A-X1 BANCROFT LIBRARY I I v WH ButlerAat. Y/, / AMPTOM ACCESS JOk iB PREFACE, THE following narratives have been carefully compiled from a large mass of material which has been accumulated iuring tho many years which the author has devoted to the itudy of American history. They comprise the incidents which were considered most striking and remarkable, and best calculated to afford the reader an adequate idea of the Indians, their peculiar modes of warfare, and their general character. It is a remarkable fact that the Indians, as a mass, remain now nearly in the same state as they were found by the first discoverers of the New World. In religion, manners, and customs, they are as wild and savage as ever. The western tribes hunt with the bow and arrow ; and still make war with the spear and shield. Certain tribes originally settled east of the Mississippi, have become to a certain extent Christian ized and civilized. Their history and present state would form the subject of a very interesting volume by itself a volume which is a desideratum in American literature. But the wild western Indians are still heathen and still savage Unless an enlightened public sentiment shall be awakened, nd the benevolent exertions of the American people shall be interposed to civilize and reclaim these tribes, there is every reason to fear that they will ultimately become extinct ; so that a century hence not a living representative will remain of all the powerful nations which formerly possessed this country. Ignorance, superstition, and mutual dissension 4 PREFACE. among the tribes are rapidly wasting them away. This ra lult should not be permitted by the Christian nation which owes to them and their dead ancestors the noble domain which it occupies. The facts recorded in the following pages exhibit traits of character in the Indians, which command admiration and awaken sympathy, united with other traits which excite in the well regulated mind the liveliest pity for their unhappy and misguided state. They might be reclaimed, cmlized, and saved. But while they are regarded as enemies, possessing desirable lands, or as mere hunters of furs for white people, subjects of conquest or speculation merely, there is little hope for the poor Indian. Here and there a voice is raised in their defence, but selfishness and prejudice are many-tongued ; and the cry that the Indians cannot be reclaimed and must perish, is the prevailing one. It is to be hoped that some able and eloquent defender may yet take up their cause, and that the blessings of civilization may here after preserve a remnant of the once numerous and powerful aborigines of North America. CONTENTS. Captivity and Escape of Mrs. Frances Scott, of Washington County, Virginia - - . - - - Ifl Singular Narrative of the Adventured of Captain Isaac Steward, who probably saw the gold mines of California before 1782 21 Singular Prowess of a Womar, in a Combat with Indians - - 24 Thrilling Incidents of Border Warfare in Pennsylvania - 28 The Ranger's Adventure -.....-32 Sufferings of Butler, the American Mazeppa, among the Indians 38 Heroism of a Woman ....-.43 Escape of Mrs. Davis from the Indians - - 45 Singular Execution for Murder - 49 An Extraordinary Duel - - -51 The Maiden's Rock - - - - 55 Shenandoah - - 63 Indian Gratitude - ......66 Daring Feat of a Girl during an Assault by Indians - - 72 The Faithful Nurse 76 Courage and Genero&ity of Pe-ta4a-sha-roo - - , 80 Magnanimity of a Sioux - - - 85 Noble Action of Lieutenant Beaii - - - - - -86 Massacre at Taos, New Mexico, and Death of Governor Bent 92 Adventures of Colonel Hays with the Indians ... 95 Poe'i Adventure with two Indians - - . . - 100 A3 A CONTENTS. Captain Reid's Battle with the Lipan Indians - - - 104 Fight of Colonel Kinney with the Camanche Indians - 107 Attack on Cherry Valley 110 Major McCulloch's Adventure with the Camanches - 112 Attack upon American Train Companies - - - - 1 13 Massacre of American Volunteers by Indians - - -117 The Rose of Guadaloupe - - 119 Indian Fishing in New Brunswick - - - 124 thrilling Adventure at an Indian Burial-place ... 130 A Striking Scene 134 Treeing a Bear .......... 137 Insurrection of the Pueblos in New Mexico ... 141 Singular Freak of a Creek Indian ---.-. 147 Irruption of the Camanches into Chihuahua ... 149 Night Attack by the Pawnees - - - - - - 151 Carson's Adventures with the Indians - - - 154 Battles of American Volunteers with Indians - - - - 159 Indian Cruelty to a Prisoner - - - -164 Striking Instance of Indian Patriotism - - - 168 Indian Sense of Propriety - - - -170 Personal Encounter with two Indians - - - 172 The Prophet of the Alleghany - - - - . -176 Tecumseh 184 M'Dougal and the Indians ' ' 190 Paugus and Chamberlain ... ... 198 Indian Children 209 Wanou and the English Officer ...... 215 Burning of Hanna's Town - - - - - -218 The Lost Sister of Wyoming 227 Disaster of a Party of Missouri Traders .... 233 Hunting the Moose ........ 286 CONTENTS. T fc The Rifleman of Chippcwa ..... 245 The Indian and the Wild Turkey 253 The Indian and the Bear ---. 259 Attack on Haverhill ....... 260 Bobasheela ------.... 266 Remarkable Escape from the Indians 281 Massacre at Mimms's Fort ....... 28$ \merican Forces attacked by Camanches . . 290 Death of Captain Smith, a Santa Fe Trader .... 291 Adventure with a Party of Yutas ..... 292 Hunting the Buffalo by Stratagem > 297 Wonderful Escape of Tom Higgins - ' 298 March of the Sioux ........ 806 The Murderer's Creek .309 The Scalp-Dance 814 Adventure of an Indian Woman . . . 818 An Indian Lodge ...... 827 Silouee 329 A Buffalo Hunt 338 Bufferings of Captain Bard's Family . 343 Black Bird 346 Indian Pipe-Dance * - . . 343 Escape from Torture ---..... 351 Perilous Adventure of Captain Brady . . . .353 Story of Indian Revenge ....... 854 Mandan Bull Dance ........ 357 Singular Scene in an Indian Council ..... 369 Narrative of an Escape from the Indians - . -872 Early Settlers of Bedford County 379 Indian Attack on Dover, New Hampshire .381 Indian Gratitude lor Favours --.... 887 8 CONTENTS PAOT Escape from Indians - - - - 888 Murder of a Family in New Hampshire .... 391 Dance of Ojibbeway Indians (in London) ... 392 Murder of a family in Tennessee ..... 402 Depredations by the Sioux .... 404 Indian Horsemanship ....... 406 Battle of Oriskany - - - ' - 412 Fight between the Crow and the Blackfeet Indians - - 415 Savage Patriotism - - ... . 419 Farmer's Brother 421 Indian Bear Hunt .... 424 The Catastrophe ........ 429 Story of George Ash ....... 432 The Sioux, or Dacotaa, and their Chief Wahktageli, or Big Soldier - 441 Kenton ......... 451 General Clarke and the Indians ..... 458 Attack upon Widow Scraggs* House .... 467 Defence of Fort Harrison ...... 474 Battle of Point Pleasant ...... 478 M'Culloch's Leap 487 Adventure of Two Seenti ...... 491 Jo Logston - . 608 IN the period of near two centuries and a half, which has elapsed since the first settlement of North America by the British colonists, there have oc curred a great number of wars between the white people and the Indians, both parties struggling with equal animosity for the pos session of the soil. The re sult has been the almost total extermination of the Indians; and the present peaceful possession by the 19 THRILLING ADVENTURES. whiles of what was once the Indian's home. In these wars there has been much of thrilling and romantic adventure ; many examples of courage, fortitude, con tempt of danger, and heroic endurance of suffering examples which serve at once to illustrate the hardy character of our ancestors, and the marked and origi nal traits of their savage enemies. The narratives of these adventures have been fortunately preserved in many instances. Some of them are given by the sufferers themselves ; and others were so conspicuous as to find a place in local or national annals. They abound in scenes of adventure and danger, to which it is hardly possible to find a parallel in the annals of war. Such scenes display traits of char acter in more vivid colours than does the most laboured description. Cruelty, at which the heart sickens ; vindictiveness, which knows no end and no mitigation; skill, ingenuity and endurance in war; heroism, gratitude to friends, treachery toward ene mies, stoicism, keen observation, and the most deli cate sense of honour all these, the characteristics of an Indian, are to be studied, not in the pages of the moralist, but in the narrative of adventures. But in all this there is something more than even a display of character and a tale of adventure. There is a moral to be learned. The qualities which we abhor in a hostile Indian are not peculiar to Indians. They are possessed by all men, they exist in all societies. Civilization modifies, perhaps lessens them in the white man ; and if by exhibiting the evils of their unlimited license in the poor Indian, we could THRILLING ADVENTURES. 11 teach our own people to prize the blessings of civili zation ; if we could induce the young to apply those blessings tc the extirpation of their own wild pas sions, then would the moral of our "Thrilling Ad ventures" be complete. It has been our aim to accom plish this object. We have endeavoured to display the character of the Indian and his enemies in their true colours, and to draw from the picture a useful moral. Without further preamble we now proceed to our narratives. Csptibltj anfc of of Uirgtnia* ON Wednesday the 29th day of June, 1785, late in the evening, a large company of armed men passed the house, on their way to Kentucky : some part of whom encamped within two miles. Mr. Scott, living on a frontier part, generally made the family watch ful ; but on this calamitous day, after so large a body of men had passed, shortly after night, he lay down in his bed, and imprudently left one of the doors of his house open ; the children were also in bed and asleep. Mrs. Scott was nearly undressed, when, to her unutterable astonishment and horror, she saw, rushing in through the door that was left open, painted savages with presented arms, raising a hideous shriek. Mr. Scott being awake, instantly jumped out of his bed, but was immediately fired at : he forced his way through the middle of the enemy, and got out of the 13 14 THRILLING ADVENTURES. door, but fell a few paces from thence. An Indian seized Mrs. Scott, and ordered her to a particular spot, and not to move : others stabbed and cut the thiuata of the three youngest children in their bed, and after wards lifted them up and dashed them down on the floor, near the mother. The eldest, a beautiful girl of eight years old, awoke, and escaped out of the bed, and ran to her parent, and, with the most plaintive accents, cried, " mamma ! mamma ! save me." The mother, in the deepest anguish of spirit, and with a flood of tears, entreated the savages to spare her child ; but, with a brutal fierceness, they tomahawked and stabbed her in the mother's arms. Adjacent to Mr Scott's dwelling-house another family lived, of the name of Ball. The Indians also attacked them at the same instant they did Mr. Scott's ; but the door being shut, the enemy fired into the house through an opening between two logs, ana killed a young lad, and then endeavoured to force the door open; but a sur viving brother fired through the door, and the enemy desisted, and went off; the remaining part of the family ran out of the house and escaped. In Mr. Scott's house were four good rifles weil loaded, and a good deal of clothing and furniture, part of which belonged to people that "had left it on their way to Kentucky. The Indians loaded themselves with the plunder, being thirteen in number, then speedily made off, and continued travelling ail night. Next morning their chief allotted to each man his share ; and de tached nine of a party to steal horses from the in habitants on Clinch. The eleventh day after Mm, CAPTIVITY OF MRS SCOTT. 18 Scott's captivity, the four Indians that had her in charge, stopped at a place fixed upon for a rendez vous, and to hunt, being now in a great want of pr^- visions. Three went out, and the chief, being an old man, was left to take care of the prisoner, who, bv this time, expressed a willingness to proceed to the Indian towns, which seemed to have the desired effect of lessening her keeper's vigilance. In the day time, as the old man was graining a deer skin, the captive, pondering on her situation, and anxiously looking for an opportunity to make her escape, took the resolu tion, and went to the Indian carelessly, asked liberty to go a small distance to a stream of water, to wasn the blood off her apron, that had remained besmeared since the fatal night of the murder of her little daughter. He told her in the English tongue " go along;" she then passed by him, his face being in a contrary direction from that she was going, and he very busy. She, after getting to the water, proceeded on without delay, made to a high barren mountain, and travelled until late in the evening, when she came down into the valley, in search of the track she had been taken along ; hoping thereby to find the way back, without the risk of being lost, and perishing with hunger in uninhabited parts. On coming across the valley to the river side, supposed to be the east erly branch of Kentucky river, she observed in the sand, tracks of two men that had gone up the river, and had just returned. She concluded these to have been her pursuers, which excited emotions of grati tude and thankfulness to Divine providence for so 16 THRILLING ADVENTURES. timely a deliverance. Being without any pi 3visions, having no kind of weapon or tool to assist her in getting any, and being almost destitute of clothing, also knowing that a vast tract of rugged high moun tains intervened, between where she was arid the inhabitants eastwardly, and the distance of the Ken tucky settlements unknown, and she almost as ignor ant as a child of the method of steering through the woods, her situation was truly desolate. But certain death, either by hunger or wild beasts, seemed prefer able to being in the power of human beings, who had excited in her mind such horror. She addressed Heaven for protection, and, taking courage, proceeded onward. After travelling three days, she had nearly met with the Indians, as she supposed, that had been sent to Clinch to steal horses, but providentially hear ing their approach, she concealed herself behind a tree until the enemy had passed. This, giving a fresh alarm, and her mind being filled with consternation, she got lost, proceeding backwards and forwards for several days. At length she came to a river, that seemed to come from the east; concluding it was Sandy river, she accordingly resolved to trace it to its source, which is adjacent to the Clinch settlement, After proceeding up the same several days, she cam.? to where the river runs through the great Laurel mountain, where is a prodigious water-fall, and niv merous high craggy cliffs along the water edge ; that way seemed impassable, the mountain steep and diffi cult ; however, our mournful traveller concluded that the latter way was the best. She therefore ascended Mrs. &. ott in danger of recotur 8 2 CAPTIVITY OF MRS. SCOTT. 19 for some time, but coming to a range of inaccessible rocks, she turned her course towards the foot of the mountain and the river side. After getting into a deep gully, and passing over several high steep rocks, she reached the river side, where, to her inexpressible affliction, she found that a perpendicular rock, or rather one that hung over, of fifteen or twenty feet high, formed the bank. Here a solemn pause took place ; she essayed to return, but t*jie height of the steeps and rocks she had descended over, prevented her. She then returned to the edge of the precipice, and viewed the bottom of it, as the certain spot where she must quickly end all her troubles, or remain on the top to pine away with hunger, or be devoured by wild beasts. After serious meditation, and devout exercises, she determined on leaping from the height, and accord ingly jumped off. Although the place where she had to alight was covered with uneven rocks, not a bone was broken ; but, being exceedingly stunned with the fall, she remained unable to proceed for some space of time. The dry season caused the river to be shallow she travelled in it, and, where she could, by its edge, until she got through the mountain, a distance probably of several miles. After this, as she was travelling along the bank of the river, a venomous snake bit her on the ankle. She had strength to kill it, and knowing its kind, concluded that death must soon overtake her. By this time, Mrs. Scott was reduced to a mere skeleton with fatigue, hunger, and grief; probably this state of her body was the means of pra serving her from the effects of the poison : be that a? 20 THRILLING ADVENTURES. it may, so it was, that very little pain succeeded the bite, and what little swelling there was fell into her feet. Our wanderer now left the river, and after proceeding a good distance, she came to where the valley parted into two, each leading a different course. Here a painful suspense again took place : the poor woman was almost exhausted, and certain, if she was led far out of the way, she would never see a human creature. During this suspense, a beautiful bird passed close by her, fluttering along the ground, and went out of sight up one of the valleys. This drew her attention, and whilst considering what it might mean, another bird of the same appearance in like manner fluttered past her, and took the same valley the other had done. This determined her choice of the way ; and on the second day after, which was the llth of August, she reached that settlement on Clinch called New Garden ; whereas (she is since informed by wood men) had she taken the other valley, it would have led her back towards the Ohio. Mrs. Scott relates, that the Indians told her, that the party was com posed of four different nations, two of whom she thinks they named Delawn,res and Mingoes. She further relates, that during her wandering from the 10th of July to the llth of August, she had no other subsistence but chewing and swallowing the juice of young cane stalks, sassafras leaves, and some other plants she did not know the names of; that, on her journey, she saw buffaloes, elks, deer, and fre quently bears and wolves ; not one of which, although some passed very near her, offered to do her the least CAPTAIN ISAAC STEWART. 21 harm. One day a bear came near her, with a young fawn in his mouth., and, on discovering her he dropped his prey and ran off. Hunger prompted her to go id take the flesh and eat it : but, on reflection, she v^-dted, thinking that the bear might return and de vour her ; besides she had an aversion to taste raw flesh. Mrs. Scott long continued in a low state of health, remaining inconsolable for the loss of her family, particularly bewailing the cruel death of her little daughter. jfetngular Karratifee of t$t ^fcbmiuw* of Captain Base Jbtefoar* fefco profca&lg *afo tfje gold mine* of California before THIS account we find in a selection of narratives of outrages committed by the Indians, published at Car lisle by Archibald Loudon in 1808. A memorandum by Dr. Mease, in the margin, informs us that he waa from South Carolina ; and the doctor gives a reference to the Columbian Magazine, vol. i. p. 320, in proof Loudon gives the narrative as taken from Stewart's own mouth in March, 1782. It appears to us quite clear that Stewart must have actually visited the mines of the Sacramento and Gila, which are now attracting so much attention. This narrative is as follows : 1 was taken prisoner about fifty miles to the west ward of Fort Pitt, about eighteen years ago, by the ans, and was carried by them to the Wa^ash, with 22 THRILLING ADVENTURES. many more white men, who were executed with cir cumstances of horrid barbarity ; it was my good for tune to call forth the sympathy of Rose, called the good woman of the town, who was permitted to re deem me from the flames, by giving, as my ransom, a horse. After remaining two years in bondage amongst the Indians, a Spaniard came to the nation, having been sent from Mexico on discoveries. He made applica tion to the chiefs for redeeming me and another white man in the like situation, a native of Wales, named John Davey; which they complied with, and we took our departure in company with the Spaniard, and travelled to the westward, crossing the Missis sippi near la Riviere Rouge, or Red River, up which we travelled seven hundred miles, when we came to a nation of Indians remarkably white, and whose hair was of a reddish colour, at least mostly so ; thoy lived on the bank of a small river that empties itself into the Red River, which is called the River Post. In the morning of the day after our arrival amongst these Indians, the Welchman informed me, that he was determined to remain with them, giving as a reason that he understood their language, it being very little different from the Welch. My curiosity was excited very much by this information, and I went with my companion to the chief men of the town, who informed him (in a language I had no knowledge of, and which had no affinity to that of any other Indian tongue I ever heard) that their fore fathers of this nation came from a foreign country, CAPTAIN ISAAC STEWART. 28 and landed on the east side of the Mississippi, describ ing particularly the country now called West Florida, and that on the Spaniards taking possession of Mexico, they fled to their then abode; and as a proof of the truth of what he advanced, he brought forth rolls of parchment, which were carefully tied up in otter skins, on which were large characters, written with blue ink ; the characters I did not understand, and the Welch- man being unacquainted with letters, even of his own language, I was not able to know the meaning of the writing. They are a bold, hardy, intrepid people, very warlike, and the women beautiful, when com pared with other Indians. We left this nation, after being kindly treated and requested to remain among them, being only two in number, the Spaniard and myself, and we continued our course up the waters of the Red River, till we came to a nation of Indians, called Windots, that never had seen a white man before, and who were un acquainted with the use of fire-arms. On our way, we came to a transparent stream, which, to our great surprise, we found to descend into the earth, and, at the foot of a ridge of mountains, disappeared ; it was remarkably clear, and, near to it, we found the bones of two animals, of such a size that a man might walk under the ribs, and the teeth were very heavy. The nation of Indians who had never seen a white man lived near the source of the Red River, and there the Spaniard discovered, to his great joy, gold dust in the brooks and rivulets ; and being informed bv the Indians, that a nation lived farther west, who 24 THRILLING ADVENTURES. were very rich, and whose arrows were pointed with gold, we set out in the hope of reaching their country, and travelled about five hundred miles, till we came to a ridge of mountains, which we crossed, and from which the streams run due west, and at the foot of the mountains, the Spaniard gave proofs of joy and great satisfaction, having found gold in great abun dance. I was not acquainted with the nature of the ore, but I lifted up what he called gold dust from the bottom of the little rivulets issuing from the cavities of the rocks, and it had a yellow cast, and was re markably heavy; but so much was the Spaniard satisfied, he relinquished his plan of prosecuting his journey, being perfectly convinced that he had found a country full of gold. On our return he took a different route, and, when we reached the Mississippi, we went in a canoe to the mouth of the Missouri, where we found a Spanish post ; there I was discharged by the Spaniard, went to the country of the Chickesaws, from thence to the Cherokees, and soon reached Ninety-six, in South Carolina. $rotoe of a 39oman in a &omfcat toil]) THE lady, who is the heroine of this story, is named Experience Bozarth. She lived on a creek called Dunkard creek, in the south-west corner of West moreland county, Pennsylvania. About the middle Mi& Bozarth defending her SINGULAR PROWESS OF A WOMAN. 27 of March, 1779, two or three families who were afraid to stay at home, gathered to her house, and there stayed ; looking on themselves to be safer than when all scattered about at their own houses. On a certain day some of the children thus col lected, came running in from play in great haste, say ing, there wore ugly red men. One of the men in the house stepped to the door, where he received a ball in the side of his breast, which caused him to fall back into the house. The Indian was immediately in over him, and engaged with another man who waa in the house. The man tossed the Indian on a bed, and called for a knife to kill him. (Observe these were all the men that were in the house.) Now Mrs. Bozarth appears the only defence, who, not finding a knife at hand, took up an axe that lay by, and with one blow cut out the brains of the Indian. At that instant, (for all was instantaneous,) a second Indian entered the door, and shot the man dead, who was engaged with the Indian on the bed. Mrs. Bozarth turned to this second Indian, and with her axe gave him several large cuts, some of which let his entrails appear. He bawled out, Murder, murder. On thi?, sundry other Indians (who had hitherto been fully employed, killing some children out of doors) came rushing to his relief;, one of whose heads Mrs. Bo zarth clove in two with her axe, as he stuck it in at the door, which laid him flat upon the soil. Another snatched hold of the wounded, bellowing fellow, and pulled him out of doors, and Mrs. Bozarth, with the assistance of the man who was first shot in the door, 28 '"HR.ILLING Ab' 7 ENTURES. and by this time a little recovered, shut the door after them, and made it fast, wh^re they kept garrison for several days, the dead white man and dead Indian both in the house with them, and the Indians about the house besieging them. At length they were re lieved by a party sent for that purpose. This whole affair, to the shutting of the door, was not perhaps more than three minutes in acting. Sntiftint* of Border Warfare in IN the year 1779 the Indians began to make in roads into the settlements of Northumberland county, and coming to the house of Andrew Armstrong, made him prisoner. His wife escaped by concealing herself under a bed until after they were gone. About this time two families, flying from the In dians, were attacked at a place called Warrior's Run. The men, Durham and Macknight, were behind, driv ing their cattle ; their wives, riding before, were fired upon by the Indians. Mrs. Durham's child was shot dead in her arms, at sight of which she fainted, and fell from her horse ; the other, being unhurt, rode on and escaped; the men, being alarmed, fled precipi tately, and escaped. While Mrs. Durham remained insensible^ she was scalped, but reviving, escaped to a place of safety, and recovered. A party of Indians having made two girls prisoners in Buffalo valley, passed on to Penn's valley, where they discovered, from the top of a mountain, a com- Tnrilling Adventure of two Girls. c 2 BORDER WARFARE IN PENNSYLVANIA. 31 pany of reapers in a valley. Leaving the girls with one Indian, they proceeded to attack the reapers. After they were gone, the Indian lay down to rest ; soon afterwards it began to rain, and one of the girls, on pretence of sheltering him, covered him with leaves ; then seizing an axe, she sunk it into his head. The girls then fled towards the reapers, but being dis covered by the Indians, they were fired at, and one of them killed; the other escaped and gave the reap ers information of the enemy. A company was col lected and went in pursuit of them; but they retreated, carrying the dead Indian with them. The inhabitants of Northumberland county, in order to defend themselves from the Indians, built Freelan's, Bosly's, Bready's, Wallace's, and Broome's forts. Captain Bready was killed while bringing pro visions to the garrison. By the assistance of these forts, the incursions of the Indians were more effect ually opposed. A party of Indians, in one of their incursions into Northumberland, captured Peter Pence, another man, and a boy. After travelling through snow till night, and being much fatigued, they lay down. When the Indians were all asleep, Pence got his hands loose, and communicated his design of escaping to the other man, who refused to assist him ; he then instructed the boy in the scheme he proposed to execute. They first made themselves masters of all the guns ; then placing the boy at a small distance from them with the gun, Pence with a tomahawk, as soon as the boy fired, Ml upon them and killed two, the rest started up and 32 THRILLING ADVENTURES. flecf precipitately, without their guns. Information was afterwards received, that those who fled were all starved to death but one ; being destitute of the means of procuring provisions. The two men and the boy returned in safety. tSFfjr fflUmgtr'* &fcenture. A correspondent of the Knickerbocker, after de scribing a visit to the residence of a very old gentle man, Dr. Blank, in the western part of Massachusetts, relates the following details of an adventure, during the old French war : At nineteen years of age, he joined the army of the provinces that in 1755 essayed to take Crown Point from the French. He inarched to the lakes with Colonel Ephraim Williams, than whom a more gallant man never breathed the air of New England. The doctor fought under his command at Lake George, on the memorable eighth of September; saw, or ima gined he saw, the fall of his brave leader ; and is quite Bure that he put a bullet into the French officer, Mons. St. Pierre. The next year he joined Rogers' company of Rangers, and was stationed with a party of them at Fort Ann, not far from where Whitehall now stands. But at that day it was a " dark and bloody ground ;" a frontier station in the forests, which were filled with rival savages attached to France or England. One day, in mid-winter, eight rangers, with a ser geant, were ordered out on some service, the THE RANGER S ADVENTURE. 33 did not know what, but probably to seize some strag gling Frenchman about Ticonderoga or Crown Point, and bring him to the fort, for the sake of obtaining intelligence. He was himself of the party. A narrow road, or rather path, led northward toward Canada, and they followed it for several hours. There had jasi been a heavy fall of snow ; all the pines and hemlocks in the forest were loaded thick with it; and as the afternoon was still and clear, only occasional flakes or light masses dropped from the burdened boughs like feathers. These circumstances were stamped on the old man's mind, seeming like a con stantly recurring dream. The rangers waded in Indian file through the snow, and as clanger was ap prehended, a man was placed some rods in advance, one on each flank, and another behind. This last, was the doctor himself, " and this was the gun I car ried," said he, taking a short heavy piece from a corner. They saw no signs of the enemy : there was no sound but the note of the little " Chick-a-dee-do*/* o familiar to the pine woods in winter. 84 THRILLING ADVENTURES. At length, they descended into a hollow : the frozen eheet of Lake George lay not far on to the. left, anu a steep hill on the right. The ground, a short distance before them, was low and swainpy, and a little brook had spread itself out on the path, making a frozen Space, free from trees, across which their advanced man was now slowly trampling, crushing his boots into the ice and water at every step. He paused sud denly, turned sharply round, and gave the low whistle appointed as the signal of alarm. He had seen the tracks of many moccasined feet in the fresh snow be yond. There was not time to think ; the loud report of a gun broke the stillness. The ranger gave a shrill scream, leaped four feet into the air and fell flat. Instantly the Indian yell burst from the woods on our right and left, followed by the stunning rattle of more than fifty guns, and not a man of the rangers but one ever moved alive from the spot where he stood transfixed with surprise at the sudden death of his comrade. That man was our hero, whose position, far behind the rest, saved him. He remembered the panic felt at the fierce burst of yells and musketry, and tke sud den rush of the savage swarin from their ambush, upon his fallen comrades ; and, in the next instant, that his memory could recall, he was flying back to ward the fort. He heard sharp, sudden yelps behind him, and glancing back, saw two Indians bounding on his track. He ran a mile, he should think, with out turning or hearing a single sound; then turning bis head saw an Indian leaping silent as a spectre. ^^^^Pllllli "he Ranger's Fursr Impaled. THE RANGER'S ADVENTURE. 11 within a few rods of him. With admirable coolnesa, he turned quickly round, and raising his gun with a Bteady hand, fired with such good effect that the Abe naki pitched forward to the ground, and his shaven head ploughed up the snow, for yards, by the impulse of his headlong pursuit. The young soldier turned aad fled again, and as he did so he heard the report of the other Indian's gun, followed by the loud hum ming of the ball. So alert and attentive were his (acuities, that he observed where the bullet struck ipon a loaded bough in front of him ; scattering the glittering particles of snow. The path now led downward with a steep descent; at the bottom an ancient pine tree had fallen across it, whose sharp broken branches rose up perpendicu larly from the prostrate trunk four or five feet from the ground, blocking up the way, like a bristling chevaux-de-frise. The rangers had previously turned aside to avoid it. There was no time to do so now. The doctor's limbs were small and light, but as active as a deer's, and the Indian's tomahawk was closo be hind. Without hesitating, he ran down and sprang into the air. His foot caught, so that he fell on the other side ; but he snatched up his gun and ran again. In a moment he heard a wild und horrid cry, and turning as he ran up the opposite hill, he saw a sight that has murdered his sleep for many a night. The daring savage had leaped like him, but not so well ; he had tripped, and one of the broken branches had caught and impaled him on its upright point, passing upward into the cavity of his chest ! He saw the 88 1HIULLING ADVENTURES, starting eye -balls, and the painted features hideously distorted, and paused to see no more. About sunset the sentinels of Fort Ann saw him emerging from the woods, running as if the Indians were still behind him. A strong party sent out next morning found the bodies of the rangers stripped, and frozen in the various positions in which they died, so that they appeared like marble statues. On a tree close by, the French officer who commanded the Abenakis had fastened a piece of birch bark, inscribed with an insolent and triumphant message to the English. The bodies of the two Indians had been removed, although the white snow around the old pine tree retained ineffaceable marks of the tragedy that had been enacted there, and was beaten hard by the moccasins of a crowd of savages who had gathered about that place. The taste of war was enough for the doctor's mar tial zeal. He did not take the field again till twenty years afterward, when he came to Washington's camp at Cambridge, armed with probe and balsam, instead of a musket and powder. Sufferings of Butler, tlje American Pajeppa, among tlje $nMan0 THE early history of Kentucky is one continued series of daring and romantic adventures. Had the founder of that State lived in the days of chivalric yore, his exploits would have been sung in connection Butler's Mazeppa Adventure. THE AMERICAN MAZEPPA. 