped into a canoe, and +hastened to the relief of Hamilton. They brought the body of Gillmore +weltering in blood, and the head scalped, across the river. The canoe had +scarcely reached the shore, when Hall's men cried out "Let us kill the +Indians in the fort." Captain Hall placed himself in front of his +soldiers, and they ascended the river's bank, pale with rage, and carrying +their loaded fire locks in their hands. Colonel Stewart and Captain +Arbuckle exerted themselves in vain, to dissuade these men, exasperated to +madness by the spectacle of Gillmore's corpse, from the cruel deed which +they contemplated. They cocked their guns, threatening those gentlemen +with instant death, if they did not desist, and rushed into the fort. + +The interpreter's wife, who had been a captive among the Indians, and felt +an affection for them, ran to their cabin and informed them that Hall's +soldiers were advancing with the intention of taking their lives, because +they believed that the Indians who killed Gillmore, had come with +Cornstalk's son the preceding day. This the young man solemnly denied, and +averred that he knew nothing of them. His father, perceiving that +Elenipsico was in great agitation, encouraged him and advised him not to +fear. "If the great Spirit," said he, "has sent you here to be killed, you +ought to die like a man!" As the soldiers approached the door, Cornstalk +rose to meet them, and received seven or eight balls which instantly +terminated his existence. His son was shot dead in the seat which he +occupied. The Red Hawk made an attempt to climb the chimney, but fell by +the fire of some of Hall's men. The other Indian, says Colonel Stewart, +"was shamefully mangled, and I grieved to see him so long dying." + +This atrocious deed so exasperated the Shawnees that they immediately took +up arms upon the side of the British, expressing their resolution to spare +no American who should fall into their hands, and never to lay down arms +while there was the remotest chance of successful hostility. Many a family +in Virginia and Kentucky had reason to lament the slaughter of the noble +Cornstalk and his son. + + + + +THE MASSACRE OF CHICAGO. + + +On the site of the present city of Chicago, a fort was erected in 1803. +Feeling secure under this protection, several families built cabins and +began to cultivate the ground in the vicinity. The large and powerful +tribe of Pottawatomies occupied the neighboring country. When the war of +1812 broke out, the fort at Chicago was garrisoned by about fifty men, +under the command of Captain Heald, and as it was so remote from the other +American posts, General Hull determined that it should be abandoned. The +following account of the subsequent disastrous events is abridged from +Brown's History of Illinois. + +On the 7th of August, 1812, in the afternoon, Winnemeg, or Catfish, a +friendly Indian of the Pottawatomie tribe, arrived at Chicago, and brought +dispatches from General Hull, containing the first, and, at that time, the +only intelligence of the declaration of war. General Hull's letter +announced the capture of Mackinaw, and directed Captain Heald "to evacuate +the fort at Chicago, if practicable, and, in that event, to distribute all +the United States property contained in the fort, and the United States +factory or agency, among the Indians in the neighborhood and repair to +Fort Wayne." Winnemeg having delivered his dispatches to Captain Heald, +and stated that he was acquainted with the purport of the communication he +had brought, urged upon Captain Heald the policy of remaining in the fort, +being supplied, as they were, with ammunition and provisions for a +considerable time. In case, however, Captain Heald thought proper to +evacuate the place, he urged upon him the propriety of doing so +immediately, before the Pottawatomies (through whose country they must +pass, and who were as yet ignorant of the object of his mission) could +collect a force sufficient to oppose them. This advice though given in +great earnestness, was not sufficiently regarded by Captain Heald; who +observed, that he should evacuate the fort, but having received orders to +distribute the public property among the Indians, he did not feel +justified in leaving it until he had collected the Pottawatomies in its +vicinity, and made an equitable distribution among them. Winnemeg then +suggested the expediency of marching out and leaving every thing standing; +"while the Indians," said he, "are dividing the spoils, the troops will be +able to retreat without molestation." This advice was also unheeded, and +an order for evacuating the fort was read next morning on parade. Captain +Heald, in issuing it, had neglected to consult his junior officers, as it +would have been natural for him to do in such an emergency, and as he +probably would have done had there not been some coolness between him and +Ensign Ronan. + +[Illustration: CAPTAIN HEALD IN COUNCIL WITH THE POTTAWATAMIES.] + +The lieutenant and ensign, after the promulgation of this order, waited on +Captain Heald to learn his intentions; and being apprized; for the first +time, of the course he intended to pursue, they remonstrated against it. +Heald, however, deemed it advisable to assemble the Indians and distribute +the public property among them, and ask of them an escort thither, with +the promise of a considerable sum of money to be paid on their safe +arrival; adding, that he had perfect confidence in the friendly +professions of the Indians, from whom, as well as from the soldiers, the +capture of Mackinaw had studiously been concealed. From this time forward, +the junior officers stood aloof from their commander, and, considering his +project as little short of madness, conversed as little upon the subject +as possible. Dissatisfaction, however, soon filled the camp; the soldiers +began to murmur, and insubordination assumed a threatening aspect. + +The savages, in the mean time became more and more troublesome; entered +the fort occasionally, in defiance of the sentinels, and even made their +way without ceremony into the quarters of its commanding officer. On one +occasion an Indian, taking up a rifle fired it in the parlor of Captain +Heald; some were of opinion that this was intended as the signal for an +attack. The old chiefs at this time passed back and forth among the +assembled groups, apparently agitated; and the squaws seemed much excited, +as though some terrible calamity was impending. No further manifestations, +however, of ill-feeling were exhibited, and the day passed without +bloodshed. So infatuated at this time was Captain Heald, that he supposed +he had wrought a favorable impression upon the savages, and that the +little garrison could now march forth in safety. + +The Indians from the adjacent villages having at length arrived, a council +was held on the 12th of August. It was attended, however, only by Captain +Heald on the part of the military; the other officers refused to attend, +having previously learned that a massacre was intended. This fact was +communicated to Captain Heald; he insisted, however, on their going, and +they resolutely persisted in their refusal. When Captain Heald left the +fort, they repaired to the block-house, which overlooked the ground where +the council was in session, and opening the portholes, pointed their +cannon in its direction. This circumstance and their absence, it is +supposed, saved the whites from massacre. + +[Illustration: BATTLE BETWEEN MOUNTED TROOPS AND THE INDIANS.] + +Captain Heald informed the Indians in council, that he would next day +distribute among them all the goods in the United States factory, together +with the ammunition and provisions with which the garrison was supplied; +and desired of them an escort to Fort Wayne, promising them a reward on +their arrival thither, in addition to the presents they were about to +receive. The savages assented, with professions of friendship, to all he +proposed, and promised all he required. + +The council was no sooner dismissed, than several observing the tone of +feeling which prevailed, and anticipating from it no good to the garrison, +waited on Captain Heald in order to open his eyes, if possible, to their +condition. The impolicy of furnishing the Indians with arms and ammunition +to be used against themselves, struck Captain Heald with so much force, +that he resolved, without consulting his officers, to destroy all not +required for immediate use. + +On August 13th, the goods in the factory store were distributed among the +Indians, who had collected near the fort; and in the evening the +ammunition, and also the liquor, belonging to the garrison, were carried, +the former into the sally-port and thrown into the well, and the latter +through the south gate, as silently as possible, to the river bank, where +the heads of the barrels were knocked in, and their contents discharged +into the stream. The Indians, however, suspecting the game, approached as +near as possible and witnessed the whole scene. The spare muskets were +broken up and thrown into the well, together with bags of shot, flints, +and gun-screws, and other things; all, however, of but little value. + +On the 14th, the despondency of the garrison was for a while dispelled by +the arrival of Captain Wells and fifteen friendly Miamies. Having heard at +Fort Wayne of the error to evacuate Chicago, and knowing the hostile +intentions of the Pottawatomies, he hastened thither in order to save, if +possible, the little garrison from its doom. Having, on his arrival, +learned that the ammunition had been destroyed, and the provisions +distributed among the Indians, he saw there was no alternative. +Preparations were therefore made for marching on the morrow. + +In the afternoon a second council was held with the Indians, at which they +expressed their resentment at the destruction of the ammunition and liquor +in the severest terms. Notwithstanding the precautions which had been +observed, the knocking in of the heads of the whisky-barrels had been +heard by the Indians, and the river next morning tasted, as some of them +expressed it, "like strong grog." Murmurs and threats were everywhere +heard; and nothing, apparently, was wanting but an opportunity for some +public manifestation of their resentment. + +The morning of the 15th dawned as usual; the sun rose with uncommon +splendor, and Lake Michigan "was a sheet of burnished gold." Early in the +day a message was received in the American camp from To-pee-na-bee, a +chief of the St. Joseph's band, informing them that mischief was brewing +among the Pottawatomies, who had promised them protection. + +[Illustration: