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Maps, platas, charts, etc., may ba filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. T' a following diagrams illustrate the method: Les caites. planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmts k des taux de rAduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seui clichA. il est film* A partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut en bas. en prenant ie nombre d'images nAcessaire. Las diagrammas suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fro«i an Ambrotype by E. F. Moore, WelUburg. * : <^ V THE LIFE AND TIMES OP PATRICK GASS, NOW SOLE SURVIVOR pp THE OVERLAND EXPEDITION TO THE PACIPIC, UNDER LEWIS AND CLARK, IN 1804-5-6; ALSO, ▲ SOLDIER IN THE WAR WITH GREAT BRITAIN, FROM 1812 TO 1815, AND A PARTICIPANT IN THE BATTLE OF LUNDY'S LANE. TOGETHER WITl^ GASS' JOURNAL OF THE EXPEDITION CONDENSED; AND SKETCHES OP SOME EVENTS OCCURRING DURING THE LAST CENTURY IN THE UPPER OHIO COUNTRY, PIOGRAIHIES, REMINISCENCES, ETC. B Y J. G. JACOB. JACOB 9 Investment of Fort Frio, - . - lO'J Bombardment ami attack of Fort Frio, - - 163 Sortie from Fort J^^rie, . - - 167 llcminiscences of Campaign, - • • 170 Discliarge frcm service, - - - 175 Courtship and Marriage, - - - 177 CotBj)ensati«>n from Cjovcrnmcnt, - - 179 Tension Laws, - - - - 180 Old Soldiers Convention, - - - 184 President JMerce's Address, - - - 187 Ilcsolutions of the Convention, - - 188 Conclusion of Biography, _ - - I93 Civil History — Part II. The Upper Ohio- -French and English Pretensions, 105 Washington's First Expedition, - - 195 First English Settlement, • - 197 Washington's Second Expedition, - - 198 Washington's Capitulation, - • iiOO The Ohio Indians, - - - 203 Braddock's Expedition — Defeat and Death, 211 Pontiac's War— Col. Bociuct, - - 222 William Pitt, - - - 224 Forbes' Expedition against Fort Duquesnc, 225 Grant's Defeat — Fall of Fort Duquesne, - 225 Early Boundary Disputes, - 227 Pennsylvania and .Virginia State line, - 228 Patents — Location — Litigation, - 229 Lord Dunmore — Col. Connelly, - - 230 Cessation of the Dispute, - • 231 Final Settlement, - - - 232 The Panhandle, - - . . '234 West Liberty as a Seat of Justice, - 236 Early Settler's Names — Enterprise, - 340 Weighty Characters, - - - 244 Early Religious Inclinations — Presbyterianism, 24^ ▼m CONTEMTI . Origin of Canonsbiirg and Washington Colleges, 246 liedstono Presbytery, - . - Origin of Camp Meetings — Methodism, Lorenzo Dow, • - • • Kev. James Finley, - - - Stone Meeting House on Short Creek, Baptist Church, Episcopal Church — Dr. Doddridge, Schools and Colleges, - - - Alexander Campbell, • • Bethany College, ... West Liberty Academy. — Wellsburg Seminary, Free Schools, - , ,. National Road, • - • Philip Doddridge, • • Wellsburg and Washington Turnpike, The Whiskey Insurrection, Adam Poo and Big Foot, - r 247 248 250 251 252 253 254 258 261 263 266 267 208 273 275 277 279 LIFE AND TIMKS OF PATRICK GASS. Patrick (iahp the subject of our memoir, is a hero in humble life. He canuot trace his descent ikown a long line of illustrious ancestors nor has his iinpTcfcencl- ini; name been ennobled bv courtlv favor, or bv bril- liaut deeds in diplomacy or war; yet was he born in stirring times. His cradle was literally rocked amid extend through a most eventful era. In the events of his day he has performed although an hunibW\ yet a not unimportant part, and perhaps, as well de- serves a niche in the temple of fame as many a one t<> whom fortune has been more propitious. But it was his fate to serve, rather than to command; and as the ways of the world will have it, so we must regard hiiw in his subordinate capacity, much as we might wish thai his position was, for our purpose, a more eonspkuouu one. He first saw the light, June 12th, 1771, at FalHa^ Springs, Cumberland county, near what is now Ciiaiu- bersburg, in Franklin county, Pennsylvania. At thii 10 UVTs A^Tb TIME3 date, October, 1858, lie is still living, a liale, lienrlr (^Id man, with the apparent promise of many years of lifo yet to come. His freedom from the infirmities of an ago 80 advanced is not the least remarkable charaoto.r- ifitic of his history. It cannot be attributed to extraor- dinary freedom from exposure nor to e>tcessive sobriety or regularity of habits j on the contrary, the reverse aft- jKmrs to be the fact. In his early manhood, he cxjiosed himself during twenty years of military service, to all the casual itics of the soldier, both in actual service and in camp, to disease, pi-ivation and danger in every form: and after his retirement from service he Was addicted to a weakness for strong drink, which, he for many years, indulged to an extent that few men could have borne with impunity. Yet, through all, he led apparently, a charmed life and still lives a ^i^onument of God's mercy and of the enduring power of the human constitution. — Although his years considerably outnumber thow usu- ally allotted to man, he preserves all his faeultii's in a remarkable degree. Physiologically considered, he is* of the build most favorable for longevity. In stature, somewhat low, never having in his l>est estate, exeecvl- ed five feet seven, stontly and compactly built, broad- chested and heavy limbed, yet lean, sprightly and quick of motion, his physique exhibits the amplest and mont compact developeinent of vital force of which the hniiwi.n frame is capable. Although now, somewhat bowed arvd slightly crippled with the rhenmatisra, be is a remark- ably alert and active walker and can make the four niik)8 from his residence to Wellsburg, in about as good tinie ae most of those of one fourth his years. Indeed, lie prides himself upon his pedestrianisra and delights to jibe the "pups," as he is pleased to call the yonth of OP PATRICK GASS. 11 tlicso degenerate times upon their effeminacy in this rcp- poct. His intellectual development is good. His eye is bright and lively, his mind active and discriminating, Ills memory of events of fifty years ago, accurate and reliable, and the general expression of his countcnanoe intelligent and reflective. He is naturally a man of good sound sense, very observant, and disposed to turu hiii observations to piactieal account. He seems to regard the retention of his facultios with « warrantable pride, and we have no doubt still consid- t3TS himself competent for a fair lUy's march. Wo have hoard him declare, with all tlie enthusiasm of a conscript, his readiness to shoulder arms again in the service of liis country, should occasion require it, and have no doubt whatever of his sincerity. 3lis parentage was Irish, which probably accounts for his patriotic procliv- ities as he seems to inherit the hatred of British domi- nation so common to the sons of the Green Isle, and iwhich appears to be transmitted by hereditary dostient. Of his boyhood not much is to be said more than might be said of the boyhood of other men. After several re- moves on the part of liis father, a notable one was over the 8outh Mountain into Marylanil, in 1775, just at the lime that the revolutionary contest was assuming tli# stage of a civil war. There is no doubt but that the 3es.sons of abhorrence to British tyranny, early and in- sensibly impressed u])on his mindat'tliis time, adlrrtnl to him thi-ough life awd exerted an i"nfluence on his af- ter career. From 1777 to 80, he resided with a grand- father ostensibly for the purpose of attending school, but the facilities of that day, must have been extroniely 5)00r, for he informs us that the total efi'ective annamt of iiis school education extending to reading, writing ai.'J 1 > 12 Life and times cyphering, was acqiiiretl in 19 days, and that, after he had come to the years of manhood. "We liave heard him regret that his early education had not been better, for he seems in his old days to entertain the idea that lie might, with his opportunity and mental and bodily energy, have attained an eminence among the great men of the nation. However, his case was no anomaly in his day, the means of acquiring an education being extremely limited and very few of his cotemporaries be- ing further advanced than the commonest rudimcntB of English learning. He, however, like them took his Irssons from men and things and made up for lack of book learning, by close observation and shrewd rea- soning. His next recorded move was in 1780, rendered mem- orable by the hard winter of that year, being the most severe almost in the history of this country. At tliis time the prospects of the American cause seemed almost hopeless, and it may well be called the dark day of the revolution. Tlie worn army of Washington was hut- ted among the short hills of Morristown, famishing some times for want of food, often naked and cold, tlm- continental currency had depreciated until $40, would scarcely buy a bushel of corn; the commissariat was sad- ly deranged, a general gloom of despair settled over the liopes of the Patriots, and as if Providence, too, had combined with their enemies, the winter of this year set in with a severity that was entirely unprecedentetL The harbor of New York was frozen up and the British fl«?t stationed there to protect it from the Americans, wa« pondered useless, so that Kniphausen debarked the ^U- ors and marines, and organizing them into land fprooe, prepared them to defend the city against a contempla m OF TATIUCK OASS. ficd attack by Washington, over the frozen waters of tlio bay. The Schuylkill at Philadelphia, was frozen so as to bear the heaviest artillery and wagons. The sufl'er- ing of the American .soldiery was intense. And not only they suftered for want of the common necessarios of life, but the jiopulation of the Jerseys and of Eastern Pennsylvania, the debatable ground between the Britisli and Americans, harrassed and foraged over and over again by both parties were also impoverished and re- duced to want. This state of affairs was not confined to the 'debatable ground' but extended throughont the whole seaboard, where was the theatre of war. It in- duced emigration toward the back country whence, whiie the family was secure from disturbance, the yeomen could sally forth to the defence of the country. Con- siderations of this kind intlucnced the elder Gass, with many others, to move toward the west, and no doubt the contrast between the pitiable condition of the patriot army and the well fed and well housed hirelings of the Gtiemy, had its effect upon the plastic mind of the boy of nine years of age as well as upon others, to be devel- oped in after years. There is no doubt but that one ef- fect of the harassing nature of the war of the revolu- tion, was to diffuse population and thus hasten the set- tlement of the country, and thus under the blessing of Providence proved the cause of its remarkable develop- ment Accordingly in 1782, his father moved the family to the "west" then located on the further side of the Alle- gheny mountains, but since removed, year by year, un- til the name **west" has now become a phrase of very indefinite meaning. They encountered great hardships «u the road, of which the following graphic reminis- I n \ ,!| 14 LIFE AND IIMES (XJiico ttikcii from the pages of "Old RctlKtono," will eon - vey au idea. "My father's family," says the author, 'was Olio of twenty that emigrated from Carlisle, and tho neighboring countiy, to Western Pennsylvania, in the spring of 1784. (Xir arran.gements for the journey, would, with littlo variation be descriptive of those of the wholo caravan. Our family consisted of my fath- er, mother, and three children, (the oldest one five, tin," youngest less than one year old,) and a bound boy of fotirtccn. '^Cho road to be tmvolled in crossing the moun- tains was scarcely, if at all, practicable for wagODS. — Pack-horses wci*c tho only nteans of transportation then, aaid for years after. We were provided with three hor- se*, one of which my mother rode, carrying her infant, willi all the table furniture and cooking utensils. On an(Aher were packed tho stores of provisions, the plough irons, and other agricultural tools. Tho third horso was rigged out with a pack-saddle, and two largo creels made of hickory withes, in tho fashion of a crate, ono over each side, in which were stowed tho beds and bea- ding, and tho wearing apparel of tho family. In tho centre of these creels there was an aperture prepared for mysdf and sistor; and tho top was well secured by la- cing, to keep us in our places, 'so that only our heads appeared above. Each family was supplied with one or more cows, which was an indispensable provision for the journey. Tlieir milk furnished tho morning a:*-^ evening meal for tho children, and the surplus was car- ried in canteens for use during the day. Thus equipped, tho company sot out on their journey. Many c" tho men being unacquainted with the manage- ment of horses, or the business of packirg, littlo pro- gress was made, the first day or two. When the cara- OP PATRICK GA83. 15 car- hney. lage- Jpro- ira- van reached tho mountains, the road was found to he hardly passable for loaded horses. In many places, the path lay along the edge of a precipice, where, if the horse had stumbled or lost his balance, he would have been precipitated several hundred feet below. Tlu) path was crossed by many streams, raised by the melting snow and spring rains, and running with rapid current In deep ravines. Most of these had to be fordcfl, »n there were no bridges and but few ferries. For many Hncccssive days, hair-breadth escapes were continually occurring; sometimes, horses falling; at other timen, c-arried away by the current, and the women and chil- dren .vith difficulty saved from drowning. Sometimes, in ascending steep acclivities, the lashing of the croels would give way, and both children and creels tumble U* tho ground, and roll down the steep, until arrested by some traveller of tho company. In crossing streams or passing places of more than ordinary difficulty in tla^ road, mothers were often separated from some of tlieir cliildreu for many hours. The journey was made in April, when the nights wero cold. The men who had been inured to the hardships of war, could with cheerfulness endure the fatigues of tho journey. It Avas the mothers who suffered; tltey could not, after the toils of the day, enjoy the rest they so much needed at night; the wants of their suffering children must be attended to. After preparing tlieir aimple meal, they lay down, with scanty covering, in ;i miserable cabin, or, as it sometimes happened, in tlie open air, and often, unrefreshed, were obliged to ri^tj early, to encounter the fatigues and dangers of another da v. V As the comoany approached the MonongaheLi, they 16 LIFE AND TIMES boLcan to separate. Some settled down near to friends and acquaintances who had preceded them. About half of the company crossed the Monongahela, and settled on Chartier's creek, a few miles south of Pittsburgh, in a hillv countrv, well watered and well timbered. Set- tiers' rijjrhts to land were obtained on verv easy terms. "My father exchanged one of his horses for a tract, ( boun- •led by certain brooks and marked trees, ) whicli was tonnd, on being surveyed several years aftxir, to con- tain about 200 acres. The new-comers aided each other in building cabin?, which were made of round logs, with a slight covering 0*' clapboards. The building of chimneys and laying <\{ lioors were postponed to a future day. A.s poon a» the families were all under shelter, the timber was gir- dled, and the necessary clearing made for planting corn, j>otatoes, and a sntall patch of flax. Some of the par- ty were despatched for seed. Corn was obtained at ritt* settlements was attacked by the Indians, and all of them were thrown into the greatest alarm. This was a ca- lamity which had not been anticipated. It had been (■(Wilidontly believed that peace with Great Britain would t Detroit, (wliich, in viohition of the treaty, continuetl to be occupied by the Britisli,) wiiere tiicy were sold. The attacks of the Indians were not conlined to the ex- treme frontier. They often penetrated tlie settk^mcnt.H several miles, especially wlien the stealing of horses was a part of their object. Their depredation elfected, they retreated precij)itately across the (,)]iio. The settlers for many miles from the Oliio, during six monllis of tlie year, lived in daily fear of the [udians. Block hou- ses were provided in overal neighborhoods for the pro- tection of tlie women and children, ^diile tho men car- ried on their farming operations, some standing guarm eiilier river, it was a convenient stopping place, and became geiierallv known to the settlers and scouts as a rendez- vous. It must bo borno in mind that tra^ illing iri those days was very different from travelling now. — Tlio journey from eastern Pennsylvania to Redstone Old Fort, in 1785, was fully equal iu magnitude to a trij) now-a-days, to Oregon and back. Tho intermediat*) country, between Redstone and tho Ohio was not only rugged and broken, but was peculiarly infested with In- dians. Tlie roads, where roads thero were any, almost imiformly followed tho highest ridges, so as to avoid any danger of a surprise that might occur by keeping along the ravines. This made tho traveling safer but much more difficult. Tho adventurer, who had safely CffOssed tho Laurel Hills, passed through tho "shades of death'* and soon tho big pines and deep snows of tho mountains and finally dared tho Indian infested wooiIh of the Ohio, was on his return a hero of no ordinarv re- nown. From Catfish camp, Patrick directed his explo- rations into tho surrounding country: and ho gives ns Ilia impressions of Wollsburg as tho site appeared to lum in 1T90. The ground was swampy in parts and covered with a dense growth of sycamore, walnut, su- gar and wild plum trees. Thero was at that day but oao building to bo scon, that was a log houso on tho 20 LIFK AND TIMKfl il ill ; lower oii'I ol' tlio bottom near midway tljcn, between tljo vfver ftn the place of his continement. demanding his dischart^\ under penalty of demolishing tho jail and delivoriug liim by force, and the result of tho demonstration way, that ho was by some unaccountable moans released. — After this adventure, tradition speaks of no more filit- blistering on his part and his subsequent career is in- volved in doubt, though the most probable story states that he engaged in llatboating ontiie river, becaiu<; dis- sipated and died miserably \\\ New Orleans sometime about the beginning of the prtisent century. The llatboatmen of that dav were an extraortttnarr race, aptly denominated in the Mike Fink dialect as \\qM horse and half alligator. They were a reckless, frolick- ing set, net generally burdened with any over-sup ply of coQScieuce, and y^t endowed with a lougk sense of OF TATnifK OAR«. 25 ItoHdr ninoii^ ilioinKclvrH iirid townrrl tlinir (;rn|»loyirftticHlly led with freedom, to one of setthifl comfort and eon straint. Wet/el was a irian f)f this temperament, and it is hij^iily prolmhie that h(! hocame an adejjt in the roii^h featurnH of boating', and as liistory is silent, we may reasonably conelnde that his career was like that of most of his comradf's. The life they led was a [ire- (•arious one; leaving out r»f the (juestion the dangers of their calling from accident and disease, tlie exf)osnre and habitual dissipation so common among them, very g«»ncrally cut short their careers. Nevertheless, there wa.s an excitement about it which was very attractive to the youth of that day. 'Z The produce of this section was at that day trans[>f»i-| ted by flatboats, batteaux and similar floating craft, u, the New Orleans market, then the only outlet ff)r the surplus production, and as the risk was great and the labor eevcre, the New (^)rleans traders gen^^rally made large profits, and many of the most substantial citi/,ens among us, realized their fortunes in this wav>\ The trip from the Upper Ohio to New Orleans, occupied from one to two months, according to the stage of tlie water, and not unfrequently they were snagged and snnk, er s ii ! t ; il- m :li ;l I H LIFE AKD rtMES run high and dry upon the shifting sandbars of the IMis- sissippi and Ohio. The labor in time of low water wan extrcinely severe and trying npon the constitutions of those engaged: the boats having sometimes to b(^ liter- ally jumped over the shallow places, by means of levers, sometimes a channel to be dug out of the river bottom sufficiently deep to float them, and every other imagi- nable device adopted to get their cargoes into port. — They coasted along, sometimes doing a retail business at the different landings along the river; but ( )rleans was the general mart to which they all headed. After selling out there,- they sometimes cordelled or hauled back their boats the entire route, at others, they sold their crafts, and either took shipping around by way of the Atlantic ports, or took up their march in companies on foot and horseback, through the Indian country, tc their place of departure. Marvellous stories are told of flatboatmen's experience in New Orleans and on the return trip, and there is no doubt but that there was a great deal of foundation for the same, both as regards the city and the travelling. Steamboats and railroads have gradually superseded this mode of transportatifin, and at this day the broad-horn is an object of curiosity, almost, on the Upper Ohio; as are flatboatmen's yarns a subject for incredulous wonder to the rising genera- tion. An occasional flatboat load still leaves foV the Southern country, but for the past ten or fifteen years, flatboating may be pronounced obsolete. A-s illustrative of the loose notions of the hunters of that day in regard to the Indians, an incident is rela- ted, which we do not recoil t o€ having ever seen in print, but which is as TV^ell authenticated as the gener- ality of such stories. It seems that an agreement had OF PATRICK GASS. ^rs of Irela- m in mer- had beers entered into with the Indians that they were to have the exclusive privilege of certain hunting grounds west of the Ohio, choice among which for its abundance of game, was the Stillwater country in what is now Har- rison and Carrol counties. This arrangement conflicted with the free and easy notions of the pioneers who had been accustomed to roam at their own sweet will, and marauding expeditions into the Indian country were not of unfrequent oocurrence. A party from Washington County, Pa., among whicli were Solomon and Thomas Eury had penetrated to the Stillwater country, in search of game; and Thomas was shot by the Indians while lying by his camp-fire, his body was covered v/ith a bear- skin and his faithful dogs were left at his side as if sen- tinels over him while sleeping; while the wily Indiani» were posted around to shoot down the balance of the party as they approached to awaken the sleeper. But by some means their presence was detected by the whites just in time for these latter to save themselves by a pre- cipitate flight, pursued by the whole band of Inditwis. Nothing was done with the Indians on the ground that Eury righteously met his death while trespassing on their privileges; but some years afterwards, Solomon Eury, the brother of the slain man, happened to be in company with a party of Indians, one of whom, while under the influence of liquor, boasted to him that he was the brave who had killed his brother. The taunt s«i enraged Solomon, that although in time of peace, he instantly repaired to his house without a word, took down his old rifle running 32 to tlie pound, drewsed himself in full scouting costume, and never stopped un- til he shot the boasting Indian and six of his coniradeh'. He covered their bodies with leaves and branches where , 28 LIFE AND TIMES I i I i -J they fell, but the stench attracted attention, the crime was traced to Solomon Eury, lie was arrested, taken to Mad River Coui-tlionse and imprisoned, hut after a mockei-y of a trial, acquitted; ostensibly, because the evidence was insuflicicnt, but really, because popular opinion would not admit of his being punished for what every frontiersman felt conscious, he would have done himself, if similarly circumstanced. This incident gives a pretty faithful idea of the state of feeling at the time and of the general character of the pioneers, in respect to their treatment of and by the Indians. The piping times of peace which followed the almost annihilation of the Indians by Gen. Wayne, were any- thing but agreeable to the genius of our hero; never- tholess, unwilling to be idle, he betook himself to learn the carpenter's trade, and bound himself in 1794, as an apprentice to the trade for the period of two years and three months at his old stamping ground, Mercers- burg, Pa. Previous to this, he had made a trading trip to New Orleans, in March, 1793^ and returned by way of Cuba, through Philadelphia, Chambersburg, &c., to Wellsburg. Even this trip, now of little difficulty, was in those days a matter of very considerable moment and goes to show the habitual restlessness of his disposition. It is not probable that Mr. Gass ever became much of a proficient in the carpenter business, although he points to at least one house in Wellsburg, long known while in the occupancy of Wm. Burgess, as the ** Traveller* » Rest** moi-e recently as the "Yellow Hammer's Nest," said bouse having got sadly Otut of repute as well as of repair, in latter days^ as » specimen of his handiwork in this line. The house at present belongs to Mr. John Qardner aud luts Torj recently beea put in good repair. ',i% Of PATRICK 0A8S. 29 y way 1 c, to 1 ^ was 1 it and 1 ition. ?# chof 1 oints 1 (vhile 1 ller'» i 58t," 1 iB of 1 pork 1 ■ohn iJ )air. Us substantial hewn oak timbers promising long to ont- live it8 architect. He also had the honor of working on a house for James Buchanaii, Sr., the father of President Buchanan, at the foot of Sideling Hill, and saw Gcri. Washington, at Carlisle, when became out with the troops in 1794 to suppress the whisky insurrection. In this war, we believe Patrick had no part; ho was too much of a pa- triot to resist the government; and he loved good old Monongahela too well to enlist against the Whisky Boys, so he remained wisely neutral. He was engaged for a period of six months on the house for Mr. Buchanan, du- ring which time he became well acquainted with "little Jimmy" as he still persists in calling our bachelor President, said "little Jimmy" being ten or twelve years younger tlum Mr. Gass. Little Jimmy, says Mr. Gass, was then a school boy, rather bright for his years; but showing nothing to particularly distinguish him from thousands of other urchins of his age. The elder Buchanan was an Irishman who emigrated to this country at an early day, and in York county mar- ried a Miss Hpeer, of a family somewhat distinguished for ability in Pennsylvania- Rev. Matliew Specr a dis- tinguished minister of Carlisle, was a brother of Mrs. Buchanan, and to this family the Gass's were also con- nected by marriage. From his mother, the President must have inherited his qualities as a statesman, for ac- cording to'Mr. Gass, the elder Bucbanan, was not par- ticularly distinguished among his fellow citizens for any other qualities than thrift and success in making money. He was a merchant and accumulated considerable prop- erty by supplying the settlers with iron, salt, ifec, in ex- /•hange for peltry and hard dollars ou pretty much his li ! m ^ i i! 80 LIFE AND TIJIES own terms. Mr. Gass, worked here at his trade with oc- casional intermissions until May, 1799. At this period^ during the presidency of the elder Adams, a promi- nent speck of war appeared in the horizon, being nothing less than the prospect of a rupture with France iinder the reign of citizen Genet and his French democracy. — This was glorious news for our hero, and throwing down his jack plane and apron he again shouldered his mus- ket and enlisted in the 10th Regiment, American army, under command of Gen. Alex. Hamilton. His servi- ces in this war appear to have consisted in a series of marches and counter-marches, among the forts and recruiting stations of Western Pennsylvania, without much glory or personal peril. The winter of 1799, ho passed in bai-racks at Carlisle. From Carlisle he was sent to Harper's Ferry, Va., in June, 1800, and was discharged at Little York, Pa., the French war, which promised so much, winding up most ingloriously. However, Patrick was not to be cheated out of his full share of military glory, by French or American di- plomacy; accordingly the ink that recorded his discharge was hardly dry before he again enlisted in the five years service under Maj. Cass, father of Gen. Lewis Cass, the "hero of tho broken sword and stump,'* of politi- cal badinage, and the wise diplomatist of the day, who, celebrated for his antipathy for everything British, has rendered his name memorable in *he diplomatic annals of the country; and added the crowning glory by enfor- cing in 1858, upon the British goverr,ment the final recognition of the principle for which the war of 1812: was fought, without definite result,— "that the Ameri- can flag rendered sacfed from search or visitation on th© high seas by foreign authority, the vessel that bore itv** ■liL OF PATRICK GASS. 81 of his *an di- ;harge years Cass, loliti- who, t, ha^ iunals mfor- final 1812 leri- intho 1 After claiming the supremacy of the seas for centuries, Great Britain at last relinquished the right of search in May, 1858; when the exercise of the claim by British vessels in the Gulf of Mexico, in the attempt to sup- press the slave trade asserted to be carried on with Cuba and the Southern states, aroused a burst of popular indignation, produced energetic measures as well as remonstrances from the government of the Uni- ted States, and resulted in the full, final and unequivo- cal, and we will do them the justice to say, handsome renunciation by the British Parliament, of all right or claim to search American vessels on the high seas, un- less under treaty stipulations. By this time, intelligence and merit had brought Mr. Gass, into notice; he was promoted from the ranks, and entrusted with several responsible duties in the way of recruiting and in detecting and arresting deserters. The cvampaign, however, is barren of incidents of sufficient interest for detail. In 1800, the detachment to which he belonged under Gen. Wilkinson of revolutionary memorv, noted for hie connection with the "Cabal" and his ignominious defeat in the wapof 1812, descended the Ohio in flatboats, passed the Falls on Christmas day, and landed at Wilkinsville, where they wintered in tents and huts. In the Fall of 1801, he went with a company under Capt. Bissell, up Tennessee River, and in the Fall of 1802, the same with a company of artil- lery wero sent to Kaskaskia, Illinois, where they re- mained until the Fall of 1803, when a call was made for volunteers for the government expedition under Lewis nc<3 of the Canada traders, supplieil far uiore general aned, that the face of the country should be defined with accuracy, and the most eligible routes to t!ie Pacific should be ascertained, in sliortthat an accurate and as far as possible faitliful traiiiHcript of the country sliould bo contributed to the general knowl- edge of mankind, was the main object of this expedition. An appropriation for the purpose was made by Con- gress in the year 1803, and the President empowered to take tho necessary measures for its prosecution, in response to a confidential message of January 17th, 1803, recommending such an expedition. Capt. Merriwetlier Lewis, of Va., was appointed to the command of tho expedition. This appointment was partly owing to family influence, Capt. Lewis being a sister's son of tho President, and connected with the in- fluential family of tho Lewis's, who were favorites of Washington, and became the recipients through him of large tracts of land in Western Virginia. Gen. An- drew Lewis, the commander of tho Virginia forces, at ihe bloody battle of Point Pleasant, with the Indians, in 1774, a bosom friend of Washington, and a bravo and meritoriouB oflScer, was a grand uncle of the captain. — He did not owe his appointment, however, altogether to 36 OP PATniCK OAflS. family influence, for he ha tlion resided at Pittsburg, and who accompanied tlieox- jKJtlitiun to its final end, and died sonic years aftiT, in Konluoky. Several of those who volunteered and were accepted, felt their ardor suddenly cool, when the time came for starting. The immediate prospect of excliang- ing civilization for barbarism, comfort tor hardship and safety for certain peril, with the chance of never return- ing, proved too much for their philosophy; and to Ube aa expressive term, they backed out. At the time of starting, the expedition consisted of forty- three men, including officers, privates, and a col- ored servant of Capt. Clark, named York, who after- wards received his freedom in conaideratiun of his ser- vices on the expedition. Some authorities moke the number thirty-two, but this is incorrect, as appears fit) m the record in Gass' Journal, made at the time. H^'has omitted to give a list of the names of the party, but the following taken from Shallus' Chronological Tabl^, published in Philadelphia, in 1817, may be reliad upon as correct, as far as it goes. The company, aooording to this authority, is as follows: Captains Lewis and Clark; John Ordway, Nathaniel Piyor, Patrick Gass, Sergeants; William Bratton, John Coulter, John Collin, Pit. Crugatte, Reuben Fields, Jo- seph Fields, George Gibson, Silas Goodrich, Hugh Hall, 88 OP PATRICK GASS. if! ^lohn P. Howard, Baptiste Lapage, Fran. Ladischo, Hugh M'Neal, John Potts, John Shields, George Shan- non, John B. Thompson, William Werner, Alexander Willard, llichard Windsor, Joseph Whitehouse, Rob- ert Frazicr, Peter Wiset, Privates; York, negro man, belonging to Capt. Clark. In November, 1803, the party t:^.a'l«? its first move in the direction of the Rocky Mountain country. Leaving Kaskaskia, they proceeded up the Mississippi until they came to the river Du Bois, or Wood river, where they halted for the winter, and occupied their time in prepar- ing boats and making arrangements for a final start np the Missouri the following spring. It is probable that during the long and weary months of a winter spent thus on the confines of civilization, our explorers gave their enterprise many an anxious thought; and it is not improbable that in those hours of comparative inactivi- ty they more than at any subsequent period regretted tlio enterprise in which they were engaged. There is notli- ing like constant activity to keep up the courage and the confidence of men, and nothing dissatisfies tlieni sooner with their condition than enforced idleness. — However, they were not entirely unemployed, but found exercise in providing for their subsistence, by hunting, and in prepa.iug boats and in making other arrange- ments preparatory to the actual commencement of the journey on the opening of spring. Besides this, they had put their hands to the plough, and felt that it would be unmanly and cowardly to look back. Having em- barked ii} an enterprise upon which they felt tliai the eyes of the nation as well as the attention of the govern- ment were bent, they felt that their individual honors were involved, and whatever the hazzard, they could LIFE AND TIMES 39 not now think of anything else than prosecuting it tc» the end. At last, Monday, the 4th day of May 1804 dawned, bright and pleasant, arguing a successful and safe jour- ney; and elate with high hopes and bright antici- pations, and with but a passing thought of regret at lea- ving the abodes of civilization they started on their per- ilous journey. They crossed the Mississippi under com- mand of Lieutenant, now Capt. Clarke, ( ^apt. Levins, being left behind, to overtake them in a few days, and commenced the ascent of the Missouri, the entire expe- dition being embarked in a Bateau and two Periogues. The little fleet made but sIoav headway against the rapid current of the river, and by nightfall they liad accom- plished but six miles up the stream. However a com- mencement was made, and after the rtjflections that usu- ally follow such an event during the first pause, the ex- pedition proceeded with a better heart and a more set- tled determination. "The determ'Tiod and resolute char- acter of the corps," says Mr. Gassin his Journal, "and thf confidence Avhich pervaded all ranks, dispelled every eraotion of fear and anxiety for the present, -while a sense of duty and of the honor which would attend the completion of the objects of "the expedition; a wish to gratify the expectations of the government and of our fellow citizens, with the feelings which novelty and dis- covery almost invariably inspire, seemed to casure us ample support in our future toils, suffering5? and dan- gers." ' ■ '" ' ">' *^^ Day by day they journeyed up the turbid and silent river; on the lOth, they reached the old French village of St. Charles, and as they fired a gun by way of salute, the inhabitants flocked to see them, and, on the 21 st," ■}' I [ill! 'i» ■ 40 LIFE AND TIMES ])oing joined by Capt. Lewis, tlicy left tlie hospitable Frenchmen under a salute of three cheers; Avhich they returned with three more, and th ee discharges from their guns, and again commenced their toilsome road. By the 25th, they had reached the last white settlement, the sma41 French village of St. Johns, above the mouth otfthe Wood river, where the river banks were high and i he land was rich. Above the mouth of the Gasconade, here l57 yards wide, the party halted, on the 28tli, in- si>ected the arms and provisions and sent several men out to hunt, and by the 1st of June, they had reached the mouth of the Osage, here about one fourth the width of tho Missouri itself. Tlicir hunters represented the land as the best they had e\er seen, rue • mndingwith game. Up the Osage, about 200 ij.v.j resided the Osago Indians, a people of large size, well proportioned and very warlike; against any possible collision with whom they thought \t prudent to take all reasonable precaution, and in the event of an unfortunate contin- gency to have themselves in readiness to repel an at- tack. Their arms and ammunition were accordingly ascertained here to be in good order for any emergency. However, the event showed these precautions unneces- sary, for no attempt at interference with them was uiiide by the Indians who seemed indeed universally v: '">:jly dij^osed. Up to this time they had been \\r,: ;vr v.i intorpreter — someone through w^hom they could ct.