41 with those of Arthur and Orlando ; and his followers, in the same region, would certainly have been knights of the Round Table. The hero of our story was one of these. Those who desire to inspect his adventure, by the light of romance, will not be displeased at learning that his choice of a hunter's life was deter* mined by a disappointment in the object of his early love. He was then jnly nineteen, yet he fearlessly left his native state, and sought, amid the unculti vated wilds- of Kentucky, the stirring enjoyment of a western hunter. After rendering valuable service to the Virginia colony, as a spy and pioneer, he under took a voyage of discovery to the country north of the Ohio. It was while thus engaged that he was taken prisoner by the Indians. He was, no doubt, known to the Indians as an active and dangerous enemy; and they now prepared to avenge themselves upon him. They condemned him to the fiery torture, painted his body black, and marched him toward Chilicothe. By way of amuse ment on the road, Le was manacled hand and foot, tied on an unbridled and unbroken horse, and driven off amid the shouts and whoops of the savages ; poor Butler thus playing the part of an American Mazeppa. The horse, unable to shake him off, galloped with terrific speed toward the wood, jarring and bruising the rider at every step ; but at length, exhausted and subdued, it returned to camp with its burden, amid the exulting shouts of the savages. Yfhen within a mile of Chilicothe, they took Butler from the horse, and tied him to a stake where, for twenty-fou) hours, 12 THRILLING ADVENTURES. he remained in one position. He was then untied, to run the gauntlet. Six hundred Indians, men, women , and children, armed with clubs and switches, arranged themselves in two parallel lines, to strike him as he passed. It was a mile to the "council house, which, if he reached, he was to be spared. A blow started him on this encouraging race; but he soon broke through the files, and had almost reached the council house, when he was brought to the ground by a club. In this position he was severely beaten, and again taken into custody. These terrible sufferings, instead of satisfying the Indians, only stimulated them to invent more ingeni ous tortures. Their cruelty was not more astonish ing than the fortitude of the victim. He ran the gauntlet thirteen times; he was exposed to insult, privation, and injury of every kind : sometimes he was tied, sometimes beaten. At others, he was pinched, dragged on the ground, or deprived for long periods of sleep. Then, amid jeers and yells, he was marched from village to village, so that all might be entertained with his sufferings. Yet, amid such torture, he never failed to improve an opportunity favourable for escap ing, and in one instance would have effected it, but for some Indians whom he accidentally met returning to the village. Finally it was resolved to burn him at the Lower Sandusky. The procession, bearing the victim to the stake, passed by the cabin of Simon Girty, whose name is a counterpart to that of Brandt, in the annals of Penn sylvania. This man had just returned from an ui> HEROISM OF A WOMAN. 48 *ticcessful expedition to the frontier of that State, burning, of course, with disappointment, and a thirst for revenge. Hearing that a white prisoner was being carried to the torture, he rushed out, threw Butler down and began to beat him. The reader will not be apt to imagine that this was in any way favourable to Butler's escape ; yet it was so. He instantly re cognised in the fierce assailant a companion of early days, and as such made himself known. The heart of the savage relented. He raised up his old friend, promised to use his influence for him, summoned a council, and persuaded the Indians to resign Butler to him. Taking the unfortunate man home, he fed and nursed him until he began to recover. But five days had scarcely expired, when the Indians relented, seized their victim, and marched him to be burned at Lower Sandusky. By a surprising coincidence, he here met the Indian agent from Detroit, who inter ceded and saved him. He was taken to that town, paroled by the governor, and subsequently escaped through the woods to Kentucky. of a THE following anecdote has in it little pleasing or amiable. Woman, as an Amazon, does not appear to advantage. Something seems to be wanting in such a character; or, perhaps, it has something too much. Yet, occasionally, circumstances render it necessary 44 THRILLING ADVEN1URES. for the gentler sex to fight or die; and then, though the record may be bloody and revolting, we experience a kind of pleasure at the heroine's triumph. The circumstance we refer to occurred in 1791, at the house of Mr. Merill, in Nelson county, Virginia. At that time the Indians were committing devasta tions, which kept the western settlements of Penn sylvania and Virginia in a state of constant alarm. in 1784, they had attacked the villages on Clinch river; and, after killing many of the settlers, and lay ing waste a large tract of country, they retired with a number of prisoners to Ohio. There they buined to death a Mrs. Moore and her daughter Jane, with all the aggravated circumstances of Indian torture. On the occasion referred to above, a large party as saulted the house of Mr. Merill. Mr. Merill opened the door to ascertain the cause of the barking of the dogs. He was fired at, and fell wounded into the room. The savages attempted to rush in after him, but Mrs. Merill and her daughter effectually closed the door. The assailants began to hew a passage through it with their tomahawks ; and having made a breach, attempted to squeeze through into the room. Undismayed by the cries and groans within, and the exulting yells without, the courageous wife seized an axe, gave the entering ruffian a fatal blow, and drag ged him through the opening in the door. Another and another pressed in, supposing their precursors were safely engaged in the work of death within, until four were slain. The silence within induced one of those without to explore the interior, through the ESCAPE OF MRS. DAVIS. 45 crevice of the door. Discovering the fate of his com panions within, after some counsel with those without, two mounted the house, and began to descend the broad wooden chimney. Aware, from the noise of the climbers, what was in agitation, Mrs. Merill promptly met that danger. Her little son was ordered to cut open a feather bed, and throw the contents in the fire. The two lodgers in the funnel, scorched and suffocated by the burning feathers, tumbled down in a half-in sensible state, far from enviable. Mr. Merill so far recovered from his wound as to aid his heroic wife, helped to despatch them, while she continued to guard the door with her uplifted axe. Another savage at tempted to enter, but was saluted with such a blow as drove him howling away. Thus, tkrough the courage of one woman, the whole party were either killed or wounded. A prisoner heard this incident related by the survivor in his own town. Being asked as usual, "What news?" he answered, "Bad news! The squaws fight worse than the Long knives." of Jto, Dafofe from tf)i Xnttan*. THE following anecdote proves that the Indians sometimes make a distinction in favour of the sex of those they take in battle. In 1761, Mr. Davis and his wife, of the James River settlement, were taken prisoners by a party of Indians. The former was put to death. Mrs, Davis was carried through the forests 46 THRILLING ADVENTURES. to the Chilicothe towns, north of t.he Ohio, where she was compelled to live with the squaws, painted and dressed as one of their number. Instead of abandon ing herself to useless grief, she became a nurse and physician to the tribe, performing such celebrated cures as to obtain the reputation of a necromancer. Her person was regarded as sacred, and received from the Indians all the honour due to an agent of the Greit Spirit. Meanwhile she had been meditating escape; and having effectually lulled the former anxiety of the tribe, she resolved upon attempting it. She was ac customed to wander into the woods to gather herbs and roots. In 1763, she set out ostensibly for the same purpose ; but not returning at night, she was suspected and pursued. To avoid leaving traces of her path, she crossed the Sciota three times, but when again attempting it, was discovered and fired at. The shot failed ; but in the hurry of flight, she wounded her foot with a sharp stone, and was obliged to creep into a hollow sycamore log. Here she was obliged tc remain in agonizing suspense, while her enraged pur suers were searching in every direction, and frequently stepping on or over the log. Their camp was pitched near it for the night, and she could hear them build ing a fire and cooking their supper. Next morning they again btarted in pursuit. She crept from her hid ing-place and proceeded in another direction as fast as her lameness permitted. After remaining in the neighbourhood three days, she again set forward, reached the Ohio, crossed it on a drift log, and entered SINGULAR EXECUTION. 4B the forests leading to Virginia. She was obliged to travel at night, and to subsist on roots, wild fruit and river shell-fish. After travelling three hundred miles, through forests and rivers, and over mountains, she became entirely exhausted, and lay down to die. This was near the Green Brier settlement. She was dis covered by some of the inhabitants, brought into the village, and soon restored to health. jbtngular 3Ejrecuttan for THE courage necessary to enable man to meet his fellow-man in the struggle of the battle-field, is pos sessed by the white man in common with the Indian. But, in many instances, there is a feeling of stoical indifference to death, the result of steady uninter rupted habit, which, while found in the Red man, is almost wholly unknown to his more tenderly edu cated neighbour. It might seem strange to affirm, that the fear of death, so innate and universal, could ever be subdued by education; that man* under the dominion of artifical strictures, could be made to look calmly upon his dissolution, go as even to neglect the improvement of opportunities favourable to averting it. Yet such is the case, and that not merely in one or two instances, but, as a general rule, among many populous tribes. The following anecdote is an ex ample of this sort. While admiring the fearlessness of this untutored Indian, we cannot but lament, that 7 E 50 THRILLING ADVENTURES. it had not been employed in a nobler cause. Such a character, enlisted among the friends of humanity, of science or of religion, would have gained for itself a reputation like that of Howard, Herschell, or Robinson. In March, 1823, a Choctaw, named Sibley, stabbed another Indian in a drunken fit. A brother of the murdered man called upon Sibley, to inform him that he had come to take his life, in atonement for that of his relative. Such a mission would have occa sioned strange tumults in a white man's house. Sibley, on the contrary, readily assented to the just decision, merely requesting that the execution might be post poned until the following morning. The reasonable request was immediately complied w r ith; and the executioner retired, leaving Sibley entirely free from restraint. Under this reprieve, the first impulse of a white man would have been to run for the woods. Such was not the Indian's course. He slept that night as usual ; and, on the following morning, went out with a party, of which one was his victim's brother, to dig a grave. In this work he assisted with perfect apathy ; and when it was finished, he observed to the bystand- V<s, that he thought it large enough to contain two foodies. His wish to be buried there was agreed to. Sibley now placed himself over the grave, stretched out his arms, and gave the signal to fire. He received a rifle ball through his heart, and fell upon the body of his victim. The following is an example in all respects similar. In the autumn of 1830, the town of Alexandria, EXTRAORDINARY DUEL. 61 in Louisiana, was visited by various tribes of savagei. In a drunken frolic one of them was killed. The per son who committed the act surrendered himself to the relations of the deceased. After this, he walked through the streets, talking composedly of his antici pated execution. A number of the citizens joined, and raised a considerable sum of money to buy his pardon : but it was rejected the surviving brother declaring, that no money could purchase his redemp tion. The criminal expressed no anxiety to escape. No gun could be procured ; when stating his objec tion to the delay, and threatening to leave .the ground, if he was not immediately punished -the brother advanced, and, with a spade, knocked him down, and split open his skull exhibiting demoniacal expres sions of joy at the accomplishment of the act. Dud* IN the summer of 1806, the following extraordi nary circumstance occurred in the neighbourhood of Natchez. About two o'clock, P. M., an Indian was discovered by the family, entering the south end of Colonel Gi rault's lane. He drew their attention, being painted in an uncommon manner: his whole body appeared red. He held in his right hand a gun, which he brand ished with many gesticulations; in his left, a bottle. He was attended by two other Indians, in rather a 02 THR1LLJNG ADVENTURES sober pace At the opposite end of the lane some more Indians were discovered, among whom was a man painted in like manner, but unarmed. He was held and detained by a woman: but when the one brandishing his gun came within about twenty steps of him. he burst from the embrace of his wife, and pushed towards his antagonist. About four yards distance they both halted, when the unarmed one presented his naked breast to the other, who took de liberate aim; but, appearing to recollect himself, he dropped his gun and took a drink from the bottle which was tied to his wrist the other patiently waiting, and holding his breast open and presented all this time. Having finished his draught, and given a whoop, he took fresh aim, and in an instant the other dropped almost at his feet. This done, he loaded his gun with all possible speed, gave it to a bystander, (son of the deceased,) and then, in turn, bared and presented his breast, and was instantaneously sent into eternity. The dead bodies were carried each the way they had come, and by their respective friends interred, one at each tnd of the lane. The wife and relatives of the unarmed one who was first killed- howled over his remains three days and nights. They then disappeared. On Friday last (says the account) they returned again, fired several guns on approaching the grave, gave a general howl, about a quarter of an hour, and retired. We learn (says the same account) from one among them, who speaks broken English, that they had ExUaordinar- THE MAIDEN'S ROCK. 55 quarrelled over a bottle some considerable time ago, when the Indian, who was first killed, had his &nger bitten by the other, in such a manner that his arm became inflamed. He declared he was " spoiled," and they must both die. They agreed, and formed the arrangement as here related. '* iforfc. JUST below the Falls of St. Anthony, (which you will find in about 44 North latitude and 95 West longitude) the channel of the Mississippi, by becoming deeper and wider than ordinary, assumes the appear ance and character of a lake, to which the French have given the name of Lake Pepin. This lake is twenty-one miles long, and about two and a half broad, and in most places nearly fills the valley be tween the majestic heights which extend along the shores, in a more regular manner than the hills which are found on the banks of the river. Here, too, in stead of the rapid current of the Mississippi, wind ing around numerous islands, with surfaces sometime* covered with wood, and sometimes mere barren tract of sand, the lake presents an unbroken expanse ot water, which the traveller will often find still and smooth as a mirror. The Indians will not cross the lake when the wind is strong, for, though small, it is deep, and easily agitated so much as to make it dan* gerous for a man to expose himself to its waves in a frail 'id TURILLING ADVENTURES. About halfway up the lake its eastern bank nsea to the height of five hundred feet. The lower three hundred feet consist of a very abrupt and precipitous slope, extending from the water's edge to the base of a naked rock, which rises perpendicularly two hun dred feet higher. The wildness of the scenery is such that the travel ler, who has already gazed with delight on the high bluffs on either side of the Mississippi, is struck with admiration on beholding this beautiful spot. Here he will see the steep craggy rock, whose base is washed by a wide expanse of water, generally with a calm unruffled surface, contrasting strongly with the savage features of the surrounding landscape. Cold must the heart of that man be, who can contemplate unmoved and uninterested the stupendous cliffs that enclose this lake ! Father Hennepin, the first white man who ever saw it, calls it the Lake of Tears, because his party having been taken prisoners by the Indians, a consul tation respecting their fate was held at the base of these precipices, when it was resolved that he and his companions should be put to death the following day ; from which fate they were, however, delivered. The deeds of cruelty, of danger, and of daring, which have here been perpetrated, will never be unfolded; but there is a tale, told indeed by a savage, yet of so much interest that many a heart has been made sad by its recital. We cannot recommend it as an ex ample, but .it shows, notwithstanding the apathy and ir difference to fate which is usually imputed to tho THE MAIDEN'S ROCK. 57 Red men of America, that they do possess the feel ings of our common nature. Twenty years ago there was in the nation of the Dacotas an aged and celebrated chief, whose name was Wapasna. It was in the time of his father, who was also a chief, that one of the most melancholy transactions that ever occurred among the Indians, took place at the spot we have described above. There was at that time in the village of Keoxa, in the tribe of Wapasha, a young woman, whose name was Winona, which signifies, the first-born. She was dear to her parents and a favourite with the whole tribe. She had promised to spend her life with a young hunter of the same nation, who was strongly attached to her. He applied to her parents for leave to marry her, but was greatly surprised when they refused him, and told him that their daughter was already promised to a warrior of distinction. The latter had acquired a name by the services he had rendered to his village when it was attacked by the Chippewas, and, encouraged by Winona's parents and brothers, he urged his claim with great assiduity, but she still refused him, and persisted in her preference for the hunter. To the recommendation of her friends in favour of the warrior, she replied, that she had chosen a hunter who would spend his life with her, but if she accepted the warrior, he would be constantly absent from her on some exploit, exposing himself to danger and his family to hardship. Winona's expostulations were of no avail with her parents, and after they had suo 05 THRILLING ADVINTURES. ceeded in driving away her lover, they used harsh means to induce her to marry the man they had chosen. Till now Win on a had always been the de light of her parents, and had been more indulged than is usual with women among the Indians. About this time a party was formed in the village to go to Lake Pepin, to procure a supply of the blue clay which is found upon its shores, and which is used by the Indians for the purpose of painting. The pa rents and brothers of Winona were of the party, and she also was with them. On the day of their visit to the lake, her brothers made presents to the warrior, and encouraged by this he again addressed her, and was again rejected. Her father, who was not accus tomed to be contradicted, became more and more angry, and declared that the marriage should take place that very day. "You leave me no hope," said Winona; "I told you I did not love him, and I would not live with him. I wished to remain unmarried since you have driven the hunter away from me, but you would not permit it. Is this the love you have for me ! Yes, you have driven him that loves me away from our village, and now he wanders alone in the forest ; he has no one to build his lodge, no one to spread his blanket, and wait on him when he returns home, weary and hungry from the chase. But even this is not enough ; you would have me rejoice when he is far away, and unite myself with another." Casting a melancholy look on her father and mother, as she The Maiden's Rack. THE MAIDEN'S ROCK. 01 ftnished these words, she slowly withdrew herself from the assembly. Preparations for the marriage feast were still going on, when Winona silently wound her way up to the top of the cliff, and having gained the summit of the rock, from the very verge of the precipice she called out to her friends below. A light breeze bore her voice along the surface of the water, and her parents heard her last words : (f Farewell ! you were cruel to me and my lover ; you dared to threaten me, but you did not know me. Look now whether you can force me to marry one whom I do not love." Her distracted brothers ran towards the top of the cliff in order to prevent her design; while many hastened to the foot of the rock in hopes of receiving her in their arms. Her aged parents, with tears in their eyes, endeavoured by signs to make her aban don her purpose. But all was in vain ; as the sound of her last words floated towards them on the calm lake, they saw her dash herself from the summit of the rock ! . . . . Whenever one of the Dacota In dians passes by the place in his light canoe, he raises his eye for a moment to gaze on the giddy height, still called The Maiden's Rock; and the recollection of Winona's dreadful fate makes his heart sorrowful ; but he hopes she is gone to the Great Master of Life, and that a better portion is now appointed for hei where no sorrows will ever come to trouble her. Such is the story as it was related by Wazecota, an aged Indian chief, who, being very young at the time, eaw what he related. While telling the story, the (E2 THRILLING ADVENTURES stiffness of age forsook his limb?, and the momentary restoration of his youth manifested the deep impres sion made upon his mind. Winona was an uncivilized Indian ; she had never been taught the word of the Master of Life, " thou shalt not kill" she had never heard that "the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit." But let those who can read the word of God re member, that they who attempt to escape the evils of this life by self-destruction, are far worse than the rudest savages of the wilderness. SHETSA.NDGA1I. THAT part of the country round the thriving town of Utica, in the State of New York, and through which a railroad now runs, was formerly called Whites- borough, and there is now a small town joining Utica eo called. The first settler in that part of the coun try was a Mr. White, after whom the place was named. At the time we speak of, there were nume rous Indians living in the neighbourhood ; with them he had several interviews, and mutual promises of friendship were exchanged. He also smoked the pip6 of peacs with them, to confirm the contract more solemnly. Still the Indians were suspicious. " The white J$en," said they, " are deceitful, and we must have some proof of his sincerity." Accordingly, one evening, during Mr. White's ab- 64 THRILLING ADVENTURES. eence from home, three Indians went to his house. At first, Mrs. White and her children were much alarmed, hut on perceiving one of the Indians to be Shen-an-do-ah, whom they knew to he a mild, humane man, their fear was in some degree quieted. On enter ing the house, they addressed Mrs. White, saying, '* We are come to ask you for your little daughter Jane, that we may take her 'home with us to-night." Such a request might well startle the good woman ; she knew not what answer to give. To refuse might, she feared, excite their anger ; to grant their request might hazard the liberty or even the life of her child. Luckily at this moment, while the Indians were waiting for a reply, Mr. White, the father of the child, came in. The request was repeated to him, and he had sufficient presence of mind to grant it, in stantly and cheerfully. The mother was overwhelmed with surprise, and felt all the horror that can be conceived ; but she was silent, for she knew it would be vain to resist. The little girl was fetdbed, and delivered to the Indians, who lived about ten or twelve miles off. Shen-an-do-ah took the child by the hand, and led her away through the woods, having first said to her father, ki To-morrow, when the sun is high in th.3 heavens, we will bring her back." Mrs. White had often heard that the Indians were treacherous, and she well knew they were cruel ; she therefore looKed upon her little daughter as lost, and considered that she was given as a kind of sacrifice to save the family. . SHENAJNDOAH. 0* Mr. White endeavoured to comfort her, for he felt assured that his child would be brought safely back the following morning. To the poor mother the night was long and sleepless ; her anxiety became greater as the promised time approached. Already she im agined that the Indians would keep their word, and indeed bring back the child, but she fully believed that they would not bring her back alive. She watched the sun with a beating heart, and just when it seemed at the highest point of the heavens, she cried out to her husband, " There they are !" Shen-an-do-ah and his companions were faithful to their promise ; they now came back with the little Jane, who, smiling with delight, was decked out in all the finery that an Indian wigwam could furnish necklaces of shells, dyed feathers, and moccasins beautifully worked with porcupine quills. She was delighted with her visit and with her presents. The effect of Mr. White's confidence was just what might be expected. From this time the Indians were his friends. Had he acted with timidity, and refused to let his child visit them, they would have had no confidence in him. Shen-an-do-ah was an Oneida chief of some cele brity, having fought on the side of the Americans in the Revolutionary war. He lived to be a hundred years old ; and though in his youth he was very wild, and addicted to drunkenness, yet by the force of hip own good sense, and the benevolent exhortations of a Christian missionary, he lived a reformed man for t FS 06 THRILLING ADVENTURES. more than sixty years.* He was intrepid in war, but inild and friendly in the time of peace. His vigilance once preserved the infant settlements of the German flats (on the Mohawk) from being cruelly massacred by a tribe of hostile Indians ; his influence brought his own tribe to assist the Americans, and his many friendly actions in their behalf gained for him. among the Indian tribes, the appellation of the " White man's friend." To one who went to see him a short time before his death, he thus expressed himself: "I am an aged hemlock the winds of a hundred \vinters have whistled through my branches I am dead at the top. The generation to which I belong have passed away and left me. Why / still live, the Great Spirit alone knows ! But I pray to him that I may have patience to wait for my appointed time to die." lufcian Station NOT long after Connecticut began to be settled by tlie English, a stranger Indian came one day to a tavern in one of its towns in the dusk of the even ing, and requested the hostess to supply him with * In 1775 Shen-an-do-ah was present at a treaty made in Albany. At night he was excessively drunk, and in the morning found him self in the street, stripped of all his ornaments, and every article of clothing. His pride revolted at his self-degradation and he re golved never more to deliver himself over to the power of " strong Hater." INDIAN GRATITUDE. 67 omething to eat and drink, at the same time he honestly told her that he could not pay her for either, as he had had no success in hunting for several days; but that he would return payment as soon as he should meet with better fortune. The hostess, who was a very ill-tempered woman, not only flatly refused to relieve him, but added abuse to her unkindness, calling him a lazy, drunken fellow, and told him that she did not work so hard herself, to throw away her earnings upon such vagabonds as he was. There was a man sitting in the same room of the tavern, who, on hearing the conversation, looked up, and observed the Indian's countenance, which plainly showed that he was suffering severely from want and fatigue, and being of a humane disposition, he told the woman to give the poor wanderer some supper, and he would pay for it. She did so : and when the Indian had finished his meal, he turned towards his benefactor, thanked him, and told him that he should not forget his kindness. "As for the woman," he added, "all I can give her is a story if she likes to hear it." The woman, being now in a rather better temper, and having some curiosity to hear what he had to tell, readily con Bented, and the Indian addressed her as follows : " I suppose you read the Bible ?" The woman as sented. "Well," continued the Indian, "the BiMe say, God made the world, and then he took him, and looked on him, and say, ' It's all very good.' Then be made light, and took him, and looked on him, and 68 THRILLING ADVENTURES. say, 'It's all very good/ Then he made dry land, and water, and sun, and moon, and grass, and trees, and 1/x)k him, and say, ' It's all very good/ Then he made beasts, and birds, and fishes, and took him, and looked on him, and say, 'It's all very good/ Then he made man, and took him, and looked on him, and say, 'It's all very good/ And last of all he made woman, and took him, and looked on him, and he nn dare say one such word!' The Indian, having told his etory, departed. Some years after, the man who had befriended the Indian had occasion to go some distance into the wilderness between Litchfield and Albany, which is now a populous city, but then contained only a few houses. Here he was taken prisoner by an Indian ecout, and carried off into Canada. When he arrived at the principal settlement of their tribe, which was on the banks of the great river St. Lawrence, some of the Indians proposed that he should be put to death, in revenge for the wrongs that they had Buffered from the white men ; and this probably would have been. his fate, had not an old Indian woman, or squaw, as they are called, demanded that he should be given up to her, that she might adopt him in place of her son, whom she had lately lost in war. He was accordingly given to her, and, as it is customary under euch circumstances, was thenceforth treated in the game manner as her own son. In the following summer, as he was one day at work in the forest by himself, felling trees, an Indian, who was unknown to him, came up and asked him Indian Gratitude INDIAN GRATITUDE. 71 to meet him the following day at a certain spot which he described. The white man agreed to do so, hut not without some apprehension that mischief was intended. During the night these fears increased to so great a degree, as effectually to prevent his keep ing his appointment. However, a few days after, the same Indian, find ing him again at work, gravely reproved him for not keeping his promise. The man made the best ex cuses he could, but the Indian was not satisfied until he had again promised to meet him the next morning at the place already agreed on. Accordingly, when he arrived at the spot, he found the Indian already there, provided with two muskets and powder, and two knapsacks. The Indian orderec him to take one of each, and to follow him. The di rection of their march was southward. The man followed without the least knowledge of what he was *o do, or whither he was going, but he concluded that if the Indian intended to do him harm, he would have despatched him at the first meeting, and certainly VNrould not have provided him with a musket and powder for defence. His fears, therefore, gradually subsided, although the Indian maintained an obstinate silence when he questioned him concerning the object of their expedition. In the day time they shot and cooked as much game as they required, and at night they kindled a fire by which they slept. After a fatiguing journey through the forest for many days, they came one morning to the top of a hill from which there was the 72 THRILLING ADVENTURES. prospect of a cultivated country, interspersed with several snug farni-houses. "Now," said the Indian to his joyful companion, " do you know where you are?" "Yes," replied he, "we are not ten miles from my own village." "And do you not recollect a poor Indian at the tavern ? you feed him you speak kind to him I am that poor Indian; now go home." Having said this, he bade him farewell, and the man joyfully returned to his own home. iBaring JftsA of a ffikJ touring an feau!t ftg Xntoian*. THE town . of Wheeling, like many of our early Pennsylvanian settlements, has suffered several at tacks from the Indians. On one of these occasions, the house of Colonel Zane, outside the principal fort, contained a supply of ammunition, and was garrisoned by seven or eight persons, male and female, besides the colonel's family. Before firing, the Indians de manded a surrender of the house. They were answered by a volley of musketry. The attack and defence were maintained till night, when the assailants at tempted to fire the house. One of them, crawling with a brand toward the kitchen, was driven away by a shot from a black man. At this moment a small boat, loaded with cannon-balls, and steered by one man, approached the fort. The savages poured forth a volley of balls against him, and rushed to seize the boat. He gained the fort with a wound, leaving the Daring Feat of a Giri DARING FLAT OF A GIRL. 75 rhole cargo in^ possession of the Indians. With a * nnnon they could now have battered house and fort to pieces ; az.d aware of this, they procured a hollow k-g, twisted chains around it, and rammed in a heavy charge. This ingenious piece of ordnance, blew into a thousand pieces with the first discharge, killing several, wounding more, and throwing the survivors iato a state of mingled terror and astonishment. In a little time they renewed the assault on the Liaise, but were driven back. But the ammunition of the garrison was fast failing, and it was proposed thdt some one should sally to the fort for a supply. Among the volunteers to this bold attempt, was a yoang sister of Colonel Zane, who had recently re turned from a boarding-school in Philadelphia. When reminded that a man would have an advantage over her in strength and swiftness, she answered, that the loss of a woman would be less felt. Arranging her dress for the purpose, she bounded towards the fort. Awed by the singular apparition, the Indians re strained their fire, and uttered a cry of admiration. She safely reached the fort, and the commandant, Colonel Silas Zane, a relative of the other colonel, filled a table cloth with powder, bound it round her waist, and sent her back. By this time the Indians had obtained an inkling into the fair one's mission, and poured after her a volley of balls. She passed untouched through all, and entered the house with her load. Soon after the Indians abandoned the siege, and retired down the river. 