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32X

LIFE AMONG THE INDIMS;

OB,

PERSONAL REMINISCENCES

AND

HISTORICAL INCIDENTS

ILLUSTRATIVB OF

INDIAN LIFE AND CHARACTER.

REV. JAMES B. FINLEY,

"TBI OLD CaiEP," OR RA-WAH-WAR.

EDITED BY REV. D. W. CLARK, D. D.

-Q?,?»^HB^-

CINCINNATI:

CRANSTON & CURTS.

NEW YORK: HUNT & EATON.

F5\S

f K

«!

r R E F A C E .

-•••-

No living man, probably, has seen and known
more of the Indians in the north-west than my-
self. During almost seventy years I have been
among them, as it wei-e — have been acquainted
with their principal men, studied their history,
character, and manner of life. With me it has
not been, as with most who have written about
them, a mere matter of theory; for I have been
among them, hunted and fished with them, ate
and lodged in their wigwams, and been subjected
to all the labors, excitements, perils, and priva-
tions of life among them. In this long experi-
ence and observation, I have gathered up many
things which I thought worthy of record. Some
of them occurred in my experience as a mission-
ary among them.

I Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, were
the great battle-fields between barbarism and civ-
ilization in the west My acquaintance extended

201^54

PREFACE.

rr
Iff

over all these states; and there is scarcely a spot
celebrated in Indian warfare which I have not vis-
itc'l again and again. Tales of Indian life and
warfare were the entertainments of my childhood;
the realities of these things were among the ex-
periences of my manhood. Now, when the scene
is nearly over with me on earth, I have gathered
up these reminiscences of the past, to amuse and
instruct the generations of a later age. Those
who enjoy so goodly a heritage in this vast region,
ought to know through what trials and perils their
forefathers obtained it for them.

I have endeavored to connect the facts nar-
rated in these pages, so as to give a condensed
view of Indian history in the north-west. In the
preparation of the work I am indebted to Flint,
M'Donald, Drake, Schoolcraft, and others. Col.
M'Donald's work was written at my suggestion,
and a portion of the material was also furnished
by me; consequently, I have felt free to draw upon
rt The work of Mr. Flint is rich in the mate-
rials of history; but they are so entirely com-
mingled and without system, as to detract much
from its value. This work is also out of print;
and I have gleaned from it some narrations of

PREFACE.

intei-esfc. But the great body of the matter has
been gleaned from my own resources — not a little
of it, indeed, connected with my own experience.
Thus I send this work out, hoping that it em-
bodies some historic elements and some practical
lessons that may be useful to those who now live,
and also to those who shall come after me.

The Author.

CONTENTS.

- * » • •, »

C U A P T E R I .

BBMO/AIi TO TUE N RT H - W EST £R N TURRITOBT.

Emigration to tbo North-Wostorn Territory — Tho country a wilderness —
Uuoortainty of land titles — Slavery— Scioto Valley : Its great fertility^
Col. Massio— Doronso — Columbia— Gullipolis— The "Three Islands" —
Surveys — Attack—Donaldson : His capture — Escape — " Donaldson'*
creek " — Massio's narrow escape — Ellison's capture — Runs the gantlet —
Is imprisoned — Edgington killed — A race for life — Manner of surrey-
ing — Manner of Ijodging— Attack contemplated— Indians escape —
Another battle— Action ot Brush creek — Settlement at Chillicothe—
Scioto — The Finloy family emigrate — A Wyandott killed— Indians de-
mand the murderer— Refused — Two innocent men killed in revenge —
Whisky — A pioneer magistrate— Stolen collar- Thief whipped — Rapid
■ettlemonts Paqk 17

CHAPTER II.

2K0IDENTS OF INDIAN LIFE AND WARFARE.

Cbilliootbo — Shawnees— Mrs. Dennis: Becomes a squaw, physician, and
nurse — Becomes celebrated — Her escape— Indians pursue— Firo upoii
her — She conceals herself— Crosses the Ohio — Reaches Qrcenbrier—

, Lies down to die — Is discovered and sent forward— Dreadful revenge-
Daniel Boone — Hi is captured— Adopted by a chief— Shows great skill
in hunting — Is compelled to make salt— Resolves to escape— Succeeds — '
An encounter with savages — The Indiana are routed — Anecdote — The
stolen venison — The Indian's inquiry— His acuteness- -Duke Holland—
A savage murde; — Pursuit of tho murdoren* — Mode of tracking them—
Discover them — Cowardice — Report at home— Pressure of emigration-
Indian hostilities and barbarities- Combination against them v 'I'ji-
•othe attacked— Plan of Attack— Retreat— Colonel Bowman- Captains
Logan and Harrod— Black-Foot killed— Kentucky rangers— Various
tribet— The monster Qirty— General Uarmar— Colonel Hardin — A se-

•3^'-'^^:^ '$^^!^i^WB'

CONTSNTS.

fwn oonfliot— The number slain— Geuorol St. Clnir— Terrible barbari-
ties — Loud call for vongnanoe— Qroat mourning — Two thousand sottlert
killed — Movements aguinat the saragos — A general action — Ucneial
Butler killod— The whites flee— Roach Fort Waiihington— The Missii>
■ayo ohiof— His great military skill— General Sooti— Indians attacked—
Their defeat complete— Final great battle— General Wayne— Fort R«-
oorery— Miami of the Lnkos- Offers of pence to the savages -Evasirs
reply— Preparations for battle— Savages completely routed— British
poit — Indian towns and corn destroyed— Treaty of peace— emigra-
tion Pao« At

CHAPTER III.

INDIAN OBUKLTIES.

l*roTOoat!on8 to the Indians— Moravian missionaries— Their mission ni*
lages— Colonel Williamson and his company— Moravian Indians give
up their arms — Are confined— Entreaty for mercy— Prayers and praises
in prison— One hundred Christian Indians murd'Tod— Savages greatly
exasperated- Revenge impending— Colonel Crawford and his expeal»
tion— Attacked and defeated by the Indians— Colonel Crawford and
Dr. Knight captured— Wingenund— Interview between Wingenund anu
Crawford— The interview unsuccessful- Preparations for the horribU
tragedy— Crawford appeals to Qirty— His answer— Captain Pipe— The
rush upon Crawford— Horrible tortures — The brutal Girty— His words
to Knight— Crawford faints— Is scalped— Dies— Dr. Knight escapes-
Crawford's son meets the same fate — Another tragedy— A white family
attacked— Most of them murdered — Mr. Morgan— Struggle for life—
Dunkard's creek— Mrs. Bosarth— Her Heroism— Mrs. Merrill — She kills
seven savages — The boys, Henry and James Johnson — Their brave
exploit and escape from captivity 88

■■•I!

CHAPTER IV.

INDIAN TRIBES IN THE NOBTH-WESTEBNTERBITOBT.

Leading Indian nations — Indian origin unknown — Their own traditions
differ— Different names of the same tribes— Wyandotts or Hurons —
Their territory— The " Grand Fathers "—War with the Six Nations-
Origin of the Seminolos— Wyandotts' removal west— Their wars with
other tribes — Their humane and hospitable character— Their bearing
toward tribes at peace— Treatment of prisoners — Their great number —
Their heroic valor— The great change— The Indians despaii^The "Five
Nations" — Their territory— Reason of thoir name— Called Iroquois by
the French— Tradition about their origin— Mohawks the oldest— Onel-

CONTENTS.

doi-OuondagM SaneoM— Cayugiw Tusoaroru- Mr. Thaloh«r - Adl-
rondaoks— Thoir warlike oharaotur— Tbeir allianoe with the French —
Iroquois prevail— Become the loading tribe of the continent— Piskaret
greatly oolobrated— Great exploit— Uther strange adventures of I'isk»>
ret— Scattering of the tribes before the Iroquois — Extent of their ter
ritory— Lose their pre-eminence with the advance of civilisation-
Origin of Ottawas, Chippewas, and I'ottawataniios— Their emigra-
tioof— Detroit— Pontiuo and the North-Wcutorn tribus—Braddock's do-
feat- -Qreat influence of Pontioo— Colonel Uogers— The two meet—
Pontiac's domaud— Rogom's ii ply— Pontiuo's responso—Hia fricndabip
toward the English — His curiosity — Dosire to visit England— His change
toward the English — Plan of operations — Unfolds his plan to L'<: ' ib(^—
The Ottawas warmly sympathize- The groat Indian allianoe— \' >r —
Nine Uritisih stations captured— Traders taken- Horrible devas'rti >ns—
Indian strategy— Mackinaw and Detroit— The Delawar.::— WilHnm
Peon — Captain Pipe — White-Eyes— Fate of the Shawni-c. — Cincintip.ti
Gazette— Sarcoxv -His hospitality — Miasourians and Yankees — Ti:e
Indian girl — Lodging— The papoose — Moravian missions — Horrl ble mas-
•acre o' peaoeful Indians at Conostoga—Shawnees— Originally from
the South — Their character — Alliance against thom — Emigrate north -
Principal headquarters — Names of the Shawnee tribes — Sitting in
council— Origin of the name Pt^ua- Shawnoes' theory of races— Their
explanation of their condition — Their decline — Condition in 1840 —
Civilization— Policy of the Government— Treaties with fM several
tribes — Government appropriations to the Indian tribes Pack 92

OH AFTER y.

IIEOB OF DETBOIT AND THE DEATH OF POKTIAO.

Detroit in 1763— Fortifications— Garrison— Major Gladwin— Indian plan-
Detection—" Bloody Bridge " — Carver's statement — The Indian woman —
Her revelation— Active preparations — Pontiao admitted within the
fort — Addresses Major Gladwin — Is ordered from the fort — Attacks the
fort— Driven back — A treaty proposed— Major Campbell and Lieutenant
M'Doagal sent to treat — Are detained — Hostilities renewed — A fleet
of boats approach— Is attacked by the Indians and captured— Another
attempt to relieve the garrison — Indians attempt to board the vessels —
Defeated— HxtraoM from letters to Atlantic papers, 1763— Fate of Ma-
jor Campbell — M'Dougal escapes — Detroit reinforced— Attack on the
Indians oontemplated— Is unsuccessful— Indians weary of the war —
Pontiao's army reduced— Wyandotta of Sandusky— General Bmdstreet —
A gnni oounoil— Peace — Pontiao disappears— Goes to the Illinois — Let-
ter respecting him — Is assassinated — His great influence — His death
rarenged — His memory revered by his countrymen 128

C r T E N T S .

CHAPTER VI.

VALL OF MACKINAWAND CAPTIVITTOF MB.HEMBT.

Mr. Uenry— Hostile disposition of the Indians — Plan against the garri'
son — M. Ducharme— Strength of the garrison — Gathering of Indians —
Major Ethcrington — Wawatain— His friendship for Henry — Occasion
of it— His present— His second visit— His talk with Henry — Urges him
to leave the fort — Indians in great numbers — Baggatiway — Suspicions- -
Mr. Tracy — War cry — The Massacre begun— Henry seeks refuge — M.
Langlade — A Pani woman— Sheltered in a garret— Horrible scene of
blood — Indian search — The concealment — Dark prospect — Respite of
sleep — Is discovered — Wenniway — His appearance— A reprieve — Still
in danger — Life attempted — A narrow escape— Other prisoners— Num-
ber killed — The Jesuit missionary — Distressing suspense — Destitute
condition — Isles du Castor — Seized by Ottawas — Ottawas take posses-
sion of the fort— Complaint of the Chippowas— Prisoners returned to
the Chippewas— Desperate condition — Wawatam — His speech — The re-
ply — Henry delivered to Wawatam — More murders — A horrid feast —
English traders seized— Council seized — Fears of the Indians — Mourn-
ing custom — Canoes captured — Drunkenness— Origin of the isame Mack-
inaw — Place of safety— Proves to be a place of bones and skulls — Final
Escape Page 150

I.!]-

If'
!

CHAPTER VII.

TECUMSEH AND HIS WAR.

Tecumsoh — His character — Apprehensions-^ His father — Birth — Early
bravery — John Waggoner — His escape — Murder of his family — Tocum-
seh's obstinacy in fight — His influence extending — A stout Kentuck-
isn— His alarm— Tecumseh's expression— His brother, "the Prophet" —
Tecumseh's theory respecting Indian lands— Governor Harrison's letter
to the Secretary of War — Tecumseh at Vincennos- Cantain Floyd's
aocount — The council — Tecumseh states his objections to the treaty of
Fort Wayne — His declaration of his position — Governor Harrison re-
plies — Tecumseh's singular conduct — Winnemac — Rev. Mr. Winans —
Harrison demands an explanation — Tecumseh's reply — Harrison breaks
up the council — Listens to Tecumseh's explanations next day — Position
of other chiefs — The Governor's answer— Governor visits Tecumseh's
camp— Further conversation — The overflowing water — The dam— Te-
(Aimseh's proposal and threat — Final declaration — Reflections on Tecam-
seh's conduct at the council — Bearing of the Indians — Wrongly treated
by the whites— Harrison's Testimony — Military force secured for emorg<

CONTENTS.

enoies — Hamson'!> speech to the Indians — Tecumsoh's reply — Frequeut
Indian murders and robberies — Another council — Tecuniseh in the
south— Interview with Big Warrior— His strange threat — Its singular
fulfillment— Ilarrison'd efforts for peace— Assurances of the Prophet-
Battle of Tippecanoe— Defeat of the Indians — Their rage against the
Prophet — Loses his popularity and power — Teoumseh returns from the
louth — Reproaches the Prophet— Declares his peaceful intentions — In-
sincerity — Joms the British Page 182

CH A PTER VIII.

, DEATHOFTEOUMSEH.

War with Great Britain— Tecumseh declares his real position — Crosses to
Brownstown — Attacks Major Van Home, who retreats — General Hull —
Battle with the British and Indians — General Brock — Tecumseh's Rkotch
of the country — Investment of Fort Meigs — Battle — Proctor's plans —
His pledge to Tecu seh — Capture of Colo lel Dudley — Murder of his
troops — Tccumseh's interference — Releases the Shawnee captives — Be-
comes disheartened — Meditates withdrawal from the contest — Is pre-
vented—Address to Proctor— Proctor's promises — Tecumseh's prediction
of his death — Arrangement of the British forces — Arrangement of the
Americans- British in open orcfer— Colonel Johnson's charge — British
recoil— Surrender — Loss on either side — Tecumseh's conduct — His fate-
Description of him 209

CHAPTER IX. -

JOHN STEWART.

The Wyandott natiori — Its degradation— Roman Catholics — Their instruc-
tion — John Stewart — Origin — Birthplace — Emigration — '"' ipation —

' Conviction and conversion — Joins the Methodist Church — Call to
preach — Voices from the North-west- Impressions to travel thither —
Seta off— Reaches Goshen— Goes to Pipetown— Indian dance— Stewart
sings— Indians listen — "Sing more'* — Exhorts — Goes to Upper San-
dusky — Suspected to be a slave- Finds friends — Jonathan Pointer —
Becomes Stewart's interpreter — Meetings — Some Indians converted —
Persecution — The Catholic priest— Stewart's Bible — Mrs. Walkor—
Great religious interest— Pointer's conversion— Stewart's faithfulness —
John Hick« — His speech — Mononcue — His views— Stewart replit!«--A
fresh revival — The power of the Spirit— Heathen efforts— Groat feast
and dance— Siewart leaves Sandusky— Regrets — Promises to return —
Goes to Marietta — His letter to Mr. Walker — Accompanying address
to the Indians •• 233

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER X.

JOHN STEWART'S RETURN TO THE WTAND0TT8.

Backslidings and disorders — Stewart's porseverauce — Opposition — Meaoi
used — Stewart has some success — Returns to Marietta — Again among
the Indians — Interference — Moses Grume's remarks of Stewart — Local
preachers aid Stewart — John P. Finley — Robert Armstrong — Mission
taken into the regular work — J. Montgomery — R. Bigclow — R. W. Fin-
ley — Moses Henkie — First Indian quarterly meeting — Between-the-
Logs's testimony — John Hicks's — Scuteash — Mononoue's interesting
speech — Finley's address — Meeting appointed — Mononcue, speaker—
Henkie reappointed— 1820— First Indian mission of the Method:.'!
Episcopal Church— School proposed — Indian address to the confer-
ence Page 257

Hi '

CHAPTER XI.

THE AI^THOR APPOINTED MISSIONARY TO THB

W YANDOTTS.

Finley missionary to the Wyandotts — Preparations for moving — The mis-
sion family — Safe arrival — Camp Meigs — Accident — Recovery— Hard
work — Cold winter — Stewart — Happy death of an Indian woman — So-
ciety formed — Rules — Numbers increase — Influences of traders and
whisky — Indian god, the devil — Indian exhortation — The squaw'a
dream — Sugar-making — Raccoons and molasses — Winter hunting-
camps — Raccoon traps — Bears in winter — Mode of catching them —
Their young — Bear-oil — Indian provision in war — Meetings at the hunt-
ing-camps — Preaching — Mononcue's views of rum-waking and selling —
Use of law— Confession of faults— Plain talk— The heathen party —
Judicious instruction — Indian camp meeting — The desert blossoms as
the rose — A squaw converted on horseback — Sickness — Triumph — Be-
covery — Stewart— Provision for him — Chiefs at the conference — Their
address — Bishop M'Kendree's reply 288

CHAPTER XII.

VISIT TO NEIOHBORINQ TRIBES.

Author appointed to Lebanon district and superintendent of the mission —
Charles Elliott, missionary — School rapidly increases— Great opposi-
tion— Bloody-Eyes — Threatens his brother — Is converted — Dies {■
peace— De-un-quot and his party— The sermon— The Indiana reply—
The missionary's^answer— The chief becomes excited —Death of Deun-

CONTENTS.

qaot — Between-the-Loga and the fraudulent trader— The trial — YMt
to the neighboring tribes — Difference of Presbyterians and Method-
ists—Rescue of Jonathan— Van Meter — He is made class-leader — Fort
Ball — Seneca chiefs— Speech of the head chief— Answered by Between-
the-Logs— Recommends the true religion — Hicks speaks — Mononoue
speaks — His stirring eloquence — An Indian recognized after twenty-fire
7^.ar8 — Rattlesnake root — Senecas and Delawares Pjlob 324

CHAPTER XIII. '

BISHOP H'KENDBEE AND THE MISSION.

Quarterly meeting— Eloquent address of Betwecn-thc-Logs — Rerival— •
The mission school — Bishop M'Kendree — His letter respecting the mis-
sion — His notice of* the schools — Opinion of the chiefs about the
schools — Letter of Mr. Johnston— Temptations — The Sabbath— The In-
dian's Christian experience — T'le true civilization — Importance of a
skillful interpreter — Eril' infljence of white men — The Indian to the
Indian agent — Expense of the mission — The national brand — Journal
of acts- Stand against polygamy and adultery — Case of divorce — A
great advance — Indian independence of character — Discipline of chil-
dren—Favorable traits 347

CHAPTER XIV.

EXOUBSION TO THE NOBTHEBN TBIBE8.

Reappointment to the mission— Jacob Hooper — Mrs. Hooper — Instruction
to extend missionary labors— Governor Cass — His statement of facts —
Chippewas- John Stewart — His feeble health — Death — Start for tho
north — Reflections amid tho journey — Lodging — Anecdote of Indian
war — Black Swamp — The ring-hunt — Fording the Maumee — An In-
dian Christian— View of rum-selling — Praying in the snow — Difficul-
ties — Honnis — His address— His history — Fort Maiden — Reaches De-
troit — Interview with Governor Cass — Kish-a-kauk-o— His desperate
character — Adam Brown — Preaching to the Indians — A Church organ-
ised — First Methodist Indian society in Canada — Journeyings and
preaching — Returns to Detroit — A time of refreshing. 377

CHAPTER XV.

OONYEBTBD INDIANS ON A WINTKB HUNT.

Betnm joomey— Sea-biscuit— Crossing tho Maumee— Reaches the mis-
rion— Heathenism at work— Objections to the Biblo— Difficulties with
the sub-agent— Mission defended— Indian honesty— Revival— Its inta-

iS-

IVI

mmm

CONTENTS.

onee among tho children— Ilannah Armstrong— Her conversion — Trl-
amphant death — The winter hunt— Instructions — Christian steudfast-
ness — Indiana reprove the whites — Astonishment — Sum-mun-de-wat —
His interview with a preacher — Return of the hunting party to the
mission— Efforts against religion — Keasoning with the erring — Friend-
ships — Improvements — Policy of tho mission— Place of worship— Visit
to Washington — Monroe— Calhoun Page 402

CHAPTER XVI.

BISHOPS M'KENDBEE AND SOULE IN COUNCIL
WITH THE INDIANS.

Missionary meeting, Baltimore, 1824— Addresses — Author reports the
work among the Wyandotts — Summerfield — His address — Amusing
account — The little girl's penny and shilling — William Wirt — Visit to
the mission by M'Kendrce and Soule — Bishop Soulc's account— Ap-
pearance of the crops — Public worship — Great devotion of tho Indians —
The school — Promising appearance of the children — Mononcue's ad-
dress tf, the Bishop — Punch — Peacock — Sum-mun-de-wat— Gray-Eyes —
Big-T ree — Washington — Two-Logs — Joseph Williams — Mononcue's
closing speech — Mr. Walker— Good prospects 424

I '

CHAPTER XVII.

REMOVAL or THE WYANDOTTS.

Return to the mission, 1824 — Removal of the Indians — Their opposi-
tion—Their appeal to Government — Reply of the Department — Tho
pledge of the Government renewed— Indians quieted — Two things req-
uisite — Permanent establishment of the school — Division of lands —
General Cass — Removal still agitated — Exhibit of condition and claims
of the Wyandotts — A conquered enemy — Become faithful friends — A
merciful tribe — Civilization probable— Pledge of Government— Pretext
for removal — Pretext examined — Author's views of removal— Number in
society — Death of Robert Armstrong— His early capture— Adoption pf
Indian habits and life — Became an interpreter— Became a Christian —
His character — Last sickness — Author appointed sub-agent— Scuteash —
His fall — Promises reform — Falls again— His sun sets in a cloud* •• 442

^ CHAPTER XVIII.

VISIT TO THE EAST WITH INDIAN CHIEFS.

Author retamed to the mission, 1825— John C. Brooke— A haxardou
journey— A terrible night — Conversion of Soionta— His former char-

CONTENTS.

acter — Powerfui conviction and conversion — Great stir— His porscvor-
»nce — A powerful influence — Statistics of the mission — Letter of in-
vitation to the missionary anniversary — The journey — The party —
Reception at Bubiilo— Canal beat— Captain Smith— Sabbath — Preach-
ing — The Indian prayer and exhortation— Effect — Arrive at Albany —
New York — Noise of the city — Sight-seciiig — The sea-turtle— Gas-light
exhibition — The party lionized — The anniversary — Bascom's sermon —
Betwecn-the-Logs — His account of Catholic influence — Soneca prophet —
Shawnee prophet — Finley and Mononcue follow— Durbin's speech —
Philadelphia— Dr. Sargent — Sam. Merwin — Meetings — Water-works —
Baltimore — Bishops Soule and M'Kendree — Great interest— Baltimore
camp meeting— Thrilling address of Botween-the-Logs — Washington
City— Judge M'Lean— Return homo Paok 463

C H A P T E R X I X .

DIVISION OF THE WYANDOTT LAND3.

Author's health impaired— M'Kendree's influence — His address to the
Indian Christians — Reply — The Bishop's valedictory— Solemn parting —
Division of land — Principles of the division — Principles approved by
the chiefs --Good effect of the division — Mononcue's letter to the
Author, 1830— Happy death of Big-Troe's wife— Murder— The Mur-
derer executed — Big George — His wife — Her conversion — Marries Sum-
mun-de-wat — Her triumpbunt death — The fruitful cause of Indian
murder 490

CHA PTER XX.

BIOQRAPHICAIi SKETCHES.

I. Captain John • 508

II. Contain Lewis 612

III. Capiain Shigser 513

IV. Little Turtle 514

V. Billy Wyandott and wife 618

VL John Van Meter 519

VII. Blaok-Hoof 620

Vin. The Crane, or Tarhe 52.'^

IX. De-un-quot 630

X. Keokuk 631

XI. Snm-man-de-wat 644

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER I.

REMOVAL TO THE NORTH-WESTERN TERRITORY.

In the spring of 1796, I emigrated to the North-
western territory, and commenced planting corn on
the prairie, a little below where Chillicothe now
stands. The country was then a dense wilderness.
There was not even a " blazed path " connecting with
Wheeling, Va., or Maysville, Ky.; nor was there a
single inhabitant along all the route. Civilization
now began to assert the supremacy of her claim to
the uncultivated land over which the native savage
and the wild beast had roamed for untold ages. This
was, in reality, " life among the Indians ;" and espe-
cially was it the commencement of a series of events
in my personal history, as related to the Indians,
which I design to record in this volume.

My father, after emigrating to Kentucky, pur-
chased some land, and settled near the present town
of Flemingsburg. This was in 1789. Ours was the

frontier house of the settlement, and we were much

2 17

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

exposed to the incursions of Indians and wild beasts.
The next year we moved to Bourbon county. Here
my father ministered to two congregations — one at
Cane Ridge, the other at Concord. Both were pros-
perous in a high degree.

But we found here also causes of serious discon-
tent. There was great uncertainty among the set-
tlers as to the title to their lands. Some of them
had spent their last farthing in the purchase of their
lands; and then, after encountering all the dangers
and toils of pioneer life, in clearing and bringing
them under cultivation, some other claimant would
come and dispossess them of their homes. In such
cases there was often no redress. The unprincipled
speculator, having sold his spurious title, would dis-
appear, and when the defrauded settler discovered
that his claim was worthless, could not be found.
My father was also utterly opposed to the system
of slavery which prevailed in Kentucky, and had
liberated his slaves. This brought down upon him
the ill-will and persecution of the fiery advocates
of the system. The main body of both his congre-
gations, however, strongly sympathized with him in
his antislavery views; and the mutual ties that bound
them together were so strong, that -nearly the whole
of them finally emigrated with him to the North-
Western territory.

While this state of things existed on the Kentucky
side of the river, their attention was drawn to the
rich lands of the Scioto Valley. These lands had

;. ammmtwmmt^n^mmkti

I 'f !- ' . ' i. ' .-i ' L ' J '. ' I" '* ?- ' !"J l'' 'i ' '' ' .' !! '! ' l ' 'iI.!J)* tlj!

COL. massie's station.

been surveyed by Col. Massie, in 1792, and he gave
the most glowing accounts of the fertility of the
soil and the beauty of the scenery. My father, in
the latter part of 1794, opened a negotiation with
Massie for a tract of from fifteen to twenty miles
square, for the settlement of his two congregations,
?nd such other friends from eastern Pennsylvania,
as might choose to join him. On the succeeding
March, Col. Massie visited him at his residence.
Here he had an interview with a large company of
those who were anxious to emigrate, and arrange-
ments for that purpose were made. A day was fixed
upon for a general rendezvous at Massie*s Station,
now Manchester, and my father took immediate meas-
ures to apprise his friends in the east of the arrange-
ments, and the prospects of the enterprise.

Massie's Station was about twelve miles above Mays-
ville, but upon the opposite side of the river. The
settlement had been made in 1791, and now consisted
of about thirty families. They were strongly in-
trenched in their log-cabins, and the whole town
was inclosed with strong pickets firmly fixed in the
ground, with block-houses at each angle for defense.
Though the most desperate Indian war was then rag-
ing, and fearful barbarities were committed by the
savages, this settlement, owing to its excellent prepa-
rations for defense, and the watchfulness of the brave
spirits that guarded it, suffered comparatively little.
£yen their agricultural labors were prosecuted with
comparative safety ; for having cleared the lowest of

■«i

i'FE AMONG THE INDIANS.

the " Three Islands," which were in the river just op-
posite to their settlement, they planted it with corn.
The soil was very rich, and the crops abundant, so
that the wants of the little settlement were abund-
antly supplied. Besides this, there were at this time
only two settlements on the north-western bank of
the Ohio — one at Columbia, eight miles above Cin-
cinnati, and one at Gallipolis, near the mouth of the
Great Kanawha. These were the germs of the great
north-western states, which now, in population, enter-
prise, wealth, and refinement, take their rank as stars
of the first magnitude in the glorious constellation of
our Union.

The location at the " Three Islands " was the head-
quarters of Massie's surveying party. From this
point he went out in every direction, surveying the
country and making locations. An incident may
illustrate the perilous nature of this work. It was
his invariable rule to keep spies around him; and if
signs of Indians in the neighborhood were discovered,
he would retire to his strongly-fortified post. At one
time, however, in the spring of 1792, while prosecu-
ting his surveys, accompanied by three men — one of
them named Donaldson — a party of Indians suddenly
came upon them. Fortunately, the Indians had left
their arms in their canoe, at the landing. Massie
and his party fled. The Indians, with horrid yells,
pursued them. Descending a hill, the party had to
leap a ravine some twelve feet in width, and about
the same depth. Three of them succeeded in effect*

itthimmi

iMWi

INDIAN CAPTURE.

ing tbo leap ; but poor Donaldson failed to reach firm
footing on the opposite bank, and fell back into the
ditch. The other three made good their escape to
the Station, and gave the alarm. The next morning,
with a party of twenty men, Massie returned to
learn the fate of his companion, and to rescue him,
if possible. He found that Donaldson had evidently
been captured and taken off by the Indians. lie
pursued their trail some distance, but found no chance
to surprise them; and knowing that if the Indians
were aware of his pursuit, they would immediately
butcher the unfortunate Donaldson, while, if left un-
molested, they might spare him till he found some
chance to escape, he gave over the pursuit. Ho
judged rightly — Donaldson finally escaped.

When he made his unfortunate plunge, the fore-
most Indian was close to his heels, and instantly
leaped upon him, tomahawk in hand. Donaldson im-
mediately surrendered, and was made a prisoner.
The party consisted of eight or ten Indians, who.
had been trapping, up the Big Sandy, and were now
on their return to Wapatomaka — now Zanesfield — on
Mad river. It was late in the evening when they
took him, and they immediately loaded him with their
peltry, and made a rapid march homeward. In a few
days he began to think about effecting his escape,
although the difficulties against which he had to con-
tend were great, owing to the extreme CEution and
watchfulness of the Indians. At night they took a
Btrong tug — a rope made of the raw hide of the

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

11!

buffulo or elk — and fastened it around his body, each
end of tlie tug being tied around the body of an
Indian. The tug was tied so tightly, that it could
not be slipped, nor could he move to the one side or
the other without drawing the Indian after him. It
was from such a situation he had to extricate himself.
One night, while the Indians were tying him after the
usual manner, he puffed up his body to its full extent,
by drawing in his breath ; and when they had com-
pleted the process, he found that there was a good
deal of play in the noose of the tug. He laid very
still till the Indians were fast asleep; then, having
partly undressed himself, he began slowly and cau
tiously to slip from the ncose. After a long trial
he succeeded, and found himself once more a free
man. He instantly rushed to the thickets. The
night was clear, and he could steer his course by the
stars. Striking off in a southern direction, he trav-
eled all night. The next day he fell on Harmer's
old trace, and followed its course to the south. In
two days he reached Fort Washington, now Cincin-
nati. Here he remained a few days to lecruit him-
self, and then returned to his friends at Massie's
Station, where he was most joyfully received, as they
had felt great anxiety as to his fate. The creek, at
the mouth of which he was taken, wps called after
him " Donaldson's Creek ;" which name it still retains,
and will retain when the event which gave birth to
its name will be forgotten. About the year 1840,
Mr. Donaldson was still living at the old settlement—

A NAUROW ESCAPE.

the only one of the original settlers remaining there.
He was a member of the convention which formed
the Constitution of the state of Ohio, and lived to
witness the gigantic development of the state in
which he was one of the first pioneers.

During this same year Massie had another narrow
escape. He had advanced with his surveying party
up the Little Miami, till he reached the spot where
the town of Xenia now stands, witliout the least
molestation or obstruction from the Indians. Early
one morning, as they were going out to resume their
labors. General Lytic perceived an Indian leveling
his gun at Massie, who was in advance of the others.
Quick as thought he fired at the Indian, killing him
dead. The party then advanced cautiously, and soon
discovered an encampment of one hundred and fifty
Indians. It was now time to retreat. The Indians
were in full chase. It was a race for life; but the
whole party succeeded in making good their flight,
and reached the Station in iafety.

In the spring of 1793 the settlers at Massie's Sta-
tion commenced clearing some lots outside of their
picket-fence, but in its immediate vicinity. Here an
incident occurred, which will illustrate the constant
peril of the early settlers. A Mr. Andrew Ellison,
one of the settlers, cleared a lot immediately adjoin-
ing the fort. He had completed the cutting of the
timber, rolled the logs together, and set them on fire.
The next morning, a short time before day-break, Mr.
Ellison opened one of the gates of the fort, and went

mimm^^

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

out to throw his logs together. By the time he had
finished this job, a number of the heaps blazed up
brightly, and as he was passing from ore to the other,
he observed, by the light of the fires, three men
walking briskly toward him. This did not alarm hinc
in the least, although, he said, they were dark-skinned
fellows ; yet he concluded they were the Wades, whose
comrlexions were very dark, going early to hunt.
He continued to right his log-heaps, till one of the
fellows seized him by the arms, and called out in
broken English, "How do? how do?" He instantly
looked in their faces, and to his surprise and hor-
ror, found himself in the clutches of three Indians.
To resist was useless. He, therefore, submitted to
his fate, without any resistance or an attempt to es-
cape.

The Indians quickly moved off with him in the
direction of Paint creek. When breakfast was ready,
Mrs. Ellison sent one of her children to ask their
father home ; but he could not be found at the log-
heaps. His absence created no immediate alarm, as
it was thought he might have started to hunt, after
the completion of his work. Dinner time arrived, and
Ellison not returning, the family became uneasy, and
began to suspect some accident had happened to him.
His gun-rack was examined, and there hung his rifle
and his pouch in their usual place. Massie raised a
party, and made a circuit around the place, and found,
after some search, the trails of four men, one of whom
had on shoes; and as Ellison had shoes on, the truth,

%4^\-

■.-rfal M»»» ■«»' :■» ■

CAPTURE 0\ tfliLISON.

that the Indians had made him a prisoner, was un-
folded. As it was almost .iigLt at the time the trail
TV as discovered, the party returned to the. Station.
Next morning, early preparations were made by Mas-
sie and his party to pursue the Indians. In doing
this, they found great diflSculty, as it was so early in
the spring that the vegetation was not of suflScient
growth to show plainly the trail of the Indians, who
took the precaution to keep on hard and high land,
where their feet could make little or no impression.
Massie and his party, however, were as unerring as a
pack of well-trained hounds, and followed the trail to
Paint creek, when they found the Indians gained so
fast on them that pursuit was vain. They therefore
abandoned it, and returned to the Station.

The Indians took their prisoner to Upper San-
dusky, and compelled him to run the gantlet. As
Ellison was a large man, and not very active, he re-
ceived a severe flogging as he passed along the line.
From this place he was taken to Lower Sandusky,
and was agiiin compelled to run the gantlet, and was
then taken to Detroit, where he was generously ran-
somed bv a British oflScer for one hundred dollars.
He was shortly afterward sent by his friend, the offi-
cer, to Montreal, from whence he returned home be-
fore the close of the summer of the same year.

Soon after this another incident, of a still more
serious character, occurred; and when it is remem-
bered that it occurred less than two years before our

Bcttlement wa« effected in the interior of the Scioto

LIFE AMONG THE INDIAKP

I 'ill

region, the reader will readily conceive that our sit-
uation was not without its perils. The incident of
which I,speak i? as follows:

John Edgington, Asahel Edgington, and another
man, started out on a hunting expedition, toward
Brush creek. They camped out six miles, in a north-
east direction from where West Union now stands,
and near Treber's tavern, on the road from Chillicothe
to Maysville. The Edgingtons had good success in
hunting, having killed a number of deer and bears.
Of the deer killed, they saved the skins and hams
alone. The bears they fleeced; that is, they cut oflf
all the meat which adhered to the hide without skin-
ning, and left the bones as a skeleton. They hung
up the proceeds of their hunt on a scaffold, out of the
reach of the wolves and other wild animals, and re-
turned home fcr pack-horses. The two Edgingtons
returned to the camp alone. No one apprehended
danger, as the winter season was usually a time of
repose from Indian incursions. They arrived at their
hunting camp, alighted from their horses, and were
preparing to strike a fire, when a platoon of Indians
fired upon them, at the distance of not more than
twenty paces. A;:?ahel Edgington fell to rise no more,
John was more fortunate. The sharp crack of the
rifles, and the horrid yelb of the Indians, as they
leaped from their place of ambush, frightened the
horses, who took the track toward home at full speed
John Edgington was very active on foot, and now
•an occasion offered which rer^uired his utmost speed.

A RACE FOR LIFE.

The Indians threw down their guns and pursued him,
screaming and yelling in the most horrid manner.
Edginglon ran no easy race. For about a mile the
Indians stepped into his tracks almost before the
bending grass could rise. The uplifted tomahawk
was frequently so near his head, that he thought he
felt its edge. Every effort was made to save his life,
and every exertion of the Indians was made to ar-
rest him in his flight. At length he began to gain on
his pursuers, and after a long race, distanced them,
and safely reached home. It was a most fearful and
well-contested race.

The big Shawnee chief. Captain John, who headed
the Indians on this occasion, after peace was made,
and Chillicothe settled, frequently gave the writer of
this sketch an account of the race. He said, " That
white man smart felloAv; he run and I run; he run
and run; and at last he run clear oflf from me."

During the winter of 1792-3, Massie explored the
valley of Paint creek and part of the Scioto country.
These excursions were full of peril; but the plan
adopted by Massie was such as to insure the greatest
possible security. He usually had three assistant
surveyors ; each surveyor, including himself, was ac-
companied by six men, which made a mess of seven,
and the whole party would amount to twenty-eight
Every man had his prescribed duty to perform. Theii
operations were conducted in this manner: In front
went the hunter, who kept in advance of the surveyor
two or three hundred yards, looking for game, and

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

.!i

prepared, to give notice, should any danger from In-
dians threaten. Then followed, after the surveyor, the
two chain-men, marker, '^nd pjlck-horse man with the
baggage, who always kept near each other, to be pre-
pared for defense, in case of an atti.ck. Lastly, two
or three hundred yards in the rear, camv^ a man, called
the spy, whose duty it was to keep on tho back trail,
and look out, lest the party in advance might be pur-
sued and attacked by surprise. Each man — the sur-
veyor not excepted — carried his rifle, his blanket, and
such other articles as he might stand in need of. On
the pack-horse was carried the cooking utensils, and
such provisions as could be most conveniently taken.
Nothing like bread was thought of. Some salt was
taken, to be used sparingly. For subsistence, they
depended alone on the game which the woods af-
forded, procured by their unerring rifles. In this
manner was the largest number of surveys made in
the district. ,

When night came, four fires were made for cook-
ing, that is, one for each mess. Around these fires
till sleeping time arrived, the company spent theij
time in social glee, singing songs, and telling stories
When, danger was not apparent or immediate, thej
were as merry a set of men as ever assembled. Rest-
ing time arriving, Massie always gave the signal, and
the whole party would leave their comfortable fires,
carrying with them their blankets, their fire-arms, and
their little baggage, walking in perfect silence two or
three hundred yards from their fires. They would

('■V

LODGING AMID THE SNOW.

then scrape away the snow, and huddle down together
for the night. Each mess formed one bed ; they would
spread down on the ground one half of the blankets,
reserving the other half for covering. The covering
blankets were fastened together by skewers, to pre-
vent them from slipping apart. Thus prepared, the
whole party crouched down together with their rifles
in their arms, and their pouches under their heads for
pillows ; lying " spoon-fashion," with three heads one
way and four the other, their feet extending to about
the middle of their bodies. When one turned, the
whole mess turned, or else the close range would be
broken, and the cold let in. In this way they lay till
broad daylight — no noise, and scarcely a whisper be-
ing uttered during the night. When it was perfectly
light, Massie would call up two of the men in whom
he had the most confidence, and send them to recon-
noiter, and make a circuit around the fires, lest an
ambuscade might be formed by the Indians to destroy
the party as they returned to the fires. This was an
invariable custom in every variety of weather. Self-
preservation required this circumspection.

If immortality is due to the names of heroes who
have successfully labored in the field of battle, no less
honors are due to such men as Massie, who ran equal
risk of life from danger with less prospect of eclat,
and produced more lasting benefit to his country.

In this manner the winters of 1793-4 and 1794-6
were spent in exploring and surveying the valleys
of the Scioto and Little Miami rivers and their trib'

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

utaries. An incident that occurred during the win-
ter of 1794-5, will illustrate, in some degree, the
perils of the work. Massie was, at this time, sur-
veying the lands on Buckskin creek, near where its
waters interlock with those of Paint creek.

Late one evening, he came upon the tracks of In-
dians in the snow. Some of his men were dispatched
to search out the Indian encampment, while others
were sent in pursuit of the assistant surveyors, in
order to collect the force into one body, that he
might be prepared to attack or defend as circum-
stances might direct. A short time before sundown,
his force was collected. In a few minutes after, the
two men returned who had been sent to discover the
Indian camp. They reported that they had pro-
ceeded as near the Indian encampment as they could
with safety, and that it consisted of eight or ten tents;
and that •from the noise about the camp, they had
no doubt but that there was a large number of In-
dians. Massie thereupon concluded that it would
be too hazardous to attack them while the snow was
on the ground, believing it would endanger the whole
party if they should be compelled to retreat, incum-
bered with any wounded. He therefore resolved to
desist from surveying, and to make a rapid retreat
to his own Station, not doubting that he would be
pursued, as the Indians would have no difficulty in
tracking them through the snow. The line of march
was formed for home by the party, who traveled till
10 or 11 o'clock at night, when they halted and

PREPiiRATION FOR ATTACK.

remained till morning, when they again resumed their
marcn. moving in a southern direction. About 12
o'clock, they came to a fresh trail, which was made
by four horses and eight or ten footmen. This trail
was crossed diagonally, and was again struck upon
after traveling a few miles.

After a consultation with some of the most expe-
rienced of his men, Massie concluded the Indians,
whose trail had been crossed, knew nothing of them,
and determined to pursue them so long as they kept
the direction in which they appeared then to be
going. The pursuit of the Indians was kept up as
fast as the men could walk till dusk, without over-
taking them. The party then halted to consult as
to their future operations. In a few minutes, the
Indians were heard at work, with their tomahawks,
cutting wood and tent poles, within a few hundred
yards of the place where the party had halted. It
was put to vote, whether the Indian camp should be
attacked immediately, or whether they should post-
pone it to daylight. A majority were for lying by
and attacking them in daylight. Two or three men
were then sent to reconnoiter their camp and bring
away their horses. The horses were brought away,
and preparations made to lie by for the night. Mas-
sie, who was more thoughtful than the rest of the
company, began to reflect, on the critical situation
of the party. He told them he did not approve of
the idea of postponing the attack till morning, as
there was no doubt they were rapidly pursued by

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

the Indians from the head of Buckskin creek, and
that by waiting till morning, the pursuing Indiana
might come up in the course of the night, and when
daylight appeared, thpy would find themselves be-
tween two fires. He said it was true the Indians
might be destroyed more effectually in daylight, but
that it was dangerous to loiter away their time on
a retreat, and advised that whatever they did to the
Indians should be done quickly, and the march con-
tinued toward home. It was resolved to follow hia
advice.

It was about two hours in the night when this
occurred. The day had been warm, and had melted
the snow, which was eight inches deep, and quite soft
on the top. At night it began to freeze rapidly, and
by this time there was a hard crust on the top. In
this situation, the crust, when broken by a man walk-
ing on a calm night, could be heard at the distance
of three hundred yards. Massie, under these cir-
cumstances, prepared to attack the Indians forthwith.
The men were formed in single file, with their wiping-
sticks in their hands, to steady them when walking.
They then commenced moving toward the Indian
camp in the following manner : The foremost would
walk about twenty steps, and halt; then the next
in the line would move on, stepping in the tracks
of the foremost, to prevent any noise when break-
ing the crust of the snow. In this cautious and
silent manner, they crept within about twenty-five
yards of the Indian encampment, when an unexpected

THE INDIANS ESrAPB.

interruption presented itself; a deep ravine was found
between Massie and the camp, which was not per-
ceived by the reconnoitering party. The Indians
had not as yet laid down to rest, but were singing
and amusing themselves round their fires, in the ut-
most self-security, not dreaming of danger in their
own country, in the depth of winter. The bank of
the ravine concealed Massie and his men, who were
on low ground, from the light of the Indian fires.
After halting a few minutes on the bank of the ra-
vine, Massie discovered, a few paces above him, a
large log which had fallen across the ravine. On
this log he determined to cross the gully. Seven
or eight of the men, on their hands and knees, had
crossed, and were within not more than twelve or
fifteen paces of the Indians, crouching low, and turn-
ing to the right and left, when too many men at tho
same time got on the log; and as it was old and
rotten, it broke with a loud crash. This started the
Indians. The whites, who had crossed over before
the log broke, immediately fired into the Indian camp,
shouting as they ran. The Indians fled, naked, and
without their arms. No Indian was killed in the
camp, though their clothing and blankets were found
stained with blood. No attempt was made to pursue
them. Their camp was plundered of the horses and
arms, making altogether considerable booty. The
party traveled that night and till noon the next day,
when they halted to cook some provisions, and rest
their wearied limbs. After taking some refreshments,

ssa

■lii'

.):■

i :

g ff

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

they loitered about the fires a short time, and again
corainencod their inarch through snow and brush, and,
about midnight of the second day, arrived at Man-
chester, after a fatiguing march of two days and
nights from the head of Buckskin creek.

This brings down the narrative of events, leading
to the connection of our family with the history of
this region, till my father's first attempt to explore
it with a view to its settlement. This was in 1795.
When the day appointed for the rendezvous at Mas-
sie's Station arrived, there Avere assembled, including
those from my father's two congregations and from
Pennsylvania, about sixty individuals, all burning with
ardent desire to see, with their own eyes, the country
of whose fertility they had heard so much, and which
seemed to them the land of promise. The party felt
more secure from the attacks of the Indians, because
Gen. 'Wayne was, at that very time, in treaty with
them at Greenville ; and, therefore, they pushed boldly
forward into the interior. They were divided into
three companies, one led by Massie, one by Finley,
and the third by Fallenach, an old pioneer among
the Indians. In a few days they reached Paint creek,
near the falls. Here they encamped for the night.

In the morning they found they were in the vicin-
ity of a body of Indians, and proceeding down the
creek, soon came within hearing of their horse-bells.
It was now too late to draw back, and an action with
tho Indians was inevitable. Some of the company
were what was called raw hands — that is, unaccus-

i-i'i
_ ,■ I ■

i ,'

A N T II E K B A T '1 L E .

tomcd to bonier life and adventure. Full T cnthu-
Bijisni, they had often expressed a de^'^e "to smell
Indian powder." One of the party, who had fou^lit
during the Revolutionary war, and also with the In-
dians, retorte:^ upon these vaunting fellows : " If you
get the smell you will run, or I'm very much mis-
taken." Their vaunted courage was now brought to
the test.

Leaving Captain* Pattee with a rear guard, the
three divisions under Massie, Finley, and Fallenach,
made a simultaneous attack upon the Indian camp.
They proved to be a party of Shawnees and Senecas
who had refused to enter into treaty. Charley Wilky
was their leader, and they were encamped on the
bank of the creek, at what is called Reeve'^s crossing.
They were taken completely by surprise. Two of
them were killed, and several wounded; and the rest
took to flight. But after escaping across the creek,
they rallied in the woods for a short time, and re-
turned the salute of the whites. One man, Joshua
Robinson, from Pennsylvania, was shot dead. As
the old Revolutionary veteran had predicted, some of
the raw hands, who had boasted so much, fled at the
first "smell of Indian powder," and hid behind the
logs in the rear. Captain Pattee reported them, while
in this condition, as "having the shakes," from the
trembling of their bodies.

The company, having buried their dead compan-
ions, hastily gathered the horses, the skins, equipage,
and other plunder of the Indian camp, and started

■Hi

L I F K AMONG T H K INDIANS.

■i

for the Station at Three Islands. That night they
reached Scioto Brush creek, and there encamped upon
an advantageous spot. Suspecting the Indians would
be on the pursuit, their sentinels were carefully posted
for the night. Just before day-break one of the sen-
tinels perceived something gradually working toward
him on the ground. Calling out, he received no an-
swer, and instantly leveled his piece, probably wound-
ing or killing the Indian. The batUe now commenced.
The Indians met with a noble resistance from a part
of the men, while the others again displayed their
cowardice by hiding from the bullets of the enemy,
in a deep sink-hole in the earth. The action lasted
about an hour, when the Indians retreated, with the
loss of two killed, and several wounded. On the part
of the whites, several horses were killed, and one
man, a Mr. Gilfillan, was wounded in the thigh. Af-
ter this, the party made good their return to the
Station, without further molestation. This ended the
exploration of the Scioto Valley for that year; and
it was also the last battle fought with the Indians
dui ing the old Indian war. The peace concluded by
Gen. Wayne, with the Indians, during the year, re-
mained inviolate, and gave protection to the settler,
except in rare cases, till 1812; and then the swell-
Jng tide of civilization had swept the poor Indian
away from the rich valleys, where had been the homes
of his fathers for untold generations. The narrow
escape of the exploring party, in the Scioto Valley,
did not extinguish the desire to become possessed of

"^iMrff^

SETTLEMENT OF CHILLI COT HE.

those fertile lands. Accordingly, in the spring ol'
1796, another party was organized for a second at-
tempt. They collected at Massie's Station, about
the first of March. Thence some of them proceeded
by land, with their horses. The others went By
water, carrying, in their boats, provisions, farming
utensils, and other things necessary to make a per-
manent settlement. The party numbered about forty.
On their arrival, they immediately commenced turn-
ing up the rich soil of the prairie with their plows,
and soon had three hundred acres planted. There
was some suffering from scarcity of provisions dur-
ing the first few months; but an abundant crop of
corn, together with the game which abounded in the
forests, soon yielded a large supply.

In August of that year, Col. Massie selected the
site for the town, and laid out the lots — each of the
original settlers receiving one gratis. To this town
he gave the name of Chillicothe. This was an In-
dian name; but of what signification, or to what ap-
plied by them, is not well ascertained.

The Scioto, for the most part, runs in a very reg-
ular channel, almost due south. But about four or
five miles above the mouth of Paint creek, the river
suddenly makes a bend, and runs a short distance
east; thence south-east, to where it receives the wa-
ters of that tributary. These two rivers, for several
miles above their junction, run nearly parallel to
each other. Between them there is a largo and
beautiful bottom, varying in breadth from one to

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

two miles, and containing upward of 3,000 acres.
This land is of alluvial formation — the loam being
from two to ten feet in depth. Nothing can exceed
its fertility, not even the most highly-cultivated soils.
At its western boundary is a hill, two or three hun-
dred feet in hight, the terminus of the bottom-lands
in that direction. The spot selected for the town site
was on an elevated and dry part of the bottom, near
the base of this hill. More than twenty log-cabins
were immediately erected, and before the ensuing
■winter it had several stores and shops. The tide
of population now began to set in with unexampled
rapidity. " Zane's trace," which connected Wheeling
with Maysville, was marked out simply by " blazing
trees" alon^ the route. Though just completed, it
became a great thoroughfare, and large companies
passed along it, seeking the rich bottom-lands of the
Ohio. These bottoms, when first settled, were gen-
erally covered by a heavy growth of timber, such as
black walnut, sugar-tree, cherry, buckeye, hackberry,
and other trees which denote a rich soil. A portion
of them, how^ever, were found destitute of timber
and formed beautiful prairies, clothed with blue grass
and blue sedge grass, which grew to the hight of from
four to eight feet, and furnished a bountiful supply of
pasture in summer, and hay in winter, for the live
stock of the settlers. The outer edges of these prai-
ries were beautifully fringed around with the plum-
tree, the red and black haw, the mulberry and crab-
apple. In the month of May, ^rhen these nurseries

LANDS — SLAVES — PEACE.

of nature's God were in full bloom, the sight was
complotely gratified, while the fragrant and delicious
perfume, which fillev" the surrounding atmosphere,
was sufficient to fill and lull the soul with ecstasies
of pleasure. Some of these lands have borne sixty
successive crops of corn, while the only dressing
ever bestowed upon them is that provided by nature
in the rich sediment deposited, upon them in their
annual overflow.

In the fall of this year, I returned to Kentucky,
and took charge of the colored people formerly be-
longing to my father, but who had been freed by
him. to conduct them to the new settlement. After
a tedious journey of sixteen days across the country,
I reached the banks of the Scioto, one mile below the
town. Here we built log-cabins, and spent the win-
ter. I fed them on pounded meal, hominy, and wild
game. By spring, their sleek, glossy looks attested
to the excellency of their keepinor. Then my father's
family moved out, and we commenced again in this
new world.

The Indian wars, which had harassed the new set-
tlements, first in Pennsylvania and Virginia, and ilien
in Kentucky and Ohio, for a period of forty years,
had now been brought to an end. So thoroughly
humbled were the Indian tribes, that little was now tc
be apprehended from them. Indeed, they now min
gled among the whites in the most friendly manner,
and, for years, continued entirely peaceful, except
when inflamed by ardent spirits — that bane of the

■WW*

wmm^

■■■■■P!^

mmmm

LIFE AMONG THi; INDIANS.

poor Indian — or excited to revenge by some wrong
inflicted upon them.

A case of this kind occurred, during the summer
of 1798. A Wyandott Indian came, one evening,
into town, somewhat intoxicated, and behaved with
great rudeness. He v/as reprimanded by Mr. Thomas
Thompson, who was a very athletic man. The Indian
drew his knife, and, concealing the blade of it in his
arm sleeve, waited his opportunity to attack Thomp-
son. A person who observed him ad/ised him, to
leave for the camp; for if Thompson should find out
that he had drawn his knife, he would kill him. The
Indian mounted his horse, but refused to leave the
place. Some one informed Thompson of his danger,
and he immediately seized a handspike, and, striking
the Indian on the head, felled him to the earth.
That night the Indian died of his wounds, and was
carried to the Indian encampment. As soon as the
Indians learned the cause of his death, they immedi-
ately demanded Thompson, that they might punish
him according to their law, which was life for life;
and informed the town that if he was not given up.
they T ^uld fall on the place, and murder, in revenge,
men, women, and children — which they could easily
have done, as they were much more numerous than
the whites. Some of the inhabitants were for com-
plying, but the majority were opposed to it. After
some considerable consultation, it was agreed to try
another method, which was to 'buy the life of the
murderer, by making presents to the relations of th^

tRAGEDY — WniSKt.

murdered man, and promising to punish the murderer
according to our law. This plan succeeded, and
Thompson was placed under guard of four men,
there being no jail there at the time. After some
two months he was permitted to make his escape, and
one of the guards went with him. The half-brother
of the deceased, determining to avenge the death of
liis brother, took with him another Indian, and way-
laying Zane's trace, they found two young men trav-
eling alone, whom they killed and robbed of their
horses and effects; and thus two innocent men paid
the debt of a murderer, who, under the influence of
whisky, committed the crime. Such were some of
the evils and dangers brought on the community by
strong drink.

The community were, at length, aroused to take
eflBcient measures for the suppression of the evils
brought upon them by the whisky traders. The
Irliaiifi flocked in from all parts to trade their furs
jj ,)rc^ure whisky.

It 7^!? the custom of the traders to give and sell
whisky to the Indians, and the consequence was, that
many of thr^m became intoxicated; and as a drunken
Indian is a dangerous creature, the peace of society
was disturbed, and the womeii and children were in
a constant state of alarm, day and night. After
r->ture deliberation and free discussion, it was en-
acted that all traders who sold spirits to the Indians,
or in any way furnished them with intoxicating liq-
uors, should be required to keep all the Indians, made

■P^WMP

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

i i

drunk by theni, in their own storehouse till they were
sober, on penalty, for the first offense, of being rep-
rimanded by two persons appointed for that purpose,
and on the second oifense, their kegs or barrels of
whisky, or strong drink, were to be taken into the
street and tomahawked till all their contents were
poured 01 1. This In^v Avas set at naught by one of
the traders, a Mr. M., ' t was promptly executed,
to the letter, the next daj dfter the sentence. This
vigorous maintenance of the law, on the part of the
citizens, made the traders more cautious, and gave
more safety and comfort to the inhabitants.

The holding of courts, and the administration of
justice in the new settlement, was generally after a
very primitive model. A single instance may serve
for illustration.

In 1797 three justices were appointed by the Gov-
ernor of the territory for the settlement of Chilli-
cothe. One of them, Samuel Smith, appears to have
done most of the business. His prompt and decisive
manner of doing business, rendered him very pop-
ular. His docket could be understood only by him-
self. Scarcely was a warrant issued by him, as he
prefei-red always to send his constable to the accused,
to bring him forward to have prompt justice executed.
No law book was of any authority with him. He
always justified his own proceedings by saying, ** that
all laws were intended for the purpose of enforcing
justice, and that he himself knew what was right and
what was Avrong, as well as those who made the laws,

sQuniE sMiin.

and thai rlierefore lie stood in need of no laws to
govern his actions." In civil and criminal cases, he
was always prompt in his decisions, and sometimes
amusing in his mode of executing justice, as will be
seen from the following case, which was brought un-
der his cognizance. A man, by the name of Adam
M'Murdy, cultivated some ground in the station prairie
below Chillicothe. One night some one stole, during
his absence, his horse-collar. M'Murdy, next morn-
ing, examined the collars of the plowmen then at
work, and discovered his collar in the possession of
one of the men, and claimed it of him. The man
used toward him abusive language, and threatened
to whip M'Murdy for charging him with the theft.
M'Murdy went immediately to Squire Smith, and
stated his case. The Squire listened till his story was
told, and then dispatched his constable, with strict
orders to bring the thief and collar forthwith before
him. The constable quickly returned, bringing with
him in the one hand the collar, while with the other
he grasped tightly the accused.

The Squire immediately arraigned the accused in
his court, which was held in the open air, on the bank
of the Scioto. It was then asked of the accuser how
he could prove the collar to be his? M'Murdy re-
plied, " If the collar is mine, Mr. Spear, who is pres-
ent, can testify." Mr. Spear was then called to tes-
tify. Before he was sworn, he came forward and
said, "that if it was M'Murdy's collar, he himself had
written M'Murdy's name on the inner side of the ear

■■I

LIFE AMONG THE INDIA XS.

of the collar." The Squire turned up the ear of the
collar, and found, accordingly, M'Murdy's name writ-
ten there, "No better proof could be given," said
the Squire, and ordered the accused to be immedi-
ately tied .up to a buckeye, to receive five lashes, well
laid on, which was accordingly done.

Thus ended the case to the satisfaction of all, ex-
cept the culprit. The trial did not occupy five min-
utes of time. Such was the Squire's summary man-
ner of dispensing justice. Squire Smith was an
honest and impartial man, with a vigorous and dis-
criminating mind, always disposed to do justice in his
own way.

We have novir narrated the circumstances under
which the pioneer enter'jd the North- Western terri-
tory, across the Ohio rive/, and obtained a firm foot-
hold, in what had been, heretofore, emphatically the
Indian country. The tide of population now began
to roll in with unexampled force, and settlements were
made all along the Ohio, and up the rich valleys of its
many and noble tributaries. Civilization had, driven
down its stakes in the very home of the Indian, and
a new era was opening up in this region. It will be
interesting for the reader to pause at this point, and
glance backward at some of the incidents of Indian
life and warfare in this region. But we must reserve
thie> for another chapter.

CAPTURE OF M U S . DENNIS.

CHAPTER II.

INCIi^ENTS OF INDIAN LIFE AND WARFABl.

During the long series of Indian wars, to which
I have referred, old Chillicothe and the surrounding
region witnessed many thrilling adventures, as well
as fearful tragedies. It was the headquarters of the
Shawnees, and the principal place of rendezvous, fron
fvhich the war parties went forth on their excursions
against the white settlers among the cane-brakes of
Kentucky, and along the Ohio border.

As early as 1761, when the Indians made a descent
upon the settlement on James river, Mrs. Dennis,
who was then captured, was brought over the mount-
ains and through the forests to this place. Her hus-
band was murdered soon after he was taken ; and she
seeing no way of escape, conformed to the usages of
the Indians, painted and dressed herself, and lived
like a squaw. In addition to this, she gained great
fame, by attending to the sick, both as nurse and
physician. She soon became so celebrated for the
cures she effected as to obtain the reputation of being
a necromancer; and the natives paid to her the honor
due to a person supposed to have power with the
Great Spirit.

After continuing among them two years, s^ie won*

«■■■•■

LIFE AMONG THE I N D I A N .1 .

out, one (lay, under the pretense of obtaining me-
dicinal herbs, as she had often done before. Net
returning at the usual time, her object was suspected,
and the Indians started in pursuit of her. To avoid
leaving traces of her path, she crossed the Scioto throe
times, and was making her fourth crossing, forty miles
below the town, where she was discovered and fired
upon, without effect. But in the speed of her flight
she wounded her foot with a sharp stone, so as to be
unable to proceed. The Indians had crossed the river,
and were just behind her. She eluded their pursuit
by hiding in a hollow sycamore log. They frequently
stepped on the log that concealed her, and encamped
near it for the night. Next morning they proceeded
in their pursuit of her; and she started in another
direction as fast as her lameness would permit, but was
obliged to remain near that place three days. She
then set off for the Ohio, over which she rafted her-
self on a drift-log, at the mouth of the Great Ka-
nawha. She traveled only by night, concealing her-
self by day, and subsisting on roots, wild fruits, and
the river shell fish.

At length she reached Green Brier, having passed
forests, rivers, and mountains, more than three hun-
dred miles. Here she laid down exhausted, and
resigned herself to die ; when, providentially, she was
discovered by some of the people of that settlement,
who kindly took her, supplied her wants, and sent
her forward. For this act of mercy the whole set-
tlement suffered a dreadful penalty at the hands of

I> A M E L B N E S CAPTIVITY.

the savages. Sixty warriors came to it, pretending
the most perfect friendship, for it was a time of peace.
While the inhabitants were treating their guests with
hospitality, and altogether without the least suspicion,
tiie Indians rose upon them, killed nearly every man
in the settlement, and carried the women and children
away into captivity.

Chillicothe was also the scene of Daniel Boone's
captivity in 1776. In January of that year he went
to the lower " Blue Licks," with about thirty men, to
make salt for the different settlements. On the 7th
of the next month, while he was in the woods on a
hunt to supply the salt-makers with food, he came
upon a party of one hundred and two Indians, march-
ing to the assault of Boonsboro, the third attempt
upon that ill-fated place. Boone fled, but the sav-
ages pursued and took him prisoner. They then
advanced upon the Licks, and made twenty-seven of
the salt-makers prisoners by capitulation. Delighted
with their signal success, the Indians marched their
prisoners off in triumph through the forests, and
across the Ohio to Chillicothe. After spending about
a month here, eleven of the prisoners, among whom
was Boone, were carried to Detroit, and presented to
the British commandant at that post. He offered
them one hundred pounds as a ransom for Boone.
They refui^ed it ; and while his companions were left,
he was compelled to return with the Indians to Chil-
licothe. The British offered him some necessary sup-
plies for his wants, but his noble spirit refused t(

LIFE AMONG TIIK INDIANS.

accept them from the enemies of his country, when
he had no prospect of ever being able to pay for
them. This was about the beginning of the Revolu-
tionary war.

Soon after his return to Cliillicothe, he was adopted
into the family of one of the principal men of the
tribe. He wisely appeared to be reconciled to his
new way of life, and accommodated himself to it with
cheerfulness. Such deportment, by such a mighty
hunter and untamed spirit, could not but win the
confidence and aflfection of his masters. When chal-
lenged to a trial of his skill with the rifle, he found
it much less difficult to surpass them in the close-
ness of his shooting, than to vanquish the envy and
ill-will, created by this visible superiority in a point
of so much importance in the eyes of that race.
But he found it easy to ingratiate himself wuth the
chief of the Shawnees, by showing great deference
to him, and by always granting him a share of the
proceeds of his hunts. His skill and success in hunt-
ing secured for him great honor among the Indians.
This manner of life, and wild adventure, was so in
accordance with his instinctive propensities and ac-
quired habits, that it is highly probable his seem-
ing acquiescence in his lot, would, in the end, have
become real, had it not been for the remembrance
of his wife and children, at Boonsboro. These cher-
ished recollections constantly haunted his mind, and
prompted the desire and the purpose to escape.

In June, he was taken to the Scioto salt-works,

BOONE'S ESCAPK.

and there compelled to labor so hard in making salt,
that no chance of escape occurred. On his return
with his masters to Chillicotht, he found four hun-
dred and fifty warriors assembled, and accoutered in
all their horrible painting and war-garnish, prepared
for an expedition against Boonsboro. With all his
love of country and family, natural to such a man,
he now became thoroughly bent u )on an attempt to
escape at any and every hazard. In the morning
he arose, and went forth, as usual, to engage in the
hunt. This was done in a manner not to excite the
suspicion of the savages. Ho had secreted a little
food, but only enough for a single meal. In less than
five days he traversed a distance of one hundred and
sixty miles, fording or rafting across the rivers in
his course. He found the fort in no state of prep-
aration for the formidable attack that was impend-
ing. But his timely warning enabled them to put
themselves in so complete a state of defense, that
the savages were defeated, with the loss of thirty-
seven of their warriors, and compelled to retreat.

During this same year, to illustrate the restless
activity of these pioneers, Boone, taking advantage
of the knowledge acquired during his captivity, set
out with a company of select men to surprise the
*' Paint Creek town," an Indian settlement, not far
from the place where Massic, Finley, and Fallenach,
had their conflict with the Indians on their first ex-
pedition into the Scioto country. Having arrived
within four miles of the place, they met an armed

LIFE AMONG TUB INDIANS.

part^ of thirty Indians. An exteuipore battle was
fought, resulting in the flight of the savages. Not
one of Boone's party fell ; but knowing that it would
be perilous to continue longer in that region, they
inarched back to Boonsboro. with all possible dis-
patch. It is painful to think of the uncertainty of
life in which both the white citizen and the Indian
lived at this perio<l. In the moment of greatest ap-
parent security, the sudden crack of the rifle might
be the harbinger of their doom.

This state of life soon became far. from being un-
pleasant to the backwoodsman of real mettle; in fact,
its excitements often became a sort of necessity with
him, and essential to his happiness. Another effect
of it was seen in the acuteness of their perceptions,
and the lightning-like rapidity with which they made
their observations, and reached their conclusions.
Especially was this the case with the Indians. A
noise inappreciable to an ordinary ear, a broken twig
or leaf, or the faintest impression on the grass, the
hooting of an owl, or the gobbling of a turkey, was
sufficient to attract their attention. From these faint
indications they were quick to discern the presence
of a wild beast, or of an enemy.

An anecdote, told by Frost in his book of the In
dians, is to the point. An Indian, upon his return
home to his hut, one day, discovered that his veni-
son, which had been hung up to dry, had been stolen.
After going some distance in pursuit of the thief,
he met a party of travelers, of whom he inquired

I N n I A N A C V T K \ K S S .

whether they liud seen a lUlh', old, white man, with
a short gun, and accompanied by a nmall dor/, with a
hob-tail. Tlicy replied in the affirnmtivc, and asked
the Indian how lie was able to give such a minuto
description of tlio thief. lie answered, "I know ho
is a little man by his liaving made a pile of s-tones
in order to reach the venison, from the hight I hung
it standing on the ground. I know he is an old mau
by his short steps, which I have traced over the
dead leaves in the woods. I know he is a white man
by his turning out his toes when he walks, which an
Indian never docs. I know his gun is -^nort by the
mark which the muzzle made upon the bark of a
tree against which it leaned. I know the dog is
small by his tracks, and that he has a bob-tail I dis-
covered by the mark of it in the dust, where he was
sitting at the time his master took down the meat."

I will add still another instance of the quick per-
ceptions and the acute observations of the red man.
A most atrocious and shocking murder was once com-
mitted by a party of Indians on fourteen white set-
tlers, within five miles of Shamokin, in Pennsylvania.
The surviving whites, in their rage, determined to
take their revenge by murdering a Delaware Indian,
who happened to be in that vicinity, and anticipated
no danger from the whites. He had ever been their
friend, and was generally known among them by the
Dame of Duke Holland. The poor Indian declared
that his tribe was incapable of committing such a foul
crime in a time of profound peace, and told the

.,..4-,i..

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

r '.

enraged settlers that the act must have been perpe-
trated by some vile Mingoes or Iroquois. But all
his protestations were in vain ; h3 could not convince
exasperated men, whose minds were iuUy bent on
revenge.

At" last he offered to go with a party in quest of the
murderers ; and said he was sure he could discover, in
their traces, evixlences that they belonged to the Six
Nations, and not to the Delawares. The proposal
was accepted. The party followed the Indian traces,
and soon found themselves in the most rocky part of
the mountains, where not one of the whites could
discover a single track ; nor would they believe that .
men had ever passed over the track, as they had to
jump from rock to rock, or crawl along the edge of
precif.'es and through almost impassable chasms.
They soon began to suspect that the Indian had led
them across these rugged mountains in order to give
the murderers time to escape, or to betray them into
their hands. They threatened him with instant death
the moment they shoula be convinced of the fraud.
The Indian, to allay their fears, as they ran along,
showed them, here, where the moss had been trodden
down by the weight of a human foot; there, that it
had been torn and dragged forward from its place.
Again, he would point out to them, that pebbles, or
small stones on the rocks, had been removed from
their beds by the foot hitting against them ; that dry
sticks, by being trodden upon, were broken; and, in
ppe particular place, that an Indian'^ blanket bati

TRACKING OP MURDEUErs,

been dragged over the rocks, and had removed or
loosened the leaves lying there, so that they did not
lie flat, as in other places. All these marks he could
perceive, as he Avalked along, without stopping; while,
with the closest observation, the unaccustomed eye of
the white man would fail to discover any significant
trace.

At last he discovered more distinct indentation s
of the feet in some soft ground. From these he
learned that vhe enemy was eight in number; and
he also observed, from the freshness of the foot-
prints, that they could not be very far in advance.
All these predictions were soon verified ; for, on gain-
ing the summit of an eminence, they discovered the
Indians encamped on the other side of the valley.
Some of them had already lain down to sleep, while
others were drawing off their leggins for the same
purpose. The scalps of the murdered men were
also hanging up to dry. " See," said Duke Holland,
*' there is the enemy, not of my nation, but Mingoct:.
They are in our power. In less than half au hour,
they will be all fast asleep. We need iiot fire a
gun, but go right up and tomahawk them. We are
two to one nearly. Come on; you will now have
your revenge."

Strange to tell ! the whites, who had been so ready
to take revenge, by murdering an innocent and de-
fenseless Indian, now showed "the white feather."
They declined making tlve attack, and besought the'
Indian to take them back by the nearest and best

llfE AMONG tllE INDIANS.

way. This he did ; and wli.en they reached home,
they reported that the number of the Indians was
80 great, that they did not venture to attack them.
Attacking an Indian camp, and killing a poor Indian,
already in their power, were things very different.

But we must return to the life scenes in the Scioto
region. One of the most considerable conflicts had
with the Indians at Chillicothe, occurred in 1779.
The tide of population was then setting strongly into
their ancient hunting-grounds in the west ; and though
they had not intelligence and steadiness of purpose
enough to effect an organized and persistent combi-
nation to roll back the tide, they did what they could,
singly and in detail, to check its progress. All the
savage cruelty in their nature Avas intensified by their
thirst for revenge; but th^ir mode of warfare was
mainly by detached aggression — falling upon individ-
uals and stragglers by stealth, waylaying travelers,
surprising families — thus butchering individuals, and
destroying their dwellings. These terrible events
were of no unfrequent occurrence; and it is really
astonishing that they had so little effect in retarding
the growth of the population. The people now be-
gan to feel the necessity of some combined and morf
efficient action, to check these savage barbaritie*.
Accordingly, a convention of the settlers was held
at Harrisburg, and it was determined to carry the
war into the enemy's country. As the Shawneea
had been most conspicuous jn their hostilities, it was
determined to fit out an armed expedition against old

ONSET UPON CHILLI no THE.

Chillicothe, which was their chief town. Two hun-
dred volunteers were enrolled, comprising many of
ihe most respectable citizens. The command was
given to Col. Bowman; and under him, Logan, Hol-
den, Harrod, and Bulger commanded.

They reached Chillicothe, undiscovered, in July,
loward sunset. After deliberation, it was resolved to
dtfer the attack till the dawn of the succeeding morn-
ing. The force Avas divided into two detachments —
one commanded by Col. Bowman, the other by Capt.
Logan. One division took its position on the right,
the other on i\y, left; and upon a given signal, they
-were to surrouri the town, and attack it in concert.
The party conv.i.anded by Logan repaired to the
assigned point, and waited in vain for tlio signal.
The attention of the Indians was dra ♦'> this point
by the barking of a dog. At the sanie moment, a
gun was accidentally discharged by one of tlic other
party. The whole village of course was aroused in
a moment. The women and children were hurried
into the woods through a path not yet occupied by
the assailants ; and the warriors collected in a strong
;abin. All this passed under tlie eyes of Logan's
party, who immediately took possession of some of
ihe deserted cabins. It was now broad daylight, and
'requent shots were exchanged between the parties.
The expedient of Logan, to march safely to the as-
sault of the cabin was an ingenious one, and, as
far as our reading extends, original. He proposed
to his party to tear off the Indian cabin doors, aud

lAVt AMOS^G THE tNDlANS.

eaoL to carry one before him as a breast-Tork, in
advai cing iipou the Indian cabin, where the warriors
were issembled. As they were marching upon tlie
foe behind their movable wall, Col. Bowman, per-
ceiving that their plan for surprising the Indians was
disconcerted, sent an order to retreat. Capt. Logan's
party were astonished at this order, and reluctant to
obey it. The retreat must take place over an open
prairie, exposed to the covert fire of the Indians.
Instead of a concerted retreat, in good order, every
one endeavored to make the best of his way from
the danger, in the mode indicated by his own judg-
ment. Each one started away from behind his con-
cealment, ana made for the wood at his utmost speed.
Some of their number fell by the bullets which the
savages showered upon, them us they fled over the
prairie. The stragglers assembled in the woods, and
assumed something like order. The Indians sallied
out upon their invaders, commanded by their chief,
Black Fish. They were much inferior in numbers,
not exceeding thirty; yet Col. Bowman's fo.rce, once
intimidated, continued to fly before them under the
impulse of terror, and were sorely pressed. His
force was brought to a halt in a low and sheltered
ground. His fire upon the surrounding enemy, who
were protected behind bushes produced litHe effect.
Captains Logan and Harrod mounted some pack-
horses and made a charge Upon the Indians. This
kssault somewhat staggered them. Black Fish was
kiHed, and the Indians, in their turn, took to flight.

ciittttco'rtiK — Gtni'V.

The men pursued an unmolested march homeward.
In this ill-managed expedition, nine rnen were killed,
and one wounded. The Indian loss was compara-
tively small ; though the number of the killed among
them was never fully ascertained.

But we must hasten over these events. Though
now removed from us by the space of three-quarters
of a century, they were fresh, when, with others, the
writer assisted to carry the tide of civilization into
that region. In 1780 the Kentucky rangers, under
Col. Clark, destroyed not only the cornfields of the
Indians at Chillicothe, but also every thing that re-
lated to subsistence, on which they could lay their
hands. Thus, for a time, the savages were compelled
to relinquish their barbarous and treacherous assaults
upon the settlers, and devote themselves to the hunt,
in order to obtain subsistence for their people. But
it was the grand rendezvous of the Shawnees, Wyan-
dotts, Fawas, Pottawataraies, and various other tribes,
preparatory to their incursion into Kentucky, in the
summer of 1782, of which a more particular account
will be given, when we come to narrate the history
of that monster, Simon Girty, who was one of the
leading spirits in this savage council. That very fall,
the whites took vengeance in the destruction of all
the cabins at Chillicothe, though the Indians, them-
selves, escaped.

In 1791 old Chillicothe was the scene of a despe-
rate battle between General Harmar and the Indians.
lie had entered the Indian country from Fort Wash-

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

ington, now Cincinnati, at the head of one thousand,
four hundred and fifty-three men. Colonel Hardin,
with six hundred Kentucky militia, formed a recon-
noitering party, in advance. The Indians every-where
fled as he approached, setting fire to their villages,
and destroying their goods with their own hands
To overtake them, he placed himself at the head
of a scout of two hundred and ten men, and pushed
ahead with great rapidity. This scout was attacked
by an inconsiderable party of Indians, when the raw
militia broke and fled, leaving the brave men who
would not fly, to their fate. TAventy-three of the
party fell, and only a small portion succeeded in re-
joining the army. Yet General Harmar pushed on,
and succeeded in reducing most of the Indian towns
to. ashes, and destroying their provisions. When
within eight miles of Chillicothe, on the Little Miami,
he halted, and, late at night, sent forward Colonel
Hardin to attack the enemy. The action commenced
early in the morning. The savages fought with des-
peration. Some of the American troops again acted
the coward, but the officers bore themselves gallantly,
and, utterly regardless of personal safety, rushed for-
ward into the thickest of the fight. It was a severe
and disastrous conflict. More than fifty regulars
and one hundred militia, and a large portion of the
officers, including the brj^ve Fontayne, Willys, and
Frothingham, were slain upon the battle-ground. The
number of th« enemy slain was not known. But
it must have been great, as General Ilarmar waa

INDIAN BAtlBAKlTlES.

permitted to retire without molestation. Ilarmar, in
his official report, claimed the victory; but it was
doubtful which party lost most by the conflict.

Major General Arthur St. Clair succeeded Ilnrmar
in command of the forces at the north-west. There
was now a loud and earnest appeal from the exposed
settlers, for protection; and this could be obtained
only by the destruction of their savage foes. If this
assertion seems too strong, let me give a fact in
evidence. In 1790 a treaty was proposed to the
savages at Miami. They asked thirty days for de-
liberation. It was granted; and before the thirty
days had passed, more than one hundred and twenty
persons had been killed and captured, and several
prisoners roasted alive. At the close of the specified
time, the Indians utterly refused to make any answer
to the proposition for a treaty. Nor is this all ; their
prisoners were often roasted alive, aiid the most re-
volting barbarities w ere practiced upon them ; then,
too, m«any who surrendered under promise of having
their lives spared, were immediately butchered in
cold blood. Can we wonder that those whom war
had exposed to these barbarities, and whose friends
had been victims of them, called aloud for vengeance?
The whole land was in mourning. More than two
thousand of the settlers had, in some form, been mur-
dered or killed in battle by the savages. Along with
the wail of sorrow, and the appeal for protection,
the deep, muttered cry for vengeance was heard.

The destruction of the Indian towns, indtho cstab-

; I

wnvHi

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

. I "i

lishment of a chain of military posts, was the only
thing that could give protection to the settlements.
With these objects in view, General St. Clair, in 1702,
entered the Indian territory, at the head of over two
thousand men. On the second of November, he en-
camped within fifteen miles of the Miami villages.
Soon after daylight, the savages commenced an at-
tack upon the militia, which was thrown into confu-
sion, and fled in disorder. They burst through the
line of the regulars into the camp. The officers
made great efforts to restore order, but with only
partial success. The Indians pressed upon the heels
of the flying militia, and engaged General Butler
with great intrepidity. The action now became warm
and general; and the fire of the assailants passing
round both flanks of the first line, in a few minutes
was poured with equal fury upon the rear. The
sirtillerists, in the center, were mowed down ; and the
fire was the more galling, as it was directed by an
invisible enemy, crouching on the ground, or con-
cealed behind trees. In this manner they advanced
toward the very mouth of the cannon; and fought
with the infuriated fierceness with which success
always animates savages. Some of the soldiers ex-
hibited military fearlessness, and fought with great
bravery. Others were timid, and disposed to fly.
With a self-devotion which the occasion reauired,
the officers generally exposed themselves to the hot-
test of the conte§t, and fell in great numbers, in
desperate efforts to restore the battle. The com-

A DESPERATE CONFLICT.

nianding general, though he had, some time, been en-
feebled by severe disease, acted with personal bravery,
and delivered his orders with judgment and self-pos-
session. A charge was made upon the savages with
the bayonet; and they were driven from their covert
"with some loss, a distance of four hundred yards.
But as soon as the charge was suspended, and the
soldiers had withdrawn, the savages, with fresh vigor,
returned to the attack. General Butler was mortally
wounded, the left wing was broken, and the artillerists
were killed, almost to a man. The guns were secured,
and the camp penetrated by the enemy. A despe-
rate charge was headed by Colonel Butler, although
he was severely wounded; and the Indians Avere
again driven from the camp, and the artillery recov-
ered. Several charges were repeated, with partial
success. The enemy only retreated to return to the
charge, flushed with new ardor. The ranks of the
troops were broken, and the men pressed together in
crowds, and were shot down without resistance. A
retreat was all that remained to save the remnant
of the army. Colonel Drake was ordered to charge
a body of the savages that intercepted their retreat.
Major Clark, with his battalion, was ordered to cover
the rear. These orders were carried into eflfect, and
a most disorderly flight commenced. A pursuit was
kept up foiir miles, when, fortunately, the natural
greediness of the savage appetite for plunder, called
back the Indians to the camp, to share in the spoils.
Throwing away their arms to expedite their flight.

■i

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

the disorderly troops continued their retwat till they
reached Fort Washington.

This was a most disastrous battle. Six hundred
and thirty-one were left dead upon the field, of whom
thirty-eight were officers, and two hundred and sixty-
three were wounded. The savages were led on, in
this engagement, by a Mississayo chief, who had ac-
quired experience in the arts of war under the Brit-
ish, during the Revolution. So very superior was his
knowledge of tactics, that the Indian chiefs, though
extremely jealous of him, yielded the entire com-
mand to him ; and he arranged and fought the battle
with great combination of military skill. Their force
amounted to four thousand. They reported their
killed were sixty-five, but it must have been more.
They took a vast amount of plunder, including seven
pieces of cannon, a large number of horses, and over
two hundred oxen. The chief restrained the pursuit,
saying they had killed enough.

Though the news of this battle spread gloom over
the country, it stimulated rather than retarded ac-
tion, and multitudes were eager for revenge. Gen-
eral Scott, at the head of one thousand mounted
Kentucky volunteers, marched against a party of the
victors. He came up to them on the fated field.
They were still rioting in their plunders, riding upon
the backs of the captured oxen, and acting, as if
the whole body were drunken. He instantly attacked
them. Their defeat was complete. More than two
hundred of their number were left dead upon the

<3 E N K l\ A T. W A Y N K .

field; tlic cannon, nnd most of tlic Htorcs wove re-
taken, and tlic party rcturntd in triuin[)h.

The final great battle, before the termination of tlio
oarly Indian uar, was fougl t under the direction of
General Anthony Wayne, w'.io had been appointed to
the command, upon the resignation of General St.
Clair. He commanded the confidence of the western
people in a high degree, and was generally called, on
account of his reckless bravery, "Mad Anthony."
But his appointment to the command of the western
army was no "mad" act. Negotiations were at first
earnestly attempted with the Indian tribes, but with-
out any effect. Two excellent oflficers. Colonel Har-
din and Major Truman, who had been sent to convey
overtures to the Indians, were cruelly murdered by
them. The horrors of war were again to be realized.
The first step of General Wayne was to enter the
Indian country, and to erect a fortification upon the
old site of St. Clair's defeat. This he called " Fort
Recovery." His principal camp was called Green-
ville. He had under his command about two thou-
sand soldiers; and soon after he commenced his op-
erations he was joined by General Scott, vith eleven
hundred mounted militia, from Kentucky.

Though the Revolutionary Avar had closed, and the
two countries were at peace, yet the British Govui'n-
ment still retained many of their forts, which were
vr»thii> the territory of the United States. At this
juncture, while Wayne was progressing northward
♦vPrough the western part of Ohio, a detachment of

i^M

L I F K A M X (} T II K I N U I A N S .

British soldiers from Detroit, occupied a fortified
position on the Miami of the Lakes. They evidently
designed to give encouragement and protection to the
Indians, if not to aid them directly. But Wayne was
too determined in purpose, and too strong in his force
to be turned aside. On the 8th of August he reached
the confluence of the Auglaize and the Miami of the
Lakes. Here were the most extensive and richest
settlements of the western Indians — and it was only
about thirty miles from the fort established by the
British. The whole strength of the Indians was
about two thousand, and they were encamped in the
vicinity of that post.

Still another attempt was made to prevent the effu-
sion of blood. Suitable messengers were dispatched
to have an interview with the savages. They were
exhorted to forsake the evil counsels that were plung-
ing them into ruin, and to accept the offers of peace,
and be restored to their homes, and delivered from
the horrors of famine, which was consuming them
and their families. The reply was evasive, and suf-
ficiently indicated that the Indians were not yet pre-
pared to enter into a treaty. General Wayne now
settled it in his mind that a battle must be fought.

On- the 20th of August his army marched forward
in columns. Major Price was in advance, at the head
of a reconnoitering scout. After advancing five miles,
suddenly a heavy fire, from concealed savages, was
poured upon him. He immediately retired beyond
the reach of their guns, and Wayne prepared foi

„(■>,

A SUCCESSFUL BATTLE.

(35

a general action. The Indians had chosen their p6-
flition witli great judgment. They had moved into
a thick wood, in advance of the British post, and had
taken position among some fallen timber, which had
been blown down by a tornado. Here they weio
formed in three lines, according to Indian custom, and
were inaccessible to the horse. The American legion
was ordered to advance in front, with trailed arms,
and first rouse the enemy from his covert, and then
pour upon him their fire. The cavalry, commanded
by Captain Campbell, "vas to advance between the
Indians and the river, where the wood permitted them
^0 penetrate and charge their left flank. General
Soott, at the head of his mounted volunterrs, was
commanded to make a circuit, so as to turn their
right. This programme of the action was promptly
carried out by the gallant oflicers in command, and
with brilliant success. But such was the impetuosity
of the charge made by the first linp of th^ infantry,
that the enemy were completely broken and dislodged
from their position. The brave men who had dis-
lodged them did their work so suddenly, and then
followed up the pursuit with such rapidity, that very
few of the second line, or of the mounted volunteers,
had an opportunity to take any part in the action.
The savages were pursued to the very gates of the
British fort.