TO-PEE-NA-BEE.] + +About nine o'clock, the troops left the fort with martial music, and in +military array. Captain Wells, at the head of the Miamies, led the van, +his face blackened after the manner of the Indians. The garrison, with +loaded arms, followed, and the wagons with the baggage, the women and +children, the sick and the lame, closed the rear. The Pottawatomies, about +five hundred in number, who had promised to escort them in safety to Fort +Wayne leaving a little space, afterward followed. The party in advance +took the beach road. They had no sooner arrived at the sand-hills which +separate the prairie from the beach, about a mile and a half from the +fort, when the Pottawatomies, instead of continuing in rear of the +Americans, left the beach and took to the prairie; the sand-hills of +course intervened, and presented a barrier between the Pottawatomies and +the American and Miami line of march. This divergence had scarcely been +effected, when Captain Wells, who, with the Miamies was considerably in +advance, rode back and exclaimed, "They are about to attack us; form +instantly and charge upon them." The word had scarcely been uttered, +before a volley of musketry from behind the sand-hills was poured in upon +them. The troops were brought immediately into a line and charged upon the +bank. One man, a veteran of seventy, fell as they ascended. The battle at +once became general. The Miamies fled in the outset; their chief rode up +to the Pottawatomies, charged them with duplicity, and, brandishing his +tomahawk, said, "he would be the first to head a party of Americans, and +return to punish them for their treachery." He then turned his horse and +galloped off in pursuit of his companions, who were then scouring across +the prairie, and nothing was seen or heard of them more. + +The American troops behaved gallantly; though few in number, they sold +their lives as dearly as possible. They felt, however, as if their time +had come, and sought to forget all that was dear on earth. + +While the battle was raging, the surgeon, Doctor Voorhes, who was badly +wounded, and whose horse had been shot from under him, approaching Mrs. +Helm, the wife of Lieutenant Helm, (who was in the action, participating +in all its vicissitudes,) observed, "Do you think," said he, "they will +take our lives? I am badly wounded, but I think not mortally. Perhaps we +can purchase safety by offering a large reward. Do you think," continued +he, "there is any chance?" + +"Doctor Voorhes," replied Mrs. Helm, "let us not waste the few moments +which yet remain in idle or ill-founded hopes. Our fate is inevitable; we +must soon appear at the bar of God; let us make such preparations as are +yet in our power." + +"Oh," said he, "I cannot die; I am unfit to die! If I had a short time to +prepare! Death! oh, how awful!" + +At this moment, Ensign Ronan was fighting at a little distance with a tall +and portly Indian; the former, mortally wounded, was nearly down, and +struggling desperately upon one knee. Mrs. Helm, pointing her finger, and +directing the attention of Doctor Voorhes thither, observed, "Look," said +she, "at that young man; he dies like a soldier." + +"Yes," said Doctor Voorhes, "but he has no terrors of the future; he is an +unbeliever." + +[Illustration: THE MASSACRE.] + +A young savage immediately raised his tomahawk to strike Mrs. Helm. She +sprang instantly aside, and the blow intended for her head fell upon her +shoulder; she thereupon seized him around his neck, and while exerting all +her efforts to get possession of his scalping-knife, was seized by another +Indian and dragged forcibly from his grasp. The latter bore her, +struggling and resisting, toward the lake. Notwithstanding, however, the +rapidity with which she was hurried along, she recognized, as she passed, +the remains of the unfortunate surgeon stretched lifeless on the prairie. +She was plunged immediately into the water and held there, notwithstanding +her resistance, with a forcible hand. She shortly, however, perceived that +the intention of her captor was not to drown her, as he held her in a +position to keep her head above the water. Thus reassured, she looked at +him attentively, and, in spite of his disguise, recognized the "white +man's friend." It was Black Partridge. + +When the firing had ceased, her preserver bore her from the water and +conducted her up the sand-bank. It was a beautiful day in August. The +heat, however, of the sun was oppressive; and, walking through the sand, +exposed to its burning rays, in her drenched condition--weary, and +exhausted by efforts beyond her strength--anxious beyond measure to learn +the fate of her friends, and alarmed for her own, her situation was one of +agony. + +The troops having fought with desperation till two-thirds of their number +were slain, the remainder twenty-seven in all, borne down by an +overwhelming force, and exhausted by efforts hitherto unequalled, at +length surrendered. They stipulated, however, for their own safety and for +the safety of their remaining women and children. The wounded prisoners, +however, in the hurry of the moment, were unfortunately omitted, or rather +not particularly mentioned and were therefore regarded by the Indians as +having been excluded. + +One of the soldiers' wives, having frequently been told that prisoners +taken by the Indians were subjected to tortures worse than death, had from +the first expressed a resolution never to be taken; and when a party of +savages approached to make her their prisoner, she fought with +desperation; and, though assured of kind treatment and protection, refused +to surrender, and was literally cut in pieces and her mangled remains left +on the field. + +After the surrender, one of the baggage wagons, containing twelve +children, was assailed by a single savage and the whole number were +massacred. All, without distinction of age or sex, fell at once beneath +his murderous tomahawk. + +Captain Wells, who had as yet escaped unharmed, saw from a distance the +whole of this murderous scene; and being apprized of the stipulation, and +seeing it thus violated, exclaimed aloud, so as to be heard by the +Pottawatomies around him, whose prisoner he then was, "If this be your +game, I will kill too!" and turning his horse's head, instantly started +for the Pottawatomie camp, where the squaws and Indian children had been +left ere the battle began. He had no sooner started, than several Indians +followed in his rear and discharged their rifles at him as he galloped +across the prairie. He laid himself flat on the neck of his horse, and was +apparently out of their reach, when the ball of one of his pursuers took +effect, killing his horse and wounding him severely. He was again a +prisoner; as the savages came up, Winnemeg and Wa-ban-see, two of their +number, and both his friends, used all their endeavors in order to save +him; they had disengaged him already from his horse, and were supporting +him along, when Pee-so-tum, a Pottawatomie Indian, drawing his +scalping-knife, stabbed him in the back, and thus inflicted a mortal +wound. After struggling for a moment he fell, and breathed his last in the +arms of his friends, a victim for those he had sought to save--a sacrifice +to his own rash intentions. + +[Illustration: WINNEMEG, OR THE CATFISH.] + +The battle having ended, and the prisoners being secured, the latter were +conducted to the Pottawatomie camp near the fort. Here the wife of +Wau-bee-nee-mah, an Illinois chief, perceiving the exhausted condition of +Mrs. Helm, took a kettle, and dipping up some water from the stream which +flowed sluggishly by them, threw into it some maple sugar, and, stirring +it up with her hand, gave her to drink. "It was," says Mrs. Helm, "the +most delicious draught I had ever taken, and her kindness of manner, amid +so much atrocity, touched my heart." Her attention, however, was soon +directed to other objects. The fort, after the troops had marched out, +became a scene of plunder. The cattle were shot down as they ran at large, +and lay dead, or were dying around her. It called up afresh a remark of +Ensign Ronan's, made before; "Such," said he, "is to be our fate--to be +shot down like brutes." + +The wounded prisoners, we have already remarked, were not included in the +stipulation made on the battle-field, as the _Indians understood it_. On +reaching, therefore, the Pottawatomie camp, a scene followed which beggars +description. A wounded soldier, lying on the ground, was violently +assaulted by an old squaw, infuriated by the loss of friends or excited by +the murderous scenes around her--who, seizing a pitchfork, attacked the +wretched victim, now helpless, and exposed to the burning rays of the sun, +his wounds already aggravated by its heat, and he writhing in torture. +During the succeeding night, five other wounded prisoners were +tomahawked. + +Those unwounded remained in the wigwams of their captors. The work of +plunder being now completed, the fort next day was set on fire. A fair and +equal distribution of all the finery belonging to the garrison had +apparently been made, and shawls and ribands and feathers were scattered +about the camp in great profusion. + +After suffering many hardships, Mrs. Helm, Mrs. Heald, and the surviving +male prisoners were ransomed and sent back to their friends. A few of +them, however, were not set at liberty until after the battle of the +Thames. + + + + +THE TWO FRIENDS. + + +In August, 1786, Mr. Francis Downing, then a lad, was living in a fort, +where subsequently some iron works were erected by Mr. Jacob Myers, which +are now known by the name of Slate Creek works. About the 16th, a young +man belonging to the fort, called upon Downing, and requested his +assistance in hunting for a horse which had strayed away on the preceding +evening. Downing readily complied, and the two friends traversed the woods +in every direction, until at length, towards evening, they found +themselves in a wild valley, at a distance of six or seven miles from the +fort. Here Downing became alarmed and repeatedly assured his elder +companion, (whose name was Yates,) that he heard sticks cracking behind +them, and was confident that Indians were dogging them. Yates, being an +experienced hunter, and from habit grown indifferent to the dangers of the +woods, diverted himself freely at the expense of his young companion, +often inquiring, at what price he rated his scalp, and offering to ensure +it for sixpence. Downing, however, was not so easily satisfied. He +observed, that in whatever direction they turned, the same ominous sounds +continued to haunt them, and as Yates still treated his fears