76 THRILLING ADVENTURES. *f att&fu! Xurte. THE battle of Monmouth (in New Jersey) was fought on. the 2Sth June, 1778. The Americana were commanded by General Washington, and the English by Sir Henry Clinton. The day was in- tensely hot. A woman, named Molly PrHchard, the wife of a soldier in the American army, who was em ployed in loading and firing a cannon, occupied her* Belf in . carrying water from a spring to the battery where her husband was stationed. He was shot dead, and she saw him fall. An o cer on the spot imme diately ordered another man to the gun. But Molly Pritchard stepped up, offered her services, and to the astonishment of the soldiers, took her husband's place. She fought so manfully, that half pay was granted to her for life by Congress. She wore a soldier's epau lette, and was known by the name of "Captain Molly" ever after. A few years after Boston and its neighbourhood were settled by the English, a party of Narragansett Indians who were out hunting, stopped at the house of Mr. Minot, in Dorchester, and rudely demanded food. On being refused, they went away with evident marks of displeasure, and Oquamehud, their chief, threatened to be revenged. For this purpose, he left in the bushes, near the house, an Indian named Osa- mee, who had long been known in the neighbourhood for his uncommon ferocity. The next morning Mr. and Mrs. Minot went to The faithful Nursa. THE FAITHFUL NURSE. 79 Boston, a distance of only three miles : the Indian saw them from his hiding-place, and prepared himself for an assault on the house, which he supposed wat left without any defence. However, although Mr Minot had no apprehension of an attack of this kind^ lie had taken the precaution to give strict charge to ,the maid-servant to confine herself with his two little children to the house, and to open the door to no per eon until his return. The girl was trusty and watchful, and she soon espied the Indian drawing cautiously towards the house. After looking about, apparently to make sure that there was nobody near, he rushed furiously against the door, but it was so securely bolted that it withstood his force, and he next attempted to get in through the window. The young woman had hidden her master's children under two brass kettles, charg ing them not to stir, nor make the least noise ; she then loaded a musket belonging to the house, and bravely stood upon her defence. The Indian, probably guessing her design, fired at her, but he missed his mark. The girl then fired, and the bullet entered his shoulder. Still he per sisted in his attempt, and had Succeeded in getting half through the window, when, with great presence of mind, she seized a pan full of red-hot cinders from the stove, and threw them in his face. They lodged in his blanket, and the pain they created was too much even for Osamee. He fled, and his dead body was found nwxt day in a wood on tie borders of tho town. 80 THRILLING ADVENTURES. The circamstances being made known to the go* vernment of Massachusetts Bay, this courageous young woman was, by their order, presented with a silver bracelet, on which her name was engraved, with this motto, "She slew the Narrhagansett hunter." We do not see much to admire in the unfeminine conduct of " Captain Molly," and have related the story, merely that the readers of these tales may com pare her with the trustworthy servant girl, who saved the lives of two children as well as her own, by her presence of mind and courage. Assuredly the silvei bracelet was better deserved than the epaulette of Molly Pritchard. Such instances of cool courage are rare. Courage an& ^enerogitg of ^c=ia-!a=*!)a-roo. A STILL more honourable badge than in either of the cases above cited was awarded to a Pawnee brave, for his courage, generosity, and humanity. Pe-ta-la-sharroo was the son of La-te-le-sha, or Old Knife, a Pawnee chtef : Pe-ta-la-sha-roo was a brave, that is, one who has greatly distinguished himself in battle, and is next in importance to a chief. At the early age of twenty-one, this young man had, by his heroic deeds, acquired for himself the rank of " the bravest of the braves." The savage practice of torturing and burning to death their prisoners existed in this tribe. The bu- COURAGE OF PE-TA-LA-SHA-ROO. 3 mane La-te-le-sha had long endeavoured to put a 1 6op to this cruel custom, but in vain. In a warlike ex pedition against the Iteans, a woman was taken pri soner, who, on their return, was doomed to suffer according to their barbarous usage. The unfortunate victim was bound to the stake, and a vast crowd was assembled on the plains to witness the shocking scene. Pe-ta-la-sha-roo, unob served, had stationed two fleet horses at a little dis tance from the spot, and was now seated amongst the crowd, a silent spectator. All were now anxiously waiting for the commencement of the frightful tra gedy, and the torch was already borne towards the funeral pile, when, suddenly springing from his seat, the youthful " brave" rushed forward, and, cutting the cords asunder which bound the captive, with the swiftness of thought he bore her in his arms beyond the amazed multitude ; then placing her upon one horse, and mounting the other himself, he bore her eafely off to her friends and country. This act would have endangered the life of an ordinary chief; but such was the popularity of both father and son, that, on the return of the " bravest of the braves" to his village, no one presumed to cen- eure his conduct; and such was the influence of his good example, that since that time no human sacri fice has ever been offered in this or any of the Pawnee tribes. The account of this transaction being circulated at Washington, during the young chief's stay there, whilst on a deputation from his nation to the Ameri- 84 THRILLING ADVENTURES. can government in 1821, the young ladies of Miss White's boarding-school in that city, in a manner highly creditable to themselves, resolved to give him some demonstration of the esteem in which they held him on account of his brave and humane cond uct ; they therefore presented him with an elegant silver medal, engraved with an appropriate inscription, and accompanied by the following short but affectionate address : "Brother, Accept this token of our esteem al ways wear it for our sakes; and, whenever again you have the power to save a poor woman from death or torture, think of this and of us, and fly to her relief and rescue. The Pawnee's reply was as follows : "Sisters and Friends, This (meaning the medal) will give me more ease than I ever had; and I will listen more than ever I did to white men. "I am glad that my brothers and sisters have heard of the good act that I have done. My bro thers and sisters think that I did it in ignorance, but I now know what I have done. I did it in ignorance, and did not know that it was good ; but by giving me this medal I know it." There is much pleasure in meeting with such in stances of heroic conduct among the untaught savages of the West, and, as it has often been our lot to re count the deeds of violence which are committed by the red men, it would be most unjust to suppress any traits of an opposite nature. MAGNANIMITY OF A SIOUX. tj) of a jbiou*. THE Sioux are one of the most warlike and inde pendent nations of Indians within the boundaries of the United States, and with them every passion seema subservient to that of war. They had long been at variance with the Sauteurs, or Fall Indians,* as they are also called, from their lands being near the Falls of St. Mary. Cha-ta-wa-con-armee, chief of a small band of Sioux situated on the banks of the Mississippi, going out one morning at sunrise to examine his beaver trap, descried a Sauteur in the act of stealing it. He ap proached so silently that he was not perceived, and while the Sauteur was engaged in taking the trap from the water, he stood deliberately surveying him with a loaded rifle in his hand. As the two nations were at war, and as the offence was in itself considered of the most heinous nature, he would have been thought perfectly justified in killing him on the spot ; and the thief, on finding himself detected, looked for nothing else than imme diate death. But the Sioux chief, with a nobleness of disposi tion which would have done honour to the most en * The St. Mary is a strait, or river, about eighty miles long, -which connects Lake Superior with Lake Huron. Near the head of thii lake is the fall, or Sault de St e . Marie, where the river descends about twenty-three feet in half a mile. Canoes, and even bargei, an? towed up these rapidi. H 86 THRILLING ADVENTURES. lightened man, calmly walked up to him, and thus addressed the astonished Sauteur : " Be not alarmed at my approach ; I only come to present you with the trap, of which I see you stand in need. You are en tirely welcome to it. Take my rifle also, for I see you are poor and have none of your own ; and now depart with it to the land of your countrymen, and linger not here, lest some of my young men who are panting for the blood of their enemies should dis cover your footsteps in our hunting-grounds, and should fall upon you and kill you." So saying, he delivered his rifle into the hands of the poor Sauteur, and returned unarmed to the village of which he was so deservedly the chief. HoWe Action of Efeutenant WE copy from the North American of June 12, 1849, the following thrilling adventure of Lieutenant Beall. It is a credit to the American name. Lieutenant Beall, United States Navy, is already well known to the country, having particularly dis tinguished himself, on several different occasions, a* a bearer of important despatches to and from Califor- r r a, both through the heart of Mexico, during the war, and across the prairies and Rocky Mountains, forcing his way, with equal spirit, through civilized and savage enemies. As a gallant naval officer and intrepid traveller, with the courage to face and the NOBLE ACTION OF LIEUT. BE ALL. 87 to overcome every difficulty and peril, we can well believe lie has no superior ; but we have recently heard an anecdote told of him, being the account of a circumstance which happened on the last journey to California, from which he has only so lately returned, which, while it illustrates the dangers of the road, proves that there is another quality in him higher than mere resolution and bravery, a humane and generous disposition, which gives to those virtues the character of heroism. It was, we believe, in the Gila country, that Lieu tenant Beall, having encamped his party, and placed it in safety, went out hunting. He set out alone, on a favourite saddle mare, which was generally kept up or spared for such occasions. About six miles from the camp, he had the good fortune to kill a deer ; and he was on the ground dressing the carcass, when, on looking up, he suddenly beheld a troop of mounted Apaches, who had discovered him, and were dashing furiously towards him. They had, doubtless, heard the report or seen the smoke of his rifle, and so were on him before he was aware ; but he knew very well that to be overtaken by them, a single white man among those naked hills which they called their own was certain death; and, accordingly, leaving his quarry and mounting in hot haste, he relied upon the mettle of his mare, which he put to her full speed, to carry him back in safety to the camp. Away darted the young lieutenant, and on rushed the savages, thundering and yelling in the certain assurance of their prey. Bvt confident as they were, the fugitive 88 THRILLING ADVENTURES. was quite as well satisfied of his ability to escape ; although their horses were fresher than the mare, and it was pretty certain they were gaining slightly upon her, and would give her a severe contest before reach ing the camp. Thus assured of his safety, but not relaxing his speed, Lieutenant Beall had recovered half his distance from the camp, when, dashing over the crest of a hill, he was horrified at the sight of one of his own men, on foot, climbing the hill, and in fact, following in his trail to assist him in the hunt. The sight of the lieu tenant flying down the hill at such a furious rate was, doubtless, enough; perhaps the poor fellow could hear the whoops of the Indians ascending the hill from the opposite side ; at all events, he understood his fate, and spreading his arms before the horse's head, he cried out, with the accents of despair, " Oh, Mr. Beall, save me ! I am a husband and the father of six helpless children !" Never was prayer more quickly heard, or more heroically answered. The lieutenant, though riding for his own life, im mediately stopped his mare, dismounted, and, giving her to the man, said, " You shall be saved. Ride back to the camp, and send them out to give mj body decent burial !" And so they parted, the foot man to escape, the officer, as he supposed, to be slain ; for the hill was utterly bare, without a single hiding place, and he thought of nothing but selling his life as dearly as possible. For this purpose, he drew his revolver, and, sitting down on the ground, waited for he savages; who in a moment earne rushing over the NOBLE ACTION OF LIEUT. BE ALL. 9 1 brew f the hill, and then, to the unspeakable amaze ment f Lieutenant Beall, dashed past him down the desceni like madmen, not a soul of them paying the least regard to him, not a soul, in fact, seeing him. They saw, in reality, nothing but the horse and the horseman they had been pursuing for three miles; they knew nothing of a footman ; and perhaps tho sitting figure of the lieutenant appeared, to eyes only bent on one attractive object, as a stone or huge cac tus, such as abound on those sterile hills. At all events, Lieutenant Beall, by what seemed to himself almost a direct providential interposition in his behalf, remained wholly undiscovered ; and in a moment more the Apaches were out of sight, still pursuing the horse and his rider to the camp. The latter barely succeeded in escaping with his life, the Indians having overhauled him so closely, just as he reached the camp, as to be able to inflict one or two slight wounds upon him with bullets, or perhaps with arrows. As for Lieutenant Beall, he was not slow to take advantage of his good fortune ; and selecting a roundabout course, he succeeded in reaching the camp just about the time the poor fellow whom he had saved, and the other members of the party, were about sallying out to obey his last request, and give his body decent burial. Upon such an act as this it were superfluous to comment. It is an act, however, which deserves to live in men's recollections, like the story of a great battle and victory. ra THRILLING ADVENTUR KS. at Keto Dcatfj of THE modern reader is too apt to regard Indian attacks and their consequent evils as events belong ing to time long since passed. In our great cities an Indian is a curiosity; the land which once knew none but his ancestors knows them no more ; and their successors, the sons of civilization, know of the war whoop, the midnight attack, and the burning village only through the medium of some dusty narrative. Hence many at the present day cannot conceive of a wild Indian ; or, if they can, he is regarded as th Mime degenerate, harmless being, as we see some- MASSACRE AT TAOS. 93 times exhibited in theatres and museums. It has been our desire to dissipate this delusion by relating various stirring events which transpired during the war with Mexico. That great event removed many a veil of prejudice, or ignorance, which had hitherto hung over American vision. It exhibited in his true colours a being hitherto unknown to the world the western ranger. It made known adventures of hard- Bhip and daring, at which the boasted personal prowess of the heroes of antiquity sinks into insig nificance or contempt; and it displayed the important fact, that the Indians of the western wilds are the same daring, independent, and, in some respects, cruel race, that their progenitors were two hundred years ago. In addition to the incidents elsewhere related, we give below an account of the outrage committed by a party of Indians upon the American garrison at Taos, a trading post in New Mexico. In 1846, an American army, under General Kearny, marched into New Mexico and received the submission and oath of allegiance of the autho rities at Santa Fe. After Kearny's departure from that city, the inhabitants conspired against the Ame rican government; but their object was discovered, and its execution prevented. The population of New Mexico includes no inconsiderable portion of Indians; and these people, Jiflamed, no doubt, by their Mexican neighbours, had entered heart ily into the conspiracy. Although it had been discovered, they did not abandon the hope of execut ing it ; and their superior cunning soon afforded them *4 THRILLING ADVENTURES. opportunity to make the attempt. On the 19th of January, 1847, a considerable number of them col lected in the village of Taos to obtain the release of two companions whom the authorities had impri soned. So singular a demand was, of course, re fused ; when, without repeating it, the Indians mur- dered the sheriff and the Mexican prefect, broke into the prison, and released the prisoners. Instead of retiring, they then rushed through the village, and forced their way into a house where Governor Bent had but a short time previously taken up a temporary residence. In this extremity, the unfortunate man appears to have lost his presence of mind, neither fighting nor retreating until it was too late to do either. As the Indians approached his room, he decided upon retreating; but, being wounded in at tempting to jump from the window, he returned, and was shot through the body by the Indians. Then followed a scene sickening to every one but a savage. The dying man was shot in the face with his own pistol, then scalped, and, lastly, nailed to a board. A Mr. Leal, acting at that time as district attorney, was killed by slow torture, after having been scalped alive. Some others were killed in another part of the village; and the Indians afterwards formed in procession, parading the bodies of the governor and attorney through the village. The object of the savages was undoubtedly to excite an insurrection f but in this they were again disappointed. 4DVENTURES OF COLONEL HAYS. ** COLONEL 1IAYS. gftbtniur** of Wshiul $$&%* fcitl) tfje Jnfciaw*.* THE war between the United States and Mexico brought into conspicuous notice individuals whose abilities for border warfare have since been a theme of wonder and admiration, both in America and Eu rope. Born amid the wilds of Texas or of the west, * For the facts in this sketch we are indebted to Lieutenant Jeid's "Scouting Sketches of the Texas Hangers." 96 THRILLING ADVENTURES. accustomed to the Indian's whoop and the glare of the burning village, they had early become initiated into danger, as to their natural element, and from early youth looked forward to the battle-field as the thea tre of distinction and renown. At an age when the more favoured son of an Atlantic clime is quietly stu- dying amid the shades of a college, these youth of the wilderness, armed with rifle and revolver, were ranging the pathless prairie, surrounded on all sides with savage Indians, and rancheros still more sa vage. In this school of excitement and danger, such men as Gillespie, Walker, and Hays studied the va ried arts of border warfare. They met the Caman- che on his own ground and in his own element ; and, though he is the most dreaded of all Indians, they C9nquered him with his own weapons. They drove the robber and marauder from the Colorado and the Sabine across the Rio Grande, and avenged, on the prowling bands which attacked the border settle ments, the massacres of Mier and of the Alamo. When war was declared against Mexico, they, with united heart, came forward against their old enemy, and, whenever employed, evinced a coolness and daring as wonderful as it w**s serviceable. One of the most famous of these partisans is Co lonel John C. Hays, known among the Indians and Mexicans as " Captain Jack." His feats among the Camanches would furnish materials for a volume. In the year 1841, he formed one of a party of fifteen or twenty men, employed to survey some lands near what is called by the Indians the Enchanted Rock, ADVENTURES OF COLONEL HAYS. Wl This rock forms the apex of a high, round hill, nig ged and difficult to climb. In the centre is a circu lar hollow, sufficiently large to allow a small party of men to lie in it, the projecting sides serving as a pro tection from assault without. . While the surveying party were engaged not far flrom the base of the hill, they were suddenly attacked by a band of Indians. Hays, being at some distance from the party, ascended the hill, and, intrenching himself within the Enchanted Rock, determined tx. sell his life as dearly as possible. He was well known to the Indians; and, being eager to secure him at all hazards, they mounted the hill, surrounded the rocky fort, and prepared to charge. Hays was fully sensi ble that his life depended more upon his skill than his courage. Instead, therefore, of rashly throwing away his fire, whenever the Indians came near, he rose, presented his rifle and revolvers, and waited the charge. Knowing his unerring aim, they would fall back, and Hays would resume his former position. In this manner they alternately advanced and re treated for more than an hour, howling in the mean time most frightfully. At last, ashamed to be foiled by one man, they rushed forward. Hays sprang to his feet and presented his rifle. They still advanced. lie fired, and, seizing his revolver, discharged it rapidly among the crowded mass. At the same time, by skilful manoeuvres, he avoided their arrows, managed to load his rifle and pistol. The battle maintained in this manner for three hours, is I THRILLING ADVENTURES. Hays's men, having fought their way through tha Indian ranks, advanced to his relief. In July, 1844, Hays, with fourteen men, advanced (50 ward the Pierdenales river, about eighty miles from San Antonio. At that time the Texan border \vas exposed to the excursions of the Camanches, and many families had either been carried away by those Indians or driven into the interior. It was for the purpose of discovering their haunts and 'of checking the movements of their marauding parties, Hays's party of Rangers had been equipped. Among his men were Walker, Gillespie, and others, who after wards rendered themselves famous. On reaching the river, the party came in sight of about fifteen Ca manches mounted on good horses, and apparently eager for battle. As Hays advanced, they retreated towards a thick copse of undergrowth, or chaparral, which convinced him that they were but a portion of a still larger party which lay there concealed. He, therefore, restrained the impetuosity of his men, and, taking a circuitous route round the clump of chap arral, drew them up on a ridge, separated from the enemy by a deep ravine. Immediately after, the Indians showed themselves to the number of seventy- five. Hays, aware that a battle could not be avoided, determined to choose his own ground and manner yf conducting the attack. He moved slowly down the hill with his men until they reached the ravine, the Bides of which hid them from the Indians, when, Btarting at full gallop to its extreme length, he turned the ridsre and gained the enemy's rear. The Camai> ADVENTURES OF COLONEL KAYS. ches, having their eyes fixed upon the side of th ravine opposite to the point from which the Rangers had left it, did not perceive their danger until they were aroused by the report of a dozen rifles. They were immediately thrown into confusion, but soon recovered and prepared for the charge. Hays formed his men into a circle, and ordered each one to grasp his revolver. Twenty-one of the Indians were killed at the first fire; the remainder fell back. Hays changed his position and charged furiously. A bat tle ensued which lasted nearly an hour, the two par ties charging and retreating alternately. The amu- nition of the Rangers was at length exhausted, the Indian chief perceiving, he collected his warriors for a decisive struggle. Of Hays's little band, two were now killed, and four or five wounded ; the remainder were without effective arms. The result, therefore, of a contest with some fifty Indians must be complete destruction. But, at the moment when the Camanches were bend ing forward to the charge, Hays ascertained that Gil- lespie had not discharged his rifle. u Dismount im mediately," exclaimed Hays, " and shoot the chjf." That action decided the battle. Thwty of the In dians were left dead upon the field. 100 THRILLING ADVENTURES. Vo*'0 flUftraturt foitf) ttoo ALTHOUGH, in early times, the Indians we:^e th* terror of our western settlements, this fact must be ascribed to the scattered condition of the inhabitants and their paucity of number, rather than to any want of courage. Yet even in that period of misery anc 1 murder, a class of men were training themselves in the Indian's own school, to avenge the slaughter of their neighbours, wives, and parents. In all the arta and stratagems of war and the chase, the western hunter and pioneer was a real Indian. Not unfre- quently superior to his dusky antagonists in strata gem and ingenuity. Two brothers named Poe were of this character. Each was remarkable for strength and gigantic size, qualities which rendered them conspicuous in nearly every affair with the Indians at that period. On one of these occasions, they started with six other men, in pursuit of a party of Indian marauders, who had been seen between Wheeling and Fort Pitt. Fearing an ambuscade, Adam Poe left the band, crossed the Ohio, and, concealed among th 3 high weeds, searched about for the enemy. He soon perceived two Indians, one of them a powerful man, standing upon tha shore watching for the white men. Poe took deliber ate aim, but his gun missed, and the snap of the lock betrayed him- Too near to retreat, I e sprang upon the bank, seized the large Indian by the breast w.th one hand, and the small one round the neck with the FOE'S ADVENTCP.E WITH TWO INDIANS. 101 other, and threw both to the ground, The smaller one regained his feet, but while in the act of striking with his tomahawk, he received a kick which shook the weapon from his hand. Poe was now seized by the chief, while the smaller Indian regained his tomahawk and performed sundry flourishes around the hunter's head, preparatory to striking a fatal blow, Aware of the object of this scientific exhibi tion, Poe calmly waited for the final stroke, wheu throwing up his arm he saved his head at the ex pense of his wrist- The chief now attempted to throw him down, but, extricating himself he seized his gun and shot his smaller antagonist dead. In stantly the other seized and threw him to the ground. Poe bounded to his feet in a moment, when a struggle commenced which precipitated both into the Ohio, Here, in another element, the fierce combatants re newed their struggle, one striving to drown the other. After each had several times been pushed under water, Poe, by a dexterous effort, seized the chief tain's thick knot of hair, dragged his head under water, and held it until, as he supposed, life was ex tinct. But no sooner had he loosed his hold, than the Indian was again erect, the struggle recommenced, and both were carried beyond their depth. They now aimed for the shore, each striving to gain it first, so as to seize one of the guns there. The Indian succeeded, and Poe made for the middle of the stream, BO as to escape the shot by diving. Fortunately the chief first took the empty gun, which enabled Poe tc get further into the river. At this moment two of the 104 THRILLING ADVENTURES. whites came up, and through mistake wounled Poa in the shoulder. He turned and swam bleeding toward the shore, and recognising his brother, called on him to shoot the Indian. This was done, and Poe plunged into the water to help his brother. Mean while the dying Indian, to escape being scalped, threw himself into deep water and was drowned. Captain 8Ufo'* battle bt$ tfje Xipra THE recent Mexican war brought our soldiers, on more than one occasion, in contact with the various tribes of Indians inhabiting the wilds to the north and west of Mexico. The warriors of these nations, untamed as yet by bitter experience, displayed a coinage and heroism that would have conferred hon our on a Philip or a Tecumseh. One of the most spirited of these skirmishes, was an attack by a de tachment of Colonel Doniphan's men, upon a party of Li pan warriors near the rancho of El Paso. The colonel was marching from Chihuahua to Saltillo (May 13, 1847) and had detached Captain Reid, with thirty men to El Paso, as an advance guard. About nine o'clock in the morning, the captain observed a party of Indians emerging from a gap in the moun tains, five miles distant, and advancing toward the rancho. They numbered about sixty, and were re turning from an attack upon a neighbouring Mexican town, where they had secured many prisoners and CAPTAIN REID'S BATTLE. 105 more than a thousand horses and mules. Although in arms against the Mexicans, Reid lost no time in deciding upon his course. The number of Indians was double his own; they had the advantage of ground; they could, if it were needful, retreat at cnce, and either escape or perhaps draw him into an ambush ; but he determined on rescuing the prisoners. At the word of command, each American was in the saddle, and the whole party bore down at full speed upon the Indians. The latter coolly awaited the charge, and opened the skirmish by a partial ' dis charge of arrows. The Americans answered by an entire volley from their rifles. Immediately the In dians, raising a yell, rushed forward and discharged their arrows with astonishing rapidity. After fight ing for some time, the Americans were driven back, but having reloaded, they again charged and drove the Indians before them. The superior horsemanship of the latter afforded them great advantages. They waved their bodies in the saddles, galloped swiftly up and down, and by other methods known only to savages, contrived to elude the American balls. The battle continued nearly two hours, each party charg ing and retreating alternately, and keeping up a ccn tinual fire. At length the captain's men began to gain ground, inch by inch, as the Indians becoming discouraged, fought with less obstinacy and less skill. In the final retreat the latter suffered severely, leav ing fifteen dead on the field and carrying away a still larger number, together with all their wounded. Nine Mexirtar* nriwonera were Y.* w***J <m/~ ieetored 106 THRILLING ADVENTUREJ. to liberty, and a herd of one thousand horses and mules, were apportioned, as far as practicable, to their original owners In this affair Captain Reid was the only American wounded, although some of his men had received arrows in their clothes. Throughout the battle he was ably assisted by Lieutenants Gordon, Spruel, and Winston. A Mexican horseman assisted during the skirmish, and with his lasso dragged down and killed two Indians. The medicine man of the Lipans was killed and left upon the field a loss, no doubt, severely felt by the savages. During the day, the prefect of Parras waited upon Captain Reid, with an official document from the authorities and citizens of that place, expressing their admiration and gratitude for his noble conduct, and their sympathy on hearing of his wound. FIGHT OF COLONEL KINNEY. 107 30RPUS CHRI8TI. toitfj tfj CORPUS Christi, rendered classic ground by its con* nection with the history of General Taylor's first Mex ican campaign, was settled by Colonel H. L. Kinney in 1838. He established there a trading post, which was long known among the Texans as Kinney's Kanch. Being the extreme frontier settlement, it vas exposed to the incursions of the Lipan and Ca* muviche Indians, which obliged the proprietor to lead, from the time of settlement until the Mexican war, a life of constant vigilance and battle. He was one of the calm, fearless men, peculiarly fitted by nature for a life of wild adventure ; and his many exploits among the Indians would afford materials for a most exciting narrative. One of these, the subject o*f ou* 108 THRILLING ADVENTUAKS. story, is his skirmish with a party of Cainanches, under one of their celebrated chiefs, named Santa Anna. The Camanches are, perhaps, the most warlike tribe on the American continent, and were long dreaded by the Texans, the Mexicans, and the sur rounding Indians, as their most formidable enemies. Seventeen of these savages, under Santa Anna, sud denly attacked the houses near Kinney's Ranch, com mitted devastations upon the lands and buildings, and hastily retreated. Colonel Kinney immediately summoned his neighbours, numbering eleven, mount ed the swiftest horses, and overtook the Indians on a prairie. Both parties reined up, dismounted, and began skirmishing. At the distance of fifty yards the firing commenced, each man on either side sin gling out his victim. After the fight had continued for some time, Santa Anna suddenly dashed to the front, and, holding his raw-hide shield before him, ran along the line of his opponents. The hunters fired on him ; but their balls rattled harmlessly on his shield. The object of this bold manoeuvre was soon apparent. The Indians, having drawn their antagonists' fire, rushed upon them. The colonel alone had time to mount before the whole savage force was mingling in a hand to hand struggle with him self and his followers. One of the hunters was im mediately speared and killed; another was speared and shot in several places with arrows. A young Mexican, clerk to the colonel, was speared and had oia horse shot under him. Kinney dragged him on FIGHT OF COLONEL KINNEY. 