It appears that the British commandant had prom-
ised the Indians, that, if defeated, he would open to

them the gates of the fort, and give them protection.

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

Accordingly, when routed, they huddled, lilcc fright
ened sheep, before the gates, and here, pressed in the
rear by the infantry, and on either side by the horse,
they were cut down in great numbers, almost with-
out resistance. The slaughter of the Indians was
immense. This battle was fought on the 20th of
August, 1794. The American loss, in killed and
wounded, was one hundred and seven ; but among
hese were some of the bravest officers upon the field,
such as Captain Campbell and Lieutenant Towles
The rout of the Indians was complete. Their force
was broken and scattered.

General Wayne remained three day a on the field
of battle, reducing the houses and corn-fields, above
and below the fort, and some of thom within pistol-
shot of it, to ashes. The houses and stores of Col.
M'Kee, an English trader, whose great influence
am^^ng the savages had been uniformly exerted for
the continuance of the war, were burned among the
rest. Correspondence, on these two points, took place
between General Waynes and the commander of the
fort. The latter, however, soon came to understand
that he could avoid hostilities with Wiyne only by
being careful not to interfere with his operations.
Having completed the work of destruction here. Gen-
eral Wayne returned to Auglaize, and destroyed all
the Indian towns and corn within fifty miles of the
river. The savages were thus made to understand
that peace or entire destruction were the only altern-
atives. Yet they continued to commit struggling

PEACE.

depredations till the next summer. QMien, on the^
3d of August, as we have already noticed, a definite
treaty of peace Avas established. Thus terminated
the long-protracted struggle between civilization and
barbarism. The number of individuals wantonly mur-
dered by the savages, independently of those slain
in battle, can be numbered only by thousands. Yet,
strange as it may appear, the tide of immigration was
scarcely checked by these outrages; and the civilized
population of the great valley Avas constantly on the
increase.

LIFE AMONG TUB INDIANS.

CHAPTER III.

INDIAN CRUELTIES.

During the progress of these wars, scenes of thrill-
ing interest, and of appalling, savage barbarity, were
enacted. The record of some will be known only
at the great day. Others are scattered along the
iiistory of those times, as so many monumental piles,
to tell us what our fathers suffered, that we might
come into possession of this goodly land.

But it must be confessed that these acts of savage
cruelty were not all on the side of the Indians. In-
deed, had the acts of the pioneers toAvard the Indians
always been characterized by kind treatment and fair
dealing, it is doubtful whether the savnge cruelties
inflicted on them would ever have occurred.

To show that these statements are not unfounded
in fact, we will begin these narrations with one of
the most cruel and tragic outrages ever perpetrated
by mortal man, whether savage or professedly civil-
ized. This was the butchery of the Moravian Indians,
by a party of whites, in 1782. The Moravian mis-
sionaries, whose zeal is un quenched by the snows of
Lapland, and ^ hose energy braves \\ie burning sands
of Arabia and Africa, had penetrated these western
wilds before the white man had made his settlement,

CRUELTY TOWARD INDIANS.

und had succeeded in establishing missions ou the
Tuscarawas, among the Delaware Indians. They bad
three stations on the river; namely, Gnadenhutten,
Shoenbrun, and Salem. These villages were occupied
by the Indians, all of whom had become Christian-
ized, and were peacefully engaged in the various
pursuits of civilization. Several depredations having
been committed by hostile Indians, about the time
of which I am writing, on the frontier inhabitants
of western Pennsylvania and Virginia, they determ-
ined to retaliate, and a company of one hundred men
was raised, and placed under the command of Colonel
Williamson, as a corps of volunteer militia. They
set out for the Moravian towns on the Tuscarawas
river, and arrived within a mile of Gnadenhutten on
the night of the fifth of March,.

On the morning of the sixth, finding the Indians
at work in their cornfield, on the west bank of the
river, sixteen of Williamson's men crossed over, two
at a time, in a large sugar trough, taking their rifles
with them. The remainder went into the village,
where they found an Indian and squaw, both of
whom they killed. The sixteen on the west side,
on approaching the Indians, found them more nu-
merous than they had anticipated. The Indians had
their arms with them, which they carried not only for
purposes of protection, but for killing game. The
whites accosted them kindly, telling them 'that they
had come for the purpose of taking them to a place
where in future they would be protected in safety,

wmmm

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

no longer to be startled by the rude alarm of angry
foes. They advised them to quit work, and g6 with
them to Fort Pitt. Some of the tribe had b^cn
taken to that place in the preceding year, and were
treated with great kindness by their white neighbors,
and especially the governor of the fort, and returned
to their homes with tokens of friendship and kind-
ness. Under such circumstances, it was not surpris-
ing that the innocent and unsuspecting Moravisin In-
dians surrendered their arms, and at once consented
to place themselves under the protection and control
of Williamson and his men. An Indian messenger
was dispatched to Balem, for the purpose of appris-
ing their brethren of the urrangement, and then both
companies returned to Gnadenhutten. On reaching
the village, a number of mounted militia started for
the Salem settlement, but ere they reached it, so
great was the dispatch of the messenger, that they
found the Moravian Indians at that place had already
left their cornfields, and were on the road to join
their brethren at Gnadenhutten. Measures had been
previously adopted to secure the Indians whom they
had at first decoyed into their power, and accordingly
they were bound, and confined in two houses, securely
guarded. On the arrival of the Indians from Salem —
their arms having been secured witho'.t any sus-
picion of their hostile intentions — they wei e at once
seized, fettered, and divided between the two prison-
houses, the males in one, and -the females in the
other. The number thus confined in both houses,

HEART-RENDING TRAGEDY.

incUiMing men, women, and children, amounted to from
ninety to one hundred.

A council w»? then held to determine how tne
Moravian Indians should be disposed of. This self-
constituted military court consisted of both officers
and privates. Williams )n put the question whether
the Indians should be taken, prisoners, to Fort Pitt,
or put to death, requesting those who were ii; favor
of saving their lives to march out of rank, and form
a second rank in advance. Only eighteen, out of the
whole number, stepped out as the advocates of mercy.
In these the feelings of humanity prevailed; but in
the others, constituting the large majority, humanity
and justice were utterly extinct. They had delib-
erately come to the conclusion to murder the whole
of the Christian Indians in their power. Among the
doomed were several who had contributed to aid the
missionaries in the work of conversion and civiliza-
tion; two of whom emigrated from New Jersey after
the death of their pastor. Rev. David Brainard. One
Indian female, who could speak good English, fell
upon her knees before Williamson, the commander,
and begged most eloquently and piteously for his
protection; but all her supplications and pleadings
were urheeded by the heartless and dastardly wretch,
whj orderedher to prepare for death.

J 3y had anticipated the cruel fate that awaited
them • and their hymns of praise and fervent prayers
ascenaed fi'om their prison, during the whole of that
eventful night, to their great Father in heaven. Their

72-

LIFE AMOKG THE INDIANS.

.^li 'I.

prayers and tears, and their pleadings for mercy and
protection were lost upon their white murderers, but
they entered the ears of an avenging God. When
the morning sun arose, the work of death commenced,
and a scene of human butchery occurred, of sufficient
enormity to move the heart most used to blood and
carnage, and gather paleness on the cheek of dark-
ness itself. One after another, men, women, and
children were led out to a block prepared for the
dreadful purpose, and, being commanded to sit down,
the ax of the butcher, in the hands of infuriate de-
mons, clave their skulls. Two persons, who were
present at that time, and who related to me the fear-
ful story, assured me that they were unable to wit-
ness, but for a short time, the horrid scene. One
of these men stated that when he saw the incarnate
fiends lead a pretty little girl, about twelve years
of age, to the fatal block, and heard her plead for
her life, in the most piteous accents, till her innocent
voice was hushed in death, he felt a faintness come
over him, and could no longer stand the heart-sick-
ening scene. The dreadful work of human slaughter
continued till every prayer, and moan, and sigh, was
hushed in the stillness of death. No sex, age, or
condition was spared, from the gray-haired sire to
the infant at its mother's breast. All fell victims to
the most cold-blooded murder ever perpetrated by
man. There lay, in undistinguished confusion, gashed
and gory, in that cellar, where they were thrown by
their butchers, nearly one hundred murdered Chris-

Crawford's defeat.

tian Indians, hurried to an rntimely grave by those
who liad but two days before sworn to protect them.
It was an act shocking to humanity; and its perpe-
trators should be consigned to eternal infamy. *

No wonder that the savages were excited to the
highest pitch of fury. Nor was the opportunity of
revenge — a revenge that might have glutted the Ikeart
of an incarnate fiend — long wanting.

The event narrated above took place on the 8th
of March, 1782. On the 22d of the succeeding May,
tlie ill-fated Colonel Crawford headed another expe-
dition from western Pennsylvania. The army con-
sisted of four hundred and fifty men, and commencing
its march on the day above-named, it proceeded due
west, visiting, in its way, the Moravian towns, which
had just been the scene of such a horrible tragedy.
On the 6th of June, when near the Upper Sandusky,
they were attacked by the Indians, and defeated. -At
least one hundred were killed and taken prisoners;
and of the latter, it is said, two only escaped. When
the rout commenced, instead of retreating in a body,
they fled in small parties, and thus fell an easy prey
into the hands of their pursuers. Colt)nel Crawford
became separated from the main body of his soldiers,
by his extreme anxiety for his son, and two or three
other relations, whom he suspected were in the rear,
and, therefore, waited for them an unreasonable time.
He, at length, fled, in company with a Dr. Knight

* Autobiography.

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

and two others. Unfortunately, after traveling ncarlv
two days, they were, with several others, surprised
by a party of Delawares, and conducted to the Old
Wyandott town. The Indians halted within two miles
of the town. Here Captain Pipe, a celebrated Del-
aware chief, painted both Crawford and Knight black.
AsHhey were conducted toward the town, the cap-
tives 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 afterward the
Doctor was given to a Shawnee warrior, to be con-
ducted to their town. The boys and squaws then
fell upon the other prisoners, and tomahawked them
in a moment. Crawford was then driven toward the
village, Girty accompanying the party on horseback.
At the village resided an Indian chief, named Wingc-
nund.

This chief had been known to Crawford some time
before, and had been on terms of true friendship with
him, and kindly entertained by him at his own house ;
and such acts of kindness all red men remember with
gratitude. Wingenund does not appear to have been
present when the first preparations were made for
burning the prisoner, but resided not far from the
fatal spot, and had retired to his cabin, that he might

CRAWPORD AND WINQENUND.

not see the sentence of his nation executed upon one
calhng liim his friend; but Crawford requested that
he might be sent for, cheering his almost raylesa mind
with the faint hope that he would interpose and save
him. Accordingly, Wingenund soon appeared in the
presence o^ the bound and naked white man.

lie was asked ?3y Crawford if he knew him, who
said, he believed he did, and asked, " Are you not
Colonel Crawford?" "I am," replied the Colonel.
The chief discovered much agitation and embarrass-
ment, and ejaculated, " So ! — Yes! — Indeed!" "Do
you not recollect the friendship that always existed
between us, and that we were alM'ays glad to see each
other?" said Crawford. "Yes," said the chief, "I
remember all this, and that we have often drank to-
gether, and that you have been kind to me." " Then
I hope," added Crawford, "the same friendship still
continues." " It would, of course," said Wingenund,
"were you where you ought to be, and not here."
"And why not here?" said the Colonel. "I hope
you would not desert a friend in time of need. Now
is the time for you to exert yourself in my behalf, as
I should do for you, were you in my place." "Col.
Crawford," replied Wingenund, "you have placed
yourself in a situation which puts it out of my power
and that of others of your friends to do any thing
for you." "How so. Captain Wingenund?" said the
Colonel. He added, " By joining yourself to that
execrable man, Williamson and his party; the man
who but the other day murdered such a number of

7rt

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

tlie Moravian Indians, knowing them to be friends;
knowing that ho ran no risk in murdering a people
who would not fight, and whoso only business was
praying." "But I assure you, Wingenund," said
Crawford, " that had I been with him at the time, thia
would not have happened. Not I alone, but all your
friends, and all good men, wherever they are, repro-
bate acts of this kind." "That may be," said Win-
genund, "yet these friends, these good men, did not
prevent him from going out again, to kill the re-
mainder of those inoffensive, yet foolish Moravian
Indians! I say foolish, because they believed the
whites in preference to us. We had oftc. told them
that they would be, one day, so treated by those peo-
ple who called themselves their friends! We told
them that there was no faith to be placed in what the
white men said; that their fair promises were only
intended to allure us, that they might the more easily
kill us, as they have done many Indians before they
killed these Moravians." "I am sorry to hear you
speak thus," said Crawford; "as to Williamson's
going out again, when it was known that he was de-
termined on it, I went out with him to prevent him
from committing fresh murders." " This," said Win-
genund, " the Indians would not believe, were even
I to tell them so." Crawford then asked, "And
why would they not believe it?" "Because," replied
Wingenund, " it would have been out of your power
to prevent his doing what he pleased." " Out of my
power?" exclaimed the Colonel, and asked, "Have

CBAWFOUD DOOMED.

any Moravian Indians boon killed or hurt since we
came out?" "None," answered the chief; " but you
went first to their town, and finding it empty and
deserted, you turned on the path toward us. If you
had been in search of warriors only, you would not
have gone thither. Our spies watched you closely.
They saw you while you were embodying yourselves
on the other side of the Ohio. They saw you cross
that river — they saw where you encamped at night —
they saw you turn off from the path to the dosovto/j
Moravian town — they knew you were going out of
your way — your steps were constantly watched, and
you were suffered quietly to proceed, till you reached
the spot where you were attacked."

Crawford, doubtless, with this sentence, ended his
last rays of hope. He asked, with faint emotion,
"What do they intend to do with me?" when Winge-
nund frankly replied, "I tell you with grief. As
Williamson, with his whole cowardly host, ran off in
the night, i. the whistling of our warriors' balls,
being satisfied that now he had no Moravians to deal
with, but men who could fight, and with such he did
not wish to have any thing to do — I say, as lie
escaped, and they have taken you, they will take
revenge on you in his stead." "And is there no
possibility of preventing this ?" said Crawford ; " can
you devise no way to get me off? You shall, my
friend, be well rewarded if you are instrumental in
saving my life." " Had Williamson been taken with
you," answered the chief, "I and some friends, by

LIFE APIONQ THE INDIANS.

making use of what you have told mo, might, per-
haps, have succcodod in saving you; but as tho matter
now stands, no man would dare to interfere in your
behalf. The king of England himself, were ho to
come to this spot, with all his wealth and treasure,
could not effect this purpose. The blood of tho
innocent Moravians, more than half of them women
and children, cruelly and wantonly murdered, calls
aloud for rcveiuje. The relatives of the slain, who
are among us, cry out and stand ready for reve)i(je.
The nation to which they belonged will have revevge.
The Shawnces, our grandchildren, have asked for
your fellow-prisoner; on him they will take revenge.
All the nations connected with us cry out, revenge!'
revenge ! The Moravians, whom you went to destroy,
having fled, instead of avenging their brethren, tho
offense is become national, and the nation itself is
bound to take revenge F*

"My fate then is fixed," said the wretched man,
" and I must prepare to meet death in its worst
form." "Yes, Colonel," replied the chief; "I am
sorry for it, but can not do any thing for you. Had
you attended to the Indian principle, that as good
and evil can not dwell together in the same heart,
60 a good man ought not to go into evil company,
you would not be in this lamentable situation. You
see, now, when it is too late, aftor Williamson has
deserted you, what a bad man he must be ! Nothing
now remains for you but to meet your fate like a
brave man. Farewell, Colonel Crawford! they are

PRIGIITFUL rHEP A RATIONS.

coming, I will retire to a solitary spot." Having Buid
the^o words, he withdrew.

It 18 said that Wingcnund shed tears at parting with
his former friend.*

The preparations for the horrible tragedy were
goon completed. A largo stake was dnven into the
gi'ound, and piles of dry wood heaped up around it.
Colonel Crawford's hands were then tied behind liis
back ; a strong rope was produced, one end of which
was fastened to the ligature between his wristb, and
the other 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 ap-
ulicd to the hickory poles, which lay in piles at the
distance of six or seven yards from the stake.

The Colonel observing these terrible pr'^parations,
called to Girty, who sat on horseback, at the distance
of a few yards from the fire, and asked if the In-
dians 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 ad-
dressed 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

* Drake's Indians of North America.

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

tii

^iW

they all rushed at once upon the unfortunate Craw-
ford. 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 logs, and continuing to his
neck. The boys snatched the burning hickory poles
land applied them to hio flesh. As fast as he ran
around the stake, to avoid one party of tormentors,
he was promptly met at evci-y turn bv others, w ith
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 hnd become black and blistered in a
dreadful manner. The squaws would take up a quan-
tity of coals and hot ashes, and thvow them upon his
body, f)0 that in a few minutes he had nothing but fire
to walk upon.

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. Colo-
nel!" replied the renegade, bursting into a laugh,
and then turning to an Indian beside him, he ut-
tered soro.e brutal jests upon the naked and miserable

I 1

THE AWFUL SCENE.

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 ex-
tremity of torture.

Knight, whose mind was deeply agitated at the
sight of the fearful scene before him, took no no-
tice 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,
fi'om 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. lie observed, in a taunting tone, that
most of the prisoners had said, that the white people
would not injure him, it the chance of war was to
throw him into their power; but, that for his own
part, he sliould be loth 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 broihng the Colonel! What is your
opinion, Doctor? Do you think they would be gla<l
to see me?" Still Knight made no answer, and in
few minutes Girty rejoined the Indians.

The terrible scene had now lasted more than two
hours, and Crawford had become much exhausted.
lie walked slowly around the stake, spoke in a low

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS.

tone, and earnestly besought God to look with coic-
pussiou 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 inces-
santly touched him. At length he sunk in a fainting
lit u})on his face, and lay motionless. Instantly an-
Indian sprung upon his back, kneeled lightly upon
one knee, made a circular inciaion with his knife upon
the crown of his head, and clapoing the knife be-
tween 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 groanod 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 tor-
mentors.

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 ex-
pedition the Indians were very much exasperated by
the cold-blooded slaughter of the Moravian, red men
at Gnadenhurten — an atrocity without a. parallel i»i
border warfare — and to have seemed merciful to the
whites for a single moment would have been fatal lo
Girty. Indeed, it is aaid that when he spoke of ran-

Vi'tA"*;

ANOTUEK TRAGEDY.

)I1

soming the Colonel, Captain Pipe threatened him with
death at the stake. Let justice be rendered even to
tne worst of criminals.

Dr. Knight, made bold or desperate by the torture
he had witnessed, effected his escape from the Shaw-
nee warrior to whose care he was committed, and
after much suffering, reached th'e settlements. From
liim the greater portion of the accviunt of Crawford's
death is deriv d, and corrected by the statements of
Indians present on the occasion.

To augment, if possible, the horror of this dread-
ful tragedy, the son of Colonel Crawford was com-
pelled to witness it, and, not long after, was subjected
to the same cruel fate.*

From the above, we turn to a tragedy scarcely less
horrible, which will exhibit another phase of savage
cruelty. Early in April, 1787, a party of fourteen
Indians attacked a family living at Cooper's Run, in
Bourbon county. Thct family consisted of the mother,
two sons of mature age, a widowed daughter, with an
infant in her arms, two grown daughters, and a
daughter of ten years. They occupied a double
cabin. In one division were the two grown daugh-
ters and the smaller girl; in the other, the remain-
der of the family. At evening twilight, a knocking
was heard at the door of the latter, asking in good
English, and the customary phrase of the country,
"Who keeps the house?" As the sons were opening

* Jlerocs of the West.

ilR

li^ii

iiM''

s <.

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS,

\\l\

the door, the mother forbade, affirming there weio
Indians there. The young men sprang to their guns.
The Indians, being refused admittance, made an eftbrt
at the opposite door. They beat open the door of
that room with a rail, and endeavored to take the
three girls prisoners. The little girl escaped, and
might have evaded danger, in the darkness and the
woods. But the distracted and bewildered child ran
to the other door, and cried for help. The brothers
wished to fly to her relief, but the mother forbade
her door to be opened. The merciless tomahawk
soon hushed the cries of the child in the silence of
death. While a part of the Indians were murdering
this poor child, one of the older sisters was captured
by them and bound. The other defended herself
bravely with a knife, killing one Indian outright,
but was then killed herself by another. The Indians,
having obtained possession of one half of the house,
set it on fire. The rest of the family, Avho were now
shut up in the other part of the cabin, had now to
choose between a frightful death in the flames, and
the hazard of attempting to escape from the toma-
hawks of the savages. The latter stationed them-
selves in the dark angles of the fence, where they
were concealed in the darkness, while the bright
glare of the flames exposed any who might attempt
to escape, to the deadly aim of their riflee. One sou
took charge of his aged and infirm mother, and the
other of his widowed sister and her infant. They
started in diff'erent directions, and attempted lo leap

iiil

r-'.3ifcsjBaie<iir<!iitai^B.MMnnina««c'.

PfiftSONAL EN COUNTER.

the fence at different points. The mother was shot
dead, and the other brother was also killed, gallantly
defending his sister. The widowed sister with her
infant, and one of the brothers, escaped the massacre.
These persons alarmed the settlement. Thirty men,
commanded by Colonel John Edwards, arrived, the
next day, to witness this horrid spectacle of murder
and ruin. In the mean time, considerable snow had
fallen, so that it was easy to pursue the Indians by
their trail. In the evening of that dJy, they came
upon the expiring body of the captured young woman,
nmrdered but a few moments before their arrival.
The Indians had discovered that they were pursued
by the barking of a dog. The pursuing party, how-
ever, overtook and killed two of the Indians, who had
apparently staid behind as a rear-guard, or to enable
the others to escape.

Many were the desperate encounters between indi-
vidual combatants, about this period. One occurred
in 1770, at Bricket's fort, in western Virginia. A
Mr. Morgan came in contact with two Indians, and
was pursued by them. Being old and infirm, he soon
boiran to filter in his race for life. But he under-
stood the tactics of Indian warfare too well to allow
himself to be overtaken in an open race. Accord-
ingly he stopped suddenly behii.d a tree, and waited
his chance for a shot. The Indians did the same ;
but one of them was not spfficiently shielded by his
trftc, and Morgan, watching his opportunity, fired at
the exposed part of his body. The shot took effect,

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

ml ■^

m :.

and the savage rolled upon the ground in his agony
The other Indian instantly resumed the chase, and
Morgan's gun, being now unloaded, he was compelled
to run again. The Indian gained rapidly upon him.
His gun was already poised for the deadly shot, when
Morgan suddenly turned aside, and the ball passed
by him. It was now a struggle for life, in single
combat. Morgan struck with his gun. The Indian
threw his tomahawk, which cut off one finger, and
otherwise wounded his hand, and at the same time
knocked the gun from his grasp. They closed, and
Morgan being an expert wrestler, threw the Indian.
•But his powerful foe soon succeeded in getting on
top, and now feeling slirc of his prey, he uttered a
demoniac yell, at the same time feeling for his knife.
A woman's apron, which, in his savage fondness for
fantastic dress, he had bound round his waist, pre-
vented his grasping the knife. Morgan just then
seized the fingers of the savage between his teeth,
which he clinched to go(»d cft'ect. The Indian at
length got his knife unloosed, and seemed again on
the poiTit of consummating the butchery of his vic-
tim. But unfortunately for himself, he had seized
the handle down by the blade, and Morgr^n succeeded
in grasping the handle above. As the Indian drew
it from the scabbard, Morgan crippled another finger
with his teeth, causing the hand to relax a little from
its grasp, and thus succeeded in drawing the knife
thiough the hand of the savage, cutting a deep
wound, and thus gained entire possession of it. Both

EXPLOIT OF Mils. liOZAUTlI

now • |jrang erect. But Morgan still had the finger
firmly clinched between his teetli. With this advan-
tage, he soon succeeded in plunging the knife to its
hilt in the sav.age, Avho now sunk down, and was soon
dispatched.

During these hloodj^ wars, also, exploits were per-
formed by females worthy of a record upon the pages
of the world's history. One occurred at Dunkard's
creek, about the same tkne as the former. Two or
three families had fled for safety to the house of a
Mr. Bozarth. The Indians came upon it when it
contained only Mr. Bozarth and two other men.
Warned by the children, -who were playing outside,
that the " ugly red men " had come, one of the men
ran to the door. He received a shot and fell. The
Indian, who had shot him, sprang in after him, and
grappling w th the other white man was thrown down.
Having no reapon, he called upon Mrs. Bozarth for
a knife. ] ot finding a knife, she seized an ax, and
with a sin^^e blow cleft the head of the savage. At
that moment another Indian shot the white man dead.
Mrs. Bo^.arth, by a well-directed bloAV, leveled the
savage v ith her ax. Others were crowding in behind;
the first received a blow on the head. As the others
drew back, she succeeded in closing and fastening
the door. The two white men, though both severely
wounded, tided the heroine in maintaining the de-
fense, till a detachment from a neighboring settle-
ment cam > up for their relief. All th€ children in
the yard t ere butchered by the incarnate fiends. The

L 1 1" E AMONG THE I N t) t A N S .

li'i

1 •;

whole transaction lasted hardly three minutes; ana
yet, considering the numhers and the circumstances,
it was a severe and bloody affair.

Another, and perhaps a still more striking instance
of female heroism occurred, in 1791, in Nelson county.
The house of a Mr. Merrill was assaulted by savages.
Hearing the dogs barking, Mr. Merrill opened the
door to ascertain the cause. He was fired at, and fell
wounded into the room. The savages attempted to
rush in after him, but Mrs. Merrill and her daughter
succeeded in closing the door. The assailants began
to hew a passage through it with their tomahawks;
and, having made a hole large enough, one of them
attempted to squeeze through it into the room. Un-
dismayed, the courageous woman seized an ax, gave
the ruffian a fatal blow as he sprang through, and
he sunk quietly to the floor. Another, and still an-
other, followed till four of the number had met the
same fate. The silence within induced one of them
to pause and look through the crevice in the door.
Discovering the fate of those who had entered, the
sava/^es resolved upon another mode of attack. Two
of their number clambered up to the top of the house,
and prepared to descend the broad, Avoodcn chimney.
This new danger was promptly met. Mrs. Merrill
did not desert her post; but directed her little son
to cut open the feather bed, and pour the feathers
upon the fire. This the little fellow did with excellent
effect. The two savages, scorched and suffocated, fell
down into the fire, and were soon dispatched by the

fi.^pLoit 01' T^vol^oVs.

8t)

cliildren and the wounded liusband. At that moment
a fiftli savage attempted to enter the door; but he
received a salute upon the head, from the ax held
by Mrs. Merrill, that sent him howling away. Thus
seven of the savages were destroyed by the courage
and energy of this heroic woman. When the sole
survivor reached his town, and was asked, " what
news?" a prisoner heard his reply — "bad news! The
squaws fight worse than the long knives."

The above story I have often heard from the lips
of Mrs. Merrill herself. She was a member of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. After the death of her
first husband she was married to a Mr. Hunter. She
settled on Paint creek, in 1797; and subsequently
died there, in the triumphs of faith. - ; '

One more anecdote must close this chapter. Two
boys, Henry and James Johnson, living on Short
creek, on the west bank of the Ohio, while at play,
some distance from the house, were taken prisoners
by two savages. They were led several miles into
the wood, and then the Indians built a fire, and lay
JoAvn for the night — each holding one of the captive
boys in his arms. The younger wept bitterly at
finding himself in the hands of the savage monsters,
but his older brother tried to comfort him. The little
one soon fell asleep in the muscular arms of his mas-
ter. The other slept not; his mind was too busy.
At length, finding his keeper sound asleep, he grad-
ually slipped from his arms, and arose to his feet.

He might have run away, and escaped; but there waa

1 ^f

LlFii AMONG THE IKDlAXS.

'it

a •

'111 'i

ill! lil

his little brother asleep in the arms of his savage
master, and he wouM not leave him. At first, he
stepped around, and to tiy the soundness of tlic In-
dians' sleep, he renewed the fire — knowing if they
awoke and found him thus occupied it would occnsion
no alarm. But their sleep was too profound to be
disturbed. lie then walked up to his brother, gently
woke him, .and drew him from the embrace of his
master. The older brother put the muzzle of one
of their guns to the ear of one of the Indians, and
directed his brother to put his finger on the trigger,
and pull it the moment he saw the hatchet descend-
ing on the head of the other. The plan succeeded.
The tomahawk descended and the gun went off at
the same moment. The first blow of the tomahawk
was not fatal. "Lay on," cries out the little fellow;
"I have done it for mine." A few more blows from
the older boy "did it" also for the other Indian.
The two boys immediately started for home; and
just as the day was dawning they came round the
corner of the log-cabin, and heard their mother, in
agony, lamenting their hard fate, and saying that
they had been taken prisoners and perhaps killed by
the Indians. The joy of that meeting it would be
difficult to describe, but we can readily conceive of
the pride and delight with which that mother listened
to the narrative of the heroic achievements of her
two sons.

When I traveled Wills Creek circuit in 1809, I
became acquaintod with the Johnson family. The

jwnng-rfftfcHBiiil—

IIEXUY AND JAMES JOllKSoN.

father and mother were still living. Henry, their old-
est son, was a class-leader and steward in the Church
at St. Clairsville; James, the younger son, was a locnl
preacher on the circuit. From the different members
of the family — and especially from the mother — I
have often heard the above narrative; and have also
been upon the very spot where the Indians were
killed.

Having sketched the incidents of Indian life and
warfare up to the treaty of Wayne in 1795, and the
first establishment of the white population, it will
aid the understanding of the reader to take a brief
survey of the Indian tribes in this region at that
period. This will form the subject of the next
chapter. • • r V;

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LIFE AMONG tHS INDtxK^d.

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CHAPTER IV.

INDIAN TRIBES IN THE NORTH -WESTERN

"TERRITORY.

I HAVE brought down the incidents of Indian life
and warfare in the North- Western territory, to the
treaty concluded by Wayne, in 1795. This was also
the period when the whites began to pour into the
country, and civilization to assume her supremacy
in regions over which the savage had exercised un-
disputed sway for ages. Just at this point, then,
it will be interesting to take a hasty survey of the
occupants of the country. We shall therefore notice
some of the leading Indian nations.

Of the origin of the Indian race, history is alto-
gether silent. And although God "hath made of
one blood all nations of men to dwell upon the earth,"
yet, from what branch of the family of Noah they
have descended, or how and when they reached this
continent, as well as their subsequent history, nothing
bettor is left to us than mere conjecture. Even their
own traditions on th. ] subject differ, and, at best,
are shrouded in great obscurity, or rejected as ridic-
ulous fables.

It is, therefore, utterly impossible to determine,
with any degree of certainty, their origin. And it

JNDIAN TRIBES AND HISTORY.

is equally difficult to keep up the 'listinct line of
their history, even in more modern times. Many of
their tribes ivere broken up, and portions intermin-
gled with other tribes "• nations. Sometimes whole
nations became dispossessed of their own lands by
the gradual encroachment of the white population;
and changed their locality, either in a body, or by
families, or tribes. Indian history is a thing of tra-
dition ; and, of course, such events become intermin-
gled and confused in the lapse of a very few yeai*s.
Another source of perplexity in Indian history, is
the different names by which the same tribe or nation
is designated by travelers and historians. From the
histories relating to these times, and from my per-
sonal intercourse with leading men of most, if not a\\
these nations, I have gathered what can be had con-
cerning them*

The nations of which I- shall principally speak,
arc the Wyandotts or Hurons, the Dclawarcs, the Iro-
quois or Five Nations — sometimes called Mingocs— ?
the Dclawares, the Shawnees, Chippewas, Ottawas,
and Pottawatamies. The "Five Nations" included
the Mohawks, Senccas, Cayugas, Onondagas, and
Oneidas.

First among these nations were the \ /^yandotts,
or Hurons, as they were formerly called. So far as
history and their traditions inform us, they were the
original proprietors of all the country from Macki-
naw, down the lakes to Quebec, west to the Great
Miami river, and north-west to L^ke Michigan. When

■PMIP

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

the French first settled in Canada, the nation was it
possession of this whole country. They were then
a numerous, bold, and warlike people ; and were con-
sidered the strongest and oldest tribe of all the north-
ern Indians, and were, therefore, called the "Grand
Fathers."* All the surrounding tribes looked to
t hem for counsel ; and their decisions were respected,
and, in most cases, were final.

When the French settled in Canada, it was by their
permission. At that time the Huron s were at war
with the Six Nations — so called — all living in the
state of New York. Their traditions say that this
war lasted seventy summers, was a severe conflict, and
was characterized by dreadful scenes of blood and car-
nage. The Six Nations, being much better furnished
with arms and ammunition, at first vanquished the
Wyandotts, and carried the war into their country.
But the Ottawas and Chippewas united with the Wy-
andotts, and drove the Six Nations back to their
former ground; and would, in all probability, have
cut them rff entirely, but for the interposition of the
French and English, who brought about a treaty,
which so much offended the nation as to result in a
lasting separation ; and a part settled below Quebec.
Anothei* part, supposed to be fully one-third of the
whole nation, left their country and went down the
Mississippi river; and by traders who can speak the
Wyandott language, are supposed now to be the Sen\-

* ti«iier#l Psrrisof)'a IfOtt^r*

THE WYANDOTTS.

inoles of the south, from the fact of their speaking
nearly the same dialect.

The great body of the nation, however, continued
to occupy a portion of their old grounds. They were
situated principally in the vicinity of Detroit. Still
later their principal headquarters w ?re upon the San-
dusky river. Here they remained on their reserva-
tion, till they were removed, by the United States
Government, to the lands assigned them west of the
Missouri river, at the mouth of the Kansas. Hero
a small fragment of the Wyandott nation still re-
mains.

While the nation remained together with their al-
lies, they were a terror to all the surrounding tribes.
They drove the Sac and Fox, and the Sioux tribes,
west of the Father of Waters — the Mississippi — and
had long and bloody wars with the Cherokees. Ken*
tucky was their battle-ground; and, it is said, this
was the reason why Kentucky was never settled by
Indians. Each party frequently went there to hunt,
but it was always at great hazard.

The Wyandotts were always a humane and hospi-
table nation. This is clearly manifested in thei. suf-
fering their former enemies to settle on their lands,
when driven back before the white population. They
kindly received the Senecas, Oayugas, Mohegans,
Mohawks, Delawares, and Shawnees, and spread a
deer-skin for them to sit down upon; signifying the
allotment of a certain portion of their country, the
boundary of which wna designated by certain rivers,

LIFE AMONO THE INDIANS.

i ;i

or points ou certain lakes ; and freely given for their
use, without money and without price.

This fact was clearly developed when the different
tribes carao to sell their lands to the Government.
The Wyandotts pointed out these bounds; and I
heard Between-lhe-LogB^ a distinguished chief, say,
that the Senccas on the Sandusky river had no right
to sell their land without the consent of the Wyandott
chiefs, for they at first only borrowed it from them.

Another proof of their humanity is their treatment
of their prisoners, the most of whom they adopted
into their families, and some in the place of their
own chiefs who had fallen in battle. Hence, the
greater part of their nation is now very much mixed
with our own people — as the families of Armstrong,
Brown, Zane, Walker, and others, whose descendants
now constitute the strongest part of the nation.

According to their traditions, it is about two hun-
dred years since this nation divided; before which
time, I was told by Honnis, one of their most ven-
erable chiefs, that the warriors of their nation were
called upon to put each one grain of corn into a
wooden tray that would hold more than half a bushel,
and that before all had done so, the tray was full
and running over. They were a numerous and pow-
erful people, covering a largo tract of country along
the great lakes, and extending their claims to the
Ohio river. But now, like many other mighty nations
of the earth, they are gbne into the shades of forget-
fulness, and another race, with its teeming millions,.

f m

INDfAN UEROISM.

18 filling up the whole extent of their vast posses*
sions. Their history, like themselves, too, is almost
extinct ; and but little is left to tell of the deeds of
valor, or the mi^lity achicvcmci ts of these heroes of
the forest. A few only of their children now remair,
pent up on small reservations, and these are, in moBt
cases, dwindling away under the vices of a Christian
and civilized people.

Much has been said about the barbarity of these
tribes in their mode of warfare ; but let it be always
recollected that they were nobly engaged in the de-
fense of their country, their families, and their nat-
ural rights, and national liberties. Never did men
acquit themselves with more valor, nor, according to
their means, make a better defense. It is true, they
M'cre ignorant of military tactics, and unacquainted
with the science of war. They had not equal ad-
vantages of weapons, nor the art of combining their
whole forces, nor the numerical strength of their
enemies. But how long and bloody was the con-
flict before they yielded to their new masters, and
with what great reluctance they submitted to their
numerous and increasing enemies, let the history of
by-gone years testify. Their bravery and unwilling-
ness to yield were clearly proved by the last struggles
which they made; but at length they were obliged
to submit and be dictated to by their masters. Their
spirits are, in a great measure, broken, and the red
man sits and smokes his pipe, and looks on his coun-
try as tost. The pleasant hunting-grounds, in which

mummmmmm

■Pi

I/IFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

:if:

he used to chase the deer and bear, and the luxuriant
cane-brakes, where the elk and buffalo fed, which fur-
nishet^ him and his family with meat and clothing,
have fallen into the hands of strangers. The cheer-
ful notes of the flute, and the hoarser sound of the
turtle shell, no longer make the groves vocal with joy-
ful melody. The red man is no more seen stretched
before the sparkling fire, nor the tinkling horse-bell
heard in the blue-grass plains. The Indian now sits
and looks at the graves of his fathers and friends,
and heaves a sigh of despair, while his manly face
is bedewed with the silent tear. In strains of sor-
rowful eloquence he tells of the happiness of ancient
days, and relates to his listening children the mighty
achievements of his ancestors. Gloom fills his heart,
while he sees, at no great distance, the end of his
tribe. He walks pensively into the deep and silent
forest, wrapped up in his half-worn blanket, and pours
out his full soul in his prayers to the Great Spirit, to
relieve his sufferings by taking him and his to rejoin
his tribe in another and better world. There he ex-
pects to have once more a country of his own, sepa^
rate from white men, and good or bad hunting-ground,
according as he has been virtuous or vicious in this
life.

But why should my pen dwell on these gloomy
scenes? Am I, alone, called to sing the mournful
dirge of this most of all injured, peeled, and ruined
people ? No ; ten thousand voices shall be heard to
eympathize with the poor Indian ; and that God, wlic

-*/,

^rt

THE ''FIVE NATIONS.

» »

"hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell
upon the earth," will judge his cause and avenge his
wrongs.

The "Five Nations" have become somewhat cele-
brated in Indian history. They originally occupied
a large portion of the territory now included in the
state of New York. The name of "Five Nations"
was given to them by the English, because they con-
stituted a confederacy of that number of distinct na-
tions. The French called them Iroquois ; the Dutch
called them Maquas; and the Virginia Indians gave
them the name of Massawomckes. At home, they
were known by the name of Mingocs, an<l sometimes
were callC'd Aganu.schion, or United People.

But little is known of the origin of these nations.
It was a tradition among them that their forefathers
came from beyond the great lakes, and subdued the
inhabitants of the country, and took possession of it.
When this took place, they do not pretend to say.
The Mohawks, sometimes called Wabingi, are said
to have been the oldest of the confederacy, and that
the "Onayauts" — Oneidas — were the first that joined
them by putting themselves under their protection.
The Onondagas were the next, then the "Teuonto-
wanos, or Sinikers" — Senecas — then the "Cuiuk-
guos" — Cayugas. The Tuscaroras, from Carolina
joined them about 1712, Lut were not formally ad
mitted into the confederacy till about ten years after
that. The addition of this new tribe gained them the
name of the Six Nations, according to most writers,

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100

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS.

I''

"\n

i'rii

'IK

;'':!,!

but they are more generally known as the "Five
Nations."

The following account of thcra is taken from the
Biography of Mr. Thatcher :

"When the French settled in Canada in 1603, they
found the Iroquois living whore Montreal now stands.
They were at war with the Adirondacks — a power-
ful tribe, residing about three hundred miles above
Trois-Rivieres — in consequence of the latter having
treacherously murdered some of their young men.
Previous to this date, their habits had been more
agricultural than warlike; but they soon perceived
the necessity of adopting a different system. The
Adirondacks drove them from their own country, and
they retreated to the borders of the lakes, where
they have ever since lived. This misfortune it was —
ostensibly, at least, a misfortune — which gave the
earliest impulse to the subsequent glorious career
of these Romans of the west.

*' Fortunately for them, their sachems were men
cf a genius and spirit which adversity served only
to stimulate and renew. They, finding their country-
men discouraged by the discomfiture suffered on the
banks of the St. Lawrence, induced them to turn
their arms against a less formidable nation, called
the Satanas, then dwelling with themselves near the
lakes. That people they subdued, and expelled from
their territory. Encouraged by success, and strength
ened by discipline, they next ventured to defejid them
selves Against the inroads of their old conquerors on

THE ADIUONDACKS.

lOl

the north; and at length the Adirondacks were even
driven back, in their turn, as far as the neighborhood
of what ia now Quebec.

**But a new emergency arose. The French made
common cause with the nation just named against
their enemies, and brought to the contest the import-
ant aids of civilized science and art. The Five Na-
tions had now to set wisdom and wariness, as well
as courage and discipline, against an alliance so pow-
erful. Their captains came forward again, and taught
them the policy of fighting in small parties, and of
making amends for inferior force, by surprisal and
stratagem. The result was, that the Adirondacks
were nearly exterminated, while the Iroquois, proudly
exalting themselves on their overthrow, grew rapidly
to be the leading tribe of the whole north, and finally
of the whole continent

"The efforts necessary to attain that ascendant,
may be fairly estimated from the character of the
first vanquisher and the first victim. The Adiron-
dacks fought long and desperately. In the end, they
adopted their adversaries* plan of sending out small
parties, and of relying especially on their captains.
Five of these men, alone, are said, by their astonish-
ing energy and bravery, to have well-nigh turned the
balance of the war.

"One of the number wa& Piskaret, in his c .
day the most celebrated chieftain of the north. He
and his four comrades solemnly devoted themselves
to the pdcpose of redeeming the sullied glory of the

U iwti

^IWUP

i^MP

102

LIFE AMONG T II K INDIANS.

nation, at a period when the prospect of conquest,
and perhaps of defense, luid ah-endy become despe-
rate. Tiiey set out for Trois Rivieres in one canoe;
each of them being provided with three muskets,
which thoy loaded severally with two bullets, con-
nected by a small chain ten inches iit length. In
Sorcl river, they met with five boats of the Iroquois,
each having on board ten men. As the parties rap-
idly came together, the Adirondacks pretended to
give themselves up for lost, and began howlinr' the
death-song. This was continued till the enemy was
just at hand. They then suddenly ceased singing,
and fired simultaneously on t)ic five canoes. The
charge was repeated with the arms which lay ready
loaded, and the slight birches of the Iroquois were
torn asunder, and the frightened occupants tumbled
overboard as fast as possible. Piskarct and his com-
rades, lifter knocking as many of them on the head
as they pleased, reserved the remainder to feed their
revenge, whr'-h was soon afterward done by burning
them alive in the most cruel tortures.

"This exploit, creditable i.s it might be to the
actors in the eyes of their countrymen, served only
to sharpen the fierce eagerness for blood which still
raged in the bosom of Piskarct. His next enter-
prise was far more hazardous than the former; and
80 much more so, indeed, even in prospect, that not
a single warrior would bear him company. He set
out alone, therefore, for the country of the Five
Nations — with which he was well acquain|dd — about

riSKARET — oTRANUE EXPLOIT. 103

iliat period of the spring when the snow was begin-
ning to melt. Accustomed, as an Indian must be,
to all emergencies of traveling as well as warfare,
he took tlie precaution of putting the hinder part
o! his snow-shoes forward, so that if his foritstcps
sliould happen to be observed by his vigilant enemy,
if might be supposed he was gone the contrary way.
For further security he went along the ridges and
high grounds, where the snow was melted, that his
track might be lost.

"On coming near one of the villages of tLo Five
Nations, 1 e eoinealed himself till night, and then
entered ;^ cabin, while the inmates were fast asleop,
murdered the whole family, and carried the scalps
to his lurking-place. The next day, the people of
the village sought for the murderer, but in vain. He
came out again at midnight, and repeated his deed
of blood. The third night, a watch was kept in
every house, and Piskaret »vas compelled to exercise
more caution. But his purpose was not abandoned.
He bundled up the scalps he had alreody taken, to
carry homo with him as a proof of his victory, and
then stole warily from house to house, till he at last
discovered an Indian nodding at his post. This man
he dispatched at a blow, but that blow alarmed the
neighborhood, and he was forced immediately to fly
for his life. Being, however, the fleetest Indian then
alive, he was under no opprehension of danger from
the chase. lie sufiered his pursuers to approach him
iVora time to time, and then suddenly darted away

104

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

from them^ hoping in this manner to discourage, aa
well as escape them. When the evening came on,
he hid himself, and his enemies stopped to rest.
Feeling no danger from a single enemy, and he a
fugitive, they even indulged themselves in sleep.
Piskaret. who watched every movement, turned about,
knocking every maa of them on the head, added
their scalps to his bundle, and leisurely resumed his
way home.

"To return to the Five Nations. The career of
victory, which began with the fall of the Adiron
dacks, was destined to be extended beyond all prec-
edent in the history of the Indian tribes. They
exterminated the Eries or Erigas, once living on the
south side of the lake of their own name. They
nearly destroyed the powerful Anderstcz, and the
Ohouanons or Showanons. They drove back the
Ilurons and Ottawas among the Sioux of the Upper
Mississippi, where they separated themselves into
bands, * proclaiming, wherever they went, the terror
of the Iroquois.'* The Illinois, on the west, were
also subdued, with the Miamies and Shawnees. The
Niperceneans of the St. Lawrence fled to Hudson's
Bay, to avoid their fury. *The borders of the Ou-
taonis,* says a historian, * which were long thickly
peopled, became almost deserted.' f The Mohawk
was a name of terror to the farthest tribes of New
England; and though but one of that formidable

*nerrf t's Hiatory of Canada.

tlbfaL

IIVE NATIONS — lEOQUOIS.

105

people should appear, for a moment, on the hills of
tlie Connecticut or Massachusetts, the villages below
would be in an uproar of confusion and fear. Finally
tlioy conquered the tribe of Virginia, west of the
Alleghanies; and warred against the Catawbas, Cher-
okeos, and most of the nations of the south.

" The result of this series of conquests, was, that
the Five Nations finally became entitled, or, at least,
laid claim to all the territory not sold to the English,
from the mouth of Sorel river, on the south side of
Lakes Erie and Ontario, on both sides of the Ohio,
till it falls into the Mississippi; and on the north
side of these lakes, the whole tract between the Ou-
tawas river and Lake Huron. The historian, Douglas,
estimates their territory at about twelve hundred
miles in length, from north to south, and from seven
hundred to eight hundred miles in breadth."

As to the extent of the L'oquois in the west, and
the influence they exerted over other nations, we
think Mr. Thatcher's account somewhat exaggerated.

They entered into a treaty of peace with the Dutch
soon after their settlement in New York. The}
treated with the English subsequently on the same
terms ; and this memorable engagement remained in-
violate for more than a century, during all the revo-
lutions and machinations of the French and English
governments, on either side. With the former of
these people they were often at war.

When the swelling tide of civilization overflowed
most of their ancient central territory, and drove

106

LIFB AB&ONG THE INDIANS.

I i!

tliem westward to mingle with the other Indian na
tions already occupying the country, they lost much
of their pre-eminence, and soon blended, to a great
extent, with other tribes, so as to lose much of their
identity. This was their condition ac the first advent
of civilization into the territory north-west of the
Ohio river. Indeed, they were less prominent in the
warlike excursions of the savages, prior to Wayne's
treaty, in 1795, than some of the other nations.
They were, at this period, scattered mainly along the
southern and eastern shores of Lake Erie, though
tribes and settlements of them were formed in dif-
ferent parts of the north-west.

We have referred to the wars between the Iroquois
and the Adirondacks, or Algonquincs, on the banks
of the St. Lawrence, about the year 1600. From
this stock the Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawata-
mies, claim to have sprung. Their traditions repre-
sent that they emigrated westward, in a body, till
they reached Lake Huron, where they separated into
three parties, from which originated these three na-
tions. The Ottawas settled in the region of Macki-
naw, while the Pottawatamies and Chippewas pene-
trated still farther into the north and west regions.
The latter appear to have settled at the outlet of
Lake Superior, from which point they penetrated into
the regions bordering upon that Lake. The Ottawas
wore the most enterprising and warlike.

Detroit was founded, by the French, in July, 1701,
and from that time the Ottawas began to give fre-

FONTIAC AND THE OTTAWAS.

107

quent manifestations of a spirit which finally made
them, respectively, an ally or an enemy of the first
importance to the difierent civilized parties with whom
they held intercourse. Only three years after the
Frunch settled in their vicinity, several of their chiefs
wore induced to visit the English at Albany. The
almost inevitable consequence of the interview was,
that they returned home with a firm persuasion that
the French intended to subdue them. They attempted
to fire the town, therefore, in one instance; and,
about the same time, a war-party, or. their return
from a successful expedition against the Iroquois —
whom they were bold enough to attack in their own
country — paraded in front of the Detroit fortress,
and offered battle. After some hard fighting, they
were defeated and driven off. Subsequently the Ot-
tawas entered not only into a treaty of peace with
the French, but became their warm and fast friends. *
At the close of the old French and English war,
in 1760, the territory of the north-west was given
up by the former to the latter. The Ottawas gave-
to this arrangement a sullen acquiescence. But very
soon, under the powerful leadership of Pontiac, their
discontent resulted in an extensive combination of
the north-western tribes against the English. Pontiac
occupies a prominent place in Indian history. Ho
appears to have been at the head of several hundreJ
Indian warriors, when Braddock was defeated in 1755.

*Tbaioher'8 Indian Biography.

fmurn

108

LIFE AMOKO DHS INDIANS.

1 I

ITo also distinguished himself in several battles. By
the force of his character, and the wisdom of hia
address, he acquired a predominance over all the
other chiefs; so that, in fact, he was a sort of em-
peror over several confederate nations. The prmci-
pal of these were the Ottawas, Wyandotts, Shawnecs,
Ghippewas, Pottawatamies, Miamies, Winnebagocs, and
one or two tribes of less importance. His headquar-
ters were near Detroit, but his influence was felt
among the Indian tribes throughout the north-west.

Colonel Rogers marched into the country, at the
head of an English force, from Montreal, in 1760,
to displace the French in the several military sta-
tions. On his way he was met by an embassy from
Pontiac, consisting of some of his own warriors, to-
gether with several chiefs belonging to subordinate
tribes. The object was, to inform him that Pontiac,
in person, proposed to visit him; that he was then
not far distant, coming peaceably; and that he de-
sired the Colonel to halt his detachment till such time
as he could see him with his own eyes. Pontiac soon
came up in person, and, with an air of majesty, de-
manded of the officer his business, and how it came
that he dared enter the country without his permission.
When the Colonel told him he had no design against
the Indians, and only wished to remove the French,
their common enemy, and cause of all their trouble,
delivering him, at the same time, several belts of
wampum, Pontiac replied, ^'I stand in the path you
travel in, till to-morrow morning," and gave him a

COL. ROGERS AND PONTIAC.

109

'belt. This communication was understood, and " was
as much as to say," says the Colonel, "I must not
march further without his leave."*

The Colonel continues: "When he departed for
the night, he inquired whether I wanted any thing
that his country afforded, and if I did, he would send
his warriors to fetch it. I assured him that any pro-
visions they brought should be paid for; and, the next
day, we were supplied by them with several bags of
parched corn, and some other necessaries. At our
second meeting, he gave me the pipe of peace, and
both of us, by turns, smoked with it ; and he assured
me he had made peace with me and my detachment;
tliat I might pass through his country unmolested,
and relieve the French garrison; and that he would
protect me and my party from any insults that might
be offered or intended by the Indians; and, as an
earnest of his friendship, he sent one hundred war-
riors to protect and assist us in driving one hundred
fat cattle, which we had brought for the use of the
detachment from Pittsburg, by the way of Presque
Isle. He likewise sent to the several Indian towns,
on the south oide and west end of Lake Erie, to
inform them that I had his consent to come into the
country. He attended me constantly after this inter-
view till I arrived at Detroit, and while I remained
in the country, and was the means of preserving the
detachment from the fury of the Indians, who had

* Drake's Indian Biography.

!i{
I

iHi

tll'l!

ii'

mnn

iiHil

li ii

,«

110

LIFE AMONO THE INDIANS.

assembled at the mouth of the strait, with an inteut
to cut us oif. I had several conferences with him, in
which he discovered great strength of judgment, and
a thirst after knowledge."

This same officer observes, that ho discovered much
curiosity at their equipage, and wished to know how
their clothes were made, and to learn their mode of
war. He expressed a willingness to acknowledge the
king of England, though not as his superior, but as
his uncle, which he would acknowledge, as he was
able, in furs. England was much in his thoughts,
and he often expressed a desire to see it. He told
Colonel Rogers that if he would conduct him .there,
he would give him a part of his country. He was
willing to grant the English favors, and allow them
to settle in his dominions, but not unless he could be
viewed as sovereign; and he gave them to under-
stand, that, unless they conducted themselves agreea-
bly to his wishes, " he would shut up the way," and
keep them out.

This peace and acquiescence of Pontiac were of
short duration. His far-seeing mind was not long in
perceiving that his own people must, erelong, be
entirely uprooted by the English, and that his own
power would pas3 away before the new order of
things. This conviction roused all the soul of the
great Pontiac, and he determined upon an organized
resistance to the encroachments of the English. In
fact, he counted upon nothing less thpu their entire
extermination.

PLAN OF PONTIAC.

Ill

and

The plan of operations, says Mr. Thatcher, adopted
by Pontiac, for effecting the extinction of the English
poAv^r, evinces an extraordinary genius, as well as a
coujagc and energy of the highest order. This was
a sudden and cotemporaneous attack upon all the
British posts on the Lakes — at St. Joseph, Ouiate-
non, Green Bay, Mackinaw, Detroit, the Maumee,
and the Sandusky — and also upon the forts at Ni-
agara, Presque Isle, Le BoDuf, Verango, and Pitts-
burg. If the surprise could be simultaneous, so that
every Engli'^h banner, which waved upon a line of
thousands of miles, should be prostrated at the same
moment, the garrisons would be unable to exchange
assistance; while, on the other hand, the failure of
one Indian detachment would have no effect to dis-
courage another. Certainly, some might succeed.
Probably, the war might begin and be terminated with
the same single blow; and then Pontiac would again
be the lord and king of the broad land of his an-
cestors.

Having determined upon his plan, he called to-
gether his own tribe — the Ottawas — who were pecu-
liarly under his control. He rehearsed to them the
wrongs and indignities the Indians had received from
the English ; showed them that if no check were put
upon the invaders of their country, the utter destruc-
tion of the Indian race must ensue. He then un-
folded to them the plans he had formed. The Otta-
was came warmly into the views of their great leader.
With equal zeal the Chippewas and Pottawatamios

mmmm^^

mmmmmmmm

mmm

'%F

112

LIFE AMONG TUB INDIANS.

came into the combination. With untiring energy
Pontiac matured his plans and extended them, till all
the prominent Indian nations were drawn into the
combination. He succeeded even in drawing the
Pennsylvania and Ohio Delawares, and the Five Na-
tions — or Six, as they were then called — into the
combination.

The plan was now ripe for execution, and with the
suddenness of a whirlwind, the storm of war burst
forth all along the frontier. Nine of the British
forts, or stations, were captured. Some of the gar-
risons were completely surprised, and massacred on
the spot ; a few individuals, in other cases, escaped.
The oflScer who commanded at Prcsque Isle, defended
himself two djiys, duiing which time the savages are
said to have fired his block-house about fifty times,
but the soldiers extinguished the flames as often. It
was then undermined, and a train was laid for an ex-
plosion, when a capitulation was proposed and agreed
upon, under which a part of the garrison was carried
captive to the north-west. The officer was afterward
given up at Detroit.

A great number of English traders were taken, on
their way from all quarters of the country, to the
different forts; and their goods, as well as those of
the residents at such places, and the stores at the
depots themselves, of course, became a prize to the
conquerors. Pittsburg, with the smaller forts, Ligo-
nier, Bedford, and others in that neighborhood, were
very, closely beset, but successfully defended, till the

TUE PLAN EXECUTED.

113

arrival of large reinforcements. The savages made
amends for these failures by a series of the most hor-
rible devastations in detail, particularly in New York,
Pennsylvania, and even in northern Virginia, which
have ever been committed upon the continent.

In case of the most, if not all of the nine sur-
prisals first mentioned, quite as much was effected by
stratagem as by force, and that apparently by a pre-
concerted system, which indicates the far-seeing su-
perintendence of Pontiac himself. Generally, the
commanders were secured in the first instance, by
parties admitted within the fort, under the pretense
of business, or friendship. At Mauraee, or the Mi-
amics — as the station among that tribe was commonly
designated — the officer was betrayed by a squaw, who,
by piteous entreaties, persuaded him to go out with
her some two hundred yards, to the succor, as she
said, of a wounded man, who was dying. The In-
dians waylaid and shot him.

But in this storm of war, the most thrilling and
tragical scones were enacted at Mackinaw and De-
troit. The former was the scene of a bloody, sav-
age triumph ; the latter, of a long and perilous siege.
These two events will be fully noticed in subsequeit
chapters.

The Delawares figure somewhat in the Indl.;n wars
of the west. At the early discovery of this country,
the Delawares occupied a large tract north of the
Potomac, and including most, if not all the state of
Pennsylvania. It was with this nation that William

mmmmmimmiiiif'm

114

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS.

Pcnn made his celebrated treaty; and among them
liis name was almost idolized for two or three gen-
erations. As civilization advanced, the ancient pro-
prietors of the soil receded before it. After crossing
tlie AUeghanies, they found a brief resting-place in
t'.ie wilds of Ohio. This was about the year 1760,
^.hen they were settled on the banks of the Musk-
ingum and neighboring small rivers. Here they be-
came somewhat intermixed with the Shawnees, and
joined them in many of their warlike or predatory
excursions. In the Revolutionary war, this nation
was divided — one portion of them, under the leader-
ship of Captain Pipe, taking part with the English;
the other, under Captain White-Eyes, taking part
with th« Colonics. The division proved especially
destructive to them. But they still preserved their
nationality; and on the death of White-Eyes, came
under the influence of Captain Pipe.

The tribe was largely represented by warriors in
the defeat of St. Clair. They also shared the com-
mon calamity of defeat in the destructive campaign
of General Wayne against the Indians. After this,
in common with the other Indian tribes, they wasted
away under the blasting influence of the accursed
fire-water. In connection with the Shawnees, under
the leadership of Tecumseh, they rallied once more
to resist the ever-encroaching tide of civilization.
But it was only a spasmodic effort of vital energy,
vainly put forth, and immediately subsiding into the
torpor of the unwaking sleep of death. First they

DELAWARE CHIEF.

116

wcro removed west of the Mississippi, and finully
pushed still further, to the west of tkc Missouri,
where a remnant of this great pe»|jTo now remains.

The following incident occurreA during the past
winter. It was related by a correspondent of the
Cincinnati Gazette, and will throw some light upon
the present condition of the Dolawares. " The walk,"
says our traveler, " from Leavenworth to Lawrence—
a distance variously estimated from thirty to thirty-
five miles — is not a hard one for a day; but, yester-
day, the wind blew strongly in my face, the small
streams were so SAvollen as to cause some delay in
crossing them, and night overtook me on the Indian
lands about ten miles from Lawrence. It was cloudy
and dark, and the prairie fires afforded light only to
bewilder mo. Four miles from Lawrence lives Sar-
coxie, the chief of the Delawares. When I reached
there it began to rain, and I stopped at the chief's to
ask lodging for the night. He welcomed me cor-
dially, parading qn the occasion all the broken En-
glish he had at command. He is an old man — his
form tending to corpulency, and his hair sprinkled
with gray. What is remarkable for an Indian chief,
he was very sociable.

" His principal house is a log-cabin, about eighteen
feet square, of hewed logs, and well chinked. It was
so comfortable for Kansas that I expressed my ad-
miration of it. He said, 'White man build it,* and
expressed some contempt for such labor. I asked
biw if there had been much fighting in Kansas, He

116

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

Bsiitl, *Yc8, lioap; white man figlit heap.' I askod
which fought best — the Missourians or the Yankees?
He replied, ' Missourians fight and run off; Yankees
fight and stay here. Yankees got good guns ; shoot
man half a mile.' I asked if the Indians fought?
Ifo replied, 'Delawares don't fight — they are men.'

" His wife and daughters prepared supper for me of
ten eggs, fresh pork, and warm bread, no butter and
no milk. A good-natured, barefooted, Indian girl,
with a broad, apple-dumpling face, and a form largest
at the waist, poured out my tea. She appeared about
fourteen years old — just budding into squaw-hood.
I looked at her so intently while she was pouring
out the tea that she became embarrassed, blushed,
and then laughed and poured on till the cup ran over.
*' After supper I tried to engage her in a conver-
sation. I talked of every thing I could think of that
might interest a young lady, except the most inter-
esting of all subjects, but got no reply. As a last
resort, I talked of that. She listened attentively,
and, at length, said, with a cunning expression, *You
want land.' That short sentence was every word
that I got out of her the whole evening.

"I slept in an out-house, which, after turning out
a lot of Indian dogs, and barricading the door with
an old musket, I thought I had to myself, but, after
I got fairly into bed, the dogs came in b^ getting
nnder the cabin, and pushing up the floor boards.
The Indians seemed to be prowling about all night,
ftnd had breakfast ready long before daylight. I had

MORAVIAN MtSSlOKARXES.

117

long suspected that the habit of early rising was a
remnant of barbarism, and since I liave discovered
that the lazy Indians practice it, I think I shall never
s<)ck to indulge it again.

" While eating breakfast, I observed the girl in
whom I had been interested the previous evening,
sitting by the fire with a pappoose in her arms.

"It was a brigl^t little one; and, though only two
months old, had its ears pierced, and pewter rings in
then. I was perfectly thunderstruck by her telling
me that it was her child, but she seemed quite fond
of it. Indeed, it adds to her value, for as land is
divided per head among the Indians, this pappoose
entitles her to double the amount she could claim
without it. This explained the suspicion with which
she regarded my advances the previous evening; but
I do most solemnly assure you, incredible as it may
seem, that, notwithstanding her double dowry, I did
not feel avaricious enough to renew them."

Before leaving the Delawares, we should remark,
that among them were the principal missionary sta-
tions of the Moravians. The names of Count Zinzen-
dorf, of David Zeister, and John Heckeweld^r, will
be held in everlasting remembrance for their efforts
to bring these poor natives to the knowledge of
Christ. Alas! that those noble, self-denying efforts
should have been brought to naught by the wicked-
ness of white men ! I mean that class of back-
Tvoodsmen of whom Mr. Heckewelder says: "Act-
ing up to the pretended belief that /an Indian haa

mmm

mmmmmm

118

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

no more soul than a buffalo/ and that to kill cither
is the same thing, they have, from time to time, by
iheir conduct, brought great trouble and bloodshed
upon the country." The outrages of this chiss of
men often incited the savage cruelty of the wild In-
dians; and then, in revenge for the cruelties prac-
ticed by them, would practice brutal outrages, not
less disgraceful and revolting to humanity upon the
peaceful Moravian Indians.

An. instance of this kind occurred in 1763. There
was a peaceful settlement of those Indians at Cones-
toga, entirely peaceful and inoffensive. No sooner,
however, did the community begin to be excited by
the breaking out of Pontiac's war, than a company
of white demons resolved upon the destruction of
this settlement. In true savage style they came upon
the peaceful village by stealth. There were only
twenty-nine souls in it at the time. Fourteen of
these were murdered in cold blood. The others es-
caped, and reaching Lancaster, were placed in the
jail for safe-keeping. The bloodthirsty demons who
had already butchered their kindred, broke through
the walls and completed their fiend-like work.

An eye-witness of the latter part of the drama of
death says : " I ran into the prison-yard ; and there,
what a horrid sight presented itself to my view!
Near the back door of the jail lay an old Indian
and his squaw — well known and esteemed by the
people of the town, on account of his peaceful and
friendly conduct, as well as for his honesty and integ-

CBUELTY OF WUITES.

llti

rlty of cliaracter. His name was Will Sock ; acmss
him and his squaw lay two children of about the age
of three years, Avhose licads were split with the toma-
hawk, and their scalps taken off. Towjird the middle
of the jail yard, along the west side of the wall, lay
a stout Indian, whom I particularly noticed, to have
been shot in the breast; his logs vere chopped with
the tomahawk ; his hands cut off; and, finally, a rifle-
ball discharged in his mouth, so that his head was
blown to atoms, and his brains were splashed against,
and yet hangirig to, the wall for three or four feet
around. In this manner lay the whole of them —
men, women, and children, scattered about the prison-
yard, shot, scalped, hacked, and cut to pieces."

No wonder that such, foul deeds of darkness not
only excited the deadliest hostility- against the whites
among the heathen Indians, and at the same time
deepened their aversion to the religion of Christ.
Thus were they blinded to the truth, and rejected
that Savior who would have i'olded tlie poor outcast
Indian to his breast, and cnridied him with the sal-
vation of the Gospel.

The Shawnees have acquired an unenviable noto-
riety. Many are the tales of terror toid of them in
" the dark and bloody ground." The very name of
Shawnee was a word of terror or of execration to the
early settler among the cane-brakes of Kentucky, or
upon the rich bottoms of Ohio. They originally had
their home in the south, occupying, probably, Gr6orgia
and the Floridas. "They were a restless pe?ple,

hti'& AMON'Q due tN*DlA}fS.

tlelighting in wars." At length a combination of tlie
most powerful Indian nations of the whole south—
the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws,. and others — was
made against them. To escape utter annihilation, they
fled their country, and emigrated north. They set-
tled on the Ohio and its branches, where the generous
Wyandotts " spread a deer-skin for them to sit down
upon " — that is, gave them lands to settle upon. In
these regions they became numerous and poAverful,
without at all changing their general character. Mar-
shall, the historian of Kentucky, says: "Of all the
Indians who have been marauding in the country, the
Shawnees were the most mischievous as they were
the most active." In fact, from the commencement
of the old French war in 1755, down to the conclu-
sion of Wayne's treaty in 1795 — a period of forty
years — the Shawnees seem to have been ever active
in some bloody war, or murderous foray against the
new settlements. Ten or twelve years of compar-
ative quiet succeeded to the treaty of Wayne ;* then
came the great and final conflict of the nation under
the lead of their favorite chief — Tecumseh — the last
great Indian warrior, who, for a short period, sought
.to stay the inevitable extermination of his race.

The principjil headquarters of the Shawnees were
in the valleys of the Scioto river and Paint creek
They had also a large village near the mouth of Mas-
sie's creek, a few miles north of v here Xenia now
is ; and another called Piqua, on the Mad river, a few
miles below Springfield. When the Miamies removed

PoUft tfttBES.

121

from the Great Miami, a division of Shawnces suc-
ceeded them in the possession of the country. The
Shawnees, like most other Indian nations, were orig-
inally divided into tribes, and each tribe subdivided
into families. Mr. Drake says, that of these tribes
the names of but four are preserved — the remainder
having become extinct, or incorporated with them.
They are, first, the Mequachake; second, the Chilli-
cothe ; third, the Kiskapocoke ; fourth, the Piqua.
When in council, one of these tribes is assigned to
each of the four sides of the council-house, and, dur-
ing the continuance of the deliberations, the tribes
retain their r.cspective places. They claim to have
the power of distinguishing, at sight, to which tribe
an individual belongs; but, to the casual observer,
there are no visible shades of diflference. In each
of the four tribes, except the Mequachake, the chiefs
owe their authority to merit, but, in the last-named,
the ofl5ce is hereditary. Of the origin of the Piqua
tribe, the following tradition has been recited.* "In
ancient times the Shawnees had occasion to build
a large fire, and after it was burned dowa, a great
puflSng and blowing was heard, when up rose a man
from the ashes ! hence the name Piqua, which means
a man coming out of the ashes."

The Shawnees arrogated to themselves a superior-
ity over the whites, as well as over other tribes of

* Stephen Ruddell's manusorfpt account of the Shawnees, In poM«»>
tion of the author.

V2^

LtP£ iMONO til£ INDIANS.

Indians. At the convention held at Fort Wayne, in
1803, one of their principal men set forth their views
in the following manner: He said, "The Master of
Life, who was himself an Indian, made the Shaw-
nees before any other of the human race ; and tlicy
sprang from his brain: he gave them all the knowl
edge he himself possessed, and placed them npon
the great island, and all the other red people dre
descended from the Shawnees. After he had made
the Shawnees, he made the French and English out
of his breast, the Dutch out of his feet^ and the
long-knives out of his hands. All these inferior races
of men he made white, and placed them beyond the
stinking lake.*

"The Shawnees, for many ages, continued to be
masters of the continent, using the knowledge they
had received from the Great Spirit in such a manner
as to be pleasing to him, and to secure their own
happiness. In a great length of time, however, they
became corrupt, and the Master of Life told them
that he would take away from them the knowledge
which they possessed, and give it to the white peo-
ple, I'o be restored when, by a return to good prin-
ciples, they would deserve it. Many ages after that
they saw something white approaching their shores.
At first they took it for a great bird ; but they soon
found it to be a monstrous canoe filled with the verv
people who had got the knowledge which belonged

*Atlai)tio OoeoD.

•^ssssaamBssm^ssa^:

^.,Ma«tJiiiSMMsmaMli»-»m£Uii!>^aMtu\uai^:

THfi SltAWNfiES.

123

to the Shawnces. A.fter these white people landed,
the^ were not content with having the knowledge
which belonged to the Shawnees, but they usurped
their lands also. They pretended, indeed, to have pur
chased these lands ; but the very goods they gave for
them were more the property of the Indiana than
the white people, because the knowledge which en-
abled them to manufacture these goods actually be-
longed to the Shawnees; but these things will soon
have an end. The Master of Life is about to restore
to the Shawnees their knowledge and their rights,
and he will trample the long-knives under his feet."

Some of the Shawnee villages had quite a large
population. That called Upper Piqua, on the Miami,
is sa,id to have numbered over four thousand. But,
since the inroads of civilization, no tribe had dwin-
dled away more rapidly. So reduced were they that,
of the forty thousand Indians removed to the Indian
territory west of the Mississippi, prior to 1836, only
eighteen hundred were Shawnees. A mere fragment
of them now remains; and soon the race will exist
only in history.

Mr. Schoolcraft thus describes the condition of
the Shawnees in 1840:

"They are placed at the junction of the Kansas
with the Missouri, extending south and west. They
number a little short of thirteen hundred, and own
a territory of ten thousand square miles, or six mill-
ion, four hundred thousand acres. They are culti-
vators and graziers in an advanced state of improve*

124

LtFfi AMONG Tlli) lNt>lANS.

ment. Hunting may be occasionally resorted to as
a sport or amusement, but it has, years since, been
abandoned as a source of subsistence. Indeed, the
failure of game in that region, would have ren-
dered the latter imperative, had not their improved
habits of industry led to it. This tribe have essen-
tially conquered their aversion to labor. They drive
oxen and horses trained to the plow. They split
rails and build fences. They erect substantial cabins
and barns. They have old corn in their cribs from
year to year. They own good saddle-horses and
saddles, and other articles of caparison, and a trav-
eler or visitor will find a good meal, a clean bed, and
kind treatment in their settlements."

From this we learn, that though driven by neces-
sity to change their habits, even this has not checked
their downward course. Inevitable ruin seems to be
their doom A few only will probably escape this
doom, by attaining to a higher civilization, and inter-
mingling with the white race, which even now is flow-
ing all around their forest home.

We have referred to the wrongs perpetrated too
often upon the poor natives, by the more intelligent
white man. We are happy now in being able to add
that, so far as our Government is concerned, the pro-
prietorship of the soil has been always recognized as
b«^ing vested in the aboriginal occupants, and only by

aty have they been required to relinquish it. A
Vkr.ier in the Democratic Review, for 1844, says:

"It remained for the patriots of 1775. who set up

INDIAN TREATIES.

126

the frame of our present government, by an appeal
to arms, to award the aboriginal tribes the full pro-
prietary right to the soil they respectively occupied,
and to guarantee to them its full and free use, till
such right was relinquished by treaty stipulations.
So far, they were acknowledged as sovereigns. This
is the first step in their political exaltation, and
dates, in our records, from the respective treaties
of Fort Pitt, September 17, 1778, and of Fort Stan-
wix, of October 22, 1784. The latter was as early
after the establishment of our independence, as these
tribes — the Six Nations, who, with the exception of
the Oneidas, sided with the parent country — could be
brought to listen to the terms of peace. They were
followed by the Wyandotts, Delawares, Chippewas,
and Ottawas, in January, 1785; by the Cherokees, in
November of the same year; and by the Choctaws
and Shawnees, in January, 1786. Other western
nations followed in 1789; the Creeks did not treat
till 1790; and from this era, the system has been
continued up to the present moment. It may bo
aflSrmed, that there is not an acre of land of the
public domain of the United States, sold at the land-
oflSces, from the days of General Washington, but
what has been acquired in this manner. War, in
which we and they have been frequently involved,
since that period, has conveyed no territorial right.
We have conquered them on the field, not to usurp
territory, but to place them in a condition to observe
how much more their interests and permanent pros-

■"'"TWi^^lli^WPP

126

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

pcrity would be, and have ever been, promoted by
the plow than the sword. And there has been a
prompt recurrence, at every mutation from war to
peace, punctually, to that fine sentiment embraced in
the first article of the first treaty ever made between
the American Government and the Indian tribes;
namely, that all offenses and animosities ^ shall be
mutually forgiven, and buried in deep oblivion, and
never more be had in remembrance.' "*

In addition to the occupation of their lands, which
is guaranteed by the United States Government, an
annual appropriation is made to the various Indian
tribes, pursuant to the treaty with each. The follow-
ing is ihe appropriation bill for the present year,
making an aggregate of $2,350,368:

For the Camanches, Kiowas, and Apaches of Arkansas rivor-* •• $25,000

Blackfoet Nation - 52,000

Chippowas of Jjake Superior 48,680

Chippcwas of the Mississippi 30,000

Pillager and Lake Winnibigoshish bands 31,387

Chippcwas of Saginaw, Swan creek, and Black river 20,140

Chippcwas, Monomonees, Winncbago^s, and Now York Indians- • 1,500

Chickasaws 3,000

Chickasawsof Sault St. Mario 17,474

Chootaws 36,520

Creeks • 649,140

Calapoosas, Molala, and Klockamas Indians of Willamette Valley 12,260

Polawarcs 3,764

Florida Indians, or Seminoles 329,100

lowas 2,876

Kansas 10,000

K asknskias, Peorias, Weas, and Piankeshaws 9,940

Kiokapoos 19,000

Monomonees • 48,665

• Trwtjr of Fort Pitt^ 1779,

INDIAN APPROPRIATIONS.

127

Miamit'i of Knnsos f42,fl43

Miamios of Indiana 16,700

Mianiies of Eol river 1,100

Navnjocs 6,000

Nisqually, Puyallupj and other tribes 7,600

Omahas 42,140

Orfagos 26,45f

Ott/)es ttnd Missouris 22,140

Oiia was and Chippewas of Michigan 65,040

Ottawas of Kansas 2,000

Pawnees 1,000

Pottawatamies • 80,600

Pottawatamies of Huron 400

Quapanrs 2,660

Chasta, Scoton, and Umpqua Indians 6,980

Rogue River ••' 2,500

Sa«sand Foxes of Mississippi 73,880

Sacs and Foxes of Missouri 16,870

Seneoas 2;860

Seaecas of New York 11,000

Seneoas and Shawnces 2,060

Shawnees 105,000

Six Nations of New York 4,600

Sioux of the Missouri 150,050

Treaty of Fort Laramie 70,000

Umpquas 850

Umpquas and Calapoosas 6,360

Utahs 6,000

Winnebagoes. 97,485

Wyandotts 126,667

Sioux of the Mississippi 42,841

Uleoellaneous purposes 291,760

Totid $2^360^

mmw^

128

LIFE AMONG THE INDTANS.

-ii

CHAPTER V.

SIEGE OF DETROIT AND THE DEATH OF PONTIAO.

One of the most thrilling scene? in western history
was the siege of Detroit by the Indians in 1763.
We have already given an account of the extensive
combination of the western tribes under the leader-
ship of Pontiac. Detroit was, at that time, the most
important post in the western country; and on this
account its reduction was undertaken by Pontiac hnn-
self. We take our account, with some modifications
and retrenchments, from the interesting work of Mr.
B. B. Thatcher.*

The town is supposed, at this period, to have been
inclosed by a single row of pickets, forming nearly
four sides of a square; there being block-houses at
the corners and over the gates. An open space in-
tervened between the houses and the pickets, which
formed a place of arms and encircled the village.
The fortifications did not extend to the river, but i
gate opened in the direction of the stream, and net
far from it, where, at the date in question, two armt d
vessels, fortunately for the inhabitants, happened to
lie at anchor. The ordnance of the fort consisted of

• lodian Biotrrapby.

DETROIT THREAT EKED.

129

to.
eel

two six-pounders, one three-poundcr, and throe mor-
tars; all of an indifferent quality. The garrison
numbered one hundreji and thirty, including oflficcrs,
besides whom there were in the village something like
forty individuals who were habitually enga^ i in the
fur-trade. The inadequate proportion of this force,
even to the size of the place, may be inferred from
the fact that the stockade which formed its periphery
was more than one thousand feet long.

Such was the situation of Detroit Avhen the Ottawa
chieftain, having completed his arrangements, on the
8th of May presented himself at the gates of tlie
town, with a force of about three hundred Indians,
chiefly Ottawas and Chippewas, and requested a coun-
cil with Major Gladwyn, the commandant. He ex-
pected, under this -pretext, to gain admission for him-
self and a considerable number of attendants, who,
accordingly, Avere provided with rifles, sawed off so
short as to be concealed under their blankets. At
a given signal — which was to be the presentation of
a wampum-belt in a particular manner by Pontiac to
the commandant, during the conference — the armed
Indians were to massacre all the officers; and then,
opening the gates, to admit a much larger body of
warriors, who should be waiting without, for the com-
pletion of the slaughter and the destruction of the
fort.

Fortunately, Major Gladwyn obtained a knowledge

of the scheme, before an opportunity occurred for

its execution. One of the French residents in tho

^^^^^mt^^^m^mrm

i»"""«iW^

180

LIFE AMONQ THE INDIANS.

vicinity, returning home, on the morning of the da-y
last mentioned, is said to have met Pontiac and hii*
party upon Bloody Bridge. This place, which still
retains its name, is between one and two miles from
the village. The last warrior in the file, being a
particular friend of the white man, threw aside his
blanket, and significantly exhibited the shortened
rifle beneath. Whether his disclosure was commu-
nicated to Major Gladwyn, can not be determined.

Carver states — and his account is substantially con-
firmed by tradition, as well as by other authorities—
that an Indian woman betrayed the secret. She had
been employed by the commandant to make him a
pair of moccasins out of elk-skin ; and having com-
pleted them, she brought them into the fort, on the
evening of the day when Pontiae made his appear-
fiuce, and his application for a council. The Major
was pleased with them, directed her to convert the
residue of the skin into articles of the same descrip-
tion, and having made a generous payment, dismissed
her. She went to the outer door, but there stopped,
and, for some time, loitered about as if her errand
was still unperformed. A servant asked her what
she wanted, but she made no answer. The Major
himself observed her, and ordered her to be called
im, when, after some hesitation, she replied to his
inquiries, that as he had always treated her kindly,
she did not like to take away the elk-skin, which he
valued so highly ; she could never bring it back. The
commandant's curiosity was of course excited, and he

ACTIVE PREPARATIONS.

181

presscvl the cxainiiintion, till the woman at l'-»ngtli dis-
closcd every thing which had come to her knowledge.

Her information was not received with implicit cre-
dulity, but the Major thought it prudent to employ
the night lu taking active measures for defense. His
arms and ammunition were examined and arranged;
and the traders and their dependents, as well as the
garrison, were directed to be ready for instant serv-
ice. A guard kept watch on the ramparts during the
night, it being apprehended that the Indians might
anticipate the preparations now known to have been
made for the next day. Nothing, however, was heard
after dark, except the sound of singing and dancing,
in the Indian camp, which they always indulge in
upon the eve of any great enterprise. The particu-
lars of the council of the next day we shall furnish
on the authority of a writer already cited.*

In the morning, Po||tiac and his warriors, sang their
war-song, danced their war-dance, and repaired to
the fort. They were admitted without hesitation, and
were conducted to the council-house, where Major
Gladwyn and his officers were prepared to receive
them. They perceived at the gate, and as they passed
through the streets, an unusual activity and move-
ment among the troops. The garrison was under
arms, the guards were doubled, and the officers were
armed with swords and pixels. Pontiac inquired of
the British commander what was the cause of this

* Governor Cass.

182

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

unusual appearance. He was answered, that it was
proper to keep the young men to their duty, lest
they should become idle and ignorant. The busi-
ness of the council then commenced, and Pontiac
proceeded to address Major Gladwyn. His speech
was bold and menacing, and his manner and gesticu-
lations vehement, and they became still more so, as
he approached the critical moment. When he was
upon the point of presenting the belt to Major Glad-
wyn, and all was breathless expectation, the drums
at the door of the council-house suddenly rolled the
charge, the guards leveled their pieces, and the Brit-
ish officers drew their swords from their scabbards.
Pontiac was a brave man, constitutionally and habitu-
ally. He had fought in many a battle, and often led
his warriors to victory. But this unexpected and
decisive proof, that his treachery was discovered and
prevented, entirely disconcerted him. Tradition says
he trembled. At all events, he delivered his belt in
the usual manner, and thus faileu to give his party
the concerted signal of attack. Major Gladwyn im-
mediately approached the chief, and drawing aside
his blanket, discovered the shortened rifle, and then,
after stating his knoAvledge of the plan, and reproach-
ing him for his treachery, ordered him from his fort.
The Indians immediately retired, and as soon as they
had passed the gate they gave the yell; and fired upon
thf garrison. They then proceeded to the commons,
where was lying an aged English woman with her two
sons. These they murdered, and afterward repaired

THE FutlT ATTACKED.

133

to Hog Island, where a discharged sergeant resided
with his family, who were all but one immediately
massacred. Thus was the war commenced.

"The tenth, in the morning — Tuesday — they at-
tacked the fort very resolutely. There continued a
very hot fire ou both sides tir» the evening, when they
ceased firing, having had saveral killed and wounded.
They posted themselves behind the garden-fences and
houses in the suburbs, and 'some barns and out-houses
thai were on the side of the fort next the woods,
which were immediately set on fire by red-hot spikes,
etc., from the cannon." In this manner, and by oc-
casional sorties, the enemy was dislodged and driven
back, till they could only annoy the fort by approach-
ing the summit of the low ridge which overlooked
the pickets, and there, at intervals, they continued
their fire.

Little damage was done in this way, nor did the
Indians at any time undertake a close assault. The
commandant, however, ignorant of their style of war-
fare, apprehended that movement; and he believed
that in such a case — their numbers being now, ac-
cording to some estimates, six or seven hundred, and
according to others, about twice as many — the situa-
tion of the garrison would be hopeless. Besides, he
had but three weeks' provision in the fort, "at a
pound of bread and two ounces of pork a man per
day." Under these circumstances, fearful of the con-
sequences of delaying, he immediately commenced
preparations for an embarkation on board the two

134

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

vessels vhicli still lay in the streanji, with the inteu
tion of retreating to Niagara.

He was dissuaded from this course by the French
residents, who positively assured him that the enemy
would never think of taking the fort by storm. A
truce or treaty was then suggested. Some of the
French — who were the chief medium of communica-
tion between the belligerent parties — mentioned the
circumstance to Pontiac; and the latter, it is said,
soon after sent in five messengers to the fort, pro-
posing that two of the officers should go out and
confer with him at his camp. He also requested,
that Major Campbell might be one of them. That
gentleman accordingly went, with the permission,
though not by the command of Major Gladwyn, in
the afternoon of Wednesday, the eleventh. Campbell
took Lieutenant M'Dougall with him, and both Avere
attended by five or six of the French.

Whether the latter had meditated a treachery or
not, does not appear. The French residents gener->
ally, at all events, can not be fairly charged with
improper conduct between the contending parties,
during the siege. They were naturally enough sus-
pected and accused, but v.'e have seen nothing provf ^
against them. The two officers were, however, de-
tained by the Indians ; and Ponti.ic, who is generally
supposed to have conceived this scheme for obtaining
an advantap;e over the garrison, now sent in terms
of capitulation. These were to the effect, that the
troops should immediately surrender, " lay down their

HOSTILITIES RENEWED.

135

[y or
>ner^
with
■ties,
sus-
hovf ^
I, de-
jrally
Ining
ierms
the
Itheir

arms, as their fathers, the French, had been obliged
to do — leave the cannon, magazines, and merchants'
goods, and the two vessels — and be escorted in bat-
teaux by Indians to Niagara." The Major promptly
made answer,*th«.t "his commanding ofiicer had not
sent him there to deliver up the fort to Indians or
any body else, and he would therefore defend it so
long as a single man could stand at his side."

Hostilities now recommenced, and were so vigor-
ously sustained on the part of Pontiac, that, for some
month.s — says the diary — "the whole garrison, offi-
ce*''^, ^. urs, merchants, and servants. *vere upon the
ramparts every night, not one having slept in a house,
except the sick and wounded in the hospital."

Three weeks after the commencement of the siege —
on the thirtieth of May — the English sentinel on duty
announced, that a fleet of boats, supposed to contain
a supply of provisions and a reinforcement of troops
from Niagara, was coming round "the point," at a
place called the Huron Church. Tho garrison flocked
to the bastioT -,, nd for a "moment, at least, hope
shone upon • ly countenance. But presently the
death-cry of i,iie I 6»ans was heard, and the fate of
the detachment was at once known. Their approach
having ^ en ascertained. Pontiac had stationed a body
of warriors at Point Pelee. Twenty «mall batteaux,
manned by a considerable number of troops, and
laden with «* ores, landed there in the evening. The
Indians wat vV d their movements, and fell upon them
about daylighi. One officer, with thirty men, escaped

136

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

across tlje lake; but the others were either killed
or captured; and the line of barges ascended the
river near the opposite shore, escorted by the- Indians
on the banks, and guarded by detachments in each
boat, in full view of the garrison, and %{ the whole
French settlement.