with the +most perfect indifference, he determined to take his measures upon his own +responsibility. Gradually slackening his pace, he permitted Yates to +advance twenty or thirty steps in front of him, and immediately after +descending a gentle hill, he suddenly sprung aside and hid himself in a +thick cluster of whortleberry bushes. Yates, who at that time was +performing some woodland ditty to the full extent of his lungs, was too +much pleased with his own voice, to attend either to Downing or the +Indians, and was quickly out of sight. Scarcely had he disappeared, when +Downing, to his unspeakable terror, beheld two savages put aside the +stalks of a canebrake, and looked out cautiously in the direction which +Yates had taken. Fearful that they had seen him step aside, he determined +to fire upon them, and trust to his heels for safety, but so unsteady was +his hand, that in raising his gun to his shoulder, she went off before he +had taken aim. He lost no time in following her example, and after having +run fifty yards, he met Yates, who, alarmed at the report, was hastily +retracing his steps. It was not necessary to inquire what was the matter. +The enemy were in full view, pressing forward with great rapidity, and +"devil take the hindmost," was the order of the day. Yates would not +outstrip Downing, but ran by his side, although in so doing, he risked +both of their lives. The Indians were well acquainted with the country, +and soon took a path that diverged from the one which the whites followed, +at one point and rejoined it at another, bearing the same relation to it +that the string does to the bow. The two paths were at no point distant +from each other more than one hundred yards, so that Yates and Downing +could easily see the enemy gaining rapidly upon them. They reached the +point of re-union first, however, and quickly came to a deep gully which +it was necessary to recross, or retrace their steps. Yates cleared it +without difficulty, but Downing being, much exhausted, fell short, falling +with his breast against the opposite brink, rebounded with violence, and +fell at full length on the bottom. The Indians crossed the ditch a few +yards below him, and, eager for the capture of Yates, continued the +pursuit, without appearing to notice Downing. The latter who at first had +given himself up for lost, quickly recovered his strength, and began to +walk slowly along the ditch, fearing to leave it lest the enemy should see +him. As he advanced, however, the ditch became more shallow, until at +length it ceased to protect him at all. Looking around cautiously, he saw +one of the Indians returning apparently in quest of him. Unfortunately, he +had neglected to reload his gun, while in the ditch, and as the Indian +instantly advanced upon him, he had no resource but flight. Throwing away +his gun, which was now useless, he plied his legs manfully, in ascending a +long ridge which stretched before him, but the Indian gained upon him so +rapidly, that he lost all hope of escape. Coming at length to a large +poplar which had been blown up by the roots, he ran along the body of the +tree upon one side while the Indian followed it upon the other, doubtless +expecting to intercept him at the root. It happened that a large she bear +was sucking her cubs in a bed which she had made at the root of the tree, +and as the Indian reached that point, she instantly sprung upon him, and a +prodigious uproar took place. The Indian yelled, and stabbed with his +knife, the bear growled and saluted him with one of her most endearing +"hugs;"--while Downing, fervently wishing her success, ran off through the +woods, without waiting to see the event of the struggle. Downing reached +the fort in safety, and found Yates reposing after a hot chase, having +eluded his pursuers, and gained the fort two hours before him. On the next +morning, they collected a party and returned to the poplar tree, but no +traces either of the Indian or bear were to be found. They both probably +escaped with their lives, although not without injury. + +[Illustration: DOWNING ALARMED AT THE NOISE OF THE INDIANS.] + +[Illustration: THE DESERTER ACTING AS A GUIDE.] + + + + +DESERTION OF A YOUNG WHITE MAN, FROM A PARTY OF INDIANS. + + +In the year 1787, the following incident occurred in Bourbon county +Kentucky. One morning, about sun rise, a young man of wild and savage +appearance, suddenly arose from a cluster of bushes in front of a cabin, +and hailed the house in a barbarous dialect, which seemed neither exactly +Indian nor English, but a collection of shreds and patches from which the +graces of both were carefully excluded. His skin had evidently once been +white--although now grievously tanned by constant exposure to the weather. +His dress in every respect was that of an Indian, as were his gestures, +tones and equipments, and his age could not be supposed to exceed twenty +years. He talked volubly, but uncouthly, placed his hand upon his breast, +gestured vehemently, and seemed very earnestly bent upon communicating +something. He was invited to enter the cabin, and the neighbors quickly +collected around him. He appeared involuntarily to shrink from contact +with them--his eyes rolled rapidly around with a distrustful expression +from one to the other, and his whole manner was that of a wild animal, +just caught, and shrinking from the touch of its captors.--As several +present understood the Indian tongue, they at length gathered the +following circumstances as accurately as they could be translated, out of +a language which seemed to be an "omnium gatherum" of all that was +mongrel, uncouth and barbarous. He said that he had been taken by the +Indians, when a child, but could neither recollect his name, nor the +country of his birth.--That he had been adopted by an Indian warrior, who +brought him up with his other sons, without making the slightest +difference between them, and that under his father's roof, he had lived +happily until within the last month. A few weeks before that time, his +father, accompanied by himself and a younger brother, had hunted for some +time upon the waters of the Miami, about forty miles from the spot where +Cincinnati now stands, and after all their meat, skins, &c., had been +properly secured, the old man determined to gratify his children by taking +them upon a war expedition to Kentucky. They accordingly built a bark +canoe, in which they crossed the Ohio, near the mouth of Licking, and +having buried it, so as to secure it from the action of the sun, they +advanced into the country and encamped at the distance of fifteen miles +from the river. Here their father was alarmed by hearing an owl cry in a +peculiar tone, which he declared boded death or captivity to themselves, +if they continued their expedition--and announced his intention of +returning without delay to the river. Both of his sons vehemently opposed +this resolution, and at length prevailed upon the old man to disregard the +owl's warning, and conduct them, as he had promised, against the frontiers +of Kentucky. The party then composed themselves to sleep, but were quickly +awakened by the father, who had again been warned in a dream that death +awaited them in Kentucky, and again besought his children to release him +from his promise and lose no time in returning home. Again they prevailed +upon him to disregard the warning, and persevere in the march. He +consented to gratify them, but declared he would not remain a moment +longer in the camp which they now occupied, and accordingly they left it +immediately, and marched on through the night, directing their course +towards Bourbon county. In the evening they approached a house, that which +he hailed and in which he was now speaking. Suddenly the desire of +rejoining his people occupied his mind so strongly as to exclude every +other idea, and seizing the first favorable opportunity, he had concealed +himself in the bushes, and neglected to reply to all the signals which had +been concerted for the purpose of collecting their party when scattered. +This account appeared so extraordinary, and the young man's appearance was +so wild and suspicious, that many of the neighbors suspected him of +treachery, and thought that he should be arrested as a spy. Others opposed +this resolution and gave full credit to his narrative. In order to satisfy +themselves, however, they insisted upon his immediately conducting them to +the spot where the canoe had been buried. To this the young man objected +most vehemently, declaring that although he had deserted his father and +brother, yet he would not betray them. These feelings were too delicate to +meet with much sympathy from the rude borderers who surrounded him, and he +was given to understand that nothing short of conducting them to the point +of embarkation, would be accepted as an evidence of his sincerity.--With +obvious reluctance he at length complied. From twenty to thirty men were +quickly assembled, mounted upon good horses, and under the guidance of the +deserter, they moved rapidly towards the mouth of Licking. On the road the +young man informed them that he would first conduct them to the spot, +where they had encamped when the scream of the owl alarmed his father, and +where an iron kettle had been concealed in a hollow tree. He was probably +induced to do this from the hope of delaying the pursuit so long as to +afford his friends an opportunity of crossing the river in safety. But if +such was his intention, no measure could have been more unfortunate. + +[Illustration: THE SURPRISE.] + +The whites approached the encampment in deep silence, and quickly +perceived two Indians, an old man and a boy, seated by the fire and busily +engaged in cooking some venison.