109 to his own horse. Another spear pierced him, wound ing Kinney also 1:1 the back. At the same moment the colonel parried a third spear, which penetrated, however, both sleeves of his buckskin hunting-shirt He instantly wheeled his horse around, tearing the weapon from his sleeves. Meanwhile the clerk was clinging on to his throat. An Indian attempted to reach him, but was shot by Kinney. At the same moment the unfortunate boy was speared through the abdomen. He relaxed his hold and fell dead. An other Indian aimed at Kinney, but he dashed his unloaded pistol in his face, and succeeded in wrest ing the spear from him. Santa Anna had by this time become discouraged, and withdrew his men from the field. He had lost seven men. Of the colonel's party, three men and nine horses were killed, and all the survivors wound ed. One had received five arrows, and was speared in two places. Considering the small number en gaged, this skirmish was one of the bloodiost and most obstinate which had yet taken place on the Texas frontier. 110 THRILLING ADVENTURES. on ON the llth of November, 1778, seven hund -ed Tories and Indians, led by Brant and Butler, attacked the fine settlement of Cherry Valley. Colonel Alden commanded the fort in the vicinity : on the 10th, the inhabitants, warned of the approach of the Indians, requested him to give them shelter in it. He refused, assuring them there was no danger. During the night, snow and rain fell, making the atmosphere thick and hazy. Favoured by that circumstance, the Indians in the morning approached the fort un perceived. The ignorance and mistakes of the colonel favoured them still more. Rushing into the settlement, the Indiana surrounded the houses and summoned the command ant to surrender. He endeavoured to escape, waa ATTACK ON CHERRY VALLEY. Hi overtaken, killed and scalped. The guard, being out- gide the fort, shared his fate or were captured. The family of Robert Wells, consisting of himself, his mother, wife, brother, sister, four children, and three domestics, were massacred. Jane, his sister, had run to a wood-pile to screen herself. The Indian who pursued her, deliberately wiped his bloody knife on his leggins, sheathed it, and seizing the girl, drew his tomahawk. She begged for life, and a Tory named Smith seconded her intercession. The Indian shook his tomahawk in defiance, and, with a blow, clove her skull. The wife of Samuel Dunlop, an aged minister, was killed ; the old man was saved by a Mohawk chief, named Little Aaron, but he died in about a year in consequence of the shock then received. A Mr. Mitchell escaped to the woods ; the Indians murdered his wife arid four children, and fired his house. He returned the next .day, and, without a companion to assist him, carried his family on a sled to the fort and had them buried. Colonel Campbell was then from home ; on his return, he beheld his house in flames and his wife and children carried into captivity. Thirty-two inhabitants, principally women and chil dren, were killed, and sixteen soldiers. Some few made their way to the Mohawk river; the remainder were taken prisoners. Nearly all the houses and barns were burned. Subsequently the settlement Was entirely abandoned. 112 THRILLING ADVENTURES. WHILE the American army, under General Taylor, was stationed at Monterey, Major McCulloch with a email party of men was sent from that city to San Antonio. After crossing the Nueces about noon, the party dismounted, and, placing their horses near by, lay down upon the grass to rest. Suddenly two Camanche Indians galloped among the horses, and effected what is called by Spaniards a stampede, which consists in so frightening those animals as to hurry ATTACK UPON AMERICAN TRAINS, 113 them away at a headlong pace. Happily for the party, McCulloch's horse, and that of Captain Ches- hire, remained quiet. These two officers immediately mounted and hurried after the Indians. The major reaching them first, received several arrows, one of which wounded his horse. He dismounted and drew his revolver, but it would not go off. McCtilloch and one of the Indians now began to manoeuvre, while the other Indian was creeping behind the major, so as to shoot him with his rifle. At this crisis, Ches hire arrived; McCulloch wished to charge, but Ches hire resolved to try his rifle. It missed, and a run ning fight ensued, during which the major advanced near enough to discharge his revolver. He fired twice without effect, the third time the pistol broke. Ches hire fired with better success, wounding his man, who, however, made good his escape. Both Indians now retreated, and the officers seizing the horses of the party returned to their comrades. Sttacfe* upon American &ratn Ctampsnfe*. AT the capture of Taos, by Colonel Price, during ihe war with Mexico, a Delaware Indian named Nahcoma, who was prisoner at that place, was lil>er- ated. In May, 1847, he started to return to his own Country, but on the road encountered a band of In dians, numbering, as he supposed, a thousand, and consisting of Camanches, Arapahoes, Pawnees, and 114 THRILLING ADVENTURES. Osages. Being made prisoner, he was spared, on con dition of joining the band in a contemplated attack upon some white men. He assented; the whole party set out, and in a few days encountered an Ame rican train of thirty mule teams and ten horsemen, a few miles below Walnut creek. The wagons we re- freighted with government stores for the use of the troops at Santa Fe*. On perceiving this little party, the Indians halted and prepared for a charge. Of the particulars of the conflict that ensued little is known. The Americans were driven from their saddles, and not one escaped to tell the story. After this scene of slaughter, the eavages rifled the wagons of such things as they re quired, and drove the mules away. For his services in the affair, Nahcoma was presented with a fine mule, and permitted to depart. The above account, in substance, was given by Nah coma himself, on his arrival in Missouri. There ap pears little reason to doubt it, since the mule upon which he rode was recognised as one upon which a government officer had formerly set out 'for the west. The party is supposed to have been one commanded by Captain Miller. At the same place (Walnut Creek) another parly of Americans was attacked by about one hundivj Arapahoe Indians, in June, 1847. The assailants did not succeed so well as their comrades had formerly done. It seems that a Mr. Sharp and the wagon- master, had gone out in quest of buffaloes Thej bad not proceeded more than three hundred yard$ V*"*" kttaok upon Lieut MASSACRE OF AMERICAN VOLUNTEERS. 117 when they were charged by three separate parties of savages. Sharp fired and killed a chief; in the next moment he was riddled by balls and arrows, and fell dead. His companion, by simply presenting his gun, kept the enemy at bay, until the party arrived to his assistance. The Indians then retreated, carrying with them Sharp's scalp and more than sixty horses and mules. A short time previous to this affair, Lieutenant Peck, with a train party was attacked by ninety Ca- manche Indians, and lost ten horses. He then fell back and waited two days in expectation of being joined by other trains. He was again attacked, how ever, and lost all his animals. This second attack resulted in a rather serious skirmish, during which one Williams was severely lanced in the body, and several others had their clothing cut by balls. At the bend of the Arkansas, this unlucky party was attacked by Pawnees, who stole two horses and en deavoured, without 'effect, to excite a stampede among the others. The train reached its destination with out further injury. of American IToIunim* &g Snftian*. IN the summer of 1847, a company of volunteers, under Colonel Easton, was encamped on the Arkan sas, ready for service in the war then going on with Mexico. The men, being but raw recruits, were ao II* THRILLING ADVENTURES. customed to wander from camp, frequently unarmed, and sometimes to pass a considerable time in the wilderness. Along the wagon route on the north side of the river, there is so little timber that it was often necessary to cross to the other side to obtain it. In stead of going in a body and in regular order, the volunteers appear to have crossed, each by himself, or at best in squads of eight or ten. It was at length rumoured that Indians were in the vicinity, and the Americans became more careful; yet the fatal negli gence of crossing the river unarmed was not al together corrected. On the 25th of July, twenty-five men crossed to the opposite bank, and spread themselves over an area of several hundred yards. Suddenly a party of savages, supposed to number five hundred, rose from the grass and surrounded the volunteers. Most of the latter rushed for the river ; a few, happening to be armed, discharged their pieces and the remainder sought to break through the Indians into the outer country. One was chased into the stream and there killed ; another was severely wounded on the bank. A third, named Benjamin Frost, was observed to fight desperately with his clubbed rifle. That night, when the volunteers searched the ground for the slain, he could not be found. Next day, about noon, he waa observed on the south bank of the river, whither he had crawled. He was able to speak, and stated that he remembered nothing after his fall, until he was awakened that morning by the firing in the camp. The Indians in scalping him had flayed his entire THE ROSE OF GUADALOUPE 119 head. Four others were scalped. Altogether eight were killed and four wounded. The slaughter would have been much greater, but that the main body of volunteers, hearing the firing, crossed the river to assist their companions. The Indians, it was supposed, lost one killed and at least one wounded. They were Camanches and had among them a white man armed with a rifle, who at the beginning of the affair was heard to exclaim, " Come on, if you will fight." Itage of A STORY OP THE TEXAS BANGERS. THE Camanche Indians are to Texas what the Pequots formerly were to New England, and what the Sioux still are to the traders and trappers of the West Their incursions are still a source of terror, even to Americans; and among the Texan settlers many a story is told of parties surprised and mur dered, of settlements broken up, and women or chil dren carried into captivity. One of these, from the singularity of the circumstances attending it, cannot but be interesting to the reader. Several years ago, an old man, named Lockhart, lived on the Guadaloupe river, in what is known as the Great Bend. His favourite child was a daughter about seventeen years old, who, on account of her beauty and winning manners was familiarly known as the Rose of the Guadaloupe. Near the house was n 20 THRILLING ADVENTURES. oath leading to the Quero settlement, while, on every other side, vast prairies, stretching further than sight could reach, seemed to cut off the old man's house from every other human habitation. Over these the girl was accustomed to wander, carelessly gathering flowers, or engaged in some light work, while the anticipation of danger seems never tc have crossed her mind. One evening, while thus engaged, she was startled hy a loud noise, and suddenly a party of Camanches rushed from a neighbouring thicket toward her. She screamed and fled. The chief of the party pursued, and, as his horse swept by, he stooped from the sad dle and lifted the girl on to the seat before him, with out checking in the least the animal's speed. The party having accomplished their object, hurried with the fair prize to the mountains. This sight appears to have been witnessed by the father. He ran to the neighbouring settlement, and with a father's feelings spread the terrible news. Every one was in commotion. The hardy settlers left their work, seized their rifles, and set off in rapid pursuit. Lockhart led the party. With the tact of a backwoodsman, he followed the Indians day and night, and at length reached their mountain encamp ment at evening. Here they had the satisfaction to find that their pursuit had not been discovered. They, therefore, secreted themselves among the neighbour* ing thickets and other objects, so as to be ready for a vigorous charge on the following morning. At daylight the Texans raised their war-shout and Miss Lockhart can ad away by *.he Camanohe G*if 16 L THE ROSE OF GUADALOUPE. 128 rushed toward the village. The warriors were in stantly roused, and, gathering in close array, awaited the charge. They numbered two hundred, while the Texans were but forty. The assault was that of brave men made desperate. It was received with firmness, and one of those war scenes began where, mingled with friend and foe, each man singles out his man in the cruel strife, not for fame, but revenge. All day that struggle went on. Sometimes the Tex ans, sure of victory, were rushing into the village, when a vigorous charsre would drive them back over the dead bodies of friends and enemies. Foremost in danger was Lockhart. He cheered his friends to duty; he engaged one after another of the enemy; he more than once approached so near the tent in which was his child that he could hear her voice call ing to him. But the superiority of numbers pre vailed. After a day of incessant battle, the Texans were forced from the field, dragging after them the wretched father. Through all the perils of that day he had moved as though possessing a charmed life ; and, though forced from the field, he came off unhurt. The little party returned sorrowfully to their homes. Some time after the battle, a treaty was made with the Camanches, and the girl was given up. But her health and her spirits were gone. In captivity she had suffered every extreme of hunger, privation, and abuse. A deep melancholy had settled over her once happy countenance, and the hours which she spent by herself weeping, showed that her heart was broken. She lived at home but a few months before death re- 124 THRILLING ADVENTURES. leased her from her sufferings. We are indebted for the particulars of this remarkable capture and at tempted rescue, to the " Scouting Sketches of the Texas Rangers," an eloquent narrative from the pen of Lieutenant Samuel C. Reid. Inbfan ;fftef)teg in Hefo Brunsfoicfc. THE rivers of New Brunswick are frequented by a great variety of fish, which ascend them annually to spawn. The principal of these are the salmon, stur geon, bass, shad, gaspereau, smelts, and some others of less importance. The rivers also abound with a great variety of fish, which are constantly found in THK PERCH. these waters, and never descend to the sea. These are the trout, perch,- (red and white.) eels, cusk, carp, wach, dace, gudgeon, bleak, gizzard-fish, and an infinite variety of others, some of which have not even a name, and are yet un described by anj professor of natural history. THJt 8A T V )H. I t INDIAN FISHING IN NEW fcltl-NSWICK. 127 When the salmon make their appearance in the Nashwak, fleets of canoes, each containing a couple of Indians, leave Fredericton to spear them by torch light. The fish, checked by the falls, are collected in great numbers in the pools below. Nothing can be more exciting than this scene. The canoes, hurled about in all directions by the foaming tide ; the skill displayed by the Indians in forcing them up the ra pids, and fending them off the rocks, or allowing them to plunge head-foremost down stream, when they sud denly bring them to and transfix their fish. The eagerness of the chase, the contrast of the flaming torches with the black masses of the woods, and the fine attitudes of the men, dashing at the salmon with their long spears, form a wild and most animating picture. The spear, which is most destructive, is very simple in its construction, and does not lacerate or spoil the fish. A spike of iron is fastened between two jaws made of rock maple, into the end of a long, light fir pole. When the fish is stuck, the jaws open far enough to allow the spike to pierce and break the vertebrae of the spine, and, closing round the fish a* the same time, hold it fast THE STURGEON. The sturgeon of the New Brunswick waterw 128 THRILLING ADVENTURES; large, frequently eight feet in length, and sometimes twelve. They are a coarse fish, not at all esteemed, are seldom caught or molested, and therefore abound. When running up stream, they leap out of the water to a great height. A good story is told of an old equaw : whilst paddling down the river, one of these fish jumped on board her canoe with such impetus that it must have gone clean through the bottom, had not Molly Greenbaize, quick as lightning, seized it by the tail before the head and shoulders of the fish had got well through ; and, its progress thus arrested, it' did the duty of a plug, until she contrived to work her canoe ashore. The trout-fishing is excellent, and nowhere to be surpassed, except, perhaps, in Labrador. No sooner TUB TROUT. does the ice break up, than myriads of flies appeal upon the water, and the trout come upon them at once. The Indians, not being disciples of Izaak Walton, know no other means of fishing for them than by cutting a hole in the ice, when the fish in etantly come to the aperture, and will take almost any kind ^of bait; they, however, do not conside'- them worth the trouble of fishing for, and only rw: r 4 . to the piscatorial art when in actual want on a h unt il:? expedition, or when other game fails, In the INDIAN FISHING IN NEW BRUNSWICK. 129 Bedhead Kiver, some few miles from St. Johns, ar6 to be caught the most delicious trout : it is a back-water from the sea, and is occasionally affected by it at very tiigh spring tides, a circumstance which, no doubt, has is influence on the flavour of the fish. In the Lough Lomond Lakes, also in the chain of lakes beyond the Bald Mountain, having their outlet in the Musquash marshes, and in the rivers connecting these lakes, the fly -fishing is excellent. 130 THRILLING ADVENTURES. MANDAff BURYING-PLACE. ^l^toturc at an Indian THE Indians have, in their different tribes, a variety of modes of disposing of their dead. Carver says the body is attired in the same dress it usually wore whilst living; and other travellers inform us that a warrior's arms and his medicine bag are Luried with him, for his use in the world of spirits. It is ascer tained that, in former times, certain tribes depvjeited their dead in caverns, where many of them have been found placed in a sitting posture. The Sioux and Mandans (before the extinction of the last-mentioned tribe) erected stages on which they deposited theii Cheat Horrid-owl of Vir#wa ADVENTURE AT AN INDIAN BURIAL-PLACE. 138 dead. The engraving above represents a part of the burying-place in the vicinity of the principal village of the Mandans. We have copied it from an engrav ing in the splendid work of Prince Maximilian of Wied, entitled " Travels in the Interior of North America." The prince tells us that near these stages were several high poles, with skins and other thinga hanging on them as offerings to the lord of life, Oma- hank-Numakshi, or to the first man, Numank-Ma- chana. Dr. Richardson, in his eloquent work, Fauna Bo- reali-Americana, relates a thrilling adventure at an Indian burial-place, in which the principal performer was the Great Horned Owl of Virginia, whose loud and full nocturnal cry, " Waugh Oo ! Waugh Oo !" issuing from the gloomy recesses of the forest, bears some resemblance to the human voice, uttered in a hollow sepulchral tone, often alarming the traveller. A party of Scottish Highlanders, in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company, happened, in a winter journey, to encamp after nightfall in a dense clump of trees, whose dark tops and lofty stems, the growth of centuries, gave a solemnity to the scene thai strongly tended to excite the superstitious feelings of the Highlanders. The effect was heightened by the discovery of a tomb, which, with a natural taste, often exhibited by the Indians, had been placed in this secluded spot. Our travellers having finished their supper, were trimming their fire preparatory to retiring to rest, when the slow and dismal notes of the Horned Owl fell on the ear witl a startling near M 184 THRILLING ADVENTURES. ness. None of them being acquainted with th-3 sound, they at once concluded that so unearthly a voice must be the moaning of the spirit of the de parted, whose repose they supposed they had dis turbed by inadvertently making a fire of some of the wood of which his tomb had been constructed. They passed a tedious night of fear, and with the first dawn of day hastily quitted the ill-omened spot. & jbtrffefag jbcw. A MOST striking tribute to worth was paid a few years ago, by a party of poor Indians who came from the back country to visit Philadelphia. When the statue in the Pennsylvania Hospital yard was pointed out to them as the figure of "Father Onas," or Penn, they all with one accord fell down on their knees before it ; thus testifying, in the strongest manner in their power, their reverence for the cha racter of one of the few white men who have treated their race with humanity. It was not an exhibition got up for effect ; it was the spontaneous result of feeling of a deeply im planted feeling, which neither time nor distance had been able to destroy. It had descended from father to son ; it had been cherished in the Western wilds ; and it broke forth in the midst of civilized society, and was evinced by the strongest of natural signs , reverence' on the knee I Indians before the Statue of Perm. TREEING A BEAR. 187 BLACK BEAR. THE Indians consider the black bear as the most valuable of wild animals, and the chase of it as their noblest field-sport, its death being always followed by expressions of the greatest exultation. It is, indeed, highly useful to them; and, like the ox and the sheep, there is no part of it which is not applied to some useful purpose. The flesh is highly esteemed, and the paws are reckoned the richest bonne bouch? that the wild forests of America afford. The skin furnishes their softest couch, and their most sub- stantial protection against the severities of winter. Even the claws have their value : they are bored and strung upon the tendons of deer, to be worn as neck laces and other ornaments. In the vicinity of Hudson's Bay, the black bear 18 M2 188 THRILLING ADVENTURES has been observed in the month of June to feed en tirely on water-insects, when the berries are not ripe. These insects, of different species, are found in im mense quantities in some of the lakes, where they are driven by gales of wind in the Bay, and, being pressed together in vast multitudes, they die. The odour which arises from this vast mass of putrefac tion is intolerable. In some places they lie two or three feet deep. The manner in which the bears catch those insects, is by swimming with their mouths open, and thus they gather the insects on the surface of the water. When the stomach of the animal is opened at this season, it is found to be filled with them, and emits a disagreeable odour. The Indians, navigating the lakes in their light canoes, sometimes surprise a bear engaged in swimming after the insects. Then commences a highly interesting chase. The bear, finding himself assailed by the paddles of the Indians, makes for the shore, or for the nearest tree standing in the water. When fairly "treed," he is easily despatched by the arrows or rifle balls of his indefatigable enemies. The black bear is very indiscriminate in his feed ing, and, though suited by nature for the almost ex clusive consumption of vegetable food, yet, when pressed by hunger, he scarcely refuses any thing. Not only grapes, berries, green corn, and vegetables, but worms, slugs, turtles' eggs, small quadrupeds, and even carrion, form a part of his diet, as circumstancei vary. INSURRECTION OF THE PUEBLOS. 141 Insurrection of tf>* ^Pueftlo* in Kito NEW Mexico is one of the oldest settlements in America. The popular account, however, of its being founded by a party from the army of Cortez, seems to be incorrect; since as late as 1595, the govern ment of Mexico was petitioned by Don Juan de Onate of Zacatecas, for permission to establish a colony in that region, already known as New Mexico. The petition was granted, and Onate entered the region near the Rio del Norte, with two hundred soldiers, and sufficient provisions, implements, and animals to support his colony for a year. He was honoured by the king with the hereditary title of marquis, the offices of governor and captain general, a loan of twenty thousand dollars, privilege of working the mines exempt from taxation, and absolute power over the Indians. Under such extensive privileges New Mexico advanced rapidly in wealth and import ance ; the Indians were christianized or put to death ; many valuable mines were discovered, and the Spanish colonists conducted themselves with that recklessness of human life, that avarice for gain, and that open violation of justice to the Indians, which had dis graced their conquests in the southern provinces. For nearly a century the Indians bore oppressipi without resistance. Their lands were taken from them, their religion insulted, they were dragged to the mines and forced to labour like horses under the lash, they were sold by troops of scores and hundreds 142 THRILLING ADVENTURES. into the country of the plague and the vomito ; and yet they offered only submission, and kissed the hand which was lacerating them with stripes. But a day of reckoning was coming. About the year 1680, a great warrior from a distant tribe appeared among the Pueblos or christianized Indians of New Mexico. His eye burned with indignation as he looked upon the oppressions of his countrymen, and with a spirit worthy of Montezuma, whose descendant he professed to be, he contrived a plan to emancipate them. Pass ing from tribe to tribe, he exhorted the chiefs of each to unite together ; to appoint a day in which to rise upon their oppressors, and then to massacre every white inhabitant. The 13th of August, 1680, was determined upon ; and so wily was the intrepid chief tain that he did not permit a single woman to be let into the secret. But his designs were in a great measure frustrated by the treachery of two chiefs, who revealed the plot to the governor. On the appointed day, the work of death began. Servants rose against their masters, the slave dashed his load to the ground and burst furious from the mines, churches were broken into, priests and nuns were murdered at the altar, men, women, and chil dren were involved in one slaughter. Governor Otermin had hastily exhorted the inhabitants to join him at Isleta ; they were met on the road and massa cred. The affrighted remnant gathered within the fortification of Santa Fe and other cities. Five hun dred Pueblos besieged the capital. They encamped in the deserted suburbs, and offered the citizens the til* INSURRECTION OF THE PUEBLOS. 148 ternative of massacre or an immediate evacuation of the province. The governor offered full pardon for all crimes if they would return to duty ; they laughed at the proposal and began the siege. A great battle was soon fought, which lasted all day, with heavy Joss to both sides. That night the surrounding hills were covered by Indian hosts, hastening to assist their comrades. The dismayed Spaniards again took refuge behind their works; another siege of nine days ensued ; the water was turned from its course, and their animals fell dead one after another with thirst. In this extremity Otermin made a vigorous sally, drove back a portion of the besiegers, and secured provisions and water. But the relief was only tem porary ; the Indians continued to increase, and at last the governor resolved upon evacuating the city. On the 21st of August, the little garrison set out on foot, loaded with heavy burdens and encumbered with a number of wounded on mules. They were not pur sued, but as all provisions had been removed, they were in a short time reduced almost to starvation. After a few days, Otermin halted and sent for assist ance to the lieutenant-governor. Some carts and a supply of provisions were received, and the party again proceeded until it arrived at Paso del Norte. Here they founded the town which goes by that name. In the following year, Otermin was superseded by Don Diego Zapata. The Indians held possession of the country, and this officer commenced the work of its reconquest. It was a work of difficulty, and lasted 144 THRILLING ADVENTURES. ten years. A Pueblo village named Zia maintained a most obstinate siege against a force under Don Pedro Cruzate, in 1688. It was at length taken by assault. Six hundred Indians were massacred, and a ^reat number captured for the mines. Among these was a great warrior named Ojeda. He had fought nobly for his liberty, and when taken was examined respect ing the insurrection. He spoke Spanish well, and gave long details of the revenge which his countrymen had taken. The priests had been the especial object of their fury. The padre of Zia had been dragged from his bed, stripped, mounted upon a hog, and whipped through the village. He was then placed upon all- fours, some of the tormenters mounted his back by turns, while the others beat him until he fell dead under their blows. The second subjugation of these Indians was has tened by their own internal feuds, by which whole villages were sometimes utterly destroyed. In 1700 all resistance had been crushed, and the Indians were again subject to their invaders, although their condi tion was much ameliorated. 19 Capture of Ojeda. N SINGULAR FREAK OF A CREEK INDIAN. H7 Jbingute of a @mfe Xnfciaiu (T is not often that an Indian can be induced to fcuwe his tribe or his country ; much less will he join the society of white men, and adopt its modes and observances. This ardent patriotism and jealousy of national dignity appear to be common to all sa vage tribes ; and, though it may appear singular, y?t well-attested facts sustain the assertion, that it is harder to wean a Laplander, a Tartar, or an Indian from the snowy sides of Hecla, or th boundless prai ries of Oregon, than to induce a European to turn hunter. Of all the instances on record, in which In- dians have been partially civilized, leaving out of view the influence of religion, few were without a long ing to return to the old mode of life; but, on tha 148 THRILLING ADVENTURES. other hand, the white captive, who has long resided with Indians, often rejects every overture of friends and relatives to win him back. The following is an instance where an Indian seems to have become dis gusted with his condition, and sought amelioration by uniting himself with white men. In 1831, a party of American traders approached a village of Creek warriors, on the north branch of the Canadian. Soon after they had encamped, they were joined by one of the Indians, who, by signs, sig nified his willingness to join them. The traders were suspicious of his intentions ; but, as he assured them that he would be one of their party, and had resolved not to return to the village, they received him. Next morning some little light was thrown upon the myste rious affair. He had quarrelled with his wife ; and she now entered the traders' camp, wailing and howling, denouncing her own wicked conduct and imploring the forgiveness of her injured lord. His heart did not relent ; a brief deluge of tears could not drown the world of insults, quarrels, and bickerings which had for years degraded his character, and broken with too rude a spell his early dreams of romance. His dis consolate partner returned to her home, and the In dian set out with the traders. He proved a faithful and valuable companion, and soon became a favourite with the Americans. On reaching Santa Fe, he joined a company of volunteers under Mr. James Kirker, and assisted more than once in skirmishes with the Shawnee and Delaware Indians He was ever a firm friend to the white men, and in his habits and feelings virtually civilized. WHITE CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS. 149 Irruption of tfje CtamancDc* into THE practice among the Indians of naturalizing captives, whether men or women, exists to an extent greater than is generally supposed, and in these in stances the female captive is invariably obliged to be come the wife of a brave. The feelings of a virtu ous wife, or of a mother, when subjected to this law, may be imagined; but, when she has once become incorporated into the tribe, we cannot wonder at her unwillingness to return to civilized life. In 1805, the account of an instance of this kind was transmitted to the War Department by Dr Sibley. Twenty years before, the wild Camanchea made an irruption into the territory of Chihuahua. While every thing was hushed in sleep, they stole upon the residence of the governor-general, and suc ceeded in carrying away his daughter. The wretched father afterwards ascertained where she was taken is THRILLING ADVENTURES. to, and to purchase her ransom transmitted one them gand dollars to a trader, then visiting the Camanche village. The chiefs immediately signified their as- Bent ; but the unhappy girl refused to return. With bitter tears, she sent word to her father that her face had been tatooed ; that she was the wife of a war rior, and that she could not meet the unfeeling scorn which the knowledge of these circumstances would bring upon her should she return to her people. Numerous instances of a like nature may be found in the narratives of the traders, trappers, and adven turers of the west. In 1832, a Santa Fe trader found a boy of eleven or twelve years old among a party of Camanches. He was a Mexican ; had been captured near Parral, and had remained a captive four years. He was sprightly and cheerful, retained full command of his native language, and evinced no desire to return. Of half a dozen other captives, questioned by the same trader, only one expressed a willingness to return. A CAMANCHE WARRIOE. NIGHT ATTACK E\ THE PAWNEES. 