The prisoners were compelled to navigate the bonts.
As the first batteaux arrived opposite to the town,
four British soldiers determiner! to effect their libera-
tion, or to perish in the attei./ They suddenly
changed the course of the boat, a i by loud cries
made known their intention to the crew of the vessel.
The Indians in the other boats, and the escort on
the bank, fired upon the fugitives, but they were soon
driven from their positions by a cannonade from
the armed schooner. The guard on board this boat
leaped overboard, and one of them dragged a soldier
with him into the water, where both were drowned.
The others escaped to the shore, and the boat reached
the vessel, with but one soldier wounded. I^est the
other prisoners might escape, they were immediately
landed, and marched up the shore, to the lower point
of Hog Island, where they crossed the river, and
were immediately put to death, with all the horrible
accompaniments of savage cruelty.

During the month of June, an attempt to relieve
the garrison proved more successful. A vessel which
had been sent to Niagara, arrived at the mouth of
the river, with about fifty troops on board, and a
supply of stores. The Indians generally left the

INDIANS DISCOMFITED.

137

siege, and repaired to Fighting Isljind, for the pur-
pose of intercepting her. They annoyed the English
very much in their canoes, till the latter reached the
point of the island, where, on account of the wind
failing, they were compelled to anchor.

The captain had concealed his men in the hold,
so that the Indians were not aware of the strength
of the crew. Soon after dark, they embarked in
their canoes, and proceeded* to board the vessel. The
men were silently ordered up, and took their stations
at the guns. The Indians were suffered to approach
close to the vessel, when the captain, by the stroke
of a hammer upon the mast, which had been previ-
ously concerted, gave the signal for action. An im-
mediate discharge took place, and the Indians pre-
cipitately fled, with many killed and wounded. The
next morning, the vessel dropped down to the mouth
of the river, where she remained six days, waiting
for a wind. On the thirteenth, she succeeded in as-
cending the river, and reaching the fort in safety.

Pontiac felt the necessity of destroying these ves-
sels, and he therefore constructed rafts for that pur-
pose. The barns of some of the inhabitants were
demolished, and the materials employed in this work.
Pitch and other combustibles were added, and the
whole so formed, as to burn Avith rapidity and intens-
ity. They were of considerable length, and were
towed to a proper position, above the vessels, when
fire was applied, and they were left to the stream,
m the expectation that they would be carried into

1S8

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

contact with the vessels, and immediately set fire to
rhem. Twice the attempt was made, without success.
The British were aware of their design, and took
their measures accordingly. Boats were constructed,
and anchored with chains above the vessels, and
every precaution was used to ward off the blow.
The blazing rafts passed harmlessly by, and other
incidents soon occurred to engage the attention of
the Indians.* *

A week subsequent to this date, we find various
letters from Detroit, published in 'Atlantic papers,
of which the following passages are extracts. They
will furnish the reader with an idea of the true sit-
uation of the garrison at this time, much better than
could be derived from any description of our own.
The first is dated, Detroit, July 6, 1763:

"We have been besieged here two months, by six
hundred Indians. We have been upon the watch
ifi^ht and day, from the commanding oflBcer to the
lowest soldier, from the eighth of May, and have not
had our clothes off, nor slept all night since it began;
and shall continue so till we have a reinforcement up.
We then hope soon to give a good account of the
savages. Their camp lies about a mile and a half
from the fort; and that's the nearest they choose to
come now. For the first two or three day? we were
attacked by three or four hundred of them, but wo

* Di«>oarse of Oorernor Cas«.

LETTERS FROM DETROIT, 1763. 189

gave them so warm a reception that they don't care
for coming to see us, though they now and then get
hehind a house or garden, and fire at us about three
or four hundred yards' distance. The day before
yesterday we killed a chief and three others, and
wounded some more; yesterday went, up with our
sloop, and battered their cabins in such a manner
that they are glad to keep further off."

The next letter is under date of the 9th :

six
itch
the
not
;an;
up.
the
mlf

to
rere

"You have long ago heard of our gloomy situa-
tion; but the storm is blown over. Was it not very
agreeable to hear every day of their cutting, carving,
boiling, and eating our companions? to see, every
day, dead bodies floating down the river, mangled and
disfigured? But Britons, you know, never shrink;
we always appeared gay to spite the rascals. They
boiled and eat Sir Robert Devers; and w^e are in-
formed by Mr. Pauly, who escaped the other day
from one of the Stations, surprised at the breaking
out of the war, and commanded by himself, that he
had seen an Indian have the skin of Captain Rob-
ertson's arm for a tobacco-pouch !

"Three days ago a party of us went to demolish
a breast-work they had made. We finished our work,
and were returning home ; but the fort espying a
party of Indians coming up, as if they intended to
tight, we were ordered back, made our dispositions,
and advanced Y"' ' ly. Our front was fired upon

140

tIJ*E AMONG tnfi INDIANS.

warmly, and returned the fire for about five minutes,
In the mean tin\e, Captain Hopkins, with about twenty
men, filed oif to the left, and about twenty French
volunteers filed off to the right, and got between them
and their fires. The villains immediately fled, and
"we returned, as was prudent; for a sentry, whom I
had placed, informed me he saw a body of them
coming down from the woods, and our party, being
but about eighty, was not able to cope with their
united bands. In short, we beat them handsomely,
and yet did not much hart to them, for they ran
extremely well. We only killed their leader, and
wounded three others. One of them fired at me, at
the distance of fifteen or twenty paces, but I sup-
pose my terrible visage made him tremble. I think
I shot him." -

This "leader" was, according to some accounts, an
Ottawa chief; according to others, the son of a chief.
At all events, he was a popular if not an important
man: and his death was severely revenged by one
of his relatives, in the massacre of Major Campbell.
That gentleman had been detained a prisoner ever
since the proposal of a ' capitulation, together with
his friend M'Dougall. The latter escaped, a day or
two before the skirmish; but his unfortunate com-
rade was tomahawked by the infuriated* savage. One
account says, "they boiled his heart and ate it, and
made a pouch of the skin of his arms!" The brutal
assassin fled to Saginaw, apprehensive of the ven-

ABLOODY ENGAGEMENT.

141

geance of Pontiac; and it is but justice to the mem-
ory of that chieftain to say, that he was indignant at
the atrocious act, and used every possible exertion
to apprehend the murderer.

The reinforcement mentioned above, as expected,
arrived on the 26th of July. It was a detachment
of three hundred regular troops. Arrangements were
made, the same evening, for an attack on the Indian
camp. But, by some unknown means, Pontiac ob-
tained information of the design; and he not only
removed the women and children from his camp, but
peasonably stationed two strong parties in ambus-

•

cades, where they were protected by pickets and cord-
wood, and concealed by the high grass. Three hun-
dred men left the fort, about an hour before day, and
marched rapidly up the bank. They were suflfered
to reach the bridge over Bloody Run, and to proceed
about half-way across it, before the slightest move-
ment indicated that the enemy was aware of their
approach. Suddenly a volley of musketry was poured
in upon the troops; the commander fell at the first
discharge, and they were thrown into instant confu-
sion. A retreat was, with some difficulty, effected by
driving the Indians from all their positions at the
bayonet's point, but the English lost seventy men
killed, and forty wounded.

This was the last important event attending the
prosecution of the siege. A modern author observes,
that Pontiac relaxed in his efforts, that the Indians
Boon began to depart for their wintering-grounds, and

142

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

that the various bands, as they arrived in the spring,
professed their desire for peace. Such seems to have
been the case at a much earlier date ; for we find it
stated, under date of the 18th of August, 1763, that
"the Hurons, who begin tc be wearied of the war,"
had brought in and given up eight prisoners. The
writer adds, that "the Hurons and Pottawatamies,
who were partly forced into the war by the menaces
of the Ottawas, begin to withdraw." Pontiac had
been so confident of success as to have made some
arrangements, it is said, for dividing the conquered
territory with the French ; and several Indians planted,
fields of corn. But his warriors grew weary of the
siege, and his army was, at this time, reduced to
about five hundred.

Where or how he passed the winter, we are not
told. But his movements were still watched with
anxiety, and the garrison at Detroit, especially, seem
not to have thought themselves safe from his opera-
tions from day to day. " We have lately been very
busy," says a respectable writer, under date of De-
cember 3, 1763, " in providing abundance of wheat,
flour, Indian corn, and peas, from the country, in
which we have so far succeeded as not to be in dan-
ger of being starved out." It further appears that
detachments of the enemy were still in the neighbor-
hood. " The approach of Major Wilkins's party had
a very good effect; the enemy moved farther off.
' Tis said that Pontiac and his tribe have gone to the
Mississippi, but we dont believe it." Again: "Th«

A GRAND COUNCIL.

143

Wyandotts, of Sandusky, are much animated againai
us; they have been reinforced lately by many vil-
lains from all the nations concerned iti the war." Sc
late as March 25th, we are told that '• about twelve
days ago, several scalping-parties of the Pottawata-
mies came to the settlement, etc. We now sleep in
our clothes, expecting an alarm every night.''

But the reign of terror maintained by the move-
ments of Pontiac was drawing to its close. The
power of the civilized party was too much ibr a com-
bination like his. General Bradstreet, with a force
of three thousand men, proceeded to Niagara early
in the summer of 1764, on* his way to the north-
west. Here a grand council was held, at which nearly
two thousand Indians attended. One account says
there were representatives present from twenty-two
different tribes, including eleven of the western — a
^lct strikingly indicating the immense train of oper-
ations managed by the influence of Pontiac. Many
of his best allies had now deserted the chieftain. The
traveler, Henry, who was under Bradstrcet's com-
mand, mentions that he was himself appointed leader
of ninety-six ChippcATas of the Sault de Sainte Marie,
and other savages, under the name of the Indian Bat-
tallion; "Me," he adds, "whose best hope it had.
very lately, been to live through their forbearance."
It Dught to be observed, however, in justice to the men
who were thus led against their own countrvmen and
kinsmen, that by the time the army reached Fort Erie,
their number was reduced t:> fourteen by desertion.

144

LIFE A MONO THE INDIANS.

On tlic arrival of the army at Detroit, which they
reached without opposition, all the tribes in that re-
gion came in and concluded a peace, with the excep-
tion of the Delawares and Shawnees. But Pontiac
was no more seen. He not only took no part in the
pending negotiation, but abandoned the country, and
repaired to the Illinois.

We find no authority for the assertion of Carver,
that henceforward he laid aside his animosity for the
English; and still less, that "to reward this new
attachment, Government allowed him a handsome pen-
sion." Even this writer admits that his conduct "at
length grew suspicious.'/ Rogers, on the other hand,
who had good opportunities of knowing the facts,
says, that while "some of the Indians left him, and
by his consent made a separate pe.ace, he would not
he personally concerned in it, saying, that when h^
made a peace, it should be such a one as would be
useful and honorable to himself, and to the King
of Great Britain. But he has not as yet proposed his
terms. ''^'^

This account bears manifest marks of correctness.
It agrees with many other illustrations of a mag-
nanimity which might have made Pontiac a fit coni-
radp for the knights of the middle ages. But con-
firmation of it may be found elsewhere. It was the
common belief of the times, that he had gone among
the Illinois, with a view of there holding himself iu

*R«g.3rtt's Account, page 24i

PONTIAC'S POSITION.

145

renuiness for whatever might happen to the benefit
of the great cause for which he was resolved to live
and die; and probably, also, to use active measures
as fast and as far as might be advisable. The fol-
lowing passage occurs in an authentic letter from
Detroit, dated May 19, 1765:

"Pontiac is now raising the St. Joseph Indians, the
Miamics, the Mascontins, the Ouiattenons, the Pians,
and the Illinois, to come tc this place the beginning
of next month, to make what effort they can against
us; for which purpose he has procured a large belt
for each nation, and one larger than the rest for a
''hatchet' for the whole. They are to be joined by
some of the northern Indians, as is reported. This,
-ley say, is to be an undertaking of their own, as
they are not to have any assistance from the French.
* * When Pontiac left the Miamies, hp told them
to remain quiet till he came back ; it should then be
*all war, or all peace.' * * I make no doubt of
their intention to perform what we have heard of,
though I don't think it will come to any head. I
am likewise well convinced, if Pontiac he made to
believe he would be well received at this place, he would
desist from any intention he may have; but it will be
impossible to convince him of that, while there are
such a number of traitorous villains about him. You
can't imagine what most infamous lies they teli."

It appears from this testimony, that Pontiac had

at this period re-engaged in his plan of combination.

It would also appear, that he was instigated by some

mmmmmm

146

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

X''

of the French; for it is believed that only individ'
uah among them were guilty of the practices alleged.
Those at Detroit conducted themselves amicably, even
during the war; and some of them, we have seen,
volunteered to fight against the Indians. Still, where
Pontiac now was, there would be the best possible
opportunity of exerting a sinister influence over him,
there being many Frenchmen among the Illinois, and
they not of the most exemplary character in all cases.
On the whole, it seems to us probable, that while the
last-mentioned combination was really " an under-
taking of his own," it might have been checked at
any moment, and perhaps never would have been
commenced, had not Pontiac been renewedly and
repeatedly prejudiced against the English interest by
the artifice of some of the French, and perhaps some
of the Indians. However his principles in regard to
that subject might remain unchanged, no abstract
inducement, .^ ) think, would have urged him to his
present measures under the circumstances to which
he was now reduced. But, be that as it may, the
principles themselves need not be doubted; nor can
we forbear admiring the energy of the man in pur-
suing the exemplification and vindication of them in
practice. His exertions grew only the more daring,
as his prospects became more desperate.

But his death at length ended at once his disap-
pointments and hopes, together with the fears of his
enemies. This event is supposed to have taken place
in 1767. He was assassinated, at a council held

DEATH OF PONTIAC.

147

[sap-

his

^lace

held

among the Illinois, by an Indian of the Peoria tribe.
Carver says, that "either commissioned by one rf
the English Governors, or instigated by the love ho
bore the English nation, the savage attended him as
a spy, and being convinced from the speech Pontiac
made in the council, that he still retained his former
prejudices against tliose for tvhom he now professed a
friendship, he plunged his knife into his heart, as
soon as he had done speaking, and laid him dead on
the spot."

As to what is here said of professed friendship,
the writer evidently alludes to his own previous as-
sertion, which we have shoAn to be unfounded, and
for which we are still unable to perceive the slightest
grounds. Still, several of these suppositions, though
only to be received a.- such, are probably true. There
is but little doubt that Pontiac continued firm in his
original principles and purpose; that he expressed
himself without disguise ; that he endeavored to influ-
ence, and did influence, a large number of his coun-
trymen; and that the Peoria savage, whether a per-
sonal enemy, or a " spy " — or, what is most probable,
both, (a spy because an enemy) — did assassinate him
with the expectation, to say the le^-'^t, of doing an
acceptable service to some foreign party, and a lucra-
tive one for himself. We need not assert that he
was " commissioned by an English Governor;" Pon
tiac was an indefatigable and powerful man, and a
dangerous foe to the English. He was in a situation
to make enemies among his countrymen, and the

148 LIFE .. MONG THE I VIDIANS.

English were generally in a situation and disposition
to avail themselves of that circumstance.

From the manner of life adopted by the chieftaii.
subsequent to the treaty at Detroit, it might be in-
ferred, perhaps, that he became alienated from th«
northern tribes, including his own, who had been his
best friends, or that they became alienated from him,
We are inclined to believe, on the contrary, thai
their negotiations took place " by his consent," as
has been stated heretofore ; and that he removed
southward, as well with a view to their good — as
regarded the friendship of the English — as, at the
same time, for the purpose of recommencing his OAvn
operations upon a new theater, and with fresh actors.
He would thereby gain neAv influence, while he would
lose little or none of the old.

This supposition is confirmed by the well-authen-
ticated fact that the Ottawas, the Chippewas, and
the Pottawatamies — some writers add the Sacs and
Foxes — made common cause in tie revenge of his
death. Following that principle Avith the customary
Indian latitude of application, they made war upon
the Peoria tribe. The latter associated with them-
selves, in defense, the Kaskasl^ias, the Cahokias, and
the Illinois ; but to no purpose. The two latter tribes
are believed to have been wholly exterminated, and
of the former only a few families remain. " The
memory of the great OttaAva chief," says a distin-
guished historian of that section, "is yet held in
reverence among his countrymen; and Avhatever is

1»0NTIAC*S INFLtTENCB.

140

the fate that may await them, his name and deeds
will live in their traditionary narratives, increasing
in interest as they increase in years."

The astonishing influence exerted by this remark-
able man, so long as he lived, may be inferred from
the period of peace which succeeded his death, and
the punishment of his murderer, still more forcibly
than from any circumstances we have noticed. It
has been seen, that more than twenty tribes, who
had engaged in his combination, appeared at the
Niagara Council. His movements are believed to
have been felt as far east as among the Micmacks
of Kova Scotia. As far south as Virginia, th ;y were
not only perceptible, but formidable, in the highest
degree.

•>

ij"

150

LIFE

AMONG

THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER VI.

BALL OF MACKINAW AND CAPTIVITY OF MR

HENRY.

The only reliable account of the capture of Mack-
inaw, by the Indians, in old Pontiac's war, was that
given by Mr. Henry, in his travels, which were pub-
lished in New York, in 1809, and preserved by Mr.
Schoolcraft. Mr. Henry was an Indian trader, and
happened to be at Mackinaw at the time; conse-
quently, he shared in the calamities of the scene.
We shall give his own account of the capture, as
well as of his suLot quent captivity.

When I reached Mackinaw, says he, I found sev-
eral other traders, who had arrived before me, from
diiferent parts of the country, and who, in general,
declared the disposition of the Indians to be hostile
to the English, and even apprehended some attack.
M. Laurent Duxjharme distinctly informed Major Eth-
erington that a plan was absolutely conceived for
destroying him, his garrison, and all the English in
the upper country; but the commandant believing
this and other reports to be without foundation, pro-
ceeding only from idle or ill-disposed persons, and
of a tendency to do mischief, expressed much diw-
pleasure against M. Ducharme, and threat<ined to

I:: ■*;-*.

KTHERlNGtON — WAWATAM.

151

8etid ttie next person who should bring a story of tho
same kind, a prisoner to Detroit.

The garrison, at this time, consisted of ninety
privates, two subalterns, and the commandant; and
the English merchants at the fort were four in num-
ber. Thus strong, few entertained anxiety concern-
ing the Indians, who had no weapons but small arms.

Meanwhile, the Indians, from every quarter, were
daily assembling in unusual numbers, but with every
appearance of friendship, frequenting the fort, and
disposing of their peltries in such a manner as to
dissipate almost every one's fears. For myself, on
one occasion, I took the liberty of observing to Major
Etherington that, in my judgment, no confidence ought
to be placed in thera, and that I was informed no
less than four hundred lav around the fort.

In return the Major only rallied me on my timid-
ity ; and it is to be confessed that if this officer neg-
lected admonition on his part, so did I on mine.
Shortly after my first arrival at Mackinaw in the
preceding year, a Chippewa, named Wawatam, began
to come frequently to my house, betraying in his
demeanor strong marks of personal regard. After
this had continued some tim^, he came, on a certain
day, bringing with him his whole family, and, at the
same time, a large present, consisting of skins, sugar,
and dried meat. Having had these in a heap, he
commenced a speech, in which he informed me that,
some years before, he had observed a fast, devoting
himself, according to the custom of bis nation, to

'-'^''^'^^'^•v^'m'j^^^m^mim^f:!!^^

152

LIFE AMONG THB INDIANS.

solitude, and to the mortification of b .s body, in tlie
hope to obtain, from the Great Spirit, protection
through all his days; that on this occasion he had
dreamed of adopting an Englishman as his son,
brother, and friend; th.nt, from the moment in which
he first beheld me, he had recognized me as the per-
son whom the Great Spirit had been pleased to point
out to him for a brother ; that he hoped that I would
not refuse his present; and that he should forever
regard me as one of his family.

I could not do otherwise than accept the present,
and declare my willingness to have so good a man
as this appeared to be for my friend and brother. I
ofiered a present in return for that which I had re-
ceived, which Wawatam accepted, and then, thanking
me for the favor which he said that I had rendered
him, he left me, and soon after set out on his winter's
hunt.

Twelve months had now elapsed since the occur-
rence of this incident, and I had almost forgotten the
person of my brother, when on the second day of
June, Wawatam came again to my house, in a temper
of mind visibly melancholy and thoughtful. He told
me that he had just* returned from his wintering'
ground^ and I asked after his health; but without
answering my question, he went on to say, that he
was sorry to find me returned from the Sault; that
he intended to proceed to that place himself, imme-
diately after his arrival at Mackinaw; and that he
wi^ed me to go there along with him and his family

WARNING OP WAWATAM.

158

jur-

the

\per

Itold

ing-

lOUt

he
[that
ime-
he

bily

the next morning. To all this he joined an inquiry,
whether or not the commandant had heard bad news,
adding that during the winter he had himself been
frequently disturbed with the noise of evil bii'ds; and
further suggesting that there were numerous Indians
near the fort, many of whom had never shown them-
selves within it. Wawatam was ajbout forty-five years
of age, of an excellent character among his nation,
and a chief.

Referring much of what he heard to the pecul-
iarities of the Indian character, I did not pay all the
attention which they will be found to have deserved
to the entreaties and remarks of my visitor. I an-
swered that I could not think of going to the Sault
so soon as the next morning, but would follow him
there after the arrival of my clerks. Finding him-
self unable to prevail with me, he withdrew for that
day; but early next morning he came again, bringing
with him his wife, and a present of dried meat. At
this interview, after stating that he had several packs
of beaver, for Avhich he intended to deal with me, he
expressed a second time his apprehensions, from the
numerous Indians who were around the fort, and
earnestly pressed me to conscit to an immediate de-
parture for the Sault. As a reason for this particu-
lar request, he assured me chat all the Indians pro-
posed to come in a body, that day, to the fort, to
demand liquor of the commandant, and that he wished
me to be gone before they should grow intoxicated, ;

I had made, at the period to which I am now

t54

tifil AMOl^tf IHBI ilJfilAi^g.

referring, so much progress in the language in which
Wawatam addressed me, as to be able to hold an
ordinary conversation in it; but the Indian manner
of speech is so extravagantly figurative, that it is
only for a perfect master to follow and comprehend
it entirely. Had I been further advanced in this
respect, I think that I should have gathered so much
information from this my friendly monitor, as would
have put me into possession of the design of the
enemy, and enabled me to save, as well others as my-
self. As it was, it unfortunately happened that I
turned a deaf ear to every thing, leaving Wawatam
and his wife, after long and patient, but ineffectual
efforts, to depart alone, with dejected countenances,
and not before they had each let fall some tears.

In the course of the same day, I observed that the
Indians came in great numbers into the fort, purchas-
ing tomahawks — small axes of one pound weight —
and frequently desiring to see silver arm-bands, and
other valuable ornaments, of which I had a large
quantity for sale. The ornaments, however, they in
no instance purchased, but, after turning them over,
left them, saying that they would call again the next
day. Their motive, as it afterward appeared, was no
other than the very artful one of discovering, by
requesting to see them, the particular places of their
deposit, so that they might lay their hands on them
in the moment of pillage with the greater certainty
and dispatch.

At night I turned in my mind the visits of Wam^

INDIAN STRATAQBM.

155

tam; but, though they were calculated to excite un-
easiness, nothing induced me to believe that serious
mischief was at hand.

The following day, being the fourth of June, was
the King's birthday. A Chippewa came to tell me
that his nation was going to play at haggatiway
with the Sacs or Saakies, another Indian nation,
for a high wager. He invited me to witness the
sport, adding that the commandant was to be there,
and would bet on the side of the Chippewas. In
consequence of this information, I Avent to the com-
mandant, and expostulated with him a little, repre-
senting that the Indians might possibly have some
sinister end in view; but the commandant only smiled
at my suspicions.

Baggatiway, called by the Canadians le jue de la
crosse, is played with a bat and ball. The bat is about
four feet in length, curved, and terminating in a sort
of racket. Two posts are planted in the ground, at
a considerable distance from each other, as a mile or
more. Each party has its post, and the game con-
sists in throwing the ball up to the post of the ad-
versary. The ball at the beginning is placed in the
middle of the course, and each party endeavors as
well to throw the ball out of the direction of its own
post, as into that of the adversary's.

I did not go myself to see the match which was
now to be played without the fort, because there
being a canoe prepared to depart, on the follow-
ing day, for Montreal, I employed myself in writing

156

LIFE AMONG THE ISDlAI^S.

letters to my friends ; and even when a fellow-trader,
Mr. Tracy, happened to call upon rae, saying that
another canoe had just arrived from Detroit, and
proposing that I should go with him to the beach,
to inquire the news, it so happened that I still re-
mained to finish my letters ; promising to follow Mr.
Tracy in the course of a few minutes. Mr. Tracy
had not gone more than twenty paces from the door,
when I heard an Indian war-cry, and a noise of gen-
eral confusion.

Going instantly to my window, I saw a crowd of
Indians within the fort, furiously cutting down and
scalping every Englishman they found. In particu-
lar, I witnessed the fate of Lieutenant Jemette.

I had, in the room in which I was, a fowling-piece,
loaded with swan-shot. This I immediately seized,
and held it for a few minutes, waiting to hear the
drum beat to arms. In this dreadful interval I saw
several of my countrymen fall, and more than one
struggling between the knees of an Indian, who,
holding him in this manner, scalped him while yet
living.

At length, disappointed in the hope of seeing re-
sistance made to the enemy, and sensible, of course,
that no effort of my own unassisted arm could avail
against four hundred Indians, I thought only of seek-
ing shelter. Amid the slaughter which was raging,
I observed many of the Canadian inhabitants of the
fort calmly looking on, neither opposing the Indians
nor suflering injury; and from this circumstance 1

HORRIBLE BUTCHERY.

167

re-
Irse,
Ivail

jek-

ling,

the

ians

:e I

conceived a hope of finding a place of security in
their houses.

Between the yard door of my own house and that
of M. Langlade, my next neighbor, there was only
a low fence, over which I easily climbed. At my
entrance, I found the whole family at the windows,
gazing at the scene of blood before them. I ad-
dressed myself immediately to M. Langlade, begging
that he would put me into some place of safety, till
the heat of the aiViiir should be over; an act of charity
by which he might perhaps preserve me from the
general massacre; but while I uttered my petition,
M. Langlade, who had looked for a moment at me,
turned again to the window, shrugging his shoulders,
and intimating that he could do nothing for me*
" Que voudriez-vous que j^en ferai^f^

This Avas a moment for despair; but the next, a
Pani woman,* a slave of M. Langlade's, beckoned
to me to follow her. She brought me to a door,
which she opened, desiring me to enter, and telling
me that it led to the garret, where I must go and
conceal myself. I joyfully obeyed her directions;
and she, having followed me up to the garret-door,
locked it after me, and, witli great presence of mind,
took away the key.

This shelter obtained, if shelter I could hope to
find it, I Avas naturally anxious to know what might
still be passing without. Through an aperture, which

* The Tuuics are an Indian nation of tlic suuth.

illl

158

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

afforded me a view of the area of the fort, I beheld
in shapes the foulest and most terrible, the feroeioiit;
triumphs of barbarian conquerors. The dead were
scalped and mangled; the trying were writhing and
filirieking under the unsatiated knife and tomahawk;
and from the bodies of some, ripped open, their sav-
age butchers were drinking the blood, scooped up in
the hollow of joined hands, and quaffed amid shout'^
of rage and victory. I was shaken not only witli
horror, but with fear. The sufferings which I wit-
nessed, I seemed on the point of experiencing. No
long time elapsed before, every one being destroyed
who could be found, there was a general cry of "All
is finished!" At the same instant, I heard some of
the Indians enter the house in which I was.

The garret was separated from the room below
only by a layer of single boards, at once the flooring
of the one, and the ceiling of the other. I could
therefore hear every thing that passed; and the Indi-
ans no sooner came in than they inquired whether or
not any Englishmen were in the house. M. Langlade
replied tha.t "he could not say; he did not know of
any" — answers in which he did not exceed the truth;
for the Pani woman had not only hidden me by
stealth, but kept my secret and her own. M. Lang-
lade was, therefore, as I presume, as far from a wish
to destroy me as he was careless about saving me,
when he added to these answers, that "they might
examine for themselves, and would soon be satisfied
as to the object of their question," Saying this, he

A THRILLING MOMENT,

159

of
[th;

|ng-
rish

Ine,

[ght

ied

In'ought them to the garret-door, within which I was
concealed.

The state of my mind will be imagined. Arrived
at the door, some delay was occasioned by the ab-
sence of the key, and a few moments were thus
allowed me in which to look around for a hiding-
place. In one corner of the garret was a heap of
those vessels of birch bark, used in maple sugar
making.

The door was unlocked and opened, and the In-
dians ascending the stairs, before I had completely
crept into a small opening which presented itself at
one end of the heap. An iustant after, four Indians
entered the room, all armed with tomahawks, and
all besmeared with blood upon every part of their
bo'l'e;;.

The die appeared to be cast. I could scarcely
breathe; but I thought the throbbing of my heart
occasioned a noise loud enough to betray me. The
Indians walked in every direction about the garret,
and one of them approached me so closely that at
a particular moment, had he put forth his hand, he
must have touched me. Still I remained undiscov-
ered; a circumstance to which the dark (^olor of my
clothes, and the want of light in the room, which had
no window, and in the corner in which I was, must
have contributed. In a word, after taking several
turns in the room, during Avhich they told M. Lang-
lade how many they had killed, and how many scalps
they had taken, they returned down stairs, and J,

nun

■i

160

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

with sensations not to be expressed, heard the door,
wiv^h was the barrier between me and my fate, locked
for the second time. ,

There was a feather-bed on the floor; and on this,
exhausted as I was by the agitation of my mind, I
threw myself down and fell asleep. In this state I
remained till the dusk of the evening, when I was
awakened by a second opening of the door. The
person that now entered was M. Langlade's wife, who
was much surprised at finding me, but advised me aot
to be uneasy, observing that the Indians had killed
most of th. English, but that she hoped I might
myself escape. A shower of rain having begun to
fa]!, she had come to stop a hole in the roof. On
her going away, I begged her to send me a little
water to drink, which she did.

As night was now advancing, I continued to lie on
the bed, ruminatmg on my condition, but unable \o
discover a resource from which I could hope for life.
A flight to Detioit had no probable chance of success.
The distance f.om Mackinaw Avas full four hundred
miles; I Avas without provisions; and the whole length
of the road lay through Indian countries, countries
of an enemy in arms, where the lirst man whom 1
should meet would kill me. To slay where I Avas
threatened nearly the same issue. As before, fatip-ue
of mind, and not tranquillity, suspended my cares,
and procured me further sleep.

The game of baggatiway, as from the descriptira
above given, will have been perceived, is necessarily

GAME OF BAGGATAWAY.

IG]

attended with much violence and noise. In the ardor
of contest, the ball, as has been suggested, if it can
not be thrown to the goal desired, is struck in any
direction by which it can be diverted from that de-
signed by the adversary. At such a moment, there-
fore, nothing could be less liable to excite premature
alarm, than that the ball should be tossed over the
pickets of the fort, nor that, having fallen there, it
should be followed on the instant by all engaged in
the game, as well the one party as the other, all
eager, all struggling, all shouting, all in the unre-
strained pursuit of a rude athletic exercise. Noth-
ing could be less fitted to excite premature alarm;
nothing, therefore, could be more happily devised,
under the circumstances, ilian a stratagem like this;
and this was, in fact, the stratagem which the Indians
had employed, by which they had obtained possession
of the fort, and by which they had been enabled to
slaughter and subdue its garrison, and such of its
other inhabitants as they pleased. To be still more
certain of success, they had prevailed upon as many
as they could, by a pretext the least liable to sus-
picion, to come voluntarily with6ut the pickets; and
particularly the commandant and garrison themselves.
The respite which sleep afforded me, during the
night, was put an end to by the return of morning.
I was again on the rack of apprehension. At sun-
rise, I heard the family stirring ; and presently after,
Indian voices, informing M. Langlade that they had

not found my hapless self among the dead, nnd they

i .:

"•^'^'m^mmm'Wf

^■PWPSiil

mmmm

mmmftm^

1G2

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

supposed me to be somewhere concealed. M. Lang-
lade appeared, from what followed, to be by this time
acquamted with the place of my retreat, of which, no
doubt, he had been informed by his wife. The poor
woman, as soon as the Indians mentioned me, declared
to her husband, in the 1 rench tongue, that he should
no longer keep me in his house, but deliver me up to
my pursuers; giving as a reason for this measure,
that should the Indians discover his instrumentality
in my concealment, they might revenge it on her
children, and that it was better that I should die than
they. M. Langlade resisted at first this sentence of
his wife's, but soon suffered her to prevail, informing
the Ind. ins that he had been told I was in his house,
that I had come there without his knowledge, and
that he Avould put me into their hands. This was no
sooner expressed than he began to ascend the stairs,
the Indians following upon his heels.

I now resigned myself to the fate with which I
was menaced ; and regarding every attempt at con-
cealment as vain, I arose from the bed, and presented
myself full in view to the Indians who were entering
the room. They were all in a state of intoxication,
and entirely naked, except about the middle. One
of them, named Wenniway, whom I had previously
known, and who was upward of six feet in bight, had
his entire face and body covered with charcoal and
grease, only that a white spot, of two inches in diam-
eter, encircled either eye. This man walked up to
me, seized me with ou>3 hand by the ccUar of the

■4fta *. . ■

REPRIEVE.

163

iich I
|t con-
Isented
^ter'mg
lation,
One
riously
it, bad
lal and
diam-
up to
lof tlie

coat, while in the other he held a large carving-knife,
as if to nlunge it in my breast ; his eyes meanwhile
were fixed steadfastly on mine. At length, after some
seconds of the most anxious suspense, he dropped his
arm, saying, " I won't kill you !" To this he added,
that he had frequently engaged in wars against the
English, and had brought away many scalps; that
on a certain occasion he had lost a brother, whose
name was Musinigon, and that I should be called
after him.

A reprieve upon any terms placed me among the
living, and gave me back the sustaining voice of
hope; but Wenniway ordered me down stairs, and
there informed me that I was to be taken to his
cabin, where, and indeed every -where else, the In-
dians were all mad with liquor. Death again was
threatened, and not as possible only, but as certain.
I mentioned my fears on this subject to M. Langlade,
begging him to represent the danger to my master.
M. Langlade, in this instance, did not withhold his
compassion, and Wenniway immediately consented
that I should remain where I was, till he found an-
other opportunity to take me away.

Thus far secure, I reascended my garret stairs, in
order to place myself the furthest possible out of the
reach of insult from drunken Lidians ; but I had not
remained there more than an hour, when I was called
to the room below, in which was an Indian, who said
that I must go with him out of the fort, Wenniway
having sent him to fetch me. This man, as well as

'^^"(■^"""■■nwiiiPipp

164

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

AVcnniway Limself, I had seen before. In the pre-
ceding year, I had allowed him to take goods on
credit, for wliicli he was still in my debt; and a short
time previous to the surprise of the fort, he had said,
upon my upbraiding him with want of hone&ty, that
"he would pay me before long!" This speech now
came fresh into my memory, and led me to suspect
that the fellow had formed a design against my life.
I communicated the suspicion to M. Langlade; but
he gave for answer that "I was not now my own
master, and must do as I was ordered."

The Indian, on his part, directed that before I left
the house, I should undress myself, declaring that
my coat and shirt would become him better than they
did me. His pleasure, in this respect, being com-
plied with, there was no other alternative left me
than either to go out naked, or put on the clothes
of the Indian, which he freely gave me in exchange.
His motive for thus stripping me of my own apparel
was no other, as I afterward learned, than this — that
it might not be stained with blood when he should
kill me.

I was now told to proceed; and my driver followed
me close, till I had passed the gate of the fort, when
I turned toward the spot where I knew the Indians
to be encamped. This, however, did not suit the pur-
pose of my enemy, who seized me by the arm, and
drew me violently in the opposite direction, to the
distance of fifty yards above the fort. Here, finding
that I was approaching the bushes and sand-hills, I

mmm

A KARROW KSCAffi

16o

red
len
ma
|ur-
md
Ithe

Jutermined to proceed no farther, but told the Indian
that I believed he meant to murder me, and, if so,
he might as well strike where I 'vas as at any greater
distance. He replied, with coolness, that my sus-
picions were just, and that he meant to pay me in
this manner for my goods. At the same time he
produced a knife, and held me in a position to receive
the intended blow. Both this and that which followed
were necessarily the affair of a moment. By some
effort, too sudden and too little dependent on thought
to be explained or remembered, I was enabled to
arrest his arm, and give him a sudden push, by which
I turned him from me, and released myself from his
grasp. This was no sooner done than I ran toward
the fort, with all the swiftness in my power, the In-
dian following me, and I expecting every moment
to feel his knife. I succeeded in my flight; and, on
entering the fort, I saw Wenniway standing in thp
midst of the area, and to him I hastened for pro
tection. Wenniway desired the Indian to desist; but
the latter pursued me round him, making several
strokes at me with his knife, and foaming at the
mouth with rage at the repeated failure of his pur-
pose. At length Wenniway drew near to M. Lang-
lade's house ; and, the door being open, I ran into
it. The Indian followed me ; but, on my entering
the house, he voluntarily abandoned the pursuit.

Preserved so oV. a, and so unexpectedly, as it had
now been my lot > be, I returned to my garret,
with a strong inclination to believe that, through the

166

LIFK A MONO 1' H E INDIAKS.

Will of an overruling Power, no Indian enemy could
do me hurt; but new trials, as I believed, were at
hand, when, at ten o'clock in the evening, I was
roused from sleep, and once more desired to descend
the stairs. Not less, however, to my satisfaction than
surprise, I was summoned only to meet Major Ether-
ington, Mr. Bostwick, and Lieutenant Lesslie, who
were in the room below.

These gentlemen had been taken prisoners, while
looking at the game, without the fort, and imme-
diately stripped of all their clothes. They were now
sent into the fort, under tht charge of Canadians,
because, the Indians having resolved on getting drunk,
the chiefs were apprehensive that they would be mur-
dered if they continued in the camp. Lieutenant
Jemette and seventy soldiers had been killed; and
but twenty Englishmen, including soldiers, were still
alive. These were all within the fort, together with
nearly three hundred Canadians belonging to the ca-

noes, etc.

These being our numbers, myself and others pro-
posed to Major Etherington to make an effort for
regaining possession of the fort, and maintaining it
against the Indians. The Jesuit missionary was con-
sulted on the project;- but he discouraged us by his
representations, not only of the merciless treatment
which we must expect from the Indians, should they
regain their superiority, but of the little dependence •
which was to be placed upon our Canadian auxilia-
ries. Thus the fort and prisoners remained in the

■ilU^iqii^MI I III

M«»MM|MpfPMIMWMfrt

DISTRESSING SUSPENSE.

1G7

nih
ca-

hands of the Indians, though, through the whole niglit,
the prisoners and whites were in actual possession,
and they Were without the gates.

That whole night, or the greater part of it, was
passed in mutual condolence ; and my fellow-prisoners
shared my garret. In the morning, being again called
down, I found my master, Wenniway, and was de-
sired to follow him. He led me to a small house,
within the fort, where, in a narrow room, and almost
dark, I found Mr. Ezckiel Solomons, an Englishman
from Detroit; r.nd a soldier, all prisoners. With tliese
1 remained in painful suspense, as to the scene that
was next to present itself, till 10 o'clock in the fore-
noon, when an Indian arrived, and marched us to
the lake-side, where a canoe appeared ready for de-
parture, and in which we found that we were to
embark.

Our voyage, full of doubt as it was, would have
commenced immediately, but that one of the Indians,
who was to be of the party, was absent. His ar-
rival was to be waited for; and this occasioned a
very long delay, during which we were exposed to a
keen north-east wind. An old shirt was all that cov-
'Pi; I suffered much from the cold; and in this
extremity, . M. Langlade coming down to the beach,
I asked him for a blanket, promising, if I lived, to
pay him for it, at any price he pleased; but the an-
swer I received was this, that he could let me have
no blanket unless there wer6 some one to be security
for the payment. For myself, he observed, I had no

y\.

■■

168

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

longer any property in that country. I had no more
to say to M. Langlade; but presently seeing another
Canadian, named John Cuchoise, I addressed to him
a similar request, and was not refused. ' Naked as
I was, and rigorous as was the weather, but for the
blanket I must have perished. At noon, our party
was all collected, the prisoners all embarked, and we
steered for the Isles du Castor — Beaver Island — in
Lake 'Michigan.

The soldier, who was our companion in misfortune,
was made fast to a bar of the canoe, by a rope tied
round his neck, as is the manner of the Indians in
transporting their prisoners. The rest were left un-
confiued; but a paddle was put into each of our
hands, and we were made to use it. The Indians
in the canoe were seven in number, the prisoners
four. I had left, as it will be recollected. Major Eth-
erington, Lieutenant Lesslie, and Mr. Bostwick, at
M. Langlade's, and was now joined in misery with
Mr. Ezekiel Solomons, the soldier, and the English-
man, who had newly arrived from Detroit. This was
on the sixth day of June. The fort was taken on
the fourth; I surrendered myself to Wenniway on
the fifth ; and this was the third day of our distress.

We were bound, as I have said, for the Isles du
Castor, which lie in the mouth of Lake Michigan;
and we should have crossed the lake, but that a thick
fog came on, on account of which the Indians deemed
it safer to keep the shore close under their lee. Wc,
therefore, approached the lands of the Ottawas. and

oners they are carryij ' '"""''^'- "f P™-

-'-h the Ottawa, rnlTZ''':''' "«' -^
avoid going ,„„„j . a ca„y,„g p^„^^ ^^ ^^ ^^

from MactLw After e'l'r"';''^'''^^'' -'-
"■arwhoop, as before t t "' '"" ""'^^ """■'•

-each, .ho „ac,e .^iZZZTt T ^^
sequence, we appr:ached. The ol^ . """

news, and fcent thp Oh- *" ^'''^d the

«-. «" we witL^rr;!':?':: rr^-

■n shallow water At thi, ^' '"'"'' ^-J

'ushed upon us fr„ """""" " '"""'red men

shout. "'"'^ "•" ""noe, amid a terrifying

We now believed that our last s„ff« •

Proaching; but no sooner" r Jet?' ""t ''•
-'' on our legs, than the cWftof tf " ''""■
vanced, and gave each of . *,. ! ^ P"'^ "d-
*- the, wer' our f en / ™ ^f"'"'' '^''^^ «
Ohippewas had insulted h !> '"''' ^'""" ""

without consultin wh't T' ''" ^"S"'''

° with them on the affair. Ther

170

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

added, that what they had done was for the purpose
of saving our lives, the Chippewas having been car-
rying us to the Isles du Castor, only to kill and
devour us.

' The reader's imagination is here distracted by the
variety of our fortunes, and he may well paint to
himself the state of mind of those Avho sustained
them, who were the sport or the victims of a series
of events, more like dreams than realities, more like
fiction than truth! It was not long before we were
embarked again, in the canoes of the Ottawas, who,
the same evening, relanded us at Mackinaw, where
they marched us into the fort, in view of the '''liippe-
was, confounded at beholding the OttaAvas espousing
a side opposite to their own.

The Ottawas, who had accompanied us in suffi-
cient numbers, took possession of the fort. We, who
had changed masters, but were still prisoners, were
lodged in the house of the commandant, and strictly
guarded.

Early the next morning a general council was held,
in which the Chippewas complained much of the con-
duct of the Ottawas, in robbing them of their pris-
oners; alleging that all the Indians — the Ottawas
alone excepted — were at war with the English ; that
Pontiac had taken Detroit; that the King of France
had awoke, and repossessed himself of Quebec and
Montreal; and that the English were meeting de-
struction, not only at Mackinaw, but in every otlier
part ot' the world. From all this, they inferred that

Tit E OTTAWAS YIELD.

171

and

de-

tlier

thut

:t became the Ottawas to restore the prisoners, and
10 join in the war ; and the speech was followed hy
large presents, being part t)f the plunder of the fort,
and which Avas previously heaped in the center of the
room. The Indians rarely make their answers till
the day after they have heard the arguments offered.
They did not depart from their custom on this occi-
sion ; and the council therefore adjourned.

We, the prisoners, whose fate was thus in con-
troversy, were unacquainted, at the time, with this
transaction, and tlicrefore enjoyed a night of toler-
able tranquillity, not in the least suspecting the re-
verse which was preparing for us. Which of the '
arguments of the Chippewas, or whether or not all,
were deemed valid by the Ottawas, I can not say;
but the council was resumed at an early hour in the
morning; and, after several speeches had been made
in it, the prisoners were sent for, and returned to the
Chippewas.

The Ottawas, who now gave us into the hands of
the ChippcAvas, had themselves declared that the hit-
ter designed no other than to kill us, and make broth
of U8. The Chippewas, as soon as we were restored
to them, marched us to a village of their own, situate
on the point which is below the fort, and put us into
a lodge, already the prison of fourteen soldiers, tied
two and two, with each a rope about his neck, and
made fast to a pole, which might be called the sup-
porter of the building.

I was left untied; but I passed a night sleepless

172

LIF£ AMONQ TU£ INDIA iNS.

&Tid full o€ wrotchcdncss. My bed was the bure
ground, and I was again reduced to an old shirt, as
my entire apparel ; the blanket which I had received,
through the generopity of M. Cuchoise, having been
taken from me among the Ottawas, when they seized
upon myself and the others, at Wagoshcnso. I was,
besides, in want of food, having for two days eaten
nothing.

I confess that in the canoe with the Chippewas I
was offered bread ; but, bread, with what accompani-
ment? They had a loaf, which they cut with the
same knives that they had employed in the massa-
cre — knives, still covered with blood. The blood
they moistened with spittle, and rubbing it on the
bread, offered this fur food to their prisoners, telling
them to eat the blood of their countrymen.

Such was my situation on the morning of the 7th
of June, in the year one thousand, seven hundred
and sixty-three ; but a few hours produced an event
which gave still a new color to my lot.

Toward noon, when the great war-chief, in com
pany with Wenniway, was seated at the opposite end
of the lodge, my friend and brother, Wawatam, sud-
denly came in. During the four days preceding, I
had often wondered what had become of him. In
passing by he gave me his hand, but went imme
diately toward the great chief, by the side of whom
and Wenniway, he sat himself down. The most un
Interrupted silence prevailed; each smoked his pipe;
and this being done, Wawatam presently arose, end

WA WAT A MS SPEECU.

173

left the lodge, saying to rac, as ho passed, "Take

courage !"

)e;
[nd

An hour chipsod, during which several chiefs en-
tered, and preparations appeared to be making for a
council. At length, Wawatam re-entered tile lodge,
followed by his wife, and both loaded with merchan-
dise, which they carried up to the chiefs, and V.id in
a heap before them. Some moments of silence fol-
lowed, at the end of which, Wawatam pronounced a
speech, every word of which, to mo, S'.'as of extraor-
dinary interest:

" Friends and relations," he began, " what is it that
I shall say? You know what I feel. You all have
friends, and brothers, and cliildren, whom, as youi-
selves, you love; and you, what would you expe-
rience, did you, like me, behold your dearest friend,
your brother, in the condition of a slave — a slave,
exposed every moment to insult, and to menaces of
death? This case, as you all know, is mine. See
there, [pointing to myself^ my friend and brother,
among slaves, himself a slave !

" You all well know that long before the war began,
I adopted him as my brother. From that moment
he became one of my family, so that no change of
circumstances could break the cord which fastened us
together.

" He is my brother ; and, because I am your rela-
tion, he is therefore your relation, too; and how,
being your relation, can he be your slave ?

"On the day on which the war began, you wero

174

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

• fi

fearful, le»l, on this very account, I should reveal
your secret. You requested, therefore, tho'^ I would
leave the fort, and even cross the lake. I did so, but
did it with reluctance. I did it with reluctance, not-
withstanding that you, Menehwehna, who had the
command in this enterprise, gave me your promise
that you would protect my friend, delivering him
from all danger, and giving him safely to me.

"The performance of this promise I now claim. 1
come not with empty hands to ask it. You, Meneh-
wehna, best know whether or not, as it respects your-
self, you have kept your word; but I bring these
goods, to buy off every claim Avhich any man among
you all may have on my brother, as I is prisoner."

Wawatam having ceased, the pipes were again
filled; and, after they were finished, a further period
of silence followed. At the end of this, Menehwehna
arose and gave his reply : =

"My relation and brother," said he, "what you
have spoken is the truth. We ".ere acquainted with
the friendship wh'ch subsisted between yourself and
the Englishman, iii whose behalf you have row ad-
dressed us. We knew the danger of having our
secret discovered, and the consequences which must
follow; and you say truly that we requested you to
leave the fort. T\m we did, out of regard for you
and yoitr family; for, if a discovery of our design
had been made, and its execution had been prevented,
you would have Leon blamed, whether you were
guilty or not; and you would thus have been iu-

) I

MENEIIWEHNA'S SPEECH.

175

volved in difficulties, from which you could not have
extricated yourself.

" It is also true that I promised you to take care of
your friend; and this promise I performed, by desir-
ing my son, at the moment of assault, to seek him
out, and bring him to my lodge. He went accord-
ingly, but could not find him. The day after I sent
him to Langlade's, when he was informed t^'at your
friend was safe ; and had it not been that the Indians
were then drinking the rum which had been found in
the fort, he would have brought him home with him
according to my orders. *

"I am very glad to find that your friend has es-
caped. We accept your present; and you may take
him home with you."

Wawatam thanked the assembled chiefs, and taking
me by the hand, led me to his lodge, which was at
the distance of a foAV yards only from the prison
lodge. My entrance appeared to give joy to the
whole family ; food was immediately prepared for
me; and I now ate the first hearty meal which I had
made since my capture. I found myself one of the
family; and, but that I had still my fears, as to the
other Indians, I felt as happy as the situation could
allow.

In the course of the next morning I was alarmed
by a noise in the prison lodge ; and looking through
the openings of the lodge in which I was, I saw seven
dead bodies of white men dragged forth. Upon my
inquiry into the occasion, I was informed that a cer-

176

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

tain chief, called by the Canadians, Le Grand Sable,
had not long before arrived from his winter's hunt;
and that he having been absent when the war begun,
and being now desirous of manifesting to the Indians
at large his hearty concurrence in what they had
done, had gone into the prison lodge, and there,
with his knife, put the seven men, whose bodies I
had seen, to death. • =

Shortly after two of the Indians took one of the
dead bodies, which they chose as being the fattest,
cut off the head, and divided the whole into five
parts, one of which was put into each of five ket-
tles, hung over as many fires, kindled for this pur-
pose, at the door of the prison lodge. Soon after
things were so far prepared, a message came to our
lodge, with an invitation to Wawatam to ast.ist at
the feast.

An invitation to a feast is given bv him who is the
master of it. Small cuttings of cedar wood, of about
four inches in length, supply the place of cards ; and
the bearer by w^ord of mouth states the particulars.

Wawatam obeyed the summons, taking with him,
as usual, to the place of entertainment, his dish and
spoon.

After an absence of about half an hour, he re
turned, bringing in his dish a human hand, and a
large piece of flesh. He did not appear to relish
the repast, but told me that it was then, and always
had been, the custom imong all the Indian nations,
when returning from war, or on overcoming their

a
hi

ANOTHER CAPTURE.

177

enemies, to make a war-feast from among tlie slain.
This, he said, inspired the warrior with courage in
attack, and bred him to meet death with fearlessness.

In the evening of the same day, a large canoe,
such as those which came from Montreal, was seen
advancing to the fort. It was full of men, and I dis-
tinguished several passengers. The Indian cry was
made in the village; a general muster ordered; and
to the number of two hundred, they marched up to
the fort, where the canoe was expected to land. The
canoe, suspecting nothing, came boldly to the fort,
where the passengers, as being English traders, were
immediately seized, dragged through the water, beat,
reviled, marched to the prison lodge, there stripped
of their clothes and confined.

Of the English traders that fell "into the hands of
the Indians at the capture of the fort, Mr. Tracy was
the only one who lost his life. -Mr. Ezekiel Solo-
mons and Mr. Henry Bot<twick were taken by the
Ottawas, and after the peace carried down to Mon-
treal, and there ransomed. Of ninety troops, about
seventy were killed ; the rest, together with those of
the posts in the Bay des Puants, and at the river
St. Joseph, were also kept in safety by the Ottawas
till the peace, and then either freely restored or ran-
somed at Montreal. The Ottawas never overcame
their disgust at the neglect with which they had been
treated, in the beginning of the war, by those who
afterward desired their assistance as allies.

On the morning of the ninth of June, a general

178

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS.

council was held, at which it was agreed to remove
to the island of Mackinaw, as a more defensible situ-
ation in the event of an attack by me English. The
Indians had begun to entertain apprehensions of want
of strength. No news had reached them from the
Puttawatamics, in the Bay des Puants ; and they were
uncertain whether or not the Monomins would join
them. They even feared that the Sioux would take
the English side. :

This resolution fixed, they prepared for a speedy
retreat. At noon the camp was broken up, and we
embarked, taking with us the prisoners that were still
undisposed of. On our passage we encountered a
gale of wind, and there were some appearances of
danger. To avert it, a dog, of which the legs were
previously tied together, was thrown into the lake —
an offering designed to soothe the angry passions of
some offended Manito. . -

As we approached the island, two women in the
canoe in which I was, began to utter melancholy
and most hideous cries. Precarious as my condition
still remained, I experienced some sensations of alarm
from these dismal sounds, of which I could not then
discover the occasion. Subsequently, I learned that
it is customary for the women, on passing near the
burial-places of relations, never to omit the practice
of which I was now a witness, and by w';'^^ they
intend to denote their grief.

By the approach of evening we reached the island
m safety, and the women were not long in erecting

CANOES C A I»T U RED.

170

Dur Ciibins. In the morning, tliore was a muster of
tne Indians, at wliicli there were found three hundred
and fifty fighting men. «

In the course of the day there arrived a canoe
from Detroit, with embassadors, who endeavored to
prevail on the Indians to repair thither to the assist-
ance of Pontiac; but fbar was now the prevailing
passion. A guard was kept during the day, and a
watch by night, and alarms were* frequently spread.
Had an enemy appeared, all the prisoners would have
been put to death; and I suspected that, as an Eng-
lishman, I should share their fate.

Several days had now passed, when one morning a
continued alarm prevailed, and I saw the Indians run-
ning in a confused manner toward the beach. In a
short time I learned that two large canoes from Mon-
treal were in sight.

All the Indian canoes were immediately manned,
and those from Montreal were surrounded and seized,
as they turned a point behind which the flotilla had
been concealed. The goods were consigned to a Mr.
Levy, and would have been saved if tlie canoe men
had called them French property; but they were ter-
rified, and disguised nothing. '

In the canoes was a large proportion of liquor, a
dangerous acquisition, and which threatened disturb-
ance among the Indians, even the loss of their dear-
est friends. Wawatam, ever watchful of my safety,
no sooner heard the noise of drunkenness, which
in the evening did not fail to begin, than he repie-

i*iif

It |>i;

180

LIFE AMONG TUB INDIANS.

scnted to me the danger of remaining in the village,
and owned that he could not himself resist the tempt-
ation of joining his comrades in the debauch. That
I might escape all mischief, he, therefore, requested
that I would accompany him to the mountain, Avhere
I was to remain hidden till the liquor sliould be drank.

We ascended the mountain accordir gly. It is this
mountain which constitutes the high land in the mid-
dle of the island,* presenting to the traveler's eye
a figure considered as resembling a turtle, and, there-
fore, called Mackinaw. It is thicklv covered with
wood, and very rocky toward the top. After walking
more than half a mile, we came to a large rock, at
the base of which was an opening, dark within, and
appearing to be the entrance of a cave.

Here, Wawatam recommended that 1 should take
up my lodging, and by all means remain till he re-
turned. , ■ . . >

On going into the cave, of which the entrance was
nearly ten feet wide, I found the further end to be
rounded in its shape, like that of an oven, but with
a further aperture, too small, however, to be explored.

After thus looking around me, I broke some small
branches from the trees, and spread them for a bed;
thei wrapped myself in my blanket, and sl^pt till
day -break.

On awaking I felt myself incommoded by some
object upon which I lay; and removing it, found it
to be a bone. This I supposed, to be that of a deer,
or some other animal, and what might very naturally

liie
it

LODGING AMOxN^G BONES.

181

be looked for in the place in which it was ; but when
daylight visited my chamber I discovered, with some
feelings of horror, that I was lying on nothing less
than a heap of human bones and skulls, which cov-
ered all the fl' M

Soon after this Wawatam started with his pris-
oner — less a prisoner than brother — for his winter
hunting-ground, which was up the river Aux Sables,
and about one hundred and fifty miles from Mackinaw.
From this family Mr. Henry received every possible
kindness through the long and gloomy winter. The
following May they returned to Mackinaw, where he
was soon after enabled to effect his escape in a canoe,
and reached the English settlements in safety.

till

•.»■'

If " ""'-

t-M

I <

182

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER VII.

TECUMSEH AND HIS WAR. ,

Tecumseh is a name renowned in history. He
was the soul and leader in the last great eflbrt of
barbarism, to check the swelling tide of civilizatioD
in the west. To this final struggle all the great
energies of his nature were consecrated, as well as
life itself. Nobler would it have been, had he devoted
himself to the intellectual and social elevation of his
people, and induced them to cultivate the arts, and
acquire the habits of civilized life. But he was
trained to a scornful contempt of those habits. That
aversion, too, was increased by finding the powerful
rival to the occupation of the country, continually
encroaching upon their ancient grounds, and rising
up to overshadow his people with their numbers and
power. Also, in the swiftly-approaching future, ho
readily apprehended that not a foot of all tlieir large
possessions would remain to tliem; and, indeed, the
prospect of tlioir utter annihilation alieady began to
loom up in the distjince. It was not a savage thirst
for blood, but love of country, though misguided and
ill-directed, that nerved him for tlie great struggle.
His name is surely enrolled among the heroes of the
earth.

T E C U M S E U IN YOUTH.

188

Tecumseh was a Shawnoo by birth. His father,
who was a chief in the nation, was klMed in the
celebrated battle of the Kanawha, in 1774. His
oldest brother was likewise killed, while upon a scout-
ing party against the settlers in Kentucky. Tecum-
seh was born about the year 1768, in an Indian
village on the Mad river, about six miles from the
place where Springfield, Ohio, now stands. From
his boyhood, it is said, he gave promise of future
greatness. Coolness, bravory, and sagacity marked
him, whether in the council, or on the battle-field.
There, too, was a sprinkling of humanity in him;
honorable, especially to a savage warrior.

The first action in which Tecumseh participated,
occurred near where Dayton now stands. He was
then a mere boy. The next occurred when he was
about sixteen years of age. It was an attack by the
Indians upon some flat-boats which were descend-
ing the Ohio, near Maysville. In this action he
manifested signal prowess, leaving in the background
even some of the oldest and bravest warriors of the
party. The boats were taken, and all who were
found alive on board, were mercilessly tomahawked,
except one, who was taken prisoner, and afterward
burned. In this latter act Tecumseh took no active
part. He had never before witnessed the burning
of a prisoner; and when it was over, expressed him-
self in such strong terms of reprobation, that the
party were finally induced to agree never to burn any
more prisoners. To this determination Tecumseh is

f!|il

184

Lii^'E aMoJ^g tiiri i^iDtxii^.

iii

said to have tenaciously adhered in all his subsequent
career.

But it must not be inferred that Tecumseh was
still other than a savage, because he refrained from
this refinement of savage cruelty. Such an impres-
sion will be at once dissipated by the narration of
the following well-authenticated affray, which occurred
at Hacker's creek, in May, 1792 :*

"With a small band of warriors, he came upon
the family of John Waggoner, about dusk. They
found Waggoner a short distance from his house,
sitting upon a log, resting himself after the fatigues
of the day. Tecumseh directed his men to capture
the family, while himself was engaged with Wag-
goner. To make sure work, he took deliberate aim
at him with his rifle; but fortunately he did not even
Avound him, though the ball passed next to his skin.
Waggoner threw himself oft' the log, and ran with all
his might, Jind Tecumseh followed. Having the ad-
vantage of an accurate knowledge of the ground,
Waggoner made good his escape. Meanwhile his
men succeeded in carrying off* the family, some of
whom they barbarously murdered. Among these
were Mrs. Waggoner and two of her children. Sev-
eral of the children remained a long time with the
Indians."

Tecumseh took an active part in the battle between
the American troops, under General Wayne, and the

* Drake'« Indian Biography.

UllAVEIlY OP TliCUMsiilt.

combined Indian forces, in 1794. But when tho
treaty was made, he absented himself. The following
anecdote is told of him, by Anthony Shane, as having
occurred during this action :

lie occupied an advanced position in the battle,
and while attempting to load his rifle, he pi]t in a
bullet before the powder, and was thus unable to
use his gun. Being at this moment pressed in front
by some infantry, he fell back with his party, till they
met another detachment of Indians. Tecumseh urged
them to stand fast and fight, saying if any one would
lend him a gun, he would show them how to do it.
A fowling-piece was handed to him, with which he
tbught for some time, till the Indians were again
compelled to give ground. While falling back, he
met another party of Shawnees; and although tho
whites ncre pressing on them, he rallied the Indians,
and induced them to make a stand in a thicket.
When the infantry pressed close upon them, and had
discharged their muskets into the bushes, Tecumseh
and his party returned their fire, and then retreated,
till they had joined the main body of the Indians
below the rapids of the Miami.

At the time of the Greenville treaty, Tecumseh
was living on Buck creek, near where the city of
Urbana now stands. A few years later, on the invi-
tation of the Delaware^, he moved '.ito their terri
tory, and established his headquarters on the White
river, in Indiana. Here lor several years he devoted

himself to the pursuits of hunter-life; but his influ-

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cnce was constantly and rapidly extending among
the Indian tribes. Though not a party to the Green-
ville treaty, he had been so scrupulously exact in
observing its provisions, that even among the whites
he commanded great confidence and respect.

An incident which occurred in 1803, v;hile Tecum-
seh, with a party of Indians, was on a visit to Ohio,
is characteristic of the man. A stout Kentuckian
came to Ohio, for the purpose of exploring the lands
on Mad river, and lodged one night at the house of
Captain Abner Barrett, residing on the head waters
of Buck creek. In the course of the evening, he
learned, with apparent alarm, that there were some
Indians encamped within a short distance of the
bouse. Shortly after hearing this unwelcome intel-
ligence, the door of Captain Barrett's dwelling was
suddenly opened, and Tecum seh entered, with his
usual stately air. He paused in silence, and looked
around, till at length his eye was fixed upon the
stranger, who was manifesting symptoms of alarm,
and did not venture to look the stern ravage in the
face. Tecumseh turned to his host, and pointing to
the agitated Kentuckian, exclaimed, "A big baby! a
big baby !" He then stepped up to him, and gently
slapping him on the shoulder several times, repeated,
with a contemptuous manner, the phrase " big baby !
')ig baby !" to the great alarm of the astonished man,
and to the amusement of all present.*

*JaiDQa Galloway.

tH& rtlOPllEt.

187

About this time the brother of Tecumseh, gener-
'ally known as the Prophet, from his religious pre-
tensions, began to acquire great influence over the
Indian tribes in that region. But the immed^te
cac ' : of excitin T the hostility of Tecumseh against
the whites, was the purchase, from the Delawares,
Miamies, and Pottawatamies, of a large tract in Indi-
ana. The Prophet, with a motley horde, comprising
not less than one thousand warriors, gathered from
among the Shawnees, Delawares, Wyandotts, Potta-
watamies, Otiawas, Kickjipoos, Chippewas, and other
nations, had "squatted" on this territory, and refused
to give it up. So politic and wily was the course of
the Prophet, that, for several years, it was difficult to
determine whether he was actually meditating a com-
bination of the Indians against the whites, or whether
he was to be regarded simply as a religious enthu-
siast. But in the end it became apparent that a
more powerful than the Prophet was behind the
scenes, directing the main machinery. This was
Tecumseh.

Tlie position assumed by Tecumseh was, that the
lands were given by the Great Spirit to all the In-
dians, and that no one tribe had a right to sell their
lands to the United States, without the consent of all
the other tribes. In a letter to the Secretary of
War, General Harrison, who was then Governor of
the territory of Indiana, thus speaks:

"The subject of allowing the Indians of this coun-
try to consider all their lan^ls aa common property,

■pw

, ;

188

LiPfi AMONG (Tflfi IKDlANe.

has been frequently and largely discussed, in my
communications with your predecessor, and in a per-
sonal interview with the late President. The treaties
amde by me last fall, ^.vere concluded on principles as
liberal toward the Indians, as my knowledge of tlie
views and opinions of the Government would allow.
For although great latitude of discretion has always
been given to me, I knew that the opinion of Mr.
Jefferson on the subject went so far as to assert a
claim of the United States, as lords paramount, to
the lands of all extinguished or decayed tribes, to the
exclusion of all recent settlers. Upon this principle,
the Miamies are the only rightful claimants of all the
unpurchased lands from the Ohio to the Illinois and
Mississippi rivers. But, sir, the President may rest
assured that the complaint of injury, with regard to
the sale of lands, is a mere pretense suggested to
the Prophet by British partisans and emmissaries."

In August, 1810, Tecumseh descended the Wabash,
professedly to hold a council with General Harrison,
whose headquarters was at Vincennes. He was ac-
companied by four hundred Indian warriors. Cap-
tain Floyd, who at the time commanded Fort Knox,
three miles above Vincennes, writing under date of
August 14, 1810, says :

"The Shawnee Indians have come; they passed
this garrison, which is three miles above Vincennes,
on Sunday last, in eighty canoes; they were all
painted in the most terrific manner. They were
atopped at the garrison by me, for a short time. }

0»'>VERNOR HARRISON.

180

examined their canoes and found them well prepared
for war, in case of an attack. They were headed by
the brother of the Prophet — Tecumsch — who, per-
haps, is one of the finest-looking men I ever saw —
about six feet high, straight, with large, fine features,
and altogether a daring, bold-looking fellow."

On the next day the council was held. The deeply-
thrilling incident Avhich occurred during the council,
and its influence in giving direction to subsequent
events, possess great interest. I therefore subjoin
an account of it, as given by Benjamin Drake.

Governor Harrison had made arrangements for
holding the council on the portico of his own house,
which had been fitted up with seats for the occasion.
Here, on the morning of the fifteenth, he awaited the
arrival of the chief, being attended by the judges of
the Supreme Court, some officers of the army, a ser-
geant, and twelve men, from Fort Knox, and a large
number of citizens. At the appointed hour, Tecum-
sch, supported by forty of liis principal warriors,
made his appearance, the remainder of his follow-
ers being encamped in the village and its environs.
When the chief had approached within thirty or forty
yards of the house, he suddenly stopped, as if await-
ing some advances from the Governor. An inter-
preter was sent, requesting him and his followers to
take seats on the portico. To this Tecum seh ob-
jected; he did not think the place a suitable one
for holding the conference, but preferred that it
should take place in a grove of trees — to which he

190

LIFE AMONa THE INDIANS.

pointed — standing a short distance from the house.
The Governor said ho had no objection to the grovo,
except that there were no seats in it for their accom-
modation. Tccumsch replied, that constituted no ob-
jection to the grove, the earth being the most suit-
able place for the Indians, who loved to repose upon
the bosom of their mother. The Govornor yielded
the point, and the benches and chairs having been
removed to the spot, the conference was begun, the
Indians being seated on the grass.

Tecumseh opened the meeting by stating at length
his objections to the treaty of Fort Wayne, made by
Governor Harrison in the previous year ; and, in the
course of his speech, boldly avowed the principle of
his party to be that of resistance to every cession
of land, unless made by all the tribes, who, he con-
tended, formed but .one nation. He admitted that
he had threatened to kill the chiefs who signed the
treaty of Fort Wayne ; and that it was his fixed de-
termination not to permit the village chiefs in future
to manage their affairs, but to place the power with
which they had been heretofore invested in the hands
of the >var chiefs. The Americans, he said, had
driven the Indians from the sea-coast, and would
soon push them into the lakes; and while Jie dis-
claimed all intention of making war upon the United
States, he declared it to be his unalterable resolu-
tion to take a stand, and resolutely oppose the fur-
ther intrusion of the whites upon the Indian lands.
IIq ponpluded, by making a bri^f but impassioned

RKPLY TO TECUM6EII.

recital of tlie various wrongs and aggrv sions in-
flicted by the white men upon the Indians .rom the
cominonccmcnt of the Revolutionary war down to
the period of that council, all of which was calcu-
lated to arouse and inflame the minds of such of his
followers as were present.

The Governor rose in reply, and in examining the
right of Tecumseh and his party to make objections
to the treaty of Fort Wayne, took occasion to say,
that the Indians were not one nation, having a com-
mon property in the lands. The Miamies, he con-
tended, were the real owners of the tract on the
Wabash, ceded by the late treaty, and the Shawnees
had no right to interfere in the case ; that, upon the
arrival of the whites on this continent, they had found
the Miamies in possession' of this land, the Shawnees
being then residents of Georgia, from which they had
been driven by the Creeks, and that it was ridicu-
lous to assert that the red men constituted but one
nation; for, if such had been the intention of the
Great Spirit, he would not have put difierent tongues
in their heads, but have taught them all to speak the
same language.

The Governor having taken his seat, the inter-
preter commenced explaining the speech to Tecum-
seh, who, after listening to a portion of it, sprung to
his feet, and began to speak with great vehemence of
manner.

The Governor was surprised at his violent ges-
tures, but as he di4 not understand him, thought h«

^■^1^^

102

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

was making some cxplnnation, and suffered his attcn*
tion to be drawn toward Winnemac, a friendly Indian
lying on the grass before him, who was renewing
the priming of his pistol, which he had kept con-
cealed from the other Indians, but in full view of
the Governor. His attention, however, was again
directed to Tecumseh, by hearing General Gibson,
who was intimately acquainted with the Shawnee lan-
guage, say to Lieutenant Jennings, "Those fellows
intend mischief; you had better bring up the guard."
At that moment, the followers of Tecumseh seized
their tomahawks and war clubs, and sprang upon
their feet, their eyes turned upon the Governor. As
soon as ho could disengage himself from the armed
chair in which he sat, he rose, drew a small sword
which he had by his side, and stood on the defensive.
Captain G. R. Floyd, of the army, who stood near
him, drew a dirk, and the chief, Winnemac, cocked
his pistol. The citizens present were more numerous
than the Indians, but were unarmed; some of them
procured clubs and brickbats, and also stood on the
defensive. The Rev. Mr. Winans, of the Methodist
Church, ran to the Governor's house, obtained a gun,
and posted himself at the door to defend the family.
During this singular scene no one spoke till the guard
came running up, and appearing to be in the act of
firing, the Governor ordered them not to do so. Ho
then demanded of the interpreter an explanation of
what had happened, who replied that Tecumseh had
interrupted him, declaring that all the Governor had

•,r";,;"T

A SECOND INTERVIEW.

1P8

said was fahe; and that he and the Seventeen Fires
had cheated and imposed on the Indians^'

The Governor then told Tecuinsch that he was a
bad man, and that he would hold no further commu-
nication with him ; that as he had come to Yinccnncs
under the protection of a council-fire, he might re-
turn in safety, but that he must immediately leave
the village. Here the council terminated. During
the night two companies of militia were brought in
from the country, and that belonging to the town was
also embodied. Next morning Tecumseh requested
the Governor to afford him an opportunity of ex-
plaining his conduct on the previous day — declaring
that he did not intend to attack the Governor, and
that he had acted under the advice of some of the
white people. The Governor consented to another
interview, it being understood that each party should
have the same armed force as on the previous day.
On this occasion the deportment of Tecumseii was
respectful and dignified. He again denied having
had any intention to. make an attack upon the Gov-
ernor, and declared that he had been stimulated to
the course he had taken by two white men, who
assured him that one-half of the citizens were op-
posed to the Governor, and willing to restore the
land in question ; that the Governor would soon be
put out of ofiice, and a good man sent to fill his
place, who would give up the land to the Indians.

*Daw8un'8 Historical NarratiTe.
13

' ^y «j , V7*"-W mt i^,yp^^|i^ii«w

■ ^''g'-^--:'_- ^^W'J' i^w^vvH ypjyuwj^i wwpwi ii^

194

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

When asked by the Governor whether he intended to
resist the survey of these lands, Tecumseh replied
that he and his followers were resolutely determined
to insist upon the old boundary. When he had taken
his seat, chiefs from the Wyandotts, Kickapoos, Pot-
tawatamies, Ottawas, and Winnebagoes, spoke in suc-
cession, and distinctly avowed that they had entered
into the Shawnee confederacy, and were determined
to support the principles laid down by their leader.
The Governor, in conclusion, stated that he would
make known to the President the claims of Tecumseh
and his party to the land in question; but that ho
was satisfied the Government would never admit that
the lands on the Wabash were the property of any
.other tribes than those who occupied them, when the
white people first arrived in America; and, as the
title to these lands had been derived by purchase
from those tribes, he might rest assured that the
right of the United States would be sustained by
the sword. Here the council adjourned.

On the following day Governor Harrison visited
Tecumseh in his camp, attended only by the inter-
preter, and was very politely received. A long con-
versation ensued, in which Tecumseh again declared
that his intentions were really such as he had avowed
them to be in the council; that *be policy which tlie
United States pursued, of purchasing lands from the
Indians, he viewed as a mighty water, ready to over-
flow his people; and that the confederacy which he
was forming among the tribes to prevent any indi-

COUNCIL CONCLUDED.

195

isited
inter-
r con-
clared

Hvowed
ch the

■)ra thti
> over-
ich he
y iu(U-

ridual tribe from selling without the consent of the
otherj». was the dam he was erecting to resist this
mighty water. lie stated further, that he should be
reluctantly drawn into a war with the United States;
and that if he, the Governor, would induce the Presi-
dent to give up the lands. lately purchased, and agree
never to make another treaty without the consent of
all the tribes, he would be their faithful ally, and
assist them in the war, which he knew was about to
take place with England ; that he preferred being the
ally of the Seventeen Fires, but if they did not com-
ply with his request, he would be compelled to unite
with the British. The Governor replied, that he
would make known his views to the President, but
that there was no probability of their being agreed
to. "Well," said Tecumseh, "as the great Chief is
to determine the matter, I hope the Great Spirit will
put sense enough into his head to induce him to give
up this land; it is true, he is so far off he will not
be injured by the war; he may sit still in his town
and drink his wine, while you and I will have to fight
it out." This prophecy, it will bo seen, was literally
fulfilled ; and the great chieftain who uttered it, at-
tested that fulfillment with his blood. The Governor,
in conclusion, proposed to Tecumseh, that in the event
of hostilities between the Indians and the United
States, he should use his influence to put an end to
the cruel mode of warfare which the Indians were
accustomed to wage upon womon and children, or
upon prisoners. To this he cheerfully assented; and

106

LIFE AMONa THE INDIANS.

it is 'luo to the inuinory of Tocuinseli to inUl, that he
faitlifuliy kept liis promise down to the period of liid
death. ^'

Whether in this council Tecumseh really meditated
treachery, or only intended to intimidate the Gov-
ernor, must remain a matter of conjecture. If the
former, his force of four hundred well-armed war-
riors was srfllicicnt to have murdered the inhabit-
ants and sacked the town, which at that, time did
not contain more than one thousand persons, includ-
ing women and children.

When, in the prog: ^s of the conference, he and
his forty followers sprung to their arms, there would
have been, in all probability, a corresponding move-
ment with the remainder of his warriors encamped
in and around the village, had he seriously contem-
plated an attack upon the Governor and the inhabit-
ants; but this does not appear to have been the case.
It is probable, therefore, that Tecumseh, in visiting
Vincennes with so large a body of followers, ex-
pected to make a strong impression upon the whites
as to the extent of his influence among the Indians,
and the strength of his party. His movement in the
council may have been concerted for the purpose of
intimidating the Governor; but the more probable
supposition is, that in the excitement of the moment,

*In Marshall's History of Kontiicky, vol. 2, p.^482, there is a speech
quoted as having been delivered by Tecumseh at this oounoil. Wo are
anthori^od, on the best authority, to say that it is a sheer fabrioaiioo.
N.> sueh speech was delivered by hiua at the council.

,,vi'^>^^

THE STORM OATIIERINO.

197

producc'tl I)}' the speech of the Governor, he lost liis
self-possession, and involuntiirily phiced his hand
upon his war club, in which movement he was fol-
lowed by the wiirriors around him, without any pre-
vious intention of proceeding to extremities. What-
ever may have been the fact, the bold chieftain found
in Governor Harrison a firmness of purpose and an
intrepidity of manner which must have convinced
him that nothing was to be gained by an effort at
intimidation, however daring.

From this time forward, the Indiana, under the
leadership of Tecumseh aiid his brother, the Prophet,
began to assume a still more decidedly hostile atti-
tude. The great belt was sent round to all the
neighboring tribes, and they were invited to unite
in a confederacy "to confine the great water, and
prevent it from overflowing them." By instigating
their hostility, by working upon their superstition,
and, more than all, by wresting the power from the
hands of their old and wise chiefs, and putting it.
into the hands of the war chiefs, who were young
and fiery, most of the tribes were brought into this
alliance.

It must be admitted that the Indians had too many
just causes for complaint. Not only was " the great
water" in danger of overflowing them, but they were
often subjected to indignities and wrongs, and when
they sought redress it was too often in vain. Gov-
ernor Harrison, in a letter, acknowledges this: "I
wish I could say," says he, "that the Indians were

II "I J"" I -"'■■^^^^■ipppwflwtnIPP

mmmfmm

mtmmm'immmimm

198

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

treated witli justice aiitl propriety on all occasions
by our citizens; but it is far otherwise. They are
often abused and maltreated, and it is very rare that
they obtain any satisfaction for the most unprovokea
wrongs." The Governor then gives an account of an
Indian, who was killed, without any just provocation,
by an innkeeper, in Vincennes. The Governor had
the murderer arrested and tried, but the jury ac-
quitted him instantly, and almost without any delib-
eration. We can not wonder that the Indians, in
turn, retaliated, not only by perpetrating cruelties,
but also by screening offenders.

Governor Harrison, seeing the storm gathering, ob-
tained from the General Government a military force
to enable him to meet the emergency; but first of
all, transmitted to Tecumseh and the Prophet an ad-
dress or speech. This was the last of June, in 1811,
when, with other chiefs, and a large Indian force, they
were at Tippecanoe. The following is the speech :

*' Brothers, listen to me. I speak to you about
matters of importance, both to the white people and
yourselves ; open your ears, therefore, and attend to
what I shall say.

" Brothers, this is the third year that all the white
people in this country have been alarmed at your
proceedings; you threaten us with war, you invite
all the tribes to the north and west of you to join
against us.

"Brothers, your warriors who have lately beeil here
deny this; but I have received the information from

t o- t

HARRISONS SPEECH.

199

white

your

invite

from

every direction; the tribes on the Mississippi have
sent me word that you intended to murder me, and
then to commence a war upon our people. I have
also received the speech you sent to the Pottawata-
mies and others, to join you for that purpose; but
if I had no other evidence of your hostility to us,
your seizing the salt I lately sent up the Wabash, is
sufficient. •

" Brothers, our citizens are alarmed, and my war-
riors are preparing themselves ; not to strike you,
but to defend themselves and their women and chil-
dren. You shall not surprise us as you expect to
do ; you are about to undertake a very rash act ; as
a fric id, I advise yoii to consider well of it : a little
reflection may save us a great deal of trouble, and
prevent much mischief; it is not yet too late.

" Brothers, what can oe the inducement for you to
undertake an enterprise, when there is so little prob-
ability of success? Do you really think that the
handful of men that you have about you, are able to
contend with the Seventeen Fires, or even that the
whole of the tribes united, could contend against the
Kentucky Fire alone ?

" Brothers, I am myself of the long-knife fire ; as
soon as they hear my- voice, you will see them pour-
ing forth their swarms of hunting-shirt men, as nu-
merous as the musketoes on the shores of the Wa-
bash. Brothers, take care of their stings.

" Brothers, it is not our wish to hurt you ; if we
did, we certainly have power to do it. Look at the

^^mmmn

^i<>><"*""H"P"*"iiinpppppiPMnpiBi

200

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

number of our warriors to the east of you, above an ]
below the Great Miami — to the south, on both sides
of the Ohio, and below you also. You are brave
men ; but what could you do against such a multi-
tude? — but we wish you to live in peace and hap-
piness.

" Brothers, the citizens of this country are alarmed ;
they must be satisfied that you have no design to do
them mischief, or they will not lay aside their arms.
You have also insulted the Government of the United
States, by seizing the salt that was intended for other
tribes ; satisfaction must be given for that also.

" Brothers, you talk of coming to see me, attended
by all your young men; this, however, must not be
so. If your intentions are good, you have no need
to bring but a few of your young men with you. ]
must be plain with you ; I will not suffer you to come
into our settlements with such a force.

" Brothers, if you wish to satisfy us that your in-
tentions are good, follow the advice that I have given
you before ; tliat is, that one or both of you should
visit the President of the United States, and lay
your grievances before him. He will treat you well,
will listen to what you say; and if you can show that
you have been injured, you will receive justice. If
you will follow my advice in this respect, it will con-
vince the citizens of this country and myself that
you ha e no design to attack them.

" Brothers, with respect to the lands that were
purchased last fall, I can enter into no negotiations

TECUMSEH S REPLY.

201

ir m-
Igivcn
Ihould
lay
well,
tlr.it
If
con-
that

were
itioQB

vith you on that subject ; the affair is in the hands
of the President; if you wish to go and see him I
will supply you with the means.

"Brothers, the person who delivers this is one of
my war oflficers. He is a man in whom I have entire
confidence. Whatever he says lo you, although it
may not be contained in this paper, you mtiy believe
comes from me.

" My friend Tecuraseh, the bearer is a good man
and a brave warrior. I hope you will treat. him well.
You are yourself a warrior, and all such should have
esteem for each other."

Tecumseh to the Governor of Indiana, in reply :

"Brother, I give you a few words till I will be
with you myself.

"Brother, at Vincennes, I wish you to listen to me
while I send you a few words, and I hope they will
ease your heart; I know you look on your young
men, and young women, and children, with pity, to
see them so much alarmed.

"Brother, I wish you now to examine what you
have from me ; I hope that it will be a satisfaction
to you, if your intentions are like mine, to wash
away all these bad stories that have been circulated.
I will be with you myself in eighteen days from this

"Brother, we can not say what will become of us,
as the Great Spirit has the management of us all at
his will. I may be there before the time, and may
not be there till the day. I hope that when we come

iijlw^jij^.i)iwi;ipiMii >rMv^minm^ffmmmHmmim

mmmmmimmmmiiiiim

202

LIFE AMONO THE INDIANS.

together, all these bad tales will be settled; by this
I hope your young men, women, and children, will
be easy. I wish you, brother, to let them know when
I come to Vincennes and see you, all will be settled
in peace and happiness.

" Brother, these are only a few words, to let you
know that I will be with you myself, and when I am
with you I can inform you better.

"Brother, if I find that I can be with you in less
time than eighteen days, I will send one of my young
men before me, to let you knoyf what time I will bo
with you."

Indian murders and robberies were now becoming
alarmingly frequent. The whole frontier was in a
state of high excitement; and the inhabitants were
already taking measures to defend themselves, as well
as to punish the hostile tribes.

In July of this year another council was held with
Tecumseh, but to no purpose. Immediately after its
close, Tecumseh left for the south, where he visited
the Creeks, Choctaws, Seminolcs, and other tribes.
Mr. Hodgson gathered the following incident of this
visit, when he subsequently traveled ,through that
country.*

"Our host told me that he was living with Lis
Indian wife among the Creeks, when the celebrated
Indian warrior, Tecumseh, came more than one thou-
sand miles, from the borders of Canada, to induce

* " Letters from North Amerioft."

TECCMStU AND BIG WARlllOR.

203

the lower Creeks to promise to take up the hatchet
m behalf of the British against the Americans, and
the upper Creeks, ^vhenever he should require it;
that he was present at the midnight convocation of
the chiefs, which was held on that occasion, and which
terminated after a most impressive speech from Te-
cumseh, with a unanimous determination to take up
the hatchet, whenever he should call upon them.
This was at least a year before the declaration of the
last war."

In the " History of the Tribes of North America,"
we find another incident, bold and characteristic:

" Arriving at Tuckhabatchee, a Creek town, on the
Tallapoosa river, he made his way to the lodge of
the chief, called the Big Warrior. He explained his
object, delivered his war-talk, presented a bundle of
sticks, gave a piece of wampum and a hatchet; all
which, the Big Warrior took. When Tecumseh, read-
ing the intentions and spirit of the Big Warrior,
looked him in the eye, and pointing his finger toward
his face, said, ' Your blood is white ; you have taken
my talk, and the sticks, and the wampum, and the
hatchet, but you do not mean to fight ; I know the
reason ; you do not believe, the Great Spirit has sent
me ; you shiill know. I leave Tuckhabatchee directly,
and shall go straight to Detroi*^ ; when I arrive there,
1 will stamp on the ground with my foot, and shake ,
down every house in TucTchabatchee.' So saying, he
turned and left the Big Warrior in utter amazement,
at both his manner and his threat, and pursued his

r-^:"7"\-:j3y^^,7:

204

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

journey. The Indians were struck no less with his
conduct than was the Big Warrior, and began to
dread the arrival of the day 'when the threatened
calamity would befall them. They met often, and
talked over this matter, and counted the days care-
fully, to know the time when Tecumseh would reach
Detroit. The morning they had fixed upon, as tlio
period of his arrival, at last came. A mighty rum-
bling was heard — the Indians all ran out of their
houses — the earth began to shake; when, at last, sure
enough, every house in Tuckhabatchee was shaken
down ! The exclamation was in every mouth, ' Te-
cumseh has got to Detroit!' The effect was elec-
trical. The message he had delivered to the Big
Warrior was believed, and many of the Indians took
their rifles and prepared for the war.