^p municate with the Indians whom they might encounter on their route, but fortunately on the 12th of January they fell in with a party of Sioux on their way to St. liDuifl with fur and peltry, among whom wiis an old Frenchman, who professed ability to speak the lan- •gMAge of all the Missouri Indians. On the v:; ngth of I OF PATRICK GASS. 41 ospitable icli tliey jes from •mo road. ttlcment, iie mouth liighaiul iBConade, 28th, in- eral men I reached the width }nted the ding with sided the portioned ision with asonable contin- )el an at- ordingly CTgency. unnee^s- |V}-..') uiade . "•»:jly dd t(.2!i icounter January ly to St. a an old the lan- ngth of his profession, advantageous offers were made and ho was induced to go witli the expedition, in the capacity of interpreter, and afterwai'ds proved a most valuable }»ijjunct to the literati of tlie party, though the sequel .showed that in making such extensive professions, he considcahly overated liis ae([uaintance with the mod- em languages. Ilov/evcr, necessity, aa she knows no laws, must have no scruxdes; and as the balance of the party wore much more ignorant than he, the interpreter was received into the first society the expedition aflbrd- od and his gift of tongues duly appreciated. On the "Hhh, our voyagers reached the moutli of the Kansas, here lioO yards wide; and as Mr. Gass observes, navigable for a great distance. The intermediate coun- try is described by him as being generally remarkably fertile — a beautiful country, abounding in excellent timber and an abundance of game. Recent events have brought tliis country into notice and have demonstra- ted the fidelity of these explorers in their description of the Kansas country, as well as the excellence of their judgement in regard to the qualities of the land. The navigation of the Missouri was very similar then, to what it is now. At one place we read of their bateau being nearly upset by being caught on a riffle, at another of all hands pulling her against the rapid current by a rope, which broke and nearly caused her loss, then again they pulled around sand bars, And tlie next thing had to dodge the drift which came down in hngo masses. Atone time the shores were covered with mulberry trees, in a short time after suitable tim- ber could not be found suf 'cient to make a pair of oars. An occasiuiiul Frenchman would be seen, living eolittiry and alone, sometimes a stray horse would greet their I i 42 LIFE AND TIMES 1 ■! vision and here and there, they would pans a deserted hut, once occupied by some trapper. The men were sent out to hunt in small parties, sometimes lost themselves in the prairies, and the expedition would have to lialt and wait for the straggltrs. Deer were frequently kil led and their flesh furnished a large portion of the sub- sistence of the company. Beaver were also plenty, rare birds and animals were of frequent occurrence, spec- imens of all of which were killed and their skins stutied for preservation. By the 4th July, they had reached a point on tlie Missouri, where Pond Creek enters' its waters, antl Im- pelled by the spirit of patriotism which seemed to ac- tuate them in all their journeyings, they signalizwl their appreciation of the day by firing their swivel at daybreak, taking a grand dinner at noon, and christen- ing their encampment Independence. The departing day they saluted with another gun. At the feast on the 4th, one of the party was bitten with a snake,that the snake "got into his boots" our author does not stat*", but considering the time and the circumstances, such an accident was highly excusable, if not probable; at any rate the bite was not dangerous, as he quietly obMerves. The glorious 4th, properly celebrated, the voyage was again resumed. Passing a creek called water- which- cries, or the weeping stream, they travelled to the 21st, without meeting any incidents of moment, when tlwjy reached the mouth of the great river Platte, here, three quarters of a mile wide, and upon whose water* lived numerous tribes of Indians. To these Indians, a depu- tation was sent to inform them officially of the change in the administration of the U. S. government, and propose a treaty. Their communications and overture« OF I'ATniCK OASS. 43 deserted tvere sent enisclvef* 3 to lialt mtly kil- the snb- ) plenty, ice, 8pec- 18 stuti'ed t on tlie and Ini- d to ao- ignalizttl swivel at christen - eparting feast on ,that iiye ot s'tat<», such an ; at any b«ervtis. voyage •which- he 21st, n tli*jy , throe s lived a depu- change t, and erture» were received with apj»roprit te and becoming gravity, and by the 4th August 1804, proper arrangements were readily effected. The place of conference was called Council Bluffs, by this party. The present "Council Bluffs," in the state of Iowa, although not iden^cal with; is yet in the immediate vicinity of the site. Six of the Indian delegation were here made chiefs, under their "great white father" the President, with whiclt honors they appeared higldy pleased. After this conference was concluded, the party again took up its line of march toward the head waters of the muddy river, their time being variously employed in navigating their crafts, shooting game and fishing, and taking observations of the country. On the 15tli, Capt. C'larke and twelve men took 709 fish, among thgni some catfish of enormous proportions, which proved quite an agreeable addition to their stock of provisions. Here the party experienced the first serious loss that had befallen them, in the death of one of their numt)ej-, Sergeant Floyd, who was taken sick on the 19th, and died on the 20th. He was the youngest man of the corps, a Kentuckian by birth, and a distant relative of Capt. Clarke. Being naturally of a delicate constitu- tion he had embarked on this expedition in the hope of acquiring better health, but the exposure, su^^eradded to impradence, was too severe, and he had to succumb in spite of all that could be done to save him. The im- mediate cause of his death was as follows: Ho had been amusing himself and carousing at an Indian dance un- til he became overheated and it being his duty to stand guard that night, he threw himself down on a sand bar of the Missouri, despising the shelter of a tent ofl'enid Limby his comrade on guard, and was soon seized with 44 LIFE AND TIMEfr I -<' »( ■!»! the craDip cliolic, wliieli tcniiinatccl his life. During }iis short illness he received the kindest attentions Ids comrades could bestow, and his decease was sincerely deplored. But they were not the men to indulge in vain regrets, nor was it a time to indulge in sentimental ro- tlections on the uncertainty of life. They mourned him with a manly sorrow, but his melancholy fate did not deter them from prosecution of their duty. He ^va8 buried on the wide ^n'airie, where the desert wild wind sings the requiem of tlteir first to die; and the river over which his spirit broods bears to this day the name of Floyd, given it by his oflicers in honor of his virtues. They reached, by the 29th, the country of tlie far-fa- med Sioux, whose lodges, to the number of 40, of bet- ter material and make than general, were situated about I) miles from the Missouri, up the river Sacque. Sixty of them came to the camp of the whites, as a peace del- egation, and as a token of their sincerity, killed a dog, and treated their white brethren to a dance, in cheap recognition of which, Capt. Lewis constituted five of them chiefs, and presented them with a grained deer- skin, to stretch over a keg by waj of primitive drum, with which instrument of music, the Indians seemed wonderfully delighted. When their drum was made, a jubilee seems to have been gotten up expressly for the purpose of trying the music that was in it. They all as- sembled around a couple of fires made for the purpose, and while two of them beat on the drum, a dozen of the rest rattled liltb bags of dried skin, in which wore beads or pebbles, by way of accompaniment, while tlio dan- oers, some of them with necklaces of white bear's claws of three inches in length, to the number of twenty or thirty, kept up their performance until "broad daylight M m OF PATRICK GASR. 45 During ions liis iincercly 5 in vain 3ntal ro- ncd Mm (lid not Ho ^vas ild wind lie rivier he name virtncs. e far- fa - , of bet- ed about . Sixty ace del- l a dog, n cheap five of d deer- drum, seemed ado, a for the all as- lurpose. In of the e beads e dan- claws inty ov laylighfc in the morning." No squaws, says our author, made their appearance in this dance, whence we conclude that the "stag dance" is not peculiar to the uprorious youths of white blood who occasionally indulge in such exclu- sive saltatory exercise. Unfortunately, here, their French interpreter, over- come by the importunities of his Indian friends, left them, having had a bettor bid from the chiefs of the party, to accompany them to AVashington, in the ca- pacity of interpreter for them. On Sunday, the 2d of September, they encamped op- posite an ancient carthern breast-work, 2500 yards in length, running parallel to the Missouri, and with wing walls, at right angles, very similar to the Indian forti- fications now known to be of frequent occurence in the west. The question of who were the builders of these works and what is their history has occupied the time and at- tention of antiquarians for a great many years, but as yet, it is involved in impenetrable mystery. An inter- estinij memoir, by Mr. J. A. Lapham, published under the patronage of the Smithsonian Institute, throws some light on the physical features of these antiquities, which to a remarkable extent, abound in the State of Wiscon- sin. Under his surveys, the lines as drafted on paper, assume the figures of various animals, deified to this day by the Indian^ such as lizzards, turtles, buffalo, tkc, a fact which very readily escaped the cursory notice of the earlier travellers, overgrown as were many of the sites with trees and brushwood, but which is material, as go- ing to show that they were intended rather for religious uses, than for purposes of war or defence. This theory is also confirmed by the fact that many of them are ele- ill %[ V ' ; ! i II m f' 46 LIFE AND TIMES vatcd only a few inclies above th(3 surfucc of the ground. apparently mere embossments or relievos. At the ex- treme end of a prairie, 4^ miles west of the Mississippi, and the same distance cast of the Little St. Francis, ex- ists a curious erection, described as follows^ by a corres- pondent of the St. Louis "Ilopublican": It consists of an oblong square averaging 225 foet each way, with an altitude of twenty seven feet on the southside and twen- ty one on the north, on the border of what was once a lake, with an area of an acre of level land on the top. — The foundation was commenced on a level with the sub- jacent land, and consisted of a coat of plaster seven in- ches thick, and burnt in several places, on Avhich was placed the dry composition consisting of clay, sand, lime, ashes, pouudcMl shells, and charcoal, carefully mix- ed, and beat to a hard concrete substance, and bo on, until, the height above named was obtained, and then a coat of plastering had been spread over the whole work three inches thick, and burned to a brick redness; but before burning the common wild cane was split and the concave side turned down, and laid longitudinally close together, and pressed into the soft plaster, so that the impressions are now as visible as ever; the whole intermediate space between the two coats of plaster be- ing of the composition above named, in the recesses of which wore often found pots inside of which were human skulls, sound and bottom upwards, and other pots sound as ever, full of dry and fresh looking ai^iOS, as though they had been burning incense. It is evident that this large mound was not a place of burial, as no skeletons were found and the adjacent fields aro full. Neither do the smaller mounds, contiguous and around the larger one, seem to have been designed for thivt purpose OF PATRICK 0A8S. 47 ground, t the ex- sissippi, icis, ex- a coires- usists ol wiih nil. ud tweii- once Ji top. — 1 the sub - 3evcn in- lich was ,y, sand, illy mix- k1 so on, and then le whole redness; split and udinally , so that 10 whole [ister be- cesscs of e human ts sound though ihat this Ikeletons lither da Le larger 1-posQ.— . Many animal and some human bones wore found in the body of the mound, together with images and fragments of ivory, maibleand mica." It htta been remarked in this connection that these works are umformly on what is called the second banks of the rivers, and from this assumption, it is argued tliat their origin dates back to a period anterior jto that when the present channels of the rivers wore excavated. This, is not strictly true, and is giving them antiquity unwarranted, at least, by observation among the tumuli of the valley of the Ohio river. These latter are not uni- formly, though generally, on the second banks of the ri- ver; their location seeming to have been determined on the former, rather by the gravelly character of the ma- terial, than by the absence of a lirst or more alluvial bottom, on which to place them. The existence of even one, on ground of this latter quality, proves incon- testribly, that the builders lived subsequent to the oper- ation of the causes whatever they were, that produced tlio second banks of the Ohio. To that period even, the geologists can only approximate in their calculations, and it is giving them a place sufficiently back in remote antiquity, when we say that they were founded not ne- cessarily prior to the formation of the alluvial banks of the western rivers. Remains of this kind are found in some cases even on the alluvial bottoms of the creeks flowing into the Ohio, as for instance in the neighbor- hood of Bethany, Brooke County, Va., six miles distant from the river, there were several small ones, now near- ly obliterated. One of these was opened by some stu- dents a few years ago and found to contain little, if any thing else than a few human bones, giving no evidence that it had been erected for any other purpose than as !!'• ■■ ■I ;•! ; !. i I » lll 'ill l' ^ fflii ^^ ilBi ^ . i fflii 'H ■lli i ffl HH 1 11 U 4B LIFE AND TIMES a monument to tlic memory of the person buried 1)0- noatli it. In fact, lew of the Indian mounds, tliat have hcen explored, havo rewarded the hibor of their explor- ers, other, than hy convincing them that there was very little to he found. The groat mound at Grave Creek, promised some dovolopements but they are considered somewhat apocryphal. A few bones, relics of pottery charred corn, shells, stone implements of war or labor, an occasional scrap of rudely shaped native copper, com- prise about all that is generally to bo found under these immense heaps of earth, piled, doubtless in barbarian pride, over the remains of some ancient chieftain, to signify by their stupendous size his corresponding im- portance in their eyes; and by their interior poverty, to warrant them against curiosity or cupidity. Te following account of an antique engraved stone, ibund some years ago in the Grave Creek mound on the Ohio, has recently attracted attention by the paper of Dr. Wills Dellass, read before the Ethnologic so- .eiety of New York. This very cui-ious relic of antiqui- ty, as Dr. DcHass appears to have proved it to he, was noticed some years ago by W. B. Hodgson, Esq., of Savannah, in his ''Notes on Northern Africa, the Saha- ra, and Soudan:" Mr. Hodgson, says: "Near one of the skeletons in the lower vault was found the stone in question, with three linos of alphabetic characters. — It is of an oval foi'm, three-fourths of an inch thick, and its material is a tine sand-stone. This is the only ex- ample, I believe, of ancient alphabetic inscription in North A-merica. The inscrijitions on the Dighton rock and the pictorial writing of Mexico and Yucatan, are symbolic, not alphabetic. The history of this trilincar lapidary inscription, I had at first regarded as apoch- or rATRFCK fJASH. 49 ryphul. Mr. Srlioolrrnft luia, liowovor confirmod itand (loscril)cJ the stone. Who was tluj j^orLToon.s chioftain whoso onc^ravod sii^not was found hy his slcU^? Did lio roTn(> from tlm Canary islands, whnro tho Xnmidiari rharantors and lanij^uat^o provailod? Shall wo rccnr to Uio lost Atlantis? ( '<»uld any of tlio r'artliaojcuiian or African vcssols, which usually visit(?d the "I^'ortunatii" or Canary islands, liavo hoen carried to tho Now World? Tho j)C0plinp^ of America is quite as lilcoly to be due to Africa and Europe as to Asia, History prosorvoM^ the memory of the circumnavijj^ation of Africa l>y sevp- ral expeditions. Tho Poriplus of ITanno, tho (jartha- ,!j^cnian, was the suhject of a written narrative. With these historical indications that tho Atlantic Avas m earh'ac^es navigated l»y Mediterranean vessels, I find no difficulty in su^jposing the stone in question to liavo lioen brouc^ht thence." The fact of huge trees of nxany hundred years growth u]M)n tlieir ruins, incontestibly establishes a very re- mote antiquity, and the occasional discovery of relics, . displaying some proficiency in the mecli.inic arts, as cer- tainly proves that their origin is beyond the present tribes of Indians, who are tlicmselves as much in tlue dark as to these points, as are the whites theTuselves. Even their traditions are silent, and unlike the Egyp- tians, the founders .-f ihesc monuments have left not even hieroglyphics, which the art and industry of some yankee Chai'ipolion or Layard. "•night peradventure ren- der into readable English, '^l.'hey are impen(»trable mys- t<^ries, and although they will jirobably always so re- main, they will no^'.-er cease to be objects of curiosity and researcli, until under tlie utilitarian hand of indus- try, the ruthless plougli shall level them with the land. I 'i 1' .')(> 1-1 FE AND TIMEH and blot out foivvtM* nn-guard, made a foray uj)- ou a village of jjrairie dogs, and though they worked all day and delugcsl their holes with torrents of water with all the vessels they eould extern '">rize, nightfall t'onud them the possessors of but unlucky dog, whose points noted in silence, and hide quickly prejta- red by the naturalist of tho Exiiedition, ])erhaps fig- ures to thid day among the curiosities of Washington Citv. Pursuing the tenor of their way, now occasionally di- \ersitied with tugging their boats over the frequent shal- lows of the river, and occasionally adding some ran; animal, bird, petrifaction or other curiosity to their col- leetion of novelties, not iimch of interest occurs in the narration of their journey. Dy the liOth they had reach- ed a long chain of bluffs, on the north side of the Mis- souri, of it dark color, the earth of which ''dissolves like sugar," and the mixture of large quantities of which in the rapid current, gives its waters their muddy tinge. On the 25th, anothor conference took place between OF rATlUrK GABS. 51 till' r'jii>tiiiiis and u (Iclopitioii of tlio Tcoton branch of tii<' Sioux liulians, whicli rosnltod in aniiitnaloxrhan^'c ot'«'ivIlitit;H, tlin nuiki!it?ofs(>voral oftlit) J.inlian>), chiels. auil canio noar cndinjjf in a luush. I'liisoccinroil about, in tiiis wiise: After tlio (•or('nioui<'s'of tlicconfcrcnco wvn- ovor, (Japt. Clarke, K(Mit th(! n<'\v niaib; eliiofx asliftrc in tJm PiMio^ruo, with sonio of his ni«'n, l)Ut when tlioy Ian lieii, I ..; Indians liad taken such a fancy to tla; boat, that they hiid claim to it, and were disjiosod to [ircviiit its return to its proper owners. 'I'o Ca|)t. (.'hirke'H threats thtjy replied that they had s|ti(nlily of Ids liosts, \\o wus no donl)< oonstniincd to jDirlnkc of many n, nionN that wouM no( so well havt' suited his Jasles nnioni!: his nion^ «k'\inly I't'cdiu!;' IVicnds al h(nn(\ l»ul Ji travrlh'r innst Ix' ;; |:!nlosh('r, and our hero. siu\|dy slnlcs i\w incls without irivinixns any iukii".i;as lo his siuisafions, or iudulu'in!.; in any rcllcci ions u]>on Ihc din'iMiMn'cs in taste that |U(>\ ail in diricrtMil localities. At this(anij), they liad a contiiuuMl round oi' lestivit ies, in which nil liands s<'eni(Ml aniiahly hent upon co.itrihutin.L!: to tire deli:;ht ol" their «j::u(>sIs, until when the time came lor leu- vini;, in the c^xcess of theii' kimhn^ss Ilie\ vie/,ed the rojK» and woulil iiot allow tluMu to dcpait. To speed tlti* pnrtinu: j^m^st, is ji maxim (^fcivili/ed liospilality, thai did not siVMU to ite a]>]U'ecial(Ml hy th(^ Sioux, and the iieLjh'Ct came ni;;-h heiui;' .sHcinh^d with dil'lictdry, for <'apt. li(nvis, l)ec(uninu"ch(d(M'ic, was just on the ])oint oVijivin!^ orders to liic on tliem, Avhim the point was coni])romi,>i\l i)y a carrat oi" tobacco heinu' i^iven tlio oiiiefs, so tliat they min'ht u,'o ini peace. These an(H'- dotes may seem trilliuij: enough, hut they hour the im- pn\ss ol" truth, and ,L!,'iv(^ a moi(^ correct idea of Ijidian character than ]ia!;'<'s of hii)ored description could ailford. Tliey show the Indian in liis true light before oomniu- lucjition with the wliitc man hadnltcrod their nature. — imjuilsivo and impressible nscliildren, with little ideas of the rights of pro]ierty, superstitious to a degree, tick- led into good humor by a glittering bauble, or provoked '■■J or- r'ATIffCK OAHH. 5fi into nrkn.'llcrtinjLC un.L':<'r liy us Hli,Lclit. ii ('nnm> — iccrM-Toim toil IVifMid, (ixuctiii;^ «<) Hiom" in llicir \><>w(:r, n.'Niritlfyw l,r contnylu'- tituin and ycit (•oriHiKhiiit \vitli itself. Af fliis iinif! jlw-v wc.nM'onipiirativfdy iiri!H''(iiuiri(<'d with (li'( u-liif<'H, arid tii(5 n.'itivy the 1st. ofOulober, tiiey had reaehed tiie wnv J>u (Allien or Dog river, a hirL,^<3 ti ibutary of the Mihsouri, fnmi the soutli. Above, the eonrse of river was ob- Htrnetcd by .sand bars rendering the navigation (lin"."dt. A Frenchman, wiiom they mi't with, hyre, informed tiicjiii thi)t they wouhl not encounter any mon; Jndians un- til they camo into the country of the Ji:(;karees, and an- <^»rdinglyoa the Uth Iriving rea(d>e^l a village of tliis n.'i- tifjji, tlu^y prepared to hold a council. The village con- Histed of about si.vty lodgen, of the construction of wfiich, Mr. Gasy gives the following description. "Jn a drclo of a si/:o suited to the dimensions of the intoiui- oii lodge, they set ^)[> sixteen forked posts five or jsix foot high, and lay roles from one post to anotlier. A- gaiust those poles they lean otlier poles, slanting ffom the ground, and extending about four inches above tlm poles: these arc to receive the ends of the upper poks, that support the roof. They next set up four large forks, fiftoou feet high, and about ten feet apart, in tUa mid- 54 T.IFE AND TIMES dlo of the area; ami polos or beams between these. — The roof polos are then laid on, extending from the low- er polos across the beams which rest on the middle forks, of such alength as to leave a hole at the top for a chim- ney. The whole is then covered with willow branciu's, 'ixcopt the chimney and a hole below, to pass thnjucjh. On the willow branches they lay grass and lastly clay. At the hi>le below they build a pen about four feet wide ■ind projecting tan foot from the hut; and hang a buffa- lo skin, at the entrance of the hut for a door. This labour like every other kind is chielly performed by the squaws. They raise cor^p, beans and tobacco. Their tobacco is different from .iny 1 had before seen; it'un- swers for smoking, but not for chewing. On onr re- turn, I crossei from thsr island to the boat, with two squaws in a burt'alo skin stretched on a frame madp of l)oughs, wove together like a crate or basket for that purpose. Captain Lewis and Captain Clarke held a Council with the Indians, and gave them some pres- ents." Here tiiey found two Frenchmen living with tbo In- dians, one to inierpret and the other to do their trad- ing. A council was held \vith this nation which ended in an interchange of presents and of amicable proUi«ta- tions; and the party persued their journey among them not onlv unmolested, but received with marked civiiitv. Mr. Ga^ s, characterizes the Rickarees as the most clean- Iv India. IS he saw on the vovage as well as the most friendly and industrious. A hunting party, which they encountered in their w/iy back to their village, had, Kays he, twelve buflfalo-skin canoes or boats laden with meat and skins; besides some horses that were going down the bank by land. They gave us part of their m .,Mr OF I'ATUK K iJASH. 55 In- r trail - ended g theru ivility. clean - 111081 * 1 tber had, with "f meat. TIio party consistod of men, women und child- I rcn. Hliortly after they saw another party of hnntci^, I who asked them to eat. and were very kind and gave tliem feoiae i.ieat. One of these requested to speak witli ouryouni; s([uaw, wlio for some time hid herself; bnt at last eanui out and spoke witli liim. She then W(uit on shore and talked with him, and gave him a pair f>f ejir- rings and drojis for leave to eome with them: and when the horn bknv for all liands to come on board, she left iliem antl came to tlio boat. 81ie shortly afterwards left them and found another hunting party of IvickanMjs, In the evening, a sliort time before they encr.rnpcd, they met with another hunting party of the sr.me tribo. They had a iloek of goats, or antelopes, in the river, and kill- ed upwards of forty of them. Captain I^owis, and one of our hunters went out and killed three of thosamoflr)ck, of more than almndred." Tliey pushed onward toward the country of the Man- dans and on their way up encountered a couple of French- men who had been hunting in the nation, but were rob- bed by a party, of tlieir arms, amunition and peltry, and were on their w lack very disconsolate. They were glad to be taken aLoar*! of tlio boats entert ining hopt*!? that they might, though the interference oi ('aptjiin Lewis's party, regain their property, and being acquiiint- iid with the language, their company was |Uit<; an ac- quisition. They passed in a short time, the place where the Frenchmen had l>een robbed, but no Indians wei*c to b<. seen in the neighborhood except alnr ag party of the Sioux, coming down from tlie Mandau nation, clothed nly in breech clouts, notwithstanding that the weather had become extremely cold and disagreeable. o 56 LIFE AND TIMEH lliis was in tbo month of Octuber, 1804, and our trav- ollcra ttit3 tar up tbo Missonri in the country of the Man- dans, with tlio prospect of an early and severe winter lx>foro them, tlie discovery of an Irisliman among t]ie»e Indians is considered an inci(h>nt wortliy of note, as no dunht was the sight ofa wliiui skin from any qnarttjr; bnt passing on, day by day, tiny pushed fartiier into the wilderness, until Oct. *i7tb, their observations show- od IGlO miles from tlte iiioutli of the river Dubois, wlience they ])ad first em- barked. 'They had averaged scant ten miles per day from the time of their departure, yet theirs was an "orig- inal enterprise, and they had progressed as rapidly as the nature of the circumstances would allow. By this time they began to entertain serious thoughts of going into winter (juarters and as it Avas apparent that they \v"aroto domicile with the Mandans, it became good policy on tlieir part to make fair weather with their prospective companions. Accordingly, extensive prep- arations were made for a grand talk, the display accom- panyng which was to strike admiration into their hearts. When the principal men from all the villages of the Mandans had assembled, the swivel was iired from the bt)w of the Captain's boat, and at 11 o'clock the Com- manding oftiecrs, rigged in appropriate, though tarnish- ed regimentals, took the Chiefs by the liand with be- coming ceremony. Capt. Lewis through the interpre- ter delivered a speech, gave a suit of clothes to each of tilt) head men and some presents of less value for dis- trihution in the villages. As a special mark of consid- eration, he presented to the united Mandan nation, an Iron Mill, in which to grind their corn. This marvel- ona liberality quite conquered them, and in token of OP TATRMK OASS. Oi nr trav- lio Mun- ! "winter Iff tllC»(.' 0, as 110 (]nart(!r; Iior into 18 sliow- roiii tlvc :rst cm- 2)er ilay II "orig- pidly as By this 3f going lat they le good ith tkeir vo prep- ' acconi- rliearts. of the om the le Coin- taniibh- vith be- iterpre- each of for dis- consid- ion, an narvel- okeii of 'm everlasting friondsliip, they presented the Captain witli 10 bushtds of corn, and a (h»putation from tlieir nuni- !)or volunteered their services to assist him in selecting ,i suitable site for a winter cu» impment. Whoever has read the romantic adventures of Ca}it. .(olin Smith, uiriong the Indians of Virginia, will dis- cover a striking resemblance betwcH'n his experience as handed down to us by himself and his chroniclers, and thttr of our voyagers. The same traits seem to have predominated in both instances, and their exercise has been followed with like results. Both found tlu; In- dians disposed to be friendly but treacherous; and both found that hospitality abused could be easily converteil into deadlv (uimily. As Jfackluyt savs of the Viri^inia Indians: "They are a peoi»le gentle, loving, faithful, void of guile, cruel, blood}', destroying whole tribes in their domestic fiuuls; u^ing base stratagems agaiubl their enemies, whom they invited to feasts and killed." In both eases the facile Jndian has yielded to the grasp- ing, r<.>bust Anglo-Saxon; and but a few more years will elapse en3 the llicarees, the Sioux, the Mandans, and the redmen of every tribe and kindred that yet lin- ger on our borders, will have gone to join the shades of the Powhatans, the ^Mohegans, the Narragansetts, and the l*0(|uo(ls, in that eternal hunting ground, where alone, they will be secure from the advancing tread tiud death-distributing knowledge of the white man. A spot was soon found, surrounded with cotton-wood and suitably situated for an encampment, and on tlic 2d of Novemlxir, 1804, they commenced to prepare theii- winter tpiarters. They nuirked out a square, and ereo- tod two equal rOvvs of huts, meeting each other at right angles. They designed to enclose the other two Kide« 1 ( i ii' 58 UFB AND TIMES of the square with pickets. The exterior side of the enclosure presented an elevation of eighteen feet, the inside of about eight and they wore made comfortable r.gainst the inclemency of the weather, as well as secure against any tricks of their capricious Indian friends. — About the 16th, there came a heavy fall of snow, and they moved, at once, into their unfinished cabins. They were well supplied with provisions, and, all considered, as comfortable as they could expect to be in their situ- ation. Winter had now set in, in earnest, and our voyagers improved their time in hunting. Taking advantage of tlie appearance of the Buffalo, which the snows had driven in upon the river bottoms, they killed a great number; in one expedition they and the Indians togeth- er, destroyed some fifty. The Indians mounted on hor- ses trained to the business, shot the animals with ar- rows. In this business they were very expert. Large quantities of meat were laid in at this time, against the time when the increasing severity of the cold would put an end to hunting. This time was not very long delay- ed. In a few days the weather became so intensely cold as to freeze proof spirits in fifteen minutes. Several of the party were badly frost-bitten, and even the Indians suffered from the same cause. About this time a hunt- ing party of eight Mandan Indians was attacked by the Sioux, one of their number killed, and their horses, &c., taken by the marauders. The facts were reported to Capt. Clarke, and he and twenty -three men of the party started in pursuit. They tried to induce a party of the Indians to accompany them, but they declined, owing, as they asserted, to the extreme cold weather, and the expedition was, perhaps, wisely, abandoned. I ■1^ side of the n feet, the omfortable 1 as secure friends. — mow, and ins. They onsidered, their sitii- r voyagers vantage of mows had d a great ns togeth- ed on hor- s with ar- t. Large gainst the would put >ng dolay- nsely cold Several of e Indians le a hunt- 3d bv the ir horses, ! reported m of the !e a party declined, weather, doned. I OP TATRICK OA88. 59 R.'l!iii'l Christmas day^was ushered in by a discharge from their swivel, and a'round of small arms by the whole corps, the convivial glass was freely passed, and the American flag was hoisted on the ramparts of the little fort, now first christened Fort Mandan, and its a])pear- ance, as it first waved on the breeze, was greeted with another glass very unanimously drank. The balance of the day was devoted to mirth and jolification and the holliday wound up with a general danco in which all hands participated. The precise location of Fort Man- dan, as deteiinined by astronomical observation is, 47 deg., 21m., 328., north latitude, being near the north- ern bend of the river and distant by their measurement 1610 miles from its -mouth. It is called on the maps of this day Fort Clarke, and is still a place of some re- soi't among the traders in those remote regions. . j3ere appears a chasm in the narrative of Mr. (J ass; dating from the 25th December 1804, until the 1st of January 1805, but the subject of discourse where it breaks off and that with which it resumes, arc so mar- vellously alike, that the imagination of the reader needs little aid to enable him to fill up the gap. It is not likely that a party such as ours, after six months as- siduous ^toil, now that the elements had combined to oppose their further progress, would sufter a holliday common to Christendom to pass unimproved, especial- ly when they had the society of the Mandan ladies, plen- ty to eat and something to drink, with w^hich to divert and console themselves. It is highly probable that tlio interim was appropriately improved, as the introduc- rion to the next chapter, which dates Tuesday Jamiary 1st, 1805, states that two shots were fired from that same old swivel in honor ol the New Year's day, loi- f'T i Il9!| 60 LIFE AND TIMES lowed by a glass of good old whiskey from Capt Lewis, and slioitly uft(3r unothci* from Capt. Clarke, repeated again after noon and doubtless at divers intcr- inediate intervals, from private ilasks. This day ■vround up with a dance in which our hero 'and Capt. Lewis ligured, and with which, "a great number of the natives, men, women and chihiren wlio came to see us, appear- ed highly pleased." Mr. Gass, gives but an indiller- eht account of the ]\L\ndan women as regards their per- sonal appearance, habits and behavior, and intimates that chastity was by no means one of their distinguish- ing virtues. Contrary to the general characteristics of the Indians of tlw Atlantic country, the conjugal tie seemed to set but lightly upon the natives of the plains; and departures thnrefroui, were very leniently regarded. Looseness in this regard, seems indeed to be a prevail- ing characteristic of the western Indians. While among the aborigines of the Atlantic States, continence, was considered a virtue in both sexes and generally prac- ticed, among all the tribes of the Missouri, it was but little regarded, and adultery and prostitution hardly considered as venial offences. Public opinion and cus- tom however, gcncndly regulate these things even in civilized countries, and it would be uncharitoole to ap- ply to the Mandan Indians the same standaid of mor- als that is recognised among people more advanced in civilization. They would be doing as much as could "be expected of them, and more than the whites often do, if they did not transgress their own customs, usages, and laws. This, we have no reason to believe they did. The Mandans are described as having lighter complex- ions than most other Indians, many of the children having light colored or flaxen, hair, the children of qth- OF TATRTCK DABS. CI 01 Capt Clarko, irs iiiter- y ^rolmtl t. Lewis 1 natives, , appear - indii^er•• lioir per- utimates tingnish- risties oi" jugal ti(' leplaiiiH; •egarded . , prevail - le among nee, was ly prac- was but hardly and cus- cvon in le to ap- of mor- anced in as cx)uld >ften do, usages, tiey did, omplex- children ofqtU- i ■■-■■.* •cr tribes being uniformly black haired from birth. During the months of January and February, noth- ing of much interest occurs, the party being principal- ly occupied in hunting and in the ordinary routine of camp life. Some of the experiences of the hunters were rather disagreeable, owing to the extreme cold, and oi;- casionallyto the necessity of partaking of wolf meat, when no bett(n- game could be found; but generally, game was abundant, and the blacksmith of the party driving a thriving trade by furnishing the natives with hatchets and other articles of iron for corn, at prices that would make our modern speculators stare, they were amply supplied witii the essentials of comfortable life. The tedium of this mode of living, was interrupted on the 14th, by the return to camp of a party of four of their men, who, having gone out Avith four horses for the purpose of bringing home some meat that had been stored at a distance from the camp, and had been beset by a party of Sioux Indians, and robbed of three wives of their interpreter, whose pres- ence was cxi»ected to be of benefit to them in their pas- sage through the Snake Indians, to which tribe she be- longed. The river still continued easily navigable; and they made good headway, although they had now reached a point higher up, than had ever before been attained by white men. The character of the country liegan to change, indications of volcanic action became of frociucnt occurrence, and the hills seemed sterile and naked of any appearance of vegetation, though there still uppoared to be plenty of game of various kinds. — A new article of diet here appears to have come in vogue, notl;iiig less tlian wild geese eggs, which they found deposited by tliose usually stupid birds in ncets high up in the trees, and another seuson/^^^'* delicacy was found in the young Buffalo calves, a number of which were about this time killed by the hunters of the party. Our journalist here remarks as a "singular cir- cumstance" what others liave since found out to their sorrow, that in this region there is no dew and very lit- tle rain, and with an astuteness worthy of Professor Espy, he enquires whether it can be ow^ing to want of timber. They had now got upon the borders of the desert country known as the ^'plains" by later travel- lers, in the overland journey to Oregon and California, and which proves so disastrous from almost utter want of water and scarcity of grass for stock. i i ^ ^ '111 ! IS ' m ■ Ml |fl| ( i 1 'li a Jfflj 1 i'i. 64 TJFE AND TIMES 'J'liis Avas at the mouth of Yellow Stone river, whieh tliey ascertained by measurement to be, in width, 297 vards of water and 501 of sand, while the Missouri was vj31 yards cT water and 190 of beach, the current of tlie latter river continuing strong, while that of the former is sluggish and shallow. This point is given at 18SS miles above the moutli of the Missour', and 2TS from their winter quarters at Fort Mnndan. Poitions of the country in this neighborhood are represented as very fertile, though indications began to multiply of their near approach to the Rocky mountains. They made an unsuccoesfnl attempt lioreto kill some mountain sheep, being the first they had yet seen, but though they failed in this, (!apt. Lewis succeeded in dispatching another stran Indians bid soino the ini- Imilarity bet; and r "views Ins 1 aich "v^, M I m more advanced in civilization. They had better ideas of natural religion than had the (J reeks and Tiomans. notwithstanding the fact, that these latter were the most ])-)lishcd, as well as the most intellectually acute nations o:' antiquity. The conception of one Great Author of al, to whom all are forever responsible, was tin* reii- tial idea upon which all the minor beliefs were founded: Htd though r.iany of their superstitious notions appear tons whimsical and absurd, yet this grand central idea nuy be discerned, more or less distinctly, through all. 