--The deserter became much agitated at the +sight of them, and so earnestly implored his countrymen not to kill them, +that it was agreed to surround the encampment, and endeavor to secure them +as prisoners. This was accordingly attempted, but so desperate was the +resistance of the Indians, and so determined were their efforts to escape, +that the whites were compelled to fire upon them, and the old man fell +mortally wounded, while the boy, by an incredible display of address and +activity, was enabled to escape. The deserter beheld his father fall, and +throwing himself from his horse, he ran up to the spot where the old man +lay bleeding, but still sensible, and falling upon his body, besought his +forgiveness for being the unwilling cause of his death, and wept bitterly. +His father evidently recognized him, and gave him his hand, but almost +instantly afterwards expired. The white men now called upon him to conduct +them at a gallop to the spot where the canoe was buried, expecting to +reach it before the Indian boy and intercept him. The deserter in vain +implored them to compassionate his feelings. He urged that he had already +sufficiently demonstrated the truth of his former assertions, at the +expense of his father's life, and earnestly entreated them to permit his +younger brother to escape. His companions, however, were inexorable. +Nothing but the blood of the young Indian would satisfy them, and the +deserter was again compelled to act in the capacity of a guide. + +Within two hours they reached the designated spot. The canoe was still +there, and no track could be seen upon the sand, so that it was evident +that their victim had not yet arrived. Hastily dismounting, they tied +their horses and concealed themselves within close rifle shot of the +canoe. Within ten minutes after their arrival the Indian appeared in +sight, walking swiftly towards them. He went straight to the spot where +the canoe had been buried, and was in the act of digging it up, when he +received a dozen balls through his body, and leaping high into the air +fell dead upon the sand. He was scalped and buried where he fell, without +having seen his brother, and probably without having known the treachery +by which he and his father had lost their lives. The deserter remained but +a short time in Bourbon, and never regained his tranquillity of mind. He +shortly afterwards disappeared, but whether to seek his relations in +Virginia or Pennsylvania, or whether disgusted by the ferocity of the +whites, he returned to the Indians, has never yet been known. He was never +heard of afterwards. + +[Illustration: MORGAN AND THE INDIAN.] + + + + +MORGAN'S TRIUMPH. + + +In 1779, a Mr. Morgan, of Prickett's Fort, West Virginia, was surprised in +the woods by two Indians, who immediately gave chase. Being old and +somewhat infirm, he faltered in the race, and was obliged to take refuge +behind a tree; the Indians did the same, but one of them exposing his +body, was shot by Morgan, and, after falling, stabbed himself. Morgan +again fled; but his surviving antagonist gained rapidly upon him, and at +length raised his gun to fire. Morgan adroitly stepped aside, and the ball +passed him. Then each rushed to closer combat. + +Morgan, while striking with his gun, received the Indian's tomahawk, which +cut off a finger, and knocked the gun from his grasp. Being an expert +wrestler, he closed, and threw his antagonist; but he was speedily +overturned, when the Indian, uttering the customary yell of triumph, began +feeling for his knife. Its hilt was entangled in a woman's apron, which +the savage had tied round his waist; and this apparent trivial +circumstance saved the prostrate hunter. During the search, Morgan had +seized his antagonist's fingers with his teeth, a position in which he +used all becoming exertions to keep them. Meanwhile he assisted in the +search for the knife. The Indian at length seized it, but so far towards +the blade, that Morgan caught hold of the upper portion of the handle, and +drew it through his adversary's hand, inflicting a deep wound. Both sprang +erect, Morgan still holding on to the Indian's fingers, and having his +body within his grasp. He had therefore all the advantage, and while his +foe was struggling to disengage himself, he plunged the knife to the hilt +in his body. The daring hunter returned to the fort in triumph. + +[Illustration: VIEW OF WYOMING.] + +[Illustration: COLONEL ZEBULON BUTLER.] + + + + +MASSACRE OF WYOMING. + + +The following account of the battle and massacre is taken from an +interesting history of Wyoming, written by Isaac Chapman, Esq., late of +Wilkesbarre. Judge Chapman lived upon the spot, and could hardly fail to +have collected ample materials, and to give a correct narrative of the +events which transpired there during the Revolutionary war. The +inhabitants had collected in Forty Fort--the principal fort in the valley. +The number of men was three hundred and sixty-eight. + +On the morning of the 3d of July, 1778, the officers of the garrison of +Forty Fort held a council to determine on the propriety of marching from +the fort, and attacking the enemy wherever found. The debates in this +council of war are said to have been conducted with much warmth and +animation. The ultimate determination was one on which depended the lives +of the garrison and safety of the settlement. On one side it was contended +that their enemies were daily increasing in numbers; that they would +plunder the settlement of all kinds of property, and would accumulate the +means of carrying on the war, while they themselves would become weaker; +that the harvest would soon be ripe, and would be gathered or destroyed by +their enemies, and all their means of sustenance during the succeeding +winter would fail; that probably all their messengers were killed, and as +there had been more than sufficient time, and no assistance arrived, they +would probably receive none, and consequently now was the proper time to +make an attack. + +On the other side it was argued, that probably some or all the messengers +may have arrived at head-quarters, but that the absence of the +commander-in-chief may have produced delay; that one or two weeks more may +bring the desired assistance, and that to attack the enemy, superior as +they were in number, out of the limits of their own fort, would produce +almost certain destruction to the settlements and themselves, and +captivity, and slavery, perhaps torture, to their wives and children. + +[Illustration: THE MASSACRE OF WYOMING.] + +While these debates were progressing, five men belonging to Wyoming, but +who at that time held commissions in the continental army, arrived at the +fort; they had received information that a force from Niagara had marched +to destroy the settlements on the Susquehanna, and being unable to bring +with them any reinforcement, they resigned their appointments, and +hastened immediately to the protection of their families. They had heard +nothing of the messengers, neither could they give any certain information +as to the probability of relief. + +The prospect of receiving assistance became now extremely uncertain. The +advocates for the attack prevailed in the council, and at dawn of day, on +the morning of the 3d of July, the garrison left the fort, and began their +march up the river, under the command of Colonel Zebulon Butler. Having +proceeded about two miles, the troops halted for the purpose of detaching +a reconnoitering party, to ascertain the situation of the enemy. + +The scout found the enemy in possession of Fort Wintermoot, and occupying +huts immediately around it, carousing in supposed security; but on their +return to the advancing column, they met two strolling Indians, by whom +they were fired upon, and upon whom they immediately returned the fire +without effect. The settlers hastened their march for the attack, but the +Indians had given the alarm, and the advancing troops found the enemy +already formed in order of battle a small distance from their fort, with +their right flank covered by a swamp, and their left resting upon the bank +of a river. The settlers immediately displayed their column and formed in +corresponding order, but as the enemy was much superior in numbers, their +line was much more extensive. Pine woods and bushes covered the +battle-ground, in consequence of which, the movements of the troops could +not be so quickly discovered, nor so well ascertained. Colonel Zebulon +Butler had command of the right, and was opposed by Colonel John Butler at +the head of the British troops on the left, Colonel Nathan Denison +commanded the left, opposed by Brant at the head of his Indians on the +enemy's right. The battle commenced at about forty rods distant, and +continued about fifteen minutes through the woods and brush without much +execution. At this time, Brant with his Indians having penetrated the +swamp, turned the left flank of the settler's line, and with a terrible +war-whoop and savage yell, made a desperate charge upon the troops +composing that wing, which fell very fast, and were immediately cut to +pieces with the tomahawk. Colonel Denison having ascertained that the +savages were gaining the rear of the left, gave orders for that wing _to +fall back_. At the same time, Colonel John Butler, finding that the line +of settlers did not extend so far towards the river as his own, doubled +that end of his line which was protected by a thick growth of brushwood, +and having brought a party of his British regulars to act in column upon +that wing, threw Colonel Zebulon Butler's into some confusion. The orders +of Colonel Denison for his troops to fall back, having been understood by +many to mean a retreat, the troops began to retire in much disorder. The +savages considered this a flight, and commencing a most hideous yell, +rushed forward with their rifles and tomahawks, and cut the retiring line +to pieces. In this situation it was found impossible to rally and form the +troops, and the rout became general throughout the line. + +The settlers fled in every direction, and were instantly followed by the +savages, who killed or took prisoners whoever came within their reach. +Some succeeded in reaching the river, and escaped by swimming across; +others fled to the mountains, and the savages, too much occupied with +plunder, gave up the pursuit. + +When the first intelligence was received in the village of Wilkesbarre +that the battle was lost, the women fled with their children to the +mountains on their way to the settlements on the Delaware, where many of +them at length arrived after suffering extreme hardships. Many of the men +who escaped the battle, together with their women and children, who were +unable to travel on foot, took refuge in Wyoming fort, and on the +following day (July 4th,) Butler and Brant, at the head of their combined +forces, appeared before the fort, and demanded its surrender. The garrison +being without any efficient means of defence, surrendered the fort on +articles of capitulation, by which the settlers, upon giving up their +fortifications, prisoners, and military stores, were to remain in the +country unmolested, provided they did not again take up arms. + +In this battle about three hundred of the settlers were killed or missing, +from a great part of whom no intelligence was ever afterward received. + +The conditions of the capitulation were entirely disregarded by the +British and savage forces, and after the fort was delivered up, all kinds +of barbarities were committed by them. The village of Wilkesbarre, +consisting of twenty-three houses, was burnt; men and their wives were +separated from each other, and carried into captivity: their property was +plundered, and the settlement laid waste. The remainder of the inhabitants +were driven from the valley, and compelled to proceed on foot sixty miles +through the great swamp, almost without food or clothing. A number +perished in the journey, principally women and children; some died of +their wounds; others wandered from the path in search of food, and were +lost, and those who survived called the wilderness through which they had +passed, "the shades of death!" a name which it has since retained. + +[Illustration: THE BLOCK-HOUSE.] + + + + +HEROIC WOMEN OF THE WEST. + + +The following incidents are taken from a letter addressed by Captain +Nathaniel Hart, of Woodford county, Kentucky, to Governor Morehead: + +DEAR SIR.