" The reader will not be surprised to learn that an
earthquake had produced all this; but he will be,
doubtless, that it should happen on the very day on
which Tecumseh arrived at Detroit, and in exact
fulfillment of his threat. It was the famous earth-
quake of Now Madrid, on the Mississippi. We re-
ceived the foregoing from the lips of the Indians,
w en wc were at Tuckhabatchee, in 1827, and near
the residence of the Big Warrior."

Wliile Tecumseh was in the south, the Indian ag-
gressions and warlike preparations still continuing.
Governor Harrison resolved to penetrate to the Proph-
et's town, and, if possible, bring about some amicable
adjustment of ex'sting difficulties. Accordingly, at

TIPPECANOE.

2ori

^g-

'g-

the head of about nine hundred troops, he encamped
on the 6th of November, 1811, within a mile of the
Prophet's headquarters. Some intercourse was had,
in which the Prophet still assured the Governor of
his peaceable intentions, and his willingness to adjust
all questions of difference. Notwithstanding all this,
at 4 o'clock the next morning, the Indians, one thou-
sand strong, commenced a sudden attack upon the
American camp. They found the troops ready for
them, and after a well-fought and bloody battle, suf-
fered a signal defeat.

The defeated Indians, says Mr. Drake, were greatly
exasperated with the Prophet; they reproached hnn
in bitter terms for the calamity he had brought upon
them, and accused him of the murder of their friends
who had fallen in the action. It seems, that after
pronouncing some incantations over a certain com-
position, which he had prepared on the night pre-
ceding the action, he assured his followers that, by
the power of his art, half of the invading army was
already dead, and the other half in a state of dis-
traction; and that the Indians would have little to
do but rush into their camp, and complete the work
of destruction with their tomahawks. " You are a
liar," said one of the surviving Winnebagoes to him,
after the action, "for you told us that the white
people were dead, or crazy, when they were all in
their senses, and fought like the devil." The Prophet
appeared dejected, and sought to excuse himself on
the plea that the virtue of his composition had been

206

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

lost by a circumstance of which he had no knowledge
till after the battle was over. His sacred character,
however, was so far forfeited that tlje Indians actually
bound him with cords, and threatened to put him
to death. After leaving the Prophet's town, they
marched about twenty miles, and encamped on the
bank of Wild Cat creek.

With the battle of Tippecanoe the Prophet lost
his popularity and power among the Indians. His
magic wand was broken, and the mysterious charm
by means of which he had, for yeavs, played upon
the superstitious minds of this wild people, scat-
tered through a vast extent of country, was dissi-
pated forever.*

Tecumseh returned from the south through Mis-
souri, visited the tribes on the Des Moines, and
crossing the head waters of the Illinois, reached the
Wabash a few days after the disastrous battle of Tip-
pecanoe. It is believed that he made a strong im-
pression upon all the tribes visited by him in his
extended mission; and that he had laid the founda-
tion of numerous accessions to his confederacy. He
reached the banks of the Tippecanoe just in time to
witness the dispersion of his followers, the disgrace of
his brother, and the final overthrow of the great ob-
ject of his ambition — ^a union of all the Indian tribes
against the United States; and all this the result of a
disregard to his positive commands. His mortifica-

* Life of Tecumseh

TECl'MSEIIS PROFESSIONS.

207

tion was extreme; and it is related, on good author-
ity, that when he first met the Prophet he reproached
him in hitter terms for having departed from liis
nistructions, to preserve peace with the United States
at all hazards. The attempt of the Prophet to pal-
liate his own conduct, excited the haughty chieftain
still more, and seizing him by the hair, and shaking
him violently, he threatened to take his life.*

Still Tecumseh kept up his professions of peace,
and, even at the council held in the ensuing May, ho
"defied any living creature to say that he had ever
advised any one, directly or indirectly, to make war
upon the whites." He said it had constantly been his
misfortune to be misrepresented to his white breth-
ren. " Governor Harrison," he added, " made war
on my people in my albsence : it was the will of God
that he should do so. We hope it will please God
that the white people will let us live in peace. We will
not disturb them; neither have we done it, except
when they came to our village with the intention of
destroying us. We are happy to state to our brothers
present that the unfortunate transaction that took
place between the white people and a few of our
young men at our village, has been settled between
us and Governor Harrison; and I will further state,
that had I been at home, there would have been no
bloodshed at that tir -e."

How much reliance was to be placed in these dec-

• Life of Tecumseh.

208

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

larutions will appear from the fact that when he left
the council-house, ho took his departure for MaldeL,
and then joined the British standard.

VAR DECLARED.

20J

CHAPTER VIII.

DEATH OF TECUMSEH.

Ox the 18th of June, 1812, Congress maile a for-
mal declaration of war against Great Britain. Te-
cumseh was now at Maiden, the principal encampment
of the British, at the head of his warriors, ready f >r
the conflict. Some of the neighboring IntUans were
inclined to remain neutral, and invited Tecumseh to
attend their council. He replied indignantly, ".N«^,
I have taken sides with the king, my father; and I
will suffer my bones to bleach upon this shore before
I recross that stream," pointing to the Detroit river,
"to join in any council of neutrality."

But the rod of his power was broken at the battle
of Tippecanoe. His plans were disconcerted; and
the prospect of combining the various Indian tribes
into one ^rand confederacy had forever passed away.
But his purpose was unalterably fixed. The vindi-
cation of what he conceived to be the rights of his
people, or death in the struggle, were the alternatives
which he surveyed with cool, unblanching eye.

At the head of his Indians, Tecumseh crossed over

to Brownstown, where, on the 5th of August, he sud-

denljr fell upon a small detachment of troops under

Muj*»r Van Home. Finding the Indians in too great

210

LIFE AMOX) THE INDIANS,

force, Van Home ordered a retreat, and succeeded
in bringing off his force, with a h)Hs o^ seventeen
killed and several wounded. The loss of the enemy
was supposed to be fully equal to that of the Amer-
icans, but they succeeded in preventing a junction
between the forces of Major Van Home and tho
troops under Captain Brush on the River Raisin.

General Hull now retired from Canada, and in-
trenched himself at Detroit. His next movement was
to make another attempt to open a communication
with Captain Brush. For this purpose he detached
Colonel Miller, with Majors Van Home and Morri-
son, and a body of troops, amounting to six hundred,
to make a second effort to reach Captain Brush.
They were attended by some artillerists with a six-
pounder and a howitzer. The detachment marched
from Detroit on the eighth, and in the afternoon of
the ninth the front guard, commanded by Captain
Snelling, was fired upon by a line of British and In-
dians, about two miles below the village of Maguaga.
At the moment of the attack, the main body was
marching in two lines, 'and Captain Snelling main-
tained his position in a gallant manner, till the line
was formed and marched to the ground he occupied,
where the whole, except the rear guard, was brought
into action. The British were intrenched behind a
breast-work of logs, with the Indians on the left cov-
ered by a thick wood. Colonel Miller ordered his
whole line to advance, and when within a short dis-
tance of th& enemy, fired upon them, and immediately

A SEVERE ACTION.

211

followed it up by a charge with fixed bayonets, when
the whole British line and the Indians commenced
h. retreat. They wore vin;orously pursuc<l for near
two miles. The Indians on the left were commanded
by Tecumseh, and fought with great bravery, but
were forced to retreat. Our loss in this severe and
well-fought action was ten killed and thirty-two
wounded of the regular troops, and eight killed and
twenty-eight wounded of the Ohio and Michigan mi-
litia. The full extent of the force of the enemy is
not known. There were four hundred regulars and
Canadian militia, under command of Major Muir, and
a considerable body of Indians under Tecumseii.
Forty of the latter were found dead on the field; fif-
teen of the British regulars were killed and wounded,
and four taken prisoners. The loss of the Canadian
militia and volunteers was never ascertained, but is
supposed, from the position which they occupied in
the action, to have been considerable. Both Major
Muir and Tecumseh were wounded. *

When the surrender of Detroit was made by Gen
eral Hull, Tecumseh was, as usual, foremost, at the
head of his Indians. Indeed, he was the master-spirit
in that movement. Mr. James relates th.at previously
to General Brock's crossing over to Detroit, he asked
him what sort of a country he should have to pass
through, in case of his proceeding farther. Tecum-
fleh, taking a roll of elm bark, and extending it on

♦ Pwko'8 Life of Teci'mseb.

^w^

212

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

the ground by means of four stones, drew forth hia
S(,'!il ping- knife, and with the point presently etched
upon the bark a plan of the country, its hills, rivers,
woods, morasses, and roads; a plan which, if not as
neat, was, for the purpose required, fully as intel-
ligible as if Arrowsmith himself had prepared it.
Pleased with this unexpected talent in Tecumseh,
also by his having, with his characteristic boldness,
induced the Indians, not of his immediate party, to
cross the Detroit, prior to the embarkation of the
regulars and militia. General Brock, as soon as the
business was over, publicly took off his sash, and
placed it round the body of the chief. Tecumseh
received the honor with evident gratification; but was
next day seen without his sash. General Brock, fear-
ing something had displeased the Indian, sent his
interpreter for an explanation. The latter soon re-
turned with an account that Tecumseh, not wishing
to wear such a mark of distinction, when an older,
and, as he said, abler warrior than himself was pres-
ent, had transferred the sash to the Wyandott chief,
Roundhead.*

After the surrender. General Brock requested Te-
cumseh not to allow the Indians to abuse the pris-
oners. His reply was characteristic: "No, I despise
them tjo much to meddle with them."

Upon the opening of the spring of 1813, the com-
bined British and Indian forces under Proctor and

* Military Occurrences of the Lntc War.

At.SAULT ON fORT MEIOS.

213

ncom-
and

Tecumseh, invested Fort Meigs, on the Miami of the
Lakes. The former amounted to fourteen hundred,
the latter to eighteen hundred. Opposed to them,
under the command of General Harrison, were about
twelve hundred troops. The enemy appeared on the
28th of Aprilj and the contest was continued till the
7th of May, when they were compelled to retire. It
was a desperate conflict, waged with great address
and intrepidity. The Indians, led on by the daring
Tecumseh, says Mr. Brown, fought with uncommon
bravery, and contributed largely to swell the list of
our killed and wounded. It is said that the sagacious
leader of the Indian forces did not enter upon this
siege with any strong hopes of ultimate success; but,
having embarked in it, he stood manfully in the post
of danger, and took an active, if not a leading part,
in planning and executing the various movements
which were made against the fort. The spirit with
which these were prosecuted may be, in part, inferred
from the fact, that, during the first five days of the
siege, the enemy fired upon the fort with cannon,
fifteen hundred times, many of their balls and bombs
being red hot, and direcied specially at the two block-
houses containing the ammunition. These shots made
no decided impression upon the picketing of the fort,
but killed or wounded about eighty of the garrison. *
Jt has been' already stated that the distinguished
leader of the Indians, in this assault upon Camp

«HiBtoiy of the Late War.

^mmmmmmfmm

214

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

Meigs, entered upon it with no sanguine hopes of
success. His associate, General Proctor, however,
is said to have entertained a diiFercnt opinion, and
flattered himself and his troops with the prospect
of splendid success and rich rewards. In case of the
reduction of the fort and the capture of its garrison,
the British general intended to assign the Michigan
territory to the Prophet and his followers, as a com-
pensation for their services, and General Harrison was
to have been delivered into the hands of Tecumseh,
to be disposed of at the pleasure of that chief. *

One of the public journals of the dajf states that
this proposition originated with Proctor, and was held
out as an inducement to Tecumseh to join in the
siege. General Harrison subsequently understood,
that in case he had fallen into Proctor's hands, he
was to have been delivered to Tecumseh, to be treated
as that warrior might think propxi*; and, in a note
to Dawson's Historical Narrative, the author of that
work says, "There is no doubt that when Proctor
made the arrangement for the attack on Fort Meigs
with Tecumseh, the latter insisted, and the former
agreed that General Harrison, and all who fought
at Tippecanoe, should be given up to the Indians to
be burned. Major Ball, of the dragoons, ascertained
this fact from the prisoners, deserters, and Indians,
all of whom agreed to its truth." Whatever may
have been the actual agreement between Proctor antl

•M'Affee.

t Tho Chillicothc Frcdonian.

TECUMSEH AND HARRISON.

215

Tecumseh in regard to General Harrison, and those
whc fought with him at Tippecanoe, it is hardly cred-
ible that this chief had any intention of participa-
ting in an outrage of this kind upon the prisoners.
Tecumseh may possibly have made such an arrange-
ment with Proctor, and announced it to the Indians,
for the purpose of exciting them to activity and per-
severance, in carrying on the siege; but that this
chief seriously meditated any such outrage, either
against General Harrison or his associates, is not
to be credited but on the best authority.

It will b«) recollected that Tecumseh, when but a
youth, succeeded, by his personal talents and influ-
ence, in putting an end to the barbarous custom of
burning prisoners, then common among a branch of
the Sha^nees. It will be also recollected, as re-
corded above, that, in 1810, at a conference 'held
with General Harrison, in Vincennes, he made an
agreement that prisoners, and women and children,
in the event of hostilities between the whites and the
Indians, should be protected ; and there is no evidence
that this C9mpact was ever violated by him, or, in-
deed, that through the whole course of his eventful
life, he ever committed violence upon a prisoner, or
suffered others to do so without promptly interfering
for the captive. To suppose, then, that he really
intended to permit General Harrison, or those who
fought with him on the Wabash, to be burned, would
have been at variance with the whole tenor of his
life; and particularly with bis manly and magnani-

Tfm^mtif^

216

LIFD AMONG THE INDIANS.

mous conduct at the close of the assault upon Fort
Meigs.*

The most disastrous affair, during this siege, was
the capture of Colonel Dudley, and the force under
his command. The Colonel had been sent to the op-
posite side of the river, to seize a battery erected by
the enemy, and to spike the cannon upon it. They
succeeded in getting possession of the battery, but
unfortunately delayed the rest of their work till the
enemy rallied in greater' force. Nearly all the de-
tachment who escaped the rifle and the tomahawk of
the savages were captured. The unfortunate Dudley,
after being wounded, was seized by a savage, scalped,
and then tomahawked. The captives were taken to
Proctor's headquarters at Fort Miami. The scene
enacted there is vividly described in a letter written
a few years later by Mr. W. G. Ewing, of Piqua. He
says:

"The most unfortunate event of that contest, I
presume, you will admit to have been the defeat of
Colonel Dudley. I will give you a statement made
to me by a British officer who was present. He
states that, when Colonel Dudley landed his troops,
Tecumseh, the brave but unfortunate commander, was
1 the south side of the river, annoying the American
garrison with his Indians, and that Proctor, with a
part of his troops and a few Indians, remained on
the opposite side at the batteries. Dudley attacked

* Drake's Life of Tecumseb.

DUD LET DEFEATED.

217

him, and pursued him two miles. During tliis time,
Harrison had sent out a detachment to engage Te-
cumseh; and the contest with him continued for a
considerable length of time, before he was informed
of what was doing on the opposite side. He imme-
diately retreated, swam over the river, and fell in the
rear of Dudley, and attacked him with great fury.
Being thus surrounded, and their commander killed,
the troops marched up to the British line and sur-
rendered. Shortly afterward commenced the scene
of horrors, which, T dare say, is yet fresh in your
memory; but I shall recall it co your recollection for
reasons I will hereafter state. They — the American
troops — were huddled together in an old British gar-
rison, with the Indians around them, selecting such
as their fancy dictated, to glut their savage thirst for
murder. And, although they had surrendered them-
selves prisoners of war, yet, in violation of the cus-
toms of war, the inhuman Proctor did not yield them
the least protection, nor attempt to screen them from
the tomahawk of the Indians. While this blood-
thirsty carnage was raging, a thundering voice was
heard in the rear, in the Indian tongue, when, turning
round, he saw Tecumseh coming with all the rapidity
his horse could carry him, till he drew near to where
two Indians had an American, and were in the act
of killing him. He sprang from his horse, caught
one by the throat, and the other by the breast, and
threw them to the ground; drawing his tomahawk

and scalping-knife, he ran in between the Americans

m^^mi^^m^m^m

mtm

21g

Lift: AMONG tiifi i^blAiiH.

and Indians, brandishing them with the fury of a
madman, and daring any one of the hundreds that
surrounded him to attempt to murder another Ameri-
can. They all appeared confounded, and immediately
desisted. His mind appeared rent with passion, and
he exclaimed, almost with tears in his eyes, '0, what
will become of my Indians !' He then demanded in
an authoritative tone where Proctor was; but casting
his eye upon him at a small distance, sternly inquired
why he had not put a stop to the inhuman massacre.
*Sir,' said Proctor, 'your Indians can not be com-
manded!' 'Begone!' retorted Tecumseh, with the
greatest disdain, 'you are unfit to command; go and
put on petticoats.' "

There is another incident connected with the de-
feat of Dudley, which justice to the character of Te-
cumseh requires should be recorded. Shortly after
he had put a stop to the horrid massacre of the pris-
oners, his attention was called to a small group of
Indians occupied in looking at some object in their
midst. Colonel Elliott observed to him, "Yonder
are four of your nation who have been taken pris-
oners; you may take charge of them, and dispose
of them as you think proper." Tecumseh walked up
to the crowd, where he found four Shawnees — two
brothers by the name of Perry, Big Jim, and the Sol-
dier. " Friends," said he, " Colonel Elliott has placed
you under my charge, and I will send you back to
your nation with a talk to your people." He accord-
iiigly took them on with the army as far as the Rivor

TECUMSEH AND PROCTOR.

219

Raisin, from which point their return home would be
less dangerous, and then appointed two of his fol-
lowers to accompany them, with some friendly mes-
sages to the chiefs of the Shawnee nation. They
were thus discharged under their parole, not to fight
against the British during the war.*

A second attempt was made against Fort Meigs in
the ensuing July, but with even still less effect. And
shortly after, the gallant and successful defense of
Fort Stevenson at Lower Sandusky, completely dis-
heartened the enemy; and the scene of action was
soon transferred to Canada.

The closing scenes in the life of the great warrior
we transfer from the biography by Mr. Drake.f He
says, that discouraged by the want of success, and
having lost all confidence in General Proctor, Tecum-
seh now seriously meditated a withdrawal from the
contest. He assembled the Shawnees, Wyandotts,
and Ottawas, who were under his command, and de-
clared his intention to them. He told them, that at
the time they took up the tomahawk and agreed to
join their father, the king, they were promised plenty
of white men to fight with them ; " but the number is
not now greater," said he, "than at the comraence-
nient of the war; and we are treated by them like
the dogs of snipe hunters; we are always sent ahead
to start the game: it is better that we should return
to our country, and let the Americans come on and

* Drake's Life of Tecumsch. t Life of Tecurascli, pp. 186-IS)8.

I<"f

^^*PW

^^fl^^w

220

LIFE AMONG tHE INDXAN5.

fight the British." To this proposition his followers
agreed; but the Sioux and Chippewas discovering
his intention, went to him and insisted that inasmuch
as he had first united with the British, and had been
instrumental in bringing their tribes into the alliance,
he ought not to leave them ; and through their inriu-
ence he was finally induced to remain.*

The sagacious eye of Tecumseh soon perceived in-
dications of a retreat from Maiden, and he promptly
inquired into the matter. General Proctor informed
him that he was only going to send their valuable
property up the Thames, where it would meet a rein-
forcement and be safe. Tecumseh, however, was not
to be deceived by this shallow device; and remon-
strated most urgently against a retreat. He finally
demanded, in the name of the Indians under his com-
mand, to be heard by the General, and on the 18th
of September delivered to him, as the representative
of their great father, the king, the following spoech :

"Father, listen to your children! you have them
now all before you.

" Th*e war before this, our British father gave the
hatchet to his red children, when our old chiefs were
alive. They are now dead. In that war our father
was thrown on his back by the Americans; and our
father took them by the hand without our know ledge :
and we are afraid that our father will do so again at
this time.

'Aotbony Shane.

TECUMSEII TO PROCTOa.

221

•* Summer before last, when I came forwaril with
my red brethren, and was ready to take up the hatcliet
m favor of our British father, we were told not to
l)c in a hurry, that he had not yet determined to fight
the Americans.

" Listen ! when war was declared, our father stood
up and gave us the tomahawk, and told us that he
was then ready to strike the Americans; that he
wanted our assistance, and that he would certainly
get our lands back, which the Americans had taken
from us.

"Listen! you told us at that time, to bring forward
our families to this place, and we did so ; and you
promised to take care of them, and they should want
for nothing, while the men would go and fight the
enemy; that we need not trouble ourselves about
the enemy's garrisons; that we knew nothing about
them, and that our father would attend to that part
of the business. You also told your red children
that you would take good care of your garrison here,
which made our hearts glad.

"Listen! when we were last at the Rapids, it is
true we gave you little assistance. It is hard to fight
people who live like ground-hogs.

"Father, listen! our fleet has gone (5ut; we know
they have fought; we have heard the great guns; but
we know nothing of what has happened, to our father
with one arm.* Our ships have gone one way, and

* Commodure Barclny, who had lost an arm in some previous buttle.

mmmmmmmm

5 •''9

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

WO ai'o much astonished to sec our father tying up
evciy thing and preparing to run away the other,
without letting his red children know what his inten-
tions are. You always told us to remain here and
take care of our lands. It made our hearts glad to
hear that was your wish. Our great father, the king,
is the head, and you represent him. You always told
us you would never draw your foot oft' British ground;
but now, father, we see that you are drawing back,
and we are sorry to see our father doing so without
seeing the enemy. We must compare our father's
conduct to a fat dog, that carries his tail on its back,
but when aff'righted, drops it between its legs and
runs oft".

'* Father, listen I the Americans have not yet de-
feated us by land; neither are we sure that they have
done so by water; we, therefore, wish to remain here
and fight our enemy^ should they make their appear-
ance. If they defeat us, we will then retreat with
our father.

**At the battle of the Rapids, last war, the Ameri-
cans certainly defeated us; and when we returned
to our father's fort at that place, the gates were shut
against us. We Avere afraid that it would now be the
case; but in^ead of that, we now see our British
father preparing to march out of his garrison.

"Father, you have got the arms and ammunition
\vhich our great father sent for his red children. If
you have an idea of going away, give them to ua,
and you may go and welcome, for us. Our lives are

TECUMSEII DISAFFECTED.

223

are

in the hands of the Great Spirit. We are determined
to defend our lands, and if it be his will, we wish to
leave our bones upon them."

General Proctorj in disregarding the advice of
Tecumseh, lost bis only opportunity of making an
effective resistance to the American army. Had the
troops under General Harrison been attacked by the
British and Indians at the moment of their landing
on the Canada shore, the result might have been far
different from that which was shortly afterward v/it-
ncssed on the banks of the Thames.

Shortly after the delivery of this speech, a consid-
erable body of Indians abandoned General Proctor,
and crossed the strait to the American shore. Te-
cumseh himself again manifested a disposition to
take his final leave of the British service. Imbit-
tered by the perfidy of Proctor, his men suffering
from want of clothes and provisions, with the pros-
pect of a disgraceful retreat before them, he was
strongly inclined to withdraw with his followers, and
leave the American general to chastise in a summary
manner those who had so repeatedly deceived him
and his Indian followers. The Sioux and Chippewas,
however, again objected to this course. They could
not, they said, withdraw, and there was no other
leader but Tecumseh, in whom they placed confi-
dence; they insisted that he was the person who
had originally induced them to join the British, and
that he ought not to desert them in the present
extremity. Tecumseh, in reply to this remonstrance.

224

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

II Hi

§ :'!!'

remarked, tliat the battle-field had no terrors for him;
he feared not death, and if they insisted upon it, he
would remain with them.

General Proctor now proposed to the Indians to
remove their women and children to M'Gee's, op-
posite the River Ilouge, where they would be fur-
nished with their winter's clothing and the necessary
supplies of food. To this proposition, Tecumseh
yielded a reluctant assent; doubting, as he did, the
truth of the statement. When they were about to
start, he observed to young Jim Blue-Jacket, "Wo
are now going to follow the British, and I feel well
assured that we shall never return." When they
arrived at M'Gee's, Tecumseh found that there were
no stores provided for them, as had been represented.
Proctor made excuses, and again pledged himself to
the Indians, that if they would go with him to the
Thames, they would there find an abundance of every
thing needful to supply their wants; besides a rein-
forcement of British troops, and a fort ready for their
reception.*

The retreat was Continued toward the Thames. On
the second of October, when the army had reached
Dalson's farm, Pioctor and Tecumseh, attended by a
small guard, returned to examine the ground at a
place called Chatham, where a deep, unfordable creek
falls into the Thames. They were riding together in "
a gig, and after making the necessary examination,

•Anthony Shane.

MOVKMENTS OF TUE ALLIES.

225

the ground was approved of; and General Proctor
remarked that upon that spot they would cither defeat
General Harrison or there lay their bones. With this
determination Tecumseh was highly pleased, and said
"it was a good place, and when he should look a
the two streams, they would remind ^'im of the Wa
bash and the Tippecanoe." Perhaps no better posi-
tion could have been chosen for meeting the American
army than this place presented. The allied force of
British and Indians, had they made a stand upon it,
would have been protected in front by a deep, unford-
able stream, while their right flank would have been
■covered by the Thames, and their left by a swamp.
But General Proctor changed his mind, and, leaving
Tecumseh with a body of Indians to defend the pas-
sage of the stream, moved forward with the main
army. Tecumseh made a prompt and judicious ar-
rangement of his forces ; but it is said that his Indi-
ans, in the skirmish which ensued, did not sustain
their previous reputation as warriors. It is probable,
however, that their leader did not intend to make any
decided resistance to the American troops at this
point, not being willing that General Proctor and
his army should escape a meeting with the enemy.

Tecumseh and his party overtook the main army
near the Moravian towns, situated on the north side
of the Thames. Here he resolved that he would
retreat no further; and the ground being favorable
for forming the line of battle, he communicated his

determination to General Proctor, and compelled him,

Illiil

226

LIFE AMONG IH£ INDIANA.

as there is every reason for believing, to put an end
to his retreat, and prepare for meeting the pursuing
army. After the Indians were posted in the swamp,
in the position occupied by them during the battle,
Tecumseh remarked to the chiefs by whom he was
surrounded, "Brother warriors! we are now about
to enter into an engagement from which I shall never
come out — my body will remain on the field of bat-
tle." He then unbuckled his sword, and placing it
in the hands of one of them, said, "When my son
becomes a noted warrior, and able to wield a sword,
give this to him." He then laid aside his British
military dress, and took his place in the line, clothed
only in the ordinary deer-skin hunting-shirt.*

The position selected by the enemy was eminently
judicious. The British troops, amounting to eight
or nine hundred, were posted with their left upon the
river, which was unfordable at that point; their right
extended to and across a swamp, and united them
with the Indians, under Tecumseh, amounting to near
eighteen hundred. The British artillery was placed
in the road along the margin of the river, near to
the left of their line. At from two to three hundred
yards from the river, a swamp extends nearly parallel
to it, the intermediate ground being Jry. This posi-
tion of the enemy, with his flank protected on the
left by the river, and on the right by the swamp,
filled with Indians, being L'uch as to prevent the

•/jithonjr Shant], and Colonel Baubee, of the British army.

ARRANGEMENTS ToR BATTLE.

227

lenily

eight

in the

right

them

near

ilaced

lar to

[ndred

.rallel

posi-
[n the

ramp,
Lt the

wings from being turned, General ITarrison made
arranorements to concentrate his forces asjainst the
British line. The first division, under Major General
Henry, was formed in three lines, at one hundred
yards from each other; the front line consisting of
Trottci's brigade, the second of Chiles's, and the
reserve of King's brigade. These lines were in
front of, and parallel to, the British troops. The
second division, under Major General Desha, com-
posed of Allen's and Caldwell's brigades, was formed
en potence, or at right angles with the first division.
Governor Shelby, as senior Major General of the
Kentucky troops, was posted at this crotchet, formed
between the first and second divisions. Colonel Sim-
rail's regiment of light infantry was formed in re-
serve, obliquely to the first division, and covering
the rear of the front division ; and, after much reflec-
tion as to the disposition to be made of Colonel John-
son's mounted troops, they were directed, as soon as
the front line advanced, to take ground to the left,
and forming upon that flank, to endeavor to turn
the right of the I Jians. A detachment of regular
troops, of the twenty-sixth United States infantry,
under Colonel Paul, occupied the space between the
road and the river, for the purpose of seizing the
enen;iy's artillery ; and, simultaneously with this mc -'e-
ment, forty friendly Indians were to pass under th
bank of the stream, to the rear of the British line,
and by their fire and war-cry, induce the enemy to
tliink their own Indians were turning against them.

228

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

m ^'

At the same time, Colonel Wood had been instructed
to make preparations for using the enemy's artillery,
and to rake their own line by a flank fire. By re-
fusing the left, or second division, the Indians were
kept in the air, that is, in a position in which they
would be useless. It will be seen, as the commander
anticipated, that they waited in their position the
advance of the second divison, while the British left
was contending with the American right. J_' nson's
corps consisted of nine hundred men, and the five
brigades under Governoi Shelby amounted to nr^?«r
eighteen hundred ; in ill, not exceeding two thousaL ,
seven hundred men.

In the midst of these arrangements, and just as
the order was about to be given to the front line
to advance, at the head of which General Harrison
had placed himself with his staff. Colonel Wood ap
proached him with intelligence, that having recon-
noitered the enemy, he had ascertained the singular
fact, that the British lines, instead of the usual close
order, were drawn up at open order. This fact at
once induced General Harrison to adopt the novel
expedient of charging the F'-itish lines ' ith John-
son's mounted regiment. "I was within a few fee*,
of him," says the gallant Colonel John O'Fallon,
"when the report of Colonel Wood was made, and
he instantly remarked that he would make a novel
movement by ordering Colonel Johnson's mounted
regiment to charge the British line of regulars, which,
thus drawn up, contrary to the habits and usages of

if.

BRlTlsn DISCOMFITED.

220

ose
;t at
lovel
ohn-
fee*-,
lion,
and
lOvel
mted
[bich,
les of

that description of troops, always accustomed to the
touchy could be easily penetrated and thrown into
confusion by a spirited charge of Colonel Johnson's
regiment." This determination was presently made
known to the Colonel, who was directed to draw up
his regiment in close column, with its right fifty yards
from the road — that it might be partially protected
by the trees from the artillery — its left upon the
swamp, and to charge at full speed upon the enemy.

At this juncture, General Harrison, with his aids-
decamp, attended likewise by General Cass and Com-
modore Peri'y, advanced from the right of the front
line of infantry to the right of the front column
of mounted troops, led by Colonel James Johnson.
The General, personally, gave the direction for the
charge to be made. "When the right battalion of
the mounted men received the first fire of the Brit-
ish, the horses in the front column recoiled. An-
other fire was given by the enemy, but our column
getting in motion, broke through the enemy with
irresistible force. In one minute the contest was
over. The British ofiicers seeing no prospect of
reducing their disordered ranks to order, and seeing
the advance of the infantry, and our mounted men
wheeling upon them, and pouring in a destructive
fire, immediately surrendered."*

Colonel Richard M. Johnson, by the extension of
his line, was brought in contact with the Indians,

* Official Dispatch.

230

LIFE AMONG THK INDIANS.

upon whom he gallantly charged. The particulars
of this charge are thus given by an intelligent oflScer^
of his corps. In a letter to the late Governor Wick-
liffe, of Kentucky, under date of Frankfort, Septem-
ber 7, 1840, he says :

"I was at the head or right of my company, on
horseback, waiting orders, at about fifty or sixty
yards from the Ime of the enemy. Colonel Johnson
rode ii) ^^ explained to me the mode of attack, and
said in s^ tance: 'Captain Davidson, I am directed
by General Harrison to charge and break through
the Indian line, and form in the rear. My brothei
James will charge in like manner through the Bri h
line at the same time. The sound of the trumpet
will be the signal for the charge.' In a few minutes
the trumpet sounded, and the word 'charge,' was
given by Colonel Johnson. The Colonel charged
within a few paces of me. We struck the Indian
line obliquely, and when we approached within ten
or fifteen yards of their line, the Indians poured in
a heavy fire upon us, killing ten or fifteen of oui
men and several horses, and wounded Colonel John
son very severely. He immediately retired. Doctor
Theobald, of Lexington — I think — aided him ojQT."

The loss of the Americans in this battle was about
twenty killed, and between thirty and forty wounded.
The British loss was eighteen killed, and twenty-six
wounded. The Indians left on the ground between

'Captain James Davidson, of Kentucky. See Cincinnati Republican.

FALL OP TECUMSEH.

231

Lican.

fifty and sixty killed ; and, estimating the usual pro-
portion for the wounded, it was probably more than
double that number.

In a general order, under date of Montreal, No-
vember 21, 1813, the Adjutant General of the Eng-
lish forces bears testimony to the good conduct of the
Indian warriors, who gallantly maintained the conflict
under the brave chief Tecumseh. This tribute to the
Indians and their leader is well merited. Had Gen-
eral Proctor and his troops fought with the same
valor that marked the conduct of Tecumseh and his
men, the results of the day would have been far
more creditable to the British arms. It has already
been stated that Tecumseh entered this battle with a
strong conviction on his mind that he should not sur-
vive it. Further flight he deemed disgraceful, while
the hope of victory, in the impending action, was
feeble and distant. He, however, heroically resolved
to achieve the latter, or die in the eflbrt. With this
determination ho took his stand among his followers,
raised the war-cry, and boldly met the enemy. From
the commencement of the attack on the Indian line,
his voice was distinctly heard by his followers, an-
imating them to the contest. When that well-known
voice was heard no longer above the din of arms, the
battle ceased. The British troops having already
surrendered, and the gallant leader of the Indians
having fallen, they gave up the contest, and fled. A
short distance from where Tecumseh fell, the body
of his friend and brother-in-law, Wasegoboah, was

Rf 1

232

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS,

found. They had often fought side by side, and now,
in front of their men, bravely battling the enemy,
they, side by side, closed their mortal career.*

James, a British historian,f in his account of the
battle of the Thames, makes the following remarks on
the character and personal appearance of Tecumseh:

"Thus fell the Indian warrior, Tecumseh, in the
forty-fourth year of his age. He was of the Shaw-
nee tribe, five feet ten inches high, and with more
than the "sual stoutness; possessed all the agility
and perseverance of the Indian character. His car-
riage was dignified, his eye penetrating, his coun-
tenance, which even in death betrayed the indications
of a, lofty spirit, rather of the sterner cast. Had he
not possessed a certain austerity of manners, he could
nevei have controlled the wayward passions of those
who followed him to battle. He was of a silent
habit; but when his eloquence became roused into
action by the reiterated encroachments of the Amer-
icans, his strong intellect could supply him with a
flow of oratory that enabled him, as he governed in
the field, so to prescribe in the council. Those who
consider that, in all territorial questions, the ablest
diplomatists of the United States are sent to nego-
tiate with the Indians, will readily appreciate the loss
sustained by the latter in the death of Tecumseh.
Such a man was this unlettered savage, and such a
man have the Indians lost forever."

* Anthony Shane. t Military Occurrences of the Late War.

INDIANS AND ROMANISM.

2SS

the

5 on

seh:
the

haw-
more

Tility

I car-

coun-

[itioTis

ad he

could
those
silent

Id into
.mer-
ith a
ed in
ie who
ablest
nego-
tC loss
imseh.
such a

CHAPTER IX

JOHN STEWART.

ror.

The Wyandott nation being on the borders of the
white population, and mixing with the most aban-
doned and vicious, soon became sunk in the most
degrading vices, such as drunkenness, lewdness, and
gambling, till many of them became the most do
graded and worthless of their race.

They had been under the religious instruction of
the Roman Catholics for many years. But it ap-
pears, both from their morals and from the declara-
tions of many who professed to be Catholics, that
they did them little or no good. To carry a silver
cross, and to count a string of beads, to worship the
Virgin Mary, to go to church and hear mass said in
Latin, and be taught to believe that for a beaver-skin,
or its value, they could have all their sins pardoned,
comprised the sum total of their Christianity, and
served but to encourage them in their superstition
and vice.

While they were in this degraded condition, God

in mercy remembered them, and sent them the word

of eternal life. Not by the learned missionary, but

by John Stewart, a colored man, of no learuingi

"that the excellency might be of God, and not of

• !i

234

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

man."^ John Stewart was a mulatto, freo born, whose
parents claimed to be mixed with Indian blood; but
he could not tell of what tribe, or what was theif
relation to the Indians. His parents were of the
Baptist persuasion, and he had a brother that ^as
a preacher of that order. He was born in Powhatan
county, in the state of Virginia. He became disa-
bled in early life. His parents moved to the state
of Tennessee, and left him behind. Some time after
he followed them ; and, on his way to Marietta, Ohio,
was robbed of all his property. In that place, where
he took up his abode, he gave full scope to his in-
temperance, till he was so far gone, and his nerves
were so affected by it, that he could scarcely feed
himself. At length he came to the resolution to put
an end to his miserable existence, by drowning him-
self in the river. He told me that the loss of his
property, the idea of poverty, and the disgrace he
had brought on himself by his dissipation, and the
wretched state of his soul, had impelled him to this
determination. The tavern-keeper, with whom he
lived, refused to let him have liquor, as before, so
that he had time to become sober, and his mind was,
in some degree, restored to the exercise of reason.
Then he determined to reform; and undertook to
attend a sugar-camp at some distance from town,
which gave him an opportunity to reflect and pray.
At this place he remained, by himself principally,
through the sugar season. The more he read, re-
flected, and prayed, the more he was convicted of his

Stewart's conversion.

235

was,
ison.
Ik to
[own,
)ray.
)a\ly,
re-
If his

sins ; and, by a constant struggle of soul, he at length
found peace and pardon. On his return to town he
could not resist the influence of hi:i wicked compan-
ions, and was soon prevailed on to attend a dance,
at which the struggles of his mind were powerful —
so much so that he was sometimes almost constrained
to cry aloud. At last his mind became more insen-
sible to the influences of the Spirit, and he comforted
himself with the reflection, that once in grace he
could not fall from it ; and so resumed his course of
wickedness. One of his comrades dying suddenly,
it alarmed his guilty fears, and his convictions all re-
turned, so that he was frequently constrained to cry
out, " wretched man that I am !"

Stewart, from the influence of his education, had
imbibed a deep-rooted prejudice against other denom-
inations, and especially the Methodists. But one
evening, passing along the street, he heard in a house
the voice of singing and prayer. It was a Methodist
prayer meeting. He drew near, and, after some strug-
gle of soul, he ventured in, and made known his state.
Afterward he frequently met in these meetings. At
length he was induced to go to a camp meeting, held
by the late Rev. Marcus Lindsey, near Marietta; and
there he approached the mourner's altar, and, after
struggling all night, in the morning God was pleased
to show mercy to his soul. His joy was unspeaka-
ble; he united himself with the Methodist Episcopal
Church, and met in class in Marietta. The reforma-
tion in his whole character and habits was radical

286

LIFE AMOKQ THE INDIANS.

and thorough. He now rented a house, and resumea
his trade, which was that of a dyer. *

Soon after he had experienced religion, his mind
became much exercised about preaching, which he
concluded was a temptation of the devil; and con-
tinued to think so, till he again lost the comforts of
religion.

He was visited, in the fall of 1814, with a severe
attack of sickness, from which no one expected he
would recover. But he prayed to God, and promised,
if he was spared, that he would obey the call. Soon
after this, he went into the fields to pray. " It seemed
to me," said he, " that I heard a voice, like the voice
of a woman, praising God; and then another, as the
voice uf a man, saying to me, *You must declare
my counsel faithfully.' These voices ran through me
powerfully. They seemed to come from a north-west
direction. I soon found myself standing on my feet,
and speaking as if I were addressing a congregation.
This circumstance made a strong impression on my
mind, and seemed an indication to me that the Lord
had called me to warn sinners to flee the wrath to
come. But I felt myself so poor and ignorant, that
I feared much to make any attempt, though I was
continually drawn to travel toward the course from
whence the voices seemed to come. I, at length,
concluded, that if God would enable me to pay my
debts, which I had contracted in the days of my wick-
edness and folly, I would go. This I was enabled
Boon to do; and I accordingly took my knapsack,

STEWART AMONG THE DELA WARES. 237

and set off to the north-west, not knowing whither 1
was to go. When I set off, my soul was very happy,
and I steered my course, sometimes in the road, and
sometimes through the woods, till I came to Goshen,
on the Tuscarawas river. This was the old Moravian
establishment among the Delawares. The Rev. Mr.
Mortimore was then its pastor." Here Stewart found
a few of the Delawares, among whom- was old Kilbuck
and his family. Here he remained a few days, and
was kindly treated . by all. It was here, no doubt,
that Stewart leained something of the Indians far-
ther to the north; for these Delawares had many
friends and relations that lived on a reservation on
the Sandusky river, called Pipetown, after the chief
who lived there; and to this place he directed his
course.

Here was a remnant of poor Delawares, under the
control of Captain Pipe, son of the chief of the same
name, who assisted in burning Crawford, on the Ty
amochte. At this place Stewart stopped ; and, as the
Indians were preparing for a great, dance, they paid
but little attention to the stranger. They proceeded
with their mirth, which was all new to Stewart; and
such were their vociferations an'^ actions that they
alarmed him, and he felt fear for a short time. After
all was over, they became quiet, and Stewart took
out his hymn-book, and began to sing. He was one
of the most melodious singers I ever heard. The
company were charmed and awed into perfect silence.
When he ceased, Johnny-Cake said, in broken Eng-

238

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

lish, ^^ Sing more." lie then asked if there was any
person that could interpret for him ; when old Lyons,
who called himself one hundred and sixty years old —
for ho counted the summer a year and winter a year —
came forward. Stewart gave them an exhortation,
and then retired to rest for the night. In the morn-
ing, he felt some strong desires to return to Marietta,
and from thence to Tennessee, where his father and
mother had removed. But so strong were his im-
pressions that he had not yot reached the right place,
though he was invited by the Delawares to stay, that
ho took his departure, and arrived at the house of
William Walker, sen., at Upper Sandusky, who was
the United States Indian sub-agent and 'nterpreter.

At first Mr. Walker suspected him ^ a runaway
slave; but Stewart gave him a history of his con-
version to God, and of his travails in godliness, in
so simple and honest a manner, that it removed all
his doubts on the subject. This narrative fastened
on the mind of Mrs. Walker, who was a most ami-
able woman, of good education, and half Wyandott.
She possessed great influence in the nation; and this
whole family became his hospitable friends, and the
untiring friends to the mission which was afterward
established there. The old gentleman, his wife, and
his sons, were all good interpreters, spoke the Indian
tongue fluently, and all, except old Mr. Walker, be-
came members of the Church.

Stewart was directed by this family to a colored
man, whose name was Jonathan Pointer. He was

JONATHAN POINTER.

280

llored
was

taken prisoner from Point Pleasant, Virginia, when
a littlo boy. lie and his master were plowing and
hoeing corn, when the Indians came upon them.
They sliot his master, and cauglit Jonathan, and took
him homo with them. This man was said by ihe
chiefs to speak the language as well as any of the
natives. Stewart called on him at his hut, and mado
known his wishes ; but Jonathan was very reluctant,
indeed, to interpret for him, or to introduce him as
a preacher. He told Stewart that "it was great folly
for him, a poor colored man, to pretend to turn these
Indians from their old religion to a new one; for
many great and Icrned white men had been there
before him, and used all their power, but could ac-
complish nothing; and he could not expect they
would listen to him." But Stewart believed that God
had sent him, and though of himself he could not
do any thing, God could work by him, and he was
unwilling to give over till he had made a trial.

The next day Jonathan was going to a feast and
dance, and Stewart desired to go along, to which the
other reluctanly consented. Stewart got him to in-
troduce him to the chiefs as a friend to their souls;
when he gave them an exhortation and sung a hymn
or two, and requested all that were willing to hear
him next day at Jonathan's house, to come forward
and give him their hand. This the most of them
did. But he was much disappointed the next day;
for none of them came, save an old woman, to whom
he preached, This woman was the m.othor of James

240

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

{

Harrihoot. The next day was again appointed to
hold meeting at the same place. Thjp same old wo-
man, and an old man named Big-Tree, were present.
To these Stewart again preached; and he has since
told me, that what much encouraged him to perse-
vere was, that he had seen both these old persons in
a dream, and knew them well when they came into
the house. The next day being the Sabbath, he
appointed to meet in the council-house; at which
place eight or ten came, and he, by Jonathan Pointer
as interpreter, exhorted them to flee the wrath to
come. -' - -r ' ' ■ -■ ■ .

From this time forward nis congregations began
to increase; and I presume that nothing contributed
more to increase them, and keep them up for a while,
than his singing. This very much delighted the In-
dians, as no people are fonder of music than they
are; and Stewart, availing himself of this, mixed his
prayers and exhortations with songs.

Many of these people had been Catholics, and they
began to call up their old Catholic songs, and sing
them, and to pray. Through this means some of
them became stirred up, and awakened to see their
lost condition; and some found peace with God.
Stewart thought it to be his duty, when they prayed
to the Virgin Mary, and used their beads and crosses
in prayer, to tell them that it was wrong. He also
epoke against the foolishness of their feasts and
dances, and against their witchcraft.

These reproofs soon excited prejudice against him

STEWART S BIBLE AND HYMNS.

241

they
sing
le of
tbeir
God.
Ij-ayed
rosses
also
and

him

Many that had joined in their worship went away,
and persecuted, and did ill the harm they could.
Some of that party having business at Detroit, called
upon the Roman priest, and related what was going
on, and wished for instruction. The priest told them,
" that none had the true word of God, or Bible, but
the Catholics ; and that none but the Catholic priests
could teach them the true and right way to heaven;
and if they died out of the Catholic Church, they
must perish forever; that they could not be saved
in any other way, but must be lost forever." They
came home in high spirits, and soon it was reported
through every family that Stewart had not the right
Bible, and was leading them all wrong. Some charged
him with having a false Bible ; but how this was to
be tested was the difficulty. Finally, they all agreed
to leave it to Mr. Walker, sen. Tho time was set
when the parties were to me it, and he was publicly
to examine Stewart's Bible and Hymn-Book. The
parties came together at the time appointed. Deep
interest was felt on both sides, and all awaited in
solemn suspense. After some time had been spent
in the examination, Mr. Walker said that Stewart's
Bible was a true one, and diflfereu from the Catholic
Bible only in this: one was punted in English, the
other in Latin. He affirmed that Ixis Hymn-Book
was a good one; and that tho hymns it contained
were well calculated to be sung in the worship of
God. This decision was received with joy by the
religious party, and sunk the spirits of the other.

242

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

But I am strongly inclined to believe, from good
evidence, that none were so influential in putting
down the superstitions of the Catholics as old Mrs
Walker. She was no ordinary woman. Her mind
was well enlightened; and she could expose the folly
of their superstitions better than any one in the na-
tion. As she stood so high in the estimation of all,
her words had more weight than any one else.

Stewart continued to labor among these Indians
from November, 1816, till early the next spring.
Through the course of this winter there was great
religious interest awakened among the people. The
interpreter. Pointer, professed to obtain religion ; ^nd
he proved a great auxiliary to Stewart. Pointer told
me himself, that when Stewart first came, he did not
like him, because he was too religious, and he hoped
he would soon go away; that he wanted a religion
that did rot fit so close, but give him leave to in-
dulge in sin ; and when he interpreted, he would say,
"These are not my words but his" — meaning Stew-
art's. He now entered fully into the work with
Stewart.

At a meeting this winter he took occasion to ex-
pose their heathen religion, and the absurdities of
their feasts and dances; and added, that instead of
these things being pleasing to God, they were, on the
contrary, displeasing to him; and that, although, in
the days of their darkness and ignorance, God winked
at or passed over them, yet he now called on all to
repent and forsake these evil ways, for the Gospel

INDIAN SKEPTICISM. 043

to his doctrines they were at Th . . ""' "'''""'"""
Kicks, one of the cLl' f^ '" '^'"^ Joh"

- you have given liertV::" "' ""' ""'^ ^"»<J.-
«ona to the /octrin ^^^ eaert:" t ""^ '"^'''■
ject and state their oblcti I ^ f ''''^ °" *^' «•"-
oalled on to arise in 2?,' ' ' °"*' ^''^ "^^^'f
• "y fathers. TklZaX T "' ^''^ ""'^i"" of
■ *- a religion o^^er ^ '"'" "^ '<"' <"■"-
them in the good way atd.''' ""'' '° <'=*'""*«''
" so soon fs 1 wil : .""''■^^'''''''''^''ving

'•-ived seveJlrVrSe: ^^'^^^ "-
prophets, and had to return „ T. '"'' ^'"""'*«
«"-> it the best of any tr " w"" ""«'»"' -"
with it, because it suits o..r . ""' *»"tented

to <H.r capacities cJ ""'' ''"'' '^ '"^P^^

»^ you J„ ser-that t^oLXi T^ '" "»^'^'
every nation a religion suited !t? ^ ^''*" '"
these all differ. Is SZ 1 """*"»''; ■■""!

Spirit? MrfrilnH "" *<** "^ the Great

our ".odeZf : iVpInT ;"', " ""'^""^ »«--'
«ood. We are ;m ;rre: ir^r 'Z "^ "■--
you, but we are not ^U-^.TZ'Z ' "" '"'"
customs of our fa.th^.. ,u '® religion and

^ When this rpX^ltwTtn"'"^"'^''-'' '
the chiefs, arose and wished l"'' """""* "^
-.ea.r, Which wasTttrj::--;-

244

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

all its doctrines, were sent to another place, and an-
other people, and could have nothing to do with us;
that the Son of God was born among the white peo-
ple, and we never heard of him till the whites brought
the word; and, if they had never come, we would
never have heard of him; to the whites only he
spoke, and left his word with them, and not with
us; no book has been given to us. If the Great
Spirit had designed us to be governed by this book,
he would have sent it to us. Ours is a religion that
suits us red people, and we intend to preserve it as
sacred as when the Great Spirit gave it to our grand-
fathers in olden days."

Stewart replied: "God has sent this book to you
now. The Son of God, before he went up to heaven,
commanded his ministers to go, and carry, and preach
that book to every nation on the whole earth; and
you count yourselves a nation of living souls. Al-
though it has taken this book a long time to come, yet
it hoi come, as God has directed it; and it will go on
till it has reached all the world, and all the nations,
and colors, and languages of men; none can stop it.
Now, my dear friends, only consider what an awful
curse will fall on those that reject it. My friends,
think well before you reject the Savior, and the great
salvation he offers you ; for whosoever will reject the
Savior will be destroyed with an everlasting destruc-
tion." This exhortation had a good effect on tho
minds of these two chiefs; for afterward Mononcue
0iiid to bis friend Hicks, "I have some notion of

EXCITEMENT.

245

giving up some of my Indian customp *. but I can not
agree to quit painting my face. This would be wrong,
as it would jeopard my health." It is a received
opinion among them, that painting the face has a
magic influence in preserving their health, and sav-
ing them from disease. Hicks replied: ^^You can
do as you please. I feel strange, and hardly know
what to do."

Some time in February, 1817, the work of God
broke out afresh ; and at one of their meetings, after
Stewart had preached on the final judgment, the
whole assembly was absorbed in serious thought.
They met at candle-light; at which time, after ex-
hortation, he called up the mourners, when a few
came forward, principally women. They had not
long been engaged in prayer before the power of
God was manifested, and many of the lookers-on
were struck down to the ground, and cried aloud
for mercy; others lay stiff and motionless. Some
were ready to attribute this work to strong medicine,
used by Stewart for the purpose of producing the
present effect. Some ran for water; others called
to Jonathan to stop singing those new hymns, and
sing the Catholic hymns, or they would die. About
this time a very aged woman found religion, sprang
up, and began to shout and clap her hands — proclaim-
ing that God had forgiven all her sins, and that what
the preacher had said was true. Seeing her act in
this way, they concluded she was in a state of men-
tal derangement. Many sat as idle spectators, in

246

LIFE AMONG THS INDIANS.

Utter amazement at such an exhibition as they ii9c»'e
beholding.

After this the heathen party were determined tc^
make an effort to keep up their religion ; and a coun-
cil was held, and a dance and feast appointed, to show
the preacher how they worshiped the Great Spirit.
Great preparations were made. The young men
turned out to hunt and provide for the feast, and
returned loaded with venison and bear meat. On the
day appointed a large concourse of people assem-
bled, old and young, male and female, with Stewart
and Jonathan, who had now become his constant in-
terpreter and helper in this work. The chief arose,
and made the preparatory speech; then the dance
began. The music was the Indian flute, and the
hoarse sound of the turtle-shell. One after another
joined in; and what was a matter of astonishment
to Stewart, some of his mourners, who, he considered,
had renounced the world, were among the dancers.
This was a scene of great hilarity, and was concluded
in the finest kind of Indian style. Soon after this
Stewart concluded he would leave them, and go to
his friends in Tennessee; and, after delivering them
a farewell sermon, in which he addressed those that
had made a profession of religion, and exhorted them
to be faithful, he advised the chiefs and principal
men. This was a season of much feeling, as was
evidenced by the tears and sobs of the congregation.
He then sang a farewell hymn, and shook hands with
•11 1 when he proceeded to the door and went out.

STEWART'S' LETTER TO WALKER. 247

Some followed him, and requested a private inter-
view; which was granted. They labored with him to
abandon his journey, and remain with them. But
he told them that he was under promise to go ^o
Marietta, if he even had to return again, and which
he promised he would do; but said that he was poor,
would have to stop at the first town he came to, and
work foi something to bear his expenses, and he
could not promise to come back before July or Au
gust. Mrs. Warpole spoke of making a collection
for him ; and ten dollars were given him for the pur-
pose of bearing his expenses.

Some time after Stewart left Sandusky, some one
set afloat a report that his master, from Virginia, had
come and loaded him with irons, and had taken him
back as a slave. Some gave credit to the report, an<l
others did not.

Some time in June following, Mr. Walker received
a letter from him, in which was a written address to
the Indians; which he requested should be read and
interpreted to them; with which request Mr. Walker
readily complied. Both the letter and the address
show Stewart to be a man gifted with more than or-
dinary powers of intellect, as well as a large measure
of divine grace. We, therefore, insert both entire.

The letter to Mr. Walker is dated at Marietta,
Ohio, May 25, 1817, and reads as follows:

' ** Sir, I have taken the liberty of inclosing to your
care the within address, directed to the Wyandott

^W^t^WWI^

248

Llt*E AMOIfQ tllfi INDIANS.

nation, for their information and edification, hoping
that it will, through God's blessing, impress on their
minds religious and moral sentiments. I have taken
the liberty to address it to you, hoping that you will
have the goodness to read it, or cause it to be read,
in their hearing, and in their own language, that they
may understand its true meaning; and, moreover,
that you will try to impress on their minds the ne-
cessity of adhering strictly to the laws of God — that
their hearts should be constantly set upon the Su-
preme Being who created them ; and that it is their
duty to raise their voices in praising, adoring, and
loving that Jesus who has suffered and died for them,
as well as for those who are more enlightened. In-
form them that although their brother is far from
them in body, yet his anxiety for their safety and
future happiness is very great. In doing this, you
will confer a favor upon me, which I shall ever re-
member with gratitude. My engagements, you no
doubt recollect, were, that I should return about the
last week in June; but misfortunes and disappoint-
ments to which we are all liable, together with a
wound which I accidentally received on my leg, will
prevent my having the pleasure of seeing or being
with you till the middle of July; at which time, I
hope, by the grace of God, to have the pleasure o*^
seeing you and the Wyandott people generally. At
that time I shall not fail to offer, verbally, my grati-
tude to you and your dear family, for the services
you and they have rendered me,

STEWART'S ADDRESS.

249

*^May I ask you to have the goodness to write to
roe? and please inform me of the general state of
those persons that have reformed since I first went
among them, and how many have evidenced a change
since I came away, and whether they continue to
conduct themselves with that sincerity of heart, that
would be acceptable in the eyes of God; finally,
whether they 'appear as anxious for my return, as
they appeared to be for my stay when I was coming
away. In attending to these requests of mine, you
will confer an obligation which will be ever remem-
bered, with every mark of gratitude and respect.

"I remain your humble servant; and in every in-
stance, sincerely hope, not only to meet with your
approbation, but that also of my God."

The address is replete with afiectionateness of feel-
ing and sound theology, and evinces deep solicitude
for the spiritual welfare of those who had been con-
verted through his instrumentality.

ie,I

Irati-

ices

" My Dear and Beloved Friends,— I, your brother
traveler to eternity, by the grace and mercy of God,
am blessed with this opportunity of writing to you ;
although I be far distant from you in body, yet
my mind is ofttimes upon you. I pray you to be
watchful 4;hat the enemy of souls do not insnare you ;
pray to the Lord, both day and night, with a sincere
heart, and he will uphold you in all your trials and
troubles. The words that I shall take as a standard

250

LIVE AMONG TU£ INDIANS.

to try to encourage you from, may be found in the
fifth chapter of Matthew, sixth verse: 'Blessed are
they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled.*

"These words were spoken by our Savior, Jesus
Christ, and they are firm and sure; for his words aro
more firm than the heavens or the earth. Likewise,
the promise appears to be permanent; it does not
say it may be, or perhaps, so as to leave it doubtful ;
but, *they shall be filled.' This man, Jesus Christ,
spoke like one who possessed power to fill and satisfy
the hungering soul; and we have no reason to dis-
pute his ability to do so, knowing that he made all
things ':h'j,t are made, and made man for his service ;
then we are bound to believe that he is a being of all
power, able to fulfill all his promises to all mankind.
Though he made us for his service, we have all gone
astray into the forbidden paths of sin and folly:
therefore the promise appears to be held out to a
particular class of people, who, happy are they, if
they find themselves in this hungering and thirsting
after the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"In the first place, my friends, I shall endeavor
to show you who it is that this gracious promise
is made to, or how it is that we have a right to this
promise.

"According to the light the Lord has given me,
it is not he that is living in open rebellion against
God, and going contrary to his command — that closes
his eyes against the light — that is barring the do<^

iting

;avor

)mise

this

kainst
lloses
doof

ADDRESS CONTIN U£D.

251

of his heart against the strivings of the blessed Spirit
who is continually admonishing him to forsake tho
ways of sin, and turn and seek tho salvation of his
soul. But it is that man or woman who has called
upon the God that hears sinners pray, and who will
have mercy upon such as will call upon him with
sincerity of heart, really desiring to receive, and be-
lieving that he is able lo give you. The Lord, by his
goodness, will begin to take off the vail that the
enemy has vailed you with; then you begin to see
how you have strayed from the right way. This
causes the sinner to be more and more engaged.

" This good and great Savior, who sees and knows
the secrets of every heart, seeing tho poor soul will
ing to forsake the service of the devil, moves nearer
and nearer to the sinner — his glorious light shines
into his heart, he gives him to see the amount of
crime that he has committed against the blessed
Savior, who hung on the tree for the sins of the
world. This makes him mourn and grieve over his
sins, and call on the mighty Sjivior, as his last and
his best refuge, for help. Finding that there is no
help in and of himself, seeing that all he has done
is nothing, this causes the soul to try to make his
last prayer, crying, *Lord, save or I perish; thou
wouldst be just in sending me to destruction, but
Lord save for Christ's sake. Lord, I have done all
I can do; take me, do thy will with me, for thou
knowest better what to do with me than I can de-
6iro.' This blessed Savior shows his face with tea

■«■

252

LIFE AMONG THIS INDIANS.

thousand smiles — lays hib liand to the work — brcaka
the snares of sin — unlooses him from the fetters and
chains of unbelief — sets the i?oul at liberty — puts a
now song in his mouth — mak«;s the soul rejoice with
joy unspeakable and full of glory; it is then he
desires to go to his friend who has done io much for
him, and leave this troublesome world; but the soul
has to stay till it has done its duty on earth, which
will not be long.

'^ After a few more rolling suns of this life, the
tempter begins to tempt him; the world, the flesh,
and the devil all unite ; the poor soul begins to mourn
and grieve, because he can not do as he would wish ;
when he would do good, evil is present; then it is
the soul begins to hunger and thirsc after right-
eousness.

" My friends, be glad and rejoice in the Lord, for
this promise is to you and to all mankind; yes, they
shall be filled with water issuing from the throne of
God. 0, my friends, pray to God to give you a hun-
gering and thirsting after righteousness! Seek for
this great grace, and you shall find it in due season.
If you persevere in the way of well-doing, you will
find in your path clusters of sweet fruits, that will
satisfy your hungering souls; and being faithful to
your Lord's commands, when you have made your way
through much tribulation, and lie down on your dying
bed, you will be filled with the glorious prospect of
the reward that awaits you. Guardian angels will
Yrait around your bed, to bear your soul away to

ADDRBSS CONTINUED.

253

those bright worlds of everlasting day, where the
friend of poor sinners reigns. This fills the soul
with tae sweets of love divine. This, methinks, will
make the dying bed of the man, or woman, ^soft as
downy pillows are.' Therefore, my friends, if you
hold out faithful, you will have part in the first resur-
rection ; then it will be that you will see your Lord
and Master face to face ; then it will be that you will
hear that blessed sentence, * Come, ye blessed of my
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world.' Then shall you sit
down with the people of God in that kingdom, where
yonr Savior, with his soft hand, will wipe all tears
from your eyes. There you shall see and be with
him, and praise him to all eternity. '

*' Having, after a brf!ren and imperfect manner, my
friends, shown you the characters of those who hun-
ger and thirst after righteousness, I shall endeavor to
say a few words to that class of people, who I, in the
foregoing part of my discourse, said had no part in
the promise.

"A few words of consolation to the sinner; that is,
the Lord is willing to save all who will call upon him
with a sincere heart, at the same time having de-
termined to forsake all sin, and seek the salvation of
their souls. Now, my friends, you who have been at
war against this great friend of sinners, now turn,
for, behold, now is the accepted time — now is the day
of salvation. Take into consideration, realize how
long the Lord has spared your lives, and all this tiro©

254

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

you have been resisting his holy and blessed Spirit—
this Spirit the Lord has sent to warn you, and entreat
you to turn to the Lord. But ! my friends, how
often have you thrust that good Spirit away, and
forced it to depart from you! Let me inform you,
if you continue to resist this good Spirit, it will after
awhile leave you, never more to return ; for God hath
•aid, 'My Spi:it shall not always strive with man.'
Therefore, my friends, though you have caused the
Spirit to go away grieved, now begin to encourage
and attend to its admonitions ; he that receives it and
obeys its directions, receives Ohristj and, at the same
time, receives God the Father.

"My friends, if you will not adhere to the Lord's
Spirit, neither to the eiitr^aties of your friend, the
time draws on when you will wish you had spent
this glorious opportunity the Lord has given you, in
preparing to meet Jlim who is to judge the world.
Then it will be that you will have to hear and abide
by that dreadful sentence, * Depart, ye cursed — ye
workers of iniquity, for I never knew you.' 0! my
friends, con.sider you must go into fire prepared for
the devil and his angels, where the worm dieth not
and the fire is not quenched. Some of you may put
ofi* this, and think it is a long time yet before it
comes to pass; but consiuer, if the Lord does not
call you by judgment, death is always near, and is
taking off our friends both on our right and on our
left hands. Ah! we must ail, sooner or later, be
called to lie on a sick-bed, when no physician cari

ADDRESS CONCLUDED.

255

effuct a cure, when death — cold and dreary death,
will lav hold on us. Then we will have a view of
awful eternity, and, if unprepared, horror will seize
upon the soul, while our friends vrait around our bed,
to see us bid the world adieu. 0, what anguish will
tear the soul of the sinner! What bitter lamenta-
tions will then be made for misspent opportunities,
slighted mercies ! that I had spent my time more
to the Lord I Then you will say, farewell, my friends,
I have got to go, for devils are waiting round my
bed, to drag my soul away to hell. Then will you
remember how often you grieved the good Spirit of
the Lord, how often you drove it from you; but too
late, you must go to endure the horrors of everlast-
ing burnings. •

" Then, my friends, accept of my feeble advice ; bear
constantly in mind the necessity of obtaining this
blessed promise, and ever let your hearts and conduct
be n-uided bv the directions of that blessed Savior who
died for you, that you might Jive. You who have
set out in the way of well-doing, be faithful unto
death, and you >Yill be conveyed by angels to Abra-
ham's bosom, and there meet the sweet salutation
of, 'Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thour
into the joy of thy Lord.' And may God bless you,
and keep you in the path of righteousness, till he
shall see fit to close your eyes in death ! Now may
the blessing, etc. John Stewart."

Ko one can fail to mark the hand of God both

mvi

256

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

in raising up such an instrument for this work, and
also in tlirusting him out into it and opening his
way hefore him. His mission is not yet completed.
But the events of his second visit we must reserve
to the next chapter.

SAD RELAPSES.

257

CHAPTER X.

fOHN STEWART'S RETURN TO THE WYANDOTTS

According to his promise, Siewart returned through
the wilderness to look after the little flock he had
left behind him. To his great grief, he found that
but few remained steadfast. Most of them had fs»'lcn
back into their old habits; and one of them, a most
promising young man, had been killed in a drunken
frolic. He lost no time, but immediately set about
gathering up the few scattered ones that remained.
Some of them hailed him with joy; but others re-
ceived him coldly, and it was evident that the work
had suffered grievous injury by his absence. But
nothing could daunt the noble-hearted missionary;
and nothing could swerve him from his great work,
80 assured was he that his call was from God.

Many of the Indians were abroad, at the time of
his former visit, on their hunting expeditions. They
were now all returned, so that the inhabitants of tho
villages were much increased. A most powerful op-
position was now raised against Stewart, headed by
Two-Logs, or Bloody-Eyes, and Mononcue. They
represented, in the most glowing terms, the destruc-
tion the Great Spirit would send upon them if they

forsook him. He would denounce them, they said.

258

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

as a nation, and abandon them forever, if they em-
braced the new religion. They then eloquently ex-
horted the people not to turn aside from the religion
of their fathers.

This opposition, m connection with the usual habits
of the Indians, for a time, seemed to render nearly
ineffective the labors of God's chosen vessel for the
salvation of the Wyandotts. Summer was the sea-
son of their amusements. Their feasts, dances, foot-
racing, horse-racing, ball-playing, gambling, and such
like recreations and vices, pretty nearly occupied
their entire time and attention till the approach of
fall summoned them to the chase. In addition to
all these things, reports were set afloat prejudicial
to the character of Stewart ; some of their diviners
also saw visions, and some of their prophets uttered
prophecies — all designed to frighten the people from
embracing the new religion.

Such were the discouragements in the way of Stew-
art, but none of these things could move the devoted
missionary. He steadily but cautiously prosecuted
his great work. His labors were attendee' with some
success. The believing Indians became more con-
firmed both in their faith and in their habits; and
many were converted and added to their number.
Thus he continued his labors till the year 1818, when
the Wyandotts and other tribes were called to attend
a grand council, at Fort Meigs, to form a new treaty
with the United States. While the Indians were
making preparations to attend the treaty, Stewart

INTERFERENCE.

259

deemed it advisable to return to Mario ttta, and stay
till winter.

On his return a new scene of difficulty arose. Cer-
tain missionaries, traveling to the north, called on the
nation ; and finding that Stewart had been somewhat
successful in his labors among the Wyandotts, wanted
him to join their Church, saying that they would give
him a good salary. But he refused, on the ground
of his objections to the doctrines they held. They
then demanded his authority as a Methodist mis-
sionary; and as he held no other authority from the
Church than an exhorter's license, he frankly told
them he had none. By this means it became known
that he had no authority from the Church to exercise
the ministerial office ; although he had both solem-
nized matrimony, and baptized several persons, both
adults and children, believing that the necessity of
the case justified it. This operated greatly to his
disadvantage, for the traders asserted that he was an
impostor.

Stewart now determined to attach himself to the
Methodist Episcopal Church, at some nearer point
than Marietta. In this winter — 1818 — he visited a
tribe of the Wyandotts, that lived at Solomonstown,
on the Great Miami river. Here he formed an ac-
quaintance with Robert Armstrong, and with some
Methodist families that lived near Bellefontaine, and
from them learned that the quarterly meeting for
that circuit would be held near Urbana. To this
place he came, in company with some of the Indians,

200

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

recommended by the converted chiefs and others, as
a proper person to be licensed as a local preacher in
the Methodist Episcopal Church. The Rev. Mosea
Crurae was presiding elder. Of this event Mr. Crume
th'is speaks:

"It gives me extreme regret to think that I had
not preserved a particular memorandum of the licens-
ing of John Stewart, who was emphatically God's
missionary to the Wyandotts. It was in the month
of March, 1819, when I presided on the Cincinnati
district, that John met me in the town of Urbana,
from which place I went to the quarterly meeting, ac-
companied by that man of God, Rev. Bishop George.
Here we found Stewart, with several of his red breth-
ren, the Wyandotts, with a recommendation from the
chiefs that had been converted, earnestly desiring to
have him licensed to preach the Gospel, according to
the rule and order of our Church. At the proper
time, and ly the advice of the venerable Bishop
George, his case was brought before the quarterly
meeting conference, his recommendation read, and
his brethren heard, who gave a good account of his
life and labors in the conversion of many of their
nation — those present testifying for themselves what
God had done for them, through his instrumentality ;
and I think it was with the unanimous vote of that
respectable b.ody of men that he was licensed — all
believing they acted in conformity to the will of
God.

** Thus I have given a brief account of this trans-

Stewart's hklpers.

261

mS'

action ; and I will add that no other official act of my
ministry gives me greater satisfaction than to have
been the honored instrument of licensing the first
missionary to these poor benighted aboriginals of our
favored country. When I view the whole matter, I
am made to cry out with astonishment, and say, ' The
Lord seeth not as man seeth, nor are his thoughts as
our thoughts;' that, instead of sending some of our
honorable literary ministers, he should fix upon a
poor, unlettered colored exhorter, and send him to
commence that great work; opening a great and
effectual door of faith to our poor heathen aborig-
inals. It is the Lord's work, and to him be all the
glory, through our Lord Jesus Christ."

At this meeting the local preachers of the circuit
volunteered to go in turn, and assist Stewart till
the ensuing session of the Ohio annual conference.
Among these were the two brothers, Samuel and
Martin Hitt, Robert Miller, Thomas Lansdale, Joseph
Mitchell, and Moses Henkle, then an exhorter. But
the first help that Stewart received was from Rev.
Anthony Banning, of Mount Vernon. The news of
this work had spread far and wide, so that Bishop
M'Kendree made an agreement with my brother, John
P. Finley, in the summer of 1818, in the town of
Steubenville, to go that fall and commence a school
among them. But owing to their unsettled state, and
the treaty held with them not being finally adjusted, he
did not go. Stewart continued his labors successfully
umong them, and many of the Solomonstown Indians

262

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS.

Itcgiin to renounce their heathenism ; and among the
rest, Robert Armstrong embraced religion. This wan
a great acquisition to the interests of this mission
and the work of God, as he afterward became one
of our most zealous and useful exhorters and inter-
preters.

This mission was taken into our regular work at
the Ohio annual conference, held at Cincinnati, Au-
gust 7, 1819. At this conference I was appointed
10 the Lebanon district, which extended from the
Ohio river, and included Michigan territory, and also
this mission. I now became personally acquainted
with it, and with this people, and was engaged in all
its operations for eight years — two years as presiding
elder, and the other six as missionary. Rev. James
Montgomery was appointed this year as a missionary
to assist brother Stewart. He was to visit the In-
dians once a month from his home, and preach and
instruct them in the doctrine and practice of Chris-
tianity. At the time brother Montgomery was ap-
pointed to this mission we had no missionary or other
funds; and a collection was taken up among the
preachers in the conference, amounting to seventy
dollars. This sum answered for the present. The
two preachers on the Mad River circuit. Rev. Russel
Bigelow, and the Rev. Robert W. Finley, were ap-
pointed by the conference, with myself, as a com-
mittee to aid the mission and provide for the mis-
sionaries.

Shortly after conference, I was applied to by Coi.

QUARTERLY MEETINU.

263

ited
the
also
iited
1 all
ding
ames
nary
In-
and
hris-
ap-
ther
the
enty
The
ssel
ap-
com-
mis-

Col.

Johnston, the Indian agent, to release brother Mont-
gomery from his station, that he might receive a sub-
agency among the Senecas. After deliberation and
consultation with the committee, I agreed to his re-
moval, considering it might be of great advantage to
them. I then employed Moses Henkle, sen., to take
his place ; and it was agreed that we should hold our
first quarterly meeting for the mission at Zanesfield,
on Mad river, at the house of Ebenezer Zane, a
half white man, commencing on the 13th day of No-
vember, 1819.

Accordingly we met, and there were present about
sixty Indians; among whom were Between-the-Logs,
Mononcue, Hicks, and Scuteash, chiefs. Armstrong
and Pointer were the interpreters- — both of whom
enjoyed religion. This was the first regular quar-
terly meeting held with the Indians, and the first
time I ever attempted to preach by an interpreter.
I spoke to them of the will of God to have all men
saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Brother Henkle followed, and we concluded by sing-
ing and prayer. It was a good time. Some of our
hymns had been translated into their tongue; and
when we sung in English, they sang in Wyandott to
the same tune.

In the evening we met again, and brother Henkle
preached, and labored to show them that the religion
taught them by the Catholics was not the religion
of the Bible; that worshiping departed saints and
images was idolatry; and that God required all men

'lU

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS,

to worship him in spirit and truth; that doing pen-
ance, counting beads, and confessing sins to the
priest, would not save thein ; that nothing but faitn
in Christ could save fallen man. The meeting was
concluded with singing and prayer, and it was a
• profitable time. At nine o'clock next morning we
met for our love-feast. T strove to show them the
nature and design of a love-feast, and think I suc-
ceeded in a great degree. This was a memorable
morning. The Lord poured us out a blessing, and I
cried out in the fullness of my heart, "What hath
God wrought! Here are red, white, and black men,
of diflerent nations and languages, sitting together
under the tree of life, partaking of its most precious
fruits." After we had witnessed our love to God and
to one another, in the simple act of taking a piece
of bread and sup of water, we proceeded to speak
of o'jr present state of feeling, and the dealings of
God vith our souls. This was done through an in-
terpreter.

The first that rose as a witness for God was brother
Between-the-Logs, one of the chiefs, who spoke as
follows: "My dear brethren, I am glad that the
Great Spirit has permitted us to meet here for so
good a purpose as to worship him, and to make
strong the cords of love and friendship." Then
lifting his streaming eyes to heaven, with an excla-
mation of gratitude to God, he continued, "This is
the first meeting of this kind held for us; and now,
my dear brethren, I am happy that we, who have

BETWEEN-TIIE-LOOS.

265

been so long time apart, and have been great eneniiea
to one another, [meaning the Indiana and whites,]
are come together as brothers, at which our heavenly
Father is well pleased. For my part, I have been a
very wicked man, and have committed many great
sins against the Good Spirit. I used to drink the
white man's fire-water, which led me to many evils.
But, thanks to the Great Spirit, I am yet alive, and
he has opened my blind eyes to see these great
crimes, by means of his ministers and the good
Book; and has given mc help to forsake those sina
and to turn away from them. I now feel peace in
my heart toward God and all men. But I feel just
like a little child beginning to walk. Sometimes I
am very weak, and almost give up; then I pray, and
my great Fathc_ in heaven hears his poor child, and
gives me a blessing; then I feel strong and happy;
then I walk again: so sometimes 1 stand up and
walk, and sometimes I fall down. I want you all
to pray for me, that I may never my more full, but
always live happy and die happy; and then I shall
meet you all in our great Father's house above, and
be happy forever."

The next who spoke was John Ilicks, another chief,
a very grave and zealous man. Ilis speech was not
all interpreted; but brother Armstrong told me that
he exhorted the Indians to be enn;ao;ed for the bless-
ing, and urged his exhortation in the following man
ner : " When I was a boy, my parents used to send
me on errands; and sometimes I saw so many new

2(J6

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

tilings, that I would say to myself, 'By and by I will
ask, when I have seen more;' but after awhile I
would forget what I was sent for, and go home with-
out it. So may you — you have come a long way to
get a blessing, and if you do not ask for it, you will
have to go home without it. Then the wicked Indians
will laugh at you for coming so far for nothing. Now
seek — now ask ; and if you get the blessing you will
be happy, and go home right, and then be strong to
resist evil and do good." He then concluded by ask-
ing the prayers of his friends.

Scuteash arose, and with a serene and smiling
countenance begnn : "I have been a great sinner
und drunkard, which made me commit many great
crimes, and the Great Spirit was very angry with
me, so that in here [pointing to his breast] I always
sick. No sleep — no eat — no walk — drink whisky
heap; but I pray the Great Spirit to help me quit
getting drunk, and forgive all my sins, and he did
do something for me. I do not know whence it
comes, or whither it goes. [Here he cried out,
* Waugh ! waugh !' as if shocked by electricity.]
Now me no more sick — no more drink whisky — no
more get drunk — me sleep — me eat — no more bud
man — me cry — me meet you all in our great Fa-
ther's house above." Afterward Ave, in turn, told
what God had done for us as sinners, and our morn-
ing meeting closed.

By this time I suppose there were three hundred
whites gathered from tho different frontier settle-

PttEAOlUNO TO WUITES.

2G7

ments. This gave us the opportunity of preaching
Christ to them. For the sake of convenience, we
separated the congregation, and I held meeting with
the Indians in a cal in. In my address I tried to
give them a his'ory of tlie creation; the fall of man;
his redemption by Christ; how Christ was manifested
in the flesh ; how !.e was rejected, crucified, and roso
from the dead, and was seen by many; that, in tlie
presence of more than five hundred, he ascended up
into heaven; that he commanded his people to wait
at Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit; and as wo are
sitting, so were they, when it came down on them
like mighty wind, and three thousand were converted
to God that day. At this they made the whole bourse
ring with exclamations of wonder, {waugli! wauyh!)
and said, "Great camp meeting." Brothers Henklo
and Stewart then exiiorted, and our meeting closed
for the present. We met again in the evening, and
Stewart told me that the Indians were determined to
pray all night, in order to obtain a blessing; and that
they wished me to exhort the whites, and then givo
them liberty to speak to their people and the whites
too, if they felt like doing so. This being the ar-
rangement, I proceeded to perform my part of tho
exercises ; and having finished, I sat down.

Mononcue then arose, and for forty minutes ex-
horted the Indians Avith great zeal and pathos, which
had a very manifest effect. His address was not in-
terpreted; but the purport was to look to God for
his blessings, and not to stop or rest till he bnd

268

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

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poured his Spirit on them. He then addressed the
wliite people present, by the interpreter, as follows :
"Fathers and brothers, I am happy this night, before
the Great Spirit that made all men, red, white, and
black, that he has favored us with good weather for
our meeting, and brought us together, that we may
help each other to do good and get good. The Great
Spirit has taught you and us both in one thing — tliat
we should love one another, and fear him. He has
taught us by his Spirit; and you, white men, by the
good Book, which is all one. But your Book teaches
us more plainly than we were taught before, what is
for our good. To be sure, we worshiped the Great
Spirit sincerely, with feasts, rattles, sacrifices, and
dances, which we now see v/as not all right. Now
some of our nation are trying to do better, but we
have many hinderances, some of which I mean to tell.
The white men tell us, that they love us, and we
believe some of them do, and wish us well. But a
great many do not; for they bring us whisky, which
has been the ruin of uf and our people. I can com-
pare whisky to nothing but the devil; for it brings
with it all kinds of evil. It destroys our happiness,
it makes Indians poor; deprives our squaws and chil-
dren of their food and clothing; makes us lie, steal,
and kill one another. All these, -and many other
evils, it brings among us; therefore you ought not
to bring it to us. You white people make it; you
know its strength; wo do not. But it is a great
curse to your own people. Why not ce.ase making

THE GOOD BOOK.

2039

it? This is one argument used by wicked Indians
against the good Book. If it is so good, say they,
why do not all white men follow it, and do good?
Another hinderance is, that Avhite men cheat Indians;
take their money, skins, and furs, for a trifle. Noav,
your good Book forbids all this. Why not, then, do
what it tells you? Then Indians would do right, too.
Yon say the Great Spirit loves all, white, red, and
black men, that do right. Why do you, then, look at
Indians as below you, and treat them as if they were
not brothers? Does your good Book tell you so? I
am sure it does not. Now, brothers, let us all do
right; then our great Father will be pleased, and
make us happy in this world, and after death we shall
all live together in his house above, and always be
happy."

Then Between-the-Logs arose, and desiring to bo
heard, spoke as follows: "Will you have patience to
hear me, and I will give you a history of religion
among the Indians for some time back, and how we
have been deceived. Our fathers had a religion of
their own, by which they served God, and were lia^py
before any white man came among them. Tliey used
to worship with feasts, sacrifices, dances, aii<l rattles;
in doing which they thought they were right. Our
parents wished us to be good, and they UHod to make
us do good, and would sometimes c/>rrect us for doing
evil. But a great while ago the Fren<'h sent us the
good Book by a Roman priest, and wo listened to
him. He taught us that wc must confess our sins.

I'M '
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270

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

and he would forgive them; that we must worship
Lady Mary, and do penance. He baptized us with
spittle and salt; and many of us did sis he told us.
Now, we thought, to be sure we are right. He told
us to pray, and to carry the cross on our breasts.
He told us also that it was wrong to drink whisky.
But we found that he would drink it himself, and we
followed his steps and got drunk too. At last our
priest left us, and this religion all died away. Then
we thought we would return to our fathers' religion
again. So many of us left off getting drunk, and
we began again to do pretty - ell. Then the Seneca
Prophet arose, and pretended that he had talked to
the Great Spirit, and that hf' had told him what In-
dians ought to do. So we heard and folloAved him.
It is true, he told us many good things, and that we
ought not to drink whisky; but soon we found that
he was like the Roman priest — he would tell us we
must not do things, and yet do them himself. So
here we were deceived again. Then, after these
cheats, we thought our fathers' religion was still the
best, and we would take it up again and follow it.
"After some time the great Shawnee Prophet arose.
Well, we heard him, and some of us followed hira for
awhile. But w^e had now become very jealous, hav-
ing been deceived so often, and we watched him very
closely, and soon found him like all the rest. Then
we left him also; and now we were made strong in
the religion of our fathers, and concluded to turn
away from it no more. We made another trial to

B E T W E E N - T II E - I G S .

271

establish it firmly, and had made some progress, when
the war broke out between our father, the President,
and King George. Our nation was for war with the
King, and every man wanted to be a big man. Then
we drank whisky, and fought; and, by the time the
war was over, we were all scattered, and many killed
and dead. But the chiefs thought they would gather
the nation together once more. We had a good many
collected, and were again establishing our Indian re-
ligion. Just at this time a black man, Stewart, our
brother here, [pointing to him,] came to us, and told
us he was sent by the Groat Spirit to tell us the
true and good way. But we thought that he was
like all the rest; that he wanted to cheat us, and
get our money and land from us. He told us of all
our sins; showed us that drinkaig whisky was ruin-
ing us ; that the Great Spirit wa i angry with us ; and
that we must leave off these things. But Ave treated
him ill, and gave him but little to eat, and trampled
on him, and were jealous of him for a whole year.
We are sure, if the Great Spirit had not sent him,
he could not have borne with our treatment.

"About this time our father, the President, applied
to us to buy our lands, and we had to go to the
great city to see him. When we came home our old
preacher was still with us, telling us the same things;
and we could find no fault or alteration in him.
About this time he talked about leaving us, to see
his friends ; and our squaws told us that we were
fools to let him go, for the great God had f v»nt him,

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272

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

and we ought to adopt him. But still we wanted to
hear longer. They then told us what God had done
for thera by this man. So we attended his meeting
in the council-house, and the Great Spirit came upon
us so that some cried aloud, some clapped their hands,
some ran away, and some were angry. We held our
meeting all night, sometimes singing and sometimes
praying; By this time we were convinced that God
had sent him unto us; and then we adopted him,
and gave him mother and children. About this time
a few of us went to a great camp meeting near Leb-
anon, Warren county, Ohio, and were much blessed,
and very happy. As soon as this work was among
us at Sandusky, almost every week some preachers
would come and tell us they loved us, and would
take us and our preacher under their care, tnd give
us schools, and do all for us that we wished. But
we thought if they loved Indians so, why not go to
the Senecas and Mohawks? They have no preacher;
we have ours. Some told us that we must be bap-
tized all over in the water, to wash away our sins.
And now they said they cared much for us; but be-
fore Stewart came, they cared nothing for us. Now
some of us are trying to do good, and are happy.
We find no alteration in Stewart. But when others
come, and our youii^- r^^^n will not sit still, they scold;
and we believe Stewart is the best man. Some of
the white people that live among us, and can talk
our language, say, 'The Methodists have bewitched
you;' and that, 'it is all nothing but the Avorks ot

■WWWmHP-WWI»»"

SPEECH CONCLUDED.

273

the devil ; and the whites want to get you tamed,
and then kill ycu, as they did the Moravian Indians
on the Tuscarawas river.' I told them that if Ave
Avere to be killed, it was time for us all to be praying.
Some white people put bad things in the minds of
our young Indians, and make our way rough." 1)C-
twecn-the-Logs concluc^ed. his address by telling of
the goodneis of the Lord, and requesting an interest
in the prayers of his people.

All commenced singing and praying — some in In-
dian and some in English; and the Avhole night was
spent in these exercises. Just before day the Lord
answered as by fire! 0, what a joyful time was this!
All seemed dissolved in love. In the morning we
parted.

God has wrought a great work among this people.
I think it was stated that about sixty of them had
embraced Christianity, But there had been no reg-
ular society formed among them. I have been more
lengthy in giving the reader an account of this meet-
ing, because it was the first of the kind, ever held
among them. ' '

At the close of the first year of brother Henklc's
labor among the Wyandotts, they addressed the ^ Mii
conference, to be held at Chillicothe, August, 1820.

At the close of public worship on Sunday, IGth
of July, 1820, I addressed the Wyandotts. by the in-
terpreter, as follows : '

"My Friends, and you, Chiefs, in particular, —

I ha\ c one word to say. I expect to meet our good

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274

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

old chiefs and fathers in the Church at Chillicothe,
before I come to see you again, and they will ask
me how you come on in serving the Lord, and if
you want them to keep sending you preachers any
longer, to tell you the good word, or if you have any
choice in preachers to come to teach you?"