151 ^ttacfc fog t&e THE incident we are about to relate occurred on the )0th of March, 1840, and, in the hands of the ro mancer, might form the ground-work of a thrilling narrative. A party of hunters had halted on a wide prairie, having before them a deep ravine, which, as they supposed, would protect thurn from assault in that quarter. The night was cold, dark, and damp ; but a large fire was soon built, round 'which the sen tinels sat at regular intervals, beguiling the weariness by tales of adventures and of home. This quiet re laxation was interrupted by a sudden discharge of rifles, while a shower of balls whistled over and around the heads of the sentinels. This was suc ceeded by the war-whoop and " Pawnee whistle/' a circumstance that speedily convinced the traders of the nature of so unexpected an attack. At the next moment, each man was upon his feet and levelling his rifle ; but hostilities were for a while suspended by a rather ridiculous incident. Among the traders was a friendly Camanche ; be seemed deeply impressed 2 THRILLING ADVENTURES. with an idea that the assailants were of his own na tion ; and, anxious for the common good, besides in spired with a deep conviction of his own oratorical talents, resolved to set things right. He mounted a suitable position, and commenced a boisterous speech in genuine Camanehp. This part of that night's scene, when both parties listened to a discourse which neither understood, when the orator grew in propor tion as danger thickened around him, and when hun dreds of grinning savages were prevented from rid dling him at once only because they did not under stand what he was about, formed one of the few incidents in war which are not not serious. The con clusion of his talk was still more ridiculous. Bj some unmistakeable signs, the orator ascertained that the congregation for which he was labouring \ras not Camanche, and, indignant that talent should have been wasted in vain, he suddenly seized his rifle and blazed away. This was the signal of battle. The Indians had stationed themselves in great numbers within the ravine, from which they poured forth a continuous shower of balls. The traders took refuge behind their wagons; but the darkness preventing them from distinguishing their foe, they were obliged to aim by the flash of their guns or to fire at random. The Indians kept up a continual shouting, in order to stampede the animals ; but in this they failed. Mean while the traders used every exertion to maintain their position behind the wagons, and to preserve the lives of their animals. In this latter service some iaring feats were performed. A Mexican named NIGHT ATTACK BY THE PAWNEES. 158 Antonio Chaves, rushed outside of the enclosure, seized a valuable horse which was there tied, and brought him into camp amid a shower of balls. The attack lasted nearly three hours; but the Indians had fortunately aimed too high, so that only two white men were wounded. One horse escaped, and a mule was badly shot. Before daylight the Indiana retired ; and, at the same time, a Ueavy fall of snow concealed their track, and prevented the traders from ascertaining the result of their defence. The Pawnee Indians seem to possess an inveterate hatred of the Americans. In October, 1847, a party of them attacked an American train under Mr, Wetherill. With nineteen men he was crossing the Arkansas river at night. A skirmish took place, in which the Pawnees were driven off with some loss. On the following night, the attack was renewed. One American was wounded in the arm ; another In the leg. A heavy and well-directed fire again dro> * the Indians away. 154 THRILLING ADVENTURES. LIEUTENANT CAESON. Gargon'0 flftfcevtttftff foiif) tfpc Xftft'an*. CHRISTOPHER CARSON, "Kit Carson" as he is f oiiliarly called, is one of the most remarkable cha racters which the recent war with Mexico rendered conspicuous in the United States. At the age of fifteen he became a trader, and from that time until the present, he has passed his life in a continued series of wild, hazardous, and daring adventures. As a trapper, he is unrivalled in skill and success ; and in his numerous conflicts with the Indians, he acquired a name which was the terror of every hostile red man, and the envy of every hunter. His shot rarely CARSON'S ADVENTURES 155 failed ; -and through the wilds of a Missourian wilder ness, none could guide a party of traders as he could. On account of his sagacity and steadiness under all cirvu instances, he was chosen to lead in almost all enterprises of unusual danger, and in all attacks on the Indians. On one occasion he tracked sixty Crows with only twelve men, cut loose the horses which they had taken from the white people, and which had been tied within ten feet of the log fort where the Indians had taken shelter, and made good his retreat. One of his narrowest escapes occurred during the night attack of the Tlamuth Indians, upon a small party of Americans under Colonel Fremont, who had lately arrived on an exploring expedition in New Mexico. This was in May, 1846. The account of this night attack cannot be given more forcibly than in Carson's own words : " Mr. Gillespie had brought the colonel letters from home the first he had had since leaving the States the year before and he was up, and kept a large fire burning until after midnight; the rest of us were tired out, and all went to sleep. This was the only night in all our travels, except the one night on the island in the Salt Lake, that we failed to keep guard ; and as the men were so tired, and we expected no attack, now that we had sixteen in party, the colonel didn't like to ask it of them, but sat up late himself. Owens and I were sleeping together, and we were waked at the same time by the licks of the axe that killed our men. At first I didn't know it was that; *but I called tc Basil, who was at that side, ( What's the 156 THRILLING ADVENTURES. matter there? what's that fuss about?'' He never answered, for he was dead then, poor fellow; and he never knew what killed him his head had been cut in, in his sleep ; the other groaned a little as he died. The Delawares (we had four with us) were sleeping at that fire, and they sprang up as the Tlamaths charged them. One of them caught up a gun, which was unloaded ; but, although he could do no execu tion, he kept them at bay, fighting like a .soldier, and didn't give up until he was shot full of arrows three entering his heart : he died bravely. As soon as I called out, I saw it was Indians in the camp, and I and Owens together cried out ' Indians/ There were no orders given; things went on too fast, and the colonel had men with him that didn't need to be told their duty. The colonel and I, Maxwell, Owens, Godey, and Stepp, jumped together, we six, and ran to the assistance of our Delawares. I don't know who fired and who didn't ; but I think it was Stepp's shot that killed the Tlamath chief; for it was at the crack of Stepp's gun that he fell. He had an English half-axe slung to his wrist by a cord, and there were forty arrows left in his quiver the most beautiful and warlike arrows I ever saw. He must have been the bravest man among them, from the way he was armed, and judging by his cap. When the Tlamatha saw him fall, they ran ; but we lay, every man with his rifle cocked, until daylight, expecting anothei attack. "In the morning, we found, by the tracks, that from fifteen to twenty of the Tlaniaths had attacked CARSON'S ADVENTURES. 157 tw. They had killed three of our men, and wounded one of the Delawares, who scalped the chief, whom we left where he fell. Our dead men we carried on mules ; but, after going about ten miles, we found it impossible to get them any farther through the thick timber ; and, finding a secret place, we buried them under logs and chunks, having no way to dig a grave. It was only a few days before this fight that some of these same Indians had come into our camp ; and, al though we had only meat for two days, and felt sure that we would have to eat mules for ten or fifteen days to come, the colonel divided with them, and even had a mule unpacked to give them some tobacco and knives." Two days after this battle, Fremont's party came suddenly upon a large village of Tlamaths, contain ing more than a hundred warriors. Carson was in advance with ten men. The Indians made a show of resistance ; when he fearlessly charged them, kill ing some of the warriors and burning their village and fishing boats. " The women and children," ob serves Carson, " we did not interfere with." A second battle was fought on the same day, during which a chief advanced upon Carson with a bow and arrows. Carson levelled his rifle, but it missed, and the next moment the arrow would have pierced his breast had not Fremont, observing the danger, drove his wa! horse against the Indian and knocKed him down. "The colonel and Sacramento saved me," observed Carson with some humour. Sacramento was the name of Fremont's horse. o 158 THRILLING ADVENTURES. The following notice of Carson occurs in Mr. ton's "Life in the West/' just reprinted from the Lon don edition by Messrs. Harper & Brothers of New York. " Kit Carson, paragon of mountaineers !* small in stature, and slenderly limbed, but with muscles of wire, with a fair complexion, and quiet, intelligent features. To look at Kit none would suppose that the mild looking being before him was an incarnate devil in the Indian fight, and had raised more hairf from heads of redskins than any two men in the western country ; and yet thirty winters had scarcely planted a line or furrow on his clean-shaven face. No name, however, was better known in the mountains, from Yellow Stone to Spanish Peaks, from Missouri to Columbia River; than that of Kit Carson, 'raised' in Boonlick county of Missouri state, and a credit to the diggins that gave him birth/' ** Since the time of which we speak, Kit Carson has distinguished himself in guiding the several United States exploring expeditions under Fremont, across the Rocky Mountains, and to all parts of Oregon and California; and for his services, the President of the United States presented the gallant mountaineer with the commission of lieutenant in a newly raised regiment of mounted riflemen, of which his old leader, Fremont is appointed colonel. ,"\ l To raise hair" is the expression used by the trappers nd hunters in the western country for tcdping. BATTLES OF AMERICANS WITH of &medran $Tol[untm foitf) Xnfttan*. ON the 29th of May, 1847, Major Edmonson, With one hundred and seventy-five men, was attacked by four hundred Mexicans and Apache Indians, at the Red River canon. The Americans laboured under much disadvantage, having dismounted for the pur pose of crossing a deep miry morass, in which the lorses sunk to the middle. In this situation they fought a host of savages for two hours, dealing de struction through their ranks, and endeavouring iff 160 THRILLING ADVENTURES. bring their horses together for a charge. In the lat ter they failed, and, in ordor to prevent an entire slaughter of the animals, the major ordered a retreat, Meanwhile Lieutenant Elliott, with twenty-seven rangers, posted himself in full view of the Indians, und by daring manoeuvering, united with great bravery, succeeded in covering the retreat of the main party. The horses were all shot or captured. A still more severe battle was fought by Lieutenant Love, with a large party of Mexicans and Camanches near the Pawnee Fork. The particulars of this affair are so w r ell described by an officer who shared its dangers, that we give them in his own words. The battle occurred June 26th, 1847. On the 23d, we arrived at the Pawnee Fork, and there met two government trains of provision wagons destined for Santa Fe, and learned from them that the day previous the Indians charged on them as their cattle were grazing, wounding three men one severely and driving off from traders and a return train of government wagons under Mr. Bell, some seventy yoke of oxen, leaving twenty wagons and a considerable quantity of provisions and other property without the means of transportation. The wagons and property were burned to prevent their falling into the hands of the Indians. Next day, (the 24th,) we travelled up to the Fork and en camped, and on the 25th to this place, on which day I was in charge of the guard, and the night passed over without any alarm, although every vigilance and precaution was used. Next morning, the 26th, im BATTLES 0* AMERICANS WITH INDIANS. 161 mediately after reveille", Hayden's train, which waa encamped about five hundred yards due west from the guard-tent, drove their oxen from the core 11 to graze. All were scarcely out, when a large band of Carpanches and Mexicans emerged from a ravine called Coon creek, about two hundred yards west, and charged furiously on the teamsters and herdsmen, wounding three and driving off one hundred and thirty yoke of government oxen, and thirty yoke belonging to a trader who was accompanying them. One conspicuous Indian rode within carbine range. I fired and killed the horse from under him, and, as far as could be ascertained, wounded himself; however, he was soon behind another Indian. In the mean time the carnp was armed, and some eighteen or nine teen mounted dragoons were ordered out under my command, for the purpose of retaking the cattle. When my command reached within one hundred and fifty yards of the enemy, I halted, and formed in ex tended line, expecting to rally on a body of teamsters who were out as footmen ; then charged on the In dians, and forced them to retreat. As they were re treating, a large body of well-mounted Indians crossed the river between me and the camp on my left, and charged us in the rear with great fury, preventing us from rallying, and obliging us to cut our way through them. About this time I was shot, and charged -^ by several Indians. I made my sabre, however, drink blood, having killed one and wounded another. Every man in my little command fought bravely and manfully, and five of my poor fellows were killed, 21 02 162 THRILLING ADVENTURES. defending themselves to the last, and selling their lives at a dear rate, and six wounded three more besides myself severely wounded. The killed were Arlidge, Deckhart, Short, Gaskill, and Blake. The wounded, myself, Vancaster, Lovelace, and Ward, severely, and Burk and Wilson slightly. The severe loss we met with I attribute to the almost unma nageable state of the horses, all being new in the service, and to the Indians being permitted to charge on us from behind. The enemy took off the cattle, scalped three men, and took off the horses, equipments, arms and ammunition, and the clothes of the dead. The Indians, when in a body, numbered about five hundied. I make no comments, I merely give you the facts as they occurred before me. The Indians were all armed with lances measuring from twelve to fifteen feet in length, bows and arrows, and a great many with rifles and muskets. There were some white men among them. Several of our men saw them as well as myself. The air was actually as dark as if a flight of birds were hovering over us, from the balls, lances, and arrows that were flying through the air. Twelve or fifteen of the enemy are known to have fallen perhaps more but were im mediately carried off. Four of their horses were left dead on the ground. Since then, we remain here, merely changing positions for the purpose of pastime. To-morrow, I understand, we will proceed again on our route, arrangements being made to take all the trains along, with somewhat less team, however. The Indians have attacked every train that has gone BATTLE OF AMERICANS WITH INDIANS. 163 out or come in this year, and are bound to attack every train that will follow. These Camanches, Paw nees, and Arrapahoes deserve a castigation that would ever after keep them quiet, and which they are sure some day to receive. Lieutenant Love was in a most distressing situa tion. Never has man suffered, I believe, more in one day than he suffered. Here were twelve wagons, with six mules to each provisions, and all the specie, that he could not by any possible means abandon, at another large force were ready to attack the camp if he were to go out with a large force ; and yet he saw the awful situation in which we were placed, and could not give us the slightest aid or assistance. I am convinced that he acted prudently and wisely ; for it has been his special care to take all the precau tions that an experienced officer could take to save his men and animals ever since he commenced his march." Such was the character of the Indian aggression on the route to New Mexico. The violence was, however, confined to the Camanches, and to a small portion of the Arrapahoes, and the band of Pawnees south of the Platte. This violence the United States government took effectual measures to quell, by plac ing a competent force under command of Colonel Gilpin, who had signally distinguished himself with miphan, in Chihuahua. 164 THRILLING ADVENTURES. IfrMan ruelt to a ON the 18th of March, 1690, the town of Berwick, in Maine, was attacked by a body of French and In dians, under command of Hertel de Rouville and Whoop Hood, a sachem. After killing about thirty of the inhabitants and capturing fifty others, they hastily retreated, and, though pursued by a body of Englishmen, succeeded in escaping. One of their prisoners, named Rogers, was unable to keep pace with his captors ; while lagging behind, loaded with a heavy pack, he threw it down and attempted tc escape. After running some distance, he hid in a hollow tree ; but hither he was traced and discovered. After being stripped and beaten, he was pushed for ward on his journey until eveniroj. They then halted and encamped, and, while preparing a feast, tied the prisoner's hands behind his back, fastened him to a Btump, and began dancing and shouting around him. They then made a great fire near the unfortunate man, and, with savage malignity, bade him take leave of his friends, giving him at the same time a few mo ments to pray. They then moved the fire gradually forward, roasting him by degrees ; when the agony of the sufferer had almost exhausted him, they with drew the coals ; thus increasing his misery, both by its length and by the alternations of torture. At in tervals they cut slices of flesh from his perishing frame, laughed at his agonies, and answered his groans by insults and mockery. Meanwhile the INDIAN CRUELTY TO A PRISONER. 167 other captives were placed outside the fire that they might behold their companion's death. "When the wretched man had expired, they seated his body on the coals, that at some future time his friends mi&rht be tortured by the sight. A f*OOB IBDIAK. 158 THRILLING ADVENTURES. M A N D A N MEDICINE LODGE. of Jhi&ten THE Indians are capable of the most extraordinary acts of self-sacrifice, under the influence of supersti tion or of patriotism. Mr. Catlin, in his interesting account of the Indians, has given us a narrative of the strange religious ceremonies of the Mandans in their Medicine Lodge, where they spent four days in a series of self-tortures and mutilations too horrible for us to relate, all of which was done from a principle of obedience to their peculiar superstitious notions. The other tribes exhibit instances not less remark able of self-sacrifice from patriotic motives. Every Indian is proud of his connection with his tribe, jealous of its honour, and implacable when via dicating it. A striking instance of this occurred in Warren county, Illinois, which will remind the reader of an incident in Edward Third's siege of Ca lais. Four Indians of the Sac tribe had murdered some white men, and the War Department instructed INDIAN PATRIOTISM. 169 the United States' agent to demand the murderers. Keokuck, the Indian chief, stated that they were out of his reach, but that he would consult with his tribe upon the course to be pursued. On calling the chiefs together, he stated the circumstances, together with his apprehensions that the Great Father would send an army into the nation to avenge his murdered chil dren. On hearing this, four young men offered them selves to be delivered to the agent as the offenders. They were taken by Keokuck to the agent, who im mediately threw them into prison to await their trial. When the court convened, Keokuck appeared as a witness for the prosecution. He stated before the grand jury, that the prisoners were not the men who had committed the murder, they ha\ing fled from the tribe ; but that he supposed the court would be satis fied, if any four of his young men were delivered up to justice. Of course the prisoners were immediately discharged. AN INDIAN LODOB. P 1TO THRILLING ADVENTURES. MISSIONARY PREACHING TO THB INDIAH8. . ftifttan jbeng* of THE Indians are remarkable for their sense of pro priety. In a deliberative assembly, they preserve the strictest decorum. The speakers address the assembly in a certain order, according to their rank. No speaker is ever interrupted, or coughed down, or called to order, as among civilized nations. This cha racteristic of the Indians has been of great service to the whites in their intercourse with them. It has ob tained a patient hearing of our deputies in all nego tiations and treaties ; and it has procured for the numerous missionaries who have been sent among them a respectful attention. This sense of propriety in the Indians appears in the following anecdote. History presents few instances of greater valour and magnanimity than are displayed in the character of Opechanchanough, an Indian chief. Bold, artful, in euiuating, skilled in dissimulation and intrigue, he for many years kept the settlers of Virginia in a state of continual alarm, and more than once menaced INDIAN SENSE OF PROPRIETY. 171 them with destruction. Although so decrepit by age as to be unable to walk, he commanded in person, jind directed from the litter on which he was borne, the onset and retreat of his warriors in the dread ful massacre of 1641, which almost exterminated the colonists. The excessive fatigues of this campaign completed the wreck of his constitution. His flesh wasted away, his sinews lost their elasticity, "and his eyelids hung so far over the balls as to obscure their sight. In this forlorn condition, bending under the weight of years, and worn out by the hardships of war, he was surprised, and carried captive to James town. After some time he was shot by one of the soldiers appointed to guard him. To the last moment his courage remained un broken. It supported him in adversity and prosperity, in sickness and in death. Just before he expired "he heard," says the historian, " an unusual bustle in his prison ; having ordered his attendant to lift up his eyelids, lie discovered a number of persons crowding around him to gratify an unseasonable and cruel curiosity. The dying chief felt this indignity with a keenness of sensibility, the more violent as it was new and unforeseen. It was a burst of passion, a momentary ascendancy of nature over the habit of education, and its exhibition and effect must be ac knowledged to correspond with the greatness of th occasion. Without deigning to notice the intruders, he raised himself from the earth, and with a voice and tone of authority, commanded that the governor should be immediately called in. When he made his 172 THRILLING ADVENTURES. appearance, Opechanchanough scornfully told him, " that had it been his fortune to take Sir William Berkely prisoner, he would not meanly have exposed him as a show to his people !" What nobleness of spirit ! What matchless hero ism ! At the age of one hundred years, blind, unable to stand, wounded and captive, his courage was un subdued. The prospect of power and incentive of example are the usual sources of splendid actions ; it remains for the truly great soul to preserve its equanimity in the gloom of dungeons and the embrace of death. The exploits of this extraordinary man, in the vigour of life, are unknown to us. We saw him only for a short time on the edge of the horizon, but from the lustre of his departing beams, we may easily con ceive what he was in his meridian blaze. Encounter foitf) tfoo Snftian*. IN 1779, a Mr. Morgan, of Ricket's Fort, West Virginia, was surprised in the woods by two Indians, who immediately gave chase. Being old and some what infirm, he faltered in the race, and was obliged to take refuge behind a tree : the Indians did the same, but one of them exposing his body, was shot by Morgan, and, after falling, stabbed himself. Mor gan again fled ; but his surviving antagonist gained rapidly upon him, and at length raised his gun to fire. . f. -/^ Mr. Morgan's Adventure. ENCOUNTER WITH TWO INDIANS. 175 Morgan adroitly stepped aside, and the ball passed him. Then each rushed to closer combat. Morgan, while striking with his gun, received the Indiana tomahawk, which cut off a finger, and knocked the gun from his grasp. Being an expert wrestler, he closed, and threw his antagonist; but he was speedily overturned, when the Indian, uttering the customary yell of triumph, began feeling for his knife. Its hilt was entangled in a woman's apron, which the savage had tied round his waist; and this apparently trivial circumstance saved the prostrate hunter. During the search, Morgan had seized his antagonist's fingera with his teeth, a position in which he used all becom ing exertions to keep them. Meanwhile he assisted in the search for the knife. The Indian at length seized it, but so far toward the blade, that Morgan caught hold of the upper portion of the handle, and drew it through his adversary's hand, inflicting a deep wound. Both sprang erect, Morgan still holding on to the Indian's fingers and having his body within his grasp. He had therefore all the advantage, and while his foe was struggling to disengage himself, he plunged the knife to the hilt in his body. The dar ing old hunter returned to the forf in triumph. 176 THRILLING ADVENTURES ABOUT fifty years ago, one of the missionaries to the Indians was on his way from Tuscarora settlement to the Senecas. As he was journeying along, in pious meditation, through the forest, a majestic Indian darted from its recesses and stopped his progress. His hair was somewhat changed with age, and his face marked with the deep furrows of time ; but his eye expressed all the fiery vivacity of youthful pas sion, and his step was that of a warrior in the vigour of manhood. "White man of the ocean, whither wanderest thoul" said the Indian. "I am travelling," replied the meek disciple of peace, "towards "the dwellings of thy brethren, to teach them the knowledge of the only true God, and to lead them to happiness and peace." " To happiness and peace !'' exclaimed the tall chief, while his eyes flashed fire. " Behold the bless ings that follow the footsteps of the white man! Wherever he comes the red men of the forest fade away like the mists of the morning. Our people once roamed in freedom through the woods, and hunted, unmolested, the beaver, the elk, and the bear. From the further side of the great water came the white man, armed with thunder and lightning'. In war, he h unted us like wild beasts ; in peace, he destroyed us by deadly liquors. Depart, dangerous man, and may the Great Spirit protect you on your journey THE PROPHET OF THE ALLEGIIANY. 177 homeward; but I warn you to depart!" The tall chief darted into the wood, and the good missionary pursued his way with pious resolution. He preached the word of God, he taught them the name of our Saviour, and many of t\ie poor Indians heard and believed. In the course of eighteen months, their devotion became rational, regular, and, as the missionary hoped, permanent. But, alas ! all at once the little church in which the good man used to teach his flock became desert> ed. No one came to listen with reverence to the Dure doctrines which they once delighted to hear, and only a few idlers were seen on a Sunday morning, lounging about, and casting a wistful, yet fearful look, at their peaceful, but now silent mansion. The missionary sought them out, and explained to them the sinfulness of those, who, having once known, abandoned the religion of the only true God. The poor Indians shook their heads, and told him that the Great Spirit was angry with them, and had sent a prophet to warn them against listening to new teachers; that he would soon come amongst them, when there would be a great meeting of tho old men, and he would then deliver to the people the message the Great Spirit had intrusted him with. The zealous missionary, anxious to confront the im postor whom he had heard spoken of as the " Prophet of the Alleghany," and who was the brother of the famous Tecumseh, asked and obtained permission to appear at the council, when it was to be determined 23 178 THRILLING ADVENTURES. whether they should follow the religion of their fa thers, or that of the white men. The council-house not being large enough to coi> tain so vast an assemblage of people, they met in a valley west of Seneca lake. This valley is em bow ered under lofty trees. On every side it is surrounded with high, rugged hills, and a little stream win da through it. It was a scene that no one could look on with indifference. On a smooth level, near the bank of the stream, and under the shade of a wide spreading elm, sat the chief men of the tribe. Around the circle which they formed was gathered a crowd of wondering savages, with eager looks seeming to demand the true God at the hands of their wise men. In the middle of the circle sat the aged and way worn missionary. A few gray hairs were scattered over his forehead; his hands were crossed on his breast; and, as he turned his hope-beaming eyes towards heaven, he seemed to be calling with piou/ fervour upon the God of truth, to vindicate his own eternal word by the mouth of his servant. For several minutes there was deep silence in tho valley, save the whispering of the wind in the trees, and the gentle murmuring of the stream. Th< n all at once the hum of many voices was heard thiough the crowd, for the prophet of the Alleghany was seen descending one of the hills. With hurried steps and furious looks he entered the circle ; and the mission ary saw with surprise the same tall chief who, two years before, had crossed him in the Tuscarora forest. The same deer-skin hung over his shoulders, tho Teoumseh and the Prophet THE PROPHET OF THE ALLEGHANY. 181 same tomahawk glittered in his hand, and the samo fiery and turbulent spirit shot from his eyes. He addressed the awe-struck savages, and the whole val ley rung with the sound of his iron voice. "Jied men of the woods ! hear what the Great Spirit Bays to his children who have forsaken him ! " There was a time when our fathers owned thii island.* Their lands extended from the rising to the setting sun. The Great Spirit made it for their use. He made the buffalo and the deer for their food ; the beaver and the bear, too, he made, and their skins served us for clothing. He sent rain upon the earth, and it produced corn. All this he did for his Red children, because he loved them. But an evil day came upon us. The White men crossed the water and landed on this island their numbers were small ; they found friends, not enemies. They told us they had fled from their own country, because of wicked men, and had come here to enjoy their own religion. We took pity on them, and they sat down amongst as. Their numbers increased ; they wanted more A a*id they wanted our country. They wanted to rorce their religion upon us, and to make us their slaves ! "Red men of the woods ! have ye not heard at even* mg, and sometimes in the dead of night, those mourn ful sounds that steal through the deep valleys and along the mountain sides ? These are the wailings * The Indians a North America invariably call their country an Island . Q 182 THRILLING ADVENTURE*. of those spirits whose bones have been turned up by ths plough of the White man, and left to the mercy of the rain and wind. They call upon you to avenge them, that they may enjoy their blissful paradise far beyond the blue hills ! " Hear me, deluded people, for the last time ! This wide region was once your inheritance ; but now the cry of revelry or war is no more heard on the shores of the majestic Hudson, or on the sweet banks of the silver Mohawk. The eastern tribes have long since disappeared even the forests that sheltered them are laid low ; and scarcely a trace of our nation remains, except here and there, the Indian name of a stream, or a village. And such, sooner or later, will be the fate of the other tribes ; in a little while they will go the way that their brethren have gone. They will vanish like a vapour from the face cf the earth : their very history will be lost in forge tfulness, and the places that now know them will know them no more. We are driven back until we can retreat no farther; our hatchets are broken; our bows are snapped ; our fires are extinguished ; a little longer and the White man will cease to persecute us, for we shall cease to exist /" The Prophet ended his speech, which was delivered with all the wild eloquence of real or fancied inspiration, and, all at once, the crowd seemed to be agitated with a savage feeling of indignation against the good missionary. When this emotion had somewhat subsided, the mild apostle obtained permission to speak in behalf of Him wh<? had sent him. Surely there never was THE PROPHET OF THE ALLEGHANY. 183 a more touching and beautiful figure than that of this good man. He seemed to have already exceeded the term of years allotted to man by the Psalmist ; and, though his voice was clear and his action vigorous, yet there was that in his looks which seemed to for- bode that his pilgrimage was soon to close for ever. With pious fervour he described to his audience the power and beneficence of the Creator of the uni verse. He told them of Christ's promise of eternal happiness to those who hear his word and do his will; and, when he thought that he had duly impressed their minds with this important part of his subject, he proceeded to set before his attentive audience the numerous advantages of civilization. He contrasted the wild Indian roaming through the desert in savage independence, now revelling in the blood of his ene my, and in his turn the victim of his cruel ven geance, with the peaceful husbandman, enjoying, in the bosom of his family, all the comforts 'of a culti vated life in this happy land ; and he finished by a solemn appeal to Heaven, that his sole motive for coming amongst them was the love of his Creator and of his fellow-creatures. . As the benevolent missionary closed his address, Sagouaha, (the Keeper awake,) or, as he is usually called, Red Jacket, a Seneca chief of great authority, and one of the most eloquent of his nation, rose and enforced the exhortations of the venerable preacher. He pleaded the cause of religion and humanity, and concluded his speech wkh these remarkable words : " Friends and brothers ! It was the will of the 184 THRILLING ADVENTURES. Great Spirit that we should meet together this day. He orders all things, and has given us a fine day for our council. He has taken his garment from before the sun ? and caused it to shine with brightness upon us. Our eyes are opened, so that we see clearly ; our ears are unstopped, so that we can hear the good words that have been spoken. For all these favours we thank the Great Spirit." The council then deliberated for nearly two hours;, at the end of which time, the oldest man arose and solemnly pronounced the result of their conference : " That for the future they would worship the God of the Christians ; and that the missionary who had taught them his laws ought to be cherished as their greatest benefactor." When this decision was pronounced by the venera ble elder, the rage of the Prophet of the Alleghany became terrible. He started from the ground, seized his tomahawk, and, denouncing the vengeance of the Great Spirit upon the whole assembly, darted from the circle with wild impetuosity, and disappeared amongst the shadows of the forest. TECUMSEH (the Shooting Star) was the son of Blackfish, and brother of the Prophet of the Alle ghany. This noted- warrior was first made known to the public as the leader of the Indians at the battle TECUMSEH. 