--Connected with your address delivered at the celebration of the +first settlement of Kentucky, at Boonesborough, the circumstances +attending the escape and defence of Mrs. Woods, about the year 1784-5, +near the Crab Orchard, in Lincoln county, may not be without interest. I +have a distinct recollection of them. Mr. Woods, her husband, was absent +from home, and early in the morning, being a short distance from her +cabin, she discovered several Indians advancing towards it. She reached it +before all but one, who was so far ahead of the others, that before she +could close and fasten the door, he entered. Instantly he was seized by a +lame negro man of the family, and after a short scuffle, they both +fell--the negro underneath. But he held the Indian so fast, that he was +unable to use either his scalping knife or tomahawk, when he called upon +his young mistress to take the axe from under the bed, and dispatch him by +a blow upon the head. She immediately attempted it: but the first attempt +was a failure She repeated the blow and killed him. The other Indians were +at the door endeavoring to force it open with their tomahawks. The negro +rose, and proposed to Mrs. Woods to let in another, and they would soon +dispose of the whole of them in the same way. The cabin was but a short +distance from a station, the occupants of which, having discovered the +perilous situation of the family, fired on the Indians, and killed +another, when the remainder made their escape. + +[Illustration: MRS. DUREE OVER THE DEAD BODY OF HER HUSBAND.] + +This incident is not more extaordinary than one that happened, in the +fall or winter of 1781-2, to some families belonging to our own fort +at the White Oak Spring. My father settled this fort in 1779. It was +situated about a mile above Boonesborough and in the same bottom of the +river. It was composed principally of families from York county, +Pennsylvania--orderly, respectable people, and the men good soldiers. But +they were unaccustomed to Indian warfare, and the consequence was, +that of some ten or twelve men, all were killed but two or three. During +this period, Peter Duree, the elder, the principal man of the connection, +determined to settle a new fort between Estill's station and the mouth of +Muddy Creek, directly on the trace between the Cherokee and Shawnese +towns. Having erected a cabin, his son-in-law, John Bullock and his +family, and his son Peter Duree, his wife and two children, removed to +it, taking a pair of hand mill stones with them. They remained for two or +three days shut up in their cabin, but their corn meal being exhausted, +they were compelled to venture out to cut a hollow tree in order to +adjust their hand mill. They were attacked by Indians--Bullock, after +running a short distance, fell. Duree reached the cabin, and threw himself +upon the bed. Mrs. Bullock ran to the door to ascertain the fate of her +husband--received a shot in the breast, and fell across the door sill. +Mrs. Duree, not knowing whether her husband had been shot or had +fainted, caught her by the feet, pulled her into the house and barred +the door. She grasped a rifle and told her husband, she would help him to +fight. He replied that he had been wounded and was dying. She then +presented the gun through several port holes in quick succession--then +calmly sat by her husband and closed his eyes in death. You would +conclude that the scene ought to end here--but after waiting several +hours, and seeing nothing more of the Indians, she sallied out in +desperation to make her way to the White Oak Spring, with her infant in +her arms, and a son, three or four years of age, following her. Afraid to +pursue the trace, she entered the woods, and after running till she +was nearly exhausted she came at length to the trace. She determined +to follow it at all hazards, and having advanced a few miles further, +she met the elder Mr. Duree, with his wife, and youngest son, with +their baggage, on their way to the new station. The melancholy tidings +induced them, of course, to return. They led their horses into an +adjoining canebrake, unloaded them, and regained the White Oak Spring +fort before daylight. + +It is impossible at this day to make a just impression of the sufferings +of the pioneers about the period spoken of. The White Oak Spring fort in +1782, with perhaps one hundred souls in it, was reduced in August to three +fighting white men--and I can say with truth, that for two or three weeks, +my mother's family never unclothed themselves to sleep, nor were all of +them, within the time, at their meals together, nor was any household +business attempted. Food was prepared, and placed where those who chose +could eat. It was the period when Bryant's station was besieged and for +many days before and after that gloomy event, we were in constant +expectation of being made prisoners. We made application to Colonel Logan +for a guard, and obtained one, but not until the danger was measurably +over. It then consisted of two men only. Colonel Logan did everything in +his power, as county lieutenant, to sustain the different forts--but it +was not a very easy matter to order a married man from a fort where his +family was to defend some other--when his own was in imminent danger. + +I went with my mother in January, 1783, to Logan's station, to prove my +father's will. He had fallen in the preceding July. Twenty armed men were +of the party. Twenty-three widows were in attendance upon the court, to +obtain letters of administration on the estates of their husbands, who had +been killed during the past year. My mother went to Colonel Logan's, who +received and treated her like a sister. + +[Illustration: GENERAL ST. CLAIR.] + + + + +INDIAN STRATEGEM FOILED. + + +The Chippewas are a numerous people inhabiting the country north of Lake +Superior, and about the source of the Mississippi. They are divided into +several tribes, and are distinguished by the number of blue or black lines +tattooed on their cheeks and foreheads. + +Travellers have always described them as "the most peaceable tribe of +Indians known in North America." They are not remarkable for their +activity as hunters, and this no doubt is owing to the ease with which +they can procure both game and fish. + +[Illustration: THE SENTINEL.] + +In their pursuit of deer, they sometimes drive them into the small lakes, +and then spear them from their canoes; or shoot them with the bow and +arrow, after having driven them into inclosures constructed for the +purpose. Snares made of deer sinews, too, are frequently used for catching +large and small game: and as these occupations are not beyond the strength +of the old men and boys, they take a share in these toils, which among +most of the tribes are left exclusively to the squaws. + +In person the Chippewas are not remarkable; they are generally robust, +their complexion swarthy, their features broad, and their hair straight +and black, which is the case in most of the Indian tribes. But they have +not that piercing eye, which so generally animates the Indian +countenance. + +The aspect of the women is more agreeable than that of the men; they wear +their hair of a great length, and pay much attention to its arrangement, +greasing it with considerable taste. + +They appear to be more attentive to the comforts of dress, and less +anxious about its exterior than of their red brethren. Deer and fawn +skins, dressed with the hair on, so skilfully that they are perfectly +supple, compose their shirt or coat, which is girt round the waist with a +belt, and reaches half way down the thigh. Their moccasins and leggins are +generally sewn together, and the latter meet the belt to which they are +fastened. A ruff or tippet surrounds the neck, and the skin of the deer's +head is formed into a curious sort of cap. + +A robe of several deer skins sewn together is throw over the whole; this +dress is sometimes worn single, but in winter it is always made double, +the hair forming both the lining and the outside. + +Thus attired, a Chippewa will lay himself down on the snow and repose in +comfort; and if in his wanderings across the numerous lakes with which his +country abounds, he should fall short of provisions, he has only to cut a +hole in the ice, when he seldom fails of taking a blackfish, or a bass, +which he broils over his little wood fire with as much skill as a French +cook. + +At the time of the French and Indian wars, the American army was encamped +on the Plains of Chippewa. Colonel St. Clair, the commander, was a brave +and meritorious officer, but his bravery sometimes amounted to rashness, +and his enemies have accused him of indiscretion. In the present instance +perhaps he may have merited the accusation, for the plain on which he had +encamped was bordered by a dense forest, from which the Indian scouts +could easily pick off his sentinels without in the least exposing +themselves to danger. + +[Illustration: CHIPPEWA INDIANS FISHING ON THE ICE.] + +Five nights had passed, and every night the sentinel, who stood at a +lonely out-post in the vicinity of the forest, had been shot; and these +repeated disasters struck such dread among the remaining soldiers, that no +one would come forward to offer to take the post, and the commander, +knowing it was only throwing men's lives away, let it stand for a few +nights unoccupied. + +At length, a rifleman of the Virginian corps, volunteered his services for +this dangerous duty; he laughed at the fears of his companions, and told +them he meant to return safe and drink his commander's health in the +morning. The guard marched up soon after, and he shouldered his rifle and +fell. He arrived at the place which had been so fatal to his comrades, and +bidding his fellow soldiers "good night," assumed the duties of his post. +The