In reply to these inquiries, the following answer
was given :

"Our chiefs are not all here, and we must have
all our chiefs and queens together, apd:''they must
all speak their minds, and then we will let the old
father know."

They appointed to meet me at Negrotown, on Wed-
nesday, on my return from Senecatown; and, having
returned, I found them assembled and prepared to
answer. On entering in among them, a seat was set
in the midst of the room, and I was requested to take
the seat, which I declined ; but took my seat in their
circle, against the wall, and directed the interpreter
ko take the middle seat, which was done. After a
short silence I spoke : " Dear friends and brothers, I
am thankful to find you all here, and am now pre
pared to hear your answer."

Mononcue, chairman and speaker for them all, an-
swered : . . :

" We let our old father know that we have put the
question round which was proposed on Sunday even-
ing in the council-house, and our queens give their
answer first, saying :

" We thank the old father for comino; to see us so

THE SPEAKEllS REPLY.

275

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Iso

often, and speaking the good word to us, and we want
liim to keep coming and never forsake us; and we
let liim know that we love this religion too well to
give it up while we live; for Ave think it will go bad
with our people if they quit this religion; afid we
want our good brother Stewart to stav always among
us, and our brother Jonathan, too, and to help us
along as they have done. Next we let the old father
know what our head chiefs and the others have to
say. They are willing that the Gospel word should
be continued among them, and they will try to do
good themselves, and help others to do so too; but as
for the other things that are mentioned, they say, wo
give it all over to our speakers; just what they say
we agree to; they know better about these things
than we do, and they may let the old father knoAV
their mind."

The speakers reply for themselves : . '

"We thank the fathers in conference for sending
us preachers to help our brother Stewart, and we
desire the old father to keep coming at least another
year when his year is out ; and we want our brother
Armstrong to come as often as he can, and our
brothers Stewart and Jonathan to stay among us and
help us, as they have done; and we hope our good
fathers will not give us up because so many of our
people are wicked and do wrong ; for we believe some
white men are wicked yet, that had the good word
preached to them longer than our people ; and our
great heavenly Father has had long patience with us

n H

276

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

all ; and we let the old fathers know that we, the
speakers, will not give over speaking and telling our
people to live in the right way ; and if any of us do
wrong, we will still try to help him right, and let
none' go wrong; and we will try to make our head
chief? and all our people better, and we are one in
voice with our queens, and we all join in giving
thanks to our good fathers that care for our souls,
and are willing to help our people; and we want
them all to pray for us, and we will pray for them,
and we hope our great heavenly Father will bless U9
,all, and this is the last.

" Between-the-Logs,

"John Hicks,

" MoNONCUE, Chief Speaker,

"Peacock,

" Squindeguty.
" J"MZy 27, 1820."

The council consisted of twelve chiefs, and five
queens, or female counselors. Seven of the coun-
selors of the nation Averc religious, and five of them
were speakers.

This ends the year 1819-20, and brother Henkla
was reappointed at the conference held in Chillicothe,
August, 1820. V , : V . • V :

We held regular quarterly meetings Avith them.
Stewart contir. led his labors among them, as Avell
as brother Hcnklc, who visited them fi'om his resi-
dence on Buck creek, in Clark couuty, once a mouth,

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CHRISTIANITY — CIVIL rZATlON. 277

and staid, perhaps, two Sabbaths every time. From
this arrangement, there was but little done to improve
the nation. Some held on their way, others were
converted, and some returned to their former habits.
This was the first Indian mission under the care
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the begin-
ning of a saving work of God on the hearts of the
aboriginals of our country, in the Mississippi Valley.
The doctrine always taught, and the principle acted
upon, were, that they must be first civilized before
they can be Christianized. Hence, the Government
and individual societies labored to civilize them, by
teaching them the art of farming. But the labor
was in vain. A man must be Christianized, or he
never can be civilized. He will always be a savage
till the grace of God makes his heart better, and then
he will soon become civil and a good citizen. We
labored to get these Indians to submit to have a
school among them, on the manual labor principle,
but could iiot succeed till July, 1821. On my way
to Detroit, to a quarterly meeting, I pressed this
subject upon them with great earnestness, by showing
the benefits that must result to their children. Their
hunting was now gone ; they were pent up on a small
tract of land, and must work, steal, or starve; the
Church, the Government, and all, were waiting to
aff'ord them help ; and they, in their last treaty, had
made a reserve of one section of land for this pur-
pose; and to delay, was to injure themselves and
their children. They promised that they would give

■'i

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27&

LIFE AMONG THE I N P f A iV S .

me an answer when I should come back. They took
the matter into careful consideration. They exam-
ined the whole ground with the utmost exactness, and
matured it by frequent reviews. Accordingly, on my
return, they presented me with an address, to carry
to the conference, to be held at Lebanon, in August,
1821. The paper was read before the conference
was received with great cordiality, and promptly met
with a hearty response, according to their wishes.
The following is a copy :

"THE CHIEFS OF THE WYANDOTT NATION, IN COUNCIL
ASSEMBLED AT UPPER SANDUSKY, TO THE HEAD MIN-
ISTERS AND FATHERS OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL
CHURCH, TO MEET AT LEBANON, OHIO :

"We, your Wyandott brethren, acknowledge former
favors thankfully, and wish peace and health to at-
tend you all. We further inform you, that lately o-n*
council have resolved to admit a missionary school
to be established among us, at Upper Sandusky; and
have selected a section of land for that purpose, at
a place called Camp Meigs, where there is spring-
water, and other conveniences; and all other neces-
sary privileges that may be required for the further-
ance of said school, shall be freely contributed, as
far as our soil affords: Provided, the same does not
intrude on any former improvements made by our own
people, which are not to be intruded upon. More-
over, we will endeavor to supply the school with
scholars of our own nation suflficient to keep it in
action; and we will admit children of our white

ADDRESS TO TUE CON F£ HENCE. 279

friends who live among us. As to the number of
scholars our people will furnieh the school to com-
mence with, we can not state. We are not sure of
the number. We refer you to father Ilenklc, who .
can inform you more fully of the prospect, and the
probable number which can be collected. But many
more will, we hope, come in, especially if the chil
dren are boarded and clothed as our brethren have
proposed; and if our teacher be a good and wise
man, we may expect more children. Wc would fur-
ther let the conference know, that we wish our
teacher to be a preacher, that can preach and bap-
tize our children, and marry our people — a man that
loves our nation; that loves us and our children;
one that can bear with our ignorance and weakness.
And if conference sends a preacher, as we have re-
quested, to be our schoolmaster, we think theie will
be no need of a traveling missionary to be continued
among us, as we expect our house will be taken into
Delaware circuit at conference, which is our request.
And in hopes that our good and worthy fathers,
and all that wish peace and prosperity to our nation,
are well and doing well, and will always pray for
us, and help us, by sending us good men and goo i
counsel, we subscribe ourselves your humble fellow
servants in our great and good Lord God Almighty
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen."

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'The above was signed by De-un-quot, Between-the-
ZiOgs, John Hicks, Mononcue, An-dau-you-ah, Dc-aa-

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280

IiIPEAMONG Tllfi INDIA KS.

dough-so, Ta-hu-waugh-ta-ro-de, all chiefs; and cer-
tified as being done in the presence, and by the
interpretation of, William Walker, United States In-
terpreter, and Moses Henkle, sen., missionary.

I could not meet this council on my way back from
Detroit, as there was a great rise in the streams from
the incessant rain that had fallen. When I came to
Muskalunge creek, on my way to Detroit, it was ovei
its banks, and all the bottoms were covered with water.
I came back to Lower Sandusky, and hired a French-
man to pilot me through to Fort Meigs. With him 1
made the second attempt, but could not succeed. 1
then returned as far as Fort Ball, where I left my
horse, and hired two young Indians to take me to
Portland, in a bark canoe. We started about noon,
and the Sandusky river being very full, our bark
canoe went over the rapids almost with the swiftness
of a bird. But when we got down to eddy water,
which we reached a short distance below Lower San-
dusky, we met schools of fish, called sheep-head; and
they much annoyed us, by sticking fast to the bottom
of our canoe. Once in awhile one of the Indians,
who steered for us, would take his butcher-knife out
of his belt, and slip down his arm into the water and
stab one of them, and it would almost jump on board.
But they not being good to eat, we cared not to take
any of them. We had no provisions with us, and
depended on killing deer. My comrades fired several
times, but were not so fortunate as to kill any. Night
came on, and we had no place to stop at till we got

tTNCOMPORTABLE VOYAGE.

281

down into the great marshes, at the mouth of tin
river. There was an ohl Frcnclnnan, Poskill by name,
that lived in this marsh, and cauglit muskrats. We
arrived at his poor wigwam in tlie night, and found
nothing to eat L^t muskrats, and no slielter scarcely
But 0! the fleas and musketoes! This was one of
the most disagreeable nights of my life. As soon as
possible in the morning, Ave set sail, and soon got
into the bay, which is twelve miles long, and from
four to six broad. My Indians Avanted me to take
the middle chute; but the Avind Avas bloAving fresh
from the east, and I kncAv if it got much higher, it
would capsize our light vessel. So I prevailed on
them to coast it round the shore, and often Ave had
to run to the land, and pull our seam boat — as the
Indians cull it — out of the water and empty it. The
Avind increased as the day advanced, till, in doubling
Nigro Point, opposite Goat Island, our canoe sank,
about tAvo hundred yards from the shore. We had
now to SAvim, and take our canoe Avith us. When Ave
reached the shore, it took us some time to empty and
fix up again. We carried our boat across the Point,
and soon set oflf again.

In the evening Ave reached our place of destina-
tion, hungry and much fatigued, having had nothing
but two small cakes among three oi us, for one day
and a half. Next evening I got on board of the
steamboat Walk-in-the-Avater, and on Saturday morn-
ing arrived at Detroit. Here I heard that brother
Kent was sick at Fort Meigs, and I had to hold tha

ffr

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282

LlPfi AMONG THE 1 N t) J A J? S .

quarterly meeting alone, till it closed, on Montlay
morning.

There was a string of appointments made for me,
up the River Rouge. I obtained a pony, and on
Tuesd.ay rode twenty-five miles, preached twice, and
SAvam the river three times. I passed over to Ecorse
river and Brownstown ; got back to Detroit on Satur-
day ; preached there on Sabbath ; set sail on Monday
for Portland ; and on Tuesday hired an Indian's horse
to ride to Lower Sandusky. The Indian, who accom-
panied me, was a little intoxicated. He ran before
me, and would say to me, **Good horse." "Yes,"
I would answer. "How much you give?" I told
him I did not want to buy; I had no money. He
said, "You lie — you cheat Indian — you Kentucky."
We had not traveled more than half the distance till
we came across a camp of Indians that were drink-
ing. Here my guide stopped to get a little more
stimulus; but I rode on. I soon heard him yelling
behind me ; but I urged on his horse, and kept before
him till I arrived at Lower Sandusky. When he
cam.! up, he said to me, "You rascal — ^you steal
Indian's horse — you rascal — you Kentucky rascal.**
Here he abused me till I gave him half a dollar,
which cooled him oft'. That evening I reached Fort
Ball, and found my fine horse so eaten with flies and
musketoes, that I could hardly get him home.

APPOINTED MISSIONARY.

283

CHAPTER XI.

THE AUTHOR APPOINTED MISSIONARY TO THB

WYANDOTTS.

The application of the Indian council for a resi-
dent missionary, and for the establishment of a per-
manent school among them, was received with great
favor by the conference, and acted upon with great
unanimity. I was appointed missionary.

There was no plan of operation furnished me, no
provision made for the mission family, no house to
shelter them, nor supplies for the winter; and there
was only a small sum of money, amounting to two
hundred dollars, appropriated for the beneCt of the
mission. However, I set about the work of prepara-
tion to move. I had a suitable wagon made, bought
a yoke of oxen, and other things necessary — took
my own furniture and household goods, and by the
eighth of October was on my way. I had hired two
young men, and one young woman, and SiSter Harrii t
Stubbs volunteered to accompany us as a teacher.
These, with my wife and self, made the whole mission
family.

We were eight days making our way out. Sixty
miles of the road was almost impassable. From
Markley's, on the Scioto, to Upper Sandusky, there

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284

LifE AMOXG the INDIANS.

were but two or three cabins. But by tlie blessing
of kind Providence, we arrived safe, and were re-
ceived by all with the warmest affection. There was
no house on the section of land we wore to occupy;
but by the kindness of brother Lewis, the blacksmith,
we, were permitted to occupy a new cabin he had
built for his family. It was without door, window,
or chinking. Here we unloaded, and set up our
Ebenezer. The Sabbath folloAving we held meeting
in the council-house, and had a large congregation.
Brother Stewart was present, and aided in the exer-
cises. We had a good meeting, and the prospect of
better times.

We now selected the place for building our mission
house. It was on the spot called "Camp Meigs,"
where Governor Meigs had encamped with the Ohio
militia, in time of the last war, on the west bank of
the Sandusky river, about a mile below the post of
"Upper Sandusky." On this very spot were buried
many of my old acquaintances, and «ome of my
youthful companions, who had died at this place.
Here I had the following meditations: "My dear
companions are gone. They died in the service of
their country, in warring against their fellow-men.
But I have come to make war on a different enemy,
and under another Captain, and with different weap-
ons. I, too, may fall in this conflict; but if faithful,
it will be to rise again to certain victory:"

We commenced getting logs to put us up a shelter
for the winter. The first week, one of my hands left

tte ■

winter's work.

285

me. A day or two after, while we were in the woods
cutting down timber, a dead limb fell from the tree
we were chopping, on the head of the other young
man, so that he lay breathless. I placed him on the
wagon, drove home half a mile or more, and then
bled him before he recovered his senses. I now be-
gan to think that those were hard times. Wi liter wj«s
coming on, and my family exposed in an Indian coun-
try, without a house to live in. For years I had done
but little manual labor. But the Lord blessed me
with great peace in my soul. My worthy friend,
George Riley, recovered from his liurt, and we both
worked almost day ?ind night, till the skin came oft*
the inside of my hands. I took oak bark, boiled it,
and washed my hands in the decoction, and they soon
got well, and became hard. We built a cabin-liouse,
twenty by twenty-three feet, and without door, win-
dow, or loft. On the very day that snow began to
fall, we moved into it. The winter soon became ex-
tremely cold. We made a stable of one of the old
block-houses for our cattle; and cut, hauled, and
hewed logs to put up a double house, forty-eight
feet long by twenty wide, a story and a half high.
We hauled timber to the saw-mill, and sawed it our-
selves into joists and plank, for the floors and other
purposes. I think I can say that neither brother
Riley nor myself sat down to eat one meal of vict-
uals that winter, but by candle-light, except on Sab-
bath days. We always went to bed at nine, and rose
at four o'clock in the morning, and by daylight we

wmfm^fim

286

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

were ready to engage in the business and toils of
the day.

In addition to this I preached every Sabbath, and
met chiss, attended prayer meeting once every week,
and hibored to rear up the Church. Brother Stewart
assisted when he was able to labor, but his pulmonary
affliction confined him the most of his time to the
house, and I employed him . to teach a small school
of ten or twelve Indian children, at the Big Spring;
for these people were so anxious to have their chil-
dren taught, that they could not wait till preparations
were made at the mission house, and they wanted
to have a separate school by themselves. To this I
would not agree; but to accommodate their wishes
till we were ready at the mission house to receive
their children, I consented that they might be taught
at home.

On the first of January I was called to bury one
of our little flock, an aged woman, the mother of.
Jaco, and aunt to Mononcue. She lived at the Big
Spring reservation, fifteen miles from the mission
house. On the Sabbath before her death I conversed
with her about her future hopes. She rejoiced, and
praised God that he had ever sent his ministers to
preach Jesus to her and her people. " I have been
trying," said she, *'to serve God for years; but it
was all in the dark, till the ministers brought the light
to my mind, and then I prayed, and found my God
precious to my poor soul. Now I am going soon to
8ec bim in his house above, and I want all my chil-

INDIAN FUNERAL.

287

dren, and grandchildren, and fri*^nd8, to meet me in
that good world." She died a few days after, in great
peace. I was sent for to go and bury her. IJrother
Riley and myself rode there in the night, and early
in the morning commenced making the coffin. It was
late before we could finish it, and, consequently, late
before the funeral was over; but I think I shall never
forget the scene. It was between sundown and dark
when we left with the corpse.* The lowering clouds
hung heavily over us, and the virgin snow was falling.
Wo entered a deep and lonely wood, four men carry-
ing the bier, and the rest all following in Indian file.
When we came to the burying-ground, the Indians
stood wrapped up in their blankets, leaning against
the forest trees in breathless silence, and all bore the
aspect of death. Not one word was said while the
grave was filling up; but from the daughter, and
some of the grandchildren, now and then a broken
sigh escaped. At last Mononcue broke out in the
following strains: "Farewell, my old and precious
aunt! You have suffered much in this world of sin
and sorrow. You set us all a good example, and we
have often heard you speak of Jesus in the sweetest
strains, while the falling tears have witnessed the sin-
cerity of your heart. Farewell, my aunt. We shall
no more hear your tender voice, that used to lull all
our sorrows, and drive our fears from us. Farewell,
my aunt. That hand that fed us will feed us no
more. Farewell to your sorrows : all is over. There
your body must lie till the voice of the Son of God

;-.

288

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

Bhall call you up. Wo weep not with sorrow, but
with joy, that your soul is in heaven." Then he
said, "Who of you all will meet her in heaven?"
This was a feeling and happy time, and we parted,
I think, fully determined to die the death of the
righteous. We rode home that night, fifteen miles,
and felt greatly comforted in talking of the good-
ness of God and the power of his grace. "Blessed
are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth."

In this mission there had not as yet been any
regular formation of a Church. All was in a kind
of national society; so that when any one did wrong,
he left without any trial or censure ; and any one
came in and enjoyed the ordinances of the Church
without any formal admission ; and so they came and
went at pleasure. I plainly saw this would not do.
I therefore resolved to form them into classes, and
bring, them under proper discipline. When I pro-
posed this at first it gave great oiTensc to many, and
there was much remonstrance against it. The put-
ting their names on paper, and calling them to an
account for their conduct, seemed too much like mak-
ing slaves of them. But I labored hard with the
chiefs and principal men, to show them the propriety
of the measure, from the necessity of self-govern
ment, family government, and national government;
and with them I succeeded in a good degree. I read
our General Rules, and had them explained, and
showed that the Bible and religion required that we
must observe them; and knowing the great danger

FORMING SOCIETIES.

283

they were in of being drawn away into sin by Jrink,
I made one positive condition on their joining the
Church, which was, that they must totally abstain
from the use of ardent spirits; that I would not
suffer any one to be in the society that tasted it on
any occasion. This condition I found many objected
to, and pleaded that if a man did not get drunk, it
was no crime. I told them this was their greatest
enemy, and had almost ruined their nation already,
and I thought strange that any one should still plead
for a little of this poison.

After laboring three months or more, to prepare
the way, I proposed first at the Big Spring, to strike
the line between those that were sincerely the lovers
of God and the good Book, and those that were only
the outer-court worshipers; and requested all that
were determined to serve God and forsake all sin, to
come forward and give me their names; and only
twenty came for ard, out of the many at this place
that had professed to turn from their evil ways.

The next Sabbath we met for worship at the coun-
cil-house, at Upper Sandusky, and I made the sam(^
proposition there, insisting on the rule of total absti-
nence from all kind of spirits that would make a man
drunk. Here there were but ten^ and among these
were four of the chiefs — Betwoen-the-Logs, Monon-
cue, Hicks, and Peacock, making thirty out of the
whole nation. But I was not at all discouraged. I
appointed leaders for these two classes, •'•'^, their

number increased almost every Sabbath. Manj',

290

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

however, now left us altogether, and hecamo our
most violent opposers, and did all they could to
prejudice the nation against me; but I held on to
my purpose, for I well knew that if I relaxed, and
they could make me stagger, that my influence with
them was, in a great measure, at an end.

This opposition was urged on by a set of traders
and whjsky-sellers that had settled around the Indian
reservation, for the purpose of making gain off them.
These would occasionally attend our meetings; and 1
made this my opportunity of telling the Indians how
wicked these traders were in selling thciii whisky and
in making them drunk; then robbing their children
and wives of what they ought to have to clothe and
feed them. I knew it would have a better effect to
tell the Indians of these men in their presence, than
when they were absent, so that I never failed, when
one of them was present, to lift my warning voice
against them and their practices. For this they
exerted all their malevolence against me; and they
spared no pains to injure and oppose me. I was
twice cautioned by my friends to be on my guard,
for that there were two drunken, vagabond Indians
employed to kill me; but I had no fear, my trust
was in God.

The offense that was given to many by my form-
ing classes, greatly strengthened the hopes of the
heathen party; and the head chief organized his
band afresh, and appointed Sci-oun-tah his high-
priest. They met every Sabbath for meeting, and

THE INDIAN OOD.

201

thcii priest related great tilings of their Indian god;
how he had commanded them not to forsake their
feasts and dances, and not to have their names put
down on paper, for this was u disgrace to an Indian ;
aiid he would not own those again that did it, but
cast them off' forever.

A few Sabbaths after I tried to preach from 2 Cor.
iv, 3, 4: "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them
that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath
blinded the minds of them that believe nof " 1. I
described the Gospel as being a message from God,
of good news and glad tidings to the world; jhowed
what the tidings were: salvation to all that will obey.
2. I described the god of this world, the devil ; and
s.iowed how he blinded the minds of men, and so
concealed the light and truth of God's word from
their minds.

When I concluded, Betwecn-the-Logs arose and
said, "I have just found out who this Indian god
is. He is the devil, for he blinds the mind and
hardens the heart, and makes me get drunk, and
commit murder, and every evil. I prove this from
the fact that the heathen party say that they serve
their Indian god, and worship him, and do what he
tells them. Now they all get drunk, and sometimes
murder one another, and this in obedience to their
Indian god! This is the conduct and practice of all
wicked men — white, red, and black. They all serve
the Indian god, and that god is the devil. Now, my
friends, our God forbids all this evil, and we see and

292

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

feel its benefits here on earth, and shall feel them in
heaven. That party has told you, if you set your
name on paper, that this Indian god will cast you ofl'
forever. I could wish this was true; and although
this is a public renouncing of him and his worship,
yet we see he follows us still; and some, in a short
time, have been persuaded to go back to him ; but I
feel determined, if all go, yet will not I. Since the
light of God's word has driven darkness from my
Boul, I have joy and peace that I never felt before.
A few weeks since, at a prayer meeting in this place.
I received this full light. I had some before, but it
was not clear till then. Now it is like the sun at
noonday. Come, who will go? Who will take hold
of God's word of peace? Let him get up, that we
may see who you are, and how many." At this
nearly all arose; and there was a powerful shaking.
Brother Armstrong exhorted, and several joined the
Church.

For some time our society did not increase fast in
numbers, but grew in grace and firmness in religion.
The classes were well and constantly attended, and
much of the grace of God was enjoyed.

This winter one of the principal women, who was
much opposed to the Gospel, was converted to God
and Christianity. " One night, after being at meet-
ing," she said, '*I lay down to sleep, and dreamed
that I saw, at the council-house, a high pole set in
the ground, and on the top of that pole there was
a white child fastened, and it gave light to all around,

THE INDIANS DREAM.

203

ill a c'rcle. At the foot of the pole stood the mis-
sionary, calling the Indians to come into the light,
for they were all in the dark. No one went. At
last I thought, if it was a good thing it would not
hurt me, and I. would venture. So I went ; and from
the foot of this pole there were two roads started:
the one was a broad road, and it led down hill; the
other was a narrow one, and led up hill. These roads,
he said, were the only two roads that lead out of
this world. The broad one leads down to hell, and
the other leads up to heaven. I looked in the dust,
and saw that all the large moccasin tracks were on
the broad road, a^d the small ones were on the nar-
row road. So I determined at once to take the nar-
row road. I had not traveled far till I found the
way steep, and my feet often slipped, and I fell to
my knees; but I held by the bushes, and got up
again. So I traveled on for some time; but the
higher I got, the easier I traveled, till I got almost
to the top of the hill. There I saw a great white
house, and a white fence around it. There was a
large gate that led to this house. At this ga^e stood
a man, and his hair was as white as snow. He held
in his right hand a long sword, and the point of it
blazed like a cardie. I was greatly afraid. I heard
in that house the most delightful singing I ever heard
before, and had a great desire to go in. When I
came up to the gate, the man spoke to me and said,
'You can not come in now. You must go back and
tell all TOur nation, that if they want to get to

^ !

I I

294

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

heaven they must take this narrow road, for there is
no other that leads here.' Then I started back with
a heavy heart; and when I got down near the coun-
cil-house, I saw my people all in the way to ruin,
and began to call on them to stop. Here I awoke."
The next Sabbath this woman got up in the meet-
ing, at the council-house, and told all she had seen
in her dream; while she wept bitterly, and exhorted
all the nation to turn to God and live. This had
a good effect on many. .

In February nearly all of the Indians went to the
woods to trap, and make sugar. They seldom return
from these expeditions till the first of April. I sent
with them an appointment to meet them at Between-
the-Logs's camp, on their hunting-ground, and hold
a two days' meeting. About the first of March I left
Upper Sandusky in company with brother Armstrong,
as interpreter, and brother Mononcue, to attend this
meeting. The morning was cold, and our course lay
through a deep forest. We rode hard, hoping to
make the camps before night; but such were the ob-
structions we met with, from ice and swamps, that
it was late when we arrived. Weary with a travel
of twenty-five miles or more through the woods, Avith-
out a path or a blazed tree to guide us — and, withal,
the day was cloudy — we were glad to find a camp to
rest in. We were joyfully received by our friends,
and the women and children came running to wel-
come us to their society and fires. The men had
not all returned from hunting; though it was late.

WINTER HUNTING-CAMPS.

295

But it was not long after we were seated by the fire,
till I heard the well-known voice of Between-the-Logs.
I went out of the camp, and helped down with two
fine deer. Soon we had placed before us a kettle
filled with fat raccoons, boiled whole, after the Indian
style, and a pan of good sugar molasses. These we
asked our heavenly Father to bless, and then each
carved for himself, with a large butcher-knife. I took
the hind-quarter of a raccoon, and holding it by the
foot, dipped the other end in the molasses, and eat
it oflf with my teeth. Thus I continued dipping and
eating till I had pretty well iinished the fourth part
of a large coon. By this time my appetite began
to fail me, and I was for leaving off, but my comrades
said, "This is a fine fare, do not quit yet." So I
took a little more ; and thought it was a good meul,
without bread, hominy, or salt. ' ^

Their winter hunting-camps are much more com-
fortable, and the scenery more pleasant, than those
who have never seen them would imagine. They are
built of poles, closely laid together, by cutting a notch
in the upper part of the pole, and so laying the next
one into it, and then stopping all the cracks with
moss from the old logs. They are covered with bark,
a hole being left in the middle of the roof for the
smoke to go out at The fire is in the center, and
the beds are round three sides. These are raised
from the earth by laying short chunks of wood on
the ground, and covering them with bark laid length-
wise. On the bark is spread skins of some kiud.

296

LIFE AMONG TUB INDIANS.

and these are covered with blankets. The beds are
three feet wide, and serve also for seats. Tbeso
camps are always pitched in rich bottoms, where the
pasture is fine for horses, and water convenient.
Around them you will often find a flock of domestic
fowls, which are taken on horses from the towns for
tlie purpose of getting their eggs ; and to secure them
from the dogs, which generally swarm around an In-
dian camp, the Indian women make baskets of bark,
and drive down stakes into the ground, on which
they hang their baskets. Perhaps there will be half
a dozen on one stakv^, one above another; and from
them they gather large quantities of eggs.

The troughs in which they catch their sugar-water,
are made of bark, and hold about two gallons. They
have R large trough, made like a bark canoe, into
which they gather from the small ones. The women
make the sugar, and stretch all the skins. The men
trap and hunt.

One man will have, perhaps, three hundred raccoon
traps, scattered over a country ten miles in extent.
These traps are "dead falls," made of saplings, and
set over a log which lies across some branch or creek,
or that is by the edge of some pond or marshy place.
In the months of February and March the raccoons
travel much, and frequent tho ponds for the pur-
pose of catching frogs. When the raccoon has taken
a frog, he does not eat it immediately, but will carry
it to some clean water and wash it ; then lay it down
on the leaves, and roll it hither and thither with his

BEARS IN WINTER.

207

forc-feet, till it is entirely dead, and then lie feasta
on his prey.

The hunter generally gets round all his trups twice
a week, and hunts from one to the other. I have
known a huiter to take from his traps thirty rac-
coons in two days, and sometimes they take more
From three to six hundred is counted a good hunt
for one spring, besides the deer, turkeys, and bears.

The bears, at this time of the year, are generally
taken from the hollow trees or rocks, where they
have lain for a month or two. During the winter
these animals sleep, with little intermission, for three
months, and receive no nourishment, except what
they suck out of their paws. I have taken them out
of their holes, when there has been from one to two
gallons of clear oil in the intestines, and nothing
else that could be perceived by the naked eye. In
hunting bears at this season, the Indians search for
them in the hollow trees and rocks. When they find
a tree that looks likely to lodge a bear, they examine
the bark to see if one has gone up. If there are
fresh signs, and the scratches are not long, but just
sunk in, this is a good sign. But if there are long
marks made with the hind feet, it is supposed that
he hub been up and come down again. And if the
thing is doubtful, they cut a brush, and with it scrape
the tree on the side opposite the hole, and cry like
a young bear; and if there be one inside, he will
cither come and look out, or make a noise so as to
bo h^ard. If it is ascertained that there is one inside,

208

LIFE AMONO THE INDIANS.

then, in order to get him out, one climbs up a tree
that is convenient; or, if there is not such a one,
they cut one so as to lodge it near the hole. Then
he fastens a bunch of rotten wood to the end of a
pole, sets it on fire, and slips it off the end of his
pole into the hollow of the tree, where it soon sets
fire to the rotten wood. At first, the bear begins to
snuff and growl, and strike with his fore-feet, as if
he would put it out. But the fire, steady in its prog-
ress, soon routs him, and he comes out in great wrath.
By this time the Indian is down, and has taken the
most advantageous position with his rifle, and when
the bear is fairly out, he fires at him. If he does not
succeed at the first shot, his comrade fires, while he
reloads ; and so they keep up the fire till Bruin yields
up his life. ; '

These animals seldom have more than two young
ones at a time. The cubs are small at first, without
hair, blind, and exceedingly ugly. The dam is very
careful of them, and will fight desperately to protect
them, and is very dangerous when the cubs are either
taken or wounded. Young bears are easily tamed,
but they are very troublesome, and of no profit.
Their flesh is most delicious, and is found to be very
healthy, and easy of digestion. The oil of a bear,
fattened on beech-nuts, is the most diffusive and pen-
etrating of all oils. The Indians eat it till their skins
become as greasy as if it had been rubbed on ex-
ternally. It is preserved for summer use, by frying
it out, and putting it into a cured deer-skin, with the

JAMES WASHINGTON.

:299

ring
the

hair grained off when the skin is green. Dccr-mcat
is sliced thin, and dried over the fire, till it can be
easily pounded in a mortar. This, mixed with sugar,
and dipped in bear's oil, is the greatest luxury of an
Indian table. This, with corn parched in a kettle
and pounded to meal, then sifted through a bark
sieve, and mixed with sugar, makes the traveling
provision of an Indian in time of war.

But to return to my meeting. We arrived at the
hunting-camps on Friday morning. This night was
mostly spent in laboring Avith an Indian man, who
was of the heathen party, and a brother to An-daw-
yaw-wa, the chief of the Beaver tribe, and called by
the whites, James Washington. Brother Armstrong
commenced, and was soon aided by Between-the-
Logs, and the chief, his brother. Some matters were
occasionally referred to me, which I decided and ex-
plained. At length I lay down and fell asleep. I
awoke two or three times during the night, and found
them still at the controversy; and he yielded so far
as to make trial of prayer during the meeting.

Next morning you would have been pleased to hear
the voice of singing from mc>ny tents, and then the
fervent prayer of all for the presence and power of
God. Many came in this morning, and pitched their
tentfi. At 11 o'clock we commenced our worship, at
a fire kindled for that purpose, in the open air. 1
tried to preach, and Mononcue exhorted; and the
Lord was with us of a truth.

In the evening we had a congregation of about one

300

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

hundred and fifty. I took for my subject the narrow
and broad ways — the one that leads to life, and the
other to death. I showed that there were but two
places in the other world, to hold all people — the one
a place of punishment for the wicked, and the other
a place of happiness for all the good; the one was
hell, and the other heaven ; and that the broad way
led to hell, and the narrow way to heaven ; that the
broad way was just as wide as sin, and that all sinners
were walking in it; that a man might commit any
kind of sin, and still be in it ; that it led down hill,
and men went fast, and with some ease, because b
was agreeable to a wicked heart. But the road to
heaven was narrow; for it was restricted from sin,
and those that walk in it must forsake all sin, and
keep God's holy commandments ; and this would be a
great cross to the flesh, but that they would at last
reap the benefit of having served God. This dis-
course was much blessed, I have no doubt; and our
Indian exhorters made a firm and successful applica-
tion of it. We then called up the mourners, and had
a glorious time. Some that never before had prayed,
now came forward, and some professed to be con-
verted.

On Sabbath morning, as soon as breakfast was
over, we held our love-feast. This was a morning
never to be forgotten. Only a few had spol.en, till it
seemed as if every cup was full and running over.
Some wept ; some exhorted their wicked friends to flee
the wrath to come ; while others shouted, ** 0-ra-mah !

THE aOSPEL LEAVEN.

801

0-ra-mah! Ilo-mcn-de-zuo!" Glory! glory! bo to the
Great Spirit ! Some professed to be reclaimed, and
some converted to God.

At 11 o'clock I preached again, oil the kingdom
of Christ, and the power of his Gospel in ages past;
of the persecutions and triumphant death of the
righteous, and of the glory that would yet come.
This was, most of it, new to them, and deeply inter-
esting. Their souls were strengthened with mighii
in the inner man. Our night meeting I gave up to
brother Armstrong, and the Indian exhorters, and
they managed it in their own way. I believe it
lasted all night. In the morning I took several into
society; and at 11 o'clock they almost all went off to
their several hunting-camps.

This meeting was a great blessing. I made strict
inquiry how they attended to their duties in the
woods, such as family and private prayer, and es-
pecially how they spent the Sabbath? Whether on
that day they looked after their traps, or made
sugar, or gathered the water? But I found that
all their duties were most sacredly attended to; and
on the Sabbath, as many as could, came together,
and sung, and prayed, and held class meeting. I
remained a day longer, and then returned to my
Btation.

On our way to the mission we held a meeting in a
new settlement of whites, on Tyar ochte creek, in the
house of Mr. Carpenter. Here we had a good meet-
ing. These people seemed anxious to hear the word

mMPBIil

802

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

liii

of life. After I had tried to preach, brother Monon
cue gave an appropriate exhortation, which was inter-
preted by brother Armstrong. Mononcuc spoke of
the former wars and bloodshed that had taken place
between them. "But now," said he, "the scene is
changed. The scalping-knife and tomahawk are now
buried, not only in practice, but God has taken away
the disposition out of my heart, and I hope out of
yours also. Now you are my neighbors; I want to
live in love and peace, and to be helpers to one an-
other for both worlds, that we may live in our heav-
enly Father's house forever. But one thing must
be done, if this is the case. You, my friends, must
leave off bringing your water of death, [meaning
whisky,] and selling to my people, or we never can
live in peace, for wherever this comes, it brings fire
and death with it; and if you will still give or sell
it to Indians, it will take away all their senses; and
then, like a mad bear, they may turn round and kill
you, or some of your squaws and children ; or if you
should escape, they will go home, and be very apt to
kill a wife, a mother, or a child; for whenever this
mad water gets into a man, it makes murder boil in
his heart, and he, like the wolf, wants blood all the
time ; and I believe it makes you white people as bad
as it makes us Indians, and you would murder one
another as we do, only that you have laws that put
those people in jail, and sometimes hang them by
the neck, like a dog, till they are dead; and this
makes white people afraid. We have no such la'^s

BPEECH CONCLUDED.

803

yet ; bat I hope thnt by and by we shall have. But
I think they ought first to hang all people that make
and send this poison abroad, for they do all the mis-
chief. What good can it do to men to make and
send out poison to kill their friends? Why, this is
worse than our Indians, killing one another with knife
and tomahawk. If the white people would hang
them all up that make it and sell it, they would soon
leave it off", and then the world would have peace.

*• Now, my white friends, if you love us or your-
selves — if you love peace, I beg that you will not
sell these fire-waters to our poor people. They are
but children, many of them; and you know that a
child will just as soon take poison as food. God is
doing a great work for us at our town. Many of our
Indians are embracing religion, and striving to serve
the Great Spirit. Many of those that used to get
drunk, fight, quarrel, and murder, are now praying
people; and now, instead of the drunkard's song,
and yell, you can hear, in almost every cabin, the
sound of prayer going up to heaven. It makes my
heart glad. I hope many of you are praying people,
and striving to serve the same God, and going to the
same heaven. Go on, go on — aeraa-qua, seras-qua,"
said the noble chief, " I '11 meet you there." Then
holding out his hand to all that would meet him, some
came and took hold, weeping ; sinners trembled, and
God was in the word. This place was afterward
taken into Delawj,re circuit, and made a preaching-
place, and many souls were converted to God.

I I I ■l^p^'V^V^

304

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS.

III!

Illl

liliil

At (liflerent times in March and April, ull our
Indians got home from tlieir liunting-grounds. 1
now commenced laboring to bring all that would
join with the classes under proper government. I
had formed one at the Big Spring reservation, and
another at the mission house. This was the most
difficult thing I had yet undertaken. I used to spend
whole days in reading and expounding the Discipline
to the leaders and the stewards.

The official members were four exhorters, four
leaders, two to each class, and three stewards. When
they would get to understand a part of the Disci-
pline, they would communicate this part to their
classes. I was asked by one of them, one day, why
we white people had so many laws — a law for every
thing? Why can not we go along and do good with-
out laws? I told him that without law there was no
good or bad; that without law we could not know
when we were doing good or evil, but were left all
the time in the dark. How, said I, would we do
without the sun or the light of it? How could we
see in the dark ? " It would be very bad," said he.
" The sun points out all things around us, and helps
us against our enemies and dangers." The law, then,
is like the sun; it tells us what is right and what is
wrong; it shows us what we must do to be happy, or
if we do it not we must be miserable ; it makes the
road to heaven very plain. Although it is a narrow
way, yet it is made plain by the law; and all that
will may walk in it, and not stu nble or fall. How

PPPHHP

NECESSITY OP LAW.

805

would you know it wns wrong to get drunk and mur-
der if the law did not tell you so? How would you
know it was right to pray, and if you did pray, thnt
God would hear you and bless you, if the law did not
toll you 80? But suppose one steps out of the ron I
to heaven, and gets drunk, what must wo do? Why,
this Discipline tells us what to do with him, and all
others that sin against God. Wo must first try to
get them to repent and forsake sin altogether, and if
they will not, we must then turn them out, and let
them go with their old companions.

I tried to show them the reasons of law, and that
it was right, and the duty of a father to prevent his
children from running into danger, and to prevent
them from doing evil to others. And if they would
not take his counsel, it was his duty, for their good,
to correct them, and make them obey; and if they
were disposed to do injury to others, it was his duty
to restrain them and protect the innocent and weak
from being injured by them ; and that to feed a child,
and to correct it properly, came alike from the same
spirit of love : it was intended for good. Just so
God governed us out of love. lie forbade us to sin,
but would punish us for it if we committed it; and
if we would not forsake it, he would banish us to hell
forever.

When our official men became acquainted with their

duty, they were very punctual, and strict in watching

over one another. I recollect well, that, at the last

quarterly meeting we held this year, in the examina-

'^:>fi' 'r.V i'

806

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

•ill

I' !1

tion of characters, I called the name of one of the
chiefs, who was a leader, and asked if there was any
thing against him. One rose, and said, " I heard that
he cut wood on Sabhath evening." He answered,
"Yes, I did, on one occasion; but it was last winter,
and it was exceedingly cold, and I thought I must
freeze or cut wood, and I chose the latter; but I do
not think there was much harm in that." I then
asked him where he was the day before the Sabbath.
He spid he was abroad. I asked him if his business
was not such that he could have been at home if he
had tried. " yes," said he, " it was not very press-
ing.^' I then said, I think your neglect on Saturday
made you break the Sabbath. You ought to recollect
the Sabbath is the Lord's day entirely, and he has
commanded us not to do our own work. He then
said, " I will remember this, and do so no more."

The next was accused with having sold a pound of
sugar on the Sabbath. He confessed the charge to
be true; but said that he had forgotten entirely that
it was the Sabbath, and he would do so no more.

Another was accused of neglecting his class as a
leader; that he spent too much of his time in the
woods hunting, and neglected his work ; that ho was
too worldly to lead people in the way to God; that
a leader ought always to keep his eyes fixed on God
and the road to heaven, and walk in it, for if he
stepped out of the way, his flock would all follow
him — then he must look to his feet.

Another was accused of being too dirty in hi&

PLAIN TALK.

807

dotliing. "Look at his shirt," said his accuser, "it
looks as if it had never been washed. Now, if I
know any thing about religion it is a cleafi thing. It
certainly has made our women more particular, and
nice in their persons. They now work, and clean
themselves and their houses, and all looks as if re-
ligion had been at that house. And if religion
cleanses the inside, will it not the outside? That
brother is too dirty to be a leader of a clean religion.
Look at his head — it has not been combed, nor his
face washed. I give it as my opinion, if that brother
does not mend in this he must be no longer a leader.
We must set some better example before our people."
The aocused rose and said that he had no wife, and
that he was a poor hand to wash, and could not get
it done; but hoped to do some better. His accuser
said, '• Your want of a wife is no excuse. We have
women enough in our nation that have no husbands,
and feel themselves lost for want of a head. They
would marry if asked, and will make wives good
enough for any of us; but some of our men are
afraid to get Avives now; they can not throw them
away when they please, but must now stick to them.
Our women do not now cultivato our corn, cut our
wood, and do all our work as they used to do. This
falls on ourselves; and I am afraid there are some
who are too lazy to provide for their wives, and would
raihci live dirty, and lounge about other people's
houses, than to work a little." This was a word in
ecason, and had the desired effect; for io a week Jr

308

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

two I was called on to marry my old brother; and
afterward he appeared like a man that had a wife.

Throua;h the spring our religious prospects im-
proved; the nation became much more attentive to
hear the word; our leaders and exhorters grew in
grace, and became better acquainted with the plan
of salvation. . ,

The heathen party made every exertion, however,
to keep up their old Indian religion, and were much
encouraged to do so by the counsel of the wicked
traders and venders of spiritous liquors. Many
things were circulate<l among them unfavorable to
religion, the Bible, and to ministers. The heathen
party were encouraged to drink, and all ad\»antages
were taken of their intoxication to cheat them out
of their property. Great exertions were made by
them to put down those chiefs, and their influence,
that had embraced religion; but this was not ^ isily
done. At len^^h they made use of stratagem for
that purpose, an^' no doubt they were induced so to
do by designing white men. It was stated to our
chiefs that, as they had now become religious and
preachers, it was Avrong for them to hold civil offices:
and that, as they hud now tngr.ged in a new business,
of a holy nature, they ought to give Ihem up.

Some time in June we went, and many of the In-
dians with us, to a <:ji.mp meeting on Delaware circuit,
held by the Rev. G. 11. Jones and others. On the
second day of this meeting, the Indian chiefs, Be-
twcen-the-Logs, Mononcuc, and Hicks, took me imp

&hf{'

JUDICIOUS INSTRUCTION.

309

the woods, and, by the interpreter, asked my advice
on the subject; whether it was incompatible with a
religious life, and the life of an exhorter, to hold a
civil office. I told them it was tho good men who
ought to hold office, for it was the man that feared
God, only, that was likely to be governed by proper
motives in this great work; that the greatest chief
we ever had in America — Washington^ — \:as a good
man; and that the first governor of our state — Dr.
Tiffin — was a Methodist preacher; and the world had
always done best under good kings and governors.
They then asked me if it was right for them to be
chiefs and exhortcrs too. I told them it was; and
asked, "What will now become of this nation, and
your school and mission, if you give up your au-
thority into the hands of the savage party? Will
not drunkenness abound, and your nation go into
ruin? You have hard work, with all your authority
and wisdom, to get along now; and what will it be
if you give it up? Wicked white men will manage
and govern your wicked Indians, for they will go
together, and you will soon be driven from your
homes." They said they plainly saw it; but were
told that, as religious men, they must lay down the
one when they took up the other. I told them it was
a trick of some wicked men to get the power out
of their hands; that they must do as they pleased,
but that they should by no means think of giving
ap their place as chiefs in the nation. After coun-
iclin|: with one another, they sent me word that they

"^JP^W

^^^mmm^

111

Ulm

! i

310

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

would hold on, and relinquish none of their rights
and prerogatives.

This camp meeting was a good one. Some of the
sava:^e party were convinced and converted, and nine
of them joined society. The Sabbath following was
quarterly meeting at ihe mission. The Sun of right-
eousness rose upon us, with healing in his wings
We met on Saturday, about noOi\ Some had col-
lected, and encamped on the ground. We commenced
by preaching, and afterward a prayer meeting was
held. By the time of the evening meeting, our com-
pany had increased to several hundreds. This was
a solemn and impressive scene. The tents were
stretched around to the number of sixty or seventy.
The dim light of the Indian fires; and tinkling of
the numerous horse-bells — for almost every Indian
has a horse, and every horse a bell — the horses feed-
ing on the blue grass plain ; the candles fixed on
sticks stuck in the ground; the light reflecting from
the green boughs that hung over us; the soft and
mellow voices of three or four hundred Indians, rising
and seemingly filling the blue vault with heavenly
echoes; and the grove made vocal with the praises
of the Great Spirit, formed a scene delightfully in
teresting and sublime. Here the red men prostrated
themselves, and, in fervent prayer to God, called for
mercy, in the name of "Shasus" — Jesus — while oth-
ers, with hearts filled with penitential sorrow, cried
with loud voices, " Ta-men-tare, ta-men-tare ! Ho-men-
de-zue !" (Take pity on us, take pity on us, Great

b?'A '

THE DESERT BLOSSOMS.

811

Spirit!) After preaching an exhortation was given,
when we called up mourners, and many came whose
faces v/ere suffused with tears. This meeting lasted
nearly all night. On Sabbath morning was our love-
feast, which commenced with great solemnity and
fervent prayer. After the bread and water were
distributed, we commenced speaking of the goodness
of God; and I am sure this scene can not be de-
scribed. Here I fully realized the saying of the
prophet Isaiah, xxxv, 1, 2, ''The wilderness and the
solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert
shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blos-
som abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and sing-
ing." The red men and women rose in quick suc-
cession, and told of the grace of God, through Christ
Jesus, in their awakening and conversion to God, till
we were overwhelmed with his goodness, and all
united in giving glory to God in the highest. After
a little respite, a sermon was delivered on the sub-
ject of the sacrament, as an institution to be ob-
served by the disciples of Christ. Then we proceeded
to the administration of the Lord's supper. The
humble believer felt he had not followed cunningly-
devised fables, but ^^hat the Gospel and its ordinances
are the power of God to all that believe in Christ.
Here many that were enemies to the cross of Christ,
by wicked works, stood amazed and trembled, wept
and cried for mercy, while others shouted for joy.

This scene is properly represented by Ezra iii, 12,
13, "Tboy wept with a loud voice, and many shouted

3112

LIFE AMONG THE l^DtAt/tS.

aloud for joy; so that the people could not discern
the noise of the shout of joy from the noise of the
weeping of the people: for the people shouted with
a loud shout, and the noise was heard afar ofi." A
number were converted and joined the Church. This
quarterly meeting was the beginning of good times
in this nation.

The Sabbath following wc had our meeting at the
Big Spring, and many went from the great reserva-
tion. As we were riding through a low swampy piece
of road, we saw an Indian woman riding alone before
us, wrapped up in her blanket. She was seeking
religion, and praying as she rode along. All at once
she let go the bridle, and began to clap her hands and
shout, "0-ra-mah, o-ra-mah! Ho-men-de-zue !" (Glory,
glory, to the Great Spirit!) Her horse set off on
a gallop, but she paid no attention to it. One of our
company rede after her, overtook her, and stopped
ht/ horse ; and when we came up we had a joyful time.

This meeting was excelled by none that we ever
had. It seemed as if all came together in a spirit of
prayer; and such a travail of soul for the conversion
of sinners, I have seldom if ever seen; for we had
not been more than an hour upon our knees, till the
Holy Ghost fell upon us. Sinners fell — mourners
were converted — parents and children, husbands and
wives, embraced each other, and gave praise to God,
who, by sending his servants and Gospel among them,
had delivered them from the power of darkness, and
translate4 them into the kingdom of his dear Son.

SCHOOtS— EOILblNii.

51 .'i

Through the course of this year I baptized a nuin
her of adults, and many chihlren. I also joined
many of them in matrimony, some of Avliom had
children and grandchildren; and among the Chris-
tian party a general disposition prevailed to comply
with all the institutions of the Gospel.

It was impossible for us to do much in the school
this year, for the want of proper buildings. We
took into our family six children, whom we kept and
taught through the winter; and when spring came,
we took a few more — in all ten. They were taught
by sister Stubbs, who had volunteered to leave her
comfortable home, and go with us to the wilderness.
She taught them sometimes in the house, and some-
times in a bower, or in the woods, under the shade
of the trees. Brother Stewart also taught a small
school of twelve scholars, at the Uig Spring, through
the winter. All these children uade good progress
in learning. The old people were much pleased ; and
though our success was doubted by some, at the com-
mencement of this work, I now found that we could
have as many as could be accommodated.

In the mean time, we were not inattentive to the
improvement of the farm. Arrangements were made
to build a double house, forty-eight feet long, by
thirty-two feet wide, including the porches. The
materials for this building brother Rijey and myself
prepared through the winter; and by spring we had
all ready on the ground, except lime. We commenced
putting up the building, and by the last of July it

314

LIFE AMOyG THE 1XI;1ANS.

liiin

was nearly finished. We now prepared to burn lime ;
and in this work I labored too hard, frequently hav-
ing to pull off my shirt, and wring the sweat out of
it. Here I laid the foundation v/f much future suf-
fering. On the 14th of July, the day I was forty
years old, I was taken sick, for the first time in my
life.

My wife was taken sick the next day, with the
same complaint, and no physician was near to pre-
scribe for us, nor scarcely any medicine wherewith
to relieve ourselves. There were_but two girls and
brother Riley to take care of us. For two weeks I
lay in this situation ; and I do not believe my fever
abated in the least degree. It was expected we
should both die: and my dear wife was speechless for
some time. One of the girls said to me, " Your wife
is dying." I rose from the bed to take my farewell.
Some of the Indians were standing at the door. I
«aid to her, "Are you happy in God? Do you feel
that you are near your home? I expect to follow
you in a day or two ; and then, glory be to God, we
shall cease from our labors, and our souls will be at
rest." I saw, by her eyes and countenance, that her
soul was happy. The big tears rolled down her pale
and death-like cheeks. At length the love of God
in her soul so overcame the weakness of her body,
that she began to whisper, "Glory! Glory!" She
spoke louder and louder, till you could have heard
her ten rods. We all caught the fire, and I too
shoated aloud. Brother Riley, the girls, and the

RECOVERY — St E WART.

315

Indians, came in, and brother Gray-Eyes ran and fell
down at the bedside, and shouted, "Glory to God!"

what a heaven we had liere in the midst of our
sickness! I felt that if it had been the will of God,

1 should like to die.

From this time my wife began to mend a little,
but my fever continued. At midnight I called up
brother Riley, and requested him to go to the spring,
and bring me two buckets of cold water. This he
did, and I got him to pour them slowly upon me, and
then to Avet a sheet and put it on my head, and pour
cold water on it plentifully. This application, with
the blessing of God, was the first thing that gave me
relief, and cooled my fever. The next day Dr. Sabin
came from Urban a, and most affectionately waited on
us several djiys. But it was a long time — not till
some time in the fall — before we fully recovered.

Stewart was my colleague in this work, all this
year; and although he was deeply afflicted, yet he
did what he could. Some of the wicked Avhites had
prevailed on the Indians, the fall I was appointed to
the mission, to turn him away, and not to have hira
as their preacher. They said that as he was a colored
man, the whites would not have him preach for thew,
although they considered him good enough to teach
Indians; and that it was a degradation to the natiou
to have a colored man for their preacher. And,
indeed, they had nearly o-one so far as to discharge
him in form. But when I came I told them it would
D^ver do. He was their first teacher, and all good

810

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

white men would look upoTi them as ungrateful; nml
further, that John Stewart had been appointed to
help me, and if they sent him away, they must send
me also. I heard no more of this; but it seemed as
if the devil and his agents could not be quiet.

The next report that was put in circulation was,
that we had come and entered into Stewart's labors,
and had thrown him off without any support. Noth-
ing was ever more false. The first appropriation that
was made to brother Stewart, was money to purchase
a horse, and to pay for clothing he had bought. This
was made in 1820, besides which he received many
presents from friends in and about Urbana. lie
married that yesir a woman of his own color, and
wished to have a place of his own. The venerable
Bishop M'Kcndree, of blessed memory, collected one
hundred dollars, to purchase a fraction of land ad-
joining the Indian reservation, of upward of sixty
acres, on which there were some improvements made
by the Indians. This money was remitted to me, and
was paid for Stewart's land; so that the patent was
obtained in his own name.

Thus, through the Bishop and his friends, John
had, in the spring of 1821, a good farm given to
him; and I was ordered, by Bishop M'Kendree, to
furnish his family with provisions, which I did, when
I could get them for myself; and so I continued to
do, as much as he would take. I mention this to
show the world that the statement was unfounded.
On this place John Stewart resided till he died; an 1

CHIEFS AT THE CONFERENCE.

817

then his wife and brother sold it, and appropriated
the money to their own use.

As soon as the health of my wife would admit, wo
started for the settlement; and after much and deep
affliction, we reached Urbana, an'^ were kindly re-
ceived by our friends, brother P'^ynolds and wife, and
many others. This year our annual conference was
held in the town of Marietta. Three of our chiefs
were appointed, by the quarterly meeting conference,
to attend the annual conference, and they were con-
ducted there by Jacob Hooper. It was with great
difficulty that I reached it; and had it not been for
the kindness of brothers A. W. Elliott, Wright, and
Strange, I could not have proceeded. They once
took me out of the carriage, and laid me on the
ground to die. Brother Elliott took off his hat, and
brought me a little water from a small stream, to
cool my parched mouth ; and my good brother Wright
staid and conveyed me to the place where confer-
ence met.

Three chiefs, as above stated, and an interpreter —
William Walker, jr, — attended the conference, held
August, 1822. The following is the address of Be-
tween-the-Logs, followed by those of Hicks and Mo-
noncue, as delivered to the conference, interpreted
by the interpreter, and taken down as uttered, by
Kev. Cornelius Springer, secretary of the conference:

"Brothers, we have all met here in peaceful times,
and feel happy to see you all well ; and your business
seems to go on in good order and peace. This being

■■'..y-H''^.'.'- ■"■

lippM

818

LIFE AMONG Tll£ INDIANS.

, :l 1

the day appointed to hear us spcuk on th& subject of
our school and mission, which you have establishe<l
among us, we think it proper to let you know that
when our father, the President, sent to us to buy our
land, and we all met at Fort Meigs, that it was pro-
posed that we should have a school among us, to
teach our children to read; and many of the chiefs
of our nation agreed that it was right, and that it
was a subject on which we ought to think. To this,
after consulting, we all consented. But Government
has not yet sent us a teacher. Brothers, you have,
and we are glad and thankful the mission and school
are in a prosperous way, and we think will do us
much good to come. Many ministers of the Gospel
have come to us in our land, who seemed to love us
dearly, and oflfcred to send us ministers and teachers
to establish missions and schools among us ; but wo
always refused, expecting Government would send us
some, which they promised to do, and which was most
consistent with the wishes of our chiefs. But when
you sent us our first brother to preach, we were
pleased, and listened with attention. Then when you
sent us our good brother Finley, we rejoiced, for we
all thought he was a good man, and loved our nation
and children, and was alwavs ready to do us good:
and when he moved out, all our chiefs received him
with joy, and our people were all very glad. Broth-
ers, we are sorry to tell you that it is not so now.
Since that time some of the chiefs have withdrawn
their warm love, and this influences others to do so

ADDRESS OF BETWEEN-TIIE-LOOS. 819

100. Brothers, they have not done as well as we
expected, and we feel astonished at the conduct of
our chiefs — they have backslidden. But there are
some of us yet in favor of this mission, if the rest
have gone backward; and we still wish to have the
mission continued, and school abo. Though the
chiefs have mostly left us, yet there are four faithf'd
ones among us, [Between-the-Logs, Hicks, Monon-
cue, and Peacock.] Brothers, we know the cause
why they have withdrawn. It was the words of the
Gospel. Brothers, it is too sharp for them — it cuts
too close. It cuts all the limbs of sin from the body,
and they don't like it; but we [meaning the other
four] are willing to have all the limbs of sin cut from
our bodies, and live holy. We want the mission and
school to go on, and we believe that the great God
will not suffer them to fall through; for, brothers,
he is very strong, and this, brothers, is our great joy.
The wicked that do not like Jesus, raise up their
hands, and do all they can to discourage and destroy
the love of the little handful; and with their hands
they cover over the roots of wickedness. But, broth-
ers, they may do all they can to stop it — the work will
go on and prosper, for the great God Almighty holds
it up with his hand. When you placed Mr. Finley
among us, in our own country, we rejoiced; and we
have been much pleased with his living among us
ever since. He is a plain man. lie does not flatter
our people. lie preaches plain truth. He says to
them, this is the way to life, and this is the way to

Ij!

,j In

320

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

damnation. Brothers, we suppose this is the reason
why some have turned enemies to our brother; but
he pleases all those Avho are willing to serve God,
and love his ways; therefore, we have nothing to fear
concerning the mission and school. They are built
on a solid rock, and look like prospering. For our
parts, we have no learning, and we are now getting
old, and it is hardly worth our while to trouble our-
selves about learning now; but we want very much
our children learned, and we hope our school and
mission will do great good for them."

Here Between-the-Logs stopped, and John Hicks
arose and said, " Brothers, I feel great thanks toward
our heavenly Father, for keeping us and bringing us
here. Not long ago one of my brethren asked me
my opinion of the school. I told him I would send
all my children, for this reason : Not a great while
ago, I stood in darkness, and knew but little of God,
and all that I did know was dark ; so that I could not
see clear. But I heard our brethren preach out of
the good Book of God. This word >^.iked up my
mind, and cut my heart. Brothers, it brought me
to pray, aud seek, and love the great God of heaven
and his way. This is the reason I want my children
to learn to read the great Book of God, and under-
stand it, and get religion, that they may be happy in
this world and the next. Brothers, I don't want to
be long on the subject, but will let you know that I
am of the same opinion with my brother that spoke
before me, with respect to our brother Finley. I

SPEECH OF MONONCUE.

821

hope you will still continue him with us. lie has
done us much good. IJe has been the means of con-
verting souls; so that many bad men have become
good men, and very wicked sinners have turned to
the Lord, and now keep his good words. May the
Great Spirit keep him among us, and greatly bless
his labors!"

Then he took hia seat, and brother Mononcue spoke
as follows: "Brothers, I have not much to say. You
see us all three here to-day, in health and peace, for
which we are very thankful to God. You will not
expect much from me on the subject of the mission
and school, as my brothers have spoken before me
ail that is necessary. I wish just to say, we want
our brother Finley still to live among us. For my
part, last year I expected he would come among us,
and it turned out so, and I was very glad, and I am
Btill much pleased with him. The conference made
a good choice — it was our choice — and the good
Spirit was pleased to give it to us. lie has a par-
ticular manner of teaching and preaching to us,
diiferent from other teachers "ho have been anions:
us; and God owns and blesses his labors. May ho
still go on and prosper! We want him among us
still. I know that the words that he speaks are of
God. When he preaches, I feel his truth in my
heart — in my soul. 0, brothers ! it makes my soul
happy. All of us Avant him with us. His life among
us is very useful, because it is straight. He was

very industrious all the time he has been with us,

-*1

•mm

322

LIFE AMOiTG I HE INDIANS.

and learns our people to work; and since he haa
left us, we have been lost, though it has been but
a few days. We have felt as if our oldest brother
was taken from us, and the place where he lived all
looked sorry. But what feelings of joy did we feel
in our hearts when we met our brother at this place,
and took him by the hand ! We thank the almighty
God who has spared our brother. The great objec-
tion that our chiefs have against our brother Finley
is : A colored man that preached to us used to feed
them on milk. This they liked very well; but our
brother Finley fed them on meat. ThiH was too strong
for them, and so they will not eal.. But those that
want to love God and his ways, co'ild eat both milk
and meat. It does well with us, and we feel always
hungry for more." After requesting the conference
to employ a steady interpreter for the use of the
school and Gospel, he sat down.

Bishop M'Kendree replied in substance as follows:
"We are glad — we are exceedingly joyful, to see
this day; for we have long been anxious to see the
time when our red brethren of the west would em-
brace religion. Our joy is abundantly increased
when we see you face to face, and hear tLo Gqspel
from vour own mouths. We are well disposed toward
you. In us you have real friends; and you may
be well assured that our kindness will be continued.
We v'iil make every exertion possible to educate and
instruct your children. These men [alluding to the
conference] are not the only friends you have. You

ADDRESS CONCLUDED.

323

f the

hav^e many throughout the country in general. In
the great cities the white people feel for their red
brethren, ond are forming societies to send them
help. The Great Spirit has come, not only on the
old men, but also on the little children. In Balti
more there is a society formed for the purpose of
sending help to educate your children. If you will
stand by us we will stand by you. We will unite with
you in prayer for your success, and for the conver-
sion of your brethren who have backslidden and left
you; and if you continue faithful, God will convince
tbem, and they will return tj you again. But in all
this let us look up to God for success."

324

LIFE AMOJfG THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER XII.

VISIT TO NEIGHBORING TRIBES.

The conference for 1822 was held in August, at
Marietta. Such was the state of my own health and
that of my wife, that it was doubtful whether we
could return to tho ion. I was, therefore, ap-

pointed to the Lebanon uistrict, and also made super-
intendent of the mission. The understanding was,
that if my health was recovered, I should be released
from the district, and return to the mission.

In the mean time, Rev. Charles Elliott was ap-
pointed missionary, and also to take charge of the
school. He arrived at the mission house on the
1st of October, and immediately entered upon his
labors. The school iucreased rapidly, and soon be-
came so large that it became necessary to employ a
male and female teacher. Accordingly, the services
of William Walker, who belonged to the nation, and
could speak the language, and of sister Lydia Bar-
stow, were secured. I also raised a supply of cloth-
ing for the children, enough to make them comfort-
able till spring.

This winter the work of God commenced in the
mission family, and many of the children embraced
religion. It was not unusual for them, in the evening,

INTER ESTINO MEETIN(iS.

325

to sing and pray together, and sometimes they would
meet each other in chass meeting. Before they lay
down to sleep I have stood in the evening, a^nd heard
them m the bushes at secret prayer, and so much
engaged that they would break into shouts. First
one, and then another, would go and join in singing;
and others collecting together with them, they would
have a prayer meeting. Sister Barstow was well
calculated to watch over and teach them in their
spiritual interests, and frequently held prayer and
class meetings with them. Wm. Walker, the teacher,
sought and found the Lord, and became very zealous
in the cause. We formed a class at the mission
house of the children, boys and girls, and. appointed
him leader. While God thus blessed us at home, the
work spread through the nation, and our meetings
were almost every one crowned with the conversion
of souls, so that the society grew from sixty-five to
upward of two hundred.

* Circumstances made it necessary for me to leave
the district, and stay all the time at the mission. To
supply its wants, brother Elliott spent much of his
time in making collections abroad.

The prosperity of the Church excited a great op-
position in the heathen party, so that we had some
long combats on the subject of religion. Bloody-
Eyes, the brother of Betwecn-the-Logs, went to his
brother's house one day to kill him for departing
from their Indian religion. He seized him by the
hair, and stood with his tomahawk drawn, while Be*

mfmmmm

826

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS.

twccii-the-Logs said, " Brother, have I done you any
harm? Am I not as kind to you as ever I was? If
you will kill me for loving you and my God, you may,
but I will not hurt you; and I know if you do kill
nre, I shall go straight to heaven, for I feel the love
of God now in my soul." This caused Bloody-Eyes
to desist, saying, "I will give you one year to think
and turn back ;" and so he left him. Some time after
this Between-the-Logs sent for me one evening. I
went, and, to my surprise, found there his brother,
Bloody-Eyes, the interpreter, and another person.
After supper, and a sm';ke of the pipe of peace, he
commenced on the subject of religion, and soon got
the old man and myself engaged in a conversation
which lasted till nine o'clock next day. He agreed
that he would try and reform his life, and seek the
salvation of his soul. This he did, joined society,
and died afterward in great peace.

The head chief, De-un-quot, and his party, at one
time, came on Sabbath to the council-house, where
we held our meetings, dressed up and painted in real
savage Indian style, with their head bands filled with
silver bobs, their head-dress consisting of feathers
and painted horse hair. The chief had a half moon
of silver on his neck before, and several hangings on
his back. He had nose-jewels and earrings, and
many bands of silver on his arms and legs. Around
bis apkles hung many buck-hoofs, to rattle when he
walked. His party were dressed in a similar style.
The likenesses of animals were painted on their

DISCOURSE TO THE HEATHEN. 327

breasts and backs, and snakes on their arms. Wlion
he came in, he addressed the congregation in Indian
style, with a polite compliment; and then taking his
seat, struck fire, took out his pipe, lighted it, and
commenced smoking. Others of his party followed
his example. I knew this was done by way of op-
position, and designed as an insult. Soon after I
took my text — John v, 16: "Wilt thou be made
whole?" I spoke of the diseases of man's soul, and
showed from history the injustice of one nation to
another; the treatment of the white people to the
natives of North and South America; the conduct
of man to his brother, and his abuse of himself, his
drunkenness and degradation. I then told them that
all the good we have comes from God, and that he
would make us happy; but that we, from the bad-
ness of our hearts, use these blessings to our own
hurt; and that all evil proceeds out of the heart:
therefore, all our hearts must be evil, and that con-
tinually; that we are proud, and of this we have an
example before us, in our grandfather, the head chief.
Surely these things can do him no good, but to feed
a proud heart. They will not warm his body when
cold, nor feed him when he is hungry.

As soon as I sat down, he arose with all the dig-
nity of an Indian, and spoke as follows : " My friends,
this is a pretty day, and your faces all look pleas-
antly. I thank the Great Spirit that he has per-
mitted us to meet. I have listened to your preacher.
He has said some things that arc good, but they have

a28

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

notliing to do with us: we arc Indians, and belong to
tlie red man's God. That Book was made by the
white man's God, and suitb them. They can read it;
we can not; and what he has said, Avill do for white
men, but with us it has nothing to do. Once, in the
days of our grandfathers, many years ago, this white
man's God came himself to this country and claimed
us. But our God met him somewhere near the great
mountains, and they disputed about the right to this
country. At last they agreed to settle this question
by trying their power to remove a mountain. The
white man's God got doAvn on his knees, opened a big
Book, and began to pray and talk, but the mountain
stood fast. Then the red man's God took his magic
wand, and began to pow-wow, and beat the turtle-
shell, and the mountain trembled, shook, and stood
by him. The white man's God got frightened, and
ran off, and we have not heard of him since, unless
he has sent these men to see what they can do."
All the time he was speaking, the heathen party were
0*1 tiptoe, and often responded, saying, " Tough gon-
dee^' that is, true or rigid; and seemed to think they
had won the victory.

As soon as he sat down, I arose and said, "Our
grandfather is a great man — he is an able warrior, a
great hunter, and a good chief in many things; and
in all this I am his son. But when it comes to mat-
ters of religion, he is my son, and I am his father.
He has told ua- a long and queer story. I wonder
where he obtained it? He may have dreamed it, or

PINLKY ANSWERS DE-UN-QUOT. 820

they

"Our

rior, a

, and

mat-

tather.

londer
it, or

he has lieard some drmikcn Indian tell it; for you
know that drunkards always see great siglits, and
have many revehitions, wliich sober men never liave.'
(Here my old friend, Mononcue, said, " Tough gon-
dee.'^) "But my friend, the head chief, is niistaken
about his gods; for if it requires a god for every
color, there must be many more gods. This man is
black — pointing to Pointer — I am white, and you are
red. Who made the bh.ck man? where is his God?
This book tells you and me that there is but one God.
ftnd that he made all things, and all nations of the
earth of o)ie bloody to dwell together; and a strong
evidence is, that the difference of color is no obstacle
to generation. God has diversified the color of the
plants. Go to the plains and see how varied they
are in their appearance. Look at the beasts; they
are of all colors. So it is with men. God has given
them all shades of color, from the jet black to the
snow white. Then your being a red man, and I a
white man, is no argument at all that there are two
Gods. And I again say, that this book is true in
•what it states of man having a bad heart, and being
wicked; and that my friend has a proud heart, is
evident from his dress, and painting himself. God
made me white, and that man black. We are con-
tented. But my friend does not think the Great
Spirit has made him pretty enough — he must put
on his paint to make himself look better. This is
u plain proof that he is a proud man, and has an

evil heart." Seeing that the chief was angry, I said,

830

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

^'My grandfatlier will not get angry at his son foi
telling him the truth, but he might if I had told bim
a lie."

He then rose, considerably excited, saying, *'l am
not angry; but you can not show in all youi book
where an Indian is forbid to paint. You may find
where white people are forbid, but you can not show
where an Indian is." I then arose, and read from the
third chapter of Isaiah, at the sixteenth verse, and
told him that these people were not white men, as
the Americans, and yet were forbidden to use those
foolish ornaments. He arose and said I had not read
it right. I then handed the book to one of the Mr.
Walkers, and he read and interpreted it, so that the
old man was at last confounded, and said no more.

Then Between-the-Logs rose, and said, " I am glad
that this day has come, and we have all heard for
ourselves." Then turning to the head chief, he ad-
dressed him thus: "You ought to examine your re-
ligion well, and see that it be true ; for if you are
lost, you will take with you all these men, and many
others. The strength and truth of religion are known
by its fruits. Has your religion made you better
men? I know the strength of both. I followed
yours to the end, and it never did me any good; but
I still was a bad man, with a bad heart. I have tried
the religion of this book. I have prayed to God
as it told me, and he has answered me from heaven,
and n.ade my heart better. I have ceased getting
drunk, and laid aside all other bad practices; and

DEATH OP DE-UN-QUOT.

now I have peace. I will make a bargain witli you,
this day. You go on your own way, and take all
that company with you; and, if you are all lost, you
shall bear the whole blame and punishment; and I
will take these, [pointing to the Christian party,]
and if they will walk according to this book, I will
take the blame and punishment if they arc lost."
But De-nn-quot said, "No, I am the head of the
nation, and the head ought to be believed. With
these arms I can take hold of both parties, and try
to keep you both steady."

This ended the controversv, and I believe I was
never again attacked in public. But on one occa-
sion, when there was a great and good work, and
several had joined society, the head chief said, "This
religion may go into all the houses on this reserva-
tion, but into mine it shall not come." In less than
a year the old man was called away by death. A
short time after Between-the-Logs, at a meeting,
called the attention of the congregation to what De-
un-quot had said. Said he, "God has taken him
out of the door, and now let his wife and children
take in Christ. He has taken Winnetauke, and oth-
ers, that stood in the door, and he will soon take
away all that stand in the door; for you might as
well stop the roaring thunder-storm, by lifting up
your hand, as to stop this religion. God has said
it shall go unto all nations; and who can overcome
God? None." The head chief 's wife then came for-
ward, joined the Church, and asked them to come

nn2

M K K A M N 11 T II K I M) I A N fi .

til ',

ninl lioM prayer meeting]; nt licr liouso. So tlie Lord
got into tlic liead fliit'f's house, and lii.s family em-
braced religion. Header, are you standing in the
door? Take care that you are not taken out of it,
to admit the Lord into your family. . .

We had some difficulties arising from the admin-
istration of Discipline. It was a hard task for the
Indians to learn the reason for, and the object to be
obtained by a wholesome government. Here I will
relate a case. Charges were brought against Be-
tween-the-Logs for the non-payment of a debt, con-
tracted with an Indian trader some years before.
The circumstances were these: Between-the-Loga
took between three and four hundred raccoon-skins
to market, and went to a trader to sell them. The
trader offered twenty-five cents per skin, part in
goods and part in money. Between-the-Logs refused
it, saying he must have fifty cents. The trader said
that the price of raccoon-skins had fallen, and none
.were giving more than twenty-five cents. After much
persuasion, and declaring that ho had told him the
truth, the trader ofi'ered, in addition to the twenty-
five cents, a small premium, so that he obtained the
old man's winter hunting at that price. Betwcen-
the-Logs then went to another trader, who asked
him what he had done with his winter's skins? To
this he replied, that he had sold them to Mr. — — .
*' How much," said the trader, " did you get for
them?" "Twenty-five cents," said Between-the-Logs,
** half in cash and the rest in goods." " Well," said

THE FALSE TRADEK.

333

the trader, "if you had come to inc, I would have
given you fifty cents; for skins here bear a good
price this year."

From this phice Between-the-Logs went to Urhana;
and, on inquiring, ascertained tliat he had been de-
ceived both in the price of the skins and of the goods
also; for the goods were much dearer than he could
have purchased them in Urbana. This raised his
Indian temper. But while he remained at Urbana,
the trader, to whom ho had sold his skins, came with
a wagon-load of fur to get more dry goods. "Now,'*
said Between-the-Logs, "I will trap him, if I can."
He wanted saddlery; and, as he requested the trader
to go his security, which he readily did, Between-the-
Logs purchased, on his credit, the amount out of
which he had cheated him. He then said, "You have
set your trap and caught me; now I have caught
you in mine, and we are even." When the sad-
dler called for his money, the trader had to pay
it. Between-the-Logs refused to pay the trader, say-
ing, " You have cheated me by lying, and I have now
caught you." This trader complained of Between-
the-Logs to the other Christian chiefs, and they would
not rest, for they thought it a disgrace to religion.
I, therefore, called a committee, and the trial com-
menced.

This produced great excitement. To try an Indian
chief was an unheard-of thing. I labored all night
to convince him that he must not do evil that good
might come by it; for, said I, if my neighbor does

m:.i

iiiii

384

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS,

wrong, I must not do wrong to match him. But he
insisted that, on the principles of sheer justice to
himself and his family, he had done no wrong ; that
the trader had put his hand into his pocket, and all
he had done was to put his hand into the trader's
pocket, and take his own back. He could see no
crime in that. As the trader had got his money,
he was not the sufferer, and iie thought it was just.
I then labored to persuade him to compromise the
matter; but he said he would have nothing to do with
the man, for he was a notorious chcjit. But he would
make a proposition to his accusers, if they would
accept of it. He said he would be perfectly satis-
fied to leave the whole business to me. He said,
furthermore, that he had a steer, which I might take
and do with it in the case as I thought best and right ;
for he was confident that I knew more about the
principles of justice between man and man than he
<!' \ But his mind was fixed, and he thought it would
never alter. So all the parties agreed to leave it to
me. With the 'steer I paid the trader, and so the
thing was adjusted.

In July I visited some of the neighboring tribes,
in company with Between-the-Logs, Mononcue, John
Hicks, with Jonathan Pointer for interpreter. The
rivers and creeks were very full, and, in the very
outset, we had to swim our horses over the Sandusky
river. We, ourselves, however, crossed in a canoe.

After we had caught our animals, and adjusted our
baggage, we set out, cheerfully conversing on the sub-

METHODISM AND CALVINISM.

335

,'ery
iskv

ject of religion. I was asked by Mononcue wherein
the Presbyterians and Methodists differed in their
views of religion. I told him the priiir/pal difference
was briefly this: The Methodists believe tl)at all men
may obtain religion, if they will seek it ; and perse-
vering, may be finally saved; but that if unfaithful
after they have obtained religion, they will lose it,
and perish forever. The Presbyterians believe thai
none can experience religion but the elect, or those
whom God has made for the purpose; and that when
they have obtained religion, they can not lose t.
*' And "what becomes of the rest ?" inquired Hicks.
*' Why," said I, " they are left to perish — the devil
gets them." '' This can not be right," said Between-
the-Logs. '■ God is too good a being to do so. Now,"
said he. " suppose I had two boys, and I take a tug
and tie one of them fast, and say to the boys, ' If you
•will come with me, I will hunt and find you meat to
keep you from starving.' This would je a useless
offer to the one whom I had tied so fast that he could
not go, while I loft him to starve, because he did not
follow me. Would that be right?" "No," answered
Mononcue, "you would be a better father to takb
your tomahawk and kill him, than to leave the poor
fellow to starve. I don't believe a word of such doc-
trines," said he; "nor do I believe that a man can
not lose his religion. I feel th.at I can hardly keep
it at all. It seems to me that I have to hold on all
the time, or it will steal off and leave me. I know it
is not true. I feel it every day. I must hold fast,

'•''''•'•'^^^^f^mmmmmmmmmmmmmir'19'^mmim

836

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

or I am gone. It will not stay, except by prayer
Quit this, and it is gone. By this means we get it,
and by this only we can keep it."

By this time we had reached Honey creek, near a
small village of Mohawks, composed of the Brants
and my old friend, John Vanmetre's family. This
creek was very full, so as to overflow its banks, and
.here was no way of crossing, but to drive in our
horses, and to wade to a large tree fallen across the
main bed of the creek, over which the water poured
like the breast of a mill-dam. At length it was con-
cluded that Between-the-Logs, myself, and Jonathan,
should take over the saddles and blankets on our
shoulders, and try the water. We did so, but it was
with great difficulty we could walk the log. Yet we
got safe over, and then waded out to dry land, in
order to dispose of our baggage. I then Avaded back
to the edge of the creek to catch our horses. Hicks
and Mononcue drove them in, and the water carried
them down to some yourg sycamores, that were near
to the side we were on. There the four horses lodged
on the bushes, and for some time struggled to free
themselves. At length a sapling gave way, and
three of them swung off. But Mononcue's horsr
hung, and was in the very act of drowning, whei
Between-the-Logs threw off his coat, and plunging
into the stream, swam up and took hold of the bridle,
and held his head out of the water, but could not
relcas*, him. Then Pointer plunged in; and a^ he
could not swim, he cautiously caught hold of a young

CROSSING nONEY CREEK.

837

tree
and
orsf
hei

idle,
not
U

.UDg

;

,L.

sycamore, and bent the bush down, and let the horse
awing oiF, when Between-the-Logs swam back. By
this time Hicks and Mononcue had arrived, and all
Vt'ere safe but Jonathan, who was still hanging on the
young sycampre. To relieve him, we took oflf tiie
strips of bark we had peeled to hobble our horses,
tied them together, and made a rope. This we fast-
ened to a stick, and threw it into the stream above
him, which he caught. He then tied the bark around
him, and Mononcue and myself towed him to the
shore. So we all crossed without anv material in-
jury, and in a short time found ourselves housed
with our friend, Vanmctre. We were soon furnished
with a good dish of venison, and some spicewood tea,
with which we satisfied our craving appetites. We
then sent out a runner to notify all the village to
come to meeting that night.

In this meeting I led the way, by asking tliu ques
tion, " Wilt thou be made whc^lef I fir- pointed out
the disease; secondly, the physician; and, ihirdly, tlie
cure. The Lord was with us indeed. All the chiefs
exhorted, and then we joined in a prayer meeting;
and we have cause to believe one or two were "made
whole." We had meeting, next morning, formed a
small class, and I appointed my friend, Yanmetre, to
be their leader. I believe that he and his wife, Susan,
persevered till death.

We then set off for another Mohawk town; but
when we arrived, we found that they had all gone to

ihe great Seneca feast. We now directed our course

'A2

mmmi.

S38

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

to Fort Ball, the residence of the sub-agent, J. Mont-
gomery. Here we staid all night.

On Sabbath morning we went to the Seneca coun-
cil-house. Here there were from fifty to one hundrei]
Indians playing ball. Their shouts were truly terri-
fying. The three Wyandott chiefs', the agent, and
myself, went up near the council-house, and seated
ourselves on a log, to wait an invitation to come in,
for, on such occasions, they are very ceremonious.
There we waited for two hours. This delay was oc-
casioned by the absence of one of the principal
chiefs. At length we heard the wished-for invitation.
When we went in we found the chiefs all seated, with
their head chief in the midst of them. We took our
seat on the opposite side of the house. Soon the
pipe of peace was lighted up, and sent by the chiefs
to us, and we all smoked. When this was over, the
chief woman brought a small kettle of hominy, and
we all took a ladleful as it passed. Then their head
chief arose and addressed us as follows:

"Brothers, we are thankful to the Great Spirit that
he has appointed this day for us to meet again in this
world; and we tiiank him that we are all in good
health. We are happy to inform you that the Great
Spirit has appointed four an els to take care of our
nation ; and that our old prophet [meaning the far-
famed Seneca prophet] does not forget to visit us
once in awhile, and tell us what to do. He was seen
by one of our young men the other day, and he told
bim wc must hold our great feast f'»r him, »vhich we

B E T -^V E E N - T II E - L G S .

339

Mont-

coun*
mdretl
' terri-

it, and
seated
)ine in,
onious.
vas oc-
rincipal
itation.
;d, with
ook our
3 on the
e chiefs
^'er, the
and
lir head

li'it that
in this
In good
|e Great
of our
the far-
visit us
[as seen
he told
Ihich we

have done these last four days. Now, brothers, we
are glad you have come again to see us. We will
hesir what you have to say."

Between-the-Logs then arose, and, after returning
his grateful acknowledgments to God for his mercies,
said, "Dear brothers, we have long had a desire to
sec you, and to speak with you. But we have not
had this opportunity till now. We thought that as
our business was from the Lord, we would come on
his day, appointed from the beginning of this world,
on which to worship him. We expected to find you
at your homes, or in some good employment, on this
day of rest; but we were disappointed, for we found
many of you playing ball. But we will now com-
mence this meeting with singing and prayer." He
then commenced singing a hymn in Wyandott, upon
which many were so offended that they left the house;
when we kneeled down to pray, some of them raised
the Indian yell, and before he was done praying, few
were left in the house, except the cliicfs and women;
but when he commenced his speech they returned.

lie spoke as follows: "Fathers and brethren, from
vou I came out, [for the father of Between-the-Logs
was a Seneca;] and as children sometimes may find
a valuable thing, and bring it and show it to their
parents, that all may reap the benefit of it — so I
liave found a most valuable treasure, rich in a great
many blessings, and blessings that you all need, and
can not get any where else. They are free, because
they arc as abundant as the water of your river. AIJ

f 1 1

S40

LIFE. -AMONG THE INDIANS.

may go and drink, and wash and swim, if they choose ;
and I thought that it was my duty to come and show
you this rich treasure — I mean the religion of Jesus
Christ. This religion is new to us, but it is not new
iu this world. It has been in progress many hun-
dred years, and the Great Spirit h-aa said it shall go
into all nations before it shall stop. It differs from
our old Indian religion; for it has power and strength
in it, and it is like the cool spring water to the thii'sty
traveler. It makes him feel good all over. Especially
it affects the heart, and settles it, and gives us a solid
peace and comfort. It is strong — it helps the men
and women to leave oH' all their Avicked habits, and
especially drunkenness. You know that our people,
the Wyandotts, were almost all drunkards — men, wo-
men, and children. We were feasting, and dancing,
and drinking, and killing one another. But since this
religion has come among us, we are reformed. A
great many of us now live soberly, attend meeting
on the Sabbath, and pray in our families. Our chil-
dren have become tame, and are learning to read
God's holy word, and promise to be useful men and
women to our nation.

"Now, you know that our old Indian religion could
do nothing like this; for we all continued to get
drunk, and persist in every evil practice. Every
thing belonging to it was guess-work; and all the
revelation which we ever had, was made by some
drunkard, whom nobody believed when he was sober.
Such was the late revelation concerning the four

SOUND REASONING.

^41

angels to take care of your nation, and the appear-
ance of your old Seneca prophet. This is all guess-
work, and is not to be trusted; for you and I both
know that it is all in the dark. But the strength
and truth of religion are to be found in its eftects.
Has your religion made you better men and women?
Do you not feel that your minds are yet unsettled?
And do you not fear that the Great Spirit is angry
with you, and that he will punish you for your crimes?
Now, the religion of Jesus Christ takes all this away,
and it makes good husbands, good wives, good chil-
dren, and good neighbors. It can be felt in the mind
as certainly and truly as cold or heat, health or pain,
sorrow or joy; and it is the only religion that can
do man good." He exhorted them to lay hold of
it now, for this was the best time.

He here anticipated some of their objections, and
one was: "That if God had intended them to be
taught by that book, he would have sent it to themy
and learned them to read it. It was sent," said he,
"to all nations, and if they were a nation, they must
be intended. Many of the white nations could not
read it when it first came to them; and all men must
learn to read it, for no man was born with that power.
Ail the whites have to learn to read it to this day ;
and you can leirn as well as they. Some of our
children have already learned to read the good book.
Your children also can learn. Now they have the
opportunity, and if they refuse, it will be their own
fault. If they are now lost, it will be your own

' i

342

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS

fault; for we have showed you this great treasure
Do not dash it from your lips and perish."

Next brother Hicks arose and said, "Brothers, ]
am this day confused and astonished. I think you
ought to have treated us with more respect; for
when you came to our town with your old prophet,
we sat down and heard all you and he had to say
with patience. Some of our people believed him,
and joined him, thinking all he said was true; but it
turned out to be a falsehood. We liave now come, in
our turn, to you, and brought our preacher with us.
He is able to explain to you the religion of the good
book. All we have to say, is to ask for him the
privilege to preach one time." This was not granted.
However, through the whole course of these exer-
cises, there was an unusual degree of levity, and
some disorder, for an Indian assembly; such as 1
.never saw before nor since.