'J'lry had a vague noi-Ion of the truth, handed down froii creneration to t'eneration and thonu'h cumlK-red anddistorted with error, their minds appeared to grojic in t\c dark in the vain eifort to roach the light witli(*ut diviie revelation. That they came so near it, is moiv to be wondered at, tlian that they should be lost in llie mists )f the iurnorance that beset them. The'iills which for many days had lieen barren of veg»?tatt)n, now began to make a sparse display of |iinc and ccdir trees, the verdure of which vras (piite enliven- ing to tb spirits of our voyagers, while the RurroundiuK scenery ^V)rc the appearance of architectural ruins no- ticed by tuvellers as the mauvais icrrcs, or bad lands, though tlu>-iver continuei^ wide and in handsome order fivr navigafein. Bears become more and more abundant and bear m chimney-stack of some crumbled down manufactory; lung ranges of shattered ruins a[)p.cared as' though tlie hand of time had been playing havoc with a deserted city; and the wiiole we- nery had that wierd and melancholy aspect, which ac- cording well with the broiiding and gloomy silence 60 suggestiv^e of the world to come, so haunts, with visions of the supernatural and infernal, minds prone to super- stition. dune 3d, 1805, the c( nnnanding oflicers being in a quandary winch of two forks of about equal siiMj it was proper to ascend, a couple of parties were detailed to try each, atid thus determine which was the ^lissouri proper. Two days were passed in feconoitering, and finally the south branch was reported the best for navigation, and up it they went, for the distance of aixty miles. The i^ "1 'a' III ii li fi MFK AND TIMK8 •recisc location, "^riie result Mas 47 deg., 24 m., 12h., Korth latitude. At the mouth of Maria's river the large pcriogue was concealed under heaps of brush, and near by was deposited their surplus stores, to bo ready for them on their return. On the morning of the 12th, they left this point and proceeded up the river, encountering great difliculty, owing to the numerous rapids; sometimes having to take tlie boats entirely out of water and transport them by land, on wheels extemporized for the purpose, and by the 18th. so toilsome had their progress become, that it was determineil to bury more of their luggage, which was accordingly done. The boats were mounted on wlieels, and the party accompanied it across a prairie, to the next point of embarkation, IG miles distant, which consumed the day. Up to the Fort Mandan, the general direction of the river had been Northwest, thence to this point, nearly due West, but shortly before reach- ing this point, now called Clark's Falls, the course of the river turns to the Bouth, and traverses some 200 miles almost directly to the South. The Falls or Rap- ids, are in the aggregate 302 feet in height, and extend for eighteen miles. After passing them, the character well as of the country changes, the river of the river is smoother and more equable in its current, wliile the country appeal us to be more level, with mountains cov- r OF PATRICK OASS. 71 creasing I part of trtion of in which il'C , to t. Lowis iiie their (K, Vis., the large and near ready for :ioint and lifHcnlty, nrr to talio , them by !, and by ic, tliat it 0, which luntcd on a prairio, distant, idaii, tho St, thence )re reach - ourse of omc tiOO or llap- d extend character the river while tho lains cov- orod with «now, surrounding tliom in the distance. — One of tiie ])nrty hero had a narrow escape from being devoured by bears. He was attacked by three brown boars, and to save Iuh life, was forced to leap over a prec- ipice, Eovcrely injuring himself and breaking hiH gun. — vXnotiior man about the sjinio linn?, was attacked by a huge ho bear, when separated some 200 yards from tho bahmce of the party. Ifis gun, unluckily, missed fir*;, and the bank was eo steep tliat his companions could not reach him; however, tliey iircd at tho bear from a distance, which had the elleot of frightening him off, and thus saving their comrade from an ugly encounter, in which the principal risk would have been on hi.s siile. Buffalo, oik and deer, as well as bears, appeared to be very plenty in this vicinity, and quite a number were killed by the party. An experiment of covering the iron frame of a boat, which they liad brought with them for the purj)0se, with skins, so as to be easily portable, proved a i'ailure, owing to the impossibility of making it water light, and they were compelled again to make new canoes, or leave more of their baggage. A couple of canoes were soon constructed and the party i)ushed on, the plains were covered with a short grass, and the hills from GOO to 1200 feet in altitude almost solid rock, bare of vege tation and seeming to be a favorite haunt of tiie Rocky Mountain sheop which were seen in great numbers on the very summits. Along the course of the river there was a fringe of cotton wood and bush- es, in which a great many deer and other animals wero found, and also a great variety of seasonable berries, among which is mentioned the .service berry, the choke berry and as particularly large and line, the black cur- rant. Indians had become extremely scarce and al- I .i I 'I h ill ill iii Ti LIFE AND TIMES tliougli piiities were sent out expressly to find thcni', they did not discover a native for weeks in succession. A smoko was discovered in the di.stancc, Avhicli on in- vestigation proved to rise from an Inilian hunting camp, the proprietors of whicli, evidently taking the whites {()V tinen)ies hail Hed into the wilderness. A polo which Mr. (J ass had crectiulas a mark for a small party left bo- hind, and in a cleft of svhich he had placed a note was knaweil down by a beaver and dragged off, giving the party for whoso benefit it was intended,' a wearisome tramp of yoveral miles in the wrong direction b'efore tlioir error was detected. A kind of red clay w'as noted as occurring heie, wliich their squaw infoimed them was used for Avar paint. A')o.it this tiiiii a biingnlar accident occurred thus ru- Jated by Mr. Gass. It appears, that some of the par- ty had discovered a fine sulphur spring, which Captain CJarke, the Interpreter, his squaw and child went to look at. JJuring their visit a sudden storm came up, forcing them to shelter under a bank at the mouth of a run. In five minutes time, such was the violence of the torrent, there were seven feet of water in the run and all hands came near being washed away. As it was, they lost a gun, umbrella and surveyor's compass, and barely escaped with their lives. At this place they had another encounter with a bear. < )n the oOth July l8Uo, they reached what Mr. Gass calls the Forks, and on the 9th August, the command- ing Officers came to the conclusion that these forks might be properly considered the end of the Missoini, and proceeded to name them, Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin, being respectively the north, middle and soulh branches, coming in nearly at the same spot. The latl- OF PATRICK CASS. 73 I them, jcessioii. h on in- ig cftmp, I whites le wliich yleft bo- loto was iving th»i earisomo n b'cl'ore vas noted led them I thus rc- t' the par- Captain went to ainc up, nth of a ice of the run and Is it was, pass, and they had |Mr. Gass )nimand- 3se iorks tSIissoi^i, lison and md south Thelatl- •.ttdoof this conduence of tlie waters was determined to bo about 45 dog., 15 min. north. Wo here make an extract from tlie Journal: "Thcv« is verv little ditlerenco in the nize of the throe bran- chea. On the bunk of the north branch we found a note Captain Clarke had left, informing us he -was ahead and had gone up that branch. AVe went on to the point, And as the men were much fatigued, encamped in order to rest a day or two. After we halted here, it began to rain and continued three hours. About 12 o'clock Capt. Clarke and his men came to our encam]»ment, and told us they had been up both branches a conj^id- erable distance, bat could discover Uduc of the natives. There is a beautiful valley at these forks, and a good deal of tiuiber on the branches, cliieOy cotton-wood. — Also currants, goose and service berries, and choak- cherrics on the banks. The deer are plenty too, some of the men went out and killed several to-day." Cajd. Clarke, who had been taken sick on the route, is here i-eported convalescent, ami Capt. Lewis, who had trav- eled ahead of the party, was obliged to camp out by himself in the howling wilderness. He, however, turn- ed np all right in the morning, and the party dividing. Capt. Clarke w^ould explore one branch with his corpg and Capt. Lewis, another, with his, leaving notes at prominent places to direct each other in their explo- rations. The travelling had become difticult and the routes extremely mixed, rendering their progress very slow. At this place, our squaw informed us, "she had been taken prisoner by the (Irossventers four or five years ago. From tliis valley we can discover a large mountain with snow on it, towards the southwest; and expect to pass by the northwest end of it. Capt. Lcwi» ^ * 74 LIFE AND TIMES M had a meridian altitude liorc, which gave 45 dog., 22m. 358. nortli latitude." A.^eendiuLC the north or Jofforson branch, it also fork- ed into Wisdom anback to meet him; and we all turned back np the river again, poor and uncomfortable enough, us we Irad nothing to eat, and tliero is no game. Wo proceeded np about three miles, and supperlcss %vent to rest for the night. "Next morjiing, we set out early and li;'.'l a line day; passed the Indian camp, where they gave lis a little dried salmon, and proceeded l)ack agivin ov i- t]\c moun- tains. Some hunter>^ went on ahead arul <'ncamped in the valley. Two men went to hunt, and all tiie rest to Hsh. We soon caught as many small fish as made with two salmon our guide got from some Indians, a com- fortable su pper. At dark our hunters came in and had killed but one beaver. "Monday '2Gth, we hud again a pleasant morning; and four hunters went on early ahead, and one man to lOok for the horses. We breakfasted on the beaver and A salmon, which had l)een saved from supper the pre- ceding evening. The man wdio had gone for the lior- «cs, having returned withoul finding them, four or tivo more went out, and our guide immediately found them. We then, about ten oVock, proceeded on to the forks. \ '* or pATrvrc <■ SI on down not pos- mt much the bed ared im- :h, stoop long tho ) sea, by >u to tho 10 snutl; letter to 'back to r ngain, thing to p about. 1 niglit. ino day; : a littlo nioun- ipod in rest to do with a oom- md liad orning; man to er and ho pro- u' lior- or livo ihiMn. !orkff. where wo found our hunters; but tlii-y bad killed noth- ing. So we went up to a small village of the nativOvS, '■rot some fish from tlicni, and lodged there all night. "Next morning eight of us went out to hunt. I ob- served some flax growing in the bottoms on this river, but saw no clover or timothy, as I had seen on thoMis.s- oiiri and Jeffoi-son rivor. Thi're is a kind of wild sago IV hyssop, as high as a man's head, full of braneho^ and leaves, Avhieh grows in these bottoms, with shruba of difforent kinds. In the evening we all came in again and had killed nothing br.t a fish. We got some More from tlio natives, which avo subsisted on. "We lodged here again all night, but heard nothing from Captain Lewis. On the morning of tlu; t28th of August, I v.-ent on to tho Tijiper village, where J found ('apt. Lewis and his partvbuving horses. Thov had ii:ot twentv-three, which with two we had, made in the \vholo twenty-five. I thou returned to our ean\p, a distance! of Hfteen miles, and arrived there late. I found the Aveather very cold for the season." Th(; ascent of tho Missouri had been plain sailing in comparison to tho navigation of tho Columbia, Avliore Drccipiees of a thousand feet elevation came .sheer doAvn to the Avaters edge, .^o stiH'p that nothing sa\'e the ven- turesome foot of the mountain g«»at (haod to scale them, est way, of his participaiion in important services. There is, however, no ostentation about the narrative, all goes along in a smooth matter of fact way, as if the in- cidents narrated, were of every day occurrence and en- titled to no particular mention. The men bore their hardships manfully and obeyed with unllagging energy and undeviating lidclity the com - uiands of their oflicHrs; who, themselves, seem to have been well worthy of the men over whom they wero placed. But \vh«tless could be expected. The Ameri- can 's a man every inch of him, whether in civil or in military life, whether in command or in subordination. As a soldier he knows his place and his rights as a free man; and the true officer will exact nothing but what he knows will be done with a will ; and the man will execute whatever is to be done with a zeal and an in- telligence that no other nation can altain. It is this characteristic that makes them invincible as soldiers and i-enders them notorious for indomitable will, steady perseverencc and great achievements in whatever enter- prises they engage, either of ])eace or war. Fur the next few days they passed through the same difficulties, striving with almost superhuman energy to surmount the last barrier that nature has erected between the op- posing surges of the Pacific and the Atlantic, stretching like a huge back-bone the length of the continent and parting the fresh fallen waters of the East and the West to the right and to the left with it* adamantino vertebrae. Gradually, however, their course became somewhat smoother, traversing occasional . mall vallics, like oases, of rich black soil, abounding witu iierbs, ber- ries and edible roots, and inhabited by the Flathead In- dians, who Mr. Gass, denominates the whitest lu- 1 i'j. ■ Ml f: Mi ^1 i 1 i!!-^ it ■ ■ ■•* ■84 LIFE AND TIMCS dians he ever snw, and wlio arc much Letter provided witli worldly geor than their neiglil)ors, the Snake.'*, from whose country they areahout otnorLrincr. "The Indian dogs arc so hungry and ravenous," says he, "they ato iivo pair of our niockasoiis last night. Wo remained liere all day, ami recruited our horses to forty and three eolts; and made fourorlivp of this nation of Indians chiefs. They arf» a v^m'v IViondly pccple; have plenty of I'obes and sl;ins foreoveiing, and a lii-ge stock of horses, some of which are vei-y u'ood; hrt lh(>v have nothingto ■ity, and fo give it body, killed and roasted a C')lt, whicliour liero Siiys, made it "good eat- ing." l''or some h from the Flatheads is mentioned m a matter to be thanktul for. As theyomergi^d Ironi the mountains, their route be- e*me gradually mon^ comfortable In a small valley, ihoy found a village of Flathead Indians, wlio Buppli- . dl S6 LIFE AND TIMES c(l them with provisions, consisting of hsn, rootfl and bread, manufactured by them in u way peculiar to them- selves, from fi sweet root, growing in great abundanco on the plains, and bearing in Juno a flower of a pale blue color, the root resembling the onion in appearance, which they call "comas." This bread was found not only nour- isliing but quite palatable, tasting 1 ike that made of pump- kins. The ludiatis trcatt^d them kindly, and furnished ^ tliem with a good su})ply of edibles in exchange for small nrtieles of imMi'liandisi', whiei; tiiey had brought along. From this point they travelled by moderate stages, hav- ing many of them fallen sick from bad and insufficient di- et, and it may refresh tlie memories of our readers to be iutormed ihat Captain Clarke in this emcrgfmey with true Saiigr^do polic\' "gave all the sick a dose of Ur. Hush's pills to see wliat elfnct that would have." The e.Kperimont apjicars to have been successful. Dr. Hush's pills did their duty, fuid the men began nipidly to improve in bodily health and spirits, (lame eon- tinnod scarce on the Columbia, the Indians oftliis coun- try having lo cross over on to the Missouii to jirocuro their supplies of meat which they annually did in large parties in pursuit of thn Buffalo. Another kind of na- tive sheep is spoken of as living in these vallies, dis- tinct from the mountain ]\am of the preceding pngr s in being smaller an d eovci'ed witli wool f )ur imdioa long, iiiie, white and soft; instead of the ha-iry covering peculiar to the latter animal. The want of nri inter- preter to enable them to communicate with the Flat- heads proved a seriousinconvenionee, but they managed by signs to ascertain that they were then at war'with a neighboring tribe, who had slain several of their people; and also, that they hacl had eomnuijiicatiuu with white or rATlUCK GASfl. ST men at tlic moiitli of tlie river, upon which they were tlien travelling. It is amusing to uoticc the iuditTerenco with which, onr author, hy this time has I'vinied to speak of dining on horse flesh. 1'ht) hunters, cunio across ix hor.'^e, shot him and after dressing, hung him up as if he had been a Buffalo or a bullock, and the party partook of his fle.sh, with even more gusto peihaps, than do the Parisian gourmands — to a certainty, fliesc latter, have not .such an excuse for an appetite. Game was utt^'rly out of tliG question. The water was also warm and sol't and sick- ened them. Tlie very timber on tlie uiountain.s was dead and fall, i and starvation seemc.l to bo the goniu.s of the place. The oidy redeoming feature mentioned, is a kind of rod:, suitable !'<>;• millstones. They here, supped upon the last of their horse, and l)y way of de- sert, finished on a wolf tbcy bad killed; and wdiich, Mr. Gass, calls very strong and substantial diet. After thip, they came into a section where berries and Indian bre.-Kl abounded, but t'iC chaii:;\) of diet made the men suik and they were forced to lie up aiul recruit. By the 1st. October, the luon had all sufficiently re- covercil to be able to work, and tlie navigation had i^o much improved, that it was deemed advisable t^o pre- pare canoes, and continue the journey by water! The labor of hewing out canoes v/as thuught too arduims considering the weakened condition of the men and ac- cordinurlv thevw;.'re lioliowed out bv bnrnincc in the In- dian fashion, whi(di process consumed 8'..nio days; aivd on the 8th. they were again prepared to continue tlieir voyage.* Along the river they discovered numcrons lodges of Indians, who were uniformly pea:.'eably dispos- ed, and two chiefs vrho volunteered to accompany them, 't I ! ill ' 1 I In I i ;! II i-:.? II ■ i Jij' 1 lil 1 il '1 If r'1 «8 I.IFH AND TIMEtJ gave th(>ni t'lo cluvrijig a.ssuraiu;o tliat cic lon,i; they tiliuuld moot wliiL'-t poojik', autl as eviiloiico, of iho Itu-t thoy displayod beads uud otiier tiiukcLS of white inami- liictiiro. At the mouth ef tlie Koo3-coo.s-kie, ahargo river com- ing in from the oust, th"'ir SDake gui^le deserted them, frightened by tlie diflicult y of the luiviguioti. The prin- cipal portion of llie men of this ban'lof Flatlieads liav- ing been on ii war party, returned about tiiis time, and Civme to the camp of tlie wliit 's, but owing to the ab- Bonce of an interpreter tlicv were uiuibh) to !.avo any in- formatiot). 'lli^'v \vvv<\ liowcviM", very peaceably dib- posed, and having received various presents, remained loitering about the camp. ri'.)vise at the vj } Indians 1 with the of them ler prop- ,0 pieces me to an ^^M ^'here we IS. We ''^^^1 hite peo- summer. es which we pro- [icaroped nnnsual on this river. We could not get a single stick of wood to cook with; and had only a few small green willows. — We continued our voyage, a* id at an early hour came to the lodges of some of the natives. Here we got some bread, made of a small white root, which grows in this part of the country. We saw among them some small robes made of the skms of grey squirrels, some raccoon tikins, and acorns, which are signs of a timbered coun- try not far distant. Having proceeded on again, we passed several more lodges of Indians; and through two very rocky rapid parts of the river with great diflficulty. The next morning was fine, and we saw a great num- ber of ducks, geese and gulls. At 10 o'clock we came to a large island, where the river has cut its way through the point of a high hill. Opposite to this island a large river comes in on the south side, called by the natives Sho-sho-ne or Snake-Indian river; and which has large rapids close to its mouth. This, or the Ki-moo-ce-neira, is the same river, who? 3 head waters we saw at the Snake nation. The natives are very numerous on the islands, and all along the river. Their lodges are of bulrushes and flags, made into a kind of mats, and formed into a hut or lodge.'* On Wednesday, the 2iU October, 1805, they reach- ed the rapids or great falls of the Columbia, the first pitch of which is 20 feet perpendicular, being thirty- seven feet in a distance of twelve hundred. The wa- ter sometime reaches to a height of forty-eight feet, at which times, the falls become only a rapids and can be •afely passed over with boats. At ordinary times, the channel is only seventy feet wide for some three miles; *nd the immense mass of water being thus confined, rushes with almost lightning velocity. About the great I'll 1^ di T.IFR AND TTMrS : ! I ])itt'li, tho appoaraiu'c of the place is said to ho fcrritlc Trmiiendons rocks tlireatcn to topplv3 over with the- trenihling of theeartlH and the mighty volume of wa- ter pouring over into so contracted a channel lashes it- self into foam and furv. The waters seem in torment, and the hoholder invariahly feels creeping upon him a sensation of awo aiuf oven of foar, of so indefinable a nature, that he involuntarily shrinks from the contcm- 2)lation. For a considerable distance from this point continuous navigation was rendered impossible by sim- ilar obstructions; and the party was forced to carry their canoes and loading by land — sometimes for miles at a stretch, and thus slowly and laboriously, they pursued their difficult way over this portion of the river. At length, tho current of the river became more uniform and they were enabled to make better headw?\y, holding occasional conferences with tho natives, from whom they learned that a conspiracy was being formed among the Indians farther down, to wavlav and exterminate them; ami subsisting on dog, dried fish, and such other delicacies as they were able to procure from the Indians, Occasionally, a deer was killed and brought in by the hunters, while water fowl was quite abundant. Obvi- ously, their situation was improving, as they descended from the inhospitable mountain country into the fortUo bottom lauds of the Columbia. Monday, November 4th, opened up fine, clear and frosty, and the portion of the river they were in, ex- cited their admiration by its beauty; but more cheering even than the contrast of such a river, with that over which they had made such toilsome progress, was the fact revealed to their vision, that the river rose and foil with the tide, and the information conveyed by eigne by T»F FATIUt K OA.sS. 1)3 'ihc Indians, (liat in two more day^^ thoy would see ships . with white men in tliem. As evidence of tlioir veraci- ty, they displayed quantities of uinv cloth, and of trin- kets tlicy had (djtnined from the sliijts, and the despair- ing mariners of Christopher Columbus, never viewed with more solicitous curiosity or more heartfelt satis- faction the lloating evidences of the land they were seek- ing beyond the western waters, than did our adventu- rers these sii'ns and svmbtds of a civilization to which they had been for so many weary months such total strangers. At length, on the IGth. N«»vcmber, 1805, they saw for the iirst time the waters of the Pacific. For some (lavs there had been almostu constant storm, and the bay at the mouth of the river Avas turbulent and rorgh; so that their first impression:^ of the great wes- tern ocean was anything but favorable as to its pacific character. All tlie reflections, our journalist, who is as sententious^ as Tacitus, on t^nich subjects, has to make on an event, which might well be considered an epoch in an ordinary lifetime, and with a more ambitions au- thor might have excused some self glorification, are embodied in the following short quotation, the brevity of which is only surpassed by its exceeding modesty. — "We are now at the end of our voyage, which has been completely accomplished according to the intention of the expedition, the object of which wac, to discover a passage by the way of the Missouri and Columbia river« to the Pacific ocean; notwithstanding the difficulties, privations and dangers which we had to encounter, en- dure and surmount," There appears to have been very little romance or «eutiment about any of the party, all such unsubstan- tial ideas having been starved out by hard, practical - It II 94 LIFE AND TIMES 1 ?■ experience; as the next intimation wo have of their jiroceedings, is, that five of them went out to hunt and returned with so many doer, ducks and goose; while the balance quietly sat down to wait for Captain Lew- is, who with some men had gone in quest of the white people of whom the Indians had informed them hy signs. The broad Pacific rolled before them in its turbulent majesty: at their backs, frowned the mountains whoso fastnesses they had dared and whoso secrets they had learned: while at their feet, lay a fertile land of bound- less extent, watered by mighty rivers and in a genial climate but in unclaimed and savage wildness; but they threw neither fetters in the sea or planted stakes upon the land. There was no planting of crosses, no advan- cing of banners, no ceremonies to commemorate the oc- casion, such as other explorers had deemed necessary when a country was to bo wrested by the grace of God from its natural owners, and transfcrod by a flourish of paper, burning of gunpowder and sacriligious calling upon Deity, to his catholic or his protosiant majesty; but in a plain matter of fact way they went about their business, seemingly unconscious that they were the pi- oneers in the greatest Exodus that has ever happened since Jehovah himself, led his chosen people from the land of their bondage into a country flowing with milk and honey. . Like the Israelites of old, full forty years elapsed before the fruition of hope; and aU*\lio wanderers, save one, were in their graves, before the land they discov- ered became in reality the land of promise. Mr. Gass, alone'survives, the sole living testimony to a modern miracle, almost rivalling in its wonderful sequences the journey through the Red sea and over the desert wil- ^Si.i OF PATRICK GAS8. c of tbcu lunt and ;c; while in Lew- he white by signs, urbulent s whoso ]iey had f hound - a genial hut thev vcs upon o advan- the 00- ecessary (of God ^urish of calling majesty; )ut their B the pi- appened Vom the ith milk elapsed (I's, save discov- r. Gas8, modern quenees jert wil- '{erness led by the prophet of God. Forty years after him, a living stream of adventurous men began to pour into the vallies of California and Oregon; they swarm- ed over the sterile plains and scaled the mountain passes, and their sails whitened the bays and harbors of the coasts. The wild Indian looked on amazed, and the haunts of the buffalo and griz/ly, echoed with the shouts of teamsters and the creaking of loaded wains, as company after company and drove after drove pur- sued their wearisome way, impelled, as it were, by tlie liand of Providence, to settle and thus subdue this modern Canaan. In ten years time, cities, villages and hamlets sprang up; the Golden .State was organized, and J; opled with an enterprising, intelligent popula- tion an ' added to the great confederacy, whose domain was thu> made continental. C'alifornia, the result of this grand irruption, although but an infant in years, has already outstripped some of her older sisters in all the attributes of greatness — numbers, wealth and intel- ligence; and other embryo states are knocking for ad- mission in the mountains of Oregon. Singularly enough, the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by day, in this modern Exodus, was gold, — gold in the dreams and gold in the daylig^it visions of the thousands of every name and clime, who now people the Golden State, or whiten with their bones the same plains and sierras skirted and traversed by our adventurous party. It does seem indeed as though the hand of Providence were in it. For thousands of years the yellow metal had reposed, waiting in the sands, the time when all things conspiring, it should be disclosed to tempt the cupidity of man, and accomplish in the settlement of the country the beneficent designs of the Creator. The 1 ' f (h; T.ri'K ANO riMKH world was alliit poaco, and nn('.\aiiij)li\l prosperity hov- r'rt'd over all i\w nutioiiN of 'he. lulli. ( ■oTnitn'ri-iul rn- )l('.st, tl«'Vt'l( a 111 torpnscwfts lu its amplest, tIrvtIopiiuMit, iiiid inc K]nrii of Kpoculiition was rit"«^ in evcrv laii'l iVopIc worn just ready for sticli a discovtMy ol' irol'l. I !i<. disclosuro i»rok(? upon them liko tlic news ofu piuiic, .-ill listenod, nil bolic^M'd — few rofiiH'tcd — ;nid iiiiiny vciturod. — Scar('(!l y a nation «»n llu^'artii, luit uus soon icproscn- t«Ml in ('j\lit'(M-uin. Nativos of llic I'l l(>sliul I'lnipiro lan- ded from thoir jntiks; hai'lturoiis islanders from llio ['a t'ilic; Africans', Asiatit's, iMirofX'aiis, and Arnoricans, all conceutratotl n|)(Hi lior shores in the ii.sh after the e;older. pri/.o. 'The se«]n(d has denK)nslratoil, it is trut,-. lliat all is not mdd that y^litters. hut has proNcn in tht* I'ar Rearehinj;' providenee ol" ( Jod ii u oild-wide Idessiri;;', Of all this strand dcvelo|iinent, oiir jiarty had no itlea, find probably had a y>roph(;t risen iVom his «;!avo to re- veal the future, they would have treated him with in- ( rcdnlous scorn. Such is shorl si'^hled man, with nil his knowled|;e, ill his .sauacity, all his courjv.m; and hi;* [)rido. The whites referred to by the I/idians luul departed shortly before they arrived, leavinj^ them and the In- dians sole monarehs of the domain. Capt. Lewis dis- covered where they had encam|'/ed, but our author gives US no information as to the nation or character of the ships, referred to, thoui;h nK»re than probable they Avere Yankee whaleri;, who iuul put in here for u little dicker with the Indians during the trading season. Having reached the mouth of ^tlic Columbia, after traversing over four thousand miles, of unexplored wil- derness, and expending eighteen consecutive months in the operation, it became advisable to take measures i'o,\ or r.\Tlll< h (lAHH 07 )rity liov- KTcIul c.n- tlui Hpirit wrro just lisclosuro liHtcuicil, . tiirod. — roprc'scn- ii{)ire liin- n llio I 'a inoriciiiiK. ul'tor the it is triu.'. ,vn in tlie lilossin-^. I no [den, fU'o to ro- , u'illi ill- , with nil e uiul his departed the Tn- cwirt (lis- lor jjfives or of tin; hoy wo IV lo diokei ia, after ored wil- louths in siirob foi- ft spoiulinp tlio winl<;r soasoii ns ooiiiroi taltly ns poesihlo, hcforo coimnfiMiiiL,' their rotiini in tiio spring. Novom- hor was far advaiifod ainl iht; inricasing inch'nuincy of the weather, Wiirncd iIkmii to he on llie alcit. During a n\ontii spent al lie- mouth <»ft hit ( 'oliinihia, reuonnoitor- iiig the eounlis , t hey ex peiifiiecil ciily throo fair days and it was not uilil th(> .')lii. ■ f l)ei-einh«'r, LSllT), th(!y were ahh*. to jdleh u|ion a spoi that suited tlieir purpose; and lljey immediately proceeded to uiovv. their orfeetH to th(! [ihiee, a diMtame of some 'itter'n miles up ^a snuill hraneli comini,^ iuii» the hay, wiiero they found gamo in eonsiderahhi ahundanr(>, and the I'aeiiitios for making Halt, i)f whiidi they stood greatly in need. J'^IU were seen in large! numlnMs, und (|uile a iiiimher W(>re killed hv the liuntors of the pari v. Uv Christmas dav, tlieir winter quarters \N('i-e completed, heing nuide of j>un- ehoons and logs eomfortahly datdiod with mud, and the men lelt their hunting eau^) and moved into thorn. On ( 'iiristmas morning all the mi-n parad(!d, andliringa lound of .•!om." Tin! leaves, lie Hnys, wore not I . f ,'i 1; nil 1 : * T'ti ;10ii MFK ANI» TIMKS \{\v\\ lijick, disMpjxiiiitcd uiul inclnnclioly. Notwith hljiMiiiii.i; (lie SHOW in such troultlcsdtim proximity, tlio tnos(jui((»s ami jj^iuits wmmp cxtriMiu'ly iiimoyinjjf, comp*'!- lin^ (Ikmu l(» built! simill tiros to pr(»t(H't llio Iiofhch IVoni (luMr iittat ks. A' length. »)H tln> Isl. iliily, iSOt), tlwy luid pnKsnl tho more tlil^icii!! p(n tion uf (licir Kuitc, crosHin^^ thr nu)unt;\ins, ;ui'l IuiIIimI lo ir-1 ul tlu' njoulli of ( 'iurkc'fi livor. The ptuty. was Ikmc scparat.tMl; u part, goirig up this river, witi» Captain ("larke; our hero nmlor thij connnanti ut" Captain Jiewis, with severul otlierw liav- inii; to go Nttaight airoHH to the ImiIIh of the Missouri, whoro tlu'V ha«l left some eanoes. On tlu5 JJnl. tfuly, they stftrted — Captain Clarke uji tho river and liGwis an«l his jiarty, witli the uccoinpanyin^ nativ(^n, (h)\vn. — They liere dismissed their guides with m..*iy prosentB, and Mr. (Jass, again highly complinumtH the.so Indians, ■ns "liospitablo, obliging, and good hearted Hons of tisc West." After wandering around through the broken country Ivimr between tho waters of the (ndumbia and tho Miss- oiui, our explorers on the 7th, eatuo u[)on tho dividing ridgo whieh finally Heparated them; and starting from a mountain s^^ring, they followed its course, day after day, until on the 11th. they Ktruelv the main river near the ficene of th»ir oncampment tho winter before. A few days were spent at this point in looking up their bag- gage and bouts coucealeil previouH to crossing toward the west; and Buffalo and otlu'r game being very abun- dant it was considered advi^able lor the larger portiou of the party to remain and lay in a stock of provisions; aod make such arrangements as might be advisable previous to attempting tlic descent of the Missouri; Of rATUl<;K (»AH«. lO.'i L>t' ('lurk<''f< t K<>i"K "I» iiiiilor tliM tliorH hftv i< MiKstMiri, JJril. tluly, and Lewis IS, down. — ,y pro8(Mit8, se Indiuns, Hon8 of the ;on country I the Miss- 10 dividing ing from a y after day, ^er near the A few whilfl Captain TiOvvJH, witli tlirnn IiiintnrH wonid aRcond and cxplorotho Hoction of (;oiintry, lyinj^ on Maria'Hrivor. llin inHtrnrtioMs wor(! to await Imh rfitiirn at the month of Maria'H river, until tin; Iwt of SopttMnhnr, at which titiK' Khon'd hi" n«>t arrivr, they wvvc t<» procccjd on to jf»in(!af»t. ( 'larko at th(Mii'»Mlh iit ho informed them, tliat if 'Mife and heaifli he spared, h»' would intM^t them at the month of iMaria's Itiver on the Titli of An),;iiKt." — Tho Captain departed on liin Mn(;ertain niinhion, and out fiero and the lar^fM' j>ortion of tlie ]»arty rernaim^d in camp, o('en[>i«vl in himtiriL,' arid repairs. The hear« were had andono oeeasion, ('ajit. Ijowis camo into 8ueh close quarters witli one, that he hrrdco his gun over hru- in'H head, and while the animal waH recovering from the KJioek, found oj)[U)rtunity to climh 4 tre(;, wfierethe animal hosiegeci him f(;r three nioi tal hourw. However, hruin'fl patience at length gHV(! way, and the Captain, duly thankful for his safe deliverance, descended and caught his horse;, which l»y the way had taken fright and thrown him almost into the teeth of the bear, about two miles off, and made the best of his way to camp. Hunday the 27th, found the pirty duly provided with provisions and (^onvcyancos at the mouth of Maria'n river, and quite unexpectedly they met Capt. Lewis, with his three hunters, who had had a skirmish with a party of (irosventrc, or big-l;elly hidians. They ha' • f;; 1 ! ' '■ • , 112 LIFE IND TIMES His nssoeiato Clarke, received tlio title of General, ami ill 1S13, just at the comincucomoiit of the war, re- roivod an appointment an (rovernor of Missouri terri- tory and SuporinttMident of Indian alfairs, an oftice of i^reat responsibility and importance in view of the im- pending war, and of the evinced determination of the Dritish (rovernment to array aj^^ainst us the horrors of Indian warfare. His selection for such a post is an in- dubitable proof of his standing. Jte continued to hold these oflices with acceptability throughout the war, and until the admission of Missouri as a State in 1820. — In 1822, he was again appointed Superintendant of In- dian affairs, and held the oflice for many years afterwards. In the mean time he had married, and had his resi- dence at St. Louis, where he raised a family and died in 1838. His remains were followed to tlic grave by an immense concourse of citizens, Ktrangera and Indians from the plains and mountains, and is said to have been the largest funeral ever witnessed in St. Tjouis. The results of Lewis and Clarke's expedition have be- come matter of history: their contributions to science, having now been merged in the great mass of the intel- ligence of the country. They all have gone to their last account except the subject of our memoir — who yet lin- gers, tough and gnarled by time, on the verge of that great wilderness he must soon in the order of things be called to explore, in the world to come. If the forego- ing pages shall serve to stimulate somo one, to emulate his patriotism or excite one generous glow of admira- tion of his unselfish character, in the bosom of a single reader; of his untiring zeal in the discharge of duty, his modest deportment under all eircuinstances, or of his in- domitable will, the object of the writer will have been in d OF PATRICK GAflS. 113 tlit^t much ftttftincd. Wo nro now drawiu!^ to tho close oftho most importunt om in liis lifr, ami after n few desultory remarks upon the modern aspeet and history of tho scene of his travels, wo shall pro9eod to narrate his Rubsequent career. Tho route traversed hy^them, has never boon of much practical advantage as a means of communication be- tween the Atlantic and Pacific, being too far to the north, and much more available passes through tho Mountaiiis hav^'o since been discovered; but their success, detnonstratcd the practicabdity of a passage and served to stimulate subsequent explorers. The Rocky Moun- tains since their time have lost mucii of their terror. — Tho routo travelled by the emigrants to Cnlifornia and Oregon, by way of the Platte and Kansas rivers, Salt Lake city, I>ridger's Fort and the South Pass on to the waters of the Sacramento and the Columbia, is of very gentle ascent; and presents no greater dilHculty than do somo of the routes over tho Allegheny Mountains, that arc now traversed by roads and railways. Tho South Pass, so much used by those omigrHuts is not far from tho crossing placo of Lewis and Clarke, they having just missed it by keeping too far to the north. Near it, is Fremonts Peak, PiOU feet in height. Tho Pass ac- tually discovered by them is barely practicable and never used. It was not t.atil the discovery of gold in Cali- fornia thai attention v/as directed, in earnest, toward this portion of the world; but in a very short timo after that event, tho whole region was thoroughly explored. — Tho voyage by sea was both costly and dangflrous and it became necessary to find some available route by land. Private enterprise and thirst for sudden wealth soon ef- fected it; the wave of emigration swooping up to tho i 1 i^^ 114 LIFE AND TIMES baso of the Rocky Mountains soon found its level and iollowing up the vallies and gorges of the mountains trickled through their fastnesses in many a winding stream, until gradually it settled into the well defined channel that is now almost as well known and as well worn as is any thoroughfare in the states. A new impetus was given to the spirit of discovcr- ry in these regions on the developenicnt of the magnifi- oent scheme of the Pacific Rail-road. The merit of origi- nating this idea, is generally attributed to Mr. Whit- ney, of New York, who in 1844, lirst definitely broach- ed it before congress. His idea was to connect the val- ley of the Mississippi with the Sacramento, the Co- lumbia or the Colorado, by means of a railroad accord- ing as the most available route might be found; the ex- pense of making the road to be defrayed by appropria- ting to contractors alternate sections of the public lauds on either side of the road. The plausibility of such a scheme may be seen at a glanoc, but it was a gigantic undertaking; and its possibility even, had not yet been reliably demonstrated. Hon. Th os. IJ. Benton, early became a patron of the project, and gradually it forced itself upon the attention of Congress and the public. — Whitney, himself, was an enthusiast in the cause, and just at that period, railroad speculation was at its height throughout all the States of the Union. Able and vo- luminous reports and speeches were made on the subject of the feasibility of the Pacific Railroad — it forced itself inio the messages of the l*rosidents — and into the are- na of politics, and apparently the dream of its projector was about to be realized. Foreign capilalists embraced the scheme, ami promised their assistance to effect its consumation. The brilliant bcrvices and favorable re- stfte-s^ -' OF PATRICK GAS3. 