night was dark, thick clouds overspread the firmament, and hardly a +star could be seen by the sentinel as he paced his lonely walk. All was +silent except the gradually retreating footsteps of the guard; he marched +onwards, then stopped and listened till he thought he heard the joyful +sound of "All's well"--then all was still, and he sat down on a fallen +tree and began to muse. Presently a low rustling among the bushes caught +his ear; he gazed intently towards the spot whence the sound seemed to +proceed, but he could see nothing save the impenetrable gloom of the +forest. The sound grew nearer, and a well-known grunt informed him of the +approach of a bear. The animal passed the soldier slowly, and then quietly +sought the thicket to the left. At this moment the moon shone out bright +through the parting clouds, and the wary soldier perceived the ornamented +moccasin of a savage on what an instant before he believed to be a bear! +He could have shot him in a moment, but he knew not how many other animals +might be at hand; he therefore refrained, and having perfect knowledge of +Indian subtilty, he quickly took off his hat and coat, hung them on a +branch of a fallen tree, grasped his rifle, and silently crept towards the +thicket. He had barely reached it, when an arrow, whizzing past his head, +told him of the danger he had so narrowly escaped. + +He looked carefully round him, and on a little spot of cleared land he +counted twelve Indians, some sitting, some lying full length on the +thickly strewn leaves of the forest. Believing that they had already shot +the sentinel, and little thinking there was any one within hearing, they +were quite off their guard, and conversed aloud about their plans for the +morrow. + +It appeared that a council of twelve chiefs was now held, in which they +gravely deliberated on the most effectual means of annoying the enemy. It +was decided that the next evening forty of their warriors should be in +readiness at the hour when the sentinel should be left by his comrades, +and that when they had retired a few paces, an arrow should silence him +for ever, and they would then rush on and massacre the guard. + +This being concluded, they rose, and drawing the numerous folds of their +ample robes closer round them, they marched off in Indian file through the +gloomy forest, seeking some more distant spot, where the smoke of their +nightly fire would not be observed by the white men. + +The sentinel rose from his hiding-place and returned to his post, and +taking down his hat, found that an arrow had passed clean through it. He +then wrapt himself in his watch-coat, and returned immediately to the +camp; and without any delay demanded to speak to the commander, saying +that he had something important to communicate. + +[Illustration: GENERAL MORGAN.] + +He was admitted, and when he had told all that he had seen and heard, the +Colonel bestowed on him the commission of lieutenant of the Virginia +corps, which had been made vacant by the death of one of his comrades a +few nights back, and ordered him to be ready with a picket guard, to march +an hour earlier than usual to the fatal out-post, there to place a hat and +coat on the branches, and then lie in ambush for the intruders. + +The following evening, according to the orders given by Colonel St. Clair, +a detachment of forty riflemen, with Lieutenant Morgan at their head, +marched from the camp at half past seven in the evening towards the +appointed spot, and having arranged the hat and coat so as to have the +appearance of a soldier standing on guard, they stole silently away and +hid themselves among the bushes. + +Here they lay for almost an hour before any signs of approaching Indians +were heard. The night was cold and still, and the rising moon shone forth +in all her beauty. The men were becoming impatient of their uncomfortable +situation, for their clothes were not so well adapted to a bed of snow as +the deer-skin robes of the hardy Chippewas. + +"Silence!" whispered Lieutenant Morgan--"I hear the rustling of the +leaves." + +Presently a bear of the same description as had been seen the night +before, passed near the ambush; it crept to the edge of the +plain--reconnoitred--saw the sentinel at his post--retired towards the +forest a few paces, and then, suddenly rising on his feet, let fly an +arrow which brought the sham sentinel to the ground. So impatient were the +Virginians to avenge the death of their comrades that they could scarcely +wait till the lieutenant gave the word of command to fire--then they rose +in a body, and before the Chippewas had time to draw their arrows or seize +their tomahawks, more than half their number lay dead upon the plain. The +rest fled to the forest, but the riflemen fired again, and killed or +wounded several more of the enemy. They then returned in triumph to relate +their exploits in the camp. + +Ten chiefs fell that night, and their fall was, undoubtedly, one principal +cause of the French and Indian wars with the English. + +Lieutenant Morgan rose to be a captain, and at the termination of the war +returned home, and lived on his own farm till the breaking out of the +American war. And then, at the head of a corps of Virginia rifleman, +appeared our hero, the brave and gallant Colonel Morgan, better known by +the title of general, which he soon acquired by his courage and ability. + +[Illustration: BLACKBIRD.] + + + + +BLACKBIRD. + + +Among the first tribes of the Great Oregon Territory, which established +friendly intercourse with the United States traders, were the Omahas. The +boast of these Indians was a chief named Blackbird, who was a steadfast +friend of the white men and the terror of the neighboring hostile tribes. +Such were his skill, courage, and success in war, that friends and foes +regarded him as enchanted. He delighted in trials of strength or agility, +in which he always came off victorious. In addition to these qualities, he +possessed a secret which rendered him more than human in the eyes of his +barbarous followers. This was an acquaintance with the properties of +arsenic, which he had obtained from a white trader. Whenever he was +displeased with an Indian, he prophesied his death before a certain day, +and the sure accomplishment of the prophecy rendered Blackbird an object +of terror and reverence. + +On one occasion, the Poncas made an incursion into Blackbird's territory, +and carried away a number of women and horses. He immediately collected +his warriors and pursued them. The Poncas sheltered themselves behind a +rude embankment, but their persevering enemy, gaining a good position, +poured upon them a well-directed fire, which did fearful execution. The +Ponca chief dispatched a herald, with the calumet, but he was immediately +shot; a second herald experienced the same treatment. The chieftain's +daughter, a young maiden of much personal beauty, then appeared before the +stern foe, dressed with exquisite taste, and bearing the calumet. +Blackbird's heart softened, he accepted the sacred emblem, and concluded a +peace with his enemy. The pledge given and received was the beautiful +Ponca maiden, as wife to the fierce chieftain of Omaha. + +For the first time the heart of Blackbird felt the genial influence of +love. He loved the young creature who had saved her tribe, with all the +ardor of untutored nature. But he was still a savage, and sometimes +ungovernable bursts of rage would transport him beyond all bounds of +affection or decency. In one of these, his beloved wife unwittingly +offended him. He instantly drew his knife and laid her dead with a single +blow. The dreadful deed calmed him in a moment. For a little while he +looked at the beautiful corpse in stupid grief, and then, with his head +wrapped in his robe, he sat down beside it. He ate no food, spake no word +for three days. The remonstrances of his people were received with +silence, and no one dared to uncover his face. At length one of them +brought in a small child, and placed the foot of the unhappy warrior on +its neck. Blackbird was moved by the significant appeal and throwing aside +his robe, he arose and delivered an oration. + +The Omaha tribe were greatly thinned by small-pox, and to this loathsome +disease their great chieftain fell a victim. His dying request was bold +and fanciful. Near the source of the Missouri is a high solitary rock, +round which the river winds in a nearly circular direction, and which +commands a view of the adjacent country for many miles around. There +Blackbird had often sat to watch for the canoes of the white traders, and +there it was his dying request to be buried. He was to be mounted upon his +horse, completely armed, so as to overlook his lands, and watch for the +coming boat of the white men. His orders were obeyed; and on that same +high promontory, over the tomb of the Indian warrior was raised his +national banner, capped with the scalps which he had taken in battle. Of +course the Indians regard the rock with superstitious reverence, and have +their own stories of the scenes which occasionally take place on and +around it. + + + + +A DESPERATE ADVENTURE. + + +While encamped on the 24th of April, at a spring near the Spanish Trail, +we were surprised by the sudden appearance amongst us of two Mexicans; a +man and a boy. The name of the man was Andreas Fuentas, and that of the +boy, a handsome lad of eleven years old, Pablo Hernandez. With a cavalcade +of about thirty horses, they had come out from Puebla de los Angelos, near +the Pacific; had lost half their animals, stolen by the Indians, and now +sought my camp for aid. Carson and Godey, two of my men, volunteered to +pursue them, with the Mexican; and, well mounted, the three set off on the +trail. In the evening, Fuentas returned, his horse having failed; but +Carson and Godey had continued the pursuit. + +[Illustration: KIT. CARSON.] + +In the afternoon of the next day, a war-whoop was heard, such as Indians +make when returning from a victorious enterprise; and soon Carson and +Godey appeared driving before them a band of horses, recognised by Fuentas +to be a part of those they had lost. Two bloody scalps, dangling from the +end of Godey's gun, announced that they had overtaken the Indians as well +as the horses. They had continued the pursuit alone after Fuentas left +them, and towards nightfall entered the mountains into which the trail +led. After sunset, the moon gave light until late in the night, when it +entered a narrow defile, and was difficult to follow. Here they lay from +midnight till morning. At daylight they resumed the pursuit, and at +sunrise discovered the horses; and immediately dismounting and