Brother Mononcue noAv rose up, and with thunder
hanging on his brow and countenance, with a com-
manding voice, ordered silence, and said, " When you
meet to worship God, and to hear from his word,
shut up your mouths, and open your ears to hear
what is said. You have been here several days and
nights, worshiping your Indian god, who has no
existence, only in your dark and beclouded minds.
You have been burning your dogs and venison for
him to smell. What kind of a god or spirit is he,
that can be delighted with the smell of a burnt dog?
Do you suppose the great God that spread out the

WORPS OF MONONCUE.

843

heavens — that hung up the sun and moon, and all the
(Stars *o make light, and spread out this vast world of
land and water, and filled it with men and beasts,
and every thing that swims or flics, is pleased with
tlie smell of your burnt dogs? I tell you to-day,
that his great eye is on your hearts, and not on your
fires, to see and smell what you are burning. Has
your worshiping here these few days made you any
better? Do you feel that you have gotten the vic-
tory over one evil? No! Yoii have not taken the
first step to do better, which is to keep this day holy.
This day was appointed, by God himself, a day of
rest for all men, and a day on which men are to wor-
ship him with pure liearts, and to come before him,
that he may examine their hearts, and cast out all
their evil. This day is appointed for his ministers
to preach to us Jesus, and to teach our dark and
cloudy minds, and to bring them to the light."

He then spoke of the Savior, and his dying to
redeem the world; that now life and salvation are
freely offered to all that will forsake sin and turn to
God. He adverted to the judgment-day, and the
awful consequences of being found in sin, and strang-
ers to God. On this subject ho was tremendously
awful. He burst into tears; lie caught the handker-
chief from his head, and wiped them from his eyes.
Many in the house sat as if they were petrified, while
others wept in silence. Many of the females drew
their blankets over their faces and wept. "Awful,
awful day to the wicked!" said this thundering mm-

544

LIJ'E AMONG THE INDIANS.

ister. " Your faces will look much blacker with your
shame and guilt, than they do now with your paint,"
I have no doubt but God was with Mononcue on this
occasion, and that many were convicted of sin and a
judgment to come.

The head chief then said a few words. • **

Between-the-Logs requested them to give us an
answer on this great and important subject, but not
now. Said he, " If you do give it now it will be a
weak one. You ought to study it well, and think
seriously. It is of great moment; and afterward we
will hear your answer."

The head chief then said, "We all speak one word;
that is, Ave all believe in our old Indian religion. But
we will hold a council on your words, and call you
again to this place, to hear our reply." All the
chiefs then came, with many others, and shook hands
with us ; and our meeting for the present ended.

When we first entered the council-house, I saw
sitting among the chiefs a man with whom I had been
acquainted twenty-five years before, at the first sct^
tllnic of the Scioto Vallcv, in 1797. I told the inter-
preter that I could make him remember me by cir-
cumstances that he could not well have forgotten
My father and others had lost their horses, and he
was employed to go with another man and myself to
hunt them. We had not proceeded more than four
miles till he was bit by a rattlesnake between the
heel and ankle, his leggin not being tied down to
bis moccasin. He immediately killed the snake, and

THE RATTLESNAKE ftOOt.

S45

then went a few stops and pulled up a wetMl resem-
bling a flax stalk, only not so tall. lie took the root,
and chewed and swallowed some of it. The rest he
applied to the wound. In a few minutes he became
very sick, and began to vomit, and- throw up some-
thing green and stringy, like poison. He then made
he second application, and the third; and in an hour
went on his journey without any difliculty. Tlie bite
did not swell more than if he had been stung by a
wasp or bee. This lierb has a yellow root, .about the
thickness of a darning needle. The stalk is single,
about nine inches long, and its leaves resemble those
of the flax stalk. As soon as the interpreter told
him this circumstance, he sat and looked at me for
some time, «and at last came and shook hands with
me, saying, "I now see in you the active boy, who
was our companion in early life, all of which I well
remember." He manifested great friendship for me.

After this meeting was over, we returned to the
agent's house. Brother John Hicks said to me on
the way, "I have come all this way to see myself,
or what I once was. I have seen it in these poor
Ser.ecas; and hate myself, and my former life, worse
than I ever did before. I am, however, much more
determined to forsake sin, and hold fast to the relig-
ion of Jesus Christ and his book."

Between-the-Logs remained behind; and in the
evening brought with him one of the chiefs, my old
acquaintance, Wiping-Stick. From that time till late
at night, these chiefs taught him Christ and him

346

LiFE AMONG THE INDIAN'S.

I ' I

crucifieil. I confirmed all they taught from the Bible.
This man appeared to be perfectly convinced of the
truth, and said he believed it was truth; and left us,
weeping, and with a heavy heart. ?

Between-the-Logs told us, that after we left, a
Seneca chief came to him and told him that the head
chief had not told the truth. "For he said, tha
chiefs all speak one word, and believe in the Indian
god and religion. I do not; and there are many
others that do not believe it. We believe what you
say is true ; and we want you to tell us more, that we
may understand it."

Some time after I got home, I received a letter
from the agent, stating that Wiping-Stick, the chief,
believed in the Christian religion. He gave, as his
opinion, that if the Wyandott chiefs would repeat
their visits, the Senecas would yield, and embrace the
Gospel.

We frequently visited the Delawares, on the San-
dusky river, and labored with them. One of their
chiefs, and some other individuals, embraced Christ
and him crucified.

B B T W K E N - T II E - L & ' S f E S T I M N y . 847

CHAPTER XIII.

BJSHOF M'KENDREE IN THE MISSION.

On the 20th day of July, 1823, we hehl our quar-
•crly meeting at a place ]>reviously prepared in the
wood, near the mission house. On Saturday about
two hundred Indians were encamped on the ground.
We commenced our meeting without much prospect
of success. On the morning of the Sabbath, at 8
o'clock, the people surrounded llie stand ; and I read
and had interpreted the fourth chapter of tlie first
epistle of John. We then bowed before the throne
of God's "lercy, and implored his blessing. After
the bread and water were distributed, we commenced
the exercise of tellino; what Goa liad done for us.
Among the rest, brother Between-the-Logs also arose,
and, with a countenance beaming Avith joy, spoke in
the following eloquent strain, which had an astonish-
ing effect on the congregation :

" My brothers and sisters, I do not rise this morn-
ing to tell you the feats of my past life as a warrior
or hunter, or the feats of my ancestors; but I rise to
tell you of the sweetness of religion, and the un
speakable joy I feel in laboring in its cause. Ilerq,
under these lofty oaks — for here once stood an Indian
village — ;is the place that gave me bii*th. They are

348

LIFE A MO NO THE INDI/. JiS.

Miir'v'iSi

\W.:'' '

III

my fostering parents; for beneath their lofty and
spreading branches I spent my juvenile years, in all
the vanities and follies of Indian youth. Among the
groves of the forest I have spent the whole career of
my life. But in all this time, I was ignorant and *n
gross darkness. I had not at that time heard the name
of Jesus, nor did my tongue learn to lisp his praise.
My mind had not conceived an object so dear — a
name so precious — the sound of which now makes
my soul expand, and war.js my heart with a flame of
love. Bretln-en, my feelings overwhelm me at this
time — they will not allow me to say much. But suffer
me to add, that under these sliady groves I am de-
termined to finisl^ my course, hiborinor m the cause
of my divine Master. I liumbly confess my life is
not perfect; that I am still liable to er.-, ar.d feel a
proneness to evil. But I desire to d j my Master's
will, and meet vou and all the friends of Jesus in our
Father's home above."

This was truly a time of God'.'S mercy. The whole
assembly were overawed by the power and glory of
God. 'Vbout one hundred came forward to the com-
munion table ; and there, in the most humble and
solemn manner, partook of the emblems of Christ's
body and blood. The heathen party stood and wept,
while they looked at their friends thus piously making
a dedication of themselves to God. At night we
invited tlie mourners to come forward, and be prayed
for. Many co'P.c, and with strong cries and pniyers
pleaded the merits of Jesus Christ. Some experienced

THE INDIAN SCHOOL.

349

salvation through his name. The next morning, after
breakfast, the trumpet summoned us again to the
place of prayer. We then acuninistered baptism to
tlie new converts, and some infants. Several were
admitted on trial; and after an exhortation, wo sep-
arated, with fresh resolutions to try to live more for
God tlian we ever had done.

This was a season never to be forgotten. Here,
indeed, the wilderness blossomed, and the solittiry
places were made glad, while the Spirit of God, like
a well of living water, was springing up in every
renewed heart unto eternal life. The work was car-
ried on in the prayer and class meetings, and in
private families ; so that in almost every cabin was
heard the sound of prayer and thanksgiving. Sin-
ners were concerted, backsliders reclaimed, and some
that had grown lukewarm revived.

It will now be expected from me to state something
of the school. This was founded on the system of
manual labor ; and we used our best exertions to make
it accomplish the purposes for wliich it was estab-
lished. The boys that were old and large enough,
were taught the art of farming, and the girls, house-
work, sewii'g, knitting, spinning, cooking, etc. For
this purpose, as well as for order, every child was put
in a class. The eighteen oldest boys were put into
six classes of tluee in each. Through t'lc- winter
each class woi-kcd one day in every week on the farm,
with tlie work-hands; so tliat each boy worked ono
day in every week, besides many otlior duties, such

850

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

I. )

as cutting wood, making fires, and feeding stock.
The smaller boys were classed, also, and had to carry
water, help to feed, and take care of the cows and
calves. The very small boys were employed in get-
ting chips for the fires. The girls were also classed
to do the work of the family, with a white girl at the
head of their class. These classes changed weekly,
and were engaged in cooking, washing, sweeping the
house, making beds, spinning, knitting, weaving, and
the like. All knew, in the morning, without being
told, what was their employment for the day, and
what would be expected from them. The Indian
boys did not like to labor at first; but instead of
force, stratagem was used. When I went out to
work, I almost always divided the hands and the
work. Then I had no difficulty, for each would do
his best to excel the others. This I did in rollin";
logs and hoeing corn. We had now about sixty in
the school.

Bishop M'Kendree paid us a visit in June, 1823,
an account of which is contained in the Annual Re-
port of the Missionary Society, for 1824. There is
also one fiom Colonel John Johnston, Indian Agent,
in the same report.

The great interest taken in the mission and school,
by this wise and good man, was most manifest in the
manner in which he accommodated himself to the
Indians and their children. It was the season when
we were busil}^ engaged in cultivating our corn, of
which we had about fifty acres ; and besides three

prsHOP m'kendree's report. 851

plows, we could furnish twenty-one hoes. Never did
1 see boys more elated than when the worthy Bisliop
took up his hoe, and started for the field, saying,
" Boys, come on." He marched before, and we fol-
lowed after him. When we got out, he chose his
Indian boy, called William M'Kendree, and put him
on the row next to himself, that he might, by ex-
ample, teach him to work within bounds. Never did
I see Bishop M'Kendree more in his element than
when, in person, he was teaching those Indian boys
to work, although I was afraid he would do too much.
He frequently gave them lectures on the economy of
human life, and many interesting motives he set before
them to induce them to be religious and industrious.

We subjoin Bishop M'Kenaree's account of his
visit to the mission. It was dated at Chillicothe, Au-
gust 13, 1823, find addressed to Rev. Thomas Mason,
then the Corresponding Secretary of the Missionary
Society. It is as follows :

lool,
the
the
hen
of

iiree

"Being persuaded that I could render more ef-
fectual service, by visiting the frontier settlements in
the western country, and especially the Indian mis-
sion, than by continuing my tour to the north, I
availed myself of the company of the preachers from
tlie Baltimore conference, who were going west of the
mountains, and accordingly set out with them, having
no one to travel with me, and my afflictions render-
ing it improper for me to travel alone. ,

*'I reached the state of Ohio on a lame horse.

^mm^mmm^mmm

352

LIFE AMONG THE rNDIAlJS.

unfit to carry me farther. ITowever, a worthy friend,
brother John Davenport, of Barncsville, furnished a
horse, took the expense of the journey on himself,
find accompanied me to the mission and back to New
Lancaster, a journey of about three weeks.

"Our missionary establishmert is at Upper San-
dusky, in the hirge national reserve of the Wyandott
tribe of Indians, which contains one hundred and
forty-seven thousand, eight hundred and forty acres
of land , being, in extent, something more than nine-
teen miles from east to west, and twelve miles from
north to south. Througli the whole extent of this
tract the Sandusky winds its course, receiving sev-
eral beautiful streams. This fine tract, with another
reservation of five miles square at the Big Spring,
head of Blanchard's liver, is all the soil that remains
to the Wyandotts, once the proprietors of an exten-
sive tract of country. Tlie mission at Upper San-
dusky is about sixty-five or seventy miles north of
Columbus, the seat of government of Ohio. To the
old Indian boundary line, which is about half way.
the country is pretty well improved. From thence
to the Wyandott reserve, the population is thinly
scattered, the lands having been but lately surveyec'
and brought into market. '

"On Saturday, the 21st of June, about ten o'clock
in the morning, we arrived safe, and found the mis-
Bion family and the school all in good health; but
was much fatigued myself, through afliliction and warm
weather, /hich was quite oppressive to me in crossing

KEPORT CONtlNUED.

853

of
the

lock

mis-

but

■ arm

sing

over the celebrated Sandusky plains, through which
the road lies.'

" In the afternoon we commenced '^siting the
school:?, and repeated our visits frequently during the
five days which we staid with them. These visits
were highly gratifying to us, and they afforded us
an opportunity of observing the behavior of the chil-
dren, both in and out of school, their improvement
in learning, and the whole order and management
of the school; together with the proficiency of the
boys in agriculture, and of the girls in the various
domestic arts. They are sewing and spinning hand-
somely, and would be weaving if they had looms.
The children are cleanly, chaste in their manners,
kind to each other, peaceable and friendly to all.
They promptly obey orders, and do their work cheer-
fully, without any objection or murmur. They are
regular in their attendance on family devotion and
the public worship of God, and sing delightfully
Their proficiency in Icirning was gratifying to us,
and is well spoken of by visitors. If they do not suf-
ficiently understand what they read, it is for the want
of suitable books, especially a translation of English
words, lessons, hymns, etc., into their own tongue.

"But the change which has been wrought among

the adult Indians, is wonderful! This people, 'that

walked in darkness, have seen a great light. They

that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon

them hdth the light shined.' And they have been

'call , ' from darkness into the marvelous light' of th«

mmmm

854

LIFE AMONG THK INDIANS.

Gospel. To estimate correctly the conversion of these
Indians from heathenish darkness, it should be re-
membered that the Friends — or Quakers — were the
first to prepare them, in some degree, for the intro-
duction of the Gospel, by patiently continuing to
counsel them, and to afford them pecuniary aid.

" The first successful missionary that appeared
among them, was Mr. Stewart, a colored man, and a
member of our Church, ^he state of these Indians
is thus described by him in a letter to a friend, dated
in June last: -^

"'The situation of the Wyandott nation of In-
dians, when I first arrived among them, near six
years ago, may be judged of from their manner of
living. Some of their houses were made of small
poles, and covered with bark, others of bark alto-
gether. Their farms contained from about two acres
to less than half an acre. The women did nearly
all the work that was done. They had as rnany as
two plows in the nation ; but these were seldom used.
In a word, they were re ally in a savage state.'

"But now they are biilding hewed log-houses, with
brick chimneys, cultivating their lands, and success-
fully adopting the various agricultural arts. They
now manifest a relish for, and begin to enjoy the
benefits of, civilization ; and it is probable that some
of them will, this year, raise an ample support for
their families from the produce of their farms.

"There are more than two hundred of them who
have renounced heathenism, and embraced the Chris-

REPORT CONTINUED.

355

5, with
[ccess-

They
)y the

some
»rt for

vrho
iChris-

tian religion, giving unequivocal evidence of their sin-
cerity, and of the reality of a divine change. Our
missionaries have taken them under their pastoral care
08 probationers for membership in our Church; and
are engaged in instructing them in the doctrine and
duties of our holy religion ; though the various duties
of the missionaries prevent them from devoting suffi-
cient time for the instruction of these inquirers after
truth ; but the Lord hath mercifully provided helpers
in the conversion of several of the interpreters, and
a majority of the chiefs of the nation. The inter-
preters, feeling themselves the force of divine truth,
and entering more readily into the plan (gi the Gos-
pel, are much more efficient organs for communica-
ting instruction to the Indians. Some of these chiefs
are men of sound judgment and strong, penetrating
minds ; and having been more particularly instructed,
have made great proficiency in the knowledge of God
and of divine truth; and being very zealous, they
render important assistance in the good work. The
regularity of conduct, the solemnity and devotion of
this people in time of divine service, of which I wit-
nessed a pleasing example, is rarely excejeded in our
own worshiping assemblies.

, "To the labors and influence of these great men,
the chiefs, may also, in some degree, be attributed the
good conduct of the children in school. Three of the
chiefs officiate in the school, as a committee to pre-
serve good order and obedience among the children.
I am informed that Between-the-Logs, the principal

m ii

ml]"' .i 'If
i i 1 kl'i'ii

n:ii

356

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

speaker, has lectured the school children in a ver\
able and impressive manner, on the design and benefit
of the school, attention to their studies and obedience
to their teachers. This excellent man is also a very
zealous and a useful preacher of righteousness. He
has, in conjunction with others of the tribe, lately
visited a neighboring nation, and met with encour-
agement.

" On the third day after our arrival, we dined with
Between-the-Logs and about twenty of their princi-
pal men, six of whom were chiefs, and three inter-
preters; and were very agreeably and comfortably
entertained. After dinner we were all comfortably
seated — a few of us on benches, the rest on the
grass, under a pleasant grove of shady oaks, and
spent about two hours in council. I requested them
to give us their views of the state of the school ; to
inform us, without reserve, of any objections they
might have to the order and management thereof,
and to suggest any alteration they might wish. I
also desired to know how their nation liked our re-
ligion, and how those who had embraced it were pros-
pering?

"Their reply was appropriate, impressive, and dig-
nified, embracing distinctly every particular inquiry,
and in the order they were proposed to them. The
substance of their reply was, that they thought the
school was in a good state and very prosperous ; were
perfectly satisfied with its order and management,
pleased with the superintendent and teachers, and

bishop's report continued. 357

gratified with the improvement of the children. It
was their anxious wish for its permanence and suc-
cess. They gave a pleasing account of those who
had embraced religion, as to their moral conduct and
inoflfensive behavior, and attention to their religious
duties. They heartily approved of the religion they
had embraced, and were very highly pleased with the
great and efi'ectual reformation which had taken place
among them.

" In the close they expressed the high obligations
they were under to all their kind friends and bene-
factors ; and, in a very respectful and feeling manner,
thanked their visitors, and the superintendent and
teachers, for their kind attention to themselves and
to their children; -and concluded with a devout wish
for the prosperity and eternal happiness of them and
all their kind friends. It was an affecting scene; and
tears bespoke their sincerity. -

" In this school there are Indian children sent to it
from Canada. Others, which were lately sent, were
detained and taken into another school, at the Rapids
of the Maumee, under the direction of the Presby-
terians. An apology was written by the superin-
tendent thereof to ours, stating that the detention
was made on the presumption that our school was
full, etc. .

" When we reflect upon the state of the Wyandotts,
compared with the^r former savage condition, we may
surely exclaim, ' What hath God wrought !' * The
parched ground hath become a pool, and the thirsty

w^mmmm

858

LIFE AMONU THE INDIANS.

Mi Ml

\h Ml

land springs of water ; the wilderness and the solitary
place is made glad, and the desert blossoms as the
rose.' The marks of a genuine work of grace among
these sons of the forest, accords so perfectly with the
history of the great revivals of religion in all ages
of the Church, that no doubt remains of its being
the work of God.

" That a great and effectual door is opened on our
frontier, for the preaching of the Gospel to the In-
dian nations which border thereon, and that we are
providentially called to the work, I have no doubt.
The only question is: are we prepared to obey the
call? The success of our missionary labors does not
depend on the interference of miraculous power, as
in the case of the apostles, but ' the ordinary oper-
ations and influences of the Holy Spirit, through the
instrumentality of a Gospel ministry, supported by
the liberality of a generous people.

"We have lately received an invitation from a dis-
tinguished oflBcer of the Government, to extend our
missionary labors to a distant nation of Indians. A
gentleman of this state — the late Governor Worthing-
ton — who has visited New Orleans, has taken a deep
interest in its favor ; and from the great increase of
population from other states, and the great proba-
bility of doing good at least among them, he urges
another attempt. And from his influence, his ability
and disposition to minister to its support, we enter-
tain a hope of success.

"From a general view of our missions, and of

LETTER OF MR. J II N S T X .

359

what the Lord is doing by us, wo certainly have
ubundant cause to 'thank God and take courage/
and to persevere most faithfully and diligently in
the great work; looking to the great Head of the
Church, that he may bless our labors and crown
thorn with success."

The following letter from Mr. Johnston, the Indian
agent, addressed to Bishop M'Kendree, represents
the condition and prospects of the mission at this
period. It is dated at Upper Sandusky, August 23,
1823. He says: . .

"I have just closed a visit of several days in at-
tending to the state of the Indians at this place, and
have had frequent opportunities of examining the
progress and condition of the school and mission,
under the management of the Rev. James B. Finley.
The buildings and improvements of the establishment
are substantial and extensive, and do this gentleman
great credit. The farm is under excellent fence, and
in goo . order; comprising about one hundred and
forty acres in pasture, corn, and vegetables. Thero
are about fifty acres in corn, which, from present
appearances, will yield three thousand bushels. It
is by much the finest crop I have seen this year;
has been well worked, and is clear of grass and
weeds. There are twelve acres in potatoes, cab-
bages, turnips, and garden. Sixty children belong
to the school, of which number fifty-one arc In-

860

LIFE AMONa TUB INDIANS.

lii

dians. These children are boarded and lodged at
the. mission house; they are orderly and attentive,
comprising every class, from the alphabet to readers
in the Bible. I am told by the teacher, that they are
apt in learning, and that he is entirely satisfied with
the progress they have made. They attend with the
family regularly to the duties of religion. The meet-
ing-house on the Sabbath is numerously and devoutly
attended. A better congregation in behavior I have
not beheld; and I believe there can be no doubt, that
there are very many persons, of both sexes, in the
Wyandott nation, who have experienced the saving
effects of the Gospel upon their minds. Many of the
Indians are now settling on farms, and have comfort-
able houses and large fields. A spirit of order, in-
dustry, and improvement, appears to prevail with that
part of the nation which has embraced Christianity,
and this constitutes a full half of the whole popu-
lation.

" I do not pretend to offer an opinion here on the
practicability of civilizing the Indians under the pres-
ent arrangements of the government; but having
spent a considerable portion of my life in managing
this description of people, I am free to declare that
the prospect of success here is greater than I have
ever before witnessed; that this mission is ably and
faithfully conducted, and has the strongest claims
upon the countenance and support of the Methodist
Church, as well as the Christian public at large.

"I am authorized and requested by this nation in

LETTER CONCLUDED.

361

council to present to tlio conference, and tlirough
tbem, to the members of the Church, their thanks
for the aid and assistance rendered unto them, hy
the mission family, in their spiritual and temporal
affairs. From personal observation, together with
the opinion of the sub-agent imd interpreters, I am
induced to request that the conference will be pleased
to continue Mr. Finley and famil}' in the superintend-
ence of the school and mission. Let it not be be-
lieved that I make this request from any partiality,
favor, or affection. It nrises from a conviction of
his qualifications for the duty."

The Bishop spent part of his time in visiting the
Indians at their houses, instructing them, and inquir-
ing into their spiritual and temporal affairs. Tly these
means he made himself acquainted with the state of
the mission, and was the better abl*^ to give advice
concerning what was best to be done. He also en-
deared himself to the Indian families, by eating at
their tables, and conversing with them on experi-
mental religion and their progress in godliness.

On one occasion, in conversing with one of them,

the Bishop asked, "Have you any temptations to go

back to your former course of life?'' The answer

was, "Yes, I have many: both from within and

without. Often the devil throws many in my way,

but I resist them by praying to God. A few weeks

ago, just as I was starting for meeting, a large hawk

came and made an attack on my chickens. I took

862

L I F K AMONG THE INDIANS.

down my gun to shoot him, but remembered that it
was the Sabbath, and that if I shot him it would, be
a bad example. I then took my bow and arrow, and
shot him. The next Sabbath, another hawk came in
the same way, and I killed him likewise. The third
Sabbath the devil sent a third one, and I began to
think that it might be a temptation to break the Sab-
bath. So I let that one alone, and there has been
none since. I found it was no matter what means
the devil employed, provided he can but get us to do
wrong."

On another occasion, the Bishop asked him how he
obtained religion. "Why," said the Indian brother,
" I always thought I ha^^ religion till I went to hear
the m^^sionary preach, and his words made me very
uneasy in my heart. But he told us »ye must pray
to the * Great Spirit' for help, and not rest till we
felt that our hearts were made happy. When I came
home I sat down in my house, and thought, if I die,
where shall I /:o? My heart got very sick, and then
1 went into the woods and prayed to God for help.

All at once my heart got easy; I felt no pain, and
I found out what was the maiter. My heart was
hungry, and when it was fed it got quiet, just like
a little child. I then went home and sat down, and
said to my heart, 'You will not get hungry soon.'
But it was not a long time till I felt bad again. I
then went to the same place, and prayed for God to
feed my poor hungry heart again. He did so, ani' 1
• went away easy ; but it soon became hungry again.

THE TRUE CIVILIZATION.

863

I went back, as before, and said, *I have the most
hungry heart of any man;' but thanks to the Great
Spirit, he feeds it for nothing whenever I go to him.
He makes me happy, and feeds my heart whenever
it wants to eat; and I find I grow stronger and
stronger. At first I could take but little milk ; but
now I can take both milk and meat, so that I hope
at last to get to heaven."

Another one being asked how ins religion wore,
replied, " Why, brother, religion wears better than
my coat, end is made of more lasting stuflf: for my
coat wears out, and gets into holes ; but the longer I
wear religion the better it is. It gets thicker, warmer,
and stronger, and I think it will last me through this
world of sin and trouble, and help me into a better
one than this."

Thit: was a very prosperous year for the missionary
establi.-ihment, and fully proved that our present plan
was the most successful one in bringing these people
of the forest to a state of civilization. The theory of
past years was, that the Indians could not be Chris-
tianized till they were civilized, and that they must
first be taught the art of agriculture, and be brought
to its habits, before it is of any use to try to teach
them the doctrines of the Gospel of Christ. Biit all
attempts of this kind have failed; for after all the ex-
pense of labor and money, which is not a little, they
remained savage still; but let an Indian be converted
to God, and then he is civilized. There is nottiin^^
that can civilize a man but religion and its influence.

IMl

'^^ '1

864

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

So far as my experience has gone in tliis matter, it
leads me to believe that there is as much encourage-
ment to preach the Gospel to Indians, as to a people
that have sat under its sound, and have rejected its
offers, and refused to obey its precepts; for when the
Indian has been brought to feel and experience the
benefits of the grace of God in conversion, he is, in
general, as faithful and conscientious in his obedience
to its precepts as white men are, and much more do-
cile and peaceable. The only important difficulty in
making all Indian missions successful, will be the
want of proper and easy means of communicating
instruction. We want an interpreter of their lan-
guage, fully capable of translating from ours to
theirs, which want is the greatest obstruction to the
universal spread of the Gospel among the American
Indians. The proof of this is fuily given in the ex-
tensive revivals of religion among them at Sandusky.
White men have done more to prevent the conversion
of the Indian nations than all their habits, or igno-
rance, or prejudice have done. The influence of
traders and agents has been, in many instances,
exerted against their becoming Christians, or even
adopting the habits of civilization, for fear of losing
their source of gain. ' '■

I once heard an agent of the Government trying
to persuade the Wyandotts to sell their homes. He
told them how much their great father, tlie President,
loved them, and wliat he would do for them, if they
would bu: consent to sell or exchange their land for

THE CHIEF TO THE AGENT.

365

land west of the Mississippi; that he avouW give them
land which the white men would not want, and thesi
he would spread a belt of land sixty miles Avide,
between them and the white men, so that they should
never come over to them; and that he would move
them to it, and it should be theirs forever. One of
our chiefs, who had been accustomed to these fair
promises, told him that he did not believe any thing
the President said, for he had told them so many
lies already. "He promised the same thing to us
at oiir last treaty; that if we woula sell all but this
reservation, ho vrould protect us from the encroach-
ments of the whites, and keep us in peace, and never
ask us to sell another foot of our land. Tb!s was not
ten years ago; and now you are at your old trade
of trying to drive us away again. Besides, it would
be no better if we were yonder; for there is no land
or swamp so poor, but white men will want it; and if
the President did not fulfill his word here, will he do
it yonder? No! You white men never will be satis-
fied till the blue water of the great lakes, in which
the sun sets, has drank the last drop of Indian blood.
Here are our homes; and we are now beginning to
live comfortably. The Lord has begun a good work
among us. Our children are learning to read, and
we hope will make good men. Here, too, are the
graves and bones of our fathers, our wives, and our
children; and we may as well die and be buried with
thera, as to go back into the woods, and again sink
into savage life, from which we have emerged a little.

^^^fmmim^^^

366

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

t: I ■

The half of our -weakly women and sickly old folka
would die on the road; and we should have to bury
them before we could reach the new country. Then
we should be without food, for there is not much
game; and we should nearly all perish."

The expense of the mission this year was sustained
partly by the Missionary Society of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, and the balance was made up by
the Philadelphia Missionary Society, and other socie-
ties, and individual collections. The total amount of
expenditures this year, including improvements on
the farm, the payment of missionaries, and all the
expense of clothing and feeding between fifty and
sixty children, was two thousand and two hundred
and fifty-four dollars and fifty-four cents. The total
received was two thousand, one hundred and sixty
dollars and seventy-six cents; leaving a deficiency
of ninety-three dollars and sixty-eight cents.

This year I m?^de application to the Secretary of
War, for an appropriation of part of the sum of ten
thousand dollars, put at his disposal by Congress for
the improvement of the Indians, and received an
order to draw on him for five hundred dollars, in
quarterly installments, to be applied to the benefit
of the school; but no part of it was received for this
year's appropriation. DiflBculties sometimes arose
from the want of civil regulations to adjust diffi-
culties, and to give every man his due. In order to
prevent disputes about their cattk and hogs, I pro-
jiosed to make a book, and keep a record of all their

rs, m
mefit

this

irose

diffi-

ler to

pro-
Itlu'ir

THE NATIONAL BRAND.

3G7

ear-marks. This heing agreed to in council, they
brought their ear-marks, and I recorded them in the
book of record.

Much trouble arose from the straying of their
horses. Many were stolen, also, and it was difficult
to prove them, as an Indian was not allowed, by his
oath or affirmation, to prove his own horse, when
either strayed or stolen ; so that they suffered great
inconvenience and loss of property. The laws of the
United States forbade any person to buy an Indian
horse without the consent of the Indian agent. But
the difficulty was to prove that it was an Indian horse.
To remedy this, I proposed to the council that they
should have a national brand; that every Indian
horse should be branded with it, and this would
prove, without any other evidence, that the horse
bearing it was theirs. So they adopted as their
brand a large "0," with a "W" in the middle of it,
which brand was made upon the left hip. This was
advertised in all the papers near, as the national
brand of the Wyandotts. This was a great relief,
for we could tell a Wyandott horse wherever he was
seen; and if any one traded with an Indian for a
horse without the certificate of the agent, he made
himself liable to a prosecution in the United States
District Court.

I then proposed to the council to have a journal
kept of their acts in council, an.d published to the
nation. To this they also agreed. I kept this jour-
nal for every council which I attended in person.

308

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

I I. : ' #r

This I thought would be the means of introdacing
something like rule and law among them, and of
teaching them the notion of government. A book
was also kept for the record of marriages.

It was not long after the introduction of these
regulations, till a woman and her husband fell out
and parted. She was not a member of the Church,
and soon took up with another man, according to the
former Indian usage; but as the deserted husband
belonged to the Church, I was called on to know
what he must do — whether he must remain without a
wife, or have the privilege of marrying again. I now
saw this was the time to take a stand against their
old Indian habits; and also to do justice to the in-
jured person. Therefore, I called a council of all
the chiefs, leaders, and official men in the Church,
and others who were in good standing in the nation,
and laid the case of young Punch — for that was his
name — before them. I then took my Bible, and
showed them that marriage was appointed by God;
that a man should have but one wife, and they were
bound by the law of God to live together till death
parted them. I then gave the reasons for this law:
1. It was for their own good, because a number of
wives would create jealousy and cause quarrels. 2.
For the purpose of raising their families, the helpless
children being dependent on their parents ; and God
saw that, for this purpose, it was best for man to have
but one wife. 3. For the good of society. I showed
also that there was but one crime for which a man

i'^ ::i':|

ADULTERY AND DIVORCE.

369

coulil put avvay his wife Avitli the approbation of God,
or a woman her husband; and that crime was adul-
tery. I told them, as this was the first case of the
kind that had occurred, it was best for us to make
a proper rule by which all future cases might be
determined. My advice was, that the chiefs and
leade - of ihe Church should appoint a day, to hear
this young man in his complaint against his wife;
and that she should be notified to appear and defend
herself against the crimes charged upon her, in the
presence of the council; and if he should prove that
his wife had committed adultery, or had gone off
with another man, and lived with him, they should
give him a written certificate that he was free from
his marriage contract, and that he might marry again;
but that neither she, nor the man with Avhom she
lived, could have any privileges in the Church, or be
lawfully married by any minister in the Church, for
the Scriptures forbid it; and unless she separated
from him and all other men, and repented of the
former crime, she and her paramour must be lost
forever; for his guilt was condemned in the same
way, as the word of God expressly says that none
such shall enter the kino;dom of heaven. The sul-
jcct being new, was entered upon with care and close
examination. But after they had consulted the word
of God on the matter, they agreed that it was just
and light. They proceeded and examined the case,
founi the young woman guilty, and granted the young

man a divorce.

370

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

This circuinstiince was of much benefit to the mar-
riage institution. The woman afterward made apph-
cation to be married, but was refused; and tlien to
join the Church, but was also refused. This was the
only divorce that was granted, there being no other
applications luring my stay with them.

For the purpose of showing their views and pro-
ceedings in the council for governing their people, I
will give the following transcript of the Journal of
the Council, as it now lies before me :

11 'T

"At a council of the chiefs of the Wyandott na-
tion, held May 2d, 1825. Present, Warpole, Be-
tween-the-Logs, John Ilicks, Mononcue, Peacock, and
George Punch.

" A request was made to the chiefs, by many ol
tlie men of the nation, to have seventy thousand
bricks made, for the purpose of giving those who
wish to build good houses and chimneys, the oppor-
tunity of doing so ; and after taking the subject under
consideration, it was

"1. Resolved, hy the Chiefs in Council, That J. B.
Finley be authorized to employ some person to make
and burn seventy thousand bricks: Provided, he can
have them made at a cost not exceeding three dollars
per thousand, in the kiln.

" 2. Resolved, That J. B. Finley is Hereby author-
ized to make the best contract he can with some com-
petent person, to attend the Indian mills for two
years: Provided, the expenr? of wages shall ret

LAW AGAINST INTEMPERANCE. 371

J. B.

Imake

ie can
loUars

itlior-
cotn-

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exceed three hundred and seventy-five doHars per
year.

"3. Resolved, hy the Chiefs in Council, That we
will not divide our annuities to any one that is less
than quarter blood Wyandott.

"4. Resolved, hy the Chiefs of the Wyandott Nation
in Council, That, whereas, sonje of our people arc
still in the practice of getting drunk, and the lives of
some of our white neighbors have been put in jeop-
ardy, as well as the lives of our own people : There-
fore, to put a stop to this great evil, we are resolved,
after the full publication of this resolution, that if
any person, belonging to this nation, shall be found
in a state of intoxication, and shall put tho life of
any person in jeopardy, or shall draw any unlawful
weapon on them, or threaten, or disturb any family,
or any individual, upon the complaint of such injured
person, and proof of the fact, the person so offending
shall forfeit his share of the annuities, or any part
thereof, as the council may direct or think proper, or
shall receive such other punishment as their crime
may deserve; and the money so forfeited shall go
into the public fund of the nation."

These are some of the first regulations entered
into by the chiefs, and they were approved of by the
letter part of the nation; but some of the drunken,
savage party, made strong objections to them, be-
cause they were like the white man's laws, ind did
not suit Indians. I was present when this last regu-

I'H

872

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

lution was made public. The cause that produced
tliis regulation, as stated by the chief, was this: One
of their young men became intuNicated, and com-
mitted some depredations on a white family, on the
Maumee river, and stole a horse, which they made
him give up, and pay the damages. The chiefs in-
sisted that if they did not do something to prevent
these things, the whites would put their laws in force,
and then they would have to go to the penitentiary,
or be hung ; and that it was best for them to try and
prevent such evils, by taking the laws into their own
hands.

The labors of this year, and the improvement made
in this nation, both in a temporal and moral point of
view, clearly proved that Christianity must always
precede civilization ; and the great question, " Can
the aboriginals of this country be civilized?" was
pretty well settled ; for surely no people ever made
greater advances, in the same length of time. A
spirit of industry, and laudable emulation to build
good houses, and improve their farms, and to increase
their stock, seemed to prevail, through the nation.
Several good hewed log-houses, with shingled roofs
and brick chimneys, were erected this season ; and
the habit of drinking spirits was very much dimin-
ished. Peace, with her balmy wings, seemed to hover
over this once sunken and ruined people. The influ-
ence of religion never was more clearly seen in all
its saving influence, and the God of Jacob seemed to*
dwell again in the tents of Israel. Those very In-

THE BLISSFUL C II A X (} E .

j]7n

dians, who were considered the outcustsj of tlie earth,
who lived in the benighted forest, where superstition,
ignorance, and heathen barbarity, have, from time
immemorial, held their gloomy swny — these have seen
the light of the Sun of righteousness. They hear
and bless the name of Jesus, so precious to all be-
lievers. Here is a small cloud of witnesses that God
has power on earth to forgive sins. See the man of
the forest, who, but a short time since, was sacrificing
his dogs, venison, corn, tobacco, etc., now preaching
Jesus and the resurrection. Hear him teaching his
children to pray, and love God, and all men; and see
the altar of family prayer erected in almost every
cabin and wigwam.

We found in the Indian character a great sense of
independence, and a strong opposition to any thing
that looked like slavery or subjugation. They glory
in their native liberty; and for a person to show any
thing like a feeling of superiority, was the most ef-
fectual way to bar all access to them. The prin-
ciple is even cultivated and strongly felt in their
children. They seldom use corporeal punishment,
believing it to be too great a degradation ; and those
that patiently submit to it are counted no better than
a dog. When they chastise their children, they most
generally dip them in the water, or else pour water
on them till they submit. All the time I had the
charge of these children I never used the rod but
once. Otiie-i differed from me in their method of
governing by chastising with the rod; but I believe

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374

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

it never had any good effect. I used to take them by
themselves, with the interpreter, and set before them
their crime ; tell them how much it grieved me, and
their parents, and teacher, to see them so bad ; that
their course of conduct would always have a tendency
to make their good comrades think less of them,
and the nation would hold them in contempt; that
when they grew up to be men and women, they would
be thought nothing of, but always be treated as Taga-
bonds; and that if they continued to disobey, I
should be under the necessity of calling the school
committee together, and laying their cases before
them, they having the full power to expel them from
the school ; and this expulsion would be a disgrace to
them as long as they lived, and they would be re-
proached with it, even when they grew up to be men
and women ; that they would be too bad to live in so-
ciety, and would be driven, like dogs, out of it ; and,
last of all, I told them the Great Spirit would be angry
with them, and bring them to an account for such bad
conduct ; and if they persisted in such a course, they
would finally be punished in hell, with all the diso-
bedient and wicked, forever.

I do not now recollect that this course was ever
unsuccessful, but it often brought the transgressor to
penitence ana tears ; and I am fully persuaded that I
could do more with these boys and young men than
any other person. They looked upon my course with
them as the fruit of my love and esteem for them,
and the great interest I had in their welfare. But a

THE INDIAN CHARACTER.

375

contrary course only excited a spirit of obstinacy and
revenge, and had a very bad effect on the older ones.
It gave the savage party room to talk and say, " See !
your children are beat like dogs; and they intend
to make slaves of them." The course of whipping
was not often pursued, and it never did any good.

It is impossible for any man, no matter what his
abilities are, to have access to, or exert any good
influence among, the Indians, unless he can come
down, and associate with them in a very friendly
way; for if ho keeps at a distance, or shows any
coldness, or reserve of friendship, he can have no
access to them. They will say, "He is proud, and
thinks himself above us." They will pass him by,
and laugh at his talks. If the Indian is benefited by
the missionary, and opens his ear to hear the Gospel,
he must first have confidence in the preacher, as a
good man. The minister must be one that does not
waver. He must be firm in purpose, yet mild, hum-
ble, and fervent. No people are more honest to yield
to the truth, when they are convinced of it; and
they become convinced, if you can answer all their
objections till they can offer no more. Then they
will give up, and embrace the truth. I have wit-
nessed this in many instances; and the result has
proved the sincerity of their conduct and repentance.
Indians, in general, stand firm to their promise, or
word; and it is considered an act of great meanness
to falsify a promise. Great integrity has been man-
ifested, even in many of those who were what would

'.M-

376

LIFE AMONO THE INDIANS.

be called confirmed drunkards. But when they re-
nounced their sins, they have refused, on any occa-
sion, to taste ardent spirits ; and have continued firm,
till they closed their earthly existence. They ex-
hibited the power of religion on their hearts, in life
and death ; and are, no doubt, this day receiving their
reward in a better and happier world.

REV. JACOB HOOPER AND WIFE. 377

CHAPTER XIV.

EXCURSION TO THE NORTHERN TRIBES.

At the conference held in Urbana, Ohio, Septem-
ber, 1823, I was reappointed to the superintendency
of the Wyandott mission, with the Rev. Jacob Hooper
and his wife. Brother Hooper was to hav3 the su-
pervision of the farm, and his wife Avas to take charge
of the Indian girls as teacher. This was a great
relief to us, for our cares were more than we were
able to bear. Brother Hooper well understood the
business of farming, and it prospered greatly under
his care. He labored with his own hands daily, and
improved the farm greatly. Sister Hooper wad well
qualified for her department, and by her amiable dis-
position won the affection of all the children and
famir . Her piety was conspicuous, and shone as a
light in this dark and benighted land. Our burden
was made much lighter by this appointment. Brother
Hooper was an old and well-tried friend. We bad
been fellow-laborers in another field in former years.

At t:his conference I was instructed to extend my
labors to the Ottawas and Chippewas, at Saginaw
Bay. After we arrived at our station, and entered
upon our work, as soon as possible I made prepara-
tion for the journey. I wrote, previously to the

378

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

annual conference, to Gov. Cass, chief agent of the
Indian department for all the west, in reference to
the situation of the Saginaw Indians, and the prob-
ability of establishing a mission among them. In
reply to my letter, I received the following statement
of facts:

"With respect to the establishment of a mission
at Saginaw, I will state the facts, and you must de-
termine for yourself the propriety of making the
experiment. The Chippewas, who live there, are the
most troublesome Indians in this quarter. They are
in the lowest state of moral degradation. More sav-
age and indolent, and less tractable than the Wy-
andotts, any comparison between them will result
greatly to the disadvantage of the former. These
considerations, while they show the difficulties which
must be encountered by a missionary establishment,
ahow also the immense benefits which must result
from such an institution, properly directed.

"The means which I could apply in aid of this
attempt, are the application of the sum of two thou-
sand dollars, appropriated by an act of Congress, in
conformity with a stipulation in the treaty of Sagi-
naw, for the support of a blacksmith, and for the
purchase of horses, cattle, and farming utensils, and
for the employment of persons to aid the Indians in
their agricultural labors. I should be well satisfied
to leave the expenditure of this sum to any respecta-
ble missionary establishment, requiring only that it

JOUN STEWART.

879

should be faithfully and judiciously applied to the
objects expressed in the treaty.

"What would be the views of the Indians toward
such an experiment, I do not know. Heretofore, they
have not been favorably disposed; and in oat, in-
stance the attempt has failed. But so much depends
on the experience and personal character of those
appointed to conduct such a work, that the failure
of the first experiment furnishes no proof that a fu-
ture one would fail also.'*

Perhaps this will be a suitable place for me to say
something of brother John Stewart, who was the first
instrument to introduce evangelical religion into this
nation. He had been associated with the mission
from the time he was licensed to preach, and drew
the most of his support from it for himself and family.

John's health had been poor from the first; and
it is confidently believed that his afflictions and fee-
bleness of body were the result of his intemperance
before he embraced religion. He told me that his
former habits had ruined his constitution. He was
affected with the consumption the first time I saw
him; and this insidious disease continued to under-
mine his health, till at last he fell a prey to it ; but
he continued his labors among us till the summer
before he died. He was visited by some of the col-
ored preachers belonging to the Allenites, which sep-
arated from the Methodist Episcopal Church. Ho
attended their conference, and joined with them at

,».y..-i^ >"' "i. "- »

B80

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

that time. lie said to me, on his return, that he had
done it, believing he could be more useful among his
own people than the whites ; and that he had to make
no sacrifice of principle in so doing, for they held
fast to the Methodist doctrine, and, with but little
alteration, to the Discipline. Yet, notwithstanding he
had withdrawn from the Methodist Episcopal Church,
for the sake of what he had done among the Indians,
I always treated him as though he had not; and so
long as he lived he received support.

In the fall of 1823 he grew worse, and soon wa8
confined to his house. As the winter set in he was
confined to his bed. I visited him frequently, and
had many serious conversations with him. He al-
ways spoke with strong confidence of his future
state, and said he had no doubt of his acceptance
with God, through faith in Christ. I visited him a
short time before his death. As I was about to start
on a journey to the north, and expected to see him
no more, we parted with the hope of meeting in a
better world. He died in his own house, December
17, 1823, in great peace. His funeral was* attended
by my worthy colleague, Rev. Jacob Hooper.

Having made arrangements for our journey to the
north, we started December 10, 1823. Our company
consisted of Mononcue, Squire Gray -Eyes, and Jona-
than Pointer, for interpreter. Mononcue and Jona-
than went by Stewart's to take their farewell of
him — the rest of. us having done it previously — and
nere to meet us at the Big reservation. Gray- Eyes

BEFLECTIONS IN TUE FOREST.

381

anil myself took the packs and horses, and went a
nearer route across the plains. This day was cold —
the wind blowing from the north, and the snow driv-
ing in our faces. After traveling several miles, wo
stopped at a cottage, warmed ourselves, and made a
repast on bread and meat. We then started, and en-
tered a gloomy forest. The snow hanging on the
bushes across our path, and the dark, lowering clouds
suspended over us, led us to serious reflections on
death and the grave. While solemn meditations were
passing through our minds, the clouds were dispersed,
and the cheerful sun shone brilliantly upon us. The
thought of the second advent of Christ, in all his
splendor, and a redemption from the grave, followed ;
and we felt a prelibation of the raptures of that day
when clouds and storms should cease forever, and the
light of God's countenance shine upon us all.

The great contrast between the darkness and the
light, made us remember the poor, benighted Indians
we were going to visit. They were living in the
gloom of death, while the hateful superstition of past
and present delusions had buried all their comforts.
Crime of all descriptions, as the fruit of the intoxi-
cating draught, had pollut'^d every fountain of happi-
ness; and witchcraft, with its midnight enchantments,
girded all the other evils, and fastened them firmly on
the poor Indian's soul. No cheerful ray of hope,
breaking through the darkness of the future, came
to bless or comfort him. All was a dark and dreary
uncertainty; but the darkness will loon give way

382

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

before the glorious light of the Gospel of Christ.
We are his embassadors, artd bring good news and
glad tidings of great joy. " Ilow beautiful upon the
mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good
tidings !"

After traveling several miles, and the shades of
night had began to inclose us, we came to some In-
dian houses, the inhabitants of which were wandering
in the forest in quest of game. Here we concluded to
stay for the night. After making a good fire, feed-
ing and securing our horses, my comrade made search
for, and procured a root of sassafras, of which we
made tea, which, after riding in the cold, was very
refreshing. After having supped, we commended our-
selves to God, by prayer and thanksgiving, implor-
ing his blessing on our journey and its objects, and
spread our blankets, and lay down to rest. The night
being cold, we had frequently to rise and renew our
fire. In the morning we had prayer, fed our horses,
and while eating our breakfast, our two friends, Mo-
noncue and Pointer, joined us. We set out through
a thick forest, and traveled a small Indian trail, our
way being often obstructed by logs and swamps.

We had translated a hymn into Wyandott, and em-
ployed ourselves in learning to sing together,

*' Hail thou blest morn, when the great Mediator
Down from the regions of glory descends/' etc.

This day my two companions and Pointer learned
to sing the translation tolerably well, and we made

THE W Y A N D T T CAPTIVE.

383

Christ.
IS and
on the
1 good

.des of
me In-
idering
dded to
), feed-
search
lich we
as very
led our-
implor-
3ts, and
le night
lew our
lorses,
s, Mo-
irough
ail, our

nd em-

the swjinips and the surrounding forest vocal with

our songs.

earned
made

After toiling hard we reached the west branch of
Portage river. The sun had sunk behind a cloud.
We stopped under the branches of a beech-tree, cut
wood for the night, scraped away the snow, stretched
our tents, and Mononcue soon prepared some supper,
by roasting our meat on a stick, and boiling some
spice-wood twigs. We then engaged in a long con-
versation about the former wars of their nation, and
the success of the different parties.

He related one case, in which a whole party of
their enemies were entirely cut oflf. Some years pre*
viously they had taken a Wyandott woman, and made
a slave of her. On a war excursion they took her
with them, probably to mend their moccasins and
make their fires. At or near where we were then
encamped, they stopped for the night, and sent her
for wood. While she was thus wandering, she fell in
yith a party of her own people, and they agreed with
her, that as soon as the Indians fell asleep, she should
tie their feet together, and if they should awake while
she was doing it, she was to fly to them for protec-
tion. She succeeded, and the Wyandotts fell upon
them, and destroyed them all, so that none escaped.

The country through which we passed was flat and
swampy land, interspersed with some of the finest
sugar-trees I have ever seen in the northern part
of the state. Among these are many sugar camps,
where the Indians make sugar and catch raccoons.

884

I.TFE AMONG THE INDIAN8.

This is tlicir spring employment, from the first of
February to tlic first of April. The men take several
hundred raccoons in one of these hunts, and the wo-
men are employed in making sugar.

On the morning of the 12th we set out at an early
hour. Our path led through a part of the Black
Swamp, lying between the west and north fork of
Portage river. The swamp was aanost impassable.
As the ice was not strong enough to bear our horses,
they were continually breaking through. One of our
horses was twice mired. This swamp extended about
eleven miles. We reached the north fork, wnere we
entered the plains, which continued to the Maumee
river.

These plains are, for the most part, thin land, and
interspersed throughout with bogs, or low, wet places,
and often covered with water for half a mile. Our
traveling now being more pleasant, my friends con-
versed with me about the country, and I learned that
this tract of land, lying between Portage river and
the Maumee, which was all plains, interspersed with
groves of timber, covered a large extent of country,
and was used every fall fo" the ring hunt. This is
made by setting fire to the leaves and grass in a
circle of fifteen or twenty miles ; and the fire drives
all the game into a pound, where they are shot dowL
in immense quantities. Sometimes as many as five
hundred deer have been killed on one of these occa-
sions. The raccoons climb the trees in the groves of
timber, and are caught in great abundance. One of

INCIDENTS OP THE JOURNEY.

88C

st of
5veral
e wo-

earlv

Black
rk of
;sable.
lorses,
of our
about
ere we
[aumee

id, and
places,
. Our
[s con-
sd that
jr and
with
|untry,
'his is
in a
Idrivea
dowi.
^s five
occa-
res of
Ine of

our party said he had killed as many as fifty in one
day. These are most generally shot with the bow and
arrow. The product of the hunt is equally dividud
among the individuals who compose the party.

This day was dark and cold. Sometimes the snow
fell 80 fast that we could hardly discern the trace.
Late in the evening vre reached the Lower Rapids
of the Maumee river, and forded it just above the
principal rapid. The ford was seemingly dangeio\i3,
on account of the fissures in the rocks, some of which
were deep and narrow. The swiftness of the stream
was such, that it seemed almost impossible, should
tho horses stupible and fall, that we could escape
drowning; but we had no other way to get across,
and, protected by a kind Providence; we passed in
safety. That night we rode ten miles, and put up
at a public house kept by a man who had made a
profession of religion.

As the snow was deep, and the day unfavorable,
we were the only travelers, and were permitted to
occupy the bar-room. After we had partaken of
some refreshments — the first we had received since
morning — we were invited to have prayers with the
family; and in this we enjoyed ourselves well. I
asked Mononcue to sing, who was aided by the other
Indians, and, after singing, to join in prayer. They
sang in the sweetest strains, in Indian, the following
hymn:

" Gome thou Fount of every blessiog,
Taoe my heart to sing thy grace/' ete.>
25

^iPPiWPii^^

386

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS

and I sang with them in the English, which seemed
to have a powerful effect on the man of the houBe
and his family, it being a strange thing to them to
hear Indians thus sing and pray. My old friend's
soul was fired with his theme, and he prayed as if
the heavens and the earth were coming together.
When we arose from our knees, he and Squire Gray-
Eyes went and shook hands with all in the house,
weeping and exhorting them, in Indian, to turn to
God, believe and live. We had a good meeting, for
many of the family wept. Here I will give a few
verses of the hymn before mentioned, in the Wyan-
dott language :

Yar-ro-tawsa shre-wan daros

Du-saw-shaw-taw-tra-war-ta
Di-da-aha-hoo-saw-ina-gawrah
Dow-ta-ta ya-tu-haw-ahu.

Chorus — Durah-ma-yah ! durah-ma-yab !

Ded-so-mah-ras qui-hun-ca.
English— Halleluiah ! halleluiah I

We are on our jourmy home.

Yar-ro-tawsa shre-wan daros

Shasus tatot di cuarta
Scar tre hoc tar share wan daro

Sha yar ne tshar see sentra.

Durah-ma-yah ! durah-ma-yah t eta.

On-on-ti zo-hot si caw-quor

Sheat un taw ruh de Shasus so
T«u yo dashar san de has lo

Dishee cuw quar, na ha ha.

Durah-ma-yah I durah-ma-yah ! etc.

After we retired, brother Mononcue asked me, " Is
this man religious?" I said, "Yes, I believe so."

RUM — THE JOURNET.

887

»e, " Is

re 80.

"How can that be," said he, "while he keeps and
sells the fire-waters? [meaning ardent i»pirits.] I
thought that religious men were to love God and all
men, and not do any evil ; and can there be a worse
evil than the keeping and measuring out this destruc-
tive thing, which makes men crazy, and leads them to
commit any crime, even murder?" I told him it was
a great evil and sin. and I could not see how any mac
could be good and practice it ; that it never did any
good, but was always productive of the worst crimes.
He then replied that all such ought to be kept out of
the Church, or turned out if they were in and Avould
not quit it. I agreed with him in sentiment; so,
after prayer, we spread our blankets, end committed
ourselves to sleep.

We made an early start on the thirteenth. Our
road was much better, and lay, principally, through
a rolling, sandy country of plains, interspersed with
groves of white-oak. About an hour before sunset,
We crossed the River Raisin. This was one of the
most beautiful places I have ever seen. The river
and the lake afforded a delightful prospect, even at
that dreary season of the year. We turned int^ a
French settlement on Sandy creek — the prairies being
all burned — and obtained lodging for the night in a
small hut. -The family was quite large, and the hut,
with the accession we made, was literally filled.
Some time after, our landlord came home with a keg
of whisky. He put it under his bed, and soon was
engaged in a conversation with our interpreter, and,

888

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

through him, with the chiefs. Being tired and weary,
I got my blanket, and took one corner of the hut for
my bed. After the man and his wife had crossed
themselves, and said some kind of prayer in French,
they lay down. Then Mononcue asked Pointer if
we were to have prayer to-night. His reply was,
" I do not know. The preacher has gone to bed, and
BO have all the family." "Well," said he, "we will
pray, notwithstanding." So he began, and the other
two joined in. He prayed with great fervor. This
alarmed the Frenchman and his wife, so that they
could scarcely stay in bed. I kept my position till
it was over, and then we all went to sleep. But the
weather being extremely cold, we could not rest long;
and about four o'clock, all arose. Here our host pro-
posed making a present to the chiefs, and spoke to
them to that effect. Mononcue asked him what he
had to give. The reply was, "A good dram of
whisky." Mononcue exhibited the greatest disdain
and contempt, picked up his bridle and hat, and said,
"We will now go." We followed, got our horses,
and, dark, snowing, and blowing as it was, we set off
through a plain country, without a road or path. We
followed Mononcue as our guide; and about two
hours after, we were glad to see the day break on
us. At sunrise we reached the woodland on Stony
creek. Here the snow had drifted till it was near
two feet deep. When we came to the creek, our
guide seemed determined to proceed. I said, "Mo-
noncue, are we to have nothing to eat? I am bun-

DIFFICULTIES.

389

gry." "Well," he said, "let us stop." We com-
menced scraping away the snow, and shortly had a
fire. I made the coflfee, and Mononcue broiled the
meat. Before we began our repast, he said we must
have prayer. I asked him to pfay. We kneeled
lown in the snow, which was almost to our arms
"when on our knees, and he prayed till I was almost
frozen, and with a zeal and devotion peculiar to
himself.

After we had refreshed ourselves, and the horses
had browsed, we passed the creek with some difficulty,
and continued our journey along the blind Indian
path, over which hung bushes hravy laden with snow.
This, together with fallen timber, rendered our way
almost impassable; so that it was late in the after-
noon when we arrived at the Huron river, in the
Wyandott reserve of eight sections. Here we had a
very formidable difficulty to encounter. The river
was just fordable, and frozen on both sides for two
or more rods. We alighted, took our tomahawks
and cut the ice; then jumped our horses down into
the water, got on, and rode to the ice on the opposite
shore. Here we sat on our horses, and cut the ice,
when the water was more than midsides deep ; and I
think a colder day I hardly ever experienced. After
staying in the water nearly half an hour, we got on
the ice, and whipped our horses upon it. We were
not out of the water ten minutes before our clothes
were frozen stiff; and then we had two miles to go
before we should arrive at any house. We set off at

d;90

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

full Speed, and arrived, at sundown, at the residence
of our old friend Honnis, where we were most cor-
dially and heartily welcomed, and our wants were
comfortably supplied. How good it is, even in a land
of savages, to fiiid a friend and a welcome in the
hour of need; and never were men more kindly
seceived than we were on this occasion.

This being the Sabbath — though it had been our
intention to reach this place on Saturday, but the
roads and weather had prevented — we immediately
sent forth word in the village that we would hold
meeting at night. All were in attendance. I tried
to preach, and brothers Mononcue and Gray-Eyes ex-
horted. Then we invited such as were seeking relig-
ion to come forward to be prayed for. Several came,
whom ve endeavored to point to the Lamb of God,
who taketh away the sin of the world. Some of
them believed with the heart unto righteousness.
The next morning we had meeting again, and formed
a class of twelve members. This was the first In-
dian class formed in the Michigan territory.

We found a friend and great advocate of religion
in brother Honnis. I was remarkably struck with
the appearance of this man. His frame was large:
his face resembled that of the German ; high fore-
head and cheek-bones, his nose aj[uiline, and his hair
as white as wool. He sat on a deer-skin, with his
legs crossed. His eyes were dim, and almost sight-
less. His Kinnekinick pouch, in which he kept his
p'pe and tobacco, with a knife that was nearly worn

THE VENERABLE HONNIS.

391

igion
with

>t bis
worn

to the back, which he used for cutting his tobacco,
was on one side, and a pair of crutches on the other.
I think I have never seen a man more dignified in his
appearance. His countenance was calm and serene.
After the usual ceremoni?s of smoking were over, he
addressed us in the following manner:

"Brothers, I am glad that the Great Spirit has
given me this opportunity ot seeing your faces once
more before I die. He has always been kind to me.
I have heard what the Great Spirit has done for you,
and many of our nation, by his word and ministers,
and I have rejoiced in it ; but my age and afflictions
have prevented me from getting up, and going to see
and join you in it. I have waited till God has sent
you to my cabin, for which I thank him."

I then told him that I had come to bring him the
glad tidings of salvation ; that Jesus, his Savior, had
died to save all the world, and that whosoever be-
lieved on him, and broke off from their sins, should
certainly find mercy. While I spoke to him, the
tears fell in streams from his almost sightless eyes,
and his swelling soul was big with gratitude and
praise to God for his redeeming love. He said, "I
have always prayed to the Great Spirit, and I know
he has heard me and protected me, in the battle-field,
and in the hour of sickness, and he has kept me from
the sin of drunkenness ; but I have done many other
things that were contrary to his mind, and I am very
sorry. I have been looking up for help in my old
days, and have often felt happy in my soul ; but this

m^^mM

892

LIFB AMONQ THB INDIANS.

news of a Savior makes my heart more glad, and I
will now look to him as my great help in these days
of my great weakness. I must soon go the road of
all the earth. I can not walk without these sticks,
and the sun is hid from my eyes. But I hope my
children, and grandchildren, will take hold of this
great word, which God has spoken to all nations, and
now to us, and hold it fast till they shall be called
upon to go to their Father's house above."

This man was taken prisoner when he was so young
as not to recollect any thing but that his name was
Honnis, and that he crossed very high mountains.
At this time he supposed himself to be over eighty-
five years old. He was one of the principal chiefs
for many years, and was very highly esteemed as a
man. He was well acquainted with the history of
the Catholic priests and their religion; and told us
that there was a great difference between the conduct
of the first priests and those that had last lived
among them ; that the first were sober, praying, good
men, but the last would say one thing, and act the
contrary way, so that the Indians had not much con-
fidence in them.

The Indians on this reserve were a mixture of the
Shawnees and Wyandotts, by intermarriages. Their
lands were £;ood, and their situations comfortable.

On the 15th we rode to the mouth of the Detroit
river, and put up with Mr. John Waljcer, a son of
William Walker, of Upper Sandusky. This is a most
beautiful part of the country. Here the Detroit rlve»

DETROIT RIVER — BROWNSTOWN. 393

pours the water of the upper lakes into Lake Erie,
on its way to the great Falls of Niagara, and thence
to the ocean. Here the view to the eye is extended,
till the blue ethereal and the blue wave seem to meet.
The heavens above, and the waters of the lake below,
seem to unite together, and vision can not penetrate
farther. The wind was blowing almost a gale, and
the mountain waves were breaking on the sandy
beach, with the sound of many waters. The distance
across the mouth of the river is computed to be about
five miles. Above the mouth the river is divided,
and runs on each side of the Grosse Island, which is
eight miles long, and about three miles wide. The
largest body of water, and the most navigable branch,
lies on the British side.

Opposite the lower end of the island, on the Can-
ada side, is the British fort, Maiden, a noted place in
the late war. On the river, two miles above this, is
the Indian reservation, on which some of the Wyan-
dotts live. This extends seven miles on the river,
and nine miles back.

Near to the mouth of the riv«r, on the American
side, is the Indian town, called Brownstown, near
which a severe battle was fought in the late war.
This took its name from a man who was taken pris-
oner when young, from Greenbrier, in Virginia, a
brother of General Brown, of that country. He
married an Indian woman, and raised a large family.
He was remarkable, all his life, for sobriety and recti--
tude of conduct; was greatly esteemed, and the influ-

■plfwppp

894

LIFE AMONQ THE INDIANS.

ence of his example was great through his whole lifv
In 1800 this village contained many inhabitants, who
treated strangers and travelers with great hospitality.
I staid two days and two nights with them, and found
them very kind. But this land has since been ceded
to the United States, and the Indians have all left it.

After tarrying for the night on this delightful spot,
we set off next morning for Detroit city. Here we
were joyfully received by my old friend, brother
Dean. The news got out that some of the Christian
Indians were with me, and this called together some
who were skeptical on the subject of the possibility
of Indians being religious. They conversed with
them on that subject, and found that they were not
at a loss to give a reason of the hope that was in
them. They could tell of their conviction, conver-
sion, and progress in godliness, as well as though
they had been taught to read, or were brought up by
Christian parents.

After the conversation ended, in which I took no
part, but left them to make the examination for them-
selves, I asked the Indian brethren to sing a hymn in
Wyandott, which they did, to the astonishment of the
company. Then I asked Mononcue to pray, which
he did with great fervor and zeal ; and before he was
done the company were affected to tears, to hear a
poor Indian pray with such power. When we arose
from our knees, they sung again, and, with their faces
wet with tears, went around the room, and shook
hands with all present.

MEETING AT DETROIT.

895

no
m-
in
the
ich
vas

This put an end to all their unbelief, and they most
cordially received and embraced them as children of
God, born of his Spirit, and bound for the land of
Canaan. It was a blessed evening to me and all
present. We continued to hold our meeting for some
time, and then parted, in hope of meeting in a world
of glory.

The next morning we visited Governor Cass, and
were received with great kindness, and obtained from
him ail the information he was in possession of, in
reference to the situation of the Indians in that region
of country.

We were referred by the Governor to Major Baker,
commandant of the garrison, who had recently built
the military works at Saginaw. Brother Mononcue
and myself dined with the Governor, who treated
us with the greatest respect. I tried to preach at
candle-light, from Romans vi, 23, " The wages of sin
is death," etc. ; and God owned his word. Many
were cut to the heart, and inquired the way of salva-
tion.

On the morning of the 18th we took breakfast
with brother Lockwood, and waited on Major Baker
for information, and met with a kind reception. Ho
told us that the Indians were, at that time, princi-
pally in the woods, hunting, except the old chief,
Kish-a-kauk-o ; and that he was violently o]: rosed to
missions and to religion of every kind; and, at that
time, particularly, he was much exasperated and very
wicked, on account of an attempt made by the In

896

LIFE AMOMO THE INDIANS.

dians to put him down from being chief. He was so
wicked, and such a murderer — for he had recently
killed two Indians — that they were determined ho
should exercise his authority as chief no longer, and
he was determined not to be deposed from oflSce. He
was one of the worst savages in the country. This
chief afterward died in prison, at Detroit, where he
had been confined for misdemeanors against the Gov-
ernment.

Our prospects were now rather unfavorable, in
relation to the accomplishment of our present pur-
pose ; and, after maturely considering tTie whole mat-
ter, we concluded to go no farther for the present, but
to await the return of the Indians, and see what the
consequences would be ; and if a favorable change
could be effected, to prosecute our purpose.

In the mean time, Mononcue, Gray-Eyes, and
Pointer, had crossed over the river, and gone to pay
a visit to the Wyandotts, on the Aux Canards river.
At the end of two days I followed them, after leaving
some appointments to fill on my return.

The first night I passed out of my own native
country was with Adam Brown, son of the man of
that name at Brownstown, before spoken of. Here
we found his mother, a very aged native woman, and
one that walked in the light for years, and was a
praying Indian. I found her confidence was strong
in the goodness of the Great Spirit ; yet she did not
know Jesus, and seldom heard his name. I talked
with her freely, and taught her the plan of salvation

PRBACUINO TO TUE INDIANS.

897

by faith in Jesus. She listened with the deepest
ince'rest, received the word in faith, and blessed God
for the light which had fallen on her path, which was
now more clear, so that she should be able to travel
it with more confidence, and with a stronger step.
Here I met three persons who had been at the mis-
sion, at Upper Sandusky, and who had obtained par-
don through the mercy of God. Brother John Gould
and his wife were hjippy in the knowledge of sins
forgiven. Our brethren had been holding a meet-
ing, and exhorting their friends to flee the wrath
to come.

The next day, being the 24th of December, 1823,
we met at the house of Mr. Clarke, who was married
to a daughter of old Adam Brown. The house was
full, and I commenced preaching from Luke ii, 10,
" And the angel said unto them, fear not," etc. In
this discourse I gave a history of the creation, of
man and his fall, etc. ; the promise of God that he
should be redeemed by the seed of the woman, and
the renewal of this promise to succeeding genera-
tions, to the patriarchs and prophets ; of the birth
of Christ at the time appointed, and its announce-
ment by an angel; the doctrine of his atonement;
his sufferings, death, resurrection, ascension, and pres-
ent intercession ; of sending his apostles, and after-
ward minist'3rs, to preach the Gospel to every crea-
ture on the face of the earth. I then showed that
God required men every-where to repent; and those
who did forsake their sins, and seek God faitlifully

898

LIFE AMONQ TUE INDIANS.

by prayer, and keeping his commandments, should
find mercy.

This discourse lasted, perhaps, three hours. The
(Congregation listened with deep and silent attention,
and often tears streamed from their eyes. At the
close of the sermon, we commenced singing and pray-
ing; and, after prayer meeting, I opened a door for
members, and organized a Church among this people.
Nine came forward, and one of that number was the
aged widow Brown, bending over the grave, laden
with the weight of threescore years and ten, giving
glory to God, and exclaiming, " I will go." This was
an indescribable time. Brothers Mononcue and Gray-
Eyes told their experience in the most pathetic man-
ner, and were joined by brother Gould and his wife.
The whole congregation was melted into tears. Even
To-Morrow and Split-Log, two of the oldest chiefs,
were filled with wonder and amazement. I also
added to the nine, who had just joined, the three
who had joined at the mission, which made twelve,
whom I formed into a class, and appointed brother
Gould leader. Among those who joined were Samuel
Brown — afterward tin interpreter to the mission, and
a licensed preacher — Mud-Eater and his wife, Mrs.
Clarke, and Magte.

This was the first Methodist Indian society formed
in the Canadas; and it was a wonder to all who heard
of it; but God was in the work, and inspired them
to keep up their prayer and class meeting j, and I
instructed them to go and get the preachers who

JOURNEYlNaS AND PREACUINO. 899

^med

leard

Ihero

id I

who

traveled on that circuit, to whom I also wrote on
the suhject, to come and take them into the regulur
work, which tliey did. But this little class felt that
it was a branch of the Sandusky mission; and 'as
manv as could, would come over once or twice a
}ear, lo our quarterly meetings; and our Indian
exhorters would visit them several times in the year,
and hold two and three days' meetings with them
The work spread, and the class was grpctly increased.
I returned to the American side, to fill my appoint-
ments there, and left the brethren with this new class,
for a few days, to instruct and build them up in their
most holy faith.

On the twenty-sixth I preached on the Rouge
river, at brother Robert Abbott's, from Ephesians v,
15, 16: "See that ye walk circumspectly, not as
fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the
days are evil." We had a time of feeling; many
wept, and a few joined class. Next day I rode nine-
teen miles, to a new settlement, and preached from
the fifth chapter of John, and part of the sixth verse,
*' Wilt thou be made whole ?" These people seemed
as though they were not sensible that they were sick,
and manifested no concern about a physician, and I
fear I left them in the same state.

Next day I rode five miles, and preached in the
evening to a very attentive and weeping congre-
gation. Here, I think, the seed fell in good ground,
and I hope it will bring forth fruit abundantly to the
glory of God.

\^-'

-^7>^^ ^^ .

400

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

On Sabbath I rode to Pontiac, and preached to a
large congregation, considering the sparseness of the
population, for some came fifteen miles. I preached
from the first three verses of the first Psalm, with
much liberty in speaking ; and God owned and blessed
his word. I rode seven miles, and preached again, at
night, to many who devoured the word of life with
an appetite that spoke the state of their hearts.

Here, in this wilderness, were scattered about thirty
Methodists, who hungered for the word of life. There
were also a few Presbyterians and Baptists, who were
much more friendly, and united in worship, and every
good work with us, much more cordially than they
were in the habit of doing in the older settlements j
and I have no doubt but the time will soon come,
when this wilderness shall blossom as the lose.

I returned to Detroit, and preached at night from
ReveUtions xx, 12, "I saw the dead, small and great,
stand before God, and the books were opened," etc.
This night will be remembered in eternity. Such
were ihe cries for mercy, that my voice was drowned.
More than forty came forward to be prayed for, and
several experienced the pardon of their sins, while
many others resolved never to rest till they found
redemption in the blood of the Lamb. This city
seemed now to be visited with a cloud of mercy,
and it appeared the ne.;t day as if all business was
suspended. I went from house to house, and ex-
horted all to turn to Christ. I went into the bar
racks, among the officers and soldiers, and preached

REVIVAL INFLUENCE.

401

jd to a

of the

•eached

n, wuh

blessed

gain, at

ife with

it thirty
There

ho were

ad every

lan they

lements ,

an come,

iose.

ght from
id great,

|ed," etc.
Such
irowned.
for, and
s, while
y found
his city
mercy,
ess was
and ex-
Ithe bar
►reached

to them Jesus and the resurrection. I prayed in
every house which I visited, and there was an awful
shaking among the dry bones. About sixty joined
the Church, as the fruit of these meetings; and, if I
I could have staid, I have no doubt that many more
would have joined; but it was imperiously necessary
for me to return homo.

LIFE AMONa THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER XV.

COKVERTED INDIANS ON A WINTER HUNT

We at length bade our friends at Detroit adieu,
•ud set our faces toward home. It rained, and was
very disagreeable. For our journey I procured a
few pounds of sea biscuit, which was so hard that
we could not use it till it was soaked in water. We
also purchased the half cf a deer from an Indian.

When we pitched our camp, all was wet. Some
went to stretch our tent, others to kindle the fire,
and the rest went into the bog to gather grass for us
to sleep on. About dark we found ourselves seated
under our tent cloth, our fire blazing, and our meat
stuck upon a stick roasting. Then brother Monon-
cue got out our bread; and found it quite too hard for
his teeth. He called out, " My friend, what sort of
bread is this? It is as hard as a stone." I said,
"It is sailor's bread, and must be dipped in the
water to soften it." "Well," said he, "it may do
or men on the water or in the water, but it is not
good for dry land/' After our repast, we turned our
horses into the woods; and then, after committing
ourselves to God's protection, we lay down on the
wet grass, in our half dried blankets, and soon fell
asleep. A merciful Providence protected us till

CROSSINa THS MAUMGF.

408

we awoke, in the morning, to prepare for our jour-
ney.

We arrived, late in the evening of this day, at the
Rapids of the Maumee. The river having become
a little swollen by the rains, it was dangerous to cross.
But there was no alternative; we must ride through
»»t, or remain where we were. So, trusting in a gracioui
Providence to direct the footsteps of our horses, we
set forward — every one taking his own route. Neither
we nor our horses could see the fissures in the rocks
Only one horse stumbled, and the rider did not fall ;
but the rapidity of the stream carried them both
within less than four feet of where the water com-
menced its most precipitous descent. The horse,
however, recovered, stood trembling for awhile, and
then made his way out. Having all got safe over, I
said, "My friends, for this providence, we ought to
give praise to God." We joined, and sung a hymn
as we rode along ; and, within a mile of the river,
we again encamped for the night. Here we received
some kindness from a backwoods settler. He gave
us corn, and milk, and some potatoes.

The next morning we set oflf early, and did not
stop our pace till just before sundown. We heard
the crack of a rifle a short distance from the road.
Mononcue said to me, ^^Taw-wa Indians !" We turned
off to a little branch, and found them there encamped.
We went to a large bottom about a quarter of a mile
above, and turned out our tired animals to a fine blue
grass pasture. I said to Gray-Eyes, "Go and buy

404

LIFE AMONG THE INDIA x\S.

US some bear-meat for supper." So he went, and
soon returned with some. The rest cooked, and I
lay down to rest, tired and hungry. I said to my-
self, " Some would think this hard fare ; but I rejoice
that God has counted me worthy even to be a teacher
and guide to the poor Indiar." Here my soul was
filled with glory and with God. I could hardly re-
frain from shouting. I continued these sweet medi-
tations till brother Mononcue aroused me .'o supper.
He had made soup, and, in order to use it, he also
made some spoons out of lynn bark. We took a
hearty meal, said our prayers, and slept sweetly be-
neath the protection of God.

The next day we reached the Big Spring reserve.
Here we had a good prayer meeting ; and then found
our way to the mission.

On our return we found that brother Stewart had
gone to his reward ; and, no doubt, he rests in Abra-
ham's bosom. In the mean time, the adversary had
been at work, and great efforts had been made by
the heathen party to oppose our religion, and to es-
tablish their own. They now became organized so
as to have meeting every Sabbath, in order to keep
any of their party from going to hear the Gospel,
and to draw oflf all that were weak and wavering.
De-un-quot, the head chief, and Warpole, were the
principnl men — both of the Porcupine tribe. With
them they connected the old Cherokee-boy, and made
Scionta their high-priest. He appointed some others
as bis assistants, to sing and dance, and narrate their

HEATHEN OPPOSITION.

405

and
rid I

iny-
joice •
icher
1 was
y re-
medi-
ipper.
3 also
ook a
,lv be-

jserve.
found

traditions, and to exhort them to be faithful in hold-
ing on to their fathers' religion. They taught that
the Great Spirit would be angry with them if they
should quit it, and join the white man's book. This
book was not sent to them, nor for them, or else they
would have had it sent in their own language, and they
would have been taught to read and understand it.
They said, " It had a great many things that did not
fluit people that hunted, but those that worked the
earth, as its figures were suited to them and not to
us. When it speaks of plowing, and sowing, and
reaping, the whites understand these things, and the
language suits them. But Avhat does an Indian know
of this?" These, and many other such arguments,
were brought to dissuade and draw oflf those that
were ^uly half awakened. Feasts and dancing were
held almost every week. The drunkard's yell and
the Indian flute were frequently heard. The young
men and women painted, and employed themselves
in riding to and fro.

The chiefs and nation had become dissatisfied with
the sub-agent, and thought him unfit to manage their
concerns. During my absence, Between-the-Logs,
Hicks, Peacock, Punch, and others, had preferred
charges against him, to Colonel Johnston. lie had
written to them that he would come in March, and
see them face to face. This excitement had cooled
the flame of the revival. I plainly saw that there
was a storm ahead. I made use of every exertion
to prevent it, by keeping up our prayer and clabS

406

LIFS AMONQ THE INDIANS.

meetings; and was fully and ably sustained by the
mission family, especially brother Wm. Walker and
Robert Armstrong, who now to me were as armor-
bearers. We strove to keep things in as cool a state
as possible. At length I found that the traders —
who were in the habit of selling liquor to the In-
dians — and the sub-agent, were combined against m
and the mission. They asserted that I was at the
bottom of their dissatisfaction, and that it was through
me the charges were preferred against the sub-agent.
But at this I felt no alarm, for I was conscious that
I was innocent.

The day of trial came on, and the parties mei at
the mission school-house. I was not present, nor had
I any intention of attending, unless in self-defense.
A vast number were gathered; and when Colonel
Johnston had opened the council by reading the
charges, the Indians, by their speaker, Between-the-
Logs, said that they were unaccustomed to the form
of trial, and would not be able to do themselves jus-
tice, and asked leave of Colonel Johnston to select
a man who would conduct the trial for them. To
this Colonel Johnston readily agreed; and, after some
little counseling among themselves, I was chosen by
them for that purpose. I was accordingly sent for
and, although I saw plainly the delicate situation in
which I was placed, I agreed to act with them. This
t r il lasted three days.

in the mean time, the sub-agent and his party were
triumphing in the prospect that they would be able

MISSION DEFENDED.

407

to involve me, and so strike a fatal blow at the
mission. But after the business of examination was
over, an4 the pleadings finished, to await the decision
of the judge, I arose and requested the liberty to
speak. I then stated that I had learned that the
accused and his party intended to report that the
opposition of the chiefs and the charges originated
with me; and, as I was there as the organ of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, and an agent for the
General Government in the application of the money
applied by the Secretary of War, and held a very
responsible relation to both, I would claim it as a
privilege to defend myself and the mission family,
'from any imputation in this case. I knew that it
was not my place to prove a negative, but that it
was the place of my accusers to prove that I had
actually been guilty. Nor is it often in the power
of the accused to prove the negative; but I think
I am able, and will do it, with your permission.

Colonel Johnston readily granted my request, and
said it was of importance to me and my work that
I should do so, if I could.

I then proceeded, " Sir, you and my accusers know
that I can not converse in the Wyandott language,
and that, in conversing, I have to use an interpreter.
Now, sir, here they all are. I wish you to swear
them all, to answer the agent any questions that he
may propose to them on that subject. If they all
clear me, I shall be clear indeed." This was done ;
and he examined them all under oath, and they all

•^fm^mmmit

torn

mmmmm

408

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

acquitted me. One, only, said that in the summer
the chiefs mentioned it to me, through him, and that
1 dissuaded them from any such course. Those men
were more disappointed than any men I ever saw.
They were confounded, and their looks spoke fully
t .e sensations they felt.

I then asked Mr. Johnston to give me a certificate
of this investigation, that I might he able to meet
any reports on the subject, which he readily did.

Having passed through this fiery ordeal without
being burnt, I felt thankful to God. In the midst
of all the opposition of the savage party, and the
Indian traders and whisky-sellers, the Church was
firm, and cleaved close to God and one another. The '
work of God greatly revived.

Many hard and evil reports were raised against
me; and letters were written to Mr. Calhoun, Secre-
tary of War, stating things that were false, and
every effort was made to remove me out of the way
I was twice told by the Indians, my friends, that I
must be on my guard, for there were men employed
to seek my life ; yet I harbored no fears, nor did I
stop a moment from the discharge of my duty to the
Church, poor or sick. But often I have rode, at the
hour of midnight, from the sick-bed of one patient
to another, through those plains, without arms or
dread ; believing firmly that Daniel's God would pre-
serve and deliver me from my enemies. I have often
been made to praise him, from the great peace I felt
in my soul. Casting my care on him, and trusting him

INDIAN HONESTY — REVIVAL.

401)

ner

hat

nen

jaw.

^uUy

icate
meet

thout
midst
A the
b "was
The*

for all things, I have frequently met the drunkard*
alone; and, instead of insulting or threatening me,
they would mostly say, ^^ Eewowwowah" — my father.

I do not now recollect that I was ever insulted by
an Indian, drunk or sober, during all the time I was
with them; nor did any of them ever manifest any
unkindness toward me. The heathen party did not
like my religion, nor my course in establishing a
Church; but still I was respected, for I treated all
with kindness and hospitality. Indeed, I do not be-
lieve that there are a people on the earth, that are
more capable of appreciating a friend, or a kind act
done toward them or theirs, than Indians. Better
neighbors, and a more honest people, I never lived
among. They are peculiarly so to the stranger, or
to the sick or distressed. They will divide the last
mouthful, and give almost the last comfort they have,
to relieve the suffering. This I have often witnessed.

After our return home it pleased the Lord to pour
out his Spirit upon the mission family, and upon the
nation. Within one mouth twenty-seven adult In-
dians were converted to God, and joined the Church.
Prayer meetings were held at the different Indian
houses three times every week ; and at almost <)very
meeting some were awakened and converted Wo
had formed a class among the school childr* f, and
brother William Walker was their leader. Th y met
in class once a week in the school-house, aid the
most of them experienced religion. One opening I
went into class, and we had not been the. . \ ery long

■ mwvr

410

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

when one of the young Indian boys was called upon
to pray ; and such was the fervency of every child,
that there was almost a universal cry for raercy
Several came and caught me around the neck, when
on my knees, and praised the Lord for redeeming
grace and dying love. In the evening, between sun-
down and dark, these small children would retire into
the bushes for private prayer; and they would get so
happy that they would shout the praises of God.
Others would go to them, and join with^ them in
singing and praying, till we would have to carry
some of them to the house, for they had not strength
to walk.

I have noticed that the girls, before they retired to
sleep, employed themselves in relating their religious
experience. Frequently one of them would rise and
relate what she had felt during the day, and encour-
age the rest to follow her example. They would talk
over their trials, and encourage each other to be
faithful in the service of God. They would then
kneel down, and pray privately before they went to
bed. They were taught the Lord's, and other short
prayers. Religion appeared to be their constant
theme; and when they went home on a visit to their
parents or friends, they pursued the very same pious
course. Very often their parents were reformed by
their pious conduct. Singing was a delightful em-
ployment to them, and they very frequently engaged
in it. Their mellow voices, and the animation with
iirliich they sang, were delightful. The influence that

nAKNAII ARMSTRONG.

411

religion had on their conduct was easily perceived.
They were afraid to do any thing wrong lest they
should be reproached by others, or be called to bn
account before their teachers and leaders. I spe k
advisedly when I say, that I never saw a gr^-.p of
children so obedient and peaceable. ,

This spring we lost, by death, one of our favorite
girls, Hannah Armstrong. She was always kind and
agreeable in her manners; had a mind of the first
order, and easily learned whatever was required of
her, either in letters or domestic economy. When
Hannah was under conviction, it was deep and evan-
gelical. She saw herself a ruined creature ; and that
without a saving interest in the blood of Jesus, she
must be lost forever. Her teacher, sister Barstow —
now Taylor — watched over her with the kindest at-
tention, and took a great interest in her situation.
Seeing that Hannah could not eat or rest, she asked
her what was the matter; when the girl suddenly
threw herself into her lap, and exclaimed, "0, my
soul! 0, my soul! I want a Savior, or I shall
die." Mrs. Taylor then instructed her in the way,
and taught her how to repose her soul upon the
Corner-stone. It was not long before this dear gir^
found Jesus precious to her soul. Her joy was
greater than her former grief.

Hannah's race was short, but it was brilliant.
Grace sweetened all the charms that nature had be-
stowed upon her. She shone with uncommon luster,
and departed this life while I was absent at the Gen-

^iii-.'.

412

LIFE AMONa THE INDIANS.

eral conference, held in Baltimore. The following
is an extract of a letter from WXliam Walker, dated
April 25, 1824:

" Alas ! death, stern death ! has robbed the mission
f f one of its brightest ornaments. I can anticipate
your feelings, when I announce to you the death of
Hannah Armstrong. On Monday, the 19th inst., at
11 o'clock, A. M., her fluttering spirit took its flight
to mansions in the skies. 0, what a situation the
bereft parents are in! I have seen brother Arm-
strong; and if ever sympathy filled my heart, it was
for him.