115 ports of Fremont, who was engaged during 1845 to 1850 in a semi oftlcial capacity in exploring the country, contributed to heigliten the feeling in favor of the road, and demonstrate its practicability. A damper, howev- er, was put upon his representations in the winter of 1848-9. Allured by the tempting openings as descried I'rora a distance in thu Sierra Nevadas, lie was with his party caught in a snow storm in the mounlains, and "barely escaped with his own life, leaving some of Ins comrades and all his animals and dfects victims to tlio frost and snow The celebrated Christopher Carson, was a companion and guide of Fremont's during these explorations and by his indomitable energy and great sagficity rendered himself equally conspicuous with his superior in command. This misfortune, which happen- ed to the south-west of the great Salt Lake, and near the line of travel to San Francisco, only seemed, how- ever, to attract attention to the country. The Mormons, driven from their homes in Illinois and Missouri about this tinus were founding their State of Descret; ^vIth Salt Lake City for a capital and a bee-hive for their coat of arms. In all quarters of the States and iu the old world, I hey listened to the voice of their proph- et, and pouring into their new found city of rest, ho[)ed to build up there, a peculiar nntion sacred from gentil-) intrusion. The Mormon settlement at Salt Lake City Idled up rapidly with the deluded followers of Brigham Young- -Grovernor, by the grace of Millard Filmorc; and head of the church of Mormon by direct succession. Difficulties after a while arose, however, between tlni Mormons and the (Jentilos, the country was too narrow for both to live in. Mutual bigotry, begot mutual ha- tred; and the State of Deseret threatened to set up an in- IIG LIFE A?iD TIMES i ll' r dependent Sovereignty in the Utah country. Popular clamor in the States demanded that this presumption should be punished and curbed, and the U. S. Govern- ment dispatched a formidable force under Gen. Harney to ciiastise them if need be, into subjection — Pcrsifor V. Smith, commanding the Western department. In the summer of 1857, tlie army took up its line of march; but as thoy approached the confines of Mormondom, they wore met with the white flag of peace, and though the difliculty is not yet arranged, it is not probable that any serious consequences will result from the Mormon war. The settlement at Salt Lake, even in its infancy, was regarded as aneucleus, or rather as a point of departure ior tlioso interested in the Railroad enterprise, and was liailod as a fortunate event, being about equi-distant from the two extremities of the road, and near what was supposed to be the most eligible line. The ques- tion of a route, however, was yet in the dark, and l)romised to be the rock upon which the entire enter- prise would split, unless managed with great prudence and circumspection. It Avas determined to have all such questions detinitely settled by authority. Accor- dingly on the 3rd. March, 1853, Congress ordered to be made a series of explorations for the purpose of as- certaining the best and most economical route for such a railroad as was contemplated. The U. S. Topograph- ical cov[)S was called upon, and ditferent surveying com- panies organized under command of Captain Pope, Cap- tain Gunnison, Lieut. Whipple, Lieut. Lar Nr, and others to the number of some half dozen, and put upon the duty of a thorough and complete exploration. Belts of country, 200 miles in width, extending across the continent were assigned to each party, and all entered OF PATRICK GA8S. 117 npon duty nearly at the same time. Tlie result of their labors was a most complete and thorough rojjort not only as to the topography; out the geology and botany of the country, together with minute descriptions of the animals and insects; and a complcle classilication as far as practicable, of the Indian tribes. Their report was published by authority of Congress and is a valu- able addition to the literature of the country. Tlicir explorations demonstrated ^thc fact, that by more than one route it was practicable to construct railroads between the bounds designated in their instructions. — Gunnison's expedition which appears to have been suc- cessful in discovering the most eligible route, started from Fort Leavenworth in Kansas territory, in May 1853, lollowed the Missouri to the mouth of the Kan- sas and ascended it for a considerable distance along the usually travelled route of the Santa Fo traders, when it struck off in a South-west direction, their destination be- ing the Huerfano river, in latitude about 38 dcg. They passed through a country, hitherto almost unknown to the whites; inhabited by numerous Indians, prominent among whom were the Pah Utahs. On the Sevier ri- ver, about 150 miles from Salt Lake city, their camp was, on the 25th. October, 1853, surprised about day- break by a band of these Indians, and Captain Gunni- son, and nearly his whole party massacred, before they could make resistance. The Mormons, were charged; but says the record of the expedition, unjustly, with in- citing the massacre and through the exertions of Gov- ernor Brigham Young, the papers, instruments and some of the horses were recovered from the Indians, and. a head chief of the Pah Utahs, explained by saying that the murder was committed by some of the boys of. -I ( 1 '■ ■! 1 ■ ' i .^4 U^ ■■ 4li mmmmmim 118 LIFE AND TIMKS £•..: t 1' the tribo in revenge for some of their friends, whom they supposed had been killed by this party. lie also, depre- cated the vengeance of the whites, and promised to de- liver up the murderers. The route by the Huerfano, liad at this time been pronounced impracticable, being at. the Pass of St. Luis, the dividing ridge between the Huerfano and the Rio Grande, 9,772 feet above the lev- el of the sea, and the ascent being 1,116 feet in two and three quarter miles; but Captain Fj. (). Bcckwith, having taken command of the expedition and reinforced thesame; in a short time afterwards, near the Sierra San Juan they discovered a pass some 2000 feet lower, which was pronounced easily practicable. The waters of the Rio Grande del Norte, on the east, and those of the Rio Grande of the west, a branch of the western Colorado here interlock, not very far from Pike's Peak; the latter flowing into the Gulf of California, the form- er into the Gulf of Mexico. Routes examined by other Engineers were pronoun- ced more or less feasible; but this seems to have been the most practicable. The nearest approach to the old route of Lewis and Clarke, was one made by Mr. Landor, which follows the Missouri nearly to its north- ern bend, crosses the mountain at Bridger's Pass, and then branches; one down the Sacramento to San Fran- cisco, the other toward Puget's Sound by way of Lewis river, &c. This, [is considered one of the best routes discovered, except the common objection of extreme cold. It is claimed however, that owing to peculiar cir- ©umstances, the passage of the mountains can be ef- fected with less exposure to extreme cold, than by the more Southern routes. The expedition of Lewis and Clarke, did not experi nee any very extremely cold i I OF PATRICK OAS8. IVJ weather in this portion of their wanderings; though they experienced tnucli inconvenience from tlio snow, and from utter ignorance of the country, Lewis and Clarke were forced to depend upon their own sa- gacity and to find th^ir way almost unassisted through the trackless wildcrnoss. As a matter of curiosity and reference we here insert from the Journal of Mr. (iass, 'A memorandum of the computed distance in miles to the furthest point of discovery on the Pacific ocean, from the place where the canoes were deposited near the head of the Missouri, which from its mouth is, IN miles: 3096 From place of deposit to head spring, - - 24 To first fork of the Sho-sho-ne river, - - 14 To first large fork down the river, - - - 18 To forks of the road at the mouth of Tour creek, 14 To fishing creek, after leaving the river, - - 23 To Flathead, or Clarke's river at Fish camp, - 41 To the mouth of Travellers-rest creek, - - 70 To the foot of the great range of Mountains east side, 12 west side, 130 - 3 - 18 - 6 - 00 140 162 6 3 3 23 42 6 26 136 13 3 'I' To To the Flathead village in a plain, To the Koos-koos-ke river, - - - To the Canoe camp, at the forks, To the Ki-moo-ee-nem, - - - . To the Great Columbia, by Lewis' river, - To the mouth of the Sho-sho-ne, or Snake river. To the Great Falls of Columbia, To the Short Narrows, - - . . To the Long Narrows, - - - . To the mouth of Catarack river, north side. To the Grand Shoot, or Rapids, To the Last Rapids, or Strawberry Island, To the mouth of Quicksand river, south side, To Shallow Bay at salt water, - To Blustry Point on North side, To Point Open-slope, below encampment, - :j i. \ a I'M In! ■m M 111 i 1 ► I ii ■ 1 1 1 1 120 LIFE AND TIMES To Chin-0©k river at bottom of Haley's Bay, To Cape Disappointment on Western ocean, To Capt. Clarke's tour X. W. along coast, 12 l;j 10 Total minaber of miles, - - - 4133 These distances arc of course only approximate, and not many of the names can be found on modern maps; yet they give an idea of the route traversed, that may bo useful to understand properly the difficulties encoun- tered. It is only marvellous that they made their es- cape at all, from the labyrinth of mountains and rivers in which they found themselves. Tlio journals of late explorers, do not vary materially in the main features of their descriptions, from their accounts. It is appa- rent from the comparison, that forty years experience has not improved cither the manners or the morals of tho natives. On the contrary, they have not only bo- come more immoral among themselves, but more dispo- sed to be hostile toward the whites. Unprincipled white men have corrupted their morals, furnished them [with whiskey, and rendered nugatory the well -meant endeav- ors of tho U. S. (jovernmen', to ameliorate their con- dition. Of late years, the government has engaged zealously in the task of elevating them in the scale of civilization, and from the published reports of its agents, tho effort has been attended with some success. Lieut. Whipple divides the W^estern Indians into three- clas- ses: — the semi civilized, the rude, and the barbarous.. The first, comprise those who have been removed from the east of the Mississippi, such as the Choctaws, - - - - 15,000 Chicasaws, - - - - 4,000 Cherokees, - - - - 17,000 Creeks and Seminoleis,. - - 24,000' ^wjf- OF PATRICK GASS. 121 3ir con- Qaai)aws. .... o,jo 81mwneos, - - - - 300 Dehiwarcs, .... *2[^0 making an ag,i,'i'cgato of G2, 000 pertfoiis, i)eacofiil in tlioir (ILspositiou anil dopending upon ag'ricultiiro alone. 'J'liov are cliaractcrized by docility and have a desire to learn and practice the manners, language and customs of the ■whites. The labors of missionaries among them, have been crowned with success and there appears to be no obstacle in the way, to prevent their complete civiliza- tion. The Shawnees and Delawares of this region do not participate in the favors bestowed upon the more northerly bands of these tribe>'; and therefore com- plain that the Cioverninent overlooks their interests; as it bestows upon fhcm ne'ther annuities as to Choct#ws, nur presents, such as are distributed among the wild tribes of the prairies. They evidently have an idea that the latter are given to the wild Indians as a kind of trii)ute, for fear of their depredations, and naturally murmur that thov, who have alwavs been friendlv to the whites, should receive no assistance from them. "Among those characterized as rude, mav be enum- crated the following, living in the Creek and (Tioctaw territories: Toprofki«s, - - -. « 200 Kichais, - - - - T^OO Kickapoos, - - - - 400 Caddoes, - - - - 100 Huecos, - - • - 400 Witchitas, . . . . r)()0 These remnants of tribes have much intercourse with, and are supposed to be considerably inlluenccd by the 8emi-civilized class above alluded to. They cultivate the toil to some extent, but still retain many of their ■El \k 122 LIFE AND TIMES ■^^ ' I i ■?■ old habits, are fond of a roving life, and commit occa- sional depredations upon their neighbors. The third class, denominated barbarous, are the Arabs of the plains, and the scourge of emigrants. According to the best information, their names and ii ambers are ai follows: Camanches, - - - 20,000 Kaiowas, - - - - 3,50O Lipans, . . - . 6,500 amounting to about 30,000 persons, one fifth of whom are supposed to be warriors. They are perfect types of the American Savage and fully as barbarous as when first known to the Spaniards, centuries ago. They appear to be utterly irreclaimable either by kindness or force. From the earliest discovery of these tribes in the sixteenth century, they have preserved the same gen- eral character, that of an unconquerable indisposition to affiliate with the whites or in any manner to adopt their manners, customs or languages. A cpirit of wild in- dependence seems to possess them. They delight in ra- pine and make frequent incursions into the settlements of New Mexico, and are regarded by the more timid half breeds and Mexican Indians with the greatest fear. The appearance of a small band of Camanches, is suffi- cient to depopulate a whole village of these latter, and though they are somewhat wary in their collisions with the more energetic and warlike Texans, they not un- frequently make a foray upon the villages of that state and are off to their mountain fastnesses before pursuit can be hardly commenced They have a wholesome re- spect however, for the Americanos of the North, which keeps them in some restraint. The Kaiowas are kindred to the Camanches; [and m OF PATRICK (iASS. 128 >)oth arc said to be brandies of the Snake tribe, as is judged from their language and customs*. The Lipans belong to the same general family, and are very niimer- uus. Hunting and war are the favorite pursuits of tliese people. Agriculture is esteemed a degradation, from which their proud nature revolts, their dependence be- ing upon game and depredations upon frontier settle- ments. So haughty is their spirit and so great their contempt for white men, that it is doubtful whether they Avill ever be induced to accept civilization and a lo- cal habitation; instead of the unrestrained freedom of their wild and savage life. South and west of the Camanches, we come into the country of the Apaches, a people represented as mort; untamable ev«Q than the Camanches, to whom they al- so appear to be related. They cover a wide territory, and embrace some ten tribes, each of which governs it- self independently; but recognizes a general bond of un- ion. All tliese tribes acknowledge some sort of author- ity in the Spanish governors of New Mexico. The Na- vajos, the most northern of the Apache tribes, arc more given to settled habits than any of theiv congen- ers, and possess considerable flocks and herds. Tliey are said to number about 8000 souls. Both the Camanches and the Apaches are terrors to the more timid Indians and half breeds of New Mexico, and relying upon the terror with which they know themselves to be invested, they levy regular contribu- tions upon their more indolent neighbors of the villages and haciendas. Swooping down from their hills they spread terror a''-d destruction in their paths. They are all expert horsemen, and though cruel, unscrupu- lous and bloodthirsty, are yet, not remarkably couragc- 124 LIFE AND TIMRri oils, notwitlistamliiiL,'- their A'ain-filorv and terrible rop- iitation. They can be controlled by aj* pealing to tlicir iears and obtaining' their respect by tlic certain convic- tion that depreihitions can ami will be avenu^ed. Since tho establishment of American militarv iiost-s in Xcw Mexico, the}' have become lunch more traetable, Jli battl(! they are no matcb for the Texas rnnu'ors; a squad of Avhoni, will pnt ten times' their nnmbor of smdi In- tliaiis' to flight. They genei'ally, in such cases, depend mnch more njion s(rata,L;'em than on valor. They are, moreover, considered faithless to their treaty obliga- tions, when comi)elled to treat; and on tho whole, arc troublesome and very disagreeable neighbors. ]>esides these more prominent Indian tribes, inhabit- ing tbe vallies of the llio Grande, the ^olonado and the (jrila; there are numcrons other minor tribes, with the same general characteristics, and of the same deriva- tion, whose manners, customs, language and general characters have been ascertained and described, but for which we have no space. One thing is apparent. Either the ancient Spanish travellers — Fathers Marco and Ruyz, Captains Alancon and Colonado, and others, — who wrote about the coun- try of the Rio G rande as early as 1540, were very great romancers; or else, there have boon exceedingly great changes wrought in the aspect of the country, and the character of its population, since their day. These wri- ters all agree in their descriptions of an advanced state of civilization existing throughout this region; and in the country of Sevola or Cibola, they speak of having seen lofty houses built of stone, the people wearing dresses made of cotton, and living under good laws and regulations, that were as vrell obserred as in civilized or rATi'jrK oass. 125 •vonntrios'; nml as boini:: very lunnorons' — in one prov- ince, alone, the ])oj)nlatiou lioinL? 40,01)0 so".h^. There arenianv indicatiitiis existini?, of a state of civilization much more advanced than the presont, havincj once pre- vailed throuL;hout the rejj;ion in ([nestion; but nonc^ to warrant any .such representations us arc made? l>y these travellers. 'I'iie country has cvidcnfiy Ixon once mucli more thickly settled, as ap])ears from the nunierous ru- ins, from these accounts, and from the traditions of tlu^ Indians themselves. It presents the rather singidar ap- pearance of a people in a state of active deterioration, from causes inhercntamong themselves; anil at the same rate of diminution as has apparently prevailed amonir them since their iirst discovery, tlu; present tribes will wear themselves out in a very few generations. I'he city of Zuni, is a type of these ancient cities of Cibola, several of which still actuallv exist, in ruins. The Zuni district is situated between -I'l and o-") deg. of north latitude and of longitude lOS and llo; and the vity of tlie same name, is built up Avith long ranges of stone walls with an occasional opening near the top, for look out purposes. Entrance and egress is by means of ladtlers. It is still sparsely inhaldtod. West from th<> Navajos, and in a fork between the little and the big Colorado, lies the country of the Mo- ([uinas, a people finnous in Spanish history, as well •for their devotion to lilierty and successful valor in re- sisting foreign aggressions, as for their hospitality, in- tegrity of character, and attention to agriculture. In many respects they assimilate to the people of Zuni, with whom they ever maintain friendly relations. The total poi)ulation of the ^Nloquinas is given at about 7000 and the tribe is spoken of as exceeding most of their ^ 1 i ; m n '. ■«';- ft m 120 LIFE AND TIMES l! ti' ^* neighbors in j^iood quulitios and energy of ehuracter To the nortli of the country inhabited by those tribes, is located tiio country of the Utahs, which is also a ge- neric name, including several minor branches or tribes, acknowledging a common authority. The Pai-utes, or Pah-lltahs, of the vicinity of Great Salt Lake, are the most prominent among these tribes; and may bo con fiidered types for all of them. This tribe, however, it is said, does not number over 300 individuals, extreme- ly vicious and very much disposed to bo troublesome. The total number of Indians living south of the Salt Lake route to California, and north of the present Mex- ican line, is estimated by Lieut. Whipple at 144,000; other authorities raako it more or less, but this may be considered as approximating to the truth. Efforts have been made to systematize the languages of these Indi- ans, and to trace some connection between the different families and tribes that are scattered over the vast area; but all such attempts are rather fanciful than valuable, and the surmises made, are much more curious than re- liable. The Indians on the Colorado, are generally pro- nounced superior in all manly qualities, to those of any others in this section of the continent, and the Moquin- as and Mojaves are especially complimented for their bravery, generosity, and kindl^/^ dispositions. All these Indians have religious traditions and cus- toms, more or less distinctly uefined. The wilder the Indian — the less he has seen of white men — the more implicit, it is said, is his trust in the invisible Deity. From their unity of faith and similarity of modes of worship, Chisholm, an intelligent trader who resided many years among them, infers that the different tribes liave all the same origin. The grand tenets of their b«- OP PATRICK OAB8. 127 lief arc few, and very Nimple. They arc: First — The existence of one Great Spirit. Second — A belief in fu- ttire rewards, but not in future punishments. They have no idea of a liell, except what they have derived from tlie whites, ])elieving that the wicked receive their de- serts in this worhl, in sickness, poverty, war and death. Their modes of manifesting their belief are various, al- though there is much similarity among them, even in this res])ect. The Creeka worshipped fire, u:^ the rcp- rosentutive of purity and Deity, the (Jherokees, and ma- ny other tribes had similar notions in regard to this el- ement. The priestly office was widely recognized among all the tribes in the conjurations of tlio medicine man, and in some triltes, particular families were set apart and consecrated to the priesthood. They practice bap- tism and offer burnt sacrifices by way of thanksgiving or invocation. The number seven has a peculiar signifi- cance among many of the tribes; and indeed the points of contact in their beliefs and superstitions are so many and so decided, that the reader is irresistably forced, not only to the conviction that they are of a common stock, but that their beliefs have some connection with Mosaic revelation. The Pueblos Indiana, say there is but one God and that Montezuma, a name of great repute among them, is his equal. Inferior to both is the sun, to whom they pray, because he looks upon them, knows their wants, and answers their prayers. The moon is younger sister to the sun and the stars are their children. Besides these, there is the Great Snake, to whom, by order of Montezuma, they are to look for life. These Indians, although nominally, professing Catholics, have in reali- ty, little regard for the Catholic religion. In secret they .^: I f I: 1 :m I'J>^ HIT AND riMKf* m gt Monle^.mnti. Tln'v on(l llhMr Spjunsli iM'igliltors igiionnil nl' ihcii* ri'r«MMi« uios; l)u( llicy s}»y, lluil. AtncrifniiM two IhoIIkmh of tli«' rhililrcn t>r MoiUo/.uinji, tuul iUo'w iVicnd^; 1 lii'it'lurc. ihoy hitlo notliinjv iVoin llioui. "Hcm'Mdi." hhvm onr !ni(h(>v, " he s|):iK(>n." Tlio Ap.'U'lii's Irom supovslitious roivsons, will not Kill or cMt l-cjiis, Hiitl fhoy hiivo been known (o |■^'^n^.(' |ioiK. (mcii w Ikmi siil" fcrin,!:^ from hunf^er nnd when nny l<>ss(|n<'slionulil«' I'ooil. how(^v«M' rovohinn' in (\(h«M' r(>s|)('i>(s, wonM lia\<' Imm'ii <\VSs l'p|"'f Miss- ouri jind (lie ('(dundiia, »Mirountd by Lewis an t*! dieato a oonunou l(>nii|<» iiii") tin- |{i'> <«niinl<", flid iHoin )',fiill(> A/,trcM, ini'l liir'niliiif.'^ with t li'Mii loi'iii'''! 11 l<'HM |M(lislir(l, lull II. iiion! vii^oroim rare, is ^.rroini'l lor n IImmuv. Ililli'M', nl Icfid. Inoku |iJHtiKi- hlc. TIk' ^nnii'l (jih'hH'Mi liiiwcvfi , i^ iinl, wlifiiff rjirrn' lli(> linliiitiM; Imlwliil li'T r,M I li 'v .' Siiicd tin- ijiri'' nl' Mill- (>\|KMliti(;", wlii -ik'-y, I lin h.iiifil! [m>\ uimI the cIimI- (Ma, lmv(M'nv;i'.';<'i| I In- iiiiiucroirH liln'-i |iM>;si'r| j,y thcni nil tlioir rniitc, iiiil.il .^nnip ul' the mo, I. iitniici oiih liaiitl-f iiiivd I)('(!(tim5 jiliiiosf, cxliml. 'I hi* is tli<" history of tlit'ir iViciuls (lie MdiiiLiiiK, who .'in! now ic|iort"«l n-i iiiiml)(M'iii/^oiily 'JoO koiiIh; uh it, i.s, iiini<" or Ichk, u\' cvory til he Wl th wl loiii I III', wliilo imiii coiiii'M III contact. (I The ItickoiccK, Siialo'H, ronclifiH, < «roKV*fn»rf'.s ari'l licf trihi's lliat wc'i"! r('|)rly jimiK'i'oiis nnd jtowfiTiil, liuvd dwiii'lh"! imhrthcir nmnlxTM luivo liccoinc a/'hifiHy iiiHi^iiififaiit; wliil.- even llu! lariri! ainl |)owc(riil lainily of the, Sioux, at lliiit ihiy the iiiof-t I'oniiidahii' hnlijitiH almost, krunvn Ti])()ii tli(! [)hiinf-i, liavo falh'ii (»h in jiuiuhotH itrifil now, il i(.:y Hcarc* ly loast, a .'•hadow ofth'-ir aii(;i(;nt r<'nowri. It nil ay h(! gfalilyin.!^' to know that, iheKO oarly ftcfjiiftin tancoH of our travoll<;r,s, liavo kIiico shown a noinrn"ii dablo (lifspositioii to ('in hraco civili/.atioii utid aLcrM-ul- turo and forsake thoir])r(!cariouH and rovinj.^ Iif«; fif liun- liii^' and dei)r(3dating U|ion their Ufii^hhors. Tho nj- ])()rt.sof tho aKont.sand niJKsioiiarioK.show thatthoy mon; >,illing]y roccivo instruction than almost any otln-r tribes of Indiiins whom it iian boon attcmpt^'d to civil- i/o. Scliool.H aro CKtablislKjd amon^^ them ami ninncr- ously attoiidoil by tiio yonth.s of tin; tribes; wliihj tho eiders in many cases have gone coiitcntedly to work in ' f. * I |.l i:'n * 130 LIFE AND TIMES « £iil_il ji 1 splitting rails, plouu^liing tlioir lands, and preparing chemselvcs to boconio citizens of the United States. — There has been of late years an increase of attention bes- towed upon all these tribes. Daring President Pierce's administration, alone, there were fifty-two separate In- dian treaties made, and the Indian title to over 174,- 000,000 acres of land, peaceably relinquished into tiio hands of the government at a cost of about a quarter of a million of dollars. The Indian appropriations per year, in annuities, presents, salaries of Agents, tkc, amount now to about one million dolhtrs poryear. The total number of Indians living within the limiis of the United States and territories h given at about 850,000; of whom, about 150,000 inhabit New Mexico and the territory bordering thereon; some 60,000 the Missouri and branches; and the remainder are distributed over the Pacific slope of the continent from Puget's Sound to the southern extreme of California. They are being gradually hemmed in on both sides, and the waves of white population will in a few years more meet in the midst of the plains; and the hunting grounds of the Indians wiii bo known as separate pos- sessions, no more, forever. The following well written extract, we take from the report of Thomas S. Twiss, Indian agent on the upper Platte to the Commissioner of Indian affairs, Sept. 15th. 1856. The entire report is creditable alike to the heart and hea il of the agent, and if equally humane considerations as he evinces actuated more of our pub- lic men in regard to the Indians, there would be fewei* difficulties. "The wild Indian of the prairies is not very different from the wild Indian as described by the early colonists s)^ f -ij OF PATRIf'K GAS8. 131 repanne(>})le wunh^l oil' tlie imminent (hvnger of a civil wur, with the antohl calamities, that must luivo followed in its train. ^ Wo liavo nosv brought our hero tlirougli a most im-. portant portion of liis career, and sketclied liglitly the history of the Territory, of whose dovoh)pement lie and his iMirtv v\'ero the liarLinLrcrs. Their niemorv still lin- gors among tlio natives of the Missouri, and the com- manding olliccrs have left their names indelibly impres- sed, not only upon the history but upon the geography of the country. So long as Lewis' river flows toward the Pacific, or the name of Clarke remains impressed upon the stream that bears his name, posterity will have them in perpetual remembrance. Nor have the subalt- erns been forgotten. In many an Indian lodge in tho distant West, the old chiefs still speak of iho white men who came among them first, with presents and the right hand of fellowship; and around the campfires of tho trap- pers, as the LogC'ids of the Missouri arc told, the name of Sergeant Gass, is yet connected with many a tale of daring adventure. Mr. Gass had now returned, in 1806, to the home of his friends, and acting under their advice, he resolved to have published the Journal of his travels. He had kept notes, in accordance with directions, during the en- tire expedition, but they were not exactly in a shape proper for publication, and his ^imited education preclu- ding the idea of arranging them for the press, he secur- ed the services of an Irish schoolmaster, named McKee- han. Mr. McKeehan undertook the task, and the re- sult was an octavo volume, of 262 pages, which at the 'Ffl^ OF PATRICK DABS. 141 timo met with a great domand, principally owing to in- terest that was then felt in the subject, as the book it- self, as it appears now, is rather dry, meagre and unin- teresting. McKcehan presented his materialw in the raw state, almost, and undigested, just as they were noted down by the author, — very frankly stating in his preface, that "neither ho .^i Mr. (lass had attempted to give adequate representations of the scenes portrayed.'* Mr. Gass received the copy- right of the work, and one hundred copies of the first edition, while Mclvechan re- ceived as liis coni])eusation, the balance of the edition, which he disposed of, to some profit. Mr. Gass reali- zed but very little of tlie proceeds of his work, which ap- peared in the spring of 1807, printed by Zadoc Kramer, Pittsburgh. It has been since re-prii ted, in violation of his copy-right, and had some sale, as a matter of cu- riosity; but at tliis time it is out of print, and very few copies are believed to be in existence. The work lays no claim to beauty of diction, or much arrangement, but is valuable as being a correct, unvarnished record of the incidents of travel through an unknown region; and an showing Indian character in its true light, before being modified by intercourse with "white men, and the viccn of civilization. AVhat the writings of Mather, Gharle- voix and Smith are to the 'Salvages' of New England, Canada and \ irglnia, the Journal of Gass will be to the future historian, as to the aborigines of the future Statcn some day to be organized on the banks of the Missou- ri, the Kansas, the Platte and the Columbia; with the difference in his favor, ihnt his is free from the tenden- cy to the marvellous, that so much distingnishes those veracious chroniclers. But the excitement of authorship was too tame for our I 'M ' vt 'Mm- i ml 142 LIFE AND TIMES adventurous hero, and aooordingly, tlio siuno spring of 1S07, wo find him again fihaping his courso for tho fron- tier, and for tho noxt four yoars of his lifo, ]io was en- gaged in various duties ahout the tlien outpost of Kas- kaskia. For some time here, he lieM the post of assis- tant eommissary, and transacted tlie (iuties of tlie oflico with his accustomed iidelitv and zaA. '. * It ^'1 CHAPTER ITT. TIIK WAR OF 1812 i * \s 1812, the Rinoulderiiiig embers rT the nevoluiiori broke out anew in tlio second war of Jnilependence. — The ^verbeuri^li; conduct of the British oflicialH and the lyranuicftl assuin[)tions of their (jiovernment, had incen- sed the hate of the people of tlie United States, to the pnnt of violence, notwitlistandiiig that the *.'ountry had but barelv recovered from the (ixhaustion consecnient upon tli'! niNMjlution; and was but {)Oorly prepared for a lon<^ ami arduous conllict with ho powerful an enemy. J^t the conclusion of the revolutionary war, the Iiritish (jiovernment had acceded to the tniaty recognizing the intlejicu'lence of the colonies, with a very bad grace, and up to the very tinio of sigiiing the definitive arti- cles of i)eace, Gen. Washington had been Huspicious of treachery, and warned Congress and uis countrymen, to be on their guard against the faitlil .sHuess of the Brit- ish. It was the severest blow her pride had ever sus- tained. Although compelled to a formal recognition of independence, it was only after an eight years' war, jifter she had exhausted all her means in the colonies, had tired the patience of her people at home, and after \\ '^f I'll I m .■^i j^^iiy i H 144 LIFE AND TIMES she had been menaced hy European eombinations into the ungrateful necessity. She never cordially recogni- sed the new republic as a nieuiber in the family of na- tions; although constrained by considerations of policy IVoin any open demonstration of liostility against the rising commonwealths of her own blood and kin. The unsettled state of affairs in Europe during the latter part of the hist century, and the wars of N'apolcon that immediately followed in the beginning of the present, required all her attention for her own protection; but toward the close of this era, when the power of the great ('orsican had begun to Avano and she hud a short res- pitQ from tlio machinations of her continental enemies, whe turned her attention beyond the wavers. The 8tal«^s had excited her resentment by alfording aid and com- I'ort to the French. She had never forgiven them for inviting and receiving assistance from France, during the revolutionary struggle; and when, during tlie al- most utter nunihilation of commerce between the Euro- [)«?ftn powers, consequent upon the wars, the Americans taking advantage of their neutrality, became the com- 7iion carriers almost of the world, and did not discrim- inate against her enemy, the French; but were rather tlisposed to show them favor, her rescntnient was great- ly increased. Assum.iiii; the sovereignty of the seas, she established an espi»)nage of commerce. She asser- te!-. m 152 LIFE AND TIMES corps, under Major ITindman, landed nearly a mile le- lovv Fort Erie, while General Kipley. with the second made the shore about the same di.stariee above. The fort was soon completely invented, and a battery of long eigliteens being planted in a position whicii commanded it, the garrison, consisting of lo7 men, including ofli- ccrs, Kurrendered prisoners of war. Several pieces of ordnance were found in the fort, and some military stores. Having pbced a small garrison in Fort Krio to sc- cnrehis rear, lii own moved foivvard the following day 10 Chippewa phiins, wlieie he encamped for the night, after some skirmishes with the enemy. The American pi d»ets were several t^T^^es attacked on the morning of the 5tli, by small parties of the British. About four in the afternoon, Geu'-ral Porter, with the volunteers and lndi;ins, was ordered to advance from the rearoftlie American camp, and take a circuit through the woods to the left, in hopes of getting beyond the skirmishing parties of the enemy, and cutting off their retreat, and to favor this purpose the advance were or- dered to tall back giadually under the enemy's fire. In about half an hour, however, Porter's advance met the light parties in the woods, and drove them until the whole column of the British was met in order of battle. From the clouds of dust and the heavy firing. General Brown concluded that the entire force of the British v as in motion, and instantly gave orders for General Scoit to advance with his brigade and Towson's artillery, ftod meet them on the plain in frtnt of the American earap. In a few minutes Scott was in close action with a superior force of British regulars. By tbia time, Porter's volunteers having given OP PATRICK 0AS8. 1 5.S war and fled, the left flank of Scott's brigade became much exposed. Oenoral Ripley, was accordingly or- dered to advance with a part of the the woods on tiie left, in order to 1> reverve, and ykirting eepoi )iitof view, en- deavor to gain the rear of the enemy's right flank. The greatest exertions were made to gain it, but in vain. — Such was the gallantry and impetnosjity of the brigade of General Scott, that its advance upon the enemy was frot to be cliCL'ked. Major Jessup, commanding the bu- tallion on the left Hank, linding himself press'ed both in front and in Ibink, and his men falling around him, or- dered hiy batallion to "support armx and advance." — Amidst the most destructive fire this order was prompt- ly obeyed, and he soon gained a more secure position, and returned upon the enemy so galling a discharge, a^ caused them to retire. The whole line of the British now fell back, and tlie American troops closely pressed upon them. As soon as the former gained the sloping ground descending to- wards Chippewa, they broke and ran to their works, distant about a quarter of a mile, and the batteries open- ing on the American line, considerably checked the pur- suit. Brown now ordered the ordnance to be brought up, with the intention of forcing the works. But on their being examined, he was induced by the lateness of the hour, and the advice of his officers, to order the for- ces to retire to camp. "The American official account states their loss at 60 killed, 248 wounded, and 19 missing. The Britisii of- ficially state theirs at 132 killed, 320 wounded, and 46 missing. "Dispirited as was the public mind at this period, the intelligeace of this brilliant and uaexpectod opening oi; ¥< , \n II J 154 LIFE AND TIMES the campaign on the Niagara could not fail of being most joyously received. The total overthrow of the French power had a few months before liberated the whole of the British forces in Europe. A considera- ble portion of Lord Wellington's army, flushed with their late success in Spain, had arrived in Canada, and were actually opposed to Brown at Chippewa, while all our maritime towns were threatened by Britain's vic- torious armies, whose arrival was momentarily expect- ed on the coast. When the intelligence of the stupen- dous events in Europe was iirst received, many consoled themselves with the idea, that the magnanimity of Great Britain would freely grant in her prosperity, what they insisted wo never could force from her in her adversity. Sincerely taking for realities the pretexts on which our neutral rights had been infringed, they thought the ques- tion of impressment, now the almost single subject of dispute, could easily be amicably arranged, when the affairs of the world were so altered as to render it near- ly impossible that Great Britain could ever again be reduced to the necessity of "fighting for her existence;" or, at all events, as the peace of Europe had effectually removed the cause, and as the American government declined insisting on a formal relinquishment of the practice, no difficulty would be thrown in the way of a general and complete pacification of the world. "This illusion was soon dissipated. By the next ad- vices from Europe it was learned, that the cry for veu - geance upon the Americans was almost unanimous throughout the British empire. The president was threatened with the fate of Bonaparte, and it was said that the American peace ought to be dictated in Wash- ington, as that of Europe had b.m 156 LIFE AND TIMES press from general Gjiiiies, advising I.iiu that that port was blockaded by a superior T' itish force, and that (Jommodon) Chauncy was confined to bis bed with a fe- ver. Tiijs disappointed in his expectations of being en- abled to reduce the forts at the nioutli of the Niagara, Brown determined to disencumber the army of baggage, and march directly for Burlington iroights. To mask this intention, and to draw from Schiosser a small snp- p'y of provisions, he fell back upon ('hippowa. "About noon on the 25th, general Brown was advis- ed by an express from Lowistown, that the ijritish were following him, and wore in considerable force in Queens- town and on its heights, tha^ four of the enemies llect had arrived with reinforcements at Niagara during the pre- ceding night, and that a number of boats were in view, moving up the river. Shoitly after, intelligence was brought that the enemy were landing at Lewistown, and that the bagga^^eand stores at Schiosser, and on their way thither, were in danger of immediate capture In "order to recall the British from this object, Brown deter- "raincd to put the army in motion towards Queonstown, and accordini^flv General Scott was directed to advance with the first brigade, Towson's artillery, and all the dragoons and mounted men, with orders to report if the enemy appeared, and if neccfisary to call for assistance. On his arrival near the Falls, Scott learned thr.i the en- emy was in force directly in his front, a nar) ow piece of woods alone intercepting his view of them. He imme- diately advanced upon them, after dispatching a mos- Bonger to General Brown with this intelligence. The reports of the cannon reached General Brown be- fore the messenger, and orders were instantly issued for General Ripley to march to the support of General Soott, OF PATRICK (JA88. 