tying up +their own, they crept cautiously to a rising ground which intervened, from +the crest of which they perceived the encampment of four lodges close by. +They proceeded quietly, and got within thirty or forty yards of their +object, when a movement among the horses discovered them to the Indians. +Giving the war shout, they instantly charged into the camp, regardless of +the numbers which the four lodges might contain. The Indians received them +with a flight of arrows, shot from their long bows, one of which passed +through Godey's shirt collar, barely missing the neck. Our men fired their +rifles upon a steady aim, and rushed in. Two Indians were stretched upon +the ground, fatally pierced with bullets; the rest fled, except a lad, who +was captured. The scalps of the fallen were instantly stripped off, but in +the process, one of them, who had two balls through his body, sprung to +his feet, the blood streaming from his skinned head, and uttered a hideous +howl. The frightful spectacle appalled the stout hearts of our men; but +they did what humanity required, and quickly terminated the agony of the +gory savage. They were now masters of the camp, which was a pretty little +recess in the mountain, with a fine spring, and apparently safe from all +invasion. Great preparation had been made for feasting a large party, for +it was a very proper place for a rendezvous, and for the celebration of +such orgies as robbers of the desert would delight in. Several of the +horses had been killed, skinned, and cut up--for the Indians living in the +mountains, and only coming into the plains to rob and murder, make no +other use of horses than to eat them. Large earthen vessels were on the +fire, boiling and stewing the horse beef, and several baskets containing +fifty or sixty pair of moccasins, indicated the presence or expectation of +a large party. They released the boy who had given strong evidence of the +stoicism, or something else of the savage character, by commencing his +breakfast upon a horse's head as soon as he found he was not to be killed, +but only tied as a prisoner. + +[Illustration: AN INDIAN CAMP.] + +Their object accomplished, our men gathered up all the surviving horses, +fifteen in number, returned upon their trail, and rejoined us at our camp +in the afternoon of the same day. They had rode about one hundred miles in +the pursuit and return, and all in about thirty hours. The time, place, +object and numbers considered, this expedition of Carson and Godey may be +considered among the boldest and most disinterested which the annals of +western adventure, so full of daring deeds, can present. Two men in a +savage wilderness, pursue day and night an unknown body of Indians into +the defiles of an unknown mountain--attack them on sight without counting +numbers--and defeat them in an instant--and for what?--to punish the +robbers of the desert, and revenge the wrongs of Mexicans whom they did +not know. I repeat it was Carson and Godey who did this--the former an +American, born, in Booneslick county, Missouri; the latter a Frenchman, +born in St. Louis--and both trained to western enterprise from early +life. + + + + +ADVENTURE OF TWO SCOUTS. + + +As early as the year 1790, the block-house and stockade, above the mouth +of the Hockhocking river, was a frontier post for the hardy pioneer of +that portion of the state from the Hockhocking to the Sciota, and from the +Ohio river to the northern lakes. Then nature wore her undisturbed livery +of dark and thick forests, interspersed with green and flowery prairies. +Then the axe of the woodman had not been heard in the wilderness, nor the +plough of the husbandmen marred the beauty of the green prairies. Among +the rich and luxuriant valleys, that of the Hockhocking was pre-eminent +for nature's richest gifts--and the portico of it whereon Lancaster now +stands, was marked as the most luxuriant and picturesque, and became the +seat of an Indian village, at a period so early, that the "memory of man +runneth not parallel thereto." On the green sward of the prairie was held +many a rude gambol of the Indians; and here, too, was many an assemblage +of the warriors of one of the most powerful tribes, taking counsel for a +"war-path," upon some weak or defenceless post. + +[Illustration: THE BLOCK-HOUSE.] + +Upon one of these stirring occasions, intelligence reached the little +garrison above the mouth of the Hockhocking, that the Indians were +gathering in force somewhere up the valley, for the purpose of striking a +terrible and fatal blow on one of the few and scattered defences of the +whites. A council was held by the garrison, and scouts were sent up the +Hockhocking, in order to ascertain the strength of the foe, and the +probable point of attack. In the month of October, and on one of the +balmiest days of our Indian summer, two men could have been seen emerging +out of the thick plumb and hazel bushes skirting the prairie, and +stealthily climbing the eastern declivity of that most remarkable +promontory, now known as Mount Pleasant, whose western summit gives a +commanding view to the eye of what is doing on the prairie. This eminence +was gained by our two adventurers and hardy scouts, and from this point +they carefully observed the movements taking place on the prairie. Every +day brought an accession of warriors to those already assembled, and every +day the scouts witnessed from their eyrie, the horse-racing, leaping, +running and throwing the deadly tomahawk by the warriors. The old sachems +looking on with indifference--the squaws, for the most part, engaged in +their usual drudgeries, and the papooses manifesting all the noisy and +wayward joy of childhood. The arrival of any new party of savages was +hailed by the terrible war-whoop, which striking the mural face of Mount +Pleasant, was driven back into the various indentations of the surrounding +hills, producing reverberation on reverberation, and echo on echo, till it +seemed as if ten thousand fiends were gathered in their orgies. Such yells +might well strike terror into the bosoms of those unaccustomed to them. To +our scouts these were but martial music strains which waked their +watchfulness, and strung their iron frames. From their early youth had +they been always on the frontier, and therefore well practised in all the +subtlety, craft, and cunning, as well as knowing the ferocity and +bloodthirsty perseverance of the savage. They were therefore not likely to +be circumvented by the cunning of their foes; and without a desperate +struggle, would not fall victims to the scalping-knife. + +On several occasions, small parties of warriors left the prairies and +ascended the Mount; at which times the scouts would hide in the fissures +of the rocks, or lying by the side of some long prostrate tree, cover +themselves with the sear and yellow leaf, and again leave their hiding +places when their uninvited visitors had disappeared. + +[Illustration: A SHAWANESE WARRIOR.] + +For food they depended on jerked venison, and cold corn bread, with which +their knapsacks had been well stored. Fire they dared not kindle, and the +report of one of their rifles would bring upon them the entire force of +the Indians. For drink they depended on some rain water, which still stood +in excavations of the rocks, but in a few days this store was exhausted, +and M'Clelland and White must abandon their enterprise or find a new +supply. To accomplish this most hazardous affair, M'Clelland being the +elder, resolved to make the attempt--with his trusty rifle in his grasp, +and two canteens strung across his shoulders, he cautiously descended to +the prairie, and skirting the hills on the north as much as possible +within the hazel thickets, he struck a course for the Hockhocking river. +He reached its margin, and turning an abrupt point of a hill, he found a +beautiful fountain of limpid water, now known as the Cold Spring, within a +few feet of the river. He filled his canteens and returned in safety to +his watchful companion. It was now determined to have a fresh supply of +water every day, and this duty was to be performed alternately. + +On one of these occasions, after White had filled his canteens, he sat a +few moments, watching the limpid element, as it came gurgling out of the +bosom of the earth--the light sound of footsteps caught his practised ear, +and upon turning round, he saw two squaws within a few feet of him; these +upon turning the jet of the hill had thus suddenly came upon him. The +elder squaw gave one of those far-reaching whoops peculiar to the Indians. +White at once comprehended his perilous situation--for if the alarm should +reach the camp, he and his companion must inevitably perish. +Self-preservation impelled him to inflict a noiseless death upon the +squaws, and in such a manner as to leave no trace behind. Ever rapid in +thought, and prompt in action, he sprang upon his victims with a rapidity +and power of a panther, and grasping the throat of each, with one bound he +sprang into the river, and rapidly thrust the head of the elder woman +under the water, and making stronger efforts to submerge the younger, who, +however, powerfully resisted. During the short struggle, the younger +female addressed him in his own language, though almost in inarticulate +sounds. Releasing his hold, she informed him, that, ten years before, she +had been made a prisoner, on Grave Creek flats, and that the Indians, in +her presence, butchered her mother and two sisters; and that an only +brother had been captured with her, who succeeded on the second night in +making his escape; but what had become of him she knew not. + +During the narrative, White, unobserved by the girl, had let go his grasp +on the elder squaw, whose body soon floated where it would not, probably +soon be found. He now directed the girl hastily to follow him, and with +his usual energy and speed, pushed for the Mount. They had scarcely gone +two hundred yards from the spring, before the alarm cry was heard some +quarter of a mile down the stream. It was supposed that some warriors +returning from a hunt, struck the Hockhocking just as the body of the +drowned squaw floated past. White and the girl succeeded in reaching the +Mount, where M'Clelland had been no indifferent spectator to the sudden +commotion among the Indians, as the prairie warriors were seen to strike +off in every direction, and before White and the girl had arrived, a party +of some twenty warriors had already gained the eastern acclivity of the +Mount, and were cautiously ascending, carefully keeping under cover. Soon +the two scouts saw the swarthy faces of the foe, as they glided from tree +to