" While the eager parents were watching the hand
of death cutting down the most beautiful flower in
their garden, Hannah saw their exceeding grief; and,
although in the pangs of death, yet the kindness of
her heart would cast the last drop of comfort into
their sorrowful bosoms. She beckoned for her father
to come near to her. He did so. She then laid her
arm, already palsied in death, around his neck, and
said, *0, father, I have been praying all the time,
and all is well with me ;' and repeated, ' All is well
with me now: weep not.' The agonized parents
stood over, looking to see her latest breath; and, in
a few iiiinutes, she breathed no more, but winged her
mystic flight to worlds where pleasures never die."

Reader, do not view this scene as transpiring
among those who have had all the means of grace;

THE WINTER HUNT.

413

6ut view it as occurring in an Indian wigwam, whore
many hardened white people think Christ can never
come. Blessed be tlio God of Jacob, for he is no
respecter of persons; but all that do his will, fear
liim, and work righteousness, shall bo accepted of him.

In the fall, after our conference in Urbana, Be-
tween-the-Logs came to me and said, that he and
some others had got in debt, and they could see no
way of extricating themselves, without taking a win-
ter's hunt; and asked my advice what they should
do. I told him that J should be very unwilling to
part with him and them so long, in consequence of
their services in the Church ; and I was much afraid
that they would grow cold in religion, and be tempted
to do some evil that would bring a reproach on the
good cause of God, and throw down what we had
been so long trying to build up; for to scatter the
wood, would put out the fire. He replied, " That is
true of some kinds of wood, but there are other kinds
that will keep the fire till it is all burned up ; and, 1
hope, we are of that kind. As to myself and others,
1 can see no way that we can meet the demands
against us, unless we can make it in the woods."
He added, that the party had concluded to go to
White river to spend the winter; and, in the spring,
they would come nearer home, to trap and make
sugar.

I gave Between-the-Logs the charge of the party,
to watch over them, to hold their meetings every Sab-
bath, and by no means break the Sabbath in any way

414

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

whatever; to see that family prayer be always kept
up in every tent, morning and evening, and that pri
vate prayer be not neglected. I told them, "The
whites will, if they can, get you to sin, some way,
that they may laugh and say, * These Indians are
hypocrites, and have no religion.' Be always on your
guard. It may be, that you will meet with some of
your Methodist brethren, and other Christian friends.
I will give each of you a certificate of your good
standing in the Church at the mission. This will give
you admittance to Methodist meetings; but if any of
you forfeit his claim to this certificate by sin, Be-
tween-the-Logs has the power, and will take it from
you, and hold it till you return home. Then you
must answer for your conduct."

I well knew^ that the white settlers on the frontiers
had great objections to the Indians hunting and kill-
ing the game in their vicinity, and would often do
them mischief. This was my greatest fear in refer-
ence to this party. Strangers, niid far from home,
they might be made to suffer for depredations commit-
ted by other Indians ; for, in retaliation, the Indians
sometimes killed the hogs and cattle of the whites,
and it would often terminate in murder. But know-
ing the prudence and purity of Between-the-Logs, I
felt as if those Indians would be the means of doing
some good.

These arrangements being made, the party set out
for '.heir hunting-ground. They had not been ioDg
there till it was rumored abroad that thei'e were

CHRISTIAN STEADFASTNESS.

415

religious Indians hunting on White river. Every Sab-
bath, as many as could, would meet at the camp of
Between-the-Logs for meeting, which was public for
all. They sang a hymn, and prayed, and then ex-
horted The class then met, and the congregation
dispersed.

Many white persons were leu from curiosity to go,
on Sabbath days, to Indian meeting in the woods ; and
the Lord convicted somo of their sins. They could
not move them from the strictest observance of every
Christian rule and duty — especially to keep the Sab-
bath holy. They frequently came to trade, on the
Sabbath, for meat and other things; but could not
induce them in any way to barter. A company came,
one Sabbath, as I was afterward told by one of the
party, and insisted on trading. Between-the-Logs
went to his saddie-bags, and pulled out his Bible;
and, although he could not read one word of it, yet
he said it was always good company, if a man could
not read, to have the word of God with him, and,
perhaps, he could get some one that could read it.
He had marked the chapter which contained the ten
commandments. He opened at the place, -iid asked
one of them if he could read, and handed him the
book. At this the man turned pale, and did not wish
to touch it; but, at the urgent request of the other,
read the fourth commandment.

"Now," said the chief, "you white men have read
this book all your lives, and are taught to read it,
and understand that you must keep God's day holy.

416

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

Here you are trying not only to break this law of
God, but to get us poor Indians to do po too. Of this
you ought to be ashamed; and never do so again.
Your example to your families and friends is bad;
and you will have a great deal to answer for at God's
judgment, if you keep on in this course. Now we
wish you, and all our friends, to know that we have
learned better. When we were in the dark, we did
not know one day from another. But the light of
heaven shined on our path, and has shown us that
it is good for our souls, and bodies, and horses, and
all, that we should stop one day in seven, and think,
and pray, and look to our hearts, to untie them from
the things of this world, for they are naturally much
inclined to stick fast to this world. God Raw it was
best to take one day to loose them, and keep them
ri^^^t. If this is not done, they will soon grow fast.
Then nothing will do but tearing, and this is hard
work. I believe God is right, and he has done it
for the good of us all; and we ought to keep his
good word, so that it will be well with us; for I am
told that this book says, if we do not keep his com-
mandments, we shall never enter into his house above.
My white brothers, go home, and never go to trade
again on the Sabbath. You will find it better with
you in this wc 'J, and in the world to come."

It wos said, by one of the party, that he never was
so astounded in oil his life, as when thus reproved by
a poor Indian. Soon the Indians commenced their
usual public meeting. Their white visitors staid till

A PLEASANT INTERVIEW.

417

all was over ; and went away determined, by the grace
of God, to lead new lives, and keep the Sabbath,
and teach others to do so. It is believed that many
of the settlers in this new part of the world, were
aroused to reflection and repentance, when they, saw
their conduct reproved by the piety of these Wyan-
dotts.

Sum-mun-dc-wat amused me, after he came home,
by relating a circumstance that transpired one cold
evening, just before sundown. " I met," said he, " on
a small path, not far from my camp, a man who ask
me if "^ could talk English. I said, * Little.' He ask
mi L y far is it to a house?' I answer, 'I don't
know — may be ten miles — may be eight miles.' *Is
there &. path leading to it?' *No — by and by dis go
out, [pointing to the path they were on,] den all
woods. You go home me — sleep — me go show 3 ou
to-morrow.' Then he come my camp— so take horse-
tie — give him some corn and brush — then my wife
give him supper. He ask where I come. I say,
* Sandusky.' Re hay, *You know Finley?' *Yes,'
I say, *he is :. v '>rjlher — my father.' Then he say,
*He is my I'v) ./v Then I feel something in my
heartburn. I say, 'You preacher?' He say, * Yes;'
and I shook hands and say, *My brother!' Then
we try wr Then I sa^ , ' You sing and pray.' So
he did. Then he say tc me, * Sing and prpy.' So I
did; and I so much cry I can't pray. No go sleep —
I can't — ^I ?*ic-';ft — my heart full. All night I pray,

and praise C?' f r his send me preacher to sleep

418

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS

my camp. Next morning soon come, and he want
to go. Then I go show him through the woods, till
come to big road. Then he took me by hand and
say, * Farewell, brother; by and by we meet up in
lieaven.' Then me cry, and my brother cry. We
part — I go hunt. All day I cry, and no see deer
jump up and run away. Then I go and pray by
some log. My heart so full of joy, that I can not
walk much. I say, *I can not hunt.' Sometimes I
sing — then I stop and clap my hands, and look up
to God, my heavenly Father. !'" ^ the love come
so fast in my heart, I can hardly nd. So I went
home, and said, * This is my happiest day.' "

This party returned home after sugar-making, in
the spring; and brought with them the same holy
flame of love they took away. Perhaps no people
enjoyed more of the comforts of divine grace, accord-
ing to the number of professors, than these Indians.
They were faithful in all the means of grace, and
were alive to God in their ^.ouls, both old and young.
The conversion of their friends and relations to God,
always added a new spring to their zeal and comfort.

But while the cause of religion was advancing, the
enemy was not asleep. Great exertions were still
made to keep all the nation from being converted to
God. The wicked traders in ardent spirits around
the reserve, found that their craft was in danger ; and
the pagans, to keep up an appearance of good, on
their part, came out against drinking whisky; and
taught, in their meetings, that eveVy man ard woman

ANTIC II RISTIAN EFFORTS.

419

of their party should quit it entirely, as it did not
belong to the religion of the Indian god, but was
reserved for the whi'i;e man, by whom it was devised^
and their God, who brought it among the Indians;
that their fathers never knew it till the white man
and his religion and book were brought among them.

The two parties seemed to be agreed in denouncing
the Christian religion, though from different motives:
the heathen from the love of sin, and the whites from
the love of gain. The traders affected to ridicule all
religion, and laugh at the Indians for their credulity
in believing things because the preachers told them
00. They said there were no such things as com-
man'^ nents in the Bible; for God gave them to Moses
on two stone slates, and Moses, being mad with the
children of Israel, threw them down, and they were
broken to pieces ; and God would not give any mor<}.
All the lies that could be uttered by the tongue of
slander were heaped on the missionaries and the min-
isters of religion. Some joined in this malicious
outcry, who would be much ashamed now to see theii
names in public print, associated with these misrepre-
sentations.

The Indian dances were revived, and three or four
were held each week. Some of the weakest of the
flock were led to them, which made the savage party
rejoice, believing I would take their naines off the
Church book, and expel them from the Church, and
that they would have them at their will ; but I chose
another course. Instead of using any harsh means, I

420

LIFE AMONG IHE INDIANS.

was more kind to them than ever ; and when a proper
opportunity offered, I would tell them how sorry I
was that they had taken this misstep. I endeay
ored to convince them that they were wrong, and that
they must not be discouraged at this fall; for it is
common with children, when they begin to walk, to
stumble, and sometimes fall and hurt themselves very
much; but still they were not discouraged so as not
to try to walk again. "Now, your friends have used
their influence to get you away ; but I forgive you,
and hope you will do so no more." Then I would
appeal to themselves, if they did not feel better when
they prayed, and were at a good prayer meeting, than
they did when they were at a feast or dance. Some-
times I asked, " At which would you rather be found
when you come to die?" "Prayer meeting," was
always the reply. "Then do you not see it is the
best; and why do you not foJlow it?" I seldom
failed to get them back, and foil the others in their
purposes.

There are no people that appreciate kindness more
than Indians; and the man who expects to do any
thing with an Indian, must do it by kindness. There
is no other avenue to his heart. To force an Indian
into measures, is to compel him to dissimulation. If
he thinks he is not able to withstand your power,
he will wait till he has the vantage-ground. Then
you will feel the force of the revenge that has burned
in his soul. It will burst like a volcano, when yoa
are least aware of it. But kindness works on their

FRIENDSHIP — IMPROVEMENTS.

421

roper
»rry I
ideav
d that
r it 18
ilk, to
iB very
as not
re used
jQ you,
; would
>T[ -when
ig, than
Some-
)e found

g," ^as

It is the

seldom
lin their

}8S more

do any

There

Indian

lion. K

power,

Then

burned

len you

ion their

feelings, and unstrings the fierce passions of the soul.
Friendship will never be forgotten. "Mi/ friend^'* is
an endearing title among savage tribes; and unless
willfully and wantonly broken off, will last in the
midst of the greatest dangers and trials. It is not an
fmpty sound, as with the civilized world in general,
to last as long and no longer than it can be used for
personal advantage. But kindness has often dis-
armed the savage, and made him lay down his instru-
ments of death, when the blow was ready to be
struck.

The Indians turned their attention, this spring, to
the improvement of their farms, and to the building
of comfortable houses. A number of hewed log-
houses were put up, with brick or stone chimneys ;
and great exertions were made to inclose large fields,
for raising grain and grass. Many purchased sheep ;
and means were taken to improve their breed of cat-
tle and hogs. With the means in their hands, 1 be-
lieve they did do all they could to provide for the
future, without following the chase ; for they clearly
Biw that the vast influx of white population would
soon fill up all their hunting-ground ; and that they
must starve, unless they could procure the means of
living at home. The mission furnished all the means
in its power to facilitate this good work. Their
wagons, oxen, plows, and all that could be spared
were lent freely; and the missionaries themselves
took all the pains they could, to show them the best
methods of cultivation. They even went in person

ssam

422

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

to house-raisings, and log-rollings, and took hold ana
said, " Come on^ mi/ friends."

This course gave great encouragement. When they
saw a man in a pinch, they would help him out, and
manifest an interest in every thing that had a tend-
ency to promote their welfare. They did not affect
any superiority, but came down to a perfect neigh-
borhood and citizenship. They borrowed and lent,
ate and drank, visited and lodged together as one
family. This identified the whole missionary estab-
lishment v.':ch the Indian and his interests. To this
^establishment they looked for help and instruction in
all things appertaining to their spiritual and temporal
concerns. My colleague gave himself almost wholly
to the farm ; and he conducted it in such a way as to
set the whole nation a good example.

In the mean time, the internal arrangements of
the mission family were so conducted as to furnish a
pattern of piety — of usefulness and industry. The
girls made good proficiency in the art of housewifery,
and in learning to read, write, knit, sew, spin, and
weave. All within was peace and prosperity.

We were much in want of a place of worship, as
there was no proper meeting-house. Sometimes we
worshiped in the old council-house, as the largest and
most roomy. This was an open building, made of split
slabs, laid between two posts stuck in the ground,
and covered with bark peeled from the trees. No
floor but the earth, no fireplace but a hearth in the
middle, and logs laid on the ground on each side for

VISIT TO WASHINGTON.

428

hey

and

end-

ffect

jigh-

lent,

; one

jstab-

this

ion in

iporal

jvhoUy

^ as to

its of
:nish a
The
ifery,
and

lip, as
les we
ist and
)f split
ground,
No
I in the
tide for

seats In the winter we met in the mission school-
house, which was much too small.

On my tour to the ea.8t, I visited the City of Wash-
ington, in company with the Rev. David Young.
Here I had an interview with President Monroe, and
gaVe him such information as he wished, as to the
state of the mission, and Indians in general. I had
also an introduction to John C. Calhoun, Secretary
of War, and was treated with great kindness by this
honorable man. He took a deep interest in Indian
affairs, and gave me much satisfactory information
respecting the different missions in progress among
the Indians ; the amount of money expended on each
establishment, and the probable success. I made an
estimate of the cost of our buildings, and he gave me
the Government's proportion of the expense, which
amounted to one thousand, three hundred and thirty-
three dollars. I then asked him if it would be im-
proper to take that money, and build a good church
for the benefit of the nation. His reply was, that I
might use it for building a church ; and he vnshed it
made of strong and durable materials, so that it
might remain a house of worship when both of us are
no more. This work was performed, and the house
was built out of good limestone, thirty by forty feet,
and plainly finished. So these people have had a
comfortable house to w^orship God in ever since. It
will stand, if not torn down, for a century to come.

.*t-

424

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANA.

Ill

U£l«

CHAPTER XVI.

BISHOPS M'KENDREE AND SOULE IN COUNCIL
WITH THE INDIAN CHIEFS.

During the session of the General conference at
Baltimore in 1824, a missionary meeting was held on
the evening of the 11th of May. The assembly was
large, and the venerable Bishop M'Kendree presided.
Many distinguished persons Avere present, and the
meeting was one of remarkable interest.

Addresses were delivered by Messrs. Reece, Han-
nah, and Capers, after which I was called up to tell
about the work of God among the Wyandotts. I
felt confounded. It seemed absurd for me to at-
tempt to speak a^ter such thrilling addresses had been
delivered; but my friends insisted on my proceeding.

I commenced telling how we preached among the
poor Indians, and what eflfect it had produced; how
we lived, what privations we endured, and what pleas-
ure we had in prosecuting our labors. I went on to
show that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was adapted to
the condition of men m any situation; and that the
preaching of this Gospel is the only means which
can be successfully employed in the civilization of
man, wherever he lived, whether in the city or in the
wilderness; consequently, our missionary societies and

6UMMERFIELDS SPEECH.

425

missionaries promote civilization as well as religion.
These truths I illustrated by Avhat I had witnessed
myself in our new settlements and among the Indian
tribes.

These remarks opened a fine field for the eloquence
of Summerfield. He told us he was, in company with
another Methodist preacher, sent as a missionary to
some uncultivated district of Ireland. They traveled
on foot, preached in the market-places, and then from
house to house. They cried, "Behold, behoid tlie
Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world !"
In one of these little towns, after they had preached,
they looked for somebody to invite them home. He
got an invitation; but his colleague stood on the
street for some time. At length a poor woman came,
and asked him to her hovel. It was thatched with
straw; and there was a table, and a stool, and some
straw ii' the corner, on which the family slept. They
accommodated their preacher with the best they hud.
In the morning the poor woman thought she must
get the preacher some breakfast before he went. She
made a bannock — cake — of oatmeal, and put it to
bake. Then she went out to buy a half-pennyworth
of tea. While she was gone, a poor w^oman who had
been convicted under the word they had preached,
came to be prayed for. They both kneeled down by
the stool, and while the missionary was praying, the
landlady came in ; she laid down her tea, and kneeled
down too ; and they were all soon praying. The wo-
men wept and prayed so loud, that they waked the

426

LIFK AMONG THE INDIA I( 8.

child in the straw. The missioruiry took up the child
and pacified it. He looked toward the fire, and saw
the bread burning. lie then walked on his knees,
and turned the cake. The women still prayed on
till God blessed them both. Then the woman gave
the minister his breakfast. "Thus," added this elo-
quent man, "the missionary hushed the child, turned
the bread, and God converted the mourners. He ate
his morsel, and went on his way rejoicing. This is
the glory of God's ministers, to suffer, and see the
poor converted to God through the powerful Gospel."
He then proceeded to take up the collection, and
observed that, although many present had paid for
tickets of admission, yet he would not dismiss the
congregation without giving all an opportunity to be
the happy participants in so glorious a work. He
said, that, on a certain occasion, he was at one of the
missionary meetings where Dr. Clarke was, and there
happened to be in the congregation an old aunt with
her little niece, to whom she had given a shilling for
a pocket-piece, and a penny to throw into the collec-
tion. While the Doctor was speaking of the schools
in India, and how the children were opposed by their
parents from going, so that they often had to take off
their clothes, and swim the creeks to get to school,
the little girl would look up and say, " Aunt, may I
not throw^ in the shilling?" The aunt would reply,
"A penny is enough for a little girl. Keep your
shilling for a pocket-piece ;" but she would ask again,
"Aunt, may I not throw in the shilling?" but the

ANECDOTE OF WM. WIRT.

427

child

1 saw

;nee8,

jd on
gave

s elo-

urned

le ate

'his is

ee the

)8pel."

jiy and

lid for

iss the
to be
He

of the
there
t with
ng for
collec-
chools
their
keoff
chool,
may 1
reply,
youi
again,
t the

aunt's reply was still the same, "A penny is enough
for a litttlo girl to throw in." Soon the plate for
collection came round, and the liltle niece let fly her
money into the plate, and then looked up into her
aunt's face, and exclaimed aloud, " Aunt, the shilling
would go in." "Now," said he, "let fly your dol-
lars, and keep your cents." It seemed as if all the
money in the house would go in.

Among the persons of distincti'^n seated upon the
platform was the Hon. William Wirt. He was deeply
interested in the exercises, and subsequently ex-
pressed his great gratification at having enjoyed so
rare an opportunity. A curious anecdote is told of
him n this occasion. He was a swarthy-looking
mai Some of the Wyandott chiefs were expected
to be present, but were prevented by circumstances
which they could not control. This was not under-
stood by all, and Mr. Wirt was taken by some for an
Indian chief. One lady was overheard saying to an-
other, as she pointed toward Mr. Wirt,

" That is Between-the-Logs."

To this the other replied :

" He has rufiles in his bosom ; and a Christian In-
dian would not wear them."

"0 yes!" replied the first, "I have no doubt he
would on such occasions as this."

So they settled it that Mr. Wirt was »n Indian.
When told of it next day he was much amused.

Bishops M'Kendree and Soule, in company, vis-
ited the mission this year; and not only carefully

wmim

KSi

mmm

428

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

inspecte i its operations, but held a council with the
chiefs of the nation.

Of this visit Bisbop Soule gave the following ac-
count :

"We arrived at the mission house on Fridav even-
ing, and found the family and school children in tol-
erable health. Saturday we visited the farm, the
location of which is delightful and convenient. They
have reaped a small crop of wheat and oats, and have
about sixty acres of corn growing, as fine in ap-
pearance as any I have seen in the western coun-
try. They have also raised a fine crop of flax, and
have a great variety and abundant supply of vege-
tables. Three very important purposes are answered
by this department of the missiona\*y establishment.
The family and school are supplied with bread by
their own Ipbor ; the boys are furnished with an op-
portunity and the means of acquiring a practical
knowledge of agriculture; and an example is ex-
hibited to the Indians, who frequently visit the farm,
and observe the manner of cultivation, and the ad-
vantages arising from it; and rothing is more obvious
than their disposition to imitate. Hence their fields
are opening, and, in many instances, present the most
pleasing and promising appearances. The buildings
on the farm are neat and convenient, but not suflS-
ciently roomy for the accommodation of the increas-
ing household. They will, therefore, be under the
necessity of enlarging. They milk ten cows, and

BISHOP soule's account.

429

make plenty of butter for the use of the family,
which is composed of about seventy persons.

"Sabbath we attended public worship with ther .
A large number of the Indians assembled, some of
whom came sixteen miles, which is their regular prac-
tice on the Sabbath. Bishop M'Kendree preached
to them by an interpreter, and I addressed them, after
him, through the same medium. Prior, however, to
the opening of the meeting in English, Mononcue
prayed, and they sang a hymn in their own language.
After the regular exercise,^ were closed, they held a
prayer meeting, in whicii a number of the Indians
prayed in the most solemn, impressive, and aflfecting
manner. It was truly delightful to notice the solem-
nity, attention, and pious feelings of this assembly,
so recently emerged from the ignorance and stupidity
of their pagan state. After four or five hours em-
ployed in devotional exercises, it was with manifest
reluctance that many of them retired from the house
of prayer. Devotion appears to be their delight. In
view of such a scene, my heart kindled with gratitude
to the Father of mercies, and I was ready to exclaim,
with pleasing admiration, ' What hath God wrought !'

"Monday we visited the school, and examined into
the progress of the boys and girls in their learn-
ing; and the result was most encouraging. They
spell and read with great propriety. Several classes
are reading in the Testament, and one large class in
the Preceptor or English Reader. They are also
making great proficiency in writing. Of their native

430

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

genius and vivacity, they give demonstrative evidence.
Indeed, I am persuaded that I never saw an equal
number of children together in any school, where
there was a greater display of intellect, or a more
obvious capacity of improvement; and I am certain
I never saw a school where there was equal subor-
dination, peace, and quietness. The boys engage in
the various labors of the farm with readiness, cheer-
fulness, and propriety; and we had the pleasure of
seeing the girls sew, spin, and weave, and variously
employed in the business of the family ; in all which,
considering their opportunity, they certainly excelled.

" Tuesday we met, agreeably to previous invitation,
a number of the Indian leaders, among whom were
several of the chiefs, and the moderator in the na-
tional councils, together with two interpreters. After
opening the meeting with prayer. Bishop M'Ken-
dree informed them that we should be glad to hea?
from them how the Church was prospering, the state
of the school, and whether any thijg more could be
done for its prosperity ; with any other matters which
they might wish to communicate; assuring them that
we were their friends, and would be glad to do them
all the good in our power. After the interpreter had
fully informed them of our wishes, a momentary
pause ensued, when they arose and spoke in succes-
sion, as follows :

^* Mononcue. *My old brothers, I have many rea-
sons to praise God for myself and for my nation. 1
believe that God has be^jun a great work, and hope

mokoncue's testimony.

431

ence.

jqual

yhere

srtain

ubor-

ge in

jheer-

ire of

iously

which,

celled,

tation,

I were

he na-
After

rKen-

heal
state

luld be

which

that

them

r had

ntary

ucces-

rea-

)n. 1

hope

he will carry it on. I hiave tried to talk to my peo-
ple, and to pray for them. If I know my own heart,
it is my intention to be wholly for the Lord. I be-
lieve that religion is in a prosperous state ; that those
who have professed are generally . steadfast. The
wicked have been taught that there is no half-way
place for them. I often feel infirm and weak, but 1
trust in God. My constant prayer to God is, that
his work may revive, that his people may be blessed,
and that the wilderness may flourish. I am sorry
that some of the older brethren are absent, who could
speak better, and could give you more information.
I am not able to communicate my own mind. Lrother
Finley will be able to give you better information
than I can.

" Last spring, when brother Fiiilcj was gone, there
was some difficulty. We seemed to be discouraged,
and were like children without a father; and some
were disposed to go away. The wicked Inulans were
encouraged by his absence, and did all they could to
turn away others who were weak, from the right way ;
but since his return- things have become better, and
are now nearly as prosperous as they were before.
I believe that God has appointed our brother Finley
for this mission. All those who are religious in the
nation, if they were here, would speak the same
thing. The people, in general, arc attentive to the
word: and many come a great way to meeting; and
I believe there will be a great work of God. I am
thankful that my old brothers have sent brother Fin*

432

LlfE AMONG THE INDIANS.

ley, and hope they will not take him away. They
might send a better man, but they can not send one
BO well acquainted with the affairs of the Indians.
We know him, and he knows us, and can live like
us. I believe every brother in the nation is praying
for brother Fi.nley to stay.

"Many of our old people are rejoicing for the
blessings of the school ; for the great change which
has been produced by it. Before the school was set
up, our children were wild, like the beasts of the
wilderness. They are not so now ; but are tame and
peaceable. I have seen many of the children on
their knees, praying in secret. We old people can
not expect much benefit from the school ourselves;
we are too old to learn; we shall soon go to rest.
But the children will rise up improved; and the
school and- religioi- will improve and benefit the na-
tion in future generations."

^^ Punch. *I wish to say a few words to our broth-
ers.' I am weak ; but God requires no more than he
has given, and I have great encouragement when I
consider the many promises of God, and the power
he has to fulfill his promises. There is a great
change in the nation since the word of God came
among us. Our people are very different from what
they were before. They do not speak as they did,
nor act as they did. The work speaks for itself.
The people are more industrious and attentive to
their business. They used to live by hunting in the
wilderness, and were wild; but now they work with

PEACOCK — SUM-MUN-DE-WAT.

483

They
d one
dians.
e like
raying

)r the
which
ivas set
of the
me and
jen on
pie can
rselves ;
to rest,
tnd the
the na-

their hands to provide comfortable things for the
body.'

^^ Peacock. * I thank God for the privilege of meet-
ing with our brothers to-day. I have but a few words
to speak. God has done great things for us. The
people are greatly chaaged in their way of living.
I was a long time between two opinions, whether X
should hold on to the old way, or embrace the new.
But God directed me to the right way, and since that
I have always been determined to hold on. I shall
not live long, and can do but little. But I hope the
young ones, who are springing up, will carry on the
work. I am much attached to our brother Finley;
and 1 suppose the reason is, because it was under
his prayers and exhortations that I was brought to
know the truth. And this is the case with many of
t:he nation.'

" Sum-mun-de-wat. * I am thankful to God that he
has been so kind as to bring our old gray-headed
brother to us again. I will inform our old brothers,
that though I am young in the cause, I enjoy the
love of God My tongue is too weak to express
what God has done for me, and for my people. The
providence of the Great Spirit was wonderful in send-
ing the Gospel among us, in preparing the way before
it came, that it might be understood. No longer ago
than I can remember, and I am young, we had a way
of W'^ship. But it was all outward, and there was
nothing in it to reach the heart. Those who taught
us would say good things, and say and do bad things.

434

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

But now they live as they speak, and tne people arc
affected. They weep; and their hearts, and words,
and actions are changed.

"The school will be a great blessing. The chil-
dren learn to read the word of God, and to work
with their hands, and to be good. Some day they
will rise up to preach the word, and teach the nation.
It is impossible to describe the mighty change which
has taken place. Go into families morning and even-
ing, and you hear them praying for the spread of the
Gospel in the wilderness; and many weeping and
rejoicing for what God has done. This is all God's
work. He will continue it. We must be faithful,
and leave it all to him. My word is very feeble;
but my brothers can draw out my mind, and know
what I mean; and they will excuse the weakness
of my speech.'

" Gray-Eyes. * My language is weak, and I have
not much to say. My brothers will excuse the weak-
ness of my words. My heart rejoices every day for
what God has done in the wilderness, and I believe
he will carry on the work. Some are too much in-
clined to go away into the wilderness to hunt, and
this weakens their religion ; but this is wearing away,
and the people are more disposed to work with their
hands, to make fields and houses, and have things
comfortable. The providence of God is wonderful
in providing before, two men, by i"hom we could
understand the good word when it came among us.
We thank God for what he has done. He has done

BIG-TREE — WASHINGTON.

435

all — b*" has provided all the good things which we
want.'

''*' Big- Tree, 'I am young, but I wish to say a few
words. God has done a great work in this wilder-
ness, which but a short time past was in great dark-
ness. There is now much zeal in his ways. When
you go into families you hear the old people and the
young people talking about this good work, and what
God has done for them. When our brother was
preaching last Sabbath, and telling what effect the
good word had wherever it went, I looked back and
remembered what we were before the word of the
Lord came among us, and what effect it had. Many
witnesses were there of the truth of our brother's
word. The school is a great blessing. When ray
little children come home from the school, they talk
about the good things they have learned. They are
very much altered — much better than they were. I
ha> e been a very bad man, but God has changed my
heart, and I now love God, and wish to do right, and
do good to my people and to all men.*

" Washington. ' This has been a very wicked place.
Much wickedness has been committed here. And I
have been a very wicked man ', but now, when I go
round among those who are very bad, I J5nd them
sober, and praying, and weeping, and striving to
serve the Lord, and live well. Religion is some
times high, and sometimes low. They do not always
get along alike. But God is carrying on his work,
and I believe it will prosper. Some people ask why

'.yiw^r

■mipaiiiaiPB

486

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

I-

we are so fond of our brother Finle}'? I suppose
it is because we have been blessed through his la-
bors.*

^^ Driver. *I wish to speak a few words. I am like
one set out to follow a company that has gone before.
But I have much cause to bless God that I have set
out; and since I started, I have always been determ-
ined to hold on, and live according to the good word.
Sometimes there are little jars in the Church, as
there will be among children. But when these jars
take place we pray to God, and peace is restored.
God has done a great work for me, and for .the nation.
Sometimes, through the eye of faith, I can view the
beauties of heaven ; and I rejoice in the prospect of
it. I believe God, who has begun this work, will
carry it on; and that the school is the place from
which the word of God will start out. And I pray
God to bless the children, and make them teachers
and leaders of the nation.'

" Two-Logs. ' Brothers, I am thankful to you for
coming so far to see us, and to know what God is
doing for us ; and I thank God for sending you, and
preserving you on your way. Brothers, you desire
to know our state. But to let you know what our
present state is, I must go back and tell you what we
were before the word of God came among us. Broth-
ers, it is not a great while ago that we were a very
wicked people — we were lost, and in darkness in the
wilderness. We were bad, and doing every thing
that was bad; but then we were baptized, and sung,

TWO-LOGS — JOSEPH WILLIAMS. 437

and danced, and pretended to be religious. But the
religion we had then did not make us better men.
Here you see us — we were all wicked men — we got
drunk, and did every bad thing. Our wickedness was
too bad to describe ; but we did not do all these things
with a wicked design. We did not know that all this
that we did was wrong. We hope the Great Spirit
will excuse some things, because we were ignorant.
Brothers, I have told you what we were; I will now
tell you the change. The Great Spirit sent a good
man among us to teach us the true religion of the
word. He was taken away, and another was sent.
The word took hold, and the old practices were given
up, and bad men became good men. In the old state
the men and women lived almost like the beasts; but
now they are married, and live according to the wOrd.
And the men love and keep their wives, and the
women love their husbands; and they live together
in peace, and love and take care of their children.
Brothers, you can now judge for yourselves. The
work speaks for itself. Blessed be the Great Spirit
for all he has done for us.'

^^ Joseph Williams. *I wish to speak a few words.
My brothers have spoken of the work. I believe
that all the members would speak and say that the
Lord has done wonders. The darkness has given
way, and the light of heaven shines. The work is its
own evidence, and God will carry it on.*

" Mononcue then rose, and closed the communica-
tions on the part of the Indians, as follows : * My old

■M

438

LIFE AMONQ THE INDIANS.

brothers, you have heard your young brothers oi the
wilderness in their way. You can now judge for
yourselves what the state of the Church is, and what
is necessary for us. Brothers, we are weak and help-
less in every thing, and need help and advice from
you. I am sorry our old brothers are not here ; but
I will make one request, and I am sure the whole
nation would speak the same ; let our brother Finley
continue with us. If he should be taken away, the
wicked would grow strong, and the weak members
would be discouraged. The school would be weak ;
and the little children would come round him and
weep, as if their father was leaving them. We ask
that he may be continued with us. Death will soon
part us — we shall not live long ; but I hope we shall
all ■ meet in heaven, and be happy forever. I thank
the good people every-where, who have been kind in
helping us, and sending the good word to us; and
those who have fed, clothed, and taught our children.
And I pray that the work of the Lord may continue
and increase, and that all the children of the wilder-
ness may receive the blessed word.'
. "Here closed this dignified chief; but his noble
soul was full and overflowing with his subject. Never
did feelings more pure animate the heart of man, for
they were evangelical. With a countenance beaming
with all he felt, and with eyes flowing with tears, he
left his seat, and flew to embrace us. The scene was
indescribable. After they had closed their talk, we
addressed them collectively, expressing our satisfac-

POWER OF TUB GOSPEL.

439

tion and pleasure in meeting them, and in hearing
from them the things which they had communicated,
and especially in visiting the school, and noticing the
improvement of their children. At the same time
they were encouraged to persevere, both in religion
and civilization.

"This truly interesting and profitable interview
being closed, we dined together in the dining-room
of the missionary family, and then parted with those
feelings of Christian fellowship which are not often
experienced in the circle of the rich and the gay. It
is the order in the missionary establishment, for the
missionaries, their wives, the hired men and women
attached to the mission, the Indian children, with
visitors of every color and every rank, to sit down at
table together; and no subordination is known but
what arises from age or ofiice.

"After spending such a week, every day of which
developed new and interesting subjects — a week, in
which, for the first time, I became an eye and ear
witness of the power of the Gospel over savage man —
in which, for the first time, I heard the praises of
Jehovah from lips which had never pronounced a
written language — I shall never think of Sandusky
without pleasing recollections.

" Before I close, I will observe that the talk of the
Indians, as previously noticed, was taken down as the
interpreter gave it, and as nearly in his words as his
imperfect knowledge and use of the English language
would admit. The whole talk of Sum-mun-de-wat,

410

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

of Driver, and of Two-Logs, is almost verbatim M
delivered.

"After the talk was closed, the two interpreters
were invited to a room, and the whole >^as carefully
read over to them, for the purpose of examination,
and they pronounced it to be correct. I am, how-
ever, confident that many valuable ideas and figura-
tive beauties are lost by the translation, especially as
the interpreters have but a very imperfect acquaint-
ance with our language."

Thus the good work of Christianizing and civilizing
these poor savages had steadily progressed. I had
no help but the Indian brethren. Sometimes we
enjoyed seasons of great power and glory. The
heavens seemed to pour righteousness upon us.

The school prospered exceedingly under the labors
of Mr. Walker. No man could be more devoted to
his work than this young man ; and his heart was
made glad to see this mighty reformation in his
nation. The female department was formerly com-
mitted to my wife and sister Hooper, who were well
Qalculated for the work. Many of the largest girls
had learned to sew, knit, spin, and weave. Under
their care, there was manufactured at the mission
house, by the girls, upward of two hundred yards of
linsey, flannel, and linen.

Under the direction of brother Hooper, the farm
had produced corn and vegetables sufficient to meet
the demand of the next year.

I farm
meet

ENCOURAQINQ PROSPECTS.

441

Thus the affairs of the mission, both temporal and
spiritual, continued to prosper. The work spread
among some of the Wyandott settlements, in Michi-
gan, and every thing gave promise of the conversion
und civilization of the entire nation.

corn-
well
girls
Fnder
ission
Is of

412

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER XVII.

REMOVAL OF THE WYANDOTTS PROPOStb

I WA^ returrtcd to the mission in 1824, with Rev.
Mr. Hooper for a colleague.

A plan had been projected for removing the In-
dians west of the Mississippi, and this was a source of
great uneatjiness and perplexity, both to the mission -
aries and the natives. After years of toil and suf-
fering, we had succeeded in gathering a few lambs
into the fold of the heavenly Shepherd, and how
could we bear to see them scattered abroad again?
If they should be suffered to remain on their reserva-
tions, and receive proper treatment from the white
population, we did not entertain a doubt but that
ultimately they would become completely civilized
and Christianized. But 'heir removal to distant re-
gions must greatly peril, if it did not utterly destroy
that hope.

The Indians were utterly opposed to a removal;
and our chiefs add/essed an earnest remonstrance to
tae War Department upon the subject. In their com-
munication they reminded the Secretary that at the
treaty of Fort Meigs they were most sacredly prom-
ised, that if they would cede all their lands, except
the present reservations, they would never be spoken

ADDRESS OF THE DEPARTMENT. 443

to again on this subject; that Governor Cass prom-
ised, in the most solemn manner, that the President
would make a strong fence around them, and main-
tain thorn in the peaceable and quiet possession of
that spot forever; that now they were making prog-
ress in religion, and in the cultivation of their lands;
their children were at school, and promised to make
good citizens; that they were now happy, and well
satisfied.

The following is the reply from the Department.
It bears the date of March 24, 1825. We insert it
entire, because it illustrates the spirit and manner
in which these negotiations with the Indians were
carried on by our Government :

*' Friends and Brothers, — Your talk to your
Great Father, the President of the United States,
of the 7th of this month, has been received and read
by him.

t " Brothers, your Great Father takes his Wyandott
children by the hand. He thanks them for their
greeting of health and peace, and offers you, in re-
turn, his best wishes for your prosperity and hap-
piness.

" Brothers, your Great Father is very much pleased
to hear of your improvement, and, especially, that
you are learning to reverence the Great Spirit, and
to read his word, and obey its directions. Follow
what that word directs, and you will be a happy
people.

444

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

"Brothers, your Great Father takes a deep inter-
est, as you do yourselves, in the prosperity of your
childien. They will be certain to grow up in wis-
dom, if you continue to teach them how to serve the
Great Spirit, and conduct themselves well in this
world. In all this the word of the Great Spirit
should be your guide. You must teach them to love
peace ; to love one another ; to be sober. You must
instruct them how to plow the ground, sow the seed,
and reap the harvest; you must teach them how to
make implements of husbandry, and for all the me-
chanic arts; your young women you must teach to
spin and weave, and make your clothes, and to man-
age your household ; your young men to labor in the
shops, and in the fields ; and to bring home all that
you may need for the support of your families. Add
to all this, the fear and love of the Great Spirit, and
obedience to his word, and be at peace with one
another, and you will be a happy people.

" Brothers, your Great Father is glad that you
have so good a man 3S the Rev. Mr. Finley aL^ong
you. Listen to his words. Follow his advice. He
will instruct you in all these things.

" Brothers, your Great Father will never use force
to drive you from your lands. What Governor Cass
told you, your Great Father will see shall be made
good. The strong fence which he promised you at
the treaty of Fort Meigs, should be put around your
lands, and never be broken down, never shall be, by
force or violence. But your Great Father will not

ADDRESS CONCLUDED.

445

compel you to remain where you are, if you think
it better, at any time, to settle elsewhere.

"Brothers, on this part of your talk, your Great
Father directs me to send you a small book, which
Mr. Finley will read and explain to you. You will
see from it what his views are on the subject of
making the Indians a great and happy people. But;
he will never force you into the measure, but will
leave it to your own discretion. As reasonable chil-
dren, he thinks you will see a great deal of reason
in this small book, and that your best interests are
connected with a compliance with what it recom-
mends. But be happy, and fear nothing from your
Great Father. He is your friend, and will never
permit you to be driven away from your lands. He
never will fall upon a poor, helpless, red child, and
kill it, because it is weak. His heart is not made
of such cruelty. He would rather protect and de-
fend it, and care the more for it, because of its help-
lessness.

"Brothers, your Great Father greets you as his
children, and bids me tell you, you will find him in
all things kind and merciful to you. He sends you
his best wishes for your improvement and happiness."

The minds of the Indians being somewhat quieted
on the subject of removal, things in the mission re-
sumed their accustomed course.

There were now two things necessary to promote
the civilization of the Indians. ]first, the establish-

446

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

ment of the school among them on a permanent basis.
To this the Government kindly lent its aid, making
an appropriation yearly, for the payment of school
teachers. The other was the division of "^^he lands.
Heretofore the land in the reservation belonged to
the nation, and consequently no individual could hold
property in it. Its equitable division so that each
individual might have an ownership in the soil, would
contribute to make each family stationary, and also
beget an ambition to improve their property. Thus
a new stimulus to the development of civilized life
would be secured. In proposing this I had the cor-
dial approbation of General Cass, who ever proved
himself the sincere friend of the Indian. In a letter
to me, he said, "I think the contemplated measure
of dividing a portion of the Wyandott reservation
among the several families, is a very judicious and
proper one. By securing to each the products of his
labor, enterprise and industry will be stimulated and
rewarded. A community of property, unless under
very peculiar circumstances, is unfavorable to per-
manent and valuable improvements."

At the close of this year I found the subject of the
removal of the Wyandotts was still agitated. Gen-
eral Cass had invited me to communicate freely with
him on all interests relating to the Indians. I there-
fore prepared a statement exhibiting the condition
and claims of the Wyandottd, and the reasons why
they ought hot to be removed, which I forwarded
to Washiiigton. I give the communication in fuUj

ADDRESS TO GENERAL CASS.

447

for subsequent events have only more fully convinced
me of the justic'^ of the views expressed in it. It
was dated at Upper Sandusky, T'ecember lo, 1825,
and was addressed to General Cass :

"Honored Sir, — I take this opportunity of writ-
ing to you on the claims of the Indians under my
care, at this place; and am htippy to state that the
work of civilizing this nation is progressing as fast
as can be reasonably expected. The Indians, in
general, and the chiefs particularly, are using every
exertion to improve their lands, and to follow the
instructions of the general Government, especially
the advice given by yourself, to divide the lands,
agreeable to the provisions made in the treaty of
Fort Meigs. This plan of division, I think, is fully
agreed on by the whole nation; and last summer
they employed a surveyor to lay off a certain por-
tion into sections and half sections. And it is the
request of the chiefs, that you would use your influ-
ence to obtain some aid to finish this work. It is
agreed by all, that individual possession will facilitate
the great work in which we are engaged. In making
these people an agricultural people, it is to be hoped
that all the necessary aid, both in money and advice,
will be furnished. And. I think, it will not be doubted
or disputed that th'i, Iiandful of Indians have great
and lasting claims o » .his Government.

"1. As a conquer. d, subdued enemy, who were
once a strong and powerful nation, to whom the

IMPq

mma

mmmmmmm

448

LI^E AMONG THE INDIANS.

pleasant homes we now enjoy once belonged, they
have strong claims on our generosity. They con-
tended for their country — as we would have done had
we been in their places — as long as they could. But
the overwhelming population of whites has well-nigh
swallowed them up. They have given up their whole
country, except a small reserve, on which the bones
of their fathers sleep. This they would never have
done willingly, but because they could not help them-
selves ; and it would seem as though we were making
a contract with them, but they must submit to our
proposition in view of their helpless, forlorn, and
dependent state. In view of what they have been,
they possess some strong claims.

"2. Since Wayne's treaty at Greenville, the Wyan-
dotts have been faithful friends to our Government;
and, in the last war, did their part in resisting, as
agents, the combined power of Indian and British
warfare. Many of their men fell in battle, or died
with sickness, and left their familie>^ and friends
destitute. -

"3. They have claims from this consideration,
* Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.'
The Wyandotts, although not behind the first in bat-
tle, were more merciful than their neighbors. They
saved more prisoners, and purchased many from
other Indians, and adopted them into their families,
till they are much mixed with white blood ; and some
of the best families in our country are allied to them;
namely, the Browns, an old Virginia family; the

ADDRESS CONCLUDED.

449

Zancs, another well-known family; Walker, of Ten-
nessee; Williams, Armstrong, M'Cullou^h, and Ma-
gee, of Pittsburg. This handful of Indians are
mostly the descendants of our own people. Their
fathers were citizens, and why not their children?
Shall we not show mercy to our own?

"4. Their present prospect for civilization is very
promising; and little doubt can be entertained but, in
a short time, these people will be well prepared to be
admitted as citizens of the state of Ohio; and to
remove them just at this time, contrary to their
wishes, would be, in my judgment, a most cruel act.
It would be undoing what has been done, and throw-
ing them again into a savage state.

"5. The promises made by the commissioners, in
the name and faith of the President and Government,
that if they would cede all their fertile lands but this
spot, the Government would never ask them for a
foot more, or to sell it and n.ove; but that the Gov-
» ernment would build a strong fence around their
land, which should neve be broken ; and this proniise
was one strong inducement to them to sell their lands.
Such strongly-plighted faith ought to be most sa-
credly observed.

" My dear sir, these are some of the reasons why
I think these Indians have strong claims on the Gov-
ernment. I have done as you lequested. I have
spoken fully and freely my mind. May the blessings
of Heaven rest upon you and your labors for the good

of the red man !"

iiMiPMaai

■PHRPWHB

450

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

I have reason to believe that General Cass fully
sympathized with my views and feelings. But Gov-
ernment interests and Government policy were more
potent than justice and right. Consequently, a line
of action was followed, which eventually brought
about the evil we strove to avert. I was assured
that no steps would be taken " to compel the Indians
to emigrate." But it was urged that "their future
happiness and prosperity depended upon their hav-
ing a country of their own, in which they will be
free forever, from the encroachments and injuries to
which they are now liable, from their proximity to
the whites." Such were the honeyed phrases with
which Government oflScials sought to sugar over the
bitter pill that was then preparing for the unfortunate
Indian.

This reminds me of an anecdote of old Black-Hoof,
the Shawnee chief. After the Shawnees had sold
their land at Waupaukonetta, on being asked if he
was agreed to it, he said, "No." "Why, then, did.
you sellV" "Why," said he, "because the United
States Government wanted to buy and possess our
lands, and remove us out of the way. I consented,
because I could not help myself; for I never knew
them to undertake any thing, but that they accom-
plished it. I knew that I might as well give up first
as last, for they were determined to have it." So, it
seems this poor savage thought that promises and
pledges of the public faith will not prevent those
who have the power from wresting out of the pos-

PRETEXT FOR MOVING THE INDIANS. 451

session of poor and defenseless Indians, their prop-
erty and homes, and with these all their earthly
comfort.

My readers will easily perceive that it was the
design of the Government to remove the Indians,
if it could be done peaceably. They can see the
effect it must have on our infimt establishment. It
was calculated to discourage and throw all our plans
and prospects to the ground. I had taken this proj-
ect under a careful investigation, and had fixed in
my mind what course to pursue. I could very easily
see that all the fair prospects held out Avere for mere
effect. To remove the Indian where he would be
free from the encroachment of white men, was a
flimsy vailing of the real object. Who can stop the
march of the white population? Neither mountains,
deserts, seas, rivers, nor poles. To talk, therefore,
of giving the Indian a country where he will be
delivered from the advances and impositions of the
low^est and worst class of our citizens, is chimerical.
Did it ever enter into the waking thoughts of the
wise politicians of the day, that this could or would
be the case? The answer is obvious. But there
must be some pretext for moving, and these moon-
shine pretensions will do to allure ; but men of sober
sense Avill view the whole as questionable.

If the good of the red man was their object, is
there not a much better opportunity to counteract
the evils to which he is exposed, where the laws of
the Government can be enforced; and where morals

452

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

and religion will come to the aid of the civil laws,
where they can have the practical example of farm-
ers and mechanics, and the blessings of religious
society? If the race must become extinct, as has
always been prophesied, is it not better to keep them
where they can enjoy the greatest share of priv-
ileges and blessings, than to throw them again back
into a state of savage life, without game in the coun-
try to support them and their families, and again
expose them to the impositions and vices of the w orst
of our race? I have always been opposed to the
removing plan, and have honestly told my sentiments
to Indians and others. I used my influence to ^ er-
suade the Indians not to sell, but remain where tliey
were; for if they were removed to the base of the
Rocky Mountains, or beyond them, the white popula-
tion would follow them; that, as they were now
settled on a small tract of land, which by treaty and
by nature was their own, they would do well never to
leave it, for their condition would always be rendered
worse by removal. This was, and still is, the honest
conviction of my mind.

I believe the Indians saw and felt the tru^h of
these sentiments; but, alas! what could they do?
They were powerless. A swarming population of
whites, like so many hungry wolves, prowled around
the "high fence" their great father had built around
them, and were eager to leap ove* and take pos-
session of the goodly land. Ah ! how soon were my
poor lambs scattered in the Avide and savage wilder-

NUMBERS IN SOCIETY.

45n

ness, far away from tlic graves of their fatliers and
the homes of tlieir cliildhootl! l^ut so far from beinj^
exempted "forever" from the rapacity of tlie white
man's thirst for the soil, even now, while I write,
measures are taken to dispossess again of their lands
the peeled and wasted few of them that remain. In
fact, their promised western home, which they were
to possess " forever," proved only a place of tempo-
rary rest as the whole n.ition moved onward to utter
annihilation. Thanks be to God, no greedy specu-
lator can dispossess the poor converted Indian of hia
vested rights in " the better country.'' There many
of my dear flock were long sinco gathered, and there
I hope to meet them again.

At this time we had upward of two hundred in
society — twelve leaders and three exhorters — all men
of the wood. The classes were regularly attended
and profitable. On the Sabbath day our house of
worship was crowded, and gr'^at attention and the
best order generally prev "led.

Our school contained fifty-seven native children;
and was giving every prospect of continued success.

The mission suffered great loss this year in the
death of Robert Armstrong, one of its best inter-
preters. This man was taken prisoner by the In-
dians about the year 1786, when a boy about four
years old. His parents resided a few miles above
Pittsburg, on the bank of the Alleghany river. On
one Sabbath morning a young man, with little Robert,
took the canoe, and crossed the river to visit a camp

f^^m

454

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

of Indiiiik Coin-plantfrs. Tliis camp was supposed
to bo four miles from the river, on a path leading
furtlier into the forest.

After they liad made their visit, and were returning
home, in passing a thick brush, througli which the
path led, they heard a noise, and stopped to look;
and, to their great surprise and terror, four Indians
rose up, and ordered them to stop. The young man
attempted to make his escape by running, but had
made a few steps only, when the Indians fired, and
he fell dead. Robert said, that he ran a few yards,
but one of the Indians overtook him, and picked him
up. Said he, "I was so scared to see the young man
tomahawked and scalped, that I could hardly stand,
when set on my feet, for I expected it Avoilld be my
lot next. One of the men took me on his back, and
carried me for several miles before he stopped. The
company divided. Two men took the scalp, and the
other two had charge of me. In the evening they
met, and traveled till it was late in the night, and
then stopped to rest and sleep. The next morning I
had to take it afoot as long as I could travel; and
although they treated me kindly, yet I was afraid
they would kill me. Thus they traveled on several
days, crossing some large rivers, till they got to an
Indian town, as I learned afterward, on the Jerome's
fork of Mohickan creek, one of the branches of Mus-
kingum river. Here they rested a while, and then
went on till they came to Lower Sandusky."

This little captive was now disposed of according

RODKRT ARMSTUONO.

455

to the customs of war. lie was adopted into the Big
Turtle tribe of Wyandotts, and his Indian name was
0-no-ran-do-roh. But little more is known of his
history till he became a man. He learned to bo an
expert hunter. When he grew up he married an
Indian woman. He had become a perfect Indian in
his feelings and habits of life; and had so far lost
the knowledge of his mother tongue that he could
speak and understand but little of it.

After Wayne's treaty he associated more with the
whites, and conversed more in the English, and
learned to talk the language as well as any of us.
He became an excellent interpreter, and was em-
ployed in trading and interpreting the rest of his life.

He married a daughter of old Ebenezer Zane, a
half Indian woman, and raised some interesting chil-
dren. He settled at Solomonstown, and afterward
moved to Zanesfield, on Mad river. Thence he moved
to Upper Sandusky, where he died.

He embraced religion in 1819. He had become
alarmed at his condition by interpreting for John
Stewart, and said the words he spoke to others fell
like lead into his own heart. He was so deeply con-
victed that ho joined the Church, in the then Mad
River circuit; but he did not experience the witness
of his acceptance with God till the fall of 1819, jit a
camp meeting ; and he never doubted the genuineness "
of the work afterward.

Brother Armstrong was a zealous Christian, and
loved the work of God. He was one of the best

II
II

456

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

interpreters, and wlien his soul was fired by the Spirit,
lie was, in the Wyandott tongue, a most powerful
exhorter. Indeed, he was one of the instruments
that carried on, and maintained the work qf religion
in the nation, and on immovable friend to the school.
His usefulness in that station will not be known till
the great day of reckoning.

In maki.ig his new settlement at Upper Sandusky,
he labored hard, and exposed himself much; and in
the winter of 1824-5 he was very feeble. In the
spring his disease more fully developed itself to be
the consumption. It progressed rapidly ; and al-
though he was sometimes flattered with hopes of
recovery, yet he looked on himself as winding up
his course in this world. I attended him through
all his illness, and we conversed frequently of the
goodness and providence of God. He always was
filled with gratitude to God, that he was taken by the
Indians when a child, and providentially preserved in
many instances from death, that he might be one of
the humble instru. lents of conveying the word of
salvation to the Indian nation, and had enjoyo.l such
CO nfort as we had experienced together, when em-
ployed in this work. Sometimes clouds obscured his
spiritual prospects for a short time; but they were
soon dispersed, and the closing scene of his life was
peaceful and triumphant. He died on the 20th of
April, 1825, aged about forty-two years. I preached
lis funeral sermon from 1 Cor. xv, 20 — "The last
enemy that shall be destroyed is death" — to a largo

INDIAN SUB-AGENCY.

457

and weeping congregation of Indiiins. We laid liis
body by the side of his beloved daughter, to rest till
the resurrection of the just. 0, ble.sseci day! the
hope of which softens the bed of death, destroys
the gloom and terror of the grave, and cheers the
soul of man with the prospect of immortality and
eternal life.

The prosperous state of the mission establishment,
and its salutary influence upon the nation, had in-
spired not only its friends, but the Government, with
entire confidence in its management and final success.
The more eflfectually to accomplish the humane pur-
poses of the Government and the Churcli, the Secre-
tary of War was pleased to commit to the superin-
tendent of the mission the management also of the
secular concerns of the nation, by appointing him
sub-agent of Indiai affairs at Upper Sandusky.

The duties of ^llis agency added some to my
already arduous labors. Nevertheless, for the sake
of the nation, and tl e work in Avliich I was engaged,
I accepted it, and, to the utmost of my ability, I dis-
charged its duties, always exerting myself to defend
the Indians from the impositions of some ill-disposed
white men near the reservation, and in laboring to
regain the property which was stolen from them. In
this labor I increased the hatred of this class of men
against me, as might naturally be expected; but my
trust was in God, and the justness of the cause in
which I was employed; and I continued to perform
the duties of sub-agent with great pleasure, and with-

158

LIFE AMONG THE INDIAN J

out any reward, save the consciousness of upright
endeavors for the good of tne Indian.

Through this year we had a grooving prospect of
accomplishing the purposes of charity to those abo-
riginals, and their condition in morals and temporal
circumstances was very much changed and amelior-
ated. Their old habits were giving way, and their
new religion — as they called it — and the cultivation
of the soil very much improved their condition and
comforts. Yet the enemies of the cross of Christ,
and of the Indians, were not asleep, but had their
fatal poison in almost every house around the reser-
vation ; and, whenever practicable, they set the In-
dians "on fire of hell'' with it. There were not, ^or
are there, any means by which the devil or his angels,
the grog-sellers, can so effectually destroy the happi-
ness of man, in time and eternity, as with the fatal
poison.

It is impossible to tell all the wickedness that has
been committed on the Indians of North America by
the infernal practice of selling to them intoxicating
liquors; but they are all registered on high, and will
not be forgotten in that day when God will judge the
world in righteousness.

Scuteash, one of the first converts, and a chief of
the Big Turtle tribe, was seduced by those whisky
traders to take again to his former habit of intem-
perance. So soon as I heard of his fall, I went
directly to him, and, in the kindest manner, said,
*'Mv brother, I hear, with a sorrowful heart, that you

^'OVERTAKEN IN A FAULT.

> >

459

have fallen by your old enemy, and as soon as I heard
of it, I ran to help you up; for I was afraid you
would bo so discouraged you would not try. Now,
my brother, you must not be discouraged; for al-
though you have given the enemy of your soul the
advantage over you, yet the Lord can break his
snare; and although you gave me your hand not
to taste the dram, and have broken that promise,
and inflicted a wound on my heart that bleeds, yet 1
have not thrown you away, nor is my confidence in
you lost. You must have been oflf your guard at
this fatal moment. Now, brother, I hope you will
rise up and stand on your feet, and walk in the same
path you. have walked in for some time past. You
was one of the first and one of the strongest men
of our little band; but when we give way to sin, it
is then we are weak and stumble in the way. You
must have slackened your bold of the Savior, or you
could not have fallen in this way."

"Brother," said the afflicted man, "all you say is
true. I was among the first that took hold of this
new way, and I was not long in it till I had more
peace of mind than I had enjoyed all my life before.
I was happy wherever I went, and all my temptations
were weak. They could not make me move. I did
give you my hand not to take the first drop, and then
I was strong; but since then I have been much dis
couraged and cast down. My path grew dimmer and
darker. It seemed as if the sun had gone down, and
I could not pray, and it became a burden to me, and

LIFE AMOxVG THE INDIAN'S.

every day I got weaker, till at last I fell in with the
traaers, and they told me that it was all nothing, and
that very few people were religious; and all that was
necessary for a man was to eat, and drink, and be
merry, for we must soon die, and then it was all over.
Then they gave me the bowl, and I drank, and was
soon a fool. I did not know what I said or did."

"Well, brother," said I, "what do you think of
their doctrine, that after death there is nothing? Do
you not feel guilty before God for getting drunk?"
"0 yes," said he. "Well, now, if there was no life
or punishment for sin hereafter, why do you feel
guilty? Does not your soul say you must give an
account to God for your conduct? These men are
your enemies, and will ruin your soul if you listen
to them, and follow their counsel. You know you
were happy once and miserable now. What makes
it? You have been negligent, and have loitered be-
hind till the enemy has taken you prisoner. But
greater are they that are for you than those that are
against you. You must pray and seek the Lord till
he forgives your sin, and then you will feel as well as
ever you did."

This he promised me to do, and said I had opened
up the path to him again, and that now he would try
not to lose it. "But it is narrow," said this Aveeping
and penitent chief. "Yes, brother," said Z, "and
that is the reason why we must always keep in the
light, if we would walk in it; for you know that it is
impossible to walk in a narrow path in a dark night.

SECOND FALL — STRATAGERi

4G1

are

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\\o have the light of the Spirit to guide us into all
truth; for the good book says, that it is only 'as
many as are led by the Spirit of God ' that ' are tlie
sons of God.' The Lord will give us light if we
walk in the light; but if we sin it will make all
cloudy, and we shall become so weak that we can not
walk in it. But if we continue praying, we may
grow, stronger and stronger, till the last loud trump
shall sound."

I parted with the old man in great hopes that I
had gained my brother. lie was perfectly sober and
good for aAvhile, and promised much usefulness to
the nation; but it was not long till the same set of
men got hold of him, and he fell the second time.
I went, as before, but found him sullen, and not peni-
tent, and not disposed to hear any counsel or advice
on the subject. I then thought I Avould use some
stratagem to awake up honor in his bosom. I said,
"Scuteash, you have told me of your manhood and
your prowess, as a warrior and hunter, and how much
you could endure ; but I am disposed to believe that
you are not half the great man or chief that tlie
people say you are. Almost every body thought
you was a great man, and that nothing could stand
before you; but I think old Molly [an old woman
who had been proverbial for drunkenness and lewd-
ness, and who, from the day of her conversion till
her death, which was six years, never stepped aside
from the true path of piety and holiness] is a much
stouter man than you are, and has much more cour-

Ji^i

462

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

a;j;e to resist than you have. You must be \ perfect
squaw, and worse, if you can not quit getting drunk,
and prevent whisky from overcoming you."

This piqued the old man. I said, "Many women-
have set out, and are still going on, and not falling
down, and turning aside like you." After some time
he said, "I will let you see that I have strength
enough to keep from falling." For a long time he
was sober; but never regained his first love. He
fell again, and, I think, he never was reclaimed, un-
less it was on his dying pillow. Then I did not see
him: but only heard that he was stupid, and m a
great measure insensible. how dreadful is the state
of the blackslider from God! and especially when
he is so lost as to deny that he has fallen, or that
he ever was purged from his old sins !

A H A Z A :i D U S JOURNEY.

403

CH A.PTER XVIII.

V^ISIT TO TIi^ EAST WITH INDIAN CHIEFS.

At the conference of 1825 I was returned to the
Indian mission. The Rev. John 0. Brooke and wife
were also appointed to take charge of the mission
farm and family. By this latter arrangement I was
left .'it liberty to devote myself more entirely to the
general and spiritual interests of the work.

The conference, at this session, passed a resolution
providing for the education of twelve of the larger
and most promising boys in the white settlements ;
where they could secure a more perfect knowledge of
the English language, acquire the habits of civilized
life, and learn the mechanical arts, or agriculture.
The attempt to carry out this wise and politic reso-
lution well-nigh cost me my life. It was late in
December before we were ready to carry the reso-
lution into effect. I then carried the boys sixty-five
miles, through the wilderness, in a wagon to Urbnna.
I accomplished the journey in safety, and each boy
reached his proper destination. On my return the
weather had become extremely cold. The piercing
winds of winter howled through the forests, and not
un frequently filled my eyes and blinded mo^ with the
snow. It seemed difficult to keep from freezing while

464

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS.

r was in motion. But, to complete my ui^T.culty, 1
found myself unable to reach any dwelling;, and night
overtook mc in the wilderness. I had no bed-clothes,
except a thin quilt, and could get up but little fire.
I can never describe the horrors and sufferings of
that terrible night. It seemed as though I must per-
ish; but with constant effort and God's blessing, I was
enabled to keep life within me. The next day I
reached the mission; but almost as much dead as
alive. A fit of sicknej^s now disabled me; and such
was the injury I received that I nevT recovered my
former health.

In order to lighten my labors, I now resigned the
office of sub-agent for the Indians. The good work,
notwithstanding my enfeebled health, continued to
progress encouragingly. Our meetings were well at-
tended, and we were making constant inroads upon
the pagan party.

In the month of April, 1826, we held our second
quarterly meeting in the new stone church. It was
a season of great power and glory; and was signal-
ized by the conversion of old Scionta, the high-priest
of the heathen party. This man had served De-un-
quot, the head chief, in this office, and used to hold
his meetings, and deliver long lectures on the Indian
religion and traditions. He was a sober and respect-
able man, and was considered an honor to his pro-
fession and party. He had often been convinced of
the truth; and much shaken in his heathenish belief;
but his pride of character and office deterred him

CONVERSION OF SCIONTA.

465

from yielding. At length the truth of the Gospel,
conveyed to his heart by the blessed Spirit, was
sharper than a, two-edged sword. It found way to
his soul, and he fell, with many others, to the Hoor,
and cried aloud for mercy. He then abjured liis
heathenism and its practices; saying, that lie now
would take Jesus Ciirist for his God, and liis word for
his guide, and follow him as long as he lived. He
made a humble confession of his sins, and asked all
to pray for him. This we all did heartily. The con-
version of this man made a great stir in the heathen
ranks, and brought many of them out to attend our
meetings.

On the Sabbath evening we held our love-feast,
which was a time long to be remembered. The power
of God filled the whole house, and many were struck
down to the floor like Saul of Tarsus, and cried for
mercy. Many of them experienced the pardon of
their sins ; and among them was Scionta, the high-
priest. He shouted and praised God for redeeming
grace and dying love, which convinced .others that
there was a divine reality in the work. This man
has been a pious, devoted saint ever since. I do not
believe there was an hour from that time forward that
he did not enjoy the love and presence of God in his
soul. I saw and worshiped with him in June, 1837,
which was eleven years after his conversion, and he
told me he was deeply afflicted in body, but his soul
was still filled with the love of God, and that he ex-
pected soon to mount up on high, to see Jesus, and

■dj '-4

4G6

LIFE AMONG THE INDIA X 8.

rest with him forever in the "house not made with
hands — eternal in the heavens."

God owned that place, and there gave peace to all
who truly called upon him. Thirteen professed re-
ligion at this meeting, and joined the Church. The
meeting lasted all night. Brother Brooke made an
attempt, after midnight, to dismiss the meeting, but
it could not be easily done., The holy fire was now
kindled afresh in the hearts of many of the members.

The next morning sister Ilicks, the wife of one of
our chiefs, while preparing breakfast for those friends
who had lodged with them during the quarterly meet-
ing, was GO filled with the love of God, that she
broke out into raptures of praise, and the rest caught
the flame. The work commenced in the old class-
house, and, with but little intermission, lasted all
day.

To show the progress of the work up to this period,
I give the statistics of the mission, as taken from our
Church records at the time :

"In January, 1821, the first class was formed.
Since that, tAvo hundred and ninety-two have been
received on trial, two hundred and fifty of whom now
remain on our class papers. Sixteen have died, I
trust, in the Lord, and twenty-six have been ex-
pelled, discontinued, and have moved away. The
two hundred and fifty now in the Church are divided
into ten classes, each having a leader of its own.
There are four licensed exhorters, godly and zealous

INVITED TO THE EASTERN CITIES. 4C7

•acn, moving regularly in a circuit among their breth-
ren, and doing much good. They all manifest a dis-
position to improve in the arts of civilized life; and
as religion increases among them, so does industry,
cleanliness, and all the fruits of good living. Ther
are on our school list the names of sixty-five children,
most of whom arc now regular attendants, and are
doinf; well — learning; the Enijlish laii<'ua;j;e, and other
useful knowledge. Indeed, I have no doubt, if these
people are not distui'bed by factions, but are left to
pursue the course they have begun, ' the whole lump
will be leavened.' Their improvement, in every re-
spect, is very great."

This spring I received a letter from Dr. Bangs,
of New York, inviting me, with two of the chiefs, and
an interpre+er, to visit the eastern cities, and attend
the anniversary of the Missionary Society. At first,
such was the state of my health, that I doubted
whether I should be able to perform such a journey.
I consulted my friends, and we concluded that it
might be beneficial, both to my health and that of
Betvveen-the-Logs, who was laboring under a pul-
monary affection. After making it a matter of much
prayer, and it being considered advantageous to the
missionary cause by our venerable Bishops, M'Ken-
dree and Soule, we agreod to undertake the journey
and, with all possible dis^ aicli made preparations.

On the 5th Between-the-L(>gs, Arononcue, and my-
self, set out from Upper Sandusky, with Samuel

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468

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

Brown for our interpreter, and rode to Portland on
horseback. We sent our horses home from thence,
and took passage in a steamboat on the 8th for Buf-
falo. Nothing unusual happened, except a very high
wind, which made my comrades very seasick, and
affected me some. Traveling on a steamboat was
a novelty to my comrades, and yet they expressed
no astonishment, nor manifested any curiosity in
examining the works. This an Indian would con-
sider an exhibition of weakness, and a want of self-
command.

When we landed at Buffalo, it seemed as if the
people would tear us to pieces, such was the anxiety
to get us aboard their canal-boat. But I said to
them all, " Stand off — I will take my own time, and
make my own choice in this matter." So I drove off
these birds of prey, took our things, placed them on
the bank, nnd left my friends to watch, till I went
and looked for myself. I went from boat to boat,
looking into all, and found them supplied with whisky
and rum. I said, "Here is the devil I want to shun."
Some were drinking, playing the fiddle, dice, check
ers, and cards. At length I met a Captain Smith,
who looked like a temperate man. I said, " It may
be this man keeps a good boat." I went with him to
his boat, which was nearly ready to start, and saw no
whisky or bar. All the company looked grave and
sober, i told him who I was, and who my comrades
were, and that I wanted to get into some boat under
the protection of some master Avho respected himself

BABBATH ON THE CANAL BOAT. 469

sky

and religion. Wiien he found that religion was the
object of our journey, he said he would take us, and
do it half a dollar less than his accustomed charge.
By a gracious providence we were soon aboard, and
on our jou^-^ey. This nan, I learned, was a member
of the Presbyterian Church; and we were permitted
to enjoy our religious privileges, and were treated in
character.

On Sabbath we had meeting three times. It was
agreed that in the morning Between-the-Logs should
officiate, at noon I vould preach, and in the even-
ing brother Mononcue. Our morning exercise com-
menced soon after breakfast, and was introduced bv
the chiefs and the interpreter singing in Wyandott,

" Come thou Fount of every blessing," eto.

I sung with them in English. Then Between-the-
Logs prayed with great fervency. The passengers
in the boat were literally astonished. When we arose
from our knees, I perceived tl at some had been weep-
ing. Our preacher from the woods then commenced,
and preached many things in his exhortation. He
told us of his birth and early life, of his Indian re-
ligion and of his Catholic religion. "But I saw in
all this," said he, " that I had only an outside religion,
which never reached my hear , but was worn only
when I went to meeting. When I left meeting it
was all gone till I went back again. I was just as
wicked as before; and this was all I thought neces-
sary. So I felt at peace. But some years ago there

■■i

470

LIFE AMONG TUB INDIANS.

came a colored man to our nation, and he told of
another way; that we must have the religion of
Jesus, and this wa? the religion of the heart. I
listened to hira. and turu^ht it might be the truth ;
yet I was still in the dark. So I listened, and, after
some time, I took hold. I went to a great camp meet-
ing. There I saw the mighty power of God; and
then I felt it was not altogether well with me. I
prayed and went to meeting, but did not feel as I
wanted. The Lord sent our brother here, to be our
missionary, and he fed us with meat. Strong words
came from him, and I was much stirred up to seek
the deep things oi which he spoke. At a prayer
meeting in our town, God opened my heart to feel
his love and power ; and it seemed as if it burned in
every breast. I could not keep my tongue still. All
was changed. I loved all men, and hastened to tell
all the world how good the Lord was to me."

He then exhorted all to come to God, and said,
"You [the whites] know the way. You have the
good book, and can read it. This shows the way.
Let a poor Indian, brought up in the darkness of the
woods, who never could read a word, and never, till
the other day, heard of the blessed name of Jesus—
that name so sweet and precious to my soul — let his
feeble voice reach your heavy ears, and wake you
up." By this time Between-the-Logs was in such a
rapture, and the tears were rolling down many cheeks,
that he left his place, and walked to the weeping
captain, took him by the hand and talked to him ; and

WONDER OP THE HEARERS.

471

sc he (lid to all in the boat. There was not one dry
eye — all wept, and some could scarcely refrain from
crying aloud.

I then called on Mononcue to pray ; and like Bri-
daine, his thundering voice, and his holy eloquence
m prayer, put the climax on our exercises. Never
was an audience more astonished. There was present
u trader from the Rocky Mountains, going to Boston
on business, who, more than all the rest, appeared
astonished; for he had never before dreamed that,
if there was any such thing as religion, an Indian
could be made the subject of it expei'mentally. He
afterward took me up on the top of the boat, to
inquire about these men ; where they were from ? and
how they came to know these things? I gave him
their history in a few words. He was utterly con-
founded; and during all the remainder of our jour-
ney, the conversion of the Indians seemed to be all
his talk.

I preached at eleven o'clock, from Acts xiii, 41,
"Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; for
I work a work in your days, a work which ye slaJi
in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.^'
I first described the work. I showed it was in these
days, before their eyes, and yet they would not be-
lieve it, although those men declared it unto them ;
and then the application, "Behold, and wonder, and
perish."

Brother Mononcue exhorted and prayed with great
energy, and then our meeting concluded. I have no

472

LIFE AMONG THE Il^DtAI^d.

doubt but tbat the exercises of this Sabbuth left a
deep impression on the minds of all.

We were treated witli great respect the remainder
of our journey.

At Albany I called upon the preacher in charge
of the station. We had meeting that night, and the
chiefs addressed the congregation. Next day we pro-
ceeded down the river to Newburg. It was thought
best for us to remain here, and rest over the Sabbath,
and then proceed on Monday to New York.

Many came to see us, and asked many questions.
On the Sabbath we had a profitable meeting; and on
Monday we went to the city.

We were most kindly received, and conducted to
the residence of Dr. Pitts, where we were comfort-
ably situated, in a large and airy room. Between -
the-Logs was much fatigued, from the heat, exercise,
and travel. Here we all took our lodgings on the
floor. Not being accustomed to soft beds, we could
not sleep on them, but rested much better on oui
blankets.

Just before day, we were waked up by the noise of
carts and drays, going to market. This was so dif-
ferent from the silence of the woods at that hour —
where the wolf steals in the twilight to his den, and
the deer rises from hi? lair to crop the verdant grass,
made soft by the dew of the morning, and the sweet
songsters of the forest tune their warbling notes of
praise from nature's ten thousand altars, to Him who
made the sun to gild the day, and the moon the night —

fllOHT-SEElNO IN KEW YORK.

478

that we could not sleep. Brother Moiioncuc was the
first at the window, to see what uU this meant Soon
I heard him call for me to rise quick, and tell what
these things were. When I approaclied the window,
I saw carts loaded with crabs. I told him they were
craw-fish, from the sea. "What do they ao with
them?" added he. "Eat them,' I replied. Then he
gave an expression of contempt, " YuteT and said,
" The hogs do this in our river."

We remained here through the week, caressed by
our friends, and seeing all that w."3 curious in the
city. We visited the poor-house, penitentiary, house
of refuge, and many of the schools; but with none
were the chiefs mo)e delighted than with the African
free school, taught on the Lancasterian plan. There
were two hundred black boys, or upward, under good
discipline; and to gratify the chiefs, the master put
them through all the exercises of marching, clapping
of hands, and treading with their feet — all of which
was done with much regularity and precision, and
that without one word, except one of the largest
boys, who acted as fugleman. The boys presented
my comrades with paintings done by them, which were
well executed.

Between-the-Logs continued feeble, and went out
but little. I wanted to take them to the Museum, buc
wished to do it privately ; for if it was known, there
would be such a crowd that we could enjoy no satis-
faction. However, after dark, ws went up to the

Park, and entered one, where we found a few visitors.

474

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

The first thing, after entering, that attractetl our
attention, and particuhirly the notice of Mononcuc,
was thfc great sea turtle. "Wliy,' said he, "here is
my grandmother ! [He was of the Turtle tribe.] I
have seen many of her children, but never have seen
her before." He began to measure with his arms,
by fathoms, to know how high she was, that he might
tell his tribe when he ret rned home. He measured
the circumference, the breadth across the back, and
then the length. He said to me, " I never knew that
these grew so large." I told him it was from the
sea; and that all water animals grew larger there,
than in our lakes and rivers. We spent an hour at
this place, looking at all the different curiosities of
animals, birds, and fishes, from other countries, and
talking about them. ^

We received an invitfition to go to Peale's Museum,
across the street, where there was to be an exhibition
of gas-lights. Accordingly we went, and seated our-
selves in a box. Soon after, the lights were extin-
guished. There soon appeared, however, a wheel,
with a small gas-light, which was enlarged or de-
pressed, at pleasure, according to the will of the wire-
workers. Here many pictures passed in review before
us. At length there came up one which represented
the devil having hold of a drunken man by the wrist,
and there appeared a great conflict between them.
The devil pulled, and the man pulled, and success
seemed alternately to incline, first in ft;.vor of one,
ttlid then in favor of the other. At last the light wag

THE P A n-T Y L T X I Z E D .

475

suddenly much enlarged, to give a full view of the
scene. The devil knocked up the feet of the drunk-
ard, and whirled him heels over head, and all disap-
peared. The light was then wholly excluded, and all
was dark and silent. Mononcue was sitting on my
left, and he exclaimed, " Waughr We were invited
to come again the next evening. I said to him, who
had given the invitation, that if it was considered
best, we perhaps would, but that I would let him
know by note on the morrow. In the morning papers
it was advertised that I, with the Indian chiefs, would
be at his Museum in the evening. This offended my
moral sensibility, for I discovered it was a catch-
penny maneuver. I sent him a note that one of the
chiefs was unwell, and we declined the invitation.
But this did not prevent his gain, for the public no-
tice was not recalled, only a note stuck up on the
door, in the dark, where, in all probability, none
would notice it. Brother Brown and myself went
into the Park. The street was completely filled with
carriages. The crowd was so great that a large num-
ber could not get in, as they expected, to see the
Indian chiefs. I now plainly perceived that wo were
to be made gain of, and we accordingly took oui
leave.

I received many notes of invitation to gardens and
public places of resort; but we kept ourselves as
retired as possible, till the Sabbath, when we repaire«l
10 the crowded churches, and worshiped with the
great congregations in this American London. Our

LIFB AMONa TH^ INDIANS.

chiefs spoke to the congregations, by their interpret-
er, with good eifect. How striiving tlic contraist be-
tween the great metropolis, its splendid buildings, and
costly-attired thousands, and the humble retreat of
the forest, where the embassador of Josus meets his
Hock in a house made with slabs, and covered with
bark from the forest trees, without windows or shut-
ters to the door — his humble auditory seated on the
ground, or on logs split and arranged for seats — their
blankets round them, either for ornament or covering;
and yet God is in the forest waste, as well as in
"the city full." In the former there is no parade,
no show, all is nature in her simple state; and, with-
out guile, the worshipers present a humble heart
at the throne of grace. Here, perhaps, all is right,
but it is not like home to the humble missionary, who
has been accustomed to preach to the poor in their
western cabins, or to the Indian in his bark wigwam.
Elis message from heaven is perfectly adapted to all,
and is designed to meet the wants of all, in every
condition. how good is God, who has given us
such a Gospel, and such a dispensation of mercy,
which embraces all mankind, from the beggar at the
gate, to the monarch on his throne, with every rank
between them ! After the labors of the day we re-
tired to repose, with thankful hearts, that we had
seen and felt the presence of the Lord manifested
ID the great congregations.

The missionary anniversary was held on Wednes-
day of this week. Brother Bascom preached the

SERMON — BETWEEN-TIIE-LOGS. 471

iS-

kUe

missionary sermon. Although I liavc been in the
habit of hearing him frequently, ever since he com-
menced preaching, I think, on this occasion, he was
almost inspired. I felt, and I thought all felt, as if
tho day had arrived when the head-stone was to be
"brought with shouting, crying, Grace, grace unto
it!" when the Savior was to bo crowned Lord of all.
0, how my soul burned with missionary fire! I felt
then that I wanted to be on the top of some of the
peaks of the Rocky Mountains, with a voice suitable,
that I might say to all the inhabitants on each side,
and along its rugged summit, in the language of tho
inspired prophet Isaiah, "Let the inhabitants of the
rock sing, let them shout from the tops of the mount-
ttins.

Between-the-Logs followed. He gave a history of
the introduction of the Roman Catholic religion into
his nation, and the influence it had on his people.
"It is true," said he, "we went to Church on the
Sabbath day, and then the minister preached; but
we did not understand one word he said. We saw
he kneeled down, and stood up, and went through
motions with his great dress on; and when Church
was out, we all went to a place where they sold rum
and whisky, got drunk, and went home drunk, lie
would tell us we must not get drunk ; but he would
drink himself, and frolic and dance on the Sabbath.
We counted our beads, and kept our crosses about
our necks, or under our pillows, and would some-
times pray to the Virgin Maiy. But we were uu as

478

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS

wc were before. It made no change on us, and ?
began to think it was not as good as the religion
of our fathers; for they taught us to be good men
and women, to worship the CJreat Spirit, and to ab-
stain from all evil. • .

'"Soon after, the Seneca Prophet came to our na-
tion, and he told us that he had found the right way ;
that ho had a revelation, and had seen and talked with
an angel, and was directed to teach all the Indians;
that they. must quit drinking, and must take up their
old Indian religion, and offer their const.int sacrifices,
as their fathers had done, which had been *" ^glected
too much, and, on account of this, the Great Spirit
had forsaken them. But if they would come back
and follow him, that he would yet drive the white
man back to his native home. We all followed him
till wc saw he went crooked, and did not do himself
what he taught us to do. Then we followed him no
more, but returned to our old course.

" Some time afterward came the Shawnee Prophet,
the brother of Tecumseh, and he told us that a great
many years ago there lived a prophet that had fore-
told the present state of the Indians, that they would
be scattered and driven f.om their homes; but that
the Great Spirit had said that he would make them
srand on their feet again, and would drive the white
man back over the waters, and give them their own
country; that he had seen an angel, and he told him
that all the Indians must quit drinking, and all turn
to their old ways, that their grandfathers had fol-

CHRISTIAN K X P E R I E N C E .

479

ite
vn
Ini
ni

lowc'l, and unite and aid to drive the wliites from
our country. Many believed and followed him. JJul
I luid got tired, and thou<!;ht it was best for me to
keep on in the old way, and so we eontinued. Then
tlie war came on, and we all went to drinking and
li'.'htinff.

" When the war was over we were a nation of
drunkards, and so wicked, that the chiefs thought
wo must try and get up our old religion of feasting
and dancing. We did our best to get our -> >ple to
quit drinking. But while we were trying to reform,
God sent a colored man, named Stewart, to us. with
the good boak. He began to talk, and sing, u!id
pray; but we thought it was all nothing, and many
mad', fun of him, because he was a black man. The
white traders told us we ought to drive him away,
for the white people would not let a black man preach
for them. AVe, however, watched his walk, and found
that he walked straight, and did as he said. At last
the word took hold, .ind many began to listen, and
believed it was right, and soon we began to pray, and
we found that it was of God. Then others came,
and they told us the same things. The work broke
out, and God has done great things for us. I was
among the first that took hold, and I found it was the
religion of the heart, and from God. It made my
soul happy, and does yet. The school is doing well.
<)ur children are learning to read the good book, and
promise fair to make good and useful men. We
thank you, our friends, for all the kindness and help

ipp

480

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

you have shown us, and hope you will continue to
help us till we can stand alone and walk. We will
do our best to spread this religion at home, and send
it to all nations. When at home, I am accustomed
to hear my brothers talk; but since I came here, I
can not understand what is said. I wonder if the
people understand one another; for I see but little
effect from what is said" — meaning that the Gospel
preached had but little visible eflfcct.

I then followed, and gave some .account of the
mission, the work of God among the Indians, the
school, farm, and our prospects generally.

Brother Mononcue, next in order, addressed the
audience; but our interpreter was too much fatigued
to give his speech a regular interpretation. It was
concluded that he should go through, and then he —
the interpreter — would give the substance. This Mo-
noncue did with all the thundering eloquence of a
Demosthenes; and, although none could understand,
yet all were surprised to see a man of the woods
speak with so much natural gesture. I have no doubt,
if the audience had understood his address, that it
would have had a very fine effect.

Brother Durbin closed the exercises, and stated
that he was brought up with strong prejudices against
the Indians, for some of his relations had lallen under
their tomahawk, and he could scarcely believe that it
was possible for them to be brought under the influ-
ence of the Gospel. But at the camp meeting before
spoken v.1, he had determined to make the proof, and

Du 11 bin's speech.

481

placed himself whore he could see thorn, while his
friend — pointing to me — was preaching to them by
an interpreter. Said he, " I selected this man, [point-
ing to Mononcue,] as my subject; and while the
speaker was pointing out sin and its dreadful effects
on the heart of man, I saw a gloom cover the coun-
tenance of my tawny friend, as a thick cloud, and
despondency was pictured in every feature of his
face. But when the minister spoke of the love of
God to man, in the gift of Jesus Christ, and redemp-
tion from all sin, through his blood, this gloom was
dispersed, as the heavy fog before the rising sun.
When he spoke of conviction and conversion, then
the tears began to flow freely from his joyful eyes,
and a flame was Jcindled up in his soul, shining with
a brightness that spoke the state of his mind. All
my prejudices fled from me, and I felt as if I wanted
to take him in my arms; for my feelings mingled
with his, and I said, ^It is true that God has also
called these natives of the forest to be heirs of his
kingdom.' "

Brother Durbin, with his thrilling eloquence, soon
had his auditory on the wing, and feasted them with
the sweets that flow from the truths of the Gospel.
Between-the-Logs closed with prayer, which was re-
sponded to with many amens.

We left our New York friends with feelings of
deep gratitude, and made our way to Philadelphia.
Here we were received with great satisfaction and

friendship, by the late Dr. Thomas F. Sargent, of

482

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

blessed memory. We were conducted to the houso
of brother Samuel Merwin, then preacher in charge,
where we staid during our visit. This family en-
deared themselves to us, by their unremitting kind-
ness. We held several meetings in the city, and
attended a camp meeting below it, where the chiefs
spoke to the people with much eflfect. Our friends in
the city took great pains to show us all the public
works. Dr. Sargent, brothers Merwin and Engles,
with others, took us to see the water-works; and
after having surveyed them, we all sat down in the
shade to rest. Dr. Sargent said to Between-the-Logs,
"Are not these works wonderfully constructed?" —
seeking to draw from these men some expression
of astonishment at what they had seen. "Yes," he
replied, " the Great Spirit has given you white people
great power to know and do things ; and if you make
a good use of it, it will be well with you; but if you
do not, it would have been better for you to be as
poor and ignorant as we." This answer rather sur-
prised the Doctor. We returned to our lodging
places, and remained with these benevolent people
till after the Sabbath, and spent a day of peaceful
worshiping with them, to the comfort and edification
of all; and left them on Monday morning, with
grateful impressions that will never be erased, and
proceeded on to Baltimore.