157 the rice. 1 on - iie- lics- bc- Ifor with the second brigarlo and all the artillery; and Brown himself, repaired with all speed to the scone of action, whenoe he sent orders for General Porter to advance with hifi volunteers. On reaching the field of battle, General Brown found that Scott had passed the wood, and engaged the enemy on tin Queenstown road and on the ground to the left of it, with the Otli, 11th and 22nd regiments, and Towson's artillery, the 25th having been thrown to the right to be governed by circum- stances. The contest was close and desperate, and the American troops, far inferior in numbers, suffered se- verely. "Meanwhihs Major Jessup, who commanded the 25th regiment, taking advantage of a fault committed by the British commander, by leaving a road unguarded on his left, threw himself promptly into the rear of the enemy, where he was enaWed to operate with the hap- piest effect. 'J1i(! slaughter was dreadful; the enemy's line fieci down the road at the third or fourth fire. The caj^ture of (Jeu. Uiall v.'ith a large escort of ofticers of rank, was part of the trophies of Jessup's intrepidity and skill; an 1, but for the impression of an unfounde<{ report, under which he unfortunately remained for a few minutes; Lieutenant (JencMal Drummond, the com- mander of the British forces, would inevitably have fal- len into his hands, an event which would, in all })roba- bility, linve completed the disaster of tlie British army. Drummond was completely in Jessup's power; but be- ing confidently infornixul that the first brigade was cut in pieces, and linding himself with less tlian oOO men, and without any prospect of support, in tlie midst of an overwhelming hostile force, he thought of nothing for the moment, but to make aood his retreat, and save his 5I. if: i Mm ill in ^^^ ifi V If ill 11 u I 158 LIFE AND TIMES command. Of this temporary suspense of the advance of the American column, General Drummond availed himselfto make his escape. Among the officers cap- tured, was one ,of General Drummond's aids -de-camp, who had been dispatched from the front line to order up the reserve, with a view to fall on S<;ott with the con- centrated force of the whole army, and overwhelm him at a single effort. Nor would it have been possible to prevent this catastrophe, had the reserve arrived in time,' the force with which General Scott woula then have been obliged to contend being nearly quadruple that of his own. By the fortunate capture, however, of the Brit- ish aid-do-camp, before the completion of the service on which he was ordered, the reserve was not brought into action until the arrival of General Ripley's brigade, which prevented the disaster which must otherwise have ensued. "Though the second brigade pressed forward with the greatest ardour, the battle had raged for an hour before it could arrive on the field, by which time it was nearly dark. The enemy fell back on its approach. In order to disengage the exhausted troops of the first brigade, the fresh troops were ordered to pass Scott's line, and display in front, a movement which was immediately executed by Ripley. Meanwhile the enemy, being i^con- noitered, was found to have taken a new position, and occupied a height with his artillery, supported by a lino of infantry, which gave him great advantage, it being the key to the whole position. To secure the victory, it was necessary to carry his artillery and seize the height. For this purpose the second brigade advanced upon the Queenstown road, and the first regiment of in- fantry, which had arrived that day, and was attached to OP PATRICK QAS9. 159 ■:«i the ore rly der ,de, nd ,ely on- ,nd ino Ithe ;ed lin- to neither of the brigades, was formed in a line facing the enemy's on the height, with a view of dravving his fire and attracting his attention, as the second brigade ad- vanced on his left flank to carry his artillery. 'Assoon as the first regiment approached its posi- tion, colonel Miller was ordered to advance with the 21st regiment, and carry the artillery on the height, with the bayonet. The first regiment gave way under the fire of the enemy; but Miller, undaunted by this oc- currence, advanced steadily and gallantly to his object, and carried the heights and cannon in a masterly style. General Ripley followed on the right with the 23d reg- iment. It had some desperate fighting, which caused it to falter, but it was promptly rdlied, and brought up. "The enemy being now driven from their command- ing ground, the whole brigade with the volunteers and artillery, and the first regiment, which had been ral- lied, wore formed in line, with the captured cannon, nine pieces in the rear. Here they were soon joined by Maj. Jessup, with the 25th, the regiment that had acted with such effect in the rear of the enemy's left. In this situation the American troops withstood three distinct '1 1 ' !■ t I 0. 1.'- :il' \ ; Hi ics MFK AND TIMK3 with tlio riflomon, ami Major Uroftks with the 2'>(laml 1st infantry, and a low dragoons acting as infantry, W(!ro ordered to move from tlio extreme left upon the enemy's right, hy a [lussago opened through the woods for the occasion. (Jencral IMilhjr was directed to sta- tion his command in tlie ravine between Fort Kricand thu enemy's batteries, by passing tliem by detachment through tiie skirts of tlio wood — and the 21st infantry under (Jeneral liipley vras posted as a corj)s of reserve between the new bast ions of b'ort Erie — all under cov- er, and out of the view of the enemy. ''The left column, under the command of General Porter, which was destined to turn the enemv's ricrht, having arrived near the British intrcnchnients, were or- dered to advance and commence the action, Tas'sing down the ravine, Brown judged from the report of the musketry that the action had commenced. Hastening, therefore, to General Miller, ho directed him to seize tl e moment and pierce the enemy's intrenchmeuiS be- tween batteries No. 2 and 15. These orders were prompt- ly and ably executed. Within 80 minutes after the first gun v as fired, batteries No. 2 and 3, tlie enemy's line of entrenchments, and his two block-houses, were in possession of the Americans, Soon after, battery No. 1 was abandoned by the Brit- ish, The guns were then spiked or otherwise destroyed and the magazine of No. 3 was blown up. A few minutes before the explosion, the reserve had been ordered up under General liipley, and as soon as he arrived on the ground, he was ordered to strengthen the front line, which was then engaged with the enemy in arder to protect the detachments employed in demol- ishing the captured worka. While forming arrange- ! f^ OF PATUIt K 0A»«. 1(11) n\ents for actinpj on the eni'iny's cump during the uu>- meat of panic, liipley rocelvcil a severe wouiul. By this time, however, the object ot the sortie being acconi- plishcil beyond tiie most sanguine expectations, Gener- al Miller had ordered the troops on the right to fall back, and observing this nioveniont, Brown sent his titalf along the line to call in the other corps. Within 11 few minutes thev retired from the ravine, and thence to the carnj). "Thus, says ( Jcneral Brown, in his dispatch, l.UOO regulars and an ('([ual portion of militia, in one hour of close action, blasted the hopes of the enemy, de- stroyed tiie fruits of fifty day's labor, and diminished his effective force 1000 men at least. "In their otlicial account of this sortie, the British {)ub- lished no returns of their loss, but from the vigorous resistance it must no doubt have been great. Thcii loss in pc^oners was 385. On the part of the Amer- icans the killed amounted to 88, the wounded to 210, and the missing to a like number. "A few days after this battle the British raised the siege, anil retreated behind the Chippewa. Meanwhile, the reinforcements fruu: Plattsburg arrived at Sackett's Harbour, and after a few days rest proceeded to the Niagara. They crossed that river on the ninth of Oc- tober, when General Izard, being the senior ofhcer, su- porceded General Brown in command. On the 14th, the arnjy moved from fort Erie, ^vith the u.sign of bringing the enemy to action. An attempt was made to dispute the passage of ii creek at Chippewa plains, but the American artillery soon compelled the enemy to retire to their fortified camp, when attempts were re- peatedly made to draw them out the following day, but- 170 LIFE AND TIMES •1 mi: Mb p-1 '■: ll il 1!*: without effect. A partial engagement took place on the 15th, which closed the campaign on this poninsnla. "Thus ended a third campaign in Upper (\inada, without a single important c^nrpcst being secured.— The operations of the army under Brown, hoAvever, ar«^ not to be considered as worthless and inenicient. 'J'hov have, in the most complete manner eflaced the stain thrown on the army by the inibecile efforts of its infan- cy, and have cast a lustre on the American name, by a series of the most brilliant victories, over troops here- tofore considered matchless. Nor ought we to lose sight of the eflect produced by these events on the ccTintry at large, actively engaged as was almost evc"y citizen, in repelling or preparing to repel, the invaders of their homes." We have preferred to give the history of this cam- paign thus from a contemporary source* rather tlian undertake to present the same facts in different words, and perhaps, inadvertently, be guilty of inaccuracy. — This account is fortified by official documents, and may be relied upon as correct. At the time of the battle, Mr. Gass, belonged to ihe first regiment, under command of Col. Nicholls; but at the time of the attack on the British batteries was attached to the gallant 21st, under Col. Miller. Accor- ding to his recollection of the spot, after a lapse of for- ty years, a gentle slope rises within some 300 yards of the Cataract of Niagara, to the height of perliaps 200 feet, with a steep declivity at the side next the Falls.— =• Skirting this declivity, there was a narrow road oi^rath- »By anoversight discovered too late in the process of printing to be cor reeled, the foregoing accounts" the campaign on the Jfiagara frontier, is ered tied to Nile K'lleeister. It should Lave been to the "Historical KogiBter wf the United Statea," edited by T. H. I' aimer, 1810. Vol. 4. page 14. 11 OP PATUICK QASS 171 but was 3Cor- for- s of 200 Is.— =• rath- |ti cor ered fcter \>( ■iT by- path. Ascending tlie slope was another, more travelled road, fenced in on Loth sides, with a large red frame church on one side of it, at the bottom of the hill. This road was known as Lundy's Lane. After attain- ing the top of the ascent, the country was more level but rolling, and with patches of timber interspersed. — Tho liritish jjattery was located at the top of the hill, .icross the lane; and effectually commanding the entire ground, cut off the advance of t^ ■ Americans, and left them exposed to the flank attacks of the British. Thi« being the position of affairs, it was absolutely necessa- ry to the Americans that the British should be driven from the position. Mr. Gass distinctly recollects of th« n-iomorabje saying of Col. Miller, -'I will try, sir," when ordered by Gen. Ripley on the perilous task of its cap- ture, being of common report at the time, and vouchet fo'- its authenticity. The day had been warm and some- what cloudy toward evening, but all Avascalm and surn- nier-like, — the monotonous roar of the cataract so near at hand, drowning all meaner sounds, mingling with the thunder of tlie artillery, and overtopping the demo- niac sounds of war. For one hour, Scott's Brigade had borne with unll inching resolution, the storm of iron hailed upon tiioui by the battery; but it soon became apparent that ihe British must be dislodged or the daj be lost. By this time, it was after seven in the even- ing, — the clouds had rolled away, and the midsummci moon nearly in its fall, poured a liood of light over the battle-field. Silently and steadily the com mand of Col. Miller, drawn up in line but two men deep, marched np to the foot of the lane, the red church protecting them from the grape of the artillery; then, without a bah or ii waver, they advanced rapidly up the hill, with bajro- m r i 172 LIFE A^T) TIMER chi th Hying tlieir head.' nets at a charge, the grapo Hying over tlieir heads in a liarmloss storm, until thoy gained the very muzzles of tlio pieces, Tlien, says Mr. ( niss, came a blast of lijiiiK. and smoke, as if from the crater of liell, and they were among tlio (^nemy, — hand to liand — bayonet to l)ayonet — and steel dashing on stool, in the close and murder- ous condict. The fiii'ht was but for a moment. "Chartre the gray backit militia: — tlioy cannot stand the bayo- net,'* shouted their Scottish commander, but in one mo- ment tlie British were put to iliglit and tlie taunt was falsified on his very lips. Then was heard tlie com- mand of the gallant Miller, "halt and form." The or- der was hardly executed, ere the British were back up- on them like a whirlwind, and then ensued the hardest of the light. Three several times, they made the assault and were as often repulsed. The British guns, at last were turned upon their former owners and sullenly and doggedly they were forced to retire from tlie Held. Un(; of the pieces of cannon, says Mr. Gass, in order to show the locality of the battery was trundled ov(jr the bank and down into the Falls. In narrating his per- sonal experience, he says that the al'Jair was so rapid that he hardly had time for a distinct idea, until it was over; but that in marching up to the battery, he felt as he expresses it^ "d — d bashful." We have assurance, however, that his modesty soon wore off. A ball thro' the hat, thanks to his shortness of stature, was the only mark of merit he received in this encounter. The prin cipal carnage took place after the battery was captured; the artillery being aimed so high, as to dc but little ex- ecution in the thin column of advancing Americans. — The hand to hand light over the guns is said to have been terrific, and the bloodiest ever fought on the Aracr OF PATRTCK GASS. 11*'' ican continent, considering the number of men engaged and the number of the slain. The dead were literally piled in heaps. Blue uniforms and red, promiscuous- ly mingled in the ghastly piles, and the hand palsied by death, still held the musket \vith its bayonet sheath- ed in the bosom of the foe; and the kindred blood ot Briton and American mingled in one red stain upon the sodden earth. It was indeed a scene of terrible slaugh- ter. From () to 11 P. M., the battle raged about this con- tested sjjot; the placid moon looking down upon the ueligerent hosts, and the stars like reproving angels, beholding the wild passions of man, thus mocking na- ture's thunder with his infernal din. Pursuit was impossible, after the retreat of the Brit- ish; and the American's held possession of the ground for some time; until seeing that nothing was to be ac- complished b}' holding this now barren position, they retired in good order to Fort Eric. The particulars of the siege of Fort Erie and the sor- ties made by the Americans have already been related; but an incident occurred at the memorable sortie of the 17th August, that shows the character of "Hergeant (jiass" to a striking advantage. To each company was attached men whose duty it was to carry a supply of rat-tail files and a hammer with which to spike such cannon of the enemy as they should be so fortunate as to capture, Sergeant Gass, was intrusted with tkis responsible duty, by Capt. Denman, in whose compa- ny he served, and on one occasion having taken a small British battery, the Americans were marching off their prisoners, when Denman despatched the Sergeant to •Gen. Brown, who was standing on a log, some yards 1T4 LIFR AND TIMRS liii '• from tho spot to cnqiiiro whothor h<' slioiild doatrov somo '24 pomnlors. "Destroy tlicm. Sergeant," saiil Thrown, "\v(» don't know liow loni' tliey'll be ours." — Patrick says lio slapped in tlio rat (ail files and drove tlieni home; wliile some "(all yankoes from York State" sledged off the trunnions from the pieees with a niar- vollously good will. The selection for Siich a duty re- quiring coolness and bravery, is a liigh compliment to tlio Sergeant, and shows the estimation in wliich ho stood among his comrades and «fticers. Fort Eric was occupied by the Americans until the close of the campaign, when it was destroyed and tlio army prepared to spend the Avintcr at Buffalo and otlier points. Mr. Gass, under Gen. Winder, passed the winter at Sackett's ITarbor. Having passed tlie win- t*)r hero, without extraordinary incident, he was dis- charged from tlie service in Juno 1815, news of the treaty of Peace of tlie previous 24th December, having come to hand in Februarv, 1815 — the battle of New Orleans of the 8th January, having been fouglit after the treaty was actually signed by the commissioners at. Ghent. RUliI CHxVPTER V «: O XC LU SIGN— IN KETI REME NT Tm-: war was now dosed, and our liero with many otliers, was tlirown again upon the workl, none the bettor for liis oainp service either in pocket or in mor- als. Disoliarged at Sackett's Harbor, he took up his lino of march, once more, for Wollsburg. By the way of the hike, then on foot, tlieii riding in a wagon, the obi soldier returned from tlie wars, until lio reached Pittsburgh; thence, descending the Ohio, it was not long until he again greeted his friends, to engage no more in the perils of war, nor to leave them again, in the wild search for adventure, lie had taken an active ])art in the most arduous campaign of the war, and had particijnitcilin its most brilliant victory; hut while the laurel wreath hung so gracefully about liis brow, he had -•Iso felt some of the stings of the thorn. The congrat- ulations of his friends were embittered with the thought th t now forty years of his life were passed, and he had nothing substantial to show for recompense — nothing laid up against the day when penury miglio plead in ,'ain with cold-hearted charity, for alms in considera- tion of sclf-sacritice and gallant deeds in the country's* r iTn LIKE AND TI>Ji:S si'i'vicc. lit; wjis now ;i iiiiddl'j-Mi^i'd iiuiii, aiitl very iialiunlly Ix'^^iiii l(» lliink of iiiukiiiL;- souk; jxovisioii lor till! riiturc Accoidinj^'ly, hs llir |iliius(; ;^a)(!S, li(!settl('(I l)it!s. Lik(! too inany otlirrs in his' |ios'ition, lie t^iiv(; way to iiiloinjxM'ftncc!, iUid diiiin.i^'' )irs of liis' life, occur iniiny (dnijitcus', o\('i- Avliicli wo .i^Hiidly drjiw the vnr.s to jndgf their i'aultH or loibles loo sevendy. Still, Avhiie we would crav(> a charitable judgement, the fact cannot be denied, that, like too many others, he acipiired, during liis cam- paigns, a taste for intoxicating liquors, and was, for many years, a slave to the debasing habit that degrades and domoralizen so many of the bent, most brilliant and most generous of our race. Intemperance was his be- OK I'ATIIK'K (iAKH. 17 Kfitliiii^' sill, liiil ilruiils' or suIkt, lie wiis ever Iioucki siri(;(!i(.' iiiid I iiilJifiil, uikI u ])ii( 1 ioL l.o t lie vcrv ••<»i(' o f IiIh Ijourf. Ill Ill's \<'ry worst, dr^Mailatioii, I lien; was nvcr (lis]")lay(;'l iiii iiilKJiciil. nohilily of (jlmrucfcjr, wliidi ('oiiiin'iii(U'(l l.!i(! ]»it,yiii;^ )(;s|)('ct of liis Jir'(|imiii1jiiict;s: uiiil wliicli ill Ijitcr yciirs, li;is (Mi.iiili'd Jiim in u Lcr<'iit iiicjisiirc lo throw oH'iIh! dcltjisin^^ liabit. r'loiii tin; tiiiif (d'liis ret inn in JSlf), lj(; Ims Itccri lo- cjit.od ill tliis viciiiit\', cnua^^'-d in xurioiis oc(Mi|t!it ions. lie l('iid(Ml ("(MTy r<»r 'Si|uirt' Kolxirt, Marsjiall, in J Hi.'), t(;ndc!(l l»j'(^\v(!ry I'oi' Wriu^lit A; I»iiss(d!, in Wtdisluiri;, ill ISIO, and in (Jio sann; year ladpc'd .lolm I'mowii to huiid I.Ih; old IJajit isl M(!c( iii^' I loiiso, liiinlod Htray Iiors»is aliout Mansli(dd, < >liio, in i'^17, and labored on his fatii- cr's ranii, and in tli(! riillin^- niill aiternuffdy, the siic- cein;r but small, and i'utiick's share l)ut u trillc o At tliis |j(unt <*onini(;nees the jonianli*; poition ed'his t'ar(!ei'. \\i' had attained to the inatur(3 age olT)8, with- out having {'.wf liad his Nuseeptihilities sensibly loiieh- «!(! by the boy-;^o)d; until lie was deemed impervious t his s lafts, and iiisensible to the (diarms of lemale soei- viy. lie had taken liix position in the iiinumeralile ar- my of old liaehelors, and was dciemed iueorriyible by liis ao{|uaintaucx3s and the jiiKsouri, and lived for months on unseHs^uned dog-meat, then faced the .lirit- hsh at liUndy's Law and Krie. and fought his way thr^nigh blood and lluuie, it was little thought wuuld ' I ■ f • ~- 178 LIFE AND TIMES Vi ovor snrrnndor liis manliood to weak woman's wiles and winning ways. r>nttlioy misjudged liim, as they were igiiorant of luiman nature. Love goes by contraries. Tiiko seeks not like, but seeks its opposite; so that the blended elements may make the perfect being: . "Brra^ts wlilrli caso tlin Ihin':' frnr-jiroof licart. Find tliclr loved homes inarms whom tremors dweU.'' . 80 Shakespeare says, and so in this case the event demonstrated. ITe had only deferred his destiny, be- (?ause he had not yet found his counterpart. In the fall ^ 18'29, he commenced boarding with John Hamilton, better known among our younger readers as the Judge, whose bowed frame will be well remember- ed as he sat about the stores and street corners — a wreck of a powerful and once inllucntial man. At this time, Hamilton lived on a piece of land, and had to cheer him a pretty daughter, whom he called jMaria. She was just blooming into womanhood, a:ul thrown into the con- stant society of our hero, a mutual feeling sprung up between the two, and gradually Jane melted into J)e- cember. Of the process of their courtship we have no data other than what probability suggests. He doubt- less wooed her with "tales of hair-breadth scapes, and of perils by sea and land," and as she listened, she doubtless breathed the wish, as maidens often do, "that heaven had made her such a man." Whether she did or not, they made each other understood by some sub- tle alchemy to lovers known; ami not to theorize too far on so delicate a subject, they were married in 1831. Patrick immediately rented a house from a certain Crickett, who resided on the Crawford farm, in the vi- cinity of Wellsburg, and commenced house-keeping. — jNIaria made him a good and loyal wife, and in testimo- (I OF rATUICK (JASS. llif ny thereof, presented liim with fieven rhildrcn, (hiriiiLC the fifteen years of their married life, from l!^31 to 1846, when .slie died. It was customary to joke the old soldier on his rapid increase of family. Sueii j(dves Avere always good naturedly reeeiveil, and ho would charaeteristically remark, that as all his life long, ho had striven to dolus duty, he would not neglect it now, but I)y industry make amends for his delay. In his married life he was kind and affectionate — a good husband and father. Five of his ehildren are still liviuLT, one having died in infancy and another, a well groivn lad, dying in Loudon county, Va., of the small pox, in 1855. After various changes and re- moves, he finally purchased a piece of hill-side land on Pierce's Run, in Brooke county, and' sat down with his increasing family to cultivate the soil. This liap- py retirement was interrupted in 1840. At this time- the measles appeared in his family — all of the children were prostrated, and in the February succeeding, came the severest blow he had ever experienced. At this time his wife having taken the measles, died, and he was left with a large family of young children depen- dent upon him for support in his old age. In consideration of his sarvices he received from thi? (rovernment, in addition to his pay as a soldier, 100 acres of laud in 1810, and a pension of 896 per year, to date from that period. The land ho sufTered to lie, until eaten up and forfeited from non-payment of taxes, and the pittance of »$96 per year is all that he has actu- ally received from the Government in exchange for the- services of the best years of his life, from 1804 to 1815,. over and above his pay and rations as a soldier. I( V: VA 1- ..'1 1 :.^I I m m m w ^\- «-« I !■ Hi 1^0 LIFE AND TIMES Tlie lilstory of tlio pension laws of the United States is one of interest, and notwithstanding the fact that all has not hecn done that gratitude perhaps demanded, she lias been more liberal in this respect, than any other country in tlio world. It 1ms been the rule, in all coun- tries, to grant pensions, in some shape, for meritorious services, to acknowledge or stimulate merit, and to raise those who have served their country faithfully, above the caprices of fortune. In Englaml, the king has been regarded as the sole judge of desert, and following out the theory of sovereignty, in America, ihe peojde have (ixercised the grateful ])rerogative. As the gratitude of the country toward the veterans of the revolution was great, so their liberality in the early history of the re- ])ublic was generous beyond precedent, the more espe- cially as the public lands furnished an apparently in- exhaustible magazine of largess whence to draw. Pen- sion acts were passed during the war of the Revolution, providing ade(p]ate support to those who might be dis- abled in the discharge of duty. Subsequently these laws were enlarged and explained. In 1818, those "who served in the war of the Revolution until the end there- of, or for the term of nine months, or longer, at any pe- riod of the war 0)1 the continental establishment,*^ and "by reason of reduced circumstances in life," were in need "of assistance from the country for support," were provided for. In 1828, pensions were given, without any qualification as to property, to all officers and sol- diers who served in the continental line of the army to the close of the war. Finally, in 1832, the terms were en- larged, and pensions were granted to all who served in a military capacity, during the war of the Revolution, for a period not less than six months. First, those ' .* OF PATRirK fiASS. isi: lisabled in tlie military and naval service received pen- sions ; than the indigent and necessitous; and lastly all vveie embraced. The act of 1832, was very conipreheii.sive in its pro- visions, yet in some respects it was nnjust — for instance; The rate of pension was graduated by the length of service and the grade or nink in which it was n>nd<>r- oJ. 'J^vo years* service entitled the party to the full pay of his rank in the line, not to exceed, however, the pay of a captain. For shorter periods the pension was pro- portionably less; but no pension was provided for nieri-- ]y being in a battle, or for any length of service less than six months. This of course cut ofjf a large class ot' soldiers equally meritorious, but whose service pcnhaps only extended to a single campaign or to a single battle, although that campaign of six wTcks or single iiattlo may liavc been equally arduous and dangerous to the individ- ual, as in other cases might have been the full period oi' the war to other individuals. Many jiersons, were cal- led suddenly into active service during the war of 1S12 as at New Orleans and other places, and actually enga- ged in active battle, perhaps been wounded anil disabled, yet these men, under the provisions of the act of \S',j'2, were entitled only to a pittance proportioned to the excess of service over six months. This, was manifestly unjust and to remedy the injustice, and in some manner equal- ize the public bounty, w;is the object of the old soldiers meeting on the 8th January, 1855, in wliicli Mr. (lass, with many others, figured at Washington City, as here- after narrated. No ir an ever served his country more faithfully than Mr. Gas. and tl ough humble and uncomplaining, no one ever better deserved to be a recipient of the public 1 f '' ' I 'i ;■■! hi HI if "''W^mm',. ,.^.. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) A ^ .^\ 1.0 I.I UilM 12.5 |S0 ^^~ R^H mia |22 us L25 ~ 111^ < _ 6" ^ &^ ^ v: ^j>* ^ y /i!^ Photogiaphic Sdences Corporation 23 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716)S72-4S03 \ iV 4 •SJ <>' i\ «j «^ 182 LIFK AND TIMES r, t bounty. Had he been a titled soldier, his extraordina- ry claims to consideration would ere this have forced themselves upon public attention, but the most of his career was in the capacity of an humble private, with- out commission and without honor, save that which comes from the honest and faithful discharge of duty in whatev(!r position he hai)pened to be placed. Many a man of less real merit, and very many of much less service have risen higher in political and military and civil station, but it has been his to see his inferiors over- top him in the rewards as well as in the plaudits of a well spent life. lie was too modest to thrust himself forward among the brazsn ranks of aspirants for poli-i- cal preferment, too proud to crave as a largess from the government more than what he deemed himself entitled to by the terms of his contract, too much of a philoso- pher to complain at neglect, and too long a soldier to repine at the inconveniences of a lot which he knew to be inevitable. With the pittance of $96 a year, which he has been for many years in the habit of drawing in half yearly instalments from the agent of the govern- ment at Whetdiug, and tlie small amount he has been enabled to eke from his spot of stony land, he has liv- ed in patriarchal simplicity, scrupulously honest, owing no man anything, and apparently contented and happy as a millionaire. We doubt, indeed, whether ever the possessor of a fortune led a more contented or equable life. So fur as wordly cares are concerned, as to him- self, he lived the lifeof a philosop her, satisfied that he would have enough for a decent subsistence while he lived, and friends enough to give him honorable burial when he died; and hence troubled -amself but little about the accumulation of property. His wants were but few, w OF PATRICK GASS. 183 and easily supplied. But as his family grew up, and the necessity of some provision for them began to occu- py his mind, it would be singular if he did not feel some degree of solicitude in their behalf. It is a beautiful characteristic of our nature, the feeling which induces us to provide for those who arc to come after us, around whose life.s the chords of affection hftvc been so entwined, that after death, we would still have them remain inter- laced with the recollection of the love we bore them. — Man alone, of earthly creacurcs is immortal, and man alone, of all God's creatures, provides for his offspring by force of an instinct which reaches not only beyond the period of maturity, but beyond the grave. It is hard tohnd a creature so debased, so cold, so destitute of the ordinary feelings of humanity, as not in some de- gree to recognize the promptings of natural affection and in many a one, the secret of a long life of toil, of trouble, of peril and deprivation, of sacrifice of comfort and ever, of character, is found in this yearning 'after posthumous regard. Undefined, the feeling may be, perverted and wrong it very often is, yet such is the case — that around the most rugged heart, the desire for providing competence for posterity, has grown into a passion, until it has choked out almost all other kindly feelings, and the man becomes a miser, that his chil- dren may be spendthrifts. The feature, in human na- ture, of which this is an exaggeration, in its true and proper devolopement, beautities and ennobles man and distinguished him from the brutes that perish. Mr. Gass, had now become a man of family, and as the cares of providing for them began to thicken around him, he began to be more solicitous for a proper provision for their welfare. 'I F i 1IW' m In 1«4 LIFE AND TIMES During the year 1854, the propriety of calling a cou- ventiou of tlic surviving soldiers of tlie war of 1812, to meet at Washington City, by delegates, to memorialize Congress for some further acknowledgement in the shape of grauts of lands, of the services of those who had ser- ved the country in ii s day of adversity, was actively discussed. The c(timtry had now grown strong anil wealthy, and it was thought that of the present abun- dance we could well spare some for the relief of the sur- viving^ and in many cases fortune broken soliliers. The case certainly appealed strongly to the generosity, if not to the justice of the country. A strong feeling seemed to exist on the part of the public to recognize these claims. The question was discussed in Congress, and advocated on the ground of sound policy as well as of gratitude, and the Press of the country was nearly unanimous in favor of the propriety of acknowledging the claims of the old soldiers. President Pierce in bis annual message of this year spoke of the commendable policy of setting apart a portion of the public domai ii for this purpose and adverted to the fact that since 171)0, 30,000,000 acres of public lamls had been approi)riated for the benefit of those who had served in tiie war.^ of the Revolution. Nothwithstanding this disposition, however, there were still many to object to such a mea!>- wre. It was urged that ihe pension laws were liberal already beyond those of any other country; that a further extension of liberality, would open the door to corrup- tion and fraud; that many of tiie surviving soldiers were wealthy and did not need the bounty, and that it would be hard to discriminate between them who did and thoue who did not; that it would be unjust to favor sumo merely because they were survivor's, while others equally OF PATRICK OA88. 18;) [•al [or r ro Id Lo lie moritorioiis, had died without such favor; and that to equalize tlie matter it wouKl be necessary to extend the bounty to the heirs of the latter, which would absorb too large a portion of the public lands. These weve serious objections and prevented congress acting as lib- erally toward tho old soldiers as otherwise their feel- ings might have prompted them to do. Nevertheless, it was thought advisable for these latter to visit Wash- ington City in person and thus appeal to tho countiy for an extension of liberality in their behalf. Accord- ingly, public and very general notice was given by ad- vertisement and circulars that n convention of old sol- diers would assemble at Washington City on the 8th. day of January, 1855, and the surv^iving soldiers wore invited to assemble in their respective neighborhoods and send on delegates to represent thenj at this gener- al meeting. This call emanated from the president of the "military convention'' of the soldiers of 1812, which had assembled in Philadelphia tho 9th. of Janua- ry preceding and conteiu plated a meeting not only of representatives of the surviving soldiers, but of the heirs of the deceased soldiers. It was particularly desired however, that as manv of the old soldiers as could make it convenient should attend in person and by their pres- ence make the demonstration the more impressive and efl'cctive. In accordance with this call, a meeting of the old soldiers of the vicinity was invited to meet at W^ells- burg on the 25th. of December 1854, to elect delegates to the N'^tional convention of tho 8th. January. The names of those present at this meeting are as follows, as they stand in the published proceedings of tlie meet- ing in the Wellsburg Herald of that date. Patrick Gasa, Maj. John Miller, William Tarr, Isaiah ' ' ' I"' •* m\ !11 ■it''' ■ II \m MFE AND TIMES Uohorts, Robert Britt, Walter Brownlcc, Kli fircon, Olied Green, Wm. Roberts, Noah Rarkus, George Young, Mathias Ebberts, Ellis C. .lonos, Elijah Corne- lius, \Vm. Colo, John Moren, James Davis, .Iame.> WoIIh, Walter D. Blair, Adam Ralston. Wm, Afkin son, James Baird, Jolm Gatwood, and eight others were represented by their nearest mrle relations. The seene presented by the assemblage of these gray haired veterans, some of them trembling at the veiy verge of the grave and none of them witli more than a very few years of this world in prospect meeting thns in coun • cil, was unique and sfiggestive of the times that tried men's souls. Conspieuous among them appeared our old friend Mr. Gass, to whom was assigned the post of lionor at the head of the list in consideration of his em- inent services as well as of liis age. The tall form of Ellis C. Jones towered among his old comrades — ven- erable with his snow wliite locks and the casual f>bser- ver could readily recognise in the faces of many of them the evidence of that manly energy that prompted them in their youth to stand in the foic front of battle in de- fence of the country. Though old, crippled hy disease and time ami accident, there was still about them some- thing that distinguished them from the mass of their fellow men. The meeting appointed Messrs P. Gass, John Miller. AVm. Tarr and Ellis C. Jones to represent them in ih old soldiers meeting of the 8th. January ensuing. ^riie Convention met at the 4^ Street Presbyterian Church in Washington City, on the morning of the 8th, and organized by the election of Joel V. Suther- land, of Philadelphia, as President, when after prayer by Rer. Sunderland of Washington, they were ad or rATIllt'K (iASf. 1KT ■fil lor. til rinn the hcr- Byer ad vlipssodliy IV'tor Wilson of Cayupi, and otlitMS, on the subject for Avhich they had assonihled. After adjourninj^, they formed in j.roi.'essio!i and ])rc- cededbyall the military of tlie city, and various hands of music, marched to tho I'rcsidont's liouse, which •they reached at about 2 o'clock, and found tlie Presi- dent and most of the Cabinet in waitint,' to receive tliein. I'lcsideut Pierce, in responKC to the address of the !*re.s- ident of the Convention, doli\ered an a})|ii(>{"riatc speech, sui)stautially as ft)llo\vs: ''I tender to vou, sir, and to vour associates, mr grateful acknowledgements for the j>r.vilege of tiiis in- terview, and for the kind reference you have been ])leas- cd to make to myself. It can hardly be necessary for me to fe'ay that my heart sincerely responds to your al- lusion to the hero, who has given iinniortality to the day, vou have met to celebrate. As fhi.s numerous as-- semblage of veterans filed before us, no man could have observed their countenances, without being impressed with the fact that they were the men for such a war as that of 1812. The lines of intelligence and marked em- phasis of character are unmistakcablc. What a crowd of associations spring from the presence of the veteran commanders near me, (CJencral Scotland Commodore Morris,) and 1 am gratilied to observe among yuu a del- egation from our red brethren, who were found faithful in the period of trial; and whose services arc entitled to be cherished with grateful remembrance. Many of yon liavo never met before, Kince the close of the war, and this reunion of companions in arms must revive in your bosoms, gentlemen, emotions peculiarly active. My earliest reading was of the occurrences of forty vear^^ '%go, in which you all bore a part, and my earliest riiu i.lv !■■* ::,>'^ 18S LIFK AND TIMES iiiisccncos arc of tiiy ear- nest and eflicient encouragement. 