tree, and rock to rock, until the whole base of the Mount was +surrounded, and all hopes of escape were cut off. + +[Illustration: A SHAWANESE CHIEF.] + +In this peril nothing was left, other than to sell their lives as dearly +as possible; this they resolved to do, and advised the girl to escape to +the Indians, and tell them she had been a captive to the scouts. + +She said, "No! Death, and that in presence of my people, is to me a +thousand times sweeter than captivity--furnish me with a rifle, and I will +show you that I can fight as well as die. This spot I leave not! here my +bones shall lie bleaching with yours! and should either of you escape, you +will carry the tidings of my death to my remaining relatives." + +Remonstrance proved fruitless; the two scouts matured their plans for a +vigorous defence--opposing craft to craft, expedient to expedient, and an +unerring fire of the deadly rifle. The attack now commenced in front, +where, from the narrow backbone of the Mount, the savages had to advance +in single file, but where they could avail themselves of the rock and +trees. In advancing the warrior must be momentarily exposed, and two bare +inches of his swarthy form was target enough for the unerring rifle of the +scouts. After bravely maintaining the fight in front, and keeping the +enemy in check, they discovered a new danger threatening them. The wary +foe now made every preparation to attack them in flank, which could be +most successfully and fatally done by reaching an insulated rock lying in +one of the ravines on the southern hill side. This rock once gained by the +Indians, they could bring the scouts under point blank shot of the rifle; +and without the possibility of escape. + +Our brave scouts saw the hopelessness of their situation, which nothing +could avert but brave companions and an unerring shot--them they had not. +But the brave never despair. With this certain fate resting upon them, +they had continued as calm, and as calculating, and as unwearied as the +strongest desire of vengeance on a treacherous foe could produce. Soon +M'Clelland saw a tall and swarthy figure preparing to spring from a cover +so near the fatal rock, that a single bound must reach it, and all hope be +destroyed. He felt that all depended on one advantageous shot, although +but one inch of the warrior's body was exposed, and that at a distance of +one hundred yards--he resolved to risk all--coolly he raised his rifle to +his eyes, carefully shading the sight with his hand, he drew a bead so +sure, that he felt conscious it would do--he touched the hair trigger with +his finger--the hammer came down, but in place of striking fire, it +crushed his flint into a hundred fragments! Although he felt that the +savage must reach the fatal rock before he could adjust another flint, he +proceeded to the task with the utmost composure, casting many a furtive +glance towards the fearful point. Suddenly he saw the warrior stretching +every muscle for the leap--and with the agility of a deer he made the +spring--instead of reaching the rock he sprung ten feet in the air, and +giving one terrific yell he fell upon the earth, and his dark corpse +rolled fifty feet down the hill. He had evidently received a death shot +from some unknown hand. A hundred voices from below re-echoed the terrible +shout, and it was evident that they had lost a favorite warrior, as well +as been foiled for a time in their most important movement. A very few +moments proved that the advantage so mysteriously gained would be of short +duration; for already the scouts caught a momentary glimpse of a swarthy +warrior, cautiously advancing towards the cover so recently occupied by a +fellow companion. Now, too, the attack in front was resumed with increased +fury, so as to require the incessant fire of both scouts, to prevent the +Indians from gaining the eminence--and in a short time M'Clelland saw the +wary warrior turning a somerset, his corpse rolled down towards his +companion: again a mysterious agent had interposed in their behalf. This +second sacrifice cast dismay into the ranks of the assailants; and just as +the sun was disappearing behind the western hills, the foe withdrew a +short distance, for the purpose of devising new modes of attack. The +respite came most seasonably to the scouts, who had bravely kept their +position, and boldly maintained the unequal fight from the middle of the +day. + +[Illustration: THE SCOUT.] + +Now, for the first time, was the girl missing, and the scouts supposed +through terror she had escaped to her former captors, or that she had been +killed during the fight. They were not long left to doubt, for in a few +moments the girl was seen emerging from behind a rock and coming to them +with a rifle in her hand. + +During the heat of the fight she saw a warrior fall, who had advanced some +fifty yards before the main body in front. She at once resolved to possess +herself of his rifle, and crouching in undergrowth she crept to the spot, +and succeeded in her enterprise, being all the time exposed to the cross +fire of the defenders and assailants--her practised eye had early noticed +the fatal rock, and hers was the mysterious hand by which the two warriors +had fallen--the last being the most wary, untiring, and bloodthirsty brave +of the Shawnese tribe. He it was, who ten years previous had scalped the +family of the girl, and been her captor. + +In the west, dark clouds were now gathering, and in an hour the whole +heavens were shrouded in them; this darkness greatly embarrassed the +scouts in their contemplated night retreat, for they might readily lose +their way, or accidentally fall on the enemy--this being highly probable, +if not inevitable. An hour's consultation decided their plans, and it was +agreed that the girl, from her intimate knowledge of their localities, +should lead the advance a few steps. Another advantage might be gained by +this arrangement, for in case they should fall in with some out-post, the +girl's knowledge of the Indian tongue, would, perhaps, enable her to +deceive the sentinel: and so the sequel proved, for scarcely had they +descended one hundred feet, when a low "whist" from the girl, warned them +of present danger. + +[Illustration: THE RETURNED CAPTIVE.] + +The scouts sunk silently to the earth, where, by previous agreement, they +were to remain till another signal was given them by the girl,--whose +absence for more than a quarter of an hour now began to excite the most +serious apprehensions. At length, she again appeared, and told them that +she had succeeded in removing two sentinels who were directly in their +route to a point some hundred feet distant. The descent was noiselessly +resumed--the level gained, and the scouts followed their intrepid pioneer +for half a mile in the most profound silence, when the barking of a small +dog, within a few feet, apprised them of a new danger. The almost +simultaneous click of the scouts' rifles was heard by the girl, who +rapidly approached them, and stated that they were now in the midst of the +Indian wigwams, and their lives depended on the most profound silence, and +implicitly following her footsteps. A moment afterwards, the girl was +accosted by a squaw, from an opening in the wigwam. She replied in the +Indian language, and without stopping pressed forward. + +In a short time she stopped and assured the scouts that the village was +cleared and that they were now in safety. She knew that every pass leading +out of the prairie was safely guarded by Indians, and at once resolved to +adopt the bold adventure of passing through the very centre of their +village as the least hazardous. The result proved the correctness of her +judgment. + +They now kept a course for the Ohio, being guided by the Hockhocking +river--and after three days' march and suffering, the party arrived at the +block-house in safety. + +Their escape from the Indians, prevented the contemplated attack; and the +rescued girl proved to be the sister of the intrepid Neil Washburn, +celebrated in Indian warfare as the renowned scout to Captain Kenton's +bloody Kentuckians. + +[Illustration: THE YOUNG HERO CROSSING THE RIVER.] + + + + +A YOUNG HERO OF THE WEST. + + +To show of what material the boys were made, in the great heroic age of +the west, we give the following, which we find in a recent communication +from Major Nye, of Ohio. The scene of adventure was within the present +limits of Wood county, Virginia. + +I have heard from Mr. Guthrie and others, that at Bellville a man had a +son, quite a youth, say twelve or fourteen years of age, who had been used +to firing his father's gun, as most boys did in those days. He heard, he +supposed, turkeys on or near the bank of the Ohio, opposite that place, +and asked his father to let him take his gun and kill one. His father +knowing that the Indians often decoyed people by such noises, refused, +saying it was probably an Indian. When he had gone to work, the boy took +the gun and paddled his canoe over the river, but had the precaution to +land some distance from where he had heard the turkey all the morning, +probably from fear of scaring the game, and perhaps a little afraid of +Indians. The banks were steep, and the boy cautiously advanced to where he +could see without being seen. Watching awhile for his game, he happened to +see an Indian cautiously looking over a log, to notice where the boy had +landed. The lad fixed his gun at rest, watching the place where he had +seen the Indian's head, and when it appeared again, fired, and the Indian +disappeared. The boy dropped the gun and ran for his canoe, which he +paddled over the river as soon as possible. When he reached home, he said, +"Mother, I have killed an Indian!" and the mother replied, "No, you have +not." "Yes, I have," said the boy. The father coming in, he made the same +report to him, and received the same reply; but he constantly affirmed it +was even so; and, as the gun was left, a party took the boy over the river +to find it, and show the place where he shot the Indian, and behold, his +words were found verified. The ball had entered the head, where the boy +had affirmed he shot, between the eye and ear. + +THE END. + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's Heroes and Hunters of the West, by Anonymous + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HEROES AND HUNTERS OF THE WEST *** + +***** This file should be named 26965.txt or 26965.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/6/9/6/26965/ + +Produced by Roger Frank and the Online Distributed +Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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