We were met at the wharf by Bishop Soule, and
many friends. The Bishop conducted us to his own
house, where we remained as at home, iu tho bosom

BALTIMOR E — REAT INTEREST. 483

5ful

of his kind family, who did every thing to make us
comfortable and happy. Traveling, as we had been,
in the midst of a community, who, either from re-
ligious motives, was desirous of seeing us, or was led
on by curiosity, our company incessantly increased.
This, together with the heat, had worn down my
companions, till they were fatigued, and longed for
the cooling brooks and shades of the forest. But
the company of their favorite friends, Bishops M'Ken-
dree and Soule, cheered them very much. Our dear
old father M'Kendree did us much good by his patri-
archal advice and kindness.

We had several meetings in Baltimore, and such
were the crowds that thronged the streets near the
churches, that it took us a considerable time to get
through them; and so many persons wished to shake
hands and speak with the chiefs, that frequently it
took half an hour to get into the carriages. Great
interest was excited, and strong impressions were
made in this city in favor of missions, and of evan-
gelizing the Indians. Hundreds of good people, who
had only heard, now saw the power of the Gospel
manifested in the conversion of those chiefs, and
heard from their lips the wonderful things of God.

The Baltimore camp meeting was held during our
stay in that city, in July, at which we attended. On
Babbath, at 11 o'clock, Between-the-Logs and myself
were to address the congregation. I led the way by
preaching from Rom. i, 14: "I am not ashamed of
the Gospel of Christ," etc.

484

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

After I had concluded, Between-the-Logs took the
stand, and commenced his address by stating that he
was a child, born and raised in the woods, and that
he knew nothing of the true religion; "nor had I,"
said he, " till lately, ever heard the name of Jesus —
that name so precious — that name which kindles a
fire in my heart, that burns on every breath. I was
taught to worship the Great Spirit by feasts, dances,
and rattles; when that was done, I thought all was
well. I pursued the game through our deep forests
with great delight ; but then there was not the sound
of a white man's ax to be heard on the other side
of the Ohio. The French then sent a Catholic priest,
and he taught us to worship God by wearing a cross
and counting our beads, and praying to the Virgin
Mary to take pity on us; and then we thought all
was well, although we continued to drink as before.
But a few years since the Gospel, which God had ap-
pointed to go into all nations, came to our nation;
and although the instrument was weak, yet the word
was powerful, and took hold of our hearts, and showed
us what we were. These ministers pointed us to
Jesus, the Savior of sinners, and the Savior of the
whole world, and directed us to pray to him. We did
so, and God had mercy on us, and forgave our sins.
Many of my nation are this day rejoicing in the love
of God. This Gospel is a spirit of peace. It has
made peace between us who were once great enemies,
and shed each other's blood. But the Oreat Spirit
has taken the tomahawk out of our hands, and \X%

INDIAN tREACUlNG BY SluMS.

486

lid

IS.

love has taken it out of our hearts, and buried it so
deep that it will never rise again ; and this peace shall
go to all people, and it will bury all war, and make
all the world love like brothers ; for Jesus died him-
self to make peace. Yes, my brothers, he died!"

Here he commenced giving a description of the
crucifixion; but brother Brown, the interpreter, be-
came so sick that he could not proceed. Between-
the-Logs told him to sit down, and he would proceed
without him. Now, this high-souled woods preacher
knew that he must make himself understood chiefly
by signs. He spoke the name of Jesus plainly, which
was a great help to understanding his signs. In show-
ing how Jesus prayed for his enemies, he fell down
upon his knees and lifted up his hands and streaming
eyes to heaven. This sign was understood, and felt
throughout the whole assembly, of, perhaps, ten thou-
sand people. He then rose, and placing his left h^nd
against the post that supported the stand, with his
forefinger he placed the nail, and then, with his hand
closed, he drove it, exclaiming, " Jesus ! Jesus !" He
then showed his feet were nailed to the tree. This
scene was so descrintive that I believe all understood
it Thousands were lifting up their voices in praises
to God. Looking up to the sun, he put his finger on
one of his eyes and said, "Now that sun closes his
eye to sleep — this earth trembles, and Jesus the Son
of God dies!" At this moment the congregation
manifested great emotion — a high state of feeling
was shown — the weeping and shouting was very loud.

486

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

To close his description of the scene, this eloquent
chief then leaned his head on his left shoulder, sig-
nifying that Christ had dismissed his spirit. Then
he turned his right side to the congregation, and with
his left hand pulled up his vest; and with his right
hand, representing a spear, he struck his side as
though he had pierced to his heart, and drew it back
quick with a whizzing noise, as if you had heard the
blood streaming, and held his hand out as though the
blood was dropping from it as from the point of the
spear.

This was a scene beyond description. The whole
congregation was in a flood of tears, and expressed
their feelings by shouts of joy. Bishop Soule, and,
perhaps, twenty preachers, were sitting in the stand
behind; and while they were filled with astonishment,
their souls were kindled into flames of joy. After
the extraordinary impulse had somewhat subsided,
Between-the-Logs commenced talking to the Bible,
which lay on the stand before him. He turned it
over, while the great drops of tears fell from his
eyes upon it. At last, he took it up and laid it on
his breast, and clasped both his arms around it, and
Mfting up his eyes toward heaven, he exclaimed,
" Durah-ma-yah ! durah-ma-y ah ! Ho-men-de-zu e !
[Halleluiah! halleluiah to the Great Spirit!] Do-za-
raah ! de-za-mah, Jesus !" He then turned to Bishop
Soule, and handing the Bible to him. raid, "Here,
take this good book of God, and give it to your
preachers, whom God has sent, and tell them to go

THRILLING EFFECT — WAUGH.

481

quickly, and carry it to all nations, for God hath
8ent you."

I have often heard this great unlettered man of
the woods in his most eloquent strains of heavenly
love, but never before saw him so overwhelmed with
the love and power of God. Nor did I ever witness
such effects on an audience. Many who were present
will read this very faint description of the scene, but
will have to say that the half has not been told.

We attended another camp meeting in Severn cir-
cuit, not far from Baltimore. Here both our Indian
chiefs spoke with great advantage to the missionary
cause; and many were this day awakened to the
great and important work of sending the Gospel to
all the world. Brother B. Waugh made a powerful
appeal to thousands in behalf of the poor Indians
and the millions of the human race who were perish-
ing for the bread of life. But these transient con-
victions dying away, how soon do we fall into a sleep,
and dream of the world — its riches, its honors, its
pleasures! But death will soon knock at our doors,
and say, "Give an account of thy stewardship, for
thou mayest be no longer steward." Then it will be
too late, and we shall say in despair, "The harvest
is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved."

I will here entertain the reader with an address
which I heard on a certain occasion — in a love-feast,
in December, 1837. A good, simple-hearted German
arose in the love-feast, and, after a brief iniroduc
tiofl, said, "I am very bad man. I have vowed to

488

LIFE AM ONI THE INDIANS

tlio Lord, but I have not paid my vows. When I did
read de 'counts of de missions, I did bromish mine
Got I vould give 'im den thallers a year for dem mis-
sions; but I did not do it. Den de Lord did take
from me eight hunder thallers; and I went to do
glass meetin', and de breacher did aks me, 'Vot is de
matter?' and I did say, *I am a bad man. I did
bromish de Lord den thallers a year for de missions,
and I did not do it. And now dare is my pocket-
book — dake it out, for I am 'fraid I vill not pay mine
vows.' Every year since I has paid de Lord de den
thallers; and he has given me back mine monej', and
more too, and he has, last night, conwerted my two
childer."

How much is lost by covetousness, and by not
laying up in the Lord's treasury ! It is in that bank
only that deposits are perfectly safe, " where neither
moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal."

From this meeting we returned to Baltimore, and
in a few days took leave of our friends in that city,
and, in company with the venerable Bishop M'Ken-
dree, we visited Washington City. Here v/e were
met by the Hon. Judge M'Lean and others, and took
lodgings at the Judge's, by arrangement and previous
invitation. We spent a few days in the city, and
visited Alexandria, and from thence set out for the
west.

The hope of soon reaching home gave us a cheer-
fulness we had not felt for some time. Bishop Soule

ARRIVAL AT HOME.

489

and brother Durbin accompanied us, as tliey were
bouua westward, so that ^ e had a very pleasant trip ;
and after an absence of nearly three months, we all
arrived safe at home.

It was very obvious that the health of Betwcen-
tho-Logs was declining fast, from a consumption that
had been progressyig for some time. Although he
was scarcely able to attend meeting, yet he did so
till a short time before his death, which occurred on
the first day of January, 1827.

On our arrival at home, our brethren gave an
account of their journey, and of the great things
they had seen and heard of religion; what a great
number of good people they had seen; and how
much they were engaged to send the Gospel into all
the world. They exhorted their people to fe^^l the
same spirit, and to hold fast their Christian profes-
sion, without wavering, to the end, that they might
at last be brought to meet their brothers and sisters
in heaven above.

We found that, during our absence on this journey,
the work had still progressed, under the watchful
care and faithful labors of Rev. J. C. Brooke and
wife. The mission school was in the full tide of suc-
cessful operation.

the

er-
lule

400

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER XIX.

DIVISION OF THE WYANDOTT LANDS.

At the close of this year, my health was too much
impaired to warrant my continuance in the mission.
Accordingly, Rev. James Gilruth was appointed mis-
sionary, while I was continued as superintendent.

During this year the mission suifercd a great loss,
in the death of Between-the-Logs, of which we have
given an account in another volume. Bishop M'Ken-
dree also paid his final visit to the mission in June
of the same year. No man ever took a deeper
interest in Indian missions, or the welfare of the
Indians. He visited the mission three times in per-
son, examined all our plans of operation, as well as
the progress of the children in learning to read, write,
and their advancement in the arts of husbandry and
housewifery. He set the example of industry, and
gave them many interesting lectures. He visited
from house to house, and ate at their tables; con-
versed freely on all subjects that pertained to their
spiritual and temporal welfare, and gave such advice
a.'i his best judgment dictated. The whole nation
venerated and loved him, and when he made a visit,
it was a time of rejoicing with us all. The last visit
he made was a most interesting one, and especially

COUNCIL — BISHOPS ADDRESS.

491

the council he held with twenty of the chiefs and
principal men.

This council was held near the house of An-daw-
yaw-way — or Peacock — under the shade of some wild
cherry trees. When all were assembled, the Bishop
and the whole assembly with him, bowed before the
throne of grace, and he offered up prayers to God
for the mission, school, nation, and for the universal
spread of Christian principles, till all the world should
embrace the Gospel of Christ, and the blessings of
civilization, and for God's blessing on the delibera-
tions of the council. '

After prayer, he addressed them in the following
manner: "Dear brothers! God, in whose hands are
all our lives, and all our blessings, has brought us
together this day, in health and peace; and it has
been with some pain and affliction that I have got
here, to see and speak to you once more. I am
getting old. My head is white, and my limbs are
stiff. I can not walk or ride, as I once could. I
am drawing nigh to my grave. But although my
body is old and almost worn out, yet my soul feels
as young as ever, and I still feel as if I wanted to
travel to the ends of the earth, to preach Jesus as
the Savior of all men. I have called you together
at this time, to hear from you Avhat your enjoyments
are, and to know how your school and societies pros
per; what your national concerns are, and whethci
you could suggest any thing that could be of advant-
age, or promotive of your general welfare. I also

■'Si

492

LtFfi AMONQ ttl& lNr)tANS.

wish some account of your history, customs, or man-

ners.

After some deliberation, one of the chiefs arose
and stated that, so far as he was able to judge, the
Church was doing well; that all who had families,
kept up prayer night and morning; and it was now
delightful to hear, instead of the drunkard's song and
yell, the sound of the Indian flute, and the beat of
the turtle-shell, rolling from every house almost, down
the plains of the Sandusky. Instead of the yell of
the murderer, flying, after having given the fatal
stab or blow with his knife or tomahawk, to some
one of the nation, and the cries of his weeping wife
and children, peace now covers every wigwam and
house, and the songs of the pious, and the prayers
of the father and mother are rising up to the Great
Spirit.

" father," said he, " this makes our hearts rejoice
greatly. Our children now join with us in these
exercises; and when they come home from school,
they sing of Jesus, and talk of Jesus, and tell us
they are happy. This makes the tears flow from our
eyes, and our poor hearts are made glad. We often
thank God and his good people, for sending this
blessed Gospel to us, teaching us and our children
the way to be happy. Our class meetings are well
attended; and when we meet together, if there are
some of us dull and heavy, there are always some
who are not; and when they speak, those that are
dull soon catch the flame, and before our meetings

INFLUUNOES OF UELIGION.

493

are over, we are all made strong again in the lore
of God. This meeting is very good for us, for it
keeps us up, and brings us nigh together. Here we
renew our acquaintance every week, and feel like
helping one another on the way to the good world
above. Our leaders are faithful ir their work ; they
are always first, and at the time, and inquire into our
state. If any should stumble and fall, they are first
to help to lift them up.

"Father, we are a very weak people, and are just
like children beginning to walk, and sometimes we
stumble out of the way, and sometimes fall down.
But our ministers and loaders watch over us; and if
any one falls and gets discouraged, and thinks he
must give out, then they run and help him, so that
we are well taken care of. Our prayer meetings are
good, and well attended ; the Gospel is preached to
us, so that we have meat for the weak, and meat for
the strong.

" Religion has done much for us in another way.
It has made us more industrious. In old times our
women had to do all the hard work ; raise our corn,
cut our wood, and carry it ; dress our skins, make and
mend our moccasins and leggins ; cook our victuals,
and wash our clothes. The men did nothing but
hunt and drink, and feast and dance. But now men
have seen it was their duty not to make pack-horses
of their wives and children, but to work themselves.
So you see, father, since you first came among us,
how our houses have changed. Instead of the wig-

J4:

M:}

494

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

wain, we have hewed log-houses, shingled roofs, and
good brick chimneys. We have beds to sleep on at
night, and chairs to sit down on, and tables at which
to cat ; and these are kept clean by our wives. They
now work in the house, and we work out in the field.
Now religion has done all this for us ; and as it is a
clean thing, and a working thing, it makes all clean
where it comes, and sets all to work right.

"Before it came among us, we were a lazy and
dii'ty people. You see our fields are made large,
and well fenced with good rails, instead of brush.
We have horses and oxen, and plows, to work them
with, instead of our squaws and their hoes. You see
that our plains have much increased in stock, which
we used to starve to death in winter j but now we cut
and make hay for our cattle, and we have a great
increase. We are a happier people now than we ever
were ; and we think we are a much better people now
than we ever were."

Here the speaker was reminded by the rest of
another topic, which he was likely to forget, and he
continued :

" There is another thing we were accustomed to do
in our dark state. We used to change our wives when-
ever we chose so to do ; sometimes for the slightest
< ffense, and often to gratify our evil passions. Some
men and women changed their wives and husbands
oftener than they did their dirty clothes. This we
.iid ignorantly, for then we did not know it was any
harm. But it was a great evil, and brought great

GOOD EFFECTS CONTINUED

49.'

distress sometimes on our women and children, and
often great quarrels among men. We now see plainly
that those who ran about so, and were not contented
with any one but for a few weeks or days, never
raised any children. They alwaiys died when they
were young. Now this practice is almost entirely
done away with, and our people get lawfully married,
and live happy. We now see why God gave man
this good law of marriage. But there is another
thing which speaks for itself, and that is, before God
sent us these ministers and the Gospel, we were a
lation of drunkards — both men and women, and chil-
dren, with but few exceptions. This was the worst
of all our sins; for as soon as whisky and rum got
into us, it brought murder into our hearts; and when
drunk, we were all out of our senses. Sometimes we
killed our wives, children, and friends. It made us
poor, starved our wives and children, made us beggars
and thieves, and brought the worst of evils upon us.
Many of our people, by running their horses while
drunk, have been thrown off and killed. Many oth-
ers have been frozen to death when drunk. Some
have fallen into the fire, and were burned to death.
We call this fire-water the destroyer of our nation.
Yet the whites brought it in barrels all around us;
almost in every house, and gave it till we got a taste
then there was no stop till all we had was taken
from us.

" Now, brother, we are much indebted to brother
Finley for the victory we have obtained over this

496

LIFE AMONG TUE INDIANS.

dreadful enemy. He lifted up his warning voice, and
showed us this great evil. He did not go behind the
trader's back, but to his face told him and us of this
great sin. The traders and the drinking Indians hated
him, and tried every way to put him down. They
strove, too, to turn us against him. Yet he never
minded, but kept at us, day and night, to leave it off,
and we could not withstand his words. They were
good and strong words. Many of our chiefs joined
in with him ; and they all took fast hold of this evil,
and cast it out. The traders used to send for some
of our drinking Indians, and give it to them till they
would get drunk, and then send them to quarrel with
the rest. At last, brother Finley proposed that we
should have a store of our own for the nation ; and he
showed us that it would be much better for us. Our
goods would not cost us half so much as they did
now, and then we could always get a fair r ice for
our fur and skins ; then our people would not be ex-
posed to this o;reat evil, and to the impositions of the
traders. He proposed that we should set apart a
portion of our annuities for this purpose, and that
the store should be the common stock of the na-
tion, and the profits should be equally divided. Af-
ter much deliberation, we thought it would be a
good plan, and we agreed to it; and when brother
Finley and the chiefs went to the great city, the ar-
rangements and the oversight of this store were com-
mi:ted to li:m and the agent, and one of our young
men, William Walker, who was eminently qualified to

THE BISHOP S VALEDICTORY.

497

mg
to

take the charge of it. We have found this to be one
of the best things for us ; so that we are now sup-
plied with our goods at half what they used to cost us.
Now this great temptation is somewhat removed from
»is, so that there is now not more than fifteen persons,
)r thereabout, in our nation, that will drink at all.
From a nation of drunkards^ we have become a sober
people."

In this interview, the chiefs spoke of the schools
with great modesty, saying that we were the best
judges of their utility — that we could see and judge
for ourselves, but that they calculated to derive great
benefit from them.

The Bishop then arose, and gave them his vale-
dictory, telling them that they should see his face no
more; and that he wished these, his last words, to
sink deep into their hearts, so that they might never
let go their present religion and its enjoyments.
"You see and acknowledge," said he, "that it has
done great good for you and your children. It has
driven away your darkness, and opened your minds
to God, your Father, shining on you through Jesus
Christ your Savior, and you can thus read your title
to heaven. This glorious hope swells your bosoms
with peace and heavenly joy. The Holy Spirit bears
witness with your hearts that you are born of God:
and if you hold fast, I shall meet you in that happy
world, never to part more. Let the chiefs and leaders
keep up a faithful watch over the Church and nation;

and exert yourselves, like good men, to put a stop to

|:.i

498

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

all vice, ind encourage virtue by all means that lie
in your power.

"Keep your children at school, and set a good
example before them, and they will grow up to be
good men and women, and bless your nation when
you are gone. If you should see any thing wrong,
you can correct it, by writing to one of the bishops,
or by attending one of the annu.\l conferences of the
preachers, and make it known tc them. They all
love you and your nation. Be indastrious. Treat
your wives with great tenderness and kindness. God
gave them to you for your comfort and help ; and if
your property should increase, do not set your hearts
upon it. Live in peace, and the God of peace shall
preserve you unto eternal life."

We then again addressed the throne of graje. All
were much affected at this solemn parting season.
After prayer, every man went forward, shook hands
with this blessed servant of God, asked an interest
in his prayers, and promised to meet him in heaven.
The Bishop then lifted up his hands to heaven, the
tears flowing from his eyes, and pronounced his last
benediction. It is beyond the power of my pen to
give an adequate description of this scene.

When we left the mission house, on this occasion,
an Indian sister brought me two small bags of pro-
visions, for our sustenance through the wilderness,
till we should reach the settlement on the waters
of Mad river. One was filled with parched com,
pounded into meal and sifted, then mi:?ed with sugar;

COFFEE — A PRIMITIVE BISHOP. 4%

And the other contained dried venison, pounded fine
in a mortar, and also mixed with sugar. These 1
put into my saddle-bags ; and when we had journeyed
eighteen or tAventy miles, to the crossing of the Sci-
oto river, we stopped to rest; and our venerable
Bishop, being much fatigued, spread his sheep-skin
down at the root of a tree, on which he lay down to
rest.

Dr. Soule and myself went in quest of spring-
water, and soon found some. Here I introduced my
bag of parched corn-meal, and poured some into a
tin cup, stirred it with a stick, and drank it off. The
Doctor asked me what it was, as I was smacking my
lips, after the delicious draught. I told him I was
taking a cup of cold coffee, and asked him if he
would have one. After telling him what it was, he
followed my example, and said it was fine. I then
mixed one for Bishop M'Kendree, and when we re-
turned, found this great and good man of God, now
old and worn out with the toils of life, sleeping
sweetly at the root of a beech-tree.

How very different the condition and appearance
of this itinerant, apostolic Bishop, from those mitered
heads, who enjoy all the luxuries of life, and lord it
over God's heritage! His pillow was the root of a
tree, his bed the sheep-skin on which he rode, his
curtains the friendly boughs of the spreading beech,
heaven his canopy, his coffee water, corn-meal, and
sugar, and his meat dried and pounded venison
When he awoke, I asked him if he would take a cup

500

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

of our missionary coffee. After telling him what it
was composed of, he took it, and, with the rest of us,
thought it excellent and refreshing. I then produced
our other bag of venison and sugar. We all sal
down together on the ground, and partook of a good
meal, which very much refreshed us. Then the
Bishop returned thanks to almighty God, for spread-
ing such a table for us in the wilderness.

We then caught our horses, that were feeding on
grass and brush, and went on our way rejoicing.
The old gentleman often had a cup of this coffee,
on our journey, and said it agreed well with his dys-
peptic condition. He and the Doctor philosophized
on its medicinal, as well as its nutritive properties.
This is the kind of provisions the Indian mostly car-
ries when he is on a long journey, and on a war
expedition.

When we arrived at Urbana we were safely housed
at the dwelling of our beloved friend. Judge Rey-
nolds. At dinner the Bishop asked me to prepare
a glass of our cold coffee, which he exhibited as a
curiosity, and of which all at the table tasted. The
general conclusion was, that it was excellent.

Our Indians were very anxious to have their lands
divided, in order that they might the more effectually
promote the arts and habits of agriculturo. In Oc-
tober, 1827, I wrote to Governor Cass, requesting
him to lay down some principles by which we might
settle this important matter; for we found it very
difficult to adjust it, so as to suit the convenience,

PRINCIPLES OF LAND DIVISION. 501

the tastes, and the wishes of all the parties con-
cerned.

The following is the substance of his reply, which
was soon after received. We insert it, as it embodies
the principles on which the division was actually ef-
fected:

"As soon as the subdivision has taken place, I should
recommend that a tract of suitable size be assigned
ko each family. I doubt whether a larger tract than
one hundred and sixty acres will be useful to any
family ; but if doubts should be entertained on that
subject, the tracts might be apportioned to the size
of the family, exceeding, in no case, a half section.
But it is much better that they should content them-
selves with moderate-sized farms, which they could
manage, than that they should be anxious for large
tracts, which they would never cultivate.

" So far as improvements have been made by in-
dividuals, it would be proper to assign to them the
tract upon which such improvement is made; and,
in all cases, to gratify the wishes of each in the se-
lection, as far as possible. Where there are irrecon-
cilable claims of two or more individuals to the same
tract, there will be no remedy, but to decide the
question by lot.

" After each family is supplied, let the remaindei
be considered as a common stock, out of which each
new family, as they are formed in succession, shall
be supplied on the same principles, till the whole

502

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

reservation is occupied As this will require a long
time, we need not speculate upon what course cir-
cumstances may then render it necessary to adopt.

"It should be distinctly understood that the right
of property of all the tracts is in the Wyandott
nation, and that individual families have only a right
of possession. This right must, however, be sacred,
so long as any branch of the family continues in the
occupancy. But there should be no authority to sell ;
for if there is, the improvident will soon divest them-
selves of all property, and it will be accHmulated, as
it is among us, by a portion of the community. This
principle should be rigidly observed; and no family
should own more, r.or any less, than the quantity
assigned to it.

"No objection, very material, occurs to me against
the exchange of farms ; only I am inclined to believe,
that if it is distinctly understood, at first, that no
change, either by purchase or exchange, will, under
any pretense, be permitted, that it will repress much
of that fickleness which is too often occasioned by
the mere power to indulge it. •

"I think this division of property is important to
the improvement of the Wyandotts. Till men are
assured that they will receive the product of their
own labor, it is vain to expect any efficient exertions
from them. I think these people are now very eligi-
bly situated, and it depends upon themselves, whether
they shall be respectable and happy. I am glad to
find that they are improving in their moral, as well

PRINCIPLES APPnOVED.

t)OS

as their physical condition. They owe every thing
to the establishment which you have founded among
them, and to which you have so ably and zealously
devoted your time, health, and worldly prospects.
Your reward you must expect hereafter. You never
can receive it here."

no
nder
uch

i>y

are

leir

ions

la •

Iher

rell

This letter was read in a council of the chiefs, and
was highly approved of; and they agreed that the
division should be made on this plan, and strictly
adhered to. This gave a good impetus to improve-
ment, and the increase of stock. New places were
now selected, and every man commenced operations
for himself. Houses now went up in almost all di»-jc-
tions; and it was done without any altercation. Vil-
lages were evacuated, and industry generally pro-
moted. Stock was increased, and much improved in
a short time; and religion and civilization went on
hand in hand.

My personal connection with the mission was now
pretty much at an end ; but I still kept up a corre-
spondence with the converted head men in some form
or other. The following is an extract of a letter
received from Mononcue in 1830 :

"Your letter by brother Harrihoot is received;
and I was happy to hear from you, and to hear that
you were well, and to hear what the Lord has done
for you in your present field of labor. It always
rejoices my heart to hear of poor sinners coming

liiii !

'^i

504

LIFE AMONQ lUC INDIANS.

home to Jesus, from the darkness of sin, and the
power of the devil. God grant that the religion of
Jesus may progress more and more, till all nations
and people may be acquainted with his great sal-
vation ! •

" Sister Big-Tree is gone to rest. She died on the
13th inst., in great peace; and we have no doubt but
she entered her everlasting home — the bosom of God,
in the kingdom of heaven.

"One of our young men was killed by another,
about two or three weeks ago. The murdered was
John Barnet's half brother — the murderer, Soo-dee-
nooks, or Black Chief's son. The sentence of the
chiefs was, the perpetual banishment of the mur-
derer, and the confiscation of all his property. When
the sentence was made known to the nation, there
was a general dissatisfaction; and the sentence of
the chiefs was set aside by the nation. On Thursday
morning, about daylight, he was arrested and brought
before the nation assembled, and his case was tried
by all the men — that vote — over the age of twenty-
one, whether he should live or die. The votes were
counted, and there were one hundred and twelve in
favor of his death, and twelve in favor of his living.
Sentence of death was accordingly passed against
him; and on the second Friday he was shot by six
men, chosen for that purpose — three from the Chris-
tian party, and three from the heathen party. The
executioners were Francis Cotter, Lurap-on-the-head,
Silas Armstrong, Joe Enos, Soo-cuh-guess, and Saw

A CA6B OF Mt7Rt)fift.

505

yau-wa-hoy. The execution was conducted in Indian
military style ; and we hope it will be a great warn-
ing to others, and be the means of j 'eventing such
crimes hereafter."

ing.

inst

six

iris-

Reader, if you have never seen any account of
those private murders, here let me give you a faint
description of one that came under my notice. One
night, when I was first among these people, lying on
the floor in a cabin, not far from the big road, I
heard, about midnight, the piercing yells of an In-
dian, riding as fast as his horse could go ; and every
few jumps his horse would take, he uttered a singular
whoop or yell. I thought it was a drunken Indian ;
but it alarmed the Indians, and some of them arose
and said, "Somebody kill." They understood the
sound — it was the 8ca?^ yell. In the morning we
heard that one of our neighbors was stabbed by the
half-drunk Indian that passed down the road. We
went up to see, and found an Indian called by the
name, of Big George, badly wounded. He told us
that he did not know that the Indian who stabbed
him had any spite at him. "He came," said he,
"last night about midnight, and talked very kind,
and asked me to let him in. I did so. I then wanted
him to lie down, but he said no. I then sat down on
the bed by my wife, and he said, * I must go.' As
he was going out I rose; and as he passed me, he
struck back with his butcher- knife, and drove it into
my side. Then he jumped out, got on his horse, and

60C

LIFB AMONG THE INDIANS.

V^(\^ I'- ■

fled. I then opened and looked at the wound. I
think I could have put three fingers into it. It
looked as if the knife had heen drove up to the
handle."

I felt great sympathy for this poor man. On the
third day he died; and, in his dying moments, charged
his friends not to kill his murderer, for that the judg-
ment of the Great Spirit had come upon him, for
having himself, in his drunken hours, killed two per-
sons. I labored to direct him to Jesus, and exhorted
him to forgive his murderer, and seek pardon for all
his sins. He did pray, and although his agony wos
great, yet he manifested a patience and a resignation
that astonished us.

After his burial, the old head chief and his family
held a council with his wife and friends ; for the mur-
derer was the head chief's nephew. He presented
his wife with a string of wampum, some other prcs-
Suts, and satisfied her friends, so that the murderer
was protected from the .ivenger of blood. ^

A year or two after, this woman embraced religion,
and I received her into the Church. Her conversion
was clear and powerful. A few months after her
union with the Church, she came to me in great dis-
tress, and told me she had a great load on her mind.
I asked her to tell me what it was. She said, that
ever since God had opened her eyes, and changed
her heart, she had felt very bad to see those things
which she had received in exchange for her husband's
blood, and she could not rest while she had them in

sion

her

Idis-

ind.

that

;ed

igs

Id's

V I L K N E a S OF T HE RUM T K A P F I . 507

her possession. She asked me what she should dr.
with them. I told her to call the head chief and his
family, and then tell him, that since God had changed
lier heart, she was convinced that she had done wrong
in taking any thing as the price of her husband's
blood, and that she would now give them up : not
that she, or any of her friends, intended to kill the
young man, but that they would give his case into
the hands of God, to settle it. This she did with
great mildness; and with (ears exhorted them to seek
the Lord, that they might find forgiveness of him.
After this she had great peace of mind, and married
8um-mun-de-wat; and died in the full faith and tri-
umphs of the Gospel.

This simple narrative will give the reader some idea
of those horrid murders. Committed, as they arc,
through the wicked practice of making and vending
ardent spirits, I am almost brought to the conchision
that every man who makes and sells this destructive
fire of hell ought to be i)unisbed as a heinous of-
fender ; and be confined to the walls of ti

tiary, till he will reform, and cease to
souls and bodies of his fellow-men.

nous
a peniten
murd(

the

508

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

> CHAPTER XX. -

BIOaRAPIIICAL SKETCHES AND ANECDOTES.

There were several noted Indians to whom 1
wished to give more special notice than could well
be done in the body of the work. Accordingly, I
have grouped them together in this concluding chapter.

CAPTAIN JOHN.

Captain John was a Shawnee. He was a chief
of that nation; and in 1796 was a prominent man,
and hac^ great influence not only in his own tribe,
but was esteemed as a great warrior, and a desperate,
bloodthirsty savage, especially when jnder the in-
fluence of intoxicating drink. He was over six feet
high, and well made in proportion — strong, athletic,
and swift of foot, and well skilled in all the modes
of savage warfare. He was most dexterous with the
use of the tomahawk and butcher-knife, and with
these instruments he killed many of his race. When
sober, he was cheerful, humorous, and friendly, but
woe be to the man that ofitended him ; nothing seemed
to satisfy his revengeful spirit but blood. I will here
record some anecdotes of this formidable savage, well

JOHN AND THE IRISHMAN.

509

known to many of the first settlers of the Scioto Val-
ley. When this Valley first began to be settled, anJ
for years after, the Indians who resided on the head
waters of the Scioto and the Sandusky rivers, asso-
ciated in the most friendly manner with the whites,
and often parcicipated in their backwoods frolicks.
On one of those occasions in Chillicothe, when the
youngsters had assembled for a dance, Captain John
was present, and there was an Irishman of the name
of Russel, as large and athletic as John himself.
After John had drank freely, he commenced dancing
all over the room, and crossed the path of the other
dancers. He stopped short, walked up to the Irish-
man, and striking him on the breast with his open
hand, said, " Come, let's fight ; you big man, me big
man — Captain John — conie, let's fight!" "No," said
the Irishman, "white man and Indian brothers; no
fight.'* But John replied, "You big man, me big
man; we must fight;" and, without farther ceremony,
drew back his fist, and dashed at the Irishman. Rus-
sel, being a great boxer, struck John on the side of
the head, and laid him ou* "S limber as a rag. John
was dragged into a corner of the room, where he lay
still for fifteen minutes, and all at once he sprang to
his feet, and said, "Irishman strike like horse kick."
This cooled his courage, and he said no more.

In the fall of 1797, near West Fall, at the trading
establishment of David Dunmen, the Indians met to
barter their furs and skins for such things as they
needed, but the roost of it went for whisky. John,

III

510

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS,

with others, had a drunken frolic. Among them was
an Indian called Cherokee Tom. Tom was v^ry
active, and, at fisticuffs, nearly, if not quite, John's
match. One night John and Tom had a fight, and
both were scratched and bruised. The next day
Tom lay down to sleep in a shade, and John seeing
him asleep, took his rifle, and shot him through the
heart. Some of the Indians remonstrated ; and John
replied, that there was no harm in killing such a
worthless dog; and thus the matter ended. So little
regard have savage men for human life.

John Kushon was a half white ms^n, of the Tusca-
rora tribe, and was a very large man — six feet high,
and weighing over two hundred. He lived among the
whites, and hunted for them, and sometimes worked.
He used to hunt for my father. In the fall he would
go off and stay a month or two, and then return with
his skins and meat. On one of those hunting tours,
on Darby creek, he fell in with Captain John and
his party. Fallenach, who had once been a prisoner
with the Indians, had a trading establishment in the
neighborhood, and sold them whisky. At this place,
where the Indians met for a drunken frolic, the two
Johns fell out in the night and fought, but were
parted by Fallenach, and some of the Indians. Next
moriiing, still being drunk, they agreed to fight with
tomahawks and knives. They cut a notch in a log,
and d' ove down a stake by the side, and agreed that
when the shadow of the stake came into the notch,
thoy were to fight. They then sat down on the log —

John's desperate character, oli

one on each side of the notch — and awaited tlio
eventful moment. At length it came; then, like two
furies, they arose, waving their tomahawks in one
hand, over their heads, yelling and screaming for the
battle, with theix knives in the other; and after each
receiving several wounds, Captain John's tomahawk
found its way to Kushon's skull, and killed him.

In 1800, on the R-ittlesnake Fork of Paint river,
in another drinking scrape. Captain John and his
squaw fell out, and agreed to part; they divided all
till it came to their little son, and both claimed it.
The child v.ns about three years old. The mother
held fast to the child; John jerked it out of her arms,
and took an ax, and cut it in two, and threw her the
half, and then said, "If you don't clear out I will
serve you the same way." -

Captain John joined the army under General Har-
rison, in 1813, at Fort Defiance. Here he and Ben-
jamin Logan, and some other friendly Indians, were
Rent, to reconnoiter «.ho British and Indian army at
'ao Maumee Bay. They were met by a party of
1' Iti h and Indians, when a dreadful battle ensued.
Ti ( jHvitish party were defeated, and neurly all killed.
The brave Logan, and others of the American party,
fell. In this battle John fought like a fury in des-
peration, but escaped unhurt. He afterward joined
the army under General M' Arthur, in Canada, and
still acted out his savage manner of warfare. Not-
withstanding the General's efforts to restore him after
the war was over, he geemcd to have disappeared,

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

and probably died, or was killed by some of his own
tribe. '

CAPTAIN LEWIS.

Captain Lewis was a Shawnee chief, and he resided
on the waters of Mad river. He was a handsome
man, well built, of an open and free countenance,
and in his manner friendly, yet he had a great deal
of the Indian cr ;f^ about him. When drunk he was
savage. - . ,

On one occasion, at, Deshicuts Town, on Mad river,
he and a number of other Indians became drunk. A
Delaware Indian was sitting next to him on the bar-
rel, who was reputed to be a witch killer, and was
willing to bear that title; and after they were well
corned, he began to make his brags what great things
he had done and could do. Lewis asked him what
he could do, and he replied he could kill a man and
not shoot him. Lewis replied, he could do that him-
self. "How will you do it?" replied the Delaware.
Lewis drew his knife, and stabbed the Delaware to
the heart, and replied, "That's the way I kill a man
without shooting him." The next day a council was
held, and it was determined that Lewis should give
the widow a horse to satisfy the price of blood, which
he did.

His nation fell out with him, and broke him of his
chiefdom for cheating them in the distribution of then
annuities. He became dissatisfied with old Black-

INDIAN ARISTOCRACY.

513

Hoof and the other chiefs, and with a small party
moved west of the Missouri.

III.

CAPTAIN SniGSER.

At an early day there was another Shawnee chief
that used to come in to trade. He called himself
Captain Shigser. He was among the handsomest,
best-made, and, I think, the proudest man I ever saw.
He was remarkable for his entire abstinence from all
intoxicating drinks, or mingling with any company of
Indians when drinking. He was married to a squaw,
half white, said to be the daughter of General Butler.
She was a beautiful woman. Her skin was not dark ;
and her large, blue eyes, her long, black hair, and
tall, well-proportioned person, with her rich and em-
broidered dress, gave her a magnificent appearance
He was dressed in the finest broadcloth, made in the
fashion of the Indian costume, with thirty silver half-
moons hanging on his breast and down his back. His
head-band was filled with silver bobs, and his linen
bosom was stuck full of silver brooches ; his belt was
of the finest and best of wampum, and interwoven
with beads and porcupine quills ; his leggins were
fringed, and filled with silver bobs, and beautifully
decorated with horse-hair, dyed red; his moccasins
were lined with green silk, and ornamented with por-
cupine quills. All they had was in perfect keeping

His tomahawk blade, pipe, and handle, and bis rifle*

514

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

barrel and stock were inlaid with silver; and their
horses were of the best kind; and all their equipage,
blankets, and every thing about their camp were in the
same style. They did not pitch their tent close to the
other Indians, and very seldom associated with them.
I have given this description to show, that even in
savage life, there are great distinctions in their habits
and ruling passions. I do not know what became of
this couple, but I should not wonder if they both full
a prey to savage envy, for those drunken Indians did
not like them. They said, "Too much proud." I
never knew but two other Indians but would drink
and become intoxicjited at times-r— the one was a Mo-
hawk, and the other a Seneca.

IT.

LITTLE TT/RTLE.

Among the great chiefs of the Indians, at the time
of the early settlement of the North-Western ter-
ritory, was Michikiniqua, or Little Turtle. He was
the chief of the Miami nation. He inherited no title
or rank from his parents, but rose by the force of his
own genius. Even in his boyhood he was noted for
the force of his character, the soundness of his wis-
dom, and high order of his talents. These, at a very
early age, made him chief, and finally bore him on to
a commanding influence, not only in his own nation,
but among all the neighboring tribes.

He was about five feet nine or ten inches high,

LITTLE TURTLE.

515

well made; had a prominent forehead, heavy broW|
keen, black eye, and large chin. As a warrior, he
was fearless, but not rash ; shrewd to plan, bold and
energetic to execute — no peril could daunt, and no
emergency could surprise him. In fact, he was on
of the greatest warriors and most sagacious rulerc
ver known among the Indians. Politically, Little
Turtle was the follower of Pontiac. He indulged in
much the same gloomy apprehension that the whites
would overtop, and finally uproot his race ; and he
sought much the same combination of the Indian
nations to prevent it. It was under his command
that the Indians defeated Generals Harmar and St.
Clair, in 1791. But he, in turn, was defeated by
General Wayne. Of these battles we have already
given an account in the preceding pages.

The following incident, however, connected with
Wayne's victory, is worthy of record:

After the treaty of 1795 Little Turtle settled upon
Eel river, about twenty miles from Fort Wayne. The
Americans here erected for him a comfortable house;
and, henceforward, he not only conformed to many
of the usages of civilized life, but exerted his influ-
ence to civilize the other Indians. These things laid
him open to the suspicion of having been bribed by
the United States Government. This, for a time,
weakened his influence among the Indians. But by
his manifest integrity and justice, as well as noble
ness and generosity of character, it was soon recov-
ered, and maintained to the last.

516

LIFE AMONa THE INDIANS.

He reformed many of the savage habits of hia
people; and, especially, did much to ameliorate the
condition of prisoners among them, and to prevent
the wanton destruction of human life. Mr. School-
craft gives him the credit of doing as much as any
other individual on the continent to abolish the rites
of human sacrifice among the Indians.

As he saw his people wasted away by intemper-
ance, his mighty soul was stirred within him. Meas-
ures for its suppression, that would have been eflScient,
but for the dark villainy of the traders, were intro-
duced. In 1803 or 1804 he visited the Legislatures
of Kentucky and Ohio; and, in the most glowing
colors, depicted the destruction intemperance was
bringing upon the poor Indians. From them he be-
sought protection for the Indians from the traders,
"who," he said, "would strip the poor Indian of
skins, gun, blanket, every thing — while his squaw
and children, dependent on him, lay starving and
shivering in his wigwam."

The small-pox was, at this time, very destructive
among the Indians. In one of his visits to Wash-
ington, he became acquainted with the mode of vac-
cination to prevent the small-pox. He not only
submitted himself and his warriors to the operation,
but obtained a quantity of vaccine matter, which he
used himself in vaccinating his people.

Mr. Thatcher has preserved a few anecdotes, de-
rived from Mr. Dawson, concerning Little Turtle.
"What distinguished him most," says Mr. Dawson,

OPPOSED TO TECUM St: II — DEATH. 517

"was his ardent desire to be informed of all that
. relates to our institutions ; and he seemed to possess
a mind capable of understanding and valuing the ad-
vantages of civilized life, in a degree far superior
to any other Indian of his time. 'During the fre-
quent visits which he made to the seat of govern-
ment, he examined every thing he saw with an in-
quisitive eye, and never failed to embrace every
opportunity to acquire information by inquiring of
those with whom he could take that liberty.'"

Little Turtle opposed the designs of Tecumseh,
and his brother, the Prophet. He believed that the
true interests of his people required that they should
be at peace with the Americans, and learn the arts
of civilization. Consequently, when the storm of
war was gathering, in 1812, he gave the most un-
equivocal evidence that his sympathies were all on
the side of the Americans. Unmoved by the wiles
of the Prophet, or the appeals of Tecumseh, he took
a firm and" unyielding stand. But he was not des-
tined to be an active participant in the stirring scenes
that succeeded.

While at Fort Wayne on a visit, he died, July 1 4,
1812, deplored deeply by his people. He was a
great sufferer, during his last illness ; but he endured
all with great firmness. He died on the turf of his
camp, "with the characteristic composure of his
race;" and was buried with the honors of war.
Savage and heathen as he was, Little Turtle was
one of nature's noblemen.

518

LIFE AMONQ TUB INDIAN!,

• BILLY WYANDOTT AND HIS WIFB

Among the prominent Indians of my acquaintance,
^ere Billy Wyandott and his wife Betty. He was
the worst kind of a drunkard, and Betty was quite a
match for him. Some of their domestic scenes were
of the most thrilling character; nor was the element
of tragedy unfrequent.

I was present on one occasion when they were
both drunk. Billy knocked Betty down with a black
jug full of whisky, pulled out some coals of fire, and
would have put her hand upon them if he had not
been prevented. He continued to get drunker, and
Betty more sober. At length, to pay Billy in his
own coin, she took out of her pocket-pouch a jack-
knife, went to Billy, where he was sitting, reeling and
singing, lifted up his arm, and with her knife aimed a
deadly blow at his heart. But the knife striking a
rib, doubled down over her hand, and, before she could
make the second blow, Jim Manary took the knifo
from her, and threw it into the Scioto.

This was an awful scene for a sober man to look
upon. Here were encamped between two and three
hundred Indians, and one-third, if not one-half, drunk;
men and women, raving maniacs, singing, dancing,
fighting, stabbing, and tomahawking one another —
and there was the rum-seller watering their whisky
till it was not strong grog, and gelling it for four
dollars a gallon — his hired men gathering up all the

BTAN DING-STONE — VAN METER. 519

flkiiis and furs, then their silver trinkets, ear-bobs,

look
iree
Ink;

ir —

iky

lour

the

arm

■bands, half moons, silver crosses, and brooch

es —

giving a gill of grog for a dozen of silver brooches —
then their guns, tomahawks, and blankets, till they
were literally stripped naked, and three or four were
killed and wounded. The reader may set what esti-
mate he pleases, or call him by what name; yet, if
there was ever a greater robber, or a meaner thief,
or a dirtier murderer, than these rum-sellers, he is
yet to be seen. This man and woman quit the bottle,
and he lived to be old, and was blind ten years be-
fore he died.

Connected with this company was the Standing-
Stone. He was a Mingo, and a great drunkard, and
when drunk not vicious at all. He would sing and
laugh like a maniac; yet, when sober, he was a man
of some standing, and a great hunter; he always
kept from twelve to twenty poor dogs with him, and
they were starved to death. They became trouble-
some by killing sheep and hogs, and the people took
to shooting them, which used to annoy Standing-
Stone much.

VI.

JOHN TAN METER.

John Van Meter was a white man, and was taken
prisoner when small. He was related to the Van
Meter family, on the south branch of the Potomac,
and lived and died with the Indians. He was a heavy-
built man, strong, and capable of great enduranco.

520

LIFE AMONQ THE INDIANS.

lie was a good-natured, kind-hearted, and peaceable
man, a good hunter, and only would occasionally
enter into the Indian drunken frolics ; and when drunk
ho was sometimes furious, and at other times simple
and childlike, and would cry and laugh alternately.
John quit the bottle entirely, and, when the last
treaty was made with the Indians, he secured a re-
serve of a half section of land on Honey creek, now
in Seneca county. He married, for his second wife,
a Mohawk woman, called Susan Brant, a sister to
the Brants from New York. She was a good, pious
woman, and a neat housekeeper. John settled on
his land, cleared him out a little farm, and built him
a comfortable cabin; and when I was missionary I
used to preach at his house, formed a class, took both
him and his wife, and a number of their friends and
neighbors, into Church, and made John their leader.
They were a happy, sincere, and religious people.
After some years they both died happy in the joyful
hope of that rest which remaineth for the people
of God. He left one son, by his first wife, who em-
braced religion, and, following his father's footsteps,
is now a class-leader in the Wyandott Church, in the
far west. May he continue faithful till death !

VII.

BLACK IIOOF, OK CATAHECASSA.

Among the prominent chiefs who signed the treaty
with Wayne, in 1795, was Black-Hoof. He was a

POLICY OF BLACK- 11 OOP.

52t

celebrated warrior of the Shawneos. It is supposed
tliat ho was born in Florida, and removed, with his
tribe, to the north-west. lie was only a child at tho
period of removal, but retained the distinct recollec-
tion of some of tho incidents of the removal, and
also of having bathed in the salt water in his child-
hood.

He first acquired distinction, like many other In-
dian warriors, during the unfortunate campaign of
Braddock, in 1755. From that time forward he was
an active participator in all the Indian wars, and tho
determined enemy of the whites, till the treaty of
Wayne. Says the author of the "History of the
North American Indians, "lie was known far and
wide as the great Shawnee warrior, whose cunning,
sagacity, and experience were only equaled by the
fierce and desperate bravery with which he carried
into operation his military plans. Like the other
Shawnee chiefs, he was the inveterate foe of the
white man, and held that no peace should be made,
nor any negotiation attempted, except on the condi-
tion that the "Whites should repass the mountains, and
leave the great plains of the west to the sole occu-
pancy of the native tribes.

"But, although a stern and uncompromising oppo-
sition to the whites had marked his policy through
a series of forty yearff, and nerved his arm in a hun-
dred battles, he became, at length, convinced of the
madness of an inefi'ectual struggle against a vastly-
superior and hourly-increasing foe. No sooner had

522

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS,

!io satisfied himself of this truth, than he acted upon
it with the decision which formed a prominent trait
in his character. The temporary success of the In-
dians in several engagements previous to the cam-
paign of General Wayne, had kept alive their expiring
hopes ; but their signal defeat by that gallant oflBcer,
convinced the more reflecting of their leaders of the
desperate character of the conflict. Black-Hoof was
among those who decided upon making terms with
the victorious American commander; and, having
signed the treaty of 1795, at Greenville, he continued
faithful to his stipulations during the remainder of
his life. From that day he ceased to be the enemy
of the white man; and as he was not one who could
act a negative part, he became the firm ally and friend
of those against whom his tomahawk had been so
long raised in vindictive animosity."

Black-Hoof was much in advance of his race in
Us notions of civilization, and in his humane views.
He was sprightly and agreeable in conversation, and
cheerful in disposition. He exerted his great influ-
ence to mitigate the barbarities practiced upon pris-
oners by the Indians, and especially opposed the
burning of them. His sober judgment also clearly
perceived the evil of polygamy; and he not only
endeavored to do it away, but gave to his followers
a practical example; for he lived forty years with
.>ne wife, by whom he had a large fiamily of children.

During the last war with England he remained the
firm friend of the United States, resisting all the

TARHE, OR THE CRANE

52S

tempitations of the emissaries of England, as well as
all the efforts of Tecumseh. His active days of war-
fare, however, were over, and ne remained, for the
most part, inactive, satisfying himself with restrain-
ing as many of his people from engaging in a contest
which could not terminate otherwise than disastrously
to them. While on a visit at Fort M' Arthur, in
1813, he was shot through a hole in the wall, by some
miscreant. The ball struck the cheek-bone, and
glanced downward into the neck. He fel) to the
earth, ar.d was supposed, for the moment, to be dead.
But he revived after a little, and finally recovered.
The assassin was never discovered.

Black-Hoof retained much of his mental and bod-
ily vigor, and his eyesight was unimpaired at the
period of his death, which occurred in 1831, at Wau-
paukonetta, at the age of one hundred and ten years.
To the last he was held in the L'ghest respect by
his people, and greatly lamented at his death.

VIII.

THE CRANE, OR TARHB.

Among the great chiefs of the north-west, there
was none greater than Tarhe, or the Crane. He was
head chief of the Wyandott nation, and belonged to
the Porcupine tribe. He was always cool, deliber-
ate, and firm. His wisdom in council, as well as his
bravery in war, gave him great influence among all
the neighboring tribes. He was tall in person, well

$24

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

made, and his very countenance was strongly marked
by the great virtues for which he was distinguished
through a long and honorable life. All who knew
him, whether white or red, deeply venerated his char-
acter. He was affable and courteous, kind and affec-
tionate in his feelings, stern and unyielding in his
integrity. As a warrior, he was among the bravest
of the brave ; but, Indian as he was, no stain of
cruelty, barbarity, or injustice, rests upon his char-
acter.

Prior to the battle of General Wayne, on the Mau-
mee, in 1794, the Deer tribe had furnished the head
chief of the nation; but in that battle this tribe was
nearly annihilated. Then the old usage was set aside,
and the great Tarhe was called to preside over the
destinies of the Wyandott nation. A better selection
could not have been made.

The only thing I ever heard in the least discred-
itable to this chief, war, che story of his agency in the
execution of the doomed chief, Leather-Lips, for the
supposed crime of witchcraft. This man was a chief
of some distinction, had attained sixty-three years
of age, and was warmly attached to the American
cause. This made it desirable on the part of the
Prophet that he should be put out of the way. He
was accordingly accused of .witchcraft. Mr. Thatcher
says: .

" Orders were given to an influential chief — the
Crane — of the same nation with the convict, in the

KILLING 0? LEATUER-LlPS.

525

Prophet's service, who, with four other Indians, im-
mediately started off in quest of him. He was found
at home, and notified of the sentence which had been
passed upon him. He entreated, reasoned, and prom-
ised, but all in vain. The inexorable messengers of
death set about digging his grave by the side of his
wigwam. He now dressed himself with his finest
war-clothes, and, having refreshed himself with a
hasty meal of venison, kneeled down on the brink
of the grave. His executioner kneeled with him,
and ofiered up a prayer to the Great Spirit in his
behalf. This was the last ceremony.

"The Indians withdrew a few paces, and seated
themselves around him on the ground. *The old
chief,' says the original describer of this most horrid
scene,* 'inclined forward, resting hia face upon his
hand, his hand upon his knees. \ hile thus seated,
one of the young Indians came up, and struck him
twice with the tomahawk. For some time, he lay
senseless on the ground, the only remaining evidence
of life being a faint respiration. The Indians all
stood around him in solemn silence. Finding him la
breathe longer than they expected, they called upon
the whitee — one or two of whom were spectators — to
take notice how hard he died; pronounced him a
wizard — no good — then struck him again, and term-
inated his existence. The office of burial was soon
performed.'

f >»

*A oorrespondent cited in the History of the Indian Kations.

526

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

Mr. Thatcher and his informant were wholly mis-
taken as to the agency of Tarhe in this matter. His
whole character, and especially his known opposition
to the schemes of the Prophet, furnish a strong pre-
sumption against the story. As an act of justice to
one of the best men, and especially to a chief of my
Qwn tribe, I give the views of the late lamented
President Harrison upon the matter. He says, in a
htter to the editor of the Hesperian :

*' I observe in your magazine that the chief, Tarhe,
\8 declared, upon the authority of Mr. Thatcher, to
have been the leader of the five warriors, who were
sent to execute the * Doomed Chief/ in the year 1810.
This is, beyond doubt, a mistake. I knew Tarhe
well- ?ty acquaintance with him commenced at the
treaty at Greenville, in 1795. His tribe was under
my superintendence in 1810. All the business I
transacted with it was through him. I have often
said I never knew a better man, and am confident he
would not have been concerned in such a transaction
as is ascribed to him in the article above referred
to. In support of this opinion, I offtr the following
reasons :

"1. The execution of the 'Doomed Wyandott
Chief is attributed, and no doubt correctly, to the
Shawnee Prophet, and his brother, Tecumseh. To
my knowledge, Tarhe was always the oppon nt of
these men, and could not have be^in their ai^enl ip
this matter.

Harrison's defense of tar he. 527

"2. The accusation of witchcraft was brought by
these Shawnee brothers, and the accused were exclu-
sively those who were friendly to the United States,
and who had been parties to treaties by which the
Indian titles to lands had been extinguished. In both
these respects Tarhe had rendered himself obnoxious
the former.

" 3. Tarhe was not only the Grand Sachem of his
tribe, but the acknowledged head of all the tribes
who w^ere engaged in the war with the United States,
which was terminated by the treaty of Greenville ; and
in that character the duplicate of the original treaty,
engrossed on parchment, was committed to his cus-
tody, as had been the grand calumet which was the
bymbol of peace.

"4. He united with his friend, Black-Hoof, the
head chief of the Shawnees, in denying the rank of
chief either to the Prophet or Tecuraseh; and, of
course, he would not have received it of them. If
the * doomed warrior' had been sentenced by the
council of his own nation, the Crane — Tarhe — would
uot have directed the execution; but, as was invari-
ably the custom, it would have been committed to one
of the war-chiefs. The party sent to put the old
chief to death, no doubt, came immediately from Tip-
pecanoe; and if it was commanded by a Wyandott,
the probability is that it was Round-Head, who was a
captain of the band of Wyandotts who r-Rsided with
the Pi'ophe*, •nA »va^, to % gi^a* px*ent. vu'Vy Hia
influcncCv"

528

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

This good chief has long since gone the way of all
men, and yet it is due that justice should be done
him, and his true character pass down to the genera-
tions to come.

It is related that at the commencement of the last
war with England, Tarhe was called to a council by
the British oflScer commanding at Maiden, in Upper
Canada, as many of his nation lived in Canada. The
object was to see what part the nation would take in
the war then pending. The council met at Browns-
town, in the state of Michigan. Several speeches
were first delivered, and great promises made by the
British agent about what their great father. King
George, would do for them, if the nation would fight
the Americans; and he closed by presenting Tarhe
with a likeness of King George. Holding it in his
hand, the chief arose and said :

" We have no confidence in King George. He is al-
ways quarreling with his white children in this country.
He sends his armies over the great water, in their big
canoes, and then he gets his Indian friends here to
join with him to conquer his children, and promises
if they will fight for him, he will do great things for
them. So he promised, if we would fight Wayne,
and if he whipped us, he would open the gates of his
fort, on the Maumee, and let us in, and open his big
guns on our enemies; but when we were whipped,
and the flower of our nation were killed, we fled to
this place, but instead of opening the gates, and let-
ting us in, you shut yourselves up in your ground-hog

AKSWER TO THE BRITISH AGENT. 629

hole, and kept out of sight, while my warriors were
killed at your gates. We have no confidence in any
promise you make. When the Americans scratch
your backs with their war-clubs, you jump into your
big canoes, and run home, and leave the poor Indiana
to fight it out, or make peace with them, the best they
may."

He then took the likeness of General Washington
from his bosom, and said: "This is our great father,
and for him we will fight." Then taking the like-
ness of King George in his left hand, he drew hia
tomahawk, and with the edge struck the likeness.
" And so we will serve your great father."

This so excited the British officer that it is said
he turned black in the face. He replied that he
would make the chief repent that act. " This is my
land and country," said Tarhe; "go home to your
own land, and tell your countrymen that Tarhe and
his warriors are ready, and that they are the friends
of the Americans."

• Thus broke up the council that night. Arrange-
ments were made to cross the river, and take all the
Wyandotts prisoners, and all they could catch were
taken and carried to Canada, and compelled to figlt
against their own nation. Tarhe returned to his
home, at Upper Sandusky, and with his warriors
aided the Americans, with all their force, till the
battle of the Thames; numbers of them were in the
urmy of General Harrison at the time when he fought

the last battle with the British and Indians.

530

LIFK AMONG THE INDIANS.

IX.

DK-UN-QUOT.

Of De-un-quot, the successor of Tarhe, I have
already spoken. He was just the opposite of his
predecessor — drunken, savage, brutal. His native
talent was not of a high order; and he seemed in-
capable of any broad or liberal views. He was vio-
lently opposed to the religion of the white man, and
exerted his influence to thwart my efforts when I was
a missionary among the Wyandotts.

His council of chiefs, however, were against him.
They were favorably inclined to the education of
their children, and also to religion. Their influence
curbed and held under restraint the hostility of the
war chief, yet he exerted himself to the utmost to
keep up the heathen party. During our special re-
vivals he would summon his high-priest, and hold a
heathen assemblage at the same hour as our worship.
Here they would recite the annals of their nation and
the glorious deeds of their warriors. They would also
descant upon the great power of the Indian's god,
their hearers would also sing their favorite songs.

The failure of these efforts to draw away the mass
of the Indians from our meetings, seemed to render
the chief still more bitter in his opposition. As mis-
sionaries, we were decided in our course; but en-
dured much, and proceeded with the utmost caution
to avoid provocation that might lead to outbreaking -
assault.

K B K U S .

981

When many of the chief?, and some of the near
neighhors of De-un-quot, forsook their heathenism,
and embraced the religion of Christ, he declared that
though the new religion might enter every other
house in the nation, it should never enter his. "I
will stand in the door and drive it back," he would
exclaim. Some of his family became awakened; but
he obstinately stood in their way. Poor man ! God
soon removed him from the door. He sickened and
died in a few months. After this some of the mem-
bers of his family became hopefully religious. As
for himself, he died as he had lived — a heathen.

Lass
^der
iis-
len-
tioD
ling

KEOKUK.

This native chief was born on Rock river, in tht>
north-western part of the state of Illinois, about
1781. He arose to his elevated state by his own
native jalent, and his deeds of daring. While quite a
youtlf, he joined a war party against the Sioux tribe
of Indians, then at war with the Sacs and Foxes.
The first engagement was a fierce contest — some fight-
ing on foot and some on horseback. The victory was
a doubtful one ; when young Keokuk, on his fleet In-
dian pony, dashed into the middle of the battle, and
encountered the chief warrior of the Sioux on horse-
back. The two met with deadly aim, with their spear
and tomahawk. At length Keokuk launched his spear
into the breast of hi8 antagonist, and brought him

532

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS.

to the ground, ga.spiiig jn dciitli, while he himself
was bleeding from many wounds. The Sioux seeing
their leader fallen, and not hearing the thunder tones
of his voice in the storm of battle, fled, and this gave
the victoiy to the Sac and Fox nation. This achieve-
ment was looked upon as developing the character
of this young warrior, so as to cause the nation to
appoint a day of feasting to honor the youthful war-
rior. This kind of military spirit, where it is nat-
urally possessed, will develop itself sometimes in
childhood and in youth, as in the character of our
OAvn Washington, Wayne, Marion, and Harrison. The
martial fire seems to burn in those young hearts, and
the sound of the drum and fife will kindle it into a
flame. So it was said of Keokuk — his delight was in
the scalping-knife, the tomahawk, the spear, and the
deadly rifle. After the feast to which we alluded, this
young warrior was looked upon as one of the braves,
and was, by all the nation, admitted to all their privi-
leges; and farther, on all days of public occasions,
he was allowed to appear on horseback, even if all the
braves and chiefs were on foot. In the time of tho
last war with Britain, and before young Keokuk was
entitled to take his seat in the councils of his nation,
a rumor was circulated that the Government of the
United States had sent an army to destroy the In-
dian village of Peoria, on the Illinois river; and that
this expedition was to destroy the whole of the Sac
and Fox nation. This threw the whole nation into
consternation. The Indians were panic-stricken, and

Keokuk's turillinq speech. 538

the council hastily determined to abandon their vil-
lages. Keokuk was standing near the council-house
when this decision was made. As soon as it was
announced, he boldly advanced to the door, and re-
quested admittance. It was granted. lie the<n asked
leave to speak, and permission was given him. He
eaid he had heard, with great sorrow, the decision of"
the council ; that he himself was wholly opposed to
flight before an enem^ still at a distance, and whose
strength was entirely unknown. He called the atten-
tion of the council to the practicability of meeting
them as they came, and of harassing their progress,
cutting them off by attacks suddenly, and of driving
them back to their own country, or of nobly dying
in defense of their families, their country, and their
homes. "Make me your war-chief," he exclaimed,
"Let your young men follow me, and the pale-faces
shall be driven back to their towns. Let your old
men and women, and all that are afraid of the white
man, stay here; but let your braves go to battle.
Let us never give up our country to those who would
steal our country and homes, and the graves of our
fathers, to whom the Great Spirit gave this country,
and who fought to defend this country with their
lives. My tomahawk now leaps in its scabbard to
defend the graves of my ancestors. Live or die, we
will not run."

Such a speech from this high-spirited and patriotic
young Sac could not fail to produce its effect on a
I ace of men heroic in their nature, and most patriotic

584

LIFE AMONa THE INDIANS.

in their feelings. The young warriors, with one
voice, declared that they would to u man follow
Keokuk; and he was at that time chosen as their
war-chief, to lead them against the enemy. It, how-
ever, turned out that it was a false alarm ; but the
eloquence of Keokuk in the council, and his energy
in preparing for the expedition, placed him at once iu
the first rank of the braves.

On another occasion, his military reputation was
much increased by the skill and promptness with
which he met a sudden emergency on the battle-field
with a party of young warriors. He was hunting in
the country which lies between the Sacs and the
Sioux; between which two nations, for many years, a
deadly hatred existed. Unexpectedly a party of the
latter came upon them well mounted, and prepared
for battle.. The Sacs were mounted also; but not
being so expert horsemen, and the others having the
advantage of ground, there was no covert behind
which the Sacs could fight, and the flight would have
been death. Keokuk's mode of defense was as novel
as ingenious. He instantly formed his men into a
compact circle, ordered to dismount, and take shelter
behind their horses, by which they were protected
from the missiles of the Sioux, an'l at the same t^isr'i
avail themselves of their superiority as marksmon
The Sioux, raising the warwhuop, charged upon their
intrenched foe with great fury, but were received with
a fire so destructive, that they were compelled to fall
back. The attack was repeated with the same sue-

A BOLD ADVENTURE.

585

cess. Their horses could not be forced upon those
whose guns were pouring forth volleys of smoke and
fire, and after several unpuccessful attempts to break
the line, the Sioux retreated with considerable loss.

At a subsequent period, diiring a cessation of hos-
tilities between these nations, the Sacs had gone to
the prairies to hunt buffalo, leaving their villages bu
slightly protected by warriors. During their hunt,
Keokuk and his band unexpectedly fell on an en-
campment of a large number of Sioux, painted for
war, and evidently on their way to attack his nation.
His warriors were widely scattered over the extended
plains, and could not possibly be speedily collected
together. Possessing a fearless and undaunted spirit,
he instantly resolved on the bold CApedient of throw-
ing himself between the impending danger and his
people. Unattended and alone, he d?i'l»orately rodo
into, the camp of the enemy. In the midst of their
camps arose their war-pole, and around it they were
dancing and partaking of those fierce excitements
by which the Indians usually prepare themselves for
the battle-field. It happened that revenge on the
Sacs was the burdei* of their song at the moment of
Keokuk's approach. He dashed into the middle of
them, and boldly demanded t > see their chief, "t
have come," said he, " to let you know that there are
traitors in your camp — they have told me that you
are preparing to attack my village. I know that they
told me lies; for you could not, after smoking the
pipe of peace, b» ^^ base as to murder my women

■im

536

LJfK AMONG THE INDIANS

and chiltVcn in ray absence. None but cowards
would hi guilty of such conduct!" When the first
feeling of surprise began to subside, the Sioux col-
lected around him in a manner evincing a determin-
aticn to seize his person, when he spoke in a loud
vjice, and said, "If this is your purpose, come on;
the Sacs are ready for you." With a sudden effort
he dashed aside those that had gathered around him,
plunged his spurs into his gallant stood, and rode off
at full speed. Several guns were discharged at him,
but without effect. A number of Sioux warriors
sprung to their horses, and pursued him in vain.
Keokuk, on horseback, was in his clement; he mado
the woods resound with the warwhoop, and brandish-
ing his tomahawk in defiance of h's foes, soon left
them far behind him, and joined his party of young
wai^iors. His pursuers, fearful of some stratagem,
gave up the pursuit, after having followod him a short
distance, and retired to their camp. Keokuk took
measures immediately to collect his warriors, and
"pec iily returned to protect his village and nation.

His enemies, finding their plot discovered, aban-
doned their contemplated attack, and retraced their
steps to their own coantry.

The eloquence of Keokuk, and his sagacity in the
management of the affairs of his n tion, were, like
his military talents, of the first order. ' ;

One or cwo cases in which these have been ex-
hibited, are worthy of record. Some years since
some of his warriors fell in with a party of unarmed

KEOKUK'S SKILLFUL MANAGEMENT. 537

Menomonees at Prairie du Chien, in sight of Fort
Crawford, and murdered liie whole company. Justly
incensed at this outrage, the Menomonees prepared
for war against the Sues, and prevailed on the Win-
nebagoes to join them. For the purpose of allaying
the rising storm, the United States agent, at Prairie
du Chien, General Street, invited the several parties
to a council, at that place, for the purpose of adjust-
ing the difficulty without a resort to arms. They,
out of respect to the agent, assembled at Fort Craw-
ford, but the Menomonees refused, sternly, to hold
any council with the Sacs on the subject. Keokuk,
told the agent not to be discouraged, for he would
adjust the difficulty with them in snite of all their
prejudices and positive refusal to treat.

He only asked the opportunity of meeting them
in the council-lodge face to face. The tribes were
brought together, but the Menomonees persevered in
thoir determination to hold no council with the Sacs.
The negotiation proceeded, and a friendly feeling was
re-established between the Winnebagoes and the Sacs.
Keokuk *;hen rose, and, with much deliberation, began
his address to the Menomonees. At first they averted
their faces, or listened with looks of defiance. He
had commenced his speech without smoking, or shak-
ing hands, which w«is a great breach of etiquette^
and, above all, he was the chief of a tribe that had
inflicted on them a great injury, for which blood alone
could atone. Unaer all these discouraging circum-
Btances Keokuk proceeded c h:s forcible persuasive,

ASK

LIFB AMONa TUE INDIANS.

•nd impressive manner. Such was the touching char-
acter of his appeal, such the power of his eloquence,
that the features of his enemies gradually relaxed.
They listened, they assented, and when he concluded
by remarking, proudly, but in a conciliating tone, "I
came here to say that I am sorry for the great im
prudence of my young men ; I came to make amend
for their wrong; I came here to make peace, and
save the eflfusion of blood — this I should much dep-
recate. It will only add sorrow to sorrow. But if
it must come I am prepared; but I am for peace.
.Kow I offer you my hand, the hand of Keokuk, for
peace. Who of you will refuse it?" they rose, ono
by one, and accepted the proffered hand of peace.
Thus the fo»mtain of blood was stopped by the elo-
quence and wisdom of this chief.

In the late contest between the United States and
Black-Hawk's band, Keokuk, and a majority of the
Sacs and Foxes, took no part. Black-Hawk made
several attempts to induce them to unite against the
whites, which they were strongl} inclined to do, not
only for their love of war and of plunder, but on
account of the injustice with which they had been
treated by the whites. It required all of Keokuk's
influence and moderation to prevent the whole nation
from enlisting under Black-Hawk's banner. He re-
quested the Indian agent to send to his village, on
the west side of the Mississippi, a white man who
understood the Sac language, and who might bear
witness to bis — Keokuk's — sincerity and faithfulne^

THE NEW EMBASSY.

539

to the whites. Such a pevson was sent. The excite-
ment raised by Black-Hawk, and the war in which
he was engaged, continued to increase among Ke-
okuk's people. He stood on a mine liable to explode
by a single spark. He was in great peril of being
slain as the friend of the white man. He remained
calm and unawed, ruling his turbulent little state with
mildness and firmness, but at the constant risk of
his life. One day a new embassy arrived from Black-
Hawk's party. Captain Whisky was introduced into
the camp of warriors, and Keokuk saw the crisis was
9*^ hand. He warned the white man, who was his
guest, of the impending danger, and advised him to
conceal himself. A scene of tumult ensued — the em-
bassy spoke of the blood that had been shed by the
whites, and of their fathers and themselves being
driven from their hunting-grounds, of many recent
insults, and of injuries that had long been inflicted
by the whites. He talked of the ready vengeance
that might now be taken on an exposed frontier of
defenseless cabins, and of the rich booty they might
take. The desired eflfect was produced; the warriors
began to dance around the war-pole, to paint, and to
give other evidence of war. Keokuk closely watched
the rising storm, and seemed to mingle in it. He
drank, and listen d, and apparently sympathized. At
length his warriors called on him to lead them to
battle. He arose, and spoke with powerful eloquence,
which never failed him. He sympathized with their
wrongs — their thirst for vengeance. He won their

ill-

540

LIFE AMONG THE INDIA 2{S.

confidence by giving utterance to the passions by
which they were moved, and echoing back their own
thoughts with a master spirit. He then considered
the proposition to go to war, and informed them of
the number and power of th^ whites, and the entire
hopelessness of their conquering such a body of men.
He told them that he was their chief; that it was hif
duty to govern them as a father at home, to lead thea
'o war if they were determined to go. But, in the
proposed war, there was no middle course. The
power of the United States was such thaf; unless they
conquered that great nation they must perish. He
said he would lead them instantly against the whites,
on one condition, and that was, that they should put
all their women anf'. children to death, and then re-
solve, that, having crossed the Mississippi, they would
never return, but perish among the graves of their
fathers rather than yield them to the white men.
This proposal, desperate as it was, presented the true
issue. It calmed the disturbed passions of his peo-
ple ; the turmoil subsided, order was restored, and the
authority of Keokuk, from that time, became firmly
established.

Black-Hawk and his band had always' been op-
posed to Keokuk; and since the late war, which proved
so disastrous to them, and into which they were
plunged, in utter opposition to his counsel, they had
looked on him with increased aversion. They had
made repeated efforts to destroy his influence with
Ihe remainder of the tribe, and, owing to the mo-

Keokuk's magnanimity.

541

notony of his pacific manner of governing, were, on
one occasion, nearly successful. A spirit of discon-
t'jnt pervaded his people ; they complained of the
extent of the power which he wielded. They needed
excitement, and, as his measures were all of a peace-
ful character, they sought a change of rulers. The
matter was, at length, openly and formally discussed;
the voice of the nation was taken; Keokuk was re-
moved from his post, as head man, and a young chief
placed in his stead. He made not the smallest op-
position to this measure of his people, but calmly
awaited the result. When his successor was chosen,
Keokuk was the first to salute him with the title of
father. But the matter did not rest here ; with great
courtesy he begged to accompany the new chief to
the United States agent, then at Rock Islan(L and,
with profound respect, to introduce him as his chief
and father, and urged the agent to receive him as
such, and asked it as a favor, that the same regard
that had been paid to himself by the whites, might be
extended to his worthy successor. The sequel may
readily be inferred.

The nation could not remain blind to the error they
had committed. Keokuk, as a private individual,
was still the first man among his people. His ready
and noble acquiescence in their wishes won both their
sympathy and admiration. He rose silently but rap-
idly to his elevated station, while the young chief
w.'.\\ as rapidly into his former obscurity. In this
80*. of the forest we have the true elements of great-

542

LIEE AMONG THE INDIANS.

nes3 and of goyernment. It is said no man is fit to
govern who will not submit to be governed. He had
studied human nature, and knew well how to meet it
in all its phases, and how to make men think they are
governing themselves. With a sound judgment, and
a good stock of common sense, this untaught chief
used all his talents to secure the greatest good to his
savage people. How unlike the degraded, unprin-
cipled, sycophantic demagogue, who sacrifices all his
patriotisiji for the purpose of filling his own pockets
with the public money ! The spoils for the victors, is
his motto.

In person Keokuk was stout, graceful, and com-
manding, with fine features, and an intelligent coun-
tenance. His broad, expanded chest, and muscular
limbs, denoted activity and physical power ; and he
was known to excel in dancing, horsemanship, and all
athletic exercises. He had acquired considerable
property, and lived in much better style than is usual
for the red man. He wj s fond of traveling, and used
to make frequent visits to the Osages, the Ottawas,
the Omahas, and the Winnebagoes. On these occa-
sions he was uniformly mounted on a fine horse, clad
in a fine robe wrought by his wives, with wampum,
porcupine-quills, beads, and horse-hair dyed red, with
half-moons of silver hung down his back, and his
head-dress ornamented with silver-bobs and feath-
ers — equipped with his rifle, scalping-knife, toma-
hawk, pipe, and war-club.

He was usually attended on these excursions with

GREAT TALENTS AND POPULARITY. 548

some of his young warriors, well mounted, and in
their best Indian costume. He was always preceded
by some one to the tribe he was about to visit ; and
such was his popuhirity, that his reception corre-
sponded with the style in Avhich he made his visits.
These were generally made in the fall of the year,
and were enlivened by hunting, fishing, dancing, feast-
ing, and various other athletic games — in all of which
Keokuk took an active part.

He moved in a more magnificent style than any
other chief in America. In point of natural intellect,
integrity of character, and the capacity for governing
and commanding, he was supposed to have no su-
perior among Indians. Bold, courageous, and skill-
ful in war, he was mild, firm, and politic in peace.
He had great enterprise, and active impulses, with a
freshness and enthusiasm of feeling, which might
readily have led him astray, but for his acute knowl-
edge of human nature, his uncommon prudence, and
good common sense, and sound judgment. At an
early period of his life, he became the head chief of
his nation ; and by his superior talents, eloquence,
and intelligence, really directed all the aJBfairs of his
nation for many years.

Such was Keokuk, the watchful Fox — the brave,
wise, firm, and politic chief — who prided himself upon
being the friend of the white man, as well as the
red man. But this noble Indian chief has passed
away, and he has gone to join his tribe beyond the
flood.

644 LIFE AMONG tHE INDIAiffl.

XI.

SDM-MUN-DE-WAT.

Sum-raun-de-wat was a Wyandott by birth, and
belonged to the Bear tribe. He was about six feet
high, well made, with a fine forehead, high cheek-
bones, dark complexion, large mouth, and was a re-
markably active man. Possessed of more than ordi-
nary talents, for an untutored man, and an Indian, he
was more temperate than they usually are in their sav-
age state. His social qualities were great, and he was
fond of sport; yet he was a constant attendant on
the meetings held in the nation. Fond of his Indian
dress, he always made his appearance at these places
more to attract the attention of others than to be
instructed. His head-dress was generally enormous,
decorated with the plumes of almost all the birds of
the forest, and swelled to an enormous size,

But on one occasion, when there was a powerful
work of God among the Indians, and many were
down crying for mercy, the Lord convicted this proud
young Indian man, and he began to weep. His
friends talked to him, and pressed him to go forward
to the prayer meeting. At length a female friend of
his, happy in the love of God, took him by the hand,
and he was brought by her to the mercy-seat, with
his mighty head-dress of feathers. As soon as he
was on his -knees, she took it off and threw it m the
fire, and said, "Go there, you feathered god of thia

sum-mun-de-wat's conversion. 5-15

the

lis

man, and let him come to the true God, that can burn
up all his sins by his love." After a long and hard
struggle, God, for Christ's sake, pardoned his sins;
and it was a time of great rejoicing, both on earth
and in heaven, but with none more than the released
prisoner. His tongue was loosed, and he shouted
and spoke with a feeling as though he were filled with
tongues of fire, to the astonishment of all who heard
him, both saint and sinner. He pursued his wicked
Indian companions with so much love and zeal for
their salvation, that they could not resist, and the
result was that many of them were converted. From
that hour to the day of his death he never faltered.
Never did I know a more devoted Christian ; always
happy and cheerful, and ready for every good word
and work.

It was not long till his faithfulness and talents
fixed the eyes of the Church and nation on him as
one to whom could be intrusted their interest; and
he was called to office. His first appointment was
that of trustee of the church. On one occasion, in
his absence, when the annuities of the nation were to
be distributed, the traders and agent made applica-
tion for the church, to be used for their wares and
merchandise, to be sold in, and the other trustees
granted the privilege. They went and built their
booths around the house, and put in their fixtures for
the opening of the coming market.

When he returned, and heard what was done, he

gaid, " It shall not be." He took the keys of the

546

LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS

door, and went down and locked himself up in the
liouse. The next mornin<^ the traders came and de-
manded entrance. He told them they could not have
it. That house was built for a very different purpose,
and it was committed to his care, i.i part, to preserve
it, and keep it for the worship of God. They threat-
ened him, and coaxed him, but to no purpose; and
he told them plainly that they might as well leave
first as last, for they should never make that house a
den of thieves, unless they did it over his dead body.
Knowing his unyielding firmness, they finally left.

Sum-mun-de-wat's memory was very tenacious, re-
taining much of the Scripture, and he was licensed
as an exhorter, and afterward a lo( 1 preacher. He
labored with acceptability and with great usefulness.
He used frequently to journey with me across the
Black Swamp, when I went to attend my quarterly
meetings in Michigan, and to Detroit, thence into
Canada, to my Indian society, on the Cannard, and
was great company for me. We had always to camp
out in the Swamp ; and after we had taken our sup-
per, he would ask me many questions on th« subject
of Bible doctrines.

Such was the confidence his nation had in him that
they chose him to be their head chief; all had confi-
dence in him. About 1841 or 1842, he, with his
friends, went on their usual hunt in the fall and
winter, north of Williams county, and raccoon-skins
bearing a good price, and in demand, some of his
white friends gave him five hundred dollars to pur-

MUUDKU OP SUAI-MUN-I)E-WAT.

547

chase skins for them early in the spring. Having
many horse-loads of fur and other skins, he started
for home, a day or two before his company, with his
nephew and little Nancy, his niece, all members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, in Williams county.

One evening, after they had camped, there came
two young men, without arms, and said that they had
got lost, and asked the privilege of stopping all night,
which was readily granted. They were fed, and a
place to sleep provided for them. Sum-mun-de-wat,
as was his custom, had his family prayers, and all
retired to sleep. In the night, when the Indians were
asleep, they arose and took the two camp axes, and
with them kille<l the two men, sinking the axes into
the brains of both. Nancy awoke and fled; they fol-
lowed her, and killed hor with the same instruments.
They drew their bodies a short distance, and covered
them with logs and brush. The day following, some
of the p.irty, following their trail, came on to the
camp, saw the blood, and made search, and found
their mr - dered friends. They then took the trai^ of
^he horses, wdiich the murderers had taken, with all
the furs and skins, and, about thirteen miles off, found
the murderers and their booty.

The murderers were taken by the whites and put
into jail; but with the help of some of their friends
or accomplices, they were let out, and by that means
were not punished. The Indians went on home with
the mournful intelligence of this brutal murder. The
young men of the nation went and brought the bodieg

548

LIFE A M N (J T II K INDIANS.

home on biors, and Sum-mun-dc-wat, his ncpliew, and
pious little Nancy, were buried in their own burying-
ground. Thus fell my beloved brother in Christ, by
the murderous hand of the more than savage white
man.

Gentle reader, had you known this man and his
two relatives as I knew them, and the many days
and nights we spent together in religious meetings
and traveling together, you could sympathize with me
when I cried, from the bottom of my heart, " Ab-
salom, my son ! my son ! would to God I had died
for thee ! Absalom, my son ! my son !" This cir-
cumstance had much to do in removing these Chris-
tian people from their homes, and cultivated fields,
their house of worship, and the graves of their fathers
and children. They were constantly annoyed with
the undying, covetous thirst the whites had for their
lands and pleasant homes. God will, in a coming
day, settle the accounts of the Government and her
agents and traders, for their conduct and treatment
to the poor Indian ; and eternal Justice will punish
the worst and most inhuman of all our race.

THE END.

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Cincinnati Times-Star.

In running over the pages of Mr. Tuckley's book, the opinion grows
that it is one of the best descriptions published of late concerning the
English people of the present-day, and those who read it will have a
thorough comprehension of our British cousins as they aie.

Front the Transcript, T^fxini/tun, Jiy.

One of the most charminr. oooks of the year. Heretofore v/riters on
England 1 ive devoted nearly all their talent to descriptions of historic
places, atici there is a sameness about those rescriptions that is onlj'
equaled by their insipidity. But Mr. Tuckley lias told us that which we
want to kn.iw of that country and its people. He has made a great hit
in the pro'Juction of this book.

.;, Two Splendid Books for Young People.

BY THE SAME AUTHOR.

LIFE'S GOLDEN MORNING : Its Promises and its Perils.

I2VW. Cloth. 3S9 pages, go cents.
"SQtKSNf iLBiH MABCH. Talks to Young People on Life and
Success.

121110. Cloth. 2jg pages, go cents.

CRANSTON & CUKXS, RuBLiiSHKRa,
CINCINNATI, CHICAGO, ST. LOUIS.

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A BOOK FOR THE AGED.

PAST NOON ; or, Life's Gokleii Sunset.

KniTED nv TiiK RIGHT RKV. SAMUEL FALLOWS, U. D.
Introduction hy BISHOP J. U. VINCKNT, D. D., LL. V.

Cro'icn Svo. Illustrated. 512 pages. Cloth ^ ^^2.50 ; HalJ

Russia. $3 s^.

It is pleasant to grow old wlien the heart keeps j'oung,
when Memory waits on Leisure, and Hope sings of Rest and
Victory a little farther on. Youngest souls are not the hap-
piest souls. There is a rich, deep, firm joy, a blessedness of
l)eing which only age can know. The best time is not when
the sails are unfurled, to widen the distance between ship and
shore, but when land is in sight, and the fragrance of field and
garden breathes a welcome to the voyager. Blessed are the
old. — Bishop Vincent, in Introduction.

Tlii'ee hundred and twenty selections in prose and poetry,
from standard authors, containing thoughts of special interest
to persons who have passed the meridian of life.

Strong paper, large open type, substantial and beautiful
biudiijg. A most appropriate gift for an aged friend.

A THEOLOGICAL BOOK

FOR THE LAYMAN'S LIBRARY.
FAITH MADE EASY ; or, What to Believe and Why.

BY REV. JAMES H. POTTS, D. D.

8vo. Cloth. 541 pages. $2.00.

"For the word faith, like the words God, truth, .ind life,
does not stand for one fixed, defined, dead idea. It sums up
all the experience which men have gained of a vital |>')wer." —
Wkstcott.

The work is "a popular statement of tW doctrines and
evidences of Christianity in the light of modern research and
pound Biblical interpretation."

CRANSTON & CLJRTS, PuBLiSf ibrs,
giNCINNATI, CHICAGO, 3T. LOUi^.

A HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT
OF THE GOVERNING CONFERENCE IN METH-
ODISM. And especially of the General Conference of the
Methodist Episcopal Church.

BY THOMAS B. NKELY, D. D., 1,1,. D.

121)10. Cloth. 4§g pages. $/.so.

The time has arrived for a restudy of the fundamental prin-
ciples of the ecclesiastical polity of Methodism. The early
generations have passed away, and the records of facts con-
nected with the ecclesiastical beginnings are scattered in many
books, manuscripts, fugitive productions, and fragmentary
utterances. These should be collated and logically arranged. —
Extract from Author's Preface.

PRESS NOTICES.
Front the Michigan Christian Advocate,

Dr. Neely's book tiaces the rise and growth of the Conference in both
Engflish and .\nierican Methodism. . . . It is a valuable collection of
testimonies that were scattered and liable to be lost.

From the Preachers' Magazine.

So valuable and scholarly a contribution to a just and comprehensive
view of the evolution of Methodistic history and constitutional law has
never before appeared. . . . Students will '^nd it a treasure-house of
data to trace the successive steps which have given the present outcome
to legislative conditions. Methodism will be more clearly seen, and her
history admired by this study. ^

PLATO AND PAUL ; or, Philosophy and Christianity. An
Examination of the Two Fundamental Forces of CofjUiic
and Human History, with their Contents, Methods, Func-
tions, Relations, and Results Compared.

BY J. W. MENDENHALL, PH. D., D. D.,
Late Editor of the Methodist Review.

8vo. Cloth. 7J7 pages. $j.oo.

Plato and Paul are the exponents of two antagonistic
systems of thought, and of the two methods of demonstration.
Each stands first in his relation to his system ; tlie one to
philosophy, the other to Christianity. . . . Holding fast to
the conviction that religion will demonstrate its superiority to
metaphysics, and on grounds occupied by the latter, and antici-
pating the final triumph of Christianity in our growing world,
both through philosophic and religious methods of activity,
this volume is sent forth on an independent errand, and as au
aid to the con mmmation. — Extract from Introduction.

ORANeTON & CURTS, Publishers,

CINCINNATI, CHICAGO, ST. LOUI$.