'I'iniehas only serv- 7ed to enhance the admiration I then lelt, for such as ])romptly enrolled themselves under the Hag of their country, and it is gratifying to meet hero to-day, so ma- ny survivors of that galhmtarmy and navy. 1 can read- ily conceive the thrilling emotions that must rush upon you as you now grasp each other by the hands, for the lirst time for forty years, and it may bo for the last titne forever; but, gentlemen, 1 must not detain you. I wish for you, individually and collectively, every blessing — all that you can reasonably expect, and all that your oounti^ can consistently confer. The universal com- mendation which greets you at every step, is more elo- quent than any words that I can utter. May God, who has so signally blessed our country, preserve and ever bless its defenders." Six cheers were then given for the President, and as many more for the soldiers of 1812, and the convention, after the war-chief of the Onondagua had replied to the President, adjourned for dinner. At 5 o'clock, the convention having resumed its de- liberations, passed the following preamble and reaolu- iions: "Forty -years have now elapsed, since General Jack- ion fought and won the last great battle oi the lato war with Great Britain, at New Orleans; and that glorioum tlio de- lolu- ick- Iwar OP PATlllCK OA»fl. ISO anniversary is a fitting day for the 8ui*viving soldiers of tliat war to meet and take counf^cl together. Thif city, too, named after tlie father of our country, is a most appropriate place for our assemblage. The war of the revolution achieved our liberty, the war of 181li .secured it. While the green sod marks the graves of our revolutionary fathers, a few only of those who sta- lled their lives in our last immortal conflict, survive to tell the tale of our sufferings and services — by far the greater portion of them having passed down to their last homes on earth, manVv")f them in ])enurv and want. "In less than forty years after the close of our revo- lutionary struggle, a grateful Congress passed a gener- al pension law for the benefit of the surviving officers and soldiers, at a time when the treasury was empty, and a heavy war debt was hanging over it; is it then un- reasonable for us to expect that similar justice will be done to the survivors of the war of 181-, and to the widows and children of those who arc dead, whik' the public treasury is overflowing with gold and we have comparatively no debts? Or is it asking too much to have fair portions of the public domain, which we fought and paid for, allotted to us? We think not. "1. Be it therefore, resolved, that a committee be ap- pointed to memoralize Congress on this subject, and to nrge npon our Senators and liepresentatives to make to each officer, soldier, sailor and marine, who served du- ring the war of 1812-15, appropriate grants of land, — at least IGO acres to the lowest grade and for the shor- test time of actual service. The benefit of this law to extend to the widows and children of those who are dead. *'2. That similar provision ought to be made for \ ' -'^ I'l ^■l^l m 111 iOO T.IFI' AND TIMES E .>Mr iV'l l)rcthioi\ wlio fouglit by our sides; and iilltliost:- (•oiiHnod ill foreign prisons dm ing the war of 1812, if nlivo; and also, to tlio prisoners in Tripoli, who vvcrir forced to labor as slaves or felons. If dead, then to their widows and ehildren. ".S. That while wo deeply deplore the untimely deaths of so many of our brethren in arms, wo pledge Dursolvesever to aid and protect their bereaved widows and orphans; and here on this most interesting occa- sion, we extend to each other the right hand of follow- ship, and bind ourselves by evcy sacred obligation to stand bveach other while wo live, in dofenco of all our righcs at homo and abroad. 4. That Congress ought to extend to the soldiers of the late war and their widows the same pension system, adopted for these of the revolution; and the thanks of this Convention are hereby tendered to those just and generous members of both houses, who have had tho nerve already to move in this matter. "5. ^rimt in our judgement every principle of jus- tice requires that invalid pensions should commence from the time when the wounds were received or disa- bilities incurred in the service of the United f*tates." Resolutions wore also passed thanking individual members and recommending measui-cs to bo taken to carry out the objects of the foregoing resolutions, af- ter which speeches were delivered by Generals Scott and Coombs of Kentucky, and by other distinguished soldiers and civilians, when tho Convention adjourned Tintil the next morning. Next morning, the old soldiers again assembled, and after prayer proceeded to discuss the most available means for accomplishing tho object of the ConventioHv OK PATUICK a AS 8. 101 led led id )lo Committees were appointed for every Stale, and ar- rangements made for an organized effort to aocuro tar- dyjusticc from the representatives of the people. Af tor some time spent in discussion tiicf adjourned, hav- iu)^ been kindly treated by the citizens of Washington, and being highly pleased with their entertainment gen- erally. The parting of the old soldiers \vh')n each delegation took up itH line of march for homo, was affecting in the extreme, and as the gray haired veterans shook hands for the last time many an eye was bedewed with tears. Since that last parting many of them have died, and as year by year rolls around one by one the defen- ders drop off, until now their ranks are more than deci- mated — scarcely enough remaining to call tb.e roll of the survivors. The meeting of the old soldiers was a failure so far as the object for which it was previously designed, was concerned; but it attracted the attention of the coun- try to the subject, and may yet eventuave in the desired modification of the pension laws, or at least to an ex- tension of liberality to particular individuals like our liero, the singularity of whose service precludes the pro- bability of his ease ever being used as a precedent. It would be creditable to the American Congress did they make an exception in his case, and by a bonus, munifi- cent to him, trifling to the nation, demonstrate at once their appreciation of meritorious services and character, and help to smooth the declining years of au old and deserving soldier. There is not probably now living, a single man who has done so much for the public as Mr. Gass, and re- ceived as little. Among the many unicjue features of H f\^ ^1 t- 102 i.IirB AND T1MK8 his rlmrnctor this is nottholoftst singular. Ilohnsnfv- cr luHMi ji l)e^,Lfnr, mnthor lius Iio over Imil omolumcnt thrust upon him by tlio countiy he so fiiilht'iiliy sorvtul; luMU'C lio is both |)0(>r ami iiiimblo. It may bo j)ro|)<'r, now, to say, tliat these sULT^cslious aii? oms, not liis; not put forth at his iiistanco, but unsolii'itoil, and wliol- ly pi»mpt('il by a (k'siic on our ])ai't to sco a j>roper )il)- orality cxtiMiiiivl t : a (h'sorviii!^- man. As for liim, liis desires arc but lew us liis wauls are simpUi; and if tlio i;ov(U'nmen t bf it of PiiCrudi^cs a materuu a('kuowliMlL!:em(Mit ol his idaim, wo are satislied tlnit tlie refusal will not oc- oasiou him a single panpj ot" regret, or a single murmur of comidaint. After his return from the ''Soldier's Convention" of IS;')!), although disappointed in his antieipations. he manifested a philost)phie indifferenee, and much more Kurpriso and gratilieation at the developn»ent of the country, the magniiicent railroads, public buildings and improvements that came umler his observation, and the universal recognition that he recciveil among the dignitaries at Washington City, and indeed among all parties with whom he camo in contact, than he did re- gret or dissatisfaction at the result. During his travels about the Federal city ho was considerably lionized, had the freedom of the various routes of travel, and generally' was highlv ilattenil by the consideration that was shown him on all occasions where his character was known. A considerate friend in the city had presen- ted him with a spread eagle of brass which was attached to the front of his hat and wherever the badge was ob- served it became his generally recognised passport. — The same badge was worn for a long time after at home, and regarded by the old hero, with very commendable or I'ATIIU'K C,\HH. 103 prido ns ft Koiivonir of tlio hlniluoMs of Ills Wii^liln^'- lon fiiciids. ^Vo. sliiill now !)rin;^ (lin liio^ijipliy of our lioro lo a (iloso, only rciiiurkiu;^ timt jis tli,\ inil(\ hearty \'irj^inia heinoerat of tlie old seliool, — one who nexer falt(!rin,Lj in the dis(diar,t<(; of dnt;, . or ih-viatin^ l)y tho breadth (»f a hair from tho st "'I'l li!i>. of )>rinei|de, Mill mingles suavity with Ids ])arty ;.i.>al; and that .i^'ratefnl toloranee of o[)iuion in others, which dis(injL,niis]i('S tho gentlonian from tho mere politician, lie is one; of na- ture's gentlemen, is the least that ean he said of him. llaviuL? nursed flames IJuchnnan in 17!>4, he of course, voted for him for President in l8r)(>, as he has uniform- ly done for liis demo(;ratie ])rcdecessor.s since the duvs of Andrew .Jackson. His ])olitical vitnvs are ilrm and decided, hut he seldom obtrudes tliem; Ids relij^'iouK con- victions are of the same cast — immovalile, but undem- onstrative. Such as he i.s, lie stands before the world; and such as he has b(;cn, he is })repared to go before Ids Mwkor in full reliance upon his justice and grace, with- out meddling much withcrceds or professions. So, wo leave him. That his latter days may bo prosperous and happy, and blessed with the christian's hope of immwr- talitv, i.s tho sincere wish of his biographer. ! ' tJ i VI i;; PART SKCOND CIVIL HISTORY. Thn Upper Ohio— French and KnfjliHh I'rotpnsions— Washington s First Kx- poditlon— First En/lish Sottlnmeut at Fort Pitt — Governor Dimviddift — Wasliinffton's Second Expedition — Fort Necessity — Dcatli of Jnni'mvilln — First flun of the 70 year's war — Washington's Capitulation a*. Fort Ne- cessity. It may not l)c iuapproprifttc to tho dosigri of oui* work, to give somo detail of tho civil history of tlio coun - try coming within its scope, tho more particularly as writers, heretofore, havegcncrally contented themselves with tho more heroic features of our annals as exempli- fied in the narratives of Indian wars and massacres. — This is a much easier style of composition than tho la- borious collation of facts and figures and as a general thing a more interesting ono to tho cursory reader, who by tho way, represents the largo majority of tho read ■ ing pnblic. Tho civil history of tho country, neverthe- less, is important; and may bo made interesting. Tho materials in tho crude state may bo found pretty wide- ly diffused through the public archives, in the columns of old newspapers, in private repositories of papers, and in. tho memories of contemporaries. To all these sour- \'< 196 CIVIL HISTORY. ces wc have resorted when opportunity ofiered, and one result of our researches lias been, a knowledge of the wide difference between tlie random stringing out of words and correct statement of facts capable of being verified by comparison witii dates and autliorities. Wc have been able to discover no .-ogular history of this char- acter, and believe the items have never been systematical- ly collated. Few sections of the country can boast of more incident in its early settlement than that lying on the tipper waters of the Ohio, and it may be necessary to preface our civil history with somcof rather a martial cast. It was the theatre of controversy between the French and the English prior to the Revolutionary war, and even before it attracted English attention, was re- garded with covetous eyes by the French government. They contemplated a chain of posts extending from the lakes to the Gulf of Mexico by means of whlcli they might be enabled to gain and preserve the supremacy of the country. Their object Avas principally trade with the Indians, though political reasons and perhaps relig- ious proselytism, were impelling motives for their ac- tions. The point of conlluonce of the Allegheny and jMonongahela was early and rightly considered a most eligible situation for a stronghold commanding as it did, the mouths of two rivers along whose banks the peace and warpaths of the Indians of the North and West concentered, and being at the head of the most magnifi- cent water course in the world, 8000 miles in length, and then considered much longer. It was rightly considered the key of the western country. Both the French and the English saw its importance and both were disposed to take measures to secure possession of it. As early as 1753-4, Washington at the age of 21, had been sent 'f CIVIL HISTORY. 197 hj Governor Dinwiddie, of Virginia, to inspect it. lie- pronounced warmly in its f.-vor, as an eligible place for a military post, and recommended its immediate pos- eession. He also gave it as his opinion, that the point would some day bo the seat of a great city. In May, 1752, the Indians, by treaty at Logstown had "desired their brothers of Virginia to build a strong house at the forks of the Monongahela;" and at Winchester in 175J> another party had renewed to Virginia, tl'e same propo- sal. They were afraid of and angry at the French; and courting favor with their competitors, the English. The Ohio company, in the early part of 175.'] had opened a road from Will's Oreck into the valley of the Ohio, and in November of this year, the young Envoy, with Christopher Gist as guide, an interpreter, John Davidson by name, and four attendants on horsebac k and on foot, travelled in nine days to the forks of tho Ohio. The season was cheerless, with sleet and snow and the prospect gloomy with the fallen leaves and tho ■olemn silence of the late Autumn, but the prophetic mind of Washington grasping the future, was able to overlook the inconveniences and drawbacks of tho present, in the magnificent country that opened upon his vision along rhc banks of the beautiful river. Pur- suing his journey, he held favorable council with the Indians at Logstown and Venango, but was able to effect nothing with tho French, whose commander St. Pierre, an officer of courage and ability, bluntly informed him that *'he was there by the orders of hisGreneral to which bo would conform with exactness and resolution, and that he would sieze every Englishman within the valley of the Ohio." One object of Washington's embassy was to ascertain the object of the French in encroach -. ii m '■'•ii HiOS CIVIL HISTORY. \ng upon the territory, in time of ' solid peace" artd their answer was satisfactory upon that liead. This took place at Fort Lc BcBuff, or Watcrford, 15 miles south of Lake Erie, on French Creek, and immediately retracing his steps he started about the middle of inclem- »;ut December, back for Virginia. The cold increased very fast and tluMvilderness }iaths were obliterated by tiie deep snows, so that they were compelled to travel by compass alone. The day after christmas, while trav- elling he was aimed at by an Indian at fifteen steps dis- 'ance, but the gun missed fire; then they started across the Allegheny on a raft of logs, constructed with infi- nite trouble, with the aid of "one poor ha'chet," and when in the middle of the running ice, Washington was jerked overboard by catching his setting-pole between two large cakes, and saved himself from drowning on- ly by grasping the logs of the raft, and lodging upon an island. The next morning, the Allegheny was frozen and they finished the perilous ferriage over the ice. IW January 1754, they reached Gist's settlement at the foot of Laurel mountain, and after that, their progress to the (seat of government at Williamsburg was kss arduous. His report was followed by imrajdiatu activity, even on liis return he met pack liorses laden wiih materials and stores and families going out to settle at the Forks of the Cdiio, as it was at that day callled. The Ohio company had somewhat anticipated his report. They commenced the Fort and made some progress when Cou- trecoeurcame down from Venango, with field pieces and near 1000 men in sixty bateaux and 300 canoes, and demanded its surrender. Having only 33 effective men, they, on the 17th of April, 1754, capitulated and with- drow. Contrecceur finished the fortifications aui ua- CIVIL HISTORY. ISO tnod it Fort DuqucMie. In the incnntlnic, Gov. Din widdie liad been exerting himse-f to forward soldiers to ^he scene of operation. (Japt. Trent was commissioned to proceed forthwith, and liaving raised a company of 100 men, ordered to march to the Fork, and complete iheFort, and Wasliingion was authorized and directed to recruit a force at Alexandria, for the same purpose- But difti culties occurred in the colonial Government, ''^pt. Trent proved inefficient, and before efficient aid could be rendereJ, the fort had fallen into the lujidsof the French. It was the first regular English settlement on the watei> ot tli ; Olro. Gov. Dinwiddle was dispo- sed to take vigorous mea>.i.r3s for the settlement of the country. Two hundred thousand acre-j of l\nd lying on the Ohio river, one hundred thousand lying contigu- ous to the Fort for the use of the garrison, were ollered as an inducement to volunteers. This proclamation was effective, and is the foundation of the titles of manv of the farms lying in this region. Two iiollars per hun dred acres was afterwards the price fixed by the govern- ment for warrants for unappropriated lands, l-^cated iu any quantity and almost anywhere. The ofler of boun ty induced ready enlistment, and on the 2nd of April, 15 days before the fall of the Fort, Washington set off for the forks of the Ohio, with 150 men, and was follow-^ ed by Col. Fry with theremainderof a regiment. ThcT cxpcriehced great difficulty, had to impress horses and wagons and got bad ones, the roads wc-o miserably bad, and on the 9.h of May they were still nine miles distant from Will's creek fort, at a place calK)d the Little Mead - OW8. By the 27th they had descended the waters of the Youghiogheny, until they came into close quarters with ibe French. Warned by the H'llf-king, a friendly In- il t •» 11 •ill ':: ' i:«- Ottnwiis— Six Niition-— Imliiin Villui.'O-' — Tocunipseh— Hatred of theWiiitos— CruoUios — I'ioucers— Uouutios for ticalps— ludiiiu WarlTM Comparative Losses— Scouts. History (Toes not speak in very favorable terms of the conduct of the Indian allies of tlie JMigli.sli. Not- Vv'itlistanding alltlicir exertions and the expenditure of a large sum in presents to the Indians, not more than thirty could ever bo obtained, at one time, to join the forces of the English in this campaign. They appear to have been regular mercenaries, easily discouraged by adversity, and difficult to control in time of success, apt to- desert when most needed, and generally willing to sell themselves to the highest and best bidder. The En- glish and French bid for their services. The formw had early gained the good will of the Six Nations, &i they were called, by timely assistance afforded them against their enemies, the Adirondacks, who were aid- ed by the French; while the latter, by their superior di- plomacy and greater versatility of character, gained over the good will of the Otto was and Northwestern In- 1'^! M m \ ' [4 ■mi if i,>i ■•>il^M 204 nVIL niSTORY. ■ dians, with whom they traded and trapped and inter- married. The l^'ronch could ahvays turn their Indian allies to better account than could the English; and on Hcvcral occasions had large numbers of them in service, and used them to great advantage. (Jontrecceur'a suc- cessful expedition against Fort Pitt, is a case in point, as is also IJraddock's defeat, and the engagement with Col. Bo(|uct, in which tiic French and Indians were, however, defeated. In eacli of these aflairs, the Indians greatly outnumbered the French. At this time, the French had also alienated several tribes of the Six Na- tions from tlioir old friends, the English, though they were unable to retain them until the end of the war. As the Indians played an important part in the early settlement of this section, and the details of their wars with the whites, compose a good portion of our early history, we shall indulge in a few remarks and reflec- tions upon the circumstarbces of their existence in the land. The countiy lying on the waters of the upper Ohio does not appear to have been very strictly appro- priated by any particular tribe of Indians, hut to have been regarded as a common hunting-ground for all. — The mountainous and hilly region of the Monougahcla and Allegheny, with its numerous streams, abounding with game and .fish, was roamed over by parties of all the tribes for a great distance around. The numer- ous stone arrow-heads turned up in every new-plough- ed hill-side and top throughout this wide region, is ev- idence that it was industriously hunted, while tradition reports that at an early daj, the- ereeks and rivers liter- ©rally swarmed with fish of the finest kinds. The con- formation of the country ren.dered also it^ vallejt and CIVIL HISTORY. 205 ridges the thoroughfares for Indian parties travelling from one section of the country to the other, on their various excursions and they had well beaten paths in every direction. Tumuli and mounds exist in abun- dance, and along the river bottoms the disinterment of Indian remains are of frequent occurrence. All this goes to show that the country was much frequented by the Indians, still it does not appear to have been the seat of any considcrsble villages during the memory of the whites, at least. Small settlements of a few huts like that atLogstowu, Catfish Camp, the Mingo bot- tom, and others existed, but rather at the head quar- ters of some noted chief or warrior, than as the settled habitation of any tribe. It may be, that the continu- al liability of the country to be over-run with hunting parties, often of hostile tribes-, prevented it being more densely populated, certain it is, that the principal In- dian villages wliencc came the savage irruptions into the infant settlements of Virginia, and Pennsylvania were situated far distant from this locality. Of all the Indian tribes of which we read, tlie most unrelenting, and apparently the most numerous and powerful ap- pears to have been the Shawanees who dwelt upon the Miamis and the flat lands of Central Ohio, extending to the Wabash. They were originally Tennessee In- dians, driven thence into the Ohio country by ihe Creeks at a period not very remote. Next to them in importance, appear to have been the Delawares, a powerful tribe driven from the Susquehanna country by the encrorching wliites and located near neighbors of the Shawanees with whom they acted often in con- cert. Next, the Ottawa's, a large and enterprising tribe inhabiting the lake country to the Northwest and ffW i. I f 1' 205 CIVIL HISTORY. tholand of the Illinois, and after thorn tho Wyandottn, Mingoos and a score of others — .smaller trihes — sonio of whom had their vilhiges on tho banks of the Ohio and tributary streams, ])ut who were not ;u;enerally consid- ered very formidable. To the Northoast, hiy tho coun- try of the Six Nations, alonff tin; hikes, the St. I^aw- renco and the Jfudson, ca])ahle of bringing into tho field 2500 figliting men. The Mohawks were the most noted among those confederat(Ml tribes. Among peo- ple so nomadic in their habits as these, it is diflicultto assign any very definite boundaries, but they appear to have had certain rules and regulations among tliem- selves which were scrupulously observed. Kach tribe appears to have had a certain territory and villages pe- culiar to itself, where the families, tho old men and tho infirm resided and to which tho warriors and hunters repaired as to a general rendezvous, but the country out- side of this ap])ears to have been occupied and hunted in common. This idea of community of lands, seems to have been a prevalent one in Indian polity. Partic- ular tribes had particular local habitations over which they claimed and exercised exclusive jurisdiction; but all the balance of the land was a common, to which all the individuals of all the tribes in the country among whom peace prevailed, had certain common and undis- puted rights, which could not be violated without of- fence. We find Tecumpseh, the great Shawnee chief, who was dissatisfied with the treaty made between tho Indians and Gen. Wayne, after their disastrous de- feat in 1792, urging as the ciuse of his dissatisfaction that the tribes who were parties to the treaty, disposed of privileges to which they had no right. At the Coudp cil of Vincennes he claimed for all the Indians of tba CIVIL UI«TOUY. 207 r'onntry a ronimon riglit to all tlio lands in it; dcniotl tho right of any triho to S3ll nny portion of it without tho consent of all; antl tliorcforo, pronounced the treaty of Fort Wavno, null and void. Such was tho state of this Miction at tho time of wliich wo spoak in rcforcnco to tho Jndiaii.^. It was overrun hy wandering bands of Indians of divers tribes and language, often at war with one anotlior and not very scrupulous upon wlioni they oo!umitt('(l depredations, but particularly joalous of tho whites, whom they all regarded as intruders npon their common territory. — It was diflicult to effect treaties, and when violated, it was extrenndy iliflicultto ascertain and punish the vi- olation. They wore in regard to the whites, more like irresponsible banditti than anything else. Distrustful alike of the {''rench and JMiglish, and hating equally both; they^were willing to lend themselves to whichever paid the best or promised most opportunity for taking pale-face scalps. The Indian, naturally blood-thirsty, had in this case, both tradition and his own knowl- edge to encourage him to hate ^bo whites. They would willingly have exterminated tnem, but they are cun- ning and crafty, as well as brave and revengeful, and easily appreciating the hopelessness of open hostility, they were disposed to effect the same end by stratagem and management. It was a pleasure for them to see their white brothers engaged in throat cutting, as it saved them the trouble and the risk. They fought on the Bide both of the French and the English. At Fort Necessity, Washington was aided by the Indians, and at Braddock's defeat but a few months afterward, the same Indians assisted the French in the slaughter of the English. Said the Half King, the "French were cow- ". M % ■f: 1- ; il 208 CIVIL HISTORY. ards and V '^ English fools." Crafty, bloodthirsty and crtiol, yet endowed with many virtues, among which were desperate courage and tenacious patriotism, they were enemies not to bo despised, and friends, whose al- lian«;e was to bo courted and purchased. With all their faults it cannot be said of them that they were re- gardless of the laith of treaties when properly under- stood and fairly treated; or that their cruelty in war was unprovoked. The whites in both respects have much to answer for. The Indians were the original possessors of the soil, and the whites could advance no stronger claim than they, hence they were disposed to regard with jealous alarm the pretensions of the P]ng* lish and French to the possession of all their territory, even from the rising to the setting sun. Their jealousy to say the least, was but natural, and much allowance is to be made for them in their pertinacious assertion of what they deemed their rights. Still, the Indians had no equitable title to all the territory over which they saw fit to assert a claim, any more than had the whites; and it is a narrow-minded philanthropy that regrets their being disposessed of a land thty could neither appreci- ate or improve. The hidian, in the wisdom of Provi- dence, had fulfilled his destiny; a stronger and a sub- tler race from beyond the great waters, had come to push him toward the setting sun, and though he might struggle and writhe in his savage agony, yet the advan- cing wave in its irresistable majesty swept him before it, or mercilessly buried him and his, with the memory of his ancestors in the gulf of oblivion. Had they done otherwise than they did, they would have been more or less than men; hence we are disposed to look leniently upon Indian barbarities, and with a philosophic eye up- CIVIL HISTORY. 209 on the causes and the manner of their extermination. — Divested of romance and poetry — tlio two races were antagonistic in almost every rcsp«;ct — thoy could not exist in peace together — and the weaker yielded, — is the philosophy of Indian history, condensed. But however philosophic in theory, they were sol- emn realities to the pioneers. As early as the day of which wo write, scattered families of whites driven by the love of adventure, or fear of justice, or allured by fabulous accounts of the fecundity of western soil, had located upon the banks of the Ohio, the Monongahela, the Allegheny, the Kanawha, the Holston, the Poto- mac and their tributary streams. Distant, hundreds of miles from each other, they were liable to be mur- dered in their cabins by the marauding Indians, and their fates perhaps never be known. Such cases, there is reason t j believe did happen. During tlie peace preceding the French and Indian war just inaugurated, these settlements had increased in number, but when the war removed from the Indi- ans, what little restraint they were previously under, settlements ceased, and Indian murders became so fre- quent that the country was nearly, if not altogether abandoned by these sentinels of civili;^ation, and the clearings left to grow up with weeds and underbrush, to be again reclaimed in happier times. Jk. duties for scalps were offered by both parties, to their disgrace be i^ said, and the vindictive Indian took a savage delight in the silkcui locks of women and children, as well an in the scalps of his more legitimate victims. From the commencement of hostilities, the country was a continued scene of warfare in detail; but in 1763, the Indian war may bo said to have commenced in ■ 1 Ii i ~: »l '''-1^1 210 CIVIL HISTORY. \^ earnest, when the Indians significantly left a tomahawk in the cabin of a murdered family near fort Ligonier, as a formal declaration of war. Siiawanees, Delawares, Mohawks, Wyandotts, and Mingoes, all seemed to unite in a war of extirpation. The whites, says Col. James Smith, of Kenturky, a veracious man, and for many years an adopted captive among the red men, lost in the ratio often to one. Lurking parties attacked them in their cahiiis; tli(>y skulked around the home- stead and shot the farmers at their work or while Juinting or journeying; thoy waylaid the emigrant by water, and as the descending craft swept with the cur- rent against the projecting headland, it was assailed with rifle bullets by unseen enemies. Under such tui- tion, our early settlers became almost Indians them- selves in their watchfulness and keen sagacity as scouts, as well as in unrelenting hatred of their enemies. It is no part ofour plan however, to depict the hor- rors of Indian warfare. Others have given in detail the barbarities of both sides; for ourselves, we would wnllingly they were forgotten, for there is little in the record of attrocities to elevate our conceptions of hu- man nature or to improve or elevate the race. In many cases cold blooded butcheries were perpetrated by ihe whites, and in some cases, without the shadow of a jus- tification other than passion .and revenge. Such enor- mitior, were incident to the war, and we turn from them in preference to the more gratt-ful record of the peaceful progress of the conntry. 'ii CHATTER III BRADDOCK'S EXPEDITION. Conflden(e of the French— Stobo—Gon. Braddock— Pir John StCiair— I'ro- vincia's disi,ni.ste(l— Dcpaitiiro df troops — Tho "Bhick IL illc" IMlliciiltios of the ruiite— ]5attlo (ironnd— Hatth'— Fall of liraddock— \Va>liii)Klou to Uih rescue— Ihaddock's Ueatli— French and ludi'ins — (ionei' al Panic — roiiliac J War — Emigration stopped— f'ol. IJoipiet's Stratiu;eni— l''rei'cli Sujireinacy Will. l'itt--Geu., Furbi.'> — Fort Duijuc-uo retaken — Furt iiti. The subsequent warlike proceedings of tlio Englisili and Virginians in tlicir el'fbrts to dispossess tlic Frcncli from the valley of the Ohio, are so intimately connected with our early history, that we feel constrain- ed to trace them further. After the defeat of the Vir- ginians at the Great Meadows, and expulsion from the country, the French appear to have relaxed in their vig- ilance at Fort Duquesne, so that Stobo, one of the two hostages left as security for the fulfilment of the articles of capitulation, found means to send to the government at Williamsburg, a map of the fortifications and a do- tailed statement of the strength and disposition of the garrison. Induced by these representations, it was de- termined to make an efifort to retake it from outre - C€BUr. ht ^ ; 'M "' ''" ii 212 CIVIL HI8T0RY. I A The colonial government, although Governor Din- widdie ound it very impracticable as a general thing, voted 20,000 pounds sterling and the home government furnished about the same amount in money and arms, for the purpose of carrying out the design. Major General Edward Biaddock, a veteran of forty years standing in the most precise school of British discipline jind exact punctilio, was appointed to conduct the cam- paign. Braddock was brave and kind hearted, an ex- perienced soldier according to routine; but obstinate, overbearing and lacking in common sense to appreciate the dilTcreuce between war in civilized style and war in tlic wilderness. Sir John St Clair, deputy quarter master of the expedition and a man of much influence in it, was an obstreperous, swearing Briton of pretty much the same character as his superior. These two officers moulded the character of the campaign. A reg- ulation of the G overnment degrading the colonial officers below officers of the same rank in the King's regiments had so disgusted Washington, that he had retired from the service. When the British fleet however, with two prime regiments of well equipped soldiers landed in the Chesapeake and the brilliantly equipped soldiery were disembarked at Alexandria, almost within sight of his home at Mt. Vernon, it so stirred the military ardor of his blood that^ he was readily induced to listen to over- tures flattering to his pride; and to accept a place in Braddock's staff. A convocation of the governors of the different colonies met at Alexandria to concert measures for the campaign. The result of their delib- erations on the point in question, was, that Braddock set out from Alexandria, on the 20th April 1755, in great state attended b^ a military cavalcade for the ren- CIVIL HISTORY. 2ia cers nts om wo the ere his of ler- in of rt b- ick in dozvous of the forces at Wills Creek. By the 30th, of May, after much delay and embarassment the troops were all at Wills Creek, ready for their march, to the number of nearly three thousand men, of whom, about one half were British regulars. They had not proceeded far on their route before the General discovered the nature of the enterprise in which he had engaged. The Provincial officers would come to him with advice in his dilemmas but with a strange perversity, he spurned their counsel as presumptuous and insulted some of them by imputations of caution amounting to cowardice. Captain Jack, a bold and intrepid borderer, known in early times as the "Black Rifle" and a terror to the hostile Indians, tendered his services and was rebuffed by the over-confident gener- al and turned on his heel with his band of a hundred leather clad rangers and disappeared in the woods. — He would have been of the greatest assistance, had he continued with the troops. As his difficulties increas- ed Braddock condescended to consult with Washington. At his suggestion, twelve hundred men of the choice of the army were told off, to march as rapidly as possi- ble toward the Forks, while Col. Dunbar was left be- hind with the balance to make the road and bring vn the heavy artillery and baggage. This plan promised iuccess. The army advanced much more rapidly; the- expedition having consumed nearly a month in accom- plishing one hundred miles. At length, on the 8th Ju- ly, they had reached within fifteen miles of their destina- tion. Scouts had been out constantly, and Christo-- pher Gist returned in the morning from the immediate vicinity of the fort, narrowly escaping with his life from % couple of Indians, and xeported the road clear and na . h m m 214 CIVIL mSTORY. m I : r ' I enemy to be seen in force about the premises. At th« poiut they then occupied, the hills came down bluff to the water, forming a narrow pass of some two miles on the side of tlie river on which the fort was situated, whieli it was considered dangerous to attempt; and it was resolved to ford it and march down some five miles on the other side and again rccross. At day break, th« next morning, tlie troops were put in motion. They forded the ]\loMongahcla with all tlie precision and de- liberate confidence of a parade. Their arms glittered in the sunlight and their accoutrements were all in fault- less order, as they formed on the opposite bank and marched along the open valley. The officers were all in full uniform and all loolvcd as if arrayed rather for a fete than for a battle. Washington, wlio had been sick and left behind to recover, at Fort Necessity, and had rejoined them but the day before still indisposed; smar- ting under the contemptuous rejection by Braddock of his cautious suggestion that he should keep the Virgin- ia rangers in advance of tlie regulars, as more accustom- ed to the mode of warfare, nevertheless looked upon tne pageant with an admiring cve. Housed to new life, h« lorgot his repulses and all his recent ailments and brok« forthin expressions of enjoyment and admiration as he rode in company with his fellow aids de camp, Orme and Morris. Often, in after life, he used to speak of th« effect upon hiui, of a well disciplined European army, marching in high coniidence and bright array, on the eve of a battle. About noon they reached the second ford, Gage, with the advance, was on the opposite side of the Moncnga- hela, posted according to orders; but the river bank had not been sufiiciently sloped. The artillery and baggag* ^i.i CIVIL HISTORY. 215 the nih fg*- ig« wagons, drew up along the beaoh and halted until one, when the second crossing took place, drums beating, fifes playing, and colors flying as before. When all had passed, there was again a halt close by a small stream called Frazer's Run, until the General arranged the or- der of march. First went the advance, under Oafro, preceded by the engineers andguaids, and six light liors«'nian, then Sir John St. Clair, and the working party witli their wag- ons and two six pounders and on each side were thrown out four flanking parties. Then at some distance, tbe General was to follow with the main bodv, the artillerv and baggage preceded and flanked by Mght horse and squads of infantry; wliile the Virginia and provincial troops, were to form the rear guard. The ground before them was level until about half a mile from the river, when a rising ground covered with long grass, low bushes and scattered trees, sloped gently up to a range of hills. Th.e whole country, generally speaking., was a forest, with no clear opening but tli« road, which was about twelve feet wide, and flanked by two ravines concealed by trees and thicket^. It was now near two o'clock. Tlie advance party and the working party had crossed the plain and were ascend- ing the rising ground. Biaddock was about to follow with the main body and had given the word to march, when he heard a quick and excessively heavy firing in front. Washington, who was with tlie General, sur- mised that the evil he had apprehetidcd had come to pass. For want of scouting parties ahead, the advance par- ties were suddenly and warmly attacked. The firing continued \vith a fearlul yelling. There was a terrible tiproar. The general sent forward an aid to ascertain M I ; ■in , ;. ; 1 ■■'! '. ' m m :|| ' ■^- ■" ;-5 li i \ t ! 