185 of Tippecanoe,* (November, 1811.) He burst sud denly inte notice, but from that time, until his death A the attention of the American people was constantly turned towards him. He possessed all the courage, sagacity, and fortitude, for which the most distin guished Indian chiefs have been celebrated; and more than this, he was always disinterested and true to hia word. He was an orator as well as a soldier, and by the persuasive power of his eloquence formed one of the most powerful confederacies amongst the Indians. His watchful mind was ever on the alert, his enmity never slumbered, and he was a stranger to personal fatigue. He was of an independent spirit, remarkably graceful in his address and reserved in his manner. He held the commission of Brigadier-General under King George III. GENERAL HARRISON. * A branch of the Wabash, in Indiana. In 1811, the with the Indians who fought in the British service, were defeated the United States' troops on the banks of this river. 2* Q2 186 THRILLING ADVENTURES. It is said that at the last conference which General Harrison Leld at Vincennes, Indiana, with the In dians, Tecumseh, at the end of a long and animated speech, found himself unprovided with a seat. Ob serving the neglect, General Harrison ordered a chair to be placed for him, and requested him to accept it. " Your father," said the interpreter, " requests you to COLONEL RICHARD M. JOHN80V. take a chair." " My father !" replied the proud chief; "the Sun is my father, and the Enrili is my mother; , TECUMSEH. 187 [ will rtpose upon her bosom ;" and, saying this, he sat himself on the ground, in the Indian manner. Such was Tecumseh, who fell towards the close of vho battle of the Thames,* in a personal combat with Colonel Johnson of Kentucky. He was a Shawnee, Towards the close of the last century, Captain Thomas Brian of Kentucky was employed by the British government to survey certain lands in the central part of Ohio. Not being so fortunate as to find game for several successive days, his provisions became scant, and at length were entirely exhausted. He directed his hunter to make another attempt to procure subsistence, and to meet him and his party at a particular spot ; at which, after the labours of the day were over, he proposed to encamp for the night. Towards evening the men became exhausted with hunger : they were in the midst of an uninhab ited wilderness, and every circumstance conspired to cause the greatest dejection of spirits. After mak ing painful exertions to reach the place appointed for their encampment, they had the mortification of learn ing from the hunter that he had again been unsuc cessful. He declared that he had made every possi- ble exertion, but all his attempts were of no avail, for the whole forest appeared to him entirely destitute both of birds and beasts ! At this moment starvation seemed to await them ; but Captain Brian, feeling his spirits roused by the thoughts of their desperate situ- * The Thames is a s /er that falls into lake St. Glair, between lakes Huron and Eric 188 THRILLING ADVENTURES. ation, thrust his staff into the earth, and ordered Lis men to prepare their camp and make a good fire, whilst he took the gun of the unsuccessful hunter and went forth in pursuit of game. He had not left his party more than half an houi, when he was cheered by the sight of three deer, two of which he shot ; and before he returned to the camp he had the good fortune to kill a bear. He immedi ately called for his men to assist him in carrying the game to the camp; and no one, except those who have been in a like situation, can conceive what the feelings are on such an occasion ! But miserable as the plight of the surveyor and his party had been, there were others not far off who were suffering still greater distress. Five Indians, who had been out on a hunting excursion, hearing the report of Captain Brian's gun, made immediately in that direction, and arrived at the camp at the same moment that he did. They soon explained their wretched situation, telling Brian that for the last two days their whole party had subsisted on one skunk ! They described the absence of game, in the language of the hunter, " as if the whole forest was entirely destitute both of birds and beasts." Captain Brian told them that, he had now plenty for them and his own party too, and kindly welcomed them to his fire. He bid them help his men in flay ing the bear and deer, which were now brought into the camp, and then to cook, cut, and carve lor them selves. Their looks were expressive of the joy they felt for 80 unexpected a deliverance; nor did they TECUMSEH. 189 spare the provision. Their hunger was such that as goon as one round was served, another and another were quickly devoured. After all were satisfied, a fine, tall, and graceful young Indian stepped up to Captain Brian, (who was now reposing on account of great fatigue and severe rheumatism,) and informed him that the old man present was a chief; that he felt very grateful to the Great and Good Spirit for so signal an interposition in their favour ; that he was about to make a prayer, and address the Great Spirit, and thank him : that it was the custom, on such occasions, for the Indians to stand up in their camp ; and that his chief requested the captain and his men to conform, in like manner, by standing up in their camp. Brian replied, that his men should all conform, and order should be pre served ; but as for himself, he felt too ill to rise any more that night; but he begged that this might not be considered out of any disrespect. The old chief then rose, as did all around him ; and lifting up his hands, commenced his prayer and thanks giving with an audible voice. And a more beautiful address to the Deity, on such an occasion, surely never flowed from mortal lips ! The tone, the modulation of his voice, the gestures, all combined to make a deep impression on his hearers. In the course of hie thanksgiving he recapitulated the fearful situation in which they so recently had been ; the horrors of sta* vation with which they were threatened, the vain attempts they had made to procure food, until He, the Great, the Good Spirit, had sent the white man fortb 190 THRILLING ADVENTURES. and crowned his exertions with success, and so directed him and them to meet, and to find plenty. But who can describe the abundant overflowings of a grateful heart ? He continued in this strain for about half an hour ; when Brian's men, reflecting on their own re cent situation, and beholding the pious gratitude ot l this " child of the forest," felt the same sensations, and were melted into tenderness if not into tears. The young Indian who so gracefully addressed Cap tain Brian in behalf of his chief was Tecumseh. anfc $* In&ian* SEVERAL years ago, a Scotchman and his wife, named M'Dougal, emigrated to America. Having but very little money, he purchased land where it was then sold for almost nothing, in a country thinly peopled, and on the extreme verge of civilization. His first care was to construct a house and clear away some of the trees round it. This done, he spent his whole time, early and late, in making a garden and cultivating a few fields. By unwearied industry, and with the occasional help of older settlers, he by degrees acquired a stock of cattle, sheep, and pigs, and was, in a rough way, possessed of a comforta ble independence. His greatest discomforts were, distance from his neighbours, the church, market, and even the mill ; but, above all, the complete separation from M'DOUGiL AND THE INDIAN. 191 r friends ; and this he would have felt still more had he been an idle man. One day farmer M'Dougal, having a quantity of corn to grind, knowing that the distance was consi derahle and the road none of the smoothest, set out in the morning at sunrise, hoping he should reach home agaii. before dark. When the farmer was at home he always drove up the cows for his wife to milk, morning and evening ; but now this care devolved on her, and the careful woman went out in qnep 4 . of them. Not accustomed to go far from the house, J e soon found herself in an unknown country, and, with neither pocket compass nor notched trees to guide, it is not to be wondered that she wandered long and wearily to very little purpose. Tall trees seemed to encompass her on every side, or where the view was more open, she beheld the distant blue hills rising one behind an other; but no village spire or cottage chimney was there to cheer her on her way, and fatigued with the search, and despairing of finding the cattle, she re solved, while it was yet light, to retrace her steps homeward. But this resolution was more easily formed than executed ; she became completely bewildered ; she knew not in which direction to turn, and at length, with tears in her eyes, and her mind agitated almost to distraction, she sunk on the ground. But she had not rested there many minutes before she was startled by the sound of approaching footsteps, and, on look ing up, she beheld before her an Indian hunter. 192 THRILLING ADVENTURES. Although Mrs. M'Dougal knew that there were In dians living in the neighbourhood, she had never yet seen one, and her terror was very great. The Indian, however, knew her ; he had seen her before, he knew where she lived, and he instantly guessed the. cause of her distress. He could speak but a few words of English ; but he made signs for her to follow him. She did so, and, after a few minutes' walk, they ar rived at the door of an Indian wigwam. He invited her to enter, but not being able to persuade her to do BO, he darted into the wigwam, and spoke a few words to his wife, who instantly appeared, and by the kind ness of her manner induced the .stranger to enter their humble abode. Venison was prepared for sup per, and Mrs. M'Dougal, though still alarmed at the novelty cf her situation, could not refuse to partake of the savoury meal. Seeing that their guest was weary, the Indians re moved from their place near the roof two beautiful deer skins, and, by stretching and fixing them across, divided the wigwam into two apartments. Mats were then spread in both, and the stranger was made to understand that 6ne division was for her accommo dation. But here again her courage failed her, and to the most pressing entreaties she replied that she would sit and sleep by the fire. This determination seemed to puzzle the Indian and his squaw sadly. They looked at one another, and conversed softly in their own language ; and at length, the squaw taking her guest by the hand, led her to her couch and be came her bedfellow. M'DOUGAL AND I'HL INDIANS. 19? In tu. morning she awoke, greatly refreshed, and anxious to depart without further delay ; but this her new friends would not permit, until she had eaten of their corn cakes and venison. Then the Indian ac companied his guest, and soon conducted her to the spot where the cattle were grazing. These he drove fwm the wood, on the edge of which Mrs. M'Dougal descried her husband, who was equally delighted at seeing her, as her absence from home all night had caused him great uneasiness. They invited their In- diau benefactor to their house, and, on his departure, presented him with a suit of clothes, Three days after he returned, and endeavoured, partly by signs, and partly in broken English, to in duce farmer M'Dougai to follow him into the forest ; but he refused. Time was precious to him, who had to work hard for every thing he possessed, and the Indian repeated his entreaties in vain. The poor fellow looked grieved and disappointed; but a mo ment after, a sudden thought struck him. He hit on an expedient which none but an Indian hunter would havo thought of. Mrs. M'Dougal had a young child, which the In dian's quick eye had not failed to notice ; and, find ing that his eloquence was completely thrown away upon the parents, he approached the cradle, seized the child, and darted out of the house with the speed of an antelope. The father and mother instantly fol lowed, loudly calling on him to return ; but he had no such intention. He led them on, now slower, new 15 R THRILLING ADVENTURES. faster, and occasionally turning towards ther , ,u,ugh ing, and holding up the child to their view. It is needless to go into all the details of this sin* gular journey, further than to say that the Indian, L stead of enticing them to his own wigwam, as they expected, halted at length on the margin of a most beautiful prairie, covered with the richest vegetation, and extending over several thousand acres. In a moment the child was restored to its parents, who, wondering what so strange a proceeding could mean, stood awhile panting for breath, and looking at one another with silent astonishment. The Indian, on the other hand, seemed overjoyed at the success of his manoeuvre, and never did a hu man being frisk about and gesticulate with greater animation. We have heard of a x professor of signs, and, if such a person were wanted, the selection would not be a matter of difficulty, so long as any remnant exists of the aborigines of North America. All tra vellers agree in describing their gestures as highly dignified, and their countenances intelligent ; and we have Mr. M'Dougal's authority for stating that the hero of this tale proved himself a perfect master of the art of eloquence. His broken English was nearly ID these words : " You think Indian treacherous; you think him wish steal the child. No, no ; Indian has child of his own. Indian knew you long ago ; saw you when you not see him ; saw you hard working man. Some white men bad, and hurt poor Indian. You not bad; you work hard for your wife and child ; but you ittdian carrying off Mr. MoDcugmPs Child M'DOUGAL AND THE INDIAN. 197 choose bad place ; you never make rich there. In dian see your cattle far in forest; think you come and catch them; you not come; your wife come* Indian find her faint and weary; take her home; wife fear go in ; think Indian kill her ! No, no ; In dian lead her back ; meet you very sad ; then very glad to see her. You kind to Indian ; give him meat and drink, and better clothes than your own. Indian grateful ; wish you come here ; not come ; Indian very sorry; take the child ; know you follow child. If Indian farm, Indian farm here. Good ground; not many trees ; make road in less than half a moon; Indians help you. Indians your friends ; come, live here." M'Dougal immediately saw the advantage that such a change would be to him, and, taking the In dian's advice, the day was soon fixed for the removal of his log-house, along with the rest of his goods and chattels ; and the Indian, true to his word, brought a party of his red brethren to assist in one of the most romantic removals that ever took place, either in the Old World or the New. In a few days a roomy log-house was raised, and a garden marked out in the most fertile and beautiful part of the prairie. The Indians continued friendly and faithful, and the good understanding between them and the white settlers was a sourc< rf great comfort to both parties. it I8 THRILLING ADVENTURES. IN old times, whenever war commenced between the English and French in Europe, their colonies in America were involved in its calamities, to an un known and fearful extent ; and wars were constantly going on in America in which the Indians fought sometimes on the side of the English against the French, and sometimes with the French against the English. Some chiefs and tribes were noted for being the firm and faithful friends of the white men, and others were known as their implacable foes. In the month of May, 1725, a memorable battle was fought between the English colonists commanded by Captain Lovewell, and the Pequakets, a tribe of Indians who then inhabited the State of New Hampshire. Amongst Lovewell's men, was a New Hampshire settler, named John Chamberlain. He was one of those rugged spirits who at that time moved from the thickly set tled country near the coast, and penetrated into the wilderness. On his scouting expeditions to surprise the frontier settlers, the Indian passed his rude log- house, buried amongst trees and mountains. Around it were the haunts of the wild beasts of the forest. The smoky rafters of his hut were hung with gam mons of the bear that had tumbled from the white pine at the sound of his unerring rifle ; and at night he lay on the soft fur of the dun catamount. He was tall tall as the stateliest Indian. Strong? Two of them were hardly a matc\i for him with their PAUGUS AND CHAMBERLAIN 199 tomahawks against his heavy hatchet. Was he swift of foot ? He could outrun the moose in full trot. Sagacious and eagle-eyed, he entrapped the Indian in his ambush, and surpassed him in that instinct which guides alike the savage and the wild beast through the wide and pathless forest. The red men passed cautiously by the dwelling of John Chamberlain. As they watched in ambush for game, they would lie still and suffer him to go on un molested, even if there were half a score of them ; for they feared lest their rifles should miss what they deemed his charmed body, and bring down his ven geance upon them. There is a beautiful lake in New Hampshire which is still called by the Indian name, Winnipisiogee. It is twenty-eight miles long and ten wide ; the country around is hilly, and clothed with thick woods. On the shores of this lake there dwelt a powerful tribe of Indians called Pequakets. Paugus was their chief. He was a savage of great strength and stature : swift, cunning, and deadly with his rifle and his tomahawk; cruel and vengeful beyond the wonted vengeance of savages ; the terror of man, woman, and child along the frontiers, and even of the towns that were further removed from the scenes of his violence. Parties of armed men had penetrated through the woods to the shores of the Winnipisiogee, to discover the retreat of this terrible savage, and, if possible, to take him prisoner. But he was too sagacious, and always eluded their search. Once, indeed, when they had set his wigwam on fire, he w&a hidden so near 200 THRILLING ADVENTURES. the spot that he felt the heat of the flames, and saw the smoke curling over the tops of the trees under which he lay concealed. In the skirmishes with the Indians, in which Cham berlain was often engaged, he had constantly endea voured to single out Paugus as the foe most worthy of his rifle ; nor was Paugus less willing to encounter the far-famed settler ; but they had never chanced to meet. The time, however, was now at hand, when one of these mighty men must yield to the superior power or craft of his rival. The colonists, under Cap tain Lovewell, had marched out with the expectation of meeting Paugus and his men. They had already penetrated the woods to a considerable distance, and arrived at the place where they expected to find In dians. Early on the morning of the 7th of May, whilst at prayers, they heard a gun, and, starting up, they immediately prepared for an encounter ; but no Indians were in sight, except a hunter, whom Ensign Wyman discovered carrying two black ducks in one hand and a gun in the other. There can be no pro bability that he thought of meeting an enemy; but no sooner was he seen by the colonists, than several guns were fired at him, but missed him. Seeing that certain death was his lot, the Indian resolved to de fend himself as long as he could. He levelled his gun at his assailants, and Captain Lovewell was mor tally wounded, whilst, almost at the same moment, Ensign Wyman, taking deliberate aim, killed the poor hunter. The remainder of this day passed without further PAUGUS AND CHAMBERLAIN. 201 adventure, though the colonists were in constant ap prehension of falling into some snare prepared by the wily Paugus. On the morning of the 8th, Mr. Frye, the chaplain, having assembled the men as usual be fore they resumed their day's march, commenced bis prayer with these words : " We came out to meet the enemy; we have all along prayed God that we might find them ; we had rather give up our lives to Provi dence, yea, and die for our country, than return home without seeing them, and be called cowards for our pains." The chaplain did not pray in vain ; for about noon the colonial troops encountered an almost over whelming body of Indians, who rose from their co verts and nearly encircled them, but seemed loath to begin the fight; for they were, no doubt, in hopes that the colonists, seeing their numbers, would yield without a battle. They, therefore, made towards them with their guns presented. They then held up ropes which they had provided for securing their cap tives, and asked them if they would have quarter. This only encouraged the colonists, who answered, " only at the muzzles of our guns ;" and they rushed towards the Indians, firing as they pressed on, and, killing many, drove them back several rods. But they soon rallied and fired vigorously in their turn and obliged the colonists to retreat, leaving severav dead and others badly wounded. Lovewell, though mortally wounded the preceding day, had led his men until this time, but now fell to rise no more. The fight continued very furious and obstinate till towards night, the Indians roaring and howling like 26 THRILLING ADVENTURES. wolve&, barking like dogs, and making all sorts of hideous noises, as is their custom whilst engaged in battle ; but before night they were completely de feated, whilst the loss of the colonists was very gieat, and, among others, the worthy chaplain, Jonathan Frye, was slain. After the thickest and most desperate of the con flict was over, Chamberlain, weary with fighting, thirsty and faint with heat, retired to the edge of a lake (since known by the name of Lovewell's pond) to drink and to wash out his gun, which had grown so foul with frequent firing that at last he could not make it go off. He pushed his way through a copse of willows to a little beach by the pond, when, lo ! from the thicket, at a short distance from him. ap peared the stately figure of Paugus, covered'with dust and blood, and making his way likewise to the water. The warriors knew each other at a glance. Cham berlain's gun was useless, and he thought of rushing upon Paugus with his hatchet before he could level his rifle; but the Indian's gun was in the same con dition with his own, and he, too, had come to the edge of the pond to quench his thirst, and hastily scour out his foul rifle. The condition of the rifles was instantly seen by the enemies, and they agreed to a truce while they washed them out for the en counter. Slowly and with equal movements they sleaned their guns, and took their stations on the beach. " Now, Paugus," cried Chamberlain, " I'll have you;" and, with the quickness and steadiness of an old banter, he loaded his rifle. "Na, na, me Faugus and Chamberlain PAUGUS AND CHAMBERLAIN, 205 have you," replied Paugus; and he handled his gun prib a <foxte "'*" that made the bold heart of Cham berlain beat faster, whilst he involuntarily raised his eyes to take a last look of the sun. They rammed their oartn-i e -.,.. ^a each at the same instant cast his raur"*' ^pon the sand. " I'll have you, Paugus," fnh^uied Chamberlain agaii as in his desperation h* almost resolved to fall upou the savage with the butt end of his rifle, lest he should receive his bullets be fore he coulcF load. Paugus trembled as he applied his powder horn to the priming. Chamberlain's quick ear heard the grains of his powder rattle lightly on the leaves which lay at his feet. Chamberlain struck his gun-breech violently upon the ground the rifle primed itself ! he aimed, and the bullets whistled through the heart of Paugus. He fell and, as he went down, the bullet from the muzzle of his ascend ing rifle whizzed through Chamberlain's hair, and passed off, without avenging the death of its master, into the bordering wilderness. The hunter, after he recovered the shock of this sudden and fearful encounter, cast a look upon the fallen savage. The paleness of death had come over his copper-coloured forehead. He seized the rifle, the bullet pouch, and powder horn, and, leaving him on the sand, sought again the lessened ranks of the white men, as they wearily defended themselves against the savages. He shouted to them of the fall of Paugus. The Indians looked around them ; the tall figure of their chief was nowhere to be seen. In grief and despair the/ ceased their fire, and fell 206 THRILLING ADVENTURES. back into the woods, leaving Wyman, with Chamber lain, and the small remains of the band of white men, to retrace their way to the distant settlement. The spot on which this fight took place was fifty miles from any wLite inhabitants, and it was almost miraculous that any should have escaped death at the hands of Paugus and his courageous warriors. Those who survived did not leave the battle-ground till near midnight, and only fourteen lived to return to their friends. One man, named Solomon Keyes, having received three wounds, said he would hide himself and die in a secret place, where the Indians could not find him to get his scalp. As he crawled upon the shore of Lovewell's pond, at some distance from the scene of action, he found a canoe, into which he rolled himself, and was drifted away by the wind. To his great joy and astonishment, he was cast ashore at no great distance from the fort at which Wyman's men shortly after arrived, and, gaining strength, was soon able to return home. Fifty men from New Hampshire were immediately ordered to march to the scene of action, where they found and buried the dead. They found the bodies of only three Indians ; the rest had undoubtedly been taken away by their comrades. Thus terminated the expedition against the Pe- quakets; and, although the whites could scarcely claim the victory, yet the northern Indians received a blow from which they hardly recovered. Several Bongs were written upon the subject ; but it must be confessed that they were much more Circumstantial INDIAN CHILDREN. 209 than poetical, and it can hardly be expected that any cultivated reader should take sufficient inteiest in the subject to make him wish for even a specimen. THE Indians have been frequently represented as ilmost devoid of natural affection, or indeed of feel ing altogether ; but this is a mistake, which probably arises from the great command over their feelings which they are in the habit of exercising, particularly when in the presence of strangers. Those persons who have had the best opportunities of knowing the real character of the Indians have remarked, amongst many other good traits, the great affection that they have for their children, and the respect which young people pay, not only to their own parents, but to all elderly people. Before they can run alone, ih 3 little papoose is con fined in a cradle which is carried on the mother's back while she is at her work, or set upright against the wall. The children, both boys and girls, appear to be particularly under the care of their mother: she teaches them how to make leggins, moccasins, and many other things that have already been described ; and if she be a good mother, as many of these poor squaws are, she is particular in keeping her daughters continually employed, so that they may have the re- 37 8 210 THRILLING ADVENTURES. putation of being industrious girls, which is a recom mendation to the young men to marry them. Corporal punishment is very seldom resorted to for the correction of children ; but if they commit any fault, it is common for the mother to blacken theii faces ana send them out of the lodge : when this is done, they are not allowed to eat till it is washed ofi^ and sometimes they are kept a whole day in this situation, as a punishment for their misconduct. There is a considerable difference in the manners and characters of different tribes, some being brave, honourable, and generous, while others are noted for their treacherous disposition and filthy habits. In many tribes their families appear to be well regulated, and great pains are taken by the chiefs and principal men to impress upon the minds of the younger part of their respective nations what they conceive to be their duty. When the boys are six or seven years of age, a email bow and arrows are put into their hands, arid they are sent out to shoot birds around the lodge or village : this they continue to do five or six years, and then their father procures for them short guns, and they begin to hunt ducks, geese, and small game. In the winter evenings their father will relate to them the manner of approaching a deer, elk, or buffalo, and describe the manner of setting traps for different ani mals : when he is able, he will take them a hunting with him, and show them the tracks of wild beasts. To all these instructions the boys pay the most earn est attention. INDIAN CHILDREN. 211 The Indians generally appear to be more afflicted at the loss of an infant, or young child, than of a person who has arrived at mature years ; the latter, they think, can provide for himself in the country whither he has gone, but the former is too young to provide for himself. The men appear ashamed to show any signs of grief at the . loss of any relation, however dear he might have been to them ; but the women do not attempt to conceal their feelings ; and on the loss of either hus band or child, they cut off their hair, disfigure their faces and limbs with black paint, and even with cuts, and burn all their clothes excepting a few miserable rags. A striking display of the strong affection that an Indian feels for his child occurred some years since in a town in Maine. One of the Kennebec tribe, re markable for his good conduct, had received a grant of land from the State, and settled himself in a part of the country where several families were already settled. Though by no means ill-treated, yet the common prejudice against Indians prevented any sympathy with him ; and he felt this keenly, when, at the death of his only child, none of his neighbours came near him to attend the funeral. A few months afterwards he announced his inten tion of leaving the village ; he called on some of the inhabitants, and expressed himself in the following manner : " When white man's child die," said he, " Indian man be sorry ; he help bury him. When my child die, no one speak to me I make his grave 212 THRILLING ADVENTURES. alone I can no live here." He gave up his farm, dug up the body of his child, and carried it with him two hundred miles, through the forest, to join the Canadian Indians. Not long after the first English settlers had estab lished themselves in Pennsylvania, during the winter a white man's child strayed away from his parent's house ; and after having in vain been sought in every direction by the parents for a whole day and night, the father resolved to apply for assistance to one of his Indian neighbours, with whom he had always lived on friendly terms. He knew the superior facility with which the Indians, who are in the habit of con stantly roaming the woods, can detect and distinguish objects of sight and sound. Osamee, for that was the name of the friendly In dian, immediately went to the house of the parents, and looking attentively round it, soon discovered the little footsteps of a child and the direction which they had taken; and although the child's father could hardly discover the marks and signs by which he was guided, he followed the track with as much apparent ease and confidence as a civilized traveller would a turnpike road, and after tracing it for about three miles into the forest, he found the poor child lying under a tree, crying bitterly, and almost perishing with cold. This little incident was the means of reconciling eome of the white people to the near settlement of the Indians, of whom they had been in dread ; but they now rather rejoiced in having such good neigh- Wan )u and the English Ofi&or. \VA-NOU AND THE ENGLISH OFFICER. 215 bours ; and it would have been well for both parties if the good feelings shown by the Indians to the first eettlers in some hundreds of instances had met with euch a return as men calling themselves Christians were bound to make ; but, alas ! it was far otherwise anil tfje AN anecdote which has been preserved, concerning BUI old Mohegan Indian named Wanou, affords a strik ing example of the strong affection of a father towards his only son. During the frequent wars which took place between the Indians and the white men, the former had de feated a party of English soldiers, and put them to flight. The retreat being without order, a young English officer, in attempting to escape, was pursued by two of the savages, and finding an escape imprac ticable, he determined to sell his life as dearly as possi ble. He turned round to face his enemies, and a vio lent conflict commenced, in which he must have soon fallen ; but just as one of his assailants was about to raise the fatal tomahawk over his head, an old Indian threw himself between the combatants, and the red men instantly retired with respect. The old man took the young officer by the hand, dispelled his fears, and led him through the forest to his wigwam, where he treated him with the greatest kindness He seemed to take pleasure in the youth** THRILLING ADVENTURES. company ; lie was his constant companion ; he taught him his language, and made the rude arts of his countrymen familiar to him. They lived happily together, though the thoughts of home would occa sionally disturb the Englishman's tranquillity, and for a while his countenance appeared sorrowful. At these times Wa-nou would survey his young friend atten tively, and while he fixed his eyes upon him, the tears would start into them. On the return of spring, hostilities were recom menced, and every warrior appeared in arms. War nou, whose strength was still sufficient to support the toils of war, set out with the rest, accompanied by his prisoner. The Indians having marched above two hundred miles, at length arrived within sight of the English camp. Wa-nou observed the young man's countenance whilst he showed him the camp of his countrymen. " There are thy brethren," said he, " waiting to fight us. Listen to me. I have saved thy life. I have taught thee to make a canoe, a bo\V and arrows; to hunt the bear and the buffalo; to bring down the deer at full speed, and to outwit even the cunning fox. What wast thou when I first led thee to my wigwam ? Thy hands were like those of a child ; they served neither to support nor to defend thee ; thou wert ignorant, but from me thou hast learnt every thing. Wiii thou be ungrateful, and raioe up thine arm against the red men ?" The young Englishman declared with much warmth, that he would rather lose his own life than shed the Wood of one of his Indian friends. The old warrior WA-NOU AND THE ENGLISH OFFICER. 