216 CIVIL HISTORY. and report to him the cause, and too impatient to wait Bpurred after his messenger. The turmoil increased. The van of the advance had been taken by surprise. It was composed of two companies of carpenters or pi- oneers to cut the road and two flank companies of gren- adiers to protect ihem. Suddenly the engineer who preceded them gave the alarm, "French and Indians." A body of these latter was approaching rapidly, cheer- ed on by a Frenchman in a gaily fringed hunting shirt, who was slain in the charge and proved to be the com- mander of the attacking party. Captain de Beaujeu. There was sharp firing on both sides at first and sev- eral of the enemy foil; but soon a murderous fire broke out from the ravine on the right of the road, and the woods resounded wi'h unearthly whoops and yellings. The Indian ride was at work, leveled by unseen hands. The advance was killed or driven in. Gage ordered his grenadiers to fix bayonets and charge up a hill on the right whence there was the severest firing. Not a platoon would move. They were dismayed and stupi- fied as much by the yells as by the riiles of the unseen Bavages. The latter extended themselves along the hill and in the ravines; but their whereabouts was only known by their demoniac cries anil the pufifs of umoke from their riiles. As the covert Ore grew more intense, the trepidation of the regulars increased. They fired at random whenever they saw a motion and shot some of their own flnnking parties and of tlie rangers who had like the Indians, taken to the trees and were doing good execution. All oiders were unheeded. The officers were doubly exposed and in a very short time were most of them shot down. The advance fell back upon Sir John St.JOlair's corps, which was equally dismayed. m CIVIL HI8T0UY. 21: Col. Burton, had come up with the reinforceraonts, and was forming his m-Mi to face the rising ground on the riglit when both of the advanced detachments fell h&ok upon him, and all now was confusion. The Virginia troops, accustomed to the Indian mode of fighting, scattered themselves, and took posts be- hind trees whore they could pick off the lurking foe. — In this way they in some degree protected the regulars. Washington advised the General to adopt the same mode with the regulars, but he persisted in forming them in- to platoons; consequently they were cut down from be- hind logs and trees as fast as they could advance. Jt was little better than murder for men to be thus ex- posed. Some of them attempted to take to tlie trees without orders, but the general stormed at them, called them cowards and even struck them with his sword. The slaughter among the officers was tremendous. — They behaved with the most consumate bravery. In the desperate hope of inspiriting the men they could no longer command, they would dash forward singly or in groups. They were invariably shot down; for the Indians aimed from their coverts at everyone on horse- back or who seemed to have command. Some were killed by their own men, who crowded in masses, fired with affrighted rapidity. Soldiers in the front were killed by those in the rear. Between friend and foe. the slaughter of officers and men was terrible. All this time, the woods resounded with the unearthly yelling of the savages, and now and then, one of them, hide- ously painted, and ruffling with feathered crest, would rush forth to scalp an officer who had fallen, or sieze a horse galloping wildly without a rider. Such is a des- cription of the battle as depicted by the graphic pen of k^ t m I: II 218 civifi nrsToiiY. I y n Irving. Such an unmitigated slaughter couhl notion^ continue. Nearly all the icgulnr ofticcrs wore disabled, the troops wore paralyzed by the panic, all subordina- tion was lost, Braddock with obstinate bravery still at- tempvcd to retrieve the fortunes of the day, when a bul- let, aimed, it is doubtful whether by friend or foe, pas- sed through his right arm and into his lungs, and ho fell from his horse, having already had five horses shot under him. In his despair he wished to bo left upon the tield to die, but was with difficulty removed. The principal command now devolved upon Washington. Throughout the day, he had signalized himself by h'ln calm courago and great presence of raind. Ho exposed himself without reserve to the murderous rillo, and his escape seems little short of miraculous. Two horses were killed under him, and four bullets passed through his coat, nevertheless, he escaped unhurt. After the fall of Braddock, the rout was complete. Baggage, stores, artillery, everything was abandoned. The wagonerg, took each a horse out of his team and tied. The officers were swept along in the headlong flight. — The Indians rushed from their coverts, and pursued tho frightened fugitives, as they dished across the river, in the tumultuous confusion, killing many while in tho stream. A body of them were rallied at a spot about a quarter of a mile beyond the river, where Braddock had been conveyed, and an effort made to effect a stand, small parties were told off, and sentinels posted, bnt before an hour had elapsed, most of the men, sentinels and all, had stolen off. Being thus deserted, there was no al- ternative, but a precipitate retreat. Washington was sent back to Dunbar's camp, forty miles distant, to carry the news, and to hurry forwarul CIVIL HISTORY. 219 lj;jrovi9ion.s, hospital stoics nnd wagons )br the wciind- ■0(1, but the tidings had reached Dunbar before his arri- val, and the camp was wrought into the greatest trepi- dation by the exaggerated reports of the frightened fu- gitives, and it was with the greatest difticulty a prooipi- tnte liight was prevented by the officers. The detachment escorting the wounded General, aug- mented to a couple of hundred men and officers, rcach- •cd Dunbar's camp, on the 12th, and on the 13th, the ontire force took up its melancholy march, back again to t he Great Meadows, which they reached in the even- ing. Here, Braddockdied, on the night of the llUli. — His proud spirit was broken by defeat, and the diffi- culty with him seemed to bo to comprehend how it came to pass. He was grateful for the attentions paid to him by Captain Stewart of the Provincials and Washington, and more than once it is said,exprcssed his •jidmiration of the gallantry displayed by the Virginians in the action. It is said, moreover, that in his last mo- mimts, he apologized to Washington for the petulanw with which he had rejected his advice, and be({ue01 y surprised than (Jontrccuiur himself, when the ambus- cading party returned in triumph, with a long train of paekhorses hulen with booty, the savages uucouthly clad in the garments of the slain — grenadier caps, ofii- ccrs gold laced coats and glittering epaulets, flourishing swords and sabres, or tiring olf muskets and uttering fiendish yells of victory. Uut when he was informed of the utter defeat of the British army, his joy was com- plete, he ordered the guns of the Fort to be fired in tri- umph, and sent out troops in pursuit of the fugitives. We have thus been particular in narrating the fate of the Expedition; — in doing which we have drawn largely upon Irving's Life of Washington — because, in the first place it is a notable incident in our history, and in the next, because it was followed with most im- portant consequences to the country at large. Brad- dock's defeat elated the Indians, and encouraged them to carry desolation even beyond the mountains. Win- chester was threatened, an. I the valley of Virginia was almost deserted of its inhabitants, emigration of course stopped and the prospect was gloomy in the extreme. • If it was not the severest check British power ever re- ceived on the continent, it was certainly the most hu- miliating. The entire campaign was a compound of mismanagement, cowardice and misfortune. Its con- sequences van forward into the revolution. The mili- tia ascertained that the British regulars were not by any means invincible, and gained confidence in them- selves and in their officers, while the attempt of the home government to compel the colonies to pay part of the expenses of this very expedition, was a prominent incentive to the rebellion of 1775. Fiom this time until 1763, raged what was callW I , ■! t V f /i- I m ■i 1 222 CIVIL BISTORT. !i Pontiac's war, one of the most awful periods of dfs^- tress over before or afterwards experienced in the wes- tern country. This was closed by the decisive victory of Col. Boquet at Brushy Run in Westmoreland coun- ty, Pa., in the August of that year, which so disnir.yod the savages that they gave up not only all further de- signs against Fort Pitt, and the surrounding country, ^jut withdrew temporarily from the frontiers. In this engagement, the Indians were themselves ambushed and defeated, in a style similar to that which eight yearr. before they had so effectually used against Braddock. The English army consisting of about five hundred men, the remnant of two regiments of Highlanders, more than decimated by disease in the West India ser- vice and sent into the northern woods to recuperate, was marching with a large convoy of stores, through the wilderness on the 4th of August 1763, with no ap- pearance of an enemy in sight, when suddenly at mid- day, the advance as in Braddock*^s case, was violently attacked. But the Highlanders, better prepared' than their predecessors, charged them with fixed bayonets, and drove the savages before them, but with considera- * ble loss to themselves. Thev f;ll back, and the sav- ages swarmed around them, confident of victory, thirs- ting for their blood, and yelling with fiendish delight, at the prospect of another Saturnalia of carnage. But Boquet was cooler and shrewder than Braddock. Per- ceiving the overwrought iiudacity of the savages, ho took advantage of it. Posting two strong companies, concealed Ixi the underbrush, at each side of his road, he commenced a precipitate and apparently disorderly retreat. Tlie savages fell into the snare. Thinking that the English were really in confusion and retroftt ' CIVIL HISTORY. 223 ■■•■ !; 1 ing, they dashed yelling from their coverts, in full pur- suit; when the t\TO concealed companies assailed the exposed mass with a heavy fire on either flank; ard at tlio signal, the retreating troops faced about and pour- ed into the astonished Indians such close and galling vollies, that they were stricken with panic, and yielding to the irresistable impulse, were utterly routed and put to flight. It was a deathblow to the Indians and a dear victory to the English. Boquet, lost in killed and wounded, about one fourth of his men; and was hardly able to convey his wounded — stores and everything else being destroyed — to Fort Pitt which he reached four davs after the battle. From Boquet's victory, dates the undisputed posses- sion of the Ohio valley to the white man. The power of Pontiac, the "Colossal chief of the Northwest," was broken; his adherents were dispirited by defeat, and sued of the whites for peace; but the name of the chief- tain still hovers over the Northwest, as that of the hero who devised and conducted their great but unavailing struggle with destiny, for the independence of their ' race. In this war, they scalped over a hundred traders in the woods, they mui-dered many families in their hab- itations, Ihey besieged and took by force or stratagem numerous forts, and slew their inmates; thev threatened the very strongholds of the whites; passed the moun- tains, nnd spread death and terror even to Bedford, Winchester, and Fort Cumberland. Nearly five hun- dred families from the frontiers of Maryland and Vir- ginia fled to Winchester, unable to find even so much as a hovel to shelter them from the weather, bare of ev- ery comfort and forced to lie scattered in the woods. In the mean time* the defeat of Braddock and iU ter- SM h : w i . i;; . ti24 CIVIL niSTORY. ■s rible consequcm-es, had vacated nearly every English cabin in the valley of the Ohio. Of the North Ameri- ran continent of twenty-five parts, France claimed twen- ty; leaving but four to England and one to Spain. She had in the execution of her plan, connected the great valleys of the St. Laivrence and the Mississippi, by three well known routes, — by way of Lake Erie and Waterford to Fort Duqncsne, by way of the Maumee to Shawneetowu at the mouth of the Wabash, and by way of Chicago, down the Illinois, and she seemed pre- pared and able by arms and art, to make good her claim of possession. The war started in America had embroiled the pa- rent countries. Misfortune and mismanagement seem- ed to attend every motion of the English. The}'' were effectually humiliated, yet with true British doggedness they were neither conquered or discouraged from fur- ther attempts at retrieving their fortunes. The minis- try determined to regain and hold the supremacy of tho western world. They found the colonies iu liioir n - semblies impracticable, headstrong as themselves; the spirit of independence sturdily asserting itseli at every show of arbitrary power on the part of the crown. Still they persevered. William Pitt, the great commoner, who had now risen through diflicultv and all manner of opposition to the ministry of Englan*!, trusted and lo- ved by tho people for his manly qualities; feared and respected by tho nobility for his ability and boldness, had become the ruling spirit at honie. In collonial mat- ters, when entreated to interpose, he regarded the bick- ering be* ween the people and the asscrtors of preroga- tive, with calm impartiality and blamed both parties for tho failure of the English arms and policy in CIVIL HISTORY. America. Ho determined to retake fort Duquesne, us apart of his far reaching plans of re-coiiquest. Tlio colonies themselves felt their honor at stake, and tho Assemblies seconded his determination with unnsiuil >5eal. Twelve hundred md fifty Highlanders arrivod from South Carolina and rendezvoused at Fort Cum- berland. Pennsylvania added twenty seven hundred men, and tho "Old Dominion" nineteen hundred more, besides a corps of three hundred and filty Koyal Amer- ican volunteers. This overwhelming force foi Iho ser- vice, wa« put in motion under the command of Briga- dier General Joseph Forbes, called tho "Iron Head" an able oflicer but in the last stages of a fatal disease. Here, tho fortunes of Washington again mingle with those of tho Ohio country. He was stationed at Fort (Juraborland with the Virginia troops and insisted upon advancing promptly along l>iaddock's road; but was provoked at tho dilatory policy of Forbes, in having a new road cut througli the wilderness nearly parallel therewith. Intelligence having come to hand that Fort Duquesno was defended by but five hundred French and throe hundred Indians, Majwr Grant with SCO highlanders, and some Virginians, was detached by (Jol. Boqnet, without the knowledge of P'orbos, to surprise and take the Fort. The vainglory of the Major, led to his defeat, and the rout of his army with a loss of 300 men; the baliuice being saved only by tlio good conduct of the provincials. Washington v^as then permitted to pro- ceed with his Brigade of Provincials to attempt the cap- ture of the Fort, the ga'-rison of which having been re- inforced by four hundred men from tho Illinois, was now near twelve huj.i.ed strong. As Washington and m J* ! I h 'm'm\ Hi .ii, 226 CIVIL HI8T0RV. ■ his Brigade advancing by forced marches, and followed by the main army approached the Forks, the Indiana deserted them, and on the 25th November 1758, redu- ced to 500 men, the garrison disheartened by the pros- pect, set the fort on fire, and by the light of the confla- gration descended the Ohio. This took place in sight of the youthful American hero, and ere the smouldering flames of the fortress had expired, he planted the Brit- ish flag on its deserted ruins. Thus, without the fi- ring of a TkO'^tilo gun, or the spilling of a single drop of blood xi ttle, was accomplished by the Pro- vincial Major, ad his Virginia brigade, what the mar- tinets of the British army, with the power of England at their back, had expended hundreds of lives to ac- complish, and failed in the effort. Gen. Forbes about this time, died. Thus fell French supremacy in the val- ley of the Ohio. As the banners of England floated over the Ohio, the place was with one voice called Pittsburgh. It is the most enduring trophy of the glory of AVm. Pitt. "Long as the Monongahela and the Allegheny ehall flow," says Bancroft, "to form the Ohio, long as the English tongue shall be the language of Freedom in tha bound- less valleys .vhich their waters traverse, his name shall stand inscribed on the gateway of the west." CHAPTER IV. SEITLEMENTS, TITLES AND BOUNDARIES. Early Boundary DUputea— Fir^t Settlrments— Pennsylvania and Virf^inia State Line— PiitentK — LUisratiou — Titles — Lord l)unroore — Conolly— Kevo- lution — Capt John Neville— Early Patriotism— S'.'ttleraent of Boundary Disputes — The Panhandle — Origin of the name — Ohio county — West Lib- erty-Original Settlers— Characteristics — Early Enterprise— I migration — Weighty Characters. At a very early day, as far back, at least, as the com- inoiieement of the 18th century, disputes arose as to the title of the land lying on the waters of the Ohio, which were never'definitely and authoritatively settled until af- ter the war of the revolution. The French claimed the entire country from the mouth of the Mississippi to tho head springs of the Ohio, by virtue of discovery, under the name of Louisiana, while the English claimed from Plymouth and Jamestown, west, to the other ocean, un- der titles claimed by the "divine right*' of King James and his successors. Subordinate to these original claimn were the claims of the proprietaries of the different States indefinitely worded, and of necessity, often clashing. — Some of these, again, recognised a sort of title in the Indians, which in some cases, they purchased for con- fiiderations more or less valuable, and in others, siezed, by virtue of conquest. It is believed that no white man f\-i '■m '■' 1 mi tifj : 1 \m <■': ! W'{ I 22S CIVIL HISTORY, li, trod tlie slioixjs of the Ohio or its upper branches, prior to 1700; as early, however, as 1715-20, an occasional trader ventured beyond the mountains, and among the first of these, says the historian of Western Pennsylva- ^^ ^(j-yJ- '^'^> ^vas James L. Fort, who took up his residence at what is now Carlisle, in 1720. A Mr. Frazer was a prominent trader among the Indians, at about this date, and resided at the mouth of Turtle Creek, on the Mo- nongahola. The settlement by the Ohio Company, pre- viously referred to, at the Forks, may be considered as the first regukirly attempted white settlement. At about this period, tiie entire region was generally believed to belong to Virginia — though, the grant to the proprieta- ry of Pennsylvania, expressly' guaranteed to him the country from a certain point on the Delaware river, the starting point of the celebrated "Mason & Dixon's line," rive degrees of longitude west. The ideas of geography in those day<»', were, however, somewhat indefinite; and Virginia had counter-claims, ■which she put in; and at Any rate, she exercised jurisdiction over all that portion of what is now Pennsylvania, included between the Mo- nongahela and the Ohio, and an indefinite territory be- sides, beyond her present boundary. This entire scope of country was called West Augusta, by the Virginians, and embraced from the Blue Ridge west to the Mississ- ippi. By a law, passed in 1769, forming the new coun- ty of Botetourt' from Augusta,* it being considered that the people living on the waters of the Mississippi, would be seriously incommoded, by reason of remoteness from the Court-house of Botetourt, they were considerately exempted from the payment of levies imposed for the building of the Court-house and jail. The county of Fincastlc carved out of this, in 1772, was again subdi- I i: CIVIL HISTORY. •22l> vidcii in 1776, into Kentucky, Washington and Mont- gomery counties. Thus, vague and indeterminate, weio the boundaries of this region, only eiglity years ago. — After Fort Pitt came into the hands of tlie English, bv the treaty of Grenville, in 1765, and during the lull in Indian hostilities subsequent to the eventa before narra- ted, emigration having again commenced, and sottle- inents having been gradually made along the various, streams, as the population increased, boundaries became- of more importance. The Western portion of the di(=<- trict, comprising the territory lying upon and between the waters of the Monongahela and the* Ohio, took tlie name of Yo-ho-gania, as appears by the Virginia pat- ents of that date, which name was retained up to as late as 1785. Still, however, boundaries remained undeter- mined, and had become the so race of frequent litigation, 80 that it became indispensibly necessary to settle them authoritatively, at least, between the different States. — Forty miles of territory was in the anomalous condition of belonging to two jurisdictions; the inhabitants recog- nizing either or neither, as suited their present inclina- tions"^ Virginia had two Court-houses South of tlie Mo- nongahela, and one North, at Redstone, now Browns- ville. She at one time fixed a seat of Justice at "lla- zorlown," two miles West of what is now Washing- ton, and at onetime, the Pennsylvania proprietary of- fered to compromise, by making the Monongahela and the Ohio the boundary, thus taking in "Yo-ho-gania," into Virginia. But Virginia claimed to the Laurel Moun- tain. The location of land warrants was the immediate subject of litigation. The Virginia laws, on thia sub- ject, were very liberal — the Indian title was now consid- ered to have been conquered ia the war, and all that wap. ? i I f-r il H i 11^ f. i. M i i 1 '.,1 ti. s«o CIVIL HISTORY. necessary to give validity to title, were such restrictions «k9 wore necessary to prevent confusion. Six months' time was to intervene between the registry of the claim at the land-o(Hce, and the issue of a patent The pat» «nt, cost surveying and ofiicer'H fees and $2 per hundred acres of land. These conditions complied with, the pat- ent was issued. Priority of claim was also established by "tomahawk right, "--the claimant of a particular piece of land, marking out a line through the woods by ^'blazing, " or "chipping out," the trees around it, and deadening a few trees near a spring; and this title, al- though it had no legal force, wt;«j yet respected by the uettlers, and became of the same force as law, as it was not deemed creditable or safe to interfere with a claim thus established. These claims were often bought and sold. The Pennsylvania proprietary, in pursuance of the policy of Wm. Penn, in 1768, went through tho form of purchasing the Indian title to the same territo- ry, instead of taking it, as did the Virginians, by right of conquest; and fixed the price of warrants under his authority much higher, the authorities say from ^'2o to 830 per hundred acres, or fourteen fold. Ho opened a landotHce at about this time, but the difference in price, determined the majority of the settlers to purchase from Virginia. Settlements made or warrants located pre- vious to this dato under authority of either province were recognised by both as good and valid. June 1774, a vexatious contest commenced between Pennsylvania and Virginia in relation to theso matters. Lord Dun- more, was then Governor of the latter state, and as tho revolution was in its incipient state and the govern- or a strong tory in principle and subsequent practice; it lias been surmised, his object was to embroil the stated CiVir. HISTORY. 231 in fHfRcnltios between themselves, and thus withdraw their attention from the engrossing questioug of the rev- olution. It was at this time, that the Pennsylvanians offoroil to make tlio jVFonongahela tho boundary line; but (iovernor Dunmore, evidently did not wish the dis- pute settled. He appointed to the command of Fort Pitt, Col. Wni?Conolly, a rash, headstrong, tinscrupu-**^^^ lous man, who harassed tho people by his exactions to tho point of exasperation; and even arrested and imprisoned magistrates acting under authority of Pennsylvania in tho discharge of their duty. So threatening an appear- ance bad the affair at this period that it promised to end in a civil war, and attracting tho attention of patriotic citizens of both states, on the 25th. of July, 1775, tho delegates in congress, including among others, Thoma« Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and Benjamin Franklin, uni- ted in a circular, urging the people in the disputed re- gion to mutual forbearance. Says tho circular: "W« recommend it to yon that all bodies of armed men, kept up by either party, be dismissed; and that all thoso on either side, or in confinement, or on bail, for taking part in the contest, be discharged." To such a pitch did the mutual acrimony of feeling reach, and so disa- greeable was the continued disputation that about thui time, it was seriously contemplated by many of the set- tlers, to move in a body farther west; and a scbemo with this end in view was actually entered into by » Mr. Jackson, which however failed. When the revolution actually broke out, the att«n- tion of the people was turned in that direction. Dun- more developed his character in espousing openly, tb« cause of tho crown against the people; and in attempt^ iDg to incite the cegroes in one section, and the 8avag#» I I , li- ft i I.; I (?,;;,' 1*^ {•M^- |.| 232 CIVIL UISTOUY. in another, aj^'aiust the whites. At this jimctnro it be- came necessary to forgot their bickering anJ unite for mutual defence against their common enemies — the Brit- ish, Tories an consider- ing themselves overreached by the whites, in a treaty of that year, threatened to kill any surveyors, whom they might find in the territory, and consequently, con- tinued their northern survey only to its point of inter- section with the Ohio, at the extreme end of what is now Hancock county, Vu. Their report was received, and ratified by tlie Legislature of Virginia, on the 8th of Oc- tober, 17S.'), and from that day, dates the legal exist- ence of the "Panhandle." Previous to this, Ohio coun- ty had been formed from Yo-ho-gunia, by the line of Cross Creek, and says the record, on the settlement of the boundary question, in 1789, that portion of Yo-ho- gania, lying north of this creek, was added to Ohio, be- ing too small for a separate county, an'1 +hc county of Yo-ho-gania became, thereupon, extinc'. Hancock, then, and so much of Brooke us lies north of Cross Creek, was the last of the ancient Yo-ho-gania. Tra- dition, in accounting for the strip of land, driven in wedge-like, between Ohio and Pennsylvania, constitu- rli,' 234 CIVIL ni STORY. I ting what is called the Panhandle, states that it was* owing to an error in reckoning, that the live dogrecp of west longitude, reached so far to the west, anil that much dissatisfaction was excited, when the result was definitely ascertained. Great importance wasuudouht- cdly attached to th^ command of the Ohio river, by the authorities of cither State, but it is doubtful wheth- er the \irginians felt themselves, at that juncture, very far overreached . It will be borne in mind, that at that day, the Northwestern Territory, compririing the great State of Ohio, was an integral part of the Old Domin- ion, so that even under the arrangement agreed to by the commissioners, the Ohio, for a very great distance, flowed through lier territory, and it was not until the cession of that Territory, in 1789, some years after, that she realized the hard bargain, thus unwittingly made. When the State of Ohio was established in 1802,the Pan- handle first showed its beautiful proportions on the map of the United States. A long and bitter dispute was at any /ate, happily settled by mutual concession, to be only casually disturbed during the railroad era of 1854 by a slight movement toward annexation to Pennsyl- vania in consequence of alledged legislative neglect and grievances. It gave, what perhaps few of the people interested, expected, not only Pittsburg and its euvi- ronsandall Allegheny and Westmoreland counties; but all Washington, Fayette and Green, to Pennsyl- vania. The Virginians, ir the event, undoubtedly had the hardest of the bargain, though at the time, they did not forsee the result, or anticipate so much liberal- ity in their future legislation. After the boundary question became satisfactorilf settled, the small strip of land rnnning up between the Cn*IL TIISTORY. 235 Pennsylvania lino and the Ohio, settled up more rap- idly than any other portion of Northwestern Virginia. Havinghad the pnblic eye directed to it by the many : the article of State pride, that so pre-eminently distin- guishes < ho Virginian, wherever and however he may he located. On the first development of the Panhandle, it con- stituted a portion of the extensive county of Ohio, which dates back to before the revolution, and reached territorially to an indefinite extent. On the v/aters of Short Creek, celebrated from the earliest period for the exceeding richness of the soil, was located the seat of justice for this immense) territory. It was called West Liberty, and here on the l6th January 177G, wac held the first Court for Ohio county, and perhaps the first civil Court ever held in the valley of the Mississippi. A court house and jail were ordered in the following sp7 ing, and among the attornics practising, are the names of Philip Pendleton and George Brent in 177S. The town was incorporated November 29thj 1786. At the organization of the present county of Brooke in 1797, at which period the seat of justice for Ohio coun- t\ J was removed to Wheeling, and at about which lime the county records uere burned, West Liberty, was quite a metropolis, and was the scene of many a hard fought battle with forensic as well as physical weapons. The court-housu, oi the relics of it may yet be seen, being a log building, nearly opposite the tav- ern stand known as "Bill Irvin's." In its precincts, Doddridge, Sprigg, Fitzhugh, M'Kennan, and many another, whose name has since become classic, thunder- ed their eloquence, and plead for justice and their cli- ents. The venerable spot is also associated in the minds of the older men of this day, with many a rough joke, and row, and drinking bout. It v/as a great place for horse-racing, and the present generation of its citizens. ! ■!! CIVIL instORf . 237 f i.| M' ii/o l)o\v — Ilev Jiiiiics Fiuloy — Joliu M'l'ow • ell— 8t(jno Meeting; House on Short Crook— liev..!. Monrop — Castloiniiiri Kuu Caiiii> (irouutl — IJaptist Dciioiuiimtiou— Jonathan West- Aloxandur Campbell — Episcopal Church— Kev. Joseph Doddridge — Disputation. There was early manifested a decided partiality for the forms and ordinances of Christianity among the ear- ly settlers of the conntry of which we treat; in soino portions of it, verging npon intolerance. The imigrants bronght with them the pecnliar religious tenets and incli- nation of the neighborhoods whence they came. That portion of the population which had its origin in Vir- ginia and Maryland, was stiongly tinctured with higli church Episcopacy and Catholicism; the disciples of Wm . Penn were represented in the emigration from his prov- ince; while the strong Scotch Irish populatiun, which so much proponderated in Western Pennsylvania, rep- resented Presbyterianism, in every shape and form, as well as every phase almost of secession and reforma- tion. Presbyterianism, positive or negative, in some shape or other, seems to have been the prevailing relig- m !>4C CIVIL IIISTORY. ion of Western Pennsylvania. Its missionaries were fecattercJ all over the country, and wore zealous in their labors: every opportunity was used by its colporteurs and ministers, to distribute bibles and tracts; they would visit emigrant boats de-3ccndinj^ the river, to see that liioir spiritual wants were duly attended to, and through ii»o agency of missionary societies', take advantage of f'very opportunity to diffiiso the gospel. The Jiov, Mr. Patterson, alone, during fourteen years' residence in Pittsburgh, at tliis early day, in tliis way, distributed i')6(j'i copies of bibles and testaments. They founded schools and colleges, and filled them with scholars, and supplied them with zealous and competent teachers. — In 1700, they resolved to establi'' two seminaries, in which the purpose of "educating young men forthegos- ])ol ministry," was a prominent object; one to be estab- lished in Rockbridge County, Va , under charge of Kev. Wm. Graham, as President, the other in Washington County, Pa., under care of Rev. John M'Miilan. This was the origin of Washington College, Lexington, Va., and of Canonsburg College, in Washington Couiity; Pa. Books of a doctrinal nature were enjoined to be j)ut into the hands of the students, at once, on their en- trance, indigent pious young men were provided for, and the two schools were placed under the supervision of a Board of Examiners, chosen from the Presbyterie« respectively. A few years afterwards, W^ashington College, in Washington county, Pa., was instituted on similar principles. The Presbyterian organization is essentially mission- ary. The printed records of the church, establish the fact that near one hundred years ago, she sent out mis- sionaries into the howling wilderness west of the Alle- flVIL IIISTOnY. 247 ghenies to proich to the scattered emigrants, hunters, traders' and indians who might fall in their way. As early as 1700, wo read of their lahors and travels in this capacity. Very many of the scttlcrft of Waslnnp- ton and Allegheny counties, were secedcrs from the reg- ular organization, and of the strait*^sL sect of that per- suasion. They were very dogmatical in their opinions and somewhat disposed to bigotry; much given to long sermons, very peculiar psalmody nnd cold meat on Sunday. Many of this denomination, may still 1x5 found in western I Pennsylvania. The Presbyterian syn- od of New York and Philadelphia established in the year 1781, at the request of the Revs, Joseph Smith, John M'Millan, James Power and Thaddeus Dodd; wdiat w'as called the lledstono Presbytery, whicli em- braced the country lying between and upon tlie brandi- es of the Monongahela and the Ohio; and took its name from Iledstone Old Fort, which appears to have been a sort of head quarters, and gave the name of Pedstone settlement to a wide extent of country. This Presby- tery, was served by men of eminent piety and ability, among wliom may be named — Revs. Joseph Smitli, John M'Millan, James Power, Anderson, Dodds, Ed- gar and others — men who made their mark upon tha early history of the country and the leaven of whose christian virtues, still works among the sturdy yeoman- ry of West Pennsylvania. The united congregations of Buffalo and Cross Creek united in a "call," it is said the first 'apon record west of the mountains, to the gen- tleman first named, in June 1779, promising the con- nideration per year, of £150 continental currency of 1774 for his services; and recapitulating the great loss "youth custain by growing up without the stated means of 1.1 y %i ii' ili! i!>i 248 CIVIL HISTORY. grace; the formality likely to spread over the aged, and the great danger of ungodliness pcrvailing among both, there being divers tlenouiiniitions of people among us, who hold dangerciis principles tending to mislead many weak and ignorant people; we cannot but renew our earnest entreaties that you will accept this, our hearty call." Houses of worship were extremely rare in those days, and it is said that none existed prior to 1790. — Even in the winter, meetings were held in the ojicn air. A place was selected, as well sheltered from the weath- er us possible and a log pulpit erected; and in this prim- itive style the worship of (lod was conducted with as much decorum and pcrha[)s with more acceptability, than in the gorgeous edifices and gilt edged pulpits of their descendants. Tliis was iho origin of the camp- meetings, which were not, as is generally supposed, by any means confined to ]\[ethodists. They had their or- igin in the necessities of the country before Methodism existed; and were very generally adopted, not from choice, but for want of better accommodations. Next in numbers and influence a.^ter Presbyterianism comes Methodism, tliough it does not by any means ap- pear as efficient or at least as prominent, until of much Irtt(U' date. Tiidccd, in the oirly days of Methodism its professors and preacliers appear to have been in very bad repute, and were considered ratljor as grievous nuisan- ces to society, tliau as a reputable, christian denomina- tion. Their more liberal and popularized doctrines and mode of church go i'cinniont came in direct conflict with the straight-laced Galvanism, so prevalent at that day; and as they commended themselves with more accepta- bility to the reckless, thoughtless and more ignorant masses of the community, Methodism became an object UIV ^ty ism nd ith Hta- iut Gois.; TO CHjnni tn Old Times.— [Pag*? 24«.] CIVIL HISTORY. •249 of jealonKV, contempt and hatred. Methodism, under the preaching of Whitefield and Wesley in England had its rise and popularity chiefly among the humbler class- es in that kingdom; its history was associated with many extravagancies, and with much that excited rid- icule and reprehension; an 1 the vulgar prejudice, exci- ted against its preachers and professors, by the adhe- rants of the English church, followed its ministrations across the Atlantic, and even into th. wilds of the back woods. Nevertheless, there was at the bottom of its extravagancies, a solid stratum of truth, sincerity and pure piety that disarmed opposition; and the martyr-like devotion of its early preachers, recommended it to the masses, so that gradually it worked itself into notice, and became one of the leading denominations of the land. It appears emphatically, to have been the democratic church, in contradistinction to tin; more aristocratic and excliT^ive cotemporary sects. Commending itself to the Kympathies of tiie masses and appealing rather to their feelings than to their intellects, it was the creed to pre- vail in a naturallv consciencious, but uncultivated com- r.iunity, and the beatific visions of supernal ecstacy in- to which its wrapt votaries were often inducted by overwrought imagination, or as they claimed, by the di- rect visitation of the Almiglity, were of so impressive a character tliev could not only not be for>jfottcu,but made them proof against all opprobrium and against all per- secution. Itineracy was a peculiarity of the sect. The preachers emulated the example of the apostles in the tjimplicity and scantiness of their oulfit. They _ took no thought of to-morrow, but depending upon the gos- pel staff and script, they relied upon what the day might bring forth, for their sustenance and support. — - ;'■■ I W Mi 1!