217 seemed to be overcome by some painful recollection ; he covered his face with his hands, bowed down hi head, and remained in that posture for some time ; then making as it were a strong effort, he again looked at the young man, and said to him in a tone mixed with tenderness and grief, " Hast thou a father ?" " He was living," said the young man, " when I left my country." " Oh, how fortunate he is still to have a son !" cried the Indian; and then, after a minute's silence, he added, " Knowest thou that I have been a father, but I am no longer so ? I saw my son fall in battle ; he fought bravely by my side ; my son fell covered with wounds, and he died like a man ! but I revenged his death ; yes, I revenged it." "Wa-nou pronounced these words with great vehe mence ; his whole frame seemed agitated ; his eyes lost their usual serenity, and his chest heaved with deep sighs. By degrees he became more calm, and, turning towards the east where the sun had just risen, he said, " Young man, thou seest that glorious light does it afford thee any pleasure to behold it?" " Yes," replied the Englishman, " I never look upon the rising sun without pleasure, or without feeling thankful to our great Father who created it." " I am glad that thou art happy, but there is no more pleasure for me," said Wa-nou. A moment after, he showed the young man a shrub that was in full bl x>m. 38 T 218 THRlilitfG ADVENTURES. " Sccst thou that beautiful plant ?" said he. "Hast thou any pleasure in beholding it ?" " Yes, great pleasure," replied the young man. " To me. it can no longer give pleasure," said the old man : and then, after embracing the young Eng lishman with great affection, he concluded with these words : " Begone, hasten tc thine own country, that thy father may still have pleasure in beholding the rising sun and the flowers of spring." burning cf ^arnia'g HANNA'S Town, in Westmoreland county, is famous, in the early records of Pennsylvania, as the first place west of the Alleghanies where justice was dis pensed according to the legal forms of the white man. The dignity of this venerable settlement may be con ceived from the fact, that the court was established there coeval with the formation of the county, as well as from the no less authentic fact, that its thirty log cabins were then dignified by the title of houses. The court-house and jail were of the same frail ma terial as the houses, as was likewise the fort. Here amid difficulties in the pursuit of knowledge, of which modern barristers have little idea, much less expe rience, the legal gentlemen of that day struggled on to fame and affluence, and in a manner, too, which astonished the good* people of that early county town. The first presiding justice was Robert Hanna, md BURNING OF HANNA's TOWN. 219 Thomas Smith, afterwards a judge in the supreme court, was an occasional resident. The road which had been opened by General Forbes, while marching to Fort Pitt, passed through the town. The periodical return of the court brought together a hardy, adven turous, frank, and open hearted set of men from the Red stone, the George creek, the Yough'ogheny, the Monongahela, the " Catfish settlements," and from the region known as Old Westmoreland. On these occasions there was many a scene of joyous merri ment ; for such men, in such times, when they did meet, met joyously. But this bright scene was des tined to be clouded and destroyed by the terrible scenes of one stormy day. On the 13th of July, 1782, a party of the inha bitants were harvesting in the field of one O'Connor, about a mile and a half north of the village. That summer had been one of constant terror and distress, owing to the successful incursions of Indians upon the neighbouring frontier. Several families of Han- na's Town had abandoned their homes, arid, with some from the adjoining settlements, had repaired to Miller's station, two miles to the south. While the reaping party were busily engaged, one of them, who had been near the woods, returned in great alarm, and reported that a number of Indians were ap proaching. Each threw down his sickle and ran for the town. Their arrival caused a scene of conster* nation and uproar. Many rushed toward the fort ; some ran up and down seeking their wives or chil dren j others assisted the aged. The jail door was THRILLING ADVENTURES. flang open ; men, women, and children stumbled and fell over each other in the eager race to gain a place of safety. Uncertainty as to the number and de signs of the Indians, increased the apprehensions of them; and it was not until the entire population were involved in a state of inextricable confusion, that a few conceived the fortunate idea of sending out spies to ascertain something certain. Accordingly four young men, armed with rifles, set out on foot for O'Connor's field, by way of the Highlands ; while Captain J , who was accidentally in the town, pursued a more circuitous route on horseback. The captain, arriving first, found himself very unexpect edly before a large body of Indians, painted and armed in genuine savage style, and evidently bent upon the destruction of Hanna. He turned and fled. Meeting the four young men, he ordered them to fly, and then pushed on to aid the inhabitants in their retreat. David Shaw, one of the party on foot, and his three companions, were hotly pursued, but took refuge in a ravine which led from Crab-tree creek. The Indians, not aware that the town had been alarmed, refrained from firing, a circumstance to which the four young men owed the preservation of their lives. Shaw, on entering the town, found every thing desolate; but, on turning round, beheld the Indians with their tufts of hair flying in the wind, and their tomahawks brandished aloft in air. As they uttered the war-whoop, Shaw, with a courage bordering on rashness, levelled his rifle, took delibe- i ale aim, and shot one of their number dead. He BURNING OF HANNAHS TOWN. 221 then rushed toward the fort, which he reached in safety. The Indians entered the town, and, exaspe rated at finding it deserted, fired the buildings. One of them dressed himself in a large coat, and paraded before the fort. He was shot down ; but the garrison ? fearful probably of an assault, did not venture to fire upon the main body. A young lady, named Jennet Shaw, was killed in the fort under circumstances pe culiarly affecting. A child having run opposite the gate which contained apertures that occasionally ad mitted a ball, she followed it, and was instantly shoi in the bosom. Meanwhile, a party of the Indians had marched toward Miller's station. At that place a wedding had been held the day before, and a number of the surrounding settlers had collected at the bride's house. Among them was John Brownlee, renowned in the annals of frontier forage and scouting expeditions, and endeared to all by his courage, activity, and gene rosity. The Indians were acquainted with his charac ter, and some of them had probably seen him before. When the savages approached, the bridal party were enjoying themselves in the principal mansion. Some men were mowing in a meadow, and the remaining inhabitants were occupied in their various pursuits. Sudden as a clap of thunder, the war-whoop broke over the settlement. Those in the meadow, and most of the others, made their escape. One man was carrying his child and assisting his mother. When they arrived at the top of a neighbouring hill, she exclaimed that the Indians were gaining upon them, 222 THRILLING ADVENTURES. and they would be murdered. The man put down his child, that he might more effectually assist hia mother. He escaped, and Providence seemed to smile on his deed, for next morning, on returning to his cabin, he found the little one asleep in its bed the only human thing left living amid the desolation. Probably the child had wandered back to the house, unobserved by the Indians, and laid itself on the well-known couch. At the principal mansion, the party were so agitated by the cries of women and children mingling with the savage war-whoop, that they remained a moment irresolute. Then one young man, of powerful frame, grasped a child of Brownlee's and rushed toward the fields. He was pursued by three or four savages; but gained upon them so much, that, on coming to a rye-field, he was able to take advantage of a thick copse to hide momentarily from his pursuers. Then, mounting the fence, he leaped far out into the rye and lay down. He heard the infuriated yells as the savages rushed by, and their low growls of disappointment when returning. He afterwards lived to a great age. Brownlee seized a rifle and rushed toward the door ; but, while in the act of engaging with some Indians, he heard his wife exclaiming, "Jack, you won't leave me." He returned and sat down calmly by her. The whole party, in cluding the bridegroom and bride, were made prison ers. While they were being carried away, Captain J was seen dashing toward the village on horse back. So eager was he to warn the settlement, that he did not notice the position of affairs until he was BURNING of HANNA'S TOWN. 225 gun-shot. The Indians, certain of their prey, raised their pieces. He turned and fled, escaping a shower of balls, and reached the fort in safety. The Indians now began their retreat. After pro ceeding about half a mile, the prisoners observed that four or five of those around Brownlee interchanged rapid sentences and looked frequently toward him. A little while after he stooped slightly to adjust the child on his back. A chief instantly tomahawked him. The child shared his fate. One of the women screamed at the sight, and the same bloody weapon, wielded by the same hand, clave her skull. Mrs. Brown- lee looked on, in speechless horror. On the approach of evening, the marauders halted at Hanna's Town, regaled themselves on what they had stolen, and awaited the return of day to attack the fort. The fort was saved by a stratagem. At sunset, thirty sturdy backwoodsmen had assembled at George's farm, not far from Miller's, for the purpose of succour ing the fort. Soon after dark they set out for the fort, some on horseback, and the remainder on foot, each armed with his well-loaded rifle. They ap proached the fort with proper circumspection ; but, finding that the enemy were in the crab-tree bottom, they marched to the gate. The joy of the garrison at this unexpected succour may be imagined. After much consultation, they cirri ved at the opinion that the Indians would most probably attack the fort on the following morning. The garrison numbered fifty- five or sixty men, with forty-five rifles. The Indians were more than three hundred. In order to hide 29 226 THRILLING ADVENTURES. this disparity of numbers from the enemy, the horses were mounted by active men, and brought full trot over the bridge, which crossed the ditch surrounding the stockade. This was frequently repeated ; and, at the same time, two old drums were newly braced, and, in company with a fife, were made to keep up music at intervals during the night. While march ing and countermarching, the bridge was frequently crossed on foot by the whole garrison. These mea sures had the desired effect. The military music from the fort, and the trampling of men and horses, were borne, in the silence of night, over the low lands of the crab-tree, and struck terror into the bosoms of the savages. They fled with their prisoners about midnight, and on the following day were pursued to some distance. On arriving in Canada, the Indians surrendered their prisoners to the British, where one of them, a young lady of much personal beauty, was subse quently married to an English officer. After the peace of 1783, the rest were released, and returned to Pennsylvania. THE LOST SISTER OF WYOMING. 227 j>e Eogt Jbigtet of Zooming, NUMEROUS instances are on record of Indians abandoning their wigwam, throwing off their habits and their religion, and becoming creditable members of civilized society. Examples of the opposite change are rare ; yet some few have occurred. But it has oftener happened, that white children, when captured and brought up by the Indians, have forgotten early associations, or if too young to forget, have often dis regarded the difference of colour, and become real In dians. Experience in these cases seems to prove that the adopted savage is harder to win back to civil izar tion than are his dusky brethren ; and if this be es tablished, the comparative influence of natural and artificial society over the affections and happiness of man might form a very nice question for the philo- 228 THRILLING ADVENTURES. eopliical inquirer. Whether the investigation would tend to disturb the complacency with which we regard our own superiority in this respect, must be left to the judgment of every reader. In 1778, the family of Mr. Jonathan Slocum, near Wilkesbarre, (Campbell's Wyoming,) Pennsylvania, tras attacked by Indians. Within were two girls a.ged nine and five years, a son of thirteen, a little boy of two and a half, and their mother. The men were working in the field, and two youths were in the porch, grinding a knife. One of these was shot and scalped with his own knife. The eldest sister seized the little boy and ran with him toward the fort. The Indians displayed unwonted humanity, chasing the girl merely to frighten her and enjoy the sight of her running. They then took the boy who had been turning the grindstone, young Slocum, and his sister Frances, and prepared to depart. Little Slocum was lame, and the Indians, instead of murdering him, set him down and departed. One of the party slung the little girl over his shoulder ; and its face covered with tears, and half hidden by long curling hair, was the last object which met the mother's gaze. Nothing was heard of the Indians or their captives for more than a month ; but they then returned, murdered the aged grandfather, and shot a ball into the leg of the lame boy, which he carried to his grave, They again plunged into the woods, and came no more. Years passed away, and nothing was heard of the little girl and her fellow-captive. When the mother had died, and the remaining brothers grown THE LO'JT SISTER OF WYOMING. 229 to manhood, they resolved to ascertain, if possible, the fate of their sister. They made every inquiry, wrote letters to different tribes and agents, and travelled through the west and into the Canadas. All Was vain ; and for fifty-eight years the deep forests, true to their savage inhabitants, buried amid their solitudes the little captive's fate. i All this time Frances was living. She was intro duced to the knowledge of civilized society by a cir cumstance purely accidental. The Honourable G. W. Ewing, United States agent to Indiana territory, while travelling on the banks of the Missiesiniwa, (about 1836) lost his way, was overtaken by night, and sought the shelter of a neighbouring wigwam. It belonged to a wealthy hunter, and was profusely stored with skins, arms, and provisions. The agent was kindly received, and after supper entered into con versation with the hostess. Ewing was soon sur prised by observing that her hair was fine and flaxen- coloured, and that, under her dress, her skin appeared to be white. He received from her the astonishing story, that she was the daughter of white parents, that her name was Slocum, that when five years old she had been carried captive by Indians from a house on the Susquehanna. All else was forgotten. On reaching home, the agent related his adventure to his mother. At her solicitation he wrote an ac count of it, which he sent to Lancaster for publication. Through some unaccountable neglect it lay in the office two years ; but when it was published, it was n a fe\? days seen by Mr. Slocum of Wilkesbarre, S80 THRILLING ADVENTURES. the little boy saved by the girl of thirteen, sixty years before. He immediately started for Indiana, accompanied by the sister who had saved him, at the same time writing to his brother to meet him at the wigwam. The little incidents connected with this most remarkable journey have been preserved with care, and may afford ground for pleasurable reflection. " I shall know my sister," said the lady, " because she lost the nail of her first finger. Your brother hammered it off in the blacksmith's shop when she was four years old." On entering the cabin, they beheld an Indian woman, apparently seventy-five years old, painted and jewelled. Yet her hair was as the agent had described it, and her skin beneath her dress appeared white. They obtained an inter preter and began to converse. We may imagine the feelings of the little party, while they listened to the Indian woman's tale. The incidents of the assault and capture too well known already were disclosed with a faithfulness which left no room for doubt. " How came your nail gone ?" inquired the sister. " My elder brother pounded it off when I was a little child in the shop." " What was your name then?" She did not remember. " Was it Frances V She smiled on hearing the long-forgotten sound, and promptly answered, " Yes." All were now satisfied that they were of one family, and yet there was little joy in that meeting. There was a sadness, not merely through remembrance of the past, but of a kind pre sent, deep, painful; for though the brothers were walking the cabin unable to speak, and the sister was THE LOST SISTER OF WYOMING. 231 sobbing in anguish, yet there sat the poor Indian sis ter, motionless and passionless. No throb disclosed that the chords of her bosom were touched ; for there were in her bosom no fine chords to be touched. Frances's story may be told in a few words. The party which had conducted the attack against her father's house was composed of Delawaree. With this tribe she remained until grown up, when she married one of their chiefs. He died or ran away, when she became united to a Miami. She had two daughters, both of whom grew up and married In dians. They all lived in one cabin, rode the same horses, and at night slept in the same manner which was on the ground, wrapped in a blanket. The brothers and sister tried to persuade their sis ter to return with them, and, if she desired it, to bring her children. They offered to give her a happy home on the banks of the Susquehanna. She answered that she had always lived with the Indians; that they had always been kind to her; that she had pro mised her late husband, on his death-bed, never to leave them, and that promise she was resolved to keep. Sad and .sorrowful the three generous relatives retraced their steps, leaving their sister in the wilder ness. The "Irdian sister" died in 1847. Although to her last days, her manners and customs were those of the Indian, yet there was something in her appear ance which seemed to raise her above her companions. Her household displayed taste and neatness, and ow ing to her economy in her domestic affairs t her tent 882 THRILLING ADVENTURES. was always stocked with plenty. She was admired alike by the red and the white man. Her grave is on a beautiful knoll near the confluence of the Mis- gissinewa with the Wabash, a spot chosen by her- gelf, and which had been her place of residence for thirty years. DISASTER OF MISSOURI TRADERS. SANTA FE, NSW MEXICO. of a Partg * IN December, 1832, twelve missionaries left Santa Fe, and proceeded by way of the Canadian river to ward Independence. Their mules were laden with about ten thousand dollars in specie. On reaching the river, they beheld a large party of Camanohe and Kiawa Indians approaching. Both parties halt eel, and the traders, while eyeing their antagonists, prepared for defence. Instead of charging, the In dians approached, one by one, in the most friendly manner, and stationed themselves so as to surround the traders. The latter, becoming alarmed, moved forward with some speed, at which the Camanchea 30 u 2 284 THRILLING ADVENTURES. mounted their horses and quietly jogged on after them. After both parties had proceeded a short dis tance, two mules suddenly started from the others and trotted toward the river. One of the mission aries, named Pratt, went to bring them back. At that moment the work of death began. Pratt was shot dead ; and, as he fell, every Indian rushed for ward toward the little band. Tne traders leaped from their horses and poured in a volley upon the as sailants, which drove them to their former position. Another of their number had fallen ; but they took advantage of the Indians' repulse to form a barricade with the packs of their mules. Behind this they scratched a trench with their hands, which protected them from their enemies' fire. The Camanches made several charges ; but they were each time repulsed, although in a short time all the mules and horses be longing to the party were killed or wounded. Thus foiled, the Indians changed their tactics, and convert/ ed the assault into a siege. The situation of the ten traders was now deplorable. Food they could obtain from the slain animals; but they were on a dry, sandy spot, destitute of water, and deprived of every means of obtaining it. To die by thirst was nyjre dreadful than the certainty of death by the Indians, and, after remaining thirty-six hours in a state of siege, they resolved upon a sortie by night. The animals being killed, it was impossible to carry away all the money. Each man, therefore, took as much as he could carry, and the remainder was buried. Then the little party eir.erged silently from their DISASTER OF MISSOURI TRADERS. 23B hiding-place, passed through the lines of the sleeping savages, and hurried on their march. At every step they expected to hear the heavy sound of pursuit; but what must appear most extraordinary, they saw no more of the Camanches. But the sufferings of these men were not yet at an end Their provisions and ammunition gradually wasted. For a while they "sustained themselves upon bark arid roots. Their feet were burnt and torn by the heated Bands or rocks, and, finally, they lost their rou,e. Dis putes ensued : five took one direction and five another. After enduring intense sufferings, one of these parties arrived among the Creek settlements on the Arkansas river, where they were kindly received and nursed until they had recovered. Of the other five, three found graves in the wilderness. The remaining two, after enduring intense sufferings, succeeded in reaching the United States. Of course, all their money had been abandoned along the way, and it was afterwards ascer tained that the Camanches had dug up the portion which was buried. THRILLING ADVENTURES. (HE MOOSB. Bunting tfje THE Moose* (Cervus alces) inhabits the northern parts of the continents of Europe and America. On the American it has been found as far north as that country has been fully explored ; its southern range once extended to the shores of the great lakes, and throughout the New England States. At present it is not heard of south of the State of Maine, where it is becoming rare. * It is in Europe frequently called the Elk ; but the elk, ( Ccrwu Canadensis,) red deer, wapiti, or stag, is distinguished from the moose by the most striking characters. HUNTING THE MOOSE. 237 The male moose often exceeds the largest horse in Bize ; the females are considerably smaller, and differ ently coloured. The hair of the male is long and soft ; it is black at the tip, within it is of an ash colour, and at the base pure white. The hair of the female is of a sandy-brown colour, and in some places, particularly under the throat and belly, it is nearly white at the tip, and altogether so at the base. Dense forests and closely shaded swamps are the favourite resorts of these animals, as there the most abundant supply of food is to be obtained with the least inconvenience. The length of limb and short ness of neck, which in an open pasture appear so dis advantageous, are here of essential importance, in enabling the moose to crop the buds and young twigs of the birch, maple, or poplar ; or, should he prefer the aquatic plants which grow most luxuriantly where the soil is unfit to support other animals, the same length of limb enables him to feed with security and ease. When obliged to feed on level ground, the animal must either kneel or separate his fore legs very widely. In feeding on the sides of acclivities, the moose does so with less inconvenience, by grazing from below upwards, and the steeper the ground the easier it is for him to pasture. Yet, whenever food can be procured from trees and shrubs, it is preferred to that which is only to be obtained by grazing. In the summer, the moose frequents swampy or low grounds, near the margins of lakes and rivers, through which they delight to swim, as it frees them for the time from the annoyance of insects. They 288 THRILLING ADVENTURES. are also seen wading out from the shores, for the pur pose of feeding on the aquatic plants that rise to the surface of the water. At this season they regularly frequent the same place in order to drink, of which circumstance the Indian hunter takes advantage tc lie in ambush, and secure the destruction of the deer. During the winter, the moose, in families of fifteen cr twenty, seek the depths of the forest for shelter and food. The moose is generally hunted in the month of March, when the snow is deep and sufficiently crusted with ice to bear the weight of a dog, but not of a moose. Five or six Indians, provided with knapsacks and snow-shoes, containing food for about a week, and all necessary implements for making their "camp" at night, set out in search of a moose yard. When they have discovered one, they collect their dogs and encamp for the night, in order to be ready to com mence the chase at an early hour, before the sun softens the crust upon the snow, which would retard the dogs and facilitate the escape of the deer. At daybreak the dogs are laid on, and the hunters, wear ing large snow-shoes, follow as closely as possible. An soon as the dogs approach a moose, they assail him on all sides, and force him to attempt his escape by Hight. The deer, however, does not run far, before the crust on the snow, through which he breaks at every step, cuts his legs so severely that the poor ani mal stands at bay, and endeavours to defend himself against the dogs by striking at them with his fore feet. The arrival of the hunter within a convenient HUNTING THE MOOSE. 241 distance soon terminates the combat, as a ball from his rifle rarely fails to bring the moose down. I will now close the account of the moose with an anecdote I once heard of a hunter. The hounds had been put into the woods for the purpose of scenting a deer a business with which they were well acquainted, whilst the hunter placed himself in a convenient spot, suitably near the deer's run-away, so as to be able to bring it down at a shot, as it fled at the noise of the dogs from the mountain to the river. The spot he selected to wait in ambush was on a certain flat, very near the foot of the steep hill. This flat was about three-quarters of a mile in length : at one end was the hill by which our hunter stood ; at the other, a steep bank along the edge of the river. The hunter had chosen his position well ; he had narrowly examined the contents of his rifle, and made sure that the priming was in good order ; he had rubbed the edge of the flint on his hat to make it brighter all was in readiness, and he stood in a listening attitude, with his ear turned towards the hill, and his mouth slightly open to assist hia hearing. He had not waited in his hiding-place long, when the distant cry of the hounds struck his ear. He now knew that but a few minutes would pass before a deer would be seen bounding along in the path of their run-away, for his 'dogs had given tokens of the chase by their yells. He was not deceived ; he heard plainly the rapid, but heavy bounds of a deer, which in an instant after he perceived, as it broke over tb 21 V 842 THRILLING ADVENTURES. brow jf the hill, with its majestic antlers thrown back over its neck. Now comes the decisive moment; one leap more and his noble breast is exposed to death, within a few yards of the fatal gun which has already been brought to the hunter's cheek, while hie eye looked steadily along the smooth barrel. The trigger was touched a blaze, and the death-ring struck sharp and shrill on the still air. The fugitive, a noble buck, fell, and the hunter, in a moment, to secure his victim, having dropped his gun and drawn his knife, sprung across his back in order to cut his throat. But, behold ! the ball had struck one of his horns only near the root, which stunned the animal and caused it to fall. He recovered his feet again before the hunter had time to wound him with his knife, and, finding his enemy on his back, he rose and sprung off with the speed of an arrow ; while the hunter, having full occupation for his hands in hold ing fast by the horns, found no time to invade his throat. So; clinging with his feet under the belly of the deer, he was borne away at a fearful rate the whole length of the flat, till he came to the steep bank of the river, at which place he had no sooner arrived, than, with his rider, the deer plunged with ft tremendous leap into the deep water. Here a scuffle ensued between the hunter and thrt deer ; the deer endeavouring to push him under wa ter with his fore- feet, while the hunter was striving to hold its' head, and at the same time cut its throat. This he soon accomplished, and, swimming ashore> THE RIFLEMAN OF i IIIPPEWA. 248 drew his prize after him, declaring to his companions, who had witnessed the sport, and were now assem bled on the river's bank, that he had had " a most glorious ride." This man's name was John M'Mullen, and he is well remembered even now by many of the old inha bitants along the Susquehanna. Rifleman of THE Chippewas are a numerous people inhabiting the country north of Lake Superior, and about the source of the Mississippi. They are divided into several tribes, and are distinguished by the number of blue or black lines tattooed on their cheeks and foreheads. Travellers have always described them as "the most peaceable tribes of Indians known in North America." They are not ren arkable for their activity as hunters, and this no doubt is owing to the ease with which they can procure both game and fish. In their pursuit of deer, they sometimes drive them into the small lakes, and then spear them from their canoes; or shoot them with the bow and arrow, afU k having driven them into enclosures constructed li the purpose. Snares made of deer sinews, too, an frequently - used for catching both large and smal! game: and as these occupations are not beyond tls< utrength of the old men and boys, they take a share 244 THRILLING ADVENTURES. in these toils, which among most of the tribes are left exclusively to the squaws. In person, the Chippewas are not remarkable ; they are generally robust, their complexions swarthy, their features broad, and their hair straight and black, which is the case in most of the Indian tribes. But they have not that piercing eye, which so generally animates the Indian countenance. The aspect of the women is more agreeable than that of the men; they wear their hair of a great length, and pay much attention to its arrangement, greasing it with bear's- oil, and plaiting it with con siderable taste. They appear to be more attentive to the comforts of dress, and less anxious about its exterior, than some of their red brethren. Deer and fawn skins, dressed with the hair on, so skilfully that they are perfectly supple, compose their shirt 01; coat, which is girt round the waist with a belt, and reaches half way down the thigh. Their moccasins and legging are generally sewn toget 7 ier, and the latter meet the belt to which they are fastened. A ruff or tippet surrounds the neck, and the skin of the deer's head is formed into a curious sort of cap. A robe made of several deer skins sewn together ia thrown over the whole ; this dress is sometimes worn single, but in winter it is always made double, the hair forming both the lining and the outside. Thus attired, a Chippewa will lay himself down on the snow and repose in comfort; and if in his wan derings across the numerous lakes with which his THE RIFLEMAN OF CIIIPPEWA, 245 country abounds, ho should fall short of provision, he has only to cut a hole in the ice, when he seldom fails of taking a black-fish, or a bass, which he broils over his little wood fire with as much skill as a French cook. At the time of the French and Indian wars, the American army was encamped on the Plains of Chip- pewa. Colonel St. Clair, the commander, was a brave COLONEL, AFTERWARDS GENERAL ST. C I A I B. and meritorious officer, but his bravery sometimes amounted to rashness, and his enemies have accused him of indiscretion. In the present instance perhaps 'he may have merited the accusation, for the plain on which he had encamped was bordered by a dense forest, from which the Indian scouts could easily pick off his sentinels without in the least exposing them selves to danger. Five nights had passed, and every night the sen tinel who stood at a lonely out-post in the vicinity of the forest had been shot ; and these repeated disasters struck such dread among the remaining soldiers, /46 THRILLING ADVENTURES. that no one would come forward to offer to take the post, and the commander, knowing it was only throw ing away men's lives, let it stand for a few nights un occupied. At length a rifleman of the Virginian corps vo lunteered his services for this dangerous duty; he laughed at the fears of his companions, and told them he meant to return safe and drink his commander*? health in the morning. The guard marched up soon after, and he shouldered his rifle and fell in. He arrived at the place which had been so fatal to his comrades, and bidding his fellow soldiers "good hight," assumed the duties of his post. The night was dark, thick clouds overspread the firmament, and hardly a star could be seen by the sentinel as he paced his lonely walk. All was silent except the gradually retreating footsteps of the guard : he inarched onwards, then stopped and listened till he thought he heard the joyful sound of " All's well" then all was still, and he sat down on a fallen tree and began to muse. Presently a low rustling among the bushes caught his ear ; he gazed intently towards the spot whence the Bound seemed to proceed, but he could see nothing save the impenetrable gloom of the forest. The sound drew nearer, and a well-known grunt informed him of the approach of a bear. The animal passed the eoldier slowly, and then quietly sought the thicket to the left. At this moment the moon shone out bright through the parting clouds, and the wary soldier per- ceived the ornamented moccasin of a savage on what an instant before he believed to be a bear ! He could TTIE RIFLEMAN OF CHIPTEWA. 