- 1 il 250 CITIL BISTORT. They dived into the bosom of the forests and tracked its almost pathless wilds; with a kind of spiritual knight errantry, they crossed unknown rivers, and plunged into dismal swamps — they came unawares upon the settler in his secluded cabin, and preaching with a zeal that would brook no denial, they used for his conver- sion sometimes carnal as well as spiritual weapons. — Where two or three could be gathered, they ma«le th« woods resound with prayer and praise and exhortation. Tliero was a heroism, a self devotion, a deliance of per- il, an endur^ince of hardship, and an obvious poverty, that vouched for their sincerity, and commended them to the respect and hospitality of their hosts. In this way, they sowed broadcast over the land, the seeds of Methodism, wliicli were destined soon to grow up into a bountiful harvest. Among the first nnd most nota- ble of these early itinerants was Lorenzo Dow, who gained a world-wide reputation for his eccentricities; and who first passed through tliis country about the year 180(5, preaching at tlio ditferent points on his route. lie was not regularly in connection with the Methodist organization, but his doctrines liad more sim- ilarity to theirs, than to those of any other denomina- tion; and naturally ho came to be regarded as a kind of apostle of Methodism. His travels commenced about the year 1792, and speaking of the sect in question, at tiiat day, he says: "about this time there was much talk about the people called Methodists, who were late- ly come into the western part of New England. There were various reports and opinions concerning them, some saying they Avere the demons that were to come in the last days; that such a delusive spirit attended them that it was dangerous to have them spoak, lest they tJIVlL HISTORY. t51 «hoiild load people ont of the good old way they had been brought up in, that they would deceive if possible, the very elect,'* In his passage through this country in 1805, he speaks of preaching at Charlestown, and lays that many were displeased with his preaching. — lieturning again in 1813, he met witli a kinder ^recep- tion, at most of the points where he preached, though «t West Middletown, Pa., he says that an effort waf made to mob him, which failed. He was probably th« first of the street preachers, and as often preached in th« market place «s in the church. He was possessed of much ready wit, which he could readily turn to advan- tage and very frequently to |the ludicrous discomfitar« of his antagonists and disturbers. Dow, was not th« only Methodist preacher who was maltreated, nor wai the prejudice against Methodists confined to particular localities. In Crawford county. Pai., in 1806, John McDowell, whose father's family was the first Metho- dist family in the county, preacliod the first sermon of the novel creed, and had almost to fly for his life from the vengeance of his congregation; as late as 1826, the Rev. Boar, who headoil tlio first organization in Beaver county, was spit upon hy the boys and otherwise insul- ted, daring his sermon. liev. James Fiuloy who flourished about the time of the last war, was an eminent preacher of this denomi- nation, concerning whom, (juitoa number of anecdote* are afloat j\mong his jmcient friends. He appears to have been a kind of Boanerges — zealous, of powerful frame and utterly fearless, he would shake the souls of sinners over the fires of hell until they "squealed like young raccoons." He was aKentuckian, but spent the greater part of his youth near Chilicothe, Ohio, and hif '•if'' ill W. 252 CIVIL HISTORY* fatlier being a teacher of the classics, he acquired from him a .superior education. Ho reproved ain without fear, favor or affection, and was not particularly careful of the phraseology he used. His rough practice brot' him frequently into disagreeable contact with the hard cases of his day. Baid he, on being advised that a certain man in Steubeuville, whom he had offended, had threatened to maltreat him. "I am willing to ho led to the stake for the cause of Christ, but brethren, God never made the man wlio will ever cowhide James Finley." It is needless to say he was not cowhided, although he thundered his denunciations afterwards, with rci.loubIed vim. Nevertlieless, and in spite of opprobrium and hostil- ity, the cliurch grew apace, ar d at an early day took rank with tlie Presbyterian in popularity; and iu many sections actually outstripped it in numbers. At this day it consiilerably exceeds any other denomination, in this section in the number of its members, and is be- hind none in popular ostimation. One of the first or- ganizations was established in the neighborhood of . West Liberty, on Short Creek bottom, about the year 1805, and perhaps the oldest jNIethodist Church in the country is the old stone meeting house on Short Creek bottom, erected by them about the year 1810. Kev. Joshua Monroe, speaks of preaching in it in the year 1811, when it was in an unlinished condition, and states that the stone work was executed by Mr. Ralph Doug- lass, an Englishman and a Methodist of the old Wes- leyan stamp, a sensible and deeply pious man who died a few years afterward in Washington, Pa. It is a ven- erable and timo worn edifice, suggestive of old times; and surrouudcd with the grave stones of many of tha CIVIL nisTonv. 1>5^ fatriarchs and pioneers of this section. Not far from it is the old Castleman's Run (\amp Ground, also loca- ted about the same time (in 1814.) by the same Joshua Monroe, above mentioned, with otiiers, /■ly.Tnen and preachers, and arranged for a camp t^Tound. Prior to 1811, Camp Meeting had boon held iutlie vicinity of the stone meeting honse, but an intermission occurring at this time, the new site was selected on the land of the Jones family, and annual meetings have been held on the spot with great regularity, froni that d;iy to this. Among the early Methodist preachers may be named Hoge, Page, West, dohn Waterman, .1. Monroe, Ja- cob Young and others, many of whom will be remem- bered by some of our readers as men of great ability, piety and zeal in the cause of ^Methodistic Christianity. Those of them living now can look back upon the early "days of their church and compare it with its present growth and strength with tbankrulness to ( lod, and hon- est pride at the commanding position it lias attained to from such small beginnings. The Baptist Church comes next in numerical impor- tance in this section. It too, in infancy, had to en-' counter prejudices and sectarian hostility; but though divided into sects, it outgrew them all and attained a proportionate importance. About the year 1801, Jonathan West of the county of Jeffer&on, N. W. Territory, deeded to the Regular Baptist Church of Kings Creek, Yr., for the sum of one and-a half dollars, snflicicnt land on which to erect a church. The church was afterwards erected, and for many years occupied, being among the very first ed- ifices for such purposes in the western country. The Eegular Baptists were afterwards divided into various ^' i il :; ! li 254 CIVIL HIBTOBT. ■§ecta, who discussed their various points of difTerence** with much zeal and ability. One of these sects or di- visions, is that known as the Disciples or Campbellite* of which Alexander Campbell of Bethany College, may be considered the founder and exponent. A man of great industry, ability and zeal, he was in early life in- dued with Calvanistic notions, but also with a free think- ing and independent mind, and withal given to dispu- tation. He early evinced a disposition to travel from the beaten paths, and originate a system peculiar to himself, which should embody his ideas of right chris- tian doctrine and church government. His peculiar sect however, did not coma much into vogue until a later day, and does not particularly come at this time within ourfview. The foljowing sketch of the life of Dr. Joseph Dod- dridge, whose "Notes on Virginia,*' hav^ given his name a wide celebrity, will bo found, also, an interest- ing sketch of tHe progress ei the E.piscopal church, in this region. Prominent among the early citizens of Wellsburg^ were the Rev. Dr. Joseph Doddridge and his brother, Philip Doddridge, Esq., both of whom attained to em- inence in their professions. From early life, they were eager in the pursuit of knowledge, cheerfully expending their little patrimony in procuring, from abroad, that Assistance which the paucity of instructors and books, at that early period, denied them at home. Their father, John Doddridge, originally from Mary- land, and a lineal descendant from the Rev. John Dod- dridge, of Shepperdton, England, emigrated at an early period of the settlement of the country, to the Western part of Washington Coanty, Pennsylvania, locating in CIVIL HIBTOKT. 255 tlie neigbborliood of tbe Virginia line. Being a man of piety and intelligence, although not enjoying robust health, he found many opportunities of rendering him- «elf useful to the community in which he lived. When a resident of his native State, he was a member of the English Church, but after his removal to the West, ha attached himself to the Wesleyan Methodists, for whose accommodation he erected, on his own farm, a house of worship, which still retains the cognomen of "Dod- dridge's Chapel." Joseph, his oldest son, wag born in October, 1768. At an early age, in Philadelphia, he took orders in the Protestant Episcopal Church, and during many years, labored, almost single-handed, in Western Virginia and Ohio, to collect and keep within the fold of that branch of the Church of Christ, its scattered members, not doubt- ing that his brethren in the Atlantic States would ear- ly feel the importance of surmounting the great Alle- gheny barrier, and by their timely visits and affection- ate christian ministrations, second and complete his ef- forts for the early and permanent establishment of the Episcopal Church in the western regions. But in this fondly cherished hope he was doomed to disappoint- ment. Year after year passed, and still his oft repeat- ed entreaties for help were only answered by plausible pretexts for delaying to a more opportune period th« anxiously coveted assistance. From the Hon. Judge Scott's reminiscence of the Rev. Dr. Doddridge, we learn that in 1793, he held reg- ular Episcopal services in West Liberty, Virginia, then the seat of justice for Ohio County, and the resi- . dence of many respectable and influential families, |most of whom removed to Wheeling, when the courts were i| ;/ ill ft 25G CIVIL HISTORY. trnnsfoncd to that place. According to the same au- thority, St. John's parish, in Brooke County, seven milc8 from Wellsburg, was formed by lilm in the same year, and a small church oiectod. Of this parish, he continued the pastor until witliiii a short period of his decease, when failing health compelled him to relin- quish it. In the year 1800, Dr. Do Idridge formed a congrega- tion in this ]>lace, then culled Charlestown, also one in .iefferson County, Ohio, now known as St. James* church, on Cross Creek, in that County. As early a3 1794 and '97 he held frequent religious services at Stou- benvillc, Wheeling and Orave Creek. In later years, his ministrations as a pioneer mission- ary wore extended into the interior of the State of Ohio, and it was owing in a great measure to his zealous and persevpiing dforts that the pndiminary steps were ini- tiated wiiich resulted in the erection of the state into an Ep .copal diocese antl the election of its first prelate, tL<'. energetic, self denying and devoted Bishop Chase. Some years after entering the ministry, the subject of this notice, in order to meet the wants of an increas- ing family found it necessary to combine with his cleri- cal profession one that would be more lucrative in the region in which he lived. He chose that of medicine, completing his course of preparation in the Medical In- Btitute, of Philadelphia, under Dr. Benjamin Rush. — In the latter profession he stood deservedly high, and to its avails he was mainly indebted for means to rear and educate a large family of children. But his practice being in a new and sparsely settled country, was labor- ious in the extreme, and laid the foundation for a dis- CIVIL HISTORY. 2d1 case wliich, in tbo latter years of hi j life, was painfully manifcstcil. In his tlisposition ho was social ani choorlnl, fond of the society of friends, to whom ho was aluays affailo and accessible, aiming in his conversations with tliem to combine instruction with entertainment. Wis heart was replete with sympathy and compassion for the poor and the afllicted, to whose relief he ever imparted largely of his limited means. For some years previous to his decease ho was severely afflicted with nn usthinatic complaint which finally terminated his life in the 5!^th. year of his age, in Nov. 182G. Ilis remains with those of his parents, bis wife and severa.1 of his chihlrcn, ro- pose iu a monumental mound, in the old grave yanl ad- joining Brooke Academy, in this place. In conclndingthis cha2)ter on the religions peculiari- ties of the people of this section, we may safely say that no section of the Union can present a fairer record as relates to morality, and the elements of true i-o- ligion; and few can be found where the leading tenets of Christianity have been more thoroughly, zealously, and ably discussed. It has been the scene of zealous disputation almost from the time of its settlement, and if the disputants have now grounded arms, it is not from want of zeal, confidence or ability to dispute, but from the effects of abroader and wider spirit of christian tol- erance, even to the verge of indifference. With a firm reliance upon the self-sustaining principle in Christi- anity, we may hope that this kinder feeling may ever prevail until it merges in the consumation of the mil- loniol liope, which all true christians are frei to agr^2 upon and indulge. CHAPTER VI. • SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES. Literary Tendency of the People— Quality Folks— Field Schools ~Acadeni let aud Hiifh Schools — Alexander Civinpliell— Beiliany College— West Llbe;*ty Academy — Wallsburg Female Seminary— CoTnmou Schools— Newbpap^w. A PEOPLE SO eminently religious in their tendencies fts were our forefathers, could not be indifferent to the education of their children; accordingly, we find great attention bestowed upon the education of youth. Con- sidering the paucity of population, the inferior quality of the teachers, and the harassing nature of the times, it is as singular as it is creditable, that education such as it was, was so general. The fact that it received so much consideration is in a great degree attributable to the character of the settlers themselves. At a very ear- ly period a class of settlers came in, who possessed a de- gree of refinement and intelligence, equal at least to any to be found in the sections whence they emigrated. Many of them contrived to gather around them the usu- al appendages of higher social life. Though their hou- ses at first, were humble, often only a single log cabin, yet many of them owned slaves, possessed negro quar- ters as comfortable as their own, kept fine horses, and CIVIL HiSTORT. 25» dispensing hospitality with a liberal profusion, ossay- ed to he thoui^ht, what thoy wore called by the less as- piring, "quality folks." These quality folks were gen- erally well (Hluoated, and were both ''laulatod and envi- ed, by their less favoreil, but equally ambitious neigh- bors. Their own sons and duughtfTS, they sent off to the East, to receive the polish of the college and sem- inary; while the others were encouraged to patronize the field school. The hold school was an institution in its way. As described by writers of the day, and a« aome relics, now exi-fting, prove, thoy were of th« class of schools which benefit through much tribula- tion. A log house, of moderate si/e, was squatted down at the intersection of a couple of covv-path.s, or near some spring in the woods, the walls chinked with mud, and sticks, and stones; the roof and iloor of clap- boards, and doors, windows and chimni s, of the most primitive style. To this temple of learning, resorted the urchins for miles around, — trudging through tho woods in families; boys and girls together, with their dog-eared school-beoks, that had serv ed the purposes of more than one generation. The teacher, some coun- tryman of Ichabod Crane, or more probably, a gentle • man from the bogs of "swate Ireland," who, by his blar- ney, induced his simple-minded patrons to believe him a paragon of **larnin," as well as a pattern of proprie- ty, presided over this motley crew. Tho scholars sat bolt upright, on backless bencl^es, while the mof/ister ar- tis, presiding with infinite majesty, kept them in terror of his rod and rule. What he taught them was the ap- plication of the birch; what they learned was what they could not help. In process of time, the scholar became inducted into the mysteries of the elements* graduated i IN I 260 CIVIL III8T0UY. wlmn lio conquerod tlio single rule of threo, and took his lir>t ilogreo when ho uajuircd "round hand writing." .Jolly tinit's, tlioy wore, at th« old /ield schools — check- ered like our lives with much of pleasure, much of pain. '1^1 ph )f hovhoixl, wh released lik( ease young colts Irom durance vile, tlio warlike preparations of barring out, and the. chivalrous ])unctilio of tire as- sa.ilt, surrender and treaty, the juvenile gallantry of the youngsters toward the blushing lasses — all these recollections of old lang syne, as they rush back upon the inoinory, t casual observer, would not fail to vecognise in him, the marks of a commanding intel- lect. He early showed a disposition to differ from the Cal- vanistic preachers among wiioni he was thrown, and after much disputation, controversy and even abuse, lie Jcft them and essayed to establish a creed and practice CIVIL msTonr. 26g more in accordance with his own idons of scriptural propriety. In this, he has to a great extent succeeded and he is now, at least by the public, considered th« head of the branch of the Baptist donomination, wliich has taken in some sections, Lis name. For himself, in all his teachings and writings, he emphatically dis- claims sectarianism; but popular opinion, seemti to judge him differently from his own judgement of him- self. For the last twenty years of his life, the engrossing object of his attention, has been to establish a college near his homestead at Bethany, where his ideas of chris- tian culture may be appropriately developed. The first dclinito plan of the organization of the Col- lege is laid down by Mr, Campbell in the Millonial Harbinger for Octobf^r, 1889, under the head "Nt-w In- stitution." The project hud been long ripiMiing in iiin mind, but its realization had been deferred waiting (he Buccessful establishuKMit of Bacon (Jollege, Ivontnckv. in the success of which, Mr. Campbell, took a groat in- terest. His first idea wa^, that the location of the col- lege should bo "entirely rural — in the country, detach- ed from all external society; not convenient to any town or place of rendezvous-— in ilie niiilst of forests, fields and gardens — salubrious air, })ure water- -dive^sififMl scenery of hills and vallifs, limpid brooks and mean- dering streams of rapid tlowing v/ator, 8uch is the spot 1 have selected." This description sounds some- what Acadian, but it correctly delineates the landscape while the event shows that Acad-^mic seclusion has pro- ven a failure — a thriving village springing up around the very doors of his college. Hi« next grand idea was, that tho school should b« 2G4 CIVIL mSTORT. free from any sectarian mfliiciice, and thus severed from tlie dogmas of established relii^ion.s, induct more ration- al theology into the minds of students than hed^einod to then prevail. Says he: "Wj wa.it no scholasac or traditionary tjjcology. We desire, however, a much more intiuiii te, critical, and thorougli knowledge of the Bible, the whole Bible as the Book of God — the Book of Life and of human destiny, than is usually, or in- deed can be, obtained in what are called Theological Schools." His model school wa8 to be built up on an original plan combining in its detail the requisites both of church and College and of church, preniinently. To quote far- ther from his programme. "This church institution shall, in one cardinal point of view, resemble the West Point military stdiool. There, it is not the thf'Ory alone, but the military camp, the practice, the daily discipline of the god of war. In this institution it will not be the theory of a church — of Bible reading, Bible- criticism, ]>ible-lecture« — sermons — chuvoh order — Oiiristian discipline; but daily practice of tho>e. Tliis church will be in session seven days in every week. — The superintendantof this institution, or j:]ie professor in attendance, will be bishop^;^o tempore of the church. The young men, in all their readings, questions and answers, and exercises, shall rise, and .^pcak, and act, as though they were, as in truth they are, members of a particular church met for edification and worship." Ilis programme then goes into detail of prospeotivo arrangements, some of which have been consummated and others proved visionary. The College was incor- porated in 1840. The second annual meeting of the Trustees was held at Bethany, on Morduy May lOth, /■ CIVIL HISTORY. 265 1841, at which time, the available funds of the Institu- tion were stated at 811,054, obtained by subsciption ,a considerable portion of which was by Mr. Campbell himself, who was acting as treasurer and agent. Four Professors had been nominated, two of whom, W. K. Pendleton, a graduate of the University of Va., and Robert R. Richardson, M. D., accepted their appoint- ments as stated at this meeting. The bill of fare at the Stewart's Inn, it was resolved, should be the same as at the University, and the cost of one year's attend- ance, was unanimously fixed at $150; besides an en- trance fee oi $10, for each student. At this time, the buildings were unfinished, and but a little over $1000 of the subscriptions actually paid, although the Inn and the College were being built. — The Treasurer asked $20,000 from the community and in consideration, promised not only an abundance of competent instructors, but accommodations for five hundred students. To raise the requisite funds, he la- bored with an assiduity the most indefatigable, and travelled into the most remote sections of the Union, and even beyond. For the first few years of its exist- ence, the College struggled against manifold difficul ties, not the least of which was oppoi^ition on sectari- an grounds, but finally, it overcome them all, and, at this day, realizes, in some degree, the anticipationi of its venerable founder and President. Notwithstanding his religious peculiarities, the rep- utation of Mr. Campbell attracted an indiscriminate pa- tronage, and gradually his school worked itself, not on- ly into notice, but into the possession of considerabl« patronage. The Chairs of several Professors are now endowed, in sums sufficient to afford them comfortabl« m 2G6 riTIL HISTOr.T. salaries, and arc gonerally filled, and with men of ihc first order. The Old College building, which was ac- cidentally bnrncd, in December, 1857, was replaced the Rucceeding season, by a portion of the present magnifi- cent edifice, dedicated December 10th, 1858, the funds having been obtained by subscription, a mong those friendly to the Institution. The building destroyed was not of much value; but the valuable libraries, cab- inets, (fee, belonging to the College, some of which it will be impossible to replace, wero a serious loss. West Liberty Acadoniy, established under the aus- pices of Prof. A. F. lioss, until the spring of 185S, a professor in Bethany ('ollege; and under an old act of incorporation, assisted by the State, commenced its first session, August, 1858. The Female Seminary at Wellsburg, was establish- ed in 1852, professedly to be under the patronage of the Methodist E. Church, but although agents were put in the field, a considerable sum raised, and one wing of the edifice erected and occupied, it has not ynt l)een completed. (^olh^ges, Female Seminavies, and 'I'heological Institutions abound throughout this sec- tion. Nor, in the anxiety to build colleges and csfal)lish seminaries, have the people been unmindful of humbler educational wants. The State of Pennsylvania early establii^hjcl a Free School system on a magnifiicent ba- sis, and in Washington county, their common schools have ever been an object of pride as well as of attention Common School teaching has been reduced to a science and systematized almost to perfection. A magnificent edifice for the purpose of a Union Free School was erec- ted in the town of Washington, in the years 1855-6, at CIVIL HISTORY. 2(): a cost of some $20,000, and comfortable school-liou^oi :irc thickly scattered throughout the borders of the coun- ty. In Virginia, the law allovys counties that see fit to do so, to adopt a Free School system, similar in its pro- visions to that of Pennsylvania. The county of Ohio adopted it about the year 1852, by election. A con- siderable amount of money was invested in school-hous- <.'«, but the system does not seem to operate so satisfac- torily as could oc desired; in Brooke county, at the same election, Free Schools were voted down by a small ma- jority; and in Hancock and Marshall, subsequent elec- tions have resulted slmilarlv. Under the general law o[ Virginia, which makes cj^uite liberal provisi(>n for Common School education, though clogged with pro- visions which render it distasteful to the classes it is intended to benefit, the facilities for .i- quiring a com- mon school education are good, and where the re is a disposition, there is abundant opportunity. The pro- portion of persons unable to read and write, is smaller in the Panhandle, than in any other section of the State, even with the present unpopular and radically defect- ive system. Take all things into consideration, and no section can be found in the Union, surpassing this in the mor- ality, intelligence, law abiding spirit and general vom- petence of its inhabitants, a fact not more honorabU' in the present generation than creditable to their progen- itors. CHAPTER Vn. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS. TuE construction of a wagon road from Will's Creek; to the Ohio was early an object of solicitude on the part of the Government and people of the country. As far back as 1768, Thos. Walker, Thos. Rutherford, Jas. Wood and Abram Kite, Gent, or any two of them, were authorized and empowered by the Colonial Assembly to lay out, a road from the North branch of the Potomac to Fort Pitt and for the furtherance of the object, the sum of £200 was appropriated. The reason assigned for this enterprise was that an advantageous trade might thus be opened with the In- dians on the western borders "of this dominion," and the King's garrison be the better supplied with pro- visions. They were instructed to follow as near as might be, the route of Gen. Braddock in his ill fated expedition of 1755, and the result of their explorations was the road for a long time used and finally adopted with a few variations, as far as the Monongahela, as the route of the National Road. As the population in- creased, it demanded an improved connection with the East. Toward the close of the last century, emigra- tion poured over the mountains in almost a continu- CIVIL History. 209 ons fitrcam; and in pursuance of the policy of the gov- ernment to foster the settlement of the great west, the scheme of a great National Road from Philadelphia to the Ohio, and thence traversing the Northwest Territo- ry to St. Louis, or the mouth of the Missouri, was pro- jected, and soon became'the subjectof much discussion both in and out of Congress. Waen the State of Ohio applied for admission into the Union in 1802, she was admitted with the proviso, that one twentieth part of the public lands within her boundaries should be set apart that the proceeds might go to the construction of such a road through Ohio and ultimately to St. Louis. On the 29th March 180G, Congress passed a law pro- viding for the construction of the road from Cumber- land to the Ohio, and Thomas Moore of Maryland, Jo- seph Kerr and Eli Wilson of Ohio, were aiipointed Commissioners to decide upon a route. The route pro- posed by them with only one deviation at Uniontown, was approved by President Jelferson in 1808, as far as Brownsville — the route, from that point to the Ohio, being left undetermined. The point at which the road would strike the Ohio, was considered as of the utmost local importance, and every eligible point on the Ohio, from Pittsburgh to below Wheeling, was warmly en- gaged in urging its claims. It was anticipated that a city would at once spring up wherever the crossing was definitely fixed. At this poriod, dates the jealousy that subsequently existed between Wheeling and Pittsburgh; and in a greater or less degree with all the other points on the eastern shore of the river. It became a delicate question for the commissioners to decide, and remarking ihat, "in thi>», was to be consulted the wishes of that populous section of Ohio, and the connections with Iji Jii' I 270 CIVIL HISTORT. roads leading to St. Lonis, under act of 1806," they Joft the question open. Th(» route from Brownsville, to NVJieeling, was afterwards located by another commis- sion, the engineer for whom, was a Mr. Weaver. Op- erations on the road were eonimenced forthwith and np to 1817, it liad cost $1,800,000, and had moreover in some portions become worn out so as to need extensive repairs. The (juestiou of abandonment came np. In 1822, President Monroe issued his celebrated In'.ernal Improvement message, in whicli he argues with consu- mate abmty the general improvement policy of the coun- try, and enlarges upon the propriety of the government carrying out the original compact with the State of Ohio, hy continuing the road west of the river Ohio. Three Oommissionors, had heon appointed in 1817, t(^; locate the western division; audit is at this date that we first read of its Ohio terminus being definitely fixed at Wheeling. Col. Moses Shepherd, was a principal contractor on the road between Wheeling and Cum- berland, Messrs. John McClure, Dan'l. Steenrod and others, had contracts more contiguous to the former place. The work was executed promptly and wnth ap- parent faithfulness; but subsequently, much litigation arose on account of alleged failure to comply with the terms of contracts in executing masonry, (fee, which af- terwards found its way into (congress in the shape of Bills for the relief of dilfercnt parties. A large amount of money was expended by the government, and largo fortunes were madi^ by some of the contractors out of the proceeds. The road gained great celebrity at \\w time from its magnificence of design, costly character, the romantic country traversed and the immense trade ,'ind travel that passed constantly over it. It becani ^'^i ^ '/ M Photogmphic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 145S0 (716) •72-4503 \ iV NJ \\ k ^tomac' river, to <^harlcstow-n, to intersect the Federal Highway from the Potomac to the Ohio, at some point, between Wasli- ington and Brownsville, Pa. Books of subscription were authorised to be opened and Col. James Marshall, Oliver Brown, Moses Congleton, John Connel, N. P. Tilinghast and James Perry were named commissioners. The capital si,ock was to be 81'T,00U, divided into shares of 850 each and it was specially provided, thac all excess of profit over I. 'i per cott, v:as to be applied as a sinking fund for paying back the stock of the road. Nothing, however, appcans to hav^e been done unler thn charter until about the time when the National iJoad had come into such bad repute for the want of re|>airs, that there was a prospect of its abandonment from Washington to Wheeling. The possibility of the Wellsburg route being adopted in that case, encourageil the corporators again to open their books. Col. James Marshall a man of great enterprise and public spirit appears to have been particularly active. About the year 1825, slock was subscribed and the route surveyed aad tho road actually put under contract. Considerabb I 276 CIVIL HISTORY. work was done on it.but public opinion was too strong- ly in favor of the Wheeling route; the Pennsylvpniaits failed to second the efforts of their Virginia neighbors nnd on the event of the road being finally confirmed to Wheeling as stated above, the project was almost aban- doned in despair. The road languished for some years afterwards, but was gradually put into good condition and although the original design was a failure, and the 15 per cent profit was never realized, still it has been of incalculable benefit in opening up the section of coun- try i' ttraverses and affording a convenient outlet to the river for the western half of Washington county. The National Road was finally relinquished to the States in 1836, after having cost the country some $7,500,000, in its construction and support. Just previous to this final relinquishment, the sum of 8300, 000 was appropriated to put it in good repair east of the Ohio, with the understaniiing that after its relinquish- ment, the general government was to be released from all further obligation on its account. Since that time it has been gradually falling into disuse. Railroads have changed the courses of trade, and the manner of travel. The rumbling lines of coaches, that used to career along its dusty stretches, have disappeared, with their army of Jehus; the ponderous roadsters have "gone to rack," grass growson the road bed, and the villages and tav- ern stands that lined the road and lived off its drop- pings have fallen into decay. The National Road has had its day, and now does menial service as a country road for neighborhood accommodation. It was a magnificent conception at the time, and answered a mag- nificent end. It contributed more than any other one thing, to the rapid settlement of the west; and paid back with interest, every dollar aver expended upon it. THE WHISKEY mSURRECTION, Toward the latter part of the last Century, occurred the Whiskey Insurrection — an event, for the history of which, we have but little space, but which occupicii at the time a very considerable place in the public mind. In the early days of the Union, it was deemed expedi- ent to lay a tax, per gallon, on all home-made spiritouH liquors to help meet the pressing exigencies of the coun- try. The general murmur thus occasioned, gradually subsided, except in the western part of Pennsylvainu; and the region generally, of which we have been treat- ing. The Scotch Irish element, was lashed into rebel- lion by the attempt to interfere with their cherished bev- erage and at the same time their main article oi' trade. llie^untrj at that time had no reliable market near- er than~New Orleans; and whiskev was the most econ- omical commodity by the sale of which the settlers could realize money for their surplus grain. It was always saleable, not very bulky, and brouglit the leady cash. — Almost every spring and clear running stream hail a still by its side, and scarcely a farmer, but was also a distiller. Grain, for the ordinary purposes for which it is used, was a drug; hard money was very scarce — 12^ cts.. being often the extreuie price for a bushel of wheat. The tax under these circumstances operated up- on tham with peculiar hardship, and, accordingly, when the collectors came round, their demands were refused. Matters progressed, until they ended in open mutiny. — July 14th, 1794, the insurgents, to the number of sev- eral hundred, surrounded tl»e dwelling of John Neville, Inspector of Revenues for the Fourth Pennsylvania dis- trict, seized upon his papers, destroyed his private prop- erty, and maltreated and wounded him and his serv- ants. The consequence was, a complaint to the coun- ty authori'ies, but they being unable to protect him, he fled the vicinity. David Lenox, the U. S. Marshal, was similarly served. A proclamation soon appeared from the President of the U. S., cautioning the malcon- tents against the oonucquences of their. treasonable acts, ■STfi riVIL HISTORY. ordorin;^ tlicni lo disporso provious to the 1st of the en- suing Soptcinbor, and providing for the calling out of the militia for tlio purpose of cntorcing obedience. This was at the instance of das. Wilson, Esq., associate Jns- ticc, who notified the President on the 4th of Angust, that combinations then existed too powerful for the or- dinary process of law, and called for military assistance. This ))roc]amation was disregarded by the Insurgents, and on the 2.">th Sept., it was followed by another, ad- vising them that troops were embodied and on their march to the disaffected region; but still offering am- nesty to all disposed to claim it. The language of tlio President was strong, indignant, yet dignihed, and backed bv tlio overwhelming force that rallied to the support of the laws, struck terror into the hearts of tho leaders. They lied the country or lurked about in dis- gui.se, while their organi/.ati(m rapidly melted away, so that on the appi'oacli of the troops, who numbered 15,- UOO men, accompanied by Washington himself, as far us (,'ailisle, the Whiskey IJoys, had become utterly in- visible, 'i'he troops, committed many petty depreda- tions upon the property of the inhabitants, which were ])romptly iudemnilied by the (Jovernment; and the Whiskev Uebellion was ended without bloodshed, by the wise exhibition of sucli an overwhelming force as was .sent out to suppress it. Some of the ringleaders were arrested and imprison- Ovl. but the charges were never p'-essed; and a general pardon was extended to all, with a few exceptions, on \\\Q solo condition, that they would thereafter obey the laws as good citizens should. This leniency was wise and well timed, it restored many otherwise good citizens to their homes and the jiractice of industry;— while it convinced the disaffected, that the government while abundantly able to coerce obedience, was yet wil- ling and disposed to deal fairly and kindly. A small body of troops remained on the ground for b rdiort period but no further disturbance occurring, they were removed, and the Whiskey Insurrection ended. ADAM POE AND BIG-FOOT. Tun mouth of Tomlinson's Run, in Hancock coun- ty, Va., was the battle ground of the celebrated Adam Poe and Big-foot Indian fight, the precise location of which, has never been exactly stated by the historians of that encounter. Wo give this, on the authority of Mr. John Brown, an old citizen, whose dwelling occu- pies nearly the identical spot, corroborated by the evi- dence of many others, who were cognizant of the fact i'rom personal knowledge. Mr. Brown, possesses many fndian relics and takes pleasure in pointing out the spot and narrating his recollections of Indian times. — Some years ago, he found under some rocks a bark ca- noe, in a good state of preservation, which it requircB no stretch of the imagination to presume, was the iden- tical one in which tiie Big-foot brothers crossed the Ohio, on their last marauding expedition. The tale of the Poe light has been so often and so well told, that we will not repeat it here, but our correspondent givtfe Kome additions which may prove interesting. The in- formation is derived from Mr, Thomas Edgington, for two years a captive among the Indians. He was cap- tured, when on his way from his cabin at the mouth of Harmon's Creek, to Col. Jas. Brown's Fort, to bor- row of him a log chain. The Indians came suddenly upon him, made signs to him to surrender, but essay- ing to escape by running, he was mired in the creek, and they took him prisoner, hurrying him with them over the river and on to the'Indian Towns, i^imon (iir- ty happened at the towns afterwards and through him, he ascertained that the Indian, whose prize he was, waa no other than the surviving brother of the Big-foot fight — bearing on his hand the scar of a severe wound, there received. The Indian stated, that on finding himself dis- abled by this wound, he stole away from the fight and swimming the river hid in the bushes until dark. He then constructed a raft recrossed the river, and recov- ering the bodies of his slain brothers, except that of tli* one who floated off, as narrated by the whites, he con- 280 CIVIL BT^TORY. reyed them to the Ohio side and there interred them-. He then, being wounded and the laet of five stout broth- ers, took up his sorrowful way back to his tribe, where their deaths were sorely lamented for many days. Mr. Edgington paid a high tribute to Iit^ian virtue in hi« description of this warrior. According to his ac- count he was the "noblest, best man — the man of the best principle^ he ever knew — white, black or red." Sometimes the other Indians would impose upon the captive. His master would pat him on the back to en- courage him to fight, and would applaud his ma nly re- sistance. Sometimes when they would double on him, his captor would interfere with knife and hatch et, and cut and slash right and left. He would share w ith him his blanket and robe, giving Edgington, the largest share, and divide with him his last morsel of meat. Edgington, was finally released and returned home after a two year's captivity, but always held in grateful remembrance his kind hearted* Indian master. Mr. Brown, communicates another incident in Indian history, foi' which, we regret we have not space: 1