24; have shot him in a moment, but he knew not how many other such animals might be at hand ; he there* fore refrained, and having perfect knowledge of Indian sub til ty, he quickly took off his hat and coat, hung them on a branch of the fallen tree, grasped his rifle, and silently crept towards the thicket. He had barely reached it, when an arrow, whizzing past hi head, told him of the danger he had so narrowly escaped. He looked carefully round him, and on a little spot of cleared land he counted twelve Indians, some sit ting, some lying full length on the thickly strewn leaves of the forest. Believing that th,ey had already shot the sentinel, and little thinking there was any one within hearing, they were quite off their guard, and conversed aloud about their plans for the morrow. It appeared that a council of twelve chiefs was now held, in which they gravely deliberated on the most effectual means of annoying the enemy. It wai> decided that the next evening forty of their warriors should be in readiness at the hour when the sentinel should be left by his comrades, and that when they iiad retired a few paces, an arrow should silence him for ever, and they would then rush on and massacre the guard. This being concluded, they rose, and drawing the numerous folds of their ample robes closer round them, they marched off in Indian file* through the * One behind the other, and every man in succession setting hia foot exactly in the track of the leader, so that whether there are fiftj mn, or only one, cannot be discovered by their footsteps. 250 THR1I.I LNG ADVENTURES. gloomy forest, seeking some more distant spot, where the smoke of their nightly fire would not be observed by the white men. The sentinel rose from his hiding-place and returned to his post, and taking down his hat, found that an arrow had passed clean through t. He then wrapt himself in his watch-coat, and returned immediately to the camp; and without any delay demanded to speak to the commander, saying that he had some thing important to communicate. He was admitted, and when he had told all that he had seen and heard, the Colonel bestowed on him the commission of lieutenant of the Virginia corps, which had been made vacant by the death of one of his unfortunate comrades a few nights back, and ordered him to be ready with a picket guard, to march an hour earlier than usual to the fatal out-post, there to place a hat and coat on the branches, and then Ik in ambush for the intruders. The following evening, according to the orders given by Colonel St. Clair, a detachment of forty riflemen, with Lieutenant Morgan at their head, marched from the camp at half-past seven in the eve ning towards the appointed spot, and having arranged the hat and coat so as to have the appearance of a soldier standing on guard, they stole silently away and hid themselves among the bushes. Here they lay for almost an hour before any signs of approaching Indians were heard. The night was cold and still, and the rising moon shone forth in all her beauty. The men were hocominjr impatient of THfi RIFLEMAN OF CHIPPEWA. 251 GENERAL MORGAN. tb'.Jii uncomfortable situation, for their clothes wer not so well adapted to a bed of show as the deer-skin robes of the hardy Chippewas. " Silence !" whispered Lieutenant Morgan " I hear the rustling of the leaves." Presently a bear of the same description as had been seen the night before, passed near the ambush ; t crept to the edge of the plain reconnoitred saw the sentinel at his post retired towards the forest a few paced, and then, suddenly rising on his feet, let fly an arrow wbich brought the sham sentinel to the THRILLING ADVENTURES. ground. So impatient were the Virginians to avenge the death of their comrades, that they could scarcely wait till the lieutenant gave the word of command to fire then they rose in a body, and before the Chip- pewas had time to draw their arrows or seize their tomahawks, more than half their number lay dead upon the plain. The rest fled to the forest, but the riflemen fired again, and killed or wounded several more of the enemy. They then returned in triumph to relate their exploits in the camp. Ten chiefs fell that night, and their fall was, un doubtedly, one principal cause of the French and In dian wars with the English. Lieutenant Morgan rose to be a captain, and at the termination of the war returned home, and lived on his own farm till the breaking out of the American war. And then, at the head of a corps of Virginia riflemen, appeared our hero, the brave and gallant Colonel Morgan, better known by the title of General, which he soon acquired by his courage and ability. TH1? INDIAN AND THE WILI TURKEY. 258 WILD TURKEY. InDian anto tfje THE male bird of the wild turkey, or gobbler, is 4 noble bird, and his plumage is resplendent with t! e brightest gold-tinged bronze, varying, as he changes position, to blue, violet, and green. Each feather 10 terminated with a deep black band, and has also a bronze or copper-coloured lustre. The feathers from the tail make excellent wings for "hare's ears." and "deep purple" artificial flies are quite as good 264 THRILLING ADVENTURES. as the mallard's coat, and infinitely better than those of the domestic bird used for the same purpose. The wild turkey-cock has a long pendent tuft of hair on its breast. This, as well as the carnucles about the head and neck, comes to perfection and ar- -rives at the greatest size and length in the third year. Audubori says, that from fifteen to eighteen pounds may be taken as a fair average of their weight ; but that he once saw a gobbler in the Louisville market which weighed thirty-six pounds, and the tuft of hair on the breast measured upwards of a foot. Bona parte confirms this account, and remarks that birds of thirty pounds are not rare. The wild turkey, however he may be surprised when feeding in patches of maize or buckwheat in the clearance, is the most difficult bird possible to find in the woods, as they run with great swiftness, and are most watchful. They are bad flyers, and for that reason go up to the tops of the highest trees before they will attempt the passage of rivers of no great width ; and even then the weakest birds are often sacrificed in the attempt. The lumberers on the Mississippi, Ohio, and other broad streams, are so well aware of their proceedings, that, when they hear the row, the strutting, the gobbling, and all the other devices practised by the oldest birds to instil courage into the funking part of the commu nity, they take up a position in the neighbourhood, and, so soon as the turkeys make up their mind, and have screwed their courage up for a start, they con trive to bag great quantities which have fallen into THE INDIAN AND Tllli \VI1.0 TURKEY. . 255 the water. After mounting the highest trees they can find, they stretch out their necks once or twice, as if to take breath ; and, at a given signal, all start together for the nearest point on the opposite side, descending constantly until they reach it. In the love-making season, there is no end to the strutting and puffing of the male, for the purpose of winning the admiration of his mate ; and his splen did tail is then spread in the form of a fan a habit pursued on the same occasion both by the ruffed und pinnated species of grouse. After the season of in cubation, the males cease to gobble, and are easily killed ; but at this time they are of no value, being meagre and covered with vermin. In the breeding season, however, they are often decoyed within shot, by blowing through the large bone of the turkey's wing, cut off at one end, and which, if skilfully per formed, produces exactly the plaintive sound of the female. When this practice is followed, the hunter proceed? cautiously an I alone, an I places himself under " a roost." As the light appears, he jnay find himself directly under a flock of turkeys ; but, if not, he must wait until he hears the gobble. Then, says a Yankee writer, in " The Spirit of the Times,"* the first sound from the old gobblers the hunter answers by the plaintive note of the female, and the male bird is ready to search out a mistress with becoming gal lantry. " Pup, pup," lisps the hunter ; u Gobble 5 gobble," utters the proud bird ; and here the interest of the hunt commences. Then is to be seen the * The "Bell's Life" of the New World, published in New Yoifc 256 THRILLING ADVENTURES. alluring on of the gobbler, his strutting and prancings, and a thousand gallant airs, for his lady-love. Anon his suspicions get the better of his love, and the coward is plainly visible in his suddenly contracted body and air of ready flight. The hunter warily plies his music, and the bird comes on, until the sure rifle finds the beautiful bird in its range. This, how ever, requires to be practised with skill, for the cau tiousness of the wild turkey is wonderful, surpassing that of the deer or any other game whatever ; and nothing but stratagem and the most intimate know ledge of its habits will command success. " We once knew an Indian," says the above-quoted writer, " who gained a living by bringing game into a town in the West, who always boasted exceedingly if he could add a wild turkey to his common load of deer; and, as the demand for birds was greater than he could supply, he was taunted by the disappointed epicures of the village for want of skill in hunting. To this charge he would always reply with great in dignation, saying that the quality of venison which he brought to market was sufficient proof of his be ing a good hunter. ' Look here/ he would angrily gay; 'I see deer on the prairie; deer look up and say, May be Indian, may be stump, and deer eats on. Come little nearer, deer look up again and say, May be Indian, may be stump ; and first thing deer knowa he dead. I see wild turkey great way off ; creep up very slowly ; turkey look up and say first time he see me, Dat rascal Indian any how, and off he goes. No catch turkey ; he cunning too much. 9 " THE INDIAN AND THE BEAR. 259 Indian anto tfce Jflear* THE animal fell, and set up a most plaintive cry- something like that of the panther when he is him gry, The hunter, instead of giving him another shot, stood up close to him, and addressed him in these words : " Harkee, bear ! you are a coward, and no warrior, as you pretend to be. Were you a warrior, you would show it by your firmness, and not cry and whimper like an old woman. You know, bear, that our tribes are at war with each other, and that yours was the aggressor. You have found the Indians too powerful for you, and you have gone sneaking about in the woods, stealing their hogs ; perhaps at this time you. have hog's flesh in your belly. Had you conquered me, I would have borne it with courage and died like a brave warrior. But you, bear, sit here and cry, and disgrace your tribe by your cow ardly conduct." I was present at the delivery of this curious inveo live. When the hunter had despatched the bear, 1 asked him how he thought the poor animal could un derstand what he said to it. " Oh," said he, IB answer, " the bear understood me very well. Did not you observe how ashamed he looked while T Braiding him ?" 256 THRILLING ADVENTURES. alluring on of the gobbler, his strutting and prancings, and a thousand gallant airs, for his lady-love. Anon his suspicions get the better of his love, and the coward is plainly visible in his suddenly contracted body and air of ready flight. The hunter warily plies his music, and the bird comes on, until the sure rifle finds the beautiful bird in its range. This, how ever, requires to be practised with skill, for the cau tiousness of the wild turkey is wonderful, surpassing that of the deer or any other game whatever ; and nothing but stratagem and the most intimate know ledge of its habits will command success. " We once knew an Indian," says the above-quoted writer, " who gained a living by bringing game into a town in the West, who always boasted exceedingly if he could add a wild turkey to his common load of deer; and, as the demand for birds was greater than he could supply, he was taunted by the disappointed epicures of the village for want of skill in hunting. To this charge he would always reply with great in dignation, saying that the quality of venison which he brought to market was sufficient proof of his be ing a good hunter. t Look here,' he would angrily Bay; 'I see deer on the prairie; deer look up and gay, May be Indian, may be stump, and deer eats on. Come little nearer, deer look up again and say, MP T " be Indian, may be stump ; and first thing deer ; V he dead. I see wild turkey great very slowly ; turkey look up anr| see me, Dat rascal Indian ^Y U ^ I /~^ No catch turkey ; he c* / THE INDIAN AND THE BEAR. 259 $f)* Indian an)) tfse THE animal fell, and set up a most plaintive cry- something like that of the panther when he is him gry, The hunter, instead of giving him another shot, stood up close to him, and addressed him in these words : " Harkee, bear ! you are a coward, and no warrior, as you pretend to be. Were you a warrior, you would show it by your firmness, and not cry and whimper like an old woman. You know, bear, that our tribes are at war with each other, and that yours was the aggressor. You have found the Indians too powerful for you, and you have gone sneaking about in the woods, stealing their hogs ; perhaps at this time you have hog's flesh in your belly. Had you conquered me, I would have borne it with courage and died like a brave warrior. But you, bear, sit here and cry, and disgrace your tribe by your cow ardly conduct." I was present at the delivery of this curious invec tive. When the hunter had despatched the bear, 1 asked him how he thought the poor animal could un derstand what he said to it. " Oh," said he, ID answer, " the bear understood me very well. Did not you observe how ashamed he looked while T upbraiding him ?" 260 THRILLING 4DVENTURES. on ON the 29th of August, 1708, this unfortunate vil- lage, then consisting of about thirty houses, was at tacked by a party of French and Indians. At break of day the inhabitants aroused themselves just in time to find that the enemy were upon them. A Mrs. Smith was the first victim. She was shot whilo fleeing from her house to a neighbouring garrison. The foremost party then attacked the house of the Rev. Benjamin Rolfe, which was then garrisoned by three soldiers. Leaping from the bed, he placed him self against the door, and called to the soldiers, who were in an opposite room, for assistance. This manly garrison, after closing the intervening door, answered by running through the rooms wringing their hands. The Indians then fired two balls through the door, one of which wounded Rolfe in the elbow. They then pressed against it with united strength ; and, finding his efforts useless, he rushed precipitately through the house and out at the back door. He was pursued, overtaken, and tomahawked. The house was then plundered. Mrs. Rolfe was found and mur dered ; while the youngest child, torn from her dying grasp, was dashed against a stone. A female slave, named Hagar, leaped from her bed, carried two of the children, one six, the other eight years old, to the cellar, and covered them with tubs. She then hid herself behind a barrel. The Indians entered the cellar, plundered it of every thing valuable, passed Attack on HavorhilL ATTACK ON HAVERHILL and repassed the tubs, took meat from the barrel, and drank milk from the pans ; yet the children and their faithful protectress escaped unnoticed. A girl named Anna Whittaker concealed herself in an apple- chest under the stairway, and escaped unharmed. The three soldiers, destitute of either the sagacity or courage of slaves and children, threw themselves in tears before the Indians, and were tomahawked. A second party attacked the family of Thomas Hartshorne. The father, with two sons, attempted to escape, but were immediately shot dead. A third son was tomahawked at the door. The mother, with all her younger children, was now alone. With asto nishing presence of mind, she left her infant in a bed in the garret, lest its cries might defeat her plans, and then hurried with her remaining family to the cellar. As usual, the Indians subjected each room to a rigid scrutiny, but failed to find the mother. Her infant they threw out of the garret window. When all was over, it was found on a pile of clap-boards, completely stunned by the fall. It lived, however, to become a man of uncommon strength and stature, a circumstance which gave rise to the joke that he had been stunted by the Indians. Meanwhile, similar attacks were made in different parts of the village. Lieutenant John Johnson was shot while standing in the door with his wife. She fled through the house into the garden, carrying her infant with her, but was overtaken and murdered. Her last thoughts were those of a mother : in the agonies of death she could fall so as to cover her 264 THRILLING ADVENTURES. child with her body without hurting it ; and, when the massacre was over, it was taken unharmed from her cold bosom. The wife of Captain Samuel Wain- wright was more fortunate. A party killed her hus band at the first fire. Some soldiers in the house were preparing to defend it, when Mrs. Wain wright fearlessly unbarred the door and invited the Indians in. The kindness displayed in her voice and manner, and the alacrity with which she waited upon them, completely paralyzed the Indians. Entering cau tiously, they refrained from violence ; but, after some time, asked for money. She retired to bring it, but did not return. We must admire the stratagem of a helpless woman, who could thus amuse the infuriated murderers of her husband, until the whole family had had time to escape. The money-beggars were not long in ascertaining how matters stood, and their rage and disappointment amounted to actual fury. Their efforts to force a way into the soldiers were, however, vain; and after attempting to fire the house, they were forced to retreat. Two of their number were afterwards killed in a field. The wife of Mr. Swan also displayed a coolness and courage which does honour to her sex. When the Indians approached the house, the husband and wife placed themselves against the door, which was BO narrow that two could scarcely enter abreast. The assailants, after their first rush had failed, changed their tactics one placing his back against it while the other pushed him. The door began to give way, and Mr. Swan, who was no way remarkable for ATTACK ON HAVERHILL. 265 strength, and still less for heroism, intimated to his wife that " it would be better to let them in." She had no such idea. The door was now partially open, the front Indian crowding himself in, and the other pushing lustily after; but the woman, seizing her iron spit, which was nearly three feet long, drove it through the body of the foremost foe. At so un looked-for a welcome, his speed suddenly slackened ; he and his companion left hastily, and the family was saved. Another Indian party set fire to the back part of the meeting-house, a new and an elegant building. But at this time a man, named Davis, went behind Rolfe's barn, which was near the church, struck it violently with a large club, called on men by name, gave the word of command, as though ordering an attack, and shouted with a loud voice, "Come on; we will have them." The party in Rolfe's house sup posing the military had come, retired precipitately; and, about the same time, Major Turner arrived with a company of soldiers, when the whole body of In dians commenced a disorderly retreat. They did not retire unmolested. Captain Samuel Ayer, a fearless tn&n, collected a small party and pursued. He was soon joined by a similar force under his son, and overtook the Indians as they were entering the woods. A battle ensued, in which the latter were defeated, and several of the prisoners w^ere recovered. 966 THRILLING ADVENTURES MR. CATLIN gives the following narrative of a thrilling adventure, which took place while he wa* exhibiting a party of Iowa Indians at his exhibition rooms in London : The night of this memorable day I had announced is the last night of the Indians at the Egyptian Hall, arrangements having been effected for their exhibi tions to be made a few days in Vauxhall Gardens BOBASHEELA. 267 before leaving London for some of the provincial towns. This announcement, of course, brought a dense crowd into the Hall, and in it, as usual, many of my old friends, to take their last gaze at the Indians. The amusements were proceeding this evening as on former occasions, when a sudden excitement was raised in the following manner. In the midst of one of their noisy dances, the war-chief threw himself, with a violent jump and a yell of the shrill war- whoop, to the corner of the platform, where he landed on his feet in a half-crouching position, with his eyes and one of his forefingers fixed upon something that attracted his whole attention in a distant part of the crowd. The dance stopped the eyes of all the In dians, and of course those of most of the crowd, were attracted to the same point; the eyes of the old war- chief were standing open, and in a full blaze upon the object before him, which nobody could well ima gine, from his expression, to be any thing less excit ing than a huge panther, or a grisly bear, in the act of springing upon him. After staring a while, and then shifting his weight upon the other leg, and tak ing a moment to wink, for the relief of his eyes, he resumed the intensity of his gaze upon the object be fore him in the crowd, arid was indulging during a minute or two in a dead silence, for the events of twenty or thirty years -to run through his mind, when he slowly straightenel up to a more confident posi tion, with his eyes relaxed, but still fixed upon their object, when, in an emphatic and ejacuiatory tone, 268 THRILLING ADVENTURES. f he pronounced the bewildering word of Bobaslieela J and repeated it, Bobaslieela ? " Yes, I'm Bobasheela, my good old fellow ! I knew your voice as soon as you spoke, though you don't understand English yet." Chee-au-inung-ta-wangish-kee, Bobasheela. " My friends, will you allow me to move along towards that good old fellow ? he knows me." At which the old chief (not of a hundred, but) of many battles, gave a yell and a leap from the platform, and took his faith ful friend Bobasheela in his arms, and, after a lapse of thirty years, had the pleasure of warming his cheek against that of one of his oldest and dearest friends one whose heart, we have since found, had been tried and trusted, and as often requited, in the midst of the dense and distant wildernesses of the banks of the Mississippi and Missouri. While this extraordinary interview was proceeding, all ideas of the dance were for the time lost sight of, and, while these veterans were rapidly and mutually reciting the evidences of their bygone days of attachment, there came a simul taneous demand from all parts of the room for an in terpretation of their conversation, which I gave as far as I could understand it, and as far as it had then proceeded, thus : The old Sachem, in leading off his favourite war-dance, suddenly fixed his eye upon a face in the crowd, which he instantly recognised, and, gazing upon it a moment, decided that it was the well-known face of an old friend, with whom he had spent many happy days of his early life on the banks of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers in America The old chief, by appealing to this gentleman's familial BOBASHEELA. 289 Indian cognomen of Bobasheela, brought out an in stant proof of the correctness of his recognition ; and, as he held him by both hands to make proof doubly strong, he made much merriment among the party of Indians, by asking him if he ever " floated down any part of the great Mississippi river in the night, astride of two huge logs of wood, with his legs hanging in the water?" To which Bobasheela instantly replied in the affirmative. After which, and several medicine phrases and masonic grips and signs had passed be tween them, the dance was resumed, and the rest of the story, as well as other anecdotes of the lives of these extraordinary personages, postponed to the pro per time and place, when and where the reader will be sure to hear them. The exhibition for the evening being over, Boba sheela was taken home with the Indians to their lodg ings to smoke a pipe 'with them ; and, having had the curiosity to be of the party, I was enabled to gather the following further information : This Bo basheela, (Mr. J. H., a native of Cornwall,) who is now spending the latter part of a very independ ent bachelor's life among his friends in London, left his native country as long ago as the year 1805, and, making his way, like many other bold adven turers, across the Alleghany mountains in America, descended into the great and almost boundless valley of the Mississippi, in hopes, by his indefatigable in dustry and daring enterprise, to share in the products that must find their way from that fertile wilderness valley to the civilized world. z 2 70 THRILLING ADVENTURES. In this arduous and most perilous pursuit, he re peatedly ascended and descended in his bark canoe his pirogue or his Mackinaw boat the Ohio, the Muskingum, the Cumberland, the Tennessee, the Arkansas, the Missouri, and Mississippi rivers ; and, among the thousand and one droll and amusing in cidents of thirty years spent in such a sort of life, was the anecdote which the war-chief alluded to, in the unexpected meeting with his old friend in my exhibition-room, and which the two parties more fully related to me in this evening's interview. The good natured Mr. H. told me that the tale was a true one, and the awkward predicament spoken of by the war- chief was one that he was actually placed in when his acquaintance first began with his good friend. Though the exhibition had kept us to a late hour, the greetings and pleasing reminiscences to be gone over by these two reclaimed friends, and, as they called themselves, " brothers" of the " Far West,' over repeatedly charged pipes of k'nick k'neck, were pleasing, and held us to a most unreasonable hour at night. When the chief, among his rapid interroga tions to Bobasheela, asked him if he had preserved his she-she-quoin, he gave instant relief to the inin'l of his friend, from which the lapse of time and changes of society had erased the recollection of the chief's familiar name, She-she-quoi-me-gon, by which his friend had christened him, from the circumstance of his having presented him a she-she-quoin, (or mys tery rattle,) the customary badge bestowed when any BOBASHEELA. 271 one IB initiated into the degree of " doctor" or " bro ther." From the forms and ceremonies which my good friend Bobasheela had gone through, it seems (as his name indicates) that he stood in the relationship of brother to the chief; and, although the chief's inter rogations had produced him pleasure in one respect, one can easily imagine him much pained in another, inasmuch as he was obliged to acknowledge that his sacred badge, his she-she-quoin, had been lost many years since, by the sinking of one of his boats on the Cumberland river. For his standing in the tribe, such an event might have been of an irretrievable character; but for the renewed and continued good fellowship of his friend in this country, the accident proved to be one of little moment, as will be learned from various incidents recited in the following pages. In the first evening's interview over the pipe, my friend Mr. H., to the great amusement of the party of Indians, and of Daniel and the squaws, who had gathered around us, as well as several of my London friends, related the story of "floating down the Mis sissippi river on two logs of wood," &,c., as follows : "This good old fellow and I formed our first ac quaintance in a very curious way, and, when you hear ine relate the manner of it, I am quite sure you will know how to account for his recognising me this evening, and for the pleasure we have both felt at thus unexpectedly meeting. In the year 1806, I happened to be on a visit to St. Louis, and thence proceeded up the Missouri to the mouth of the 272 THRILLING ADVENTURES. ' Femme Osage' to pay a visit to my old friend Daniel Boone, who had a short time before left his farm in Kentucky and settled on the banks of the Missouri, in the heart of an entire wilderness, to avoid the COD- Btant annoyance of the neighbours who had flocked into the country around him in Kentucky. The place for his future abode, which he had selected, was in a rich and fertile country, and forty or fifty miles from any white inhabitants, where he was de termined to spend the remainder of his days, believ ing that, for the rest of his life, he would be no more annoyed by the familiarity of neighbours. I spent several weeks very pleasantly with the old pioneer, who had intentionally built his log-cabin so small, with only one room and one bed for himself and his wife, that even his best friends should not break upon the sacred retirement of his house at night ; but, hav ing shared his hospitable board during the day, were referred to the cabin of his son, Nathan Boone, about four hundred yards distant, where an extra room and an extra bed afforded them the means of passing the night. " The old hunter and his son were thus living very happily, and made ine comfortable and happy while I was with them. The anecdotes of his extraordinary life, which were talked over for amusement during that time, were enough to fill a volume. The vene rable old man, whose long and flowing locks were sil very white, was then in his 78th year, and still he almost daily took down his trusty riiie from its hooka in the morning, and in a little time would bring in * BOBASHEELA. 27S saddle of venison for our breakfast, and thus he chiefly supported his affectionate old lady and him self, and the few friends who found their way to Lis solitary abode, without concern or care for the future. The stump of a large cotton wood tree, which had been cut down, was left standing in the ground, and being cut square off on the top, arid his cabin being built around it, answered the purpose of a table in the centre of his cabin, from which our meals were eaten. When I made my visit to him, he had been living several years in this retired state, and been perfectly happy in the undisturbed solitude of the wilderness, but told me several times that he was becoming very uneasy and distressed, as he found that his days of peace were nearly over, as two Yan kee families had already found the way into the country, and one of them had actually settled within nine miles of him. " Having finished my visit to this veteran and his son, I mounted my horse, and, taking leave, followed an Indian trail to the town of St. Charles, some thirty or forty miles below, on the north banks of the Missouri. I here visited some old friends with whom I had become acquainted on the lower Mississippi in former years, and intending to descend the river from that to St. Louis by a boat, had sold my horse when I arrived there. Before I was ready to embark, how ever, an old friend of mine, Lieutenant Pike, who had just returned from his exploring expedition to the Rocky Mountains, had passed up from St. Louis to a small settlement formed on the oast bank of the 274 THRILLING ADVENTURES. Mississippi, and a few miles below the mouth of tne Missouri, to attend a wedding which was to take place on the very evening that I had received the in formation of it, and, like himself, being intimately acquainted with the young man who was to be mar ried, I resolved to be present if possible, though 1 had had no invitation to attend, it not being known to the parties that I was in that part of the country. The spot where the wedding was to take place being on the bank of the river, and on my route to St. Louis, I endeavoured to procure a canoe for the pur pose; but, not 'being able to get such a thing in St. Charles at that time for love or money, and still re solved to be at the wedding, I succeeded in rolling a couple of large logs into the stream, which lay upon the shore in front of the village, and, lashing them firmly together, took a paddle from the first boat that I could meet, and, seating myself astride of the two logs, I pushed off into the muddy current of the Mis- Bouri, and was soon swept away out of sight of the town of St. Charles. My embarkation was a little before sundown, and, having fifteen or twenty miles to float before I should be upon the waters of the Mississippi, I was in the midst of my journey over taken by night, and had to navigate my floating logs as well as I could among the snags and sandbars that fell in my way. I was lucky, however, in escaping them all, though I sometimes grazed them as I passed, and within a few inches of being hurled to destruction. I at length entered the broad waters of the Mississippi, and a few miles below, on the left ill BOBA&HEELA. 277 bank ; saw the light in the cabins in which the merry circle of my friends were assembled, and with all my might was plying my paddle to . propel my two logs to the shore. In the midst of my hard struggle, I discovered several objects on my right and ahead of me, which seemed to be rapidly approach ing me, and I concluded that I was drifting on to rocks or snags that were in a moment to destroy me. But in an instant one of these supposed snags si lently shot along by the side of my logs, and, being a canoe with four Indians in it, and all with their bows and war-clubs drawn upon me, they gave the signal for silence, as one of them, a tall, long-armed, and powerful man, seized me by the collar. Having partially learned several of the languages of the In dian tribes bordering on the Mississippi, I understood him as he said in the Iowa language, < Not a word ! if you speak you die !' At that moment, a dozen or more canoes were all drawn close around my two logs of wood, astride of which I sat, with my legs in the water up to my knees. These canoes were all filled with warriors with their weapons in their hands, and, no women being with them, I saw they were a war- party, and preparing for some mischief. Finding that I understood their language and could speak a few words with them, the warrior who still held me by tho collar made a sign to the other canoes to fall back a little while he addressed me in a low voice. 1 Do you know the white chief who is visiting his friends this night on the bank yonder where we see the lights ?' To which I replied, ' Yes, he is an old 2A 278 THRILLING ADVENTURES. friend of mine/ ' Well,' said he, ' he dies to-night, and all those wigwams are to be laid in ashes. Stefr- e-no-ka was a cousin of mine, and Que-tun-ka was a good man and a friend to the white people. The pale faces hung them like two dogs by their necks, and the life of your friend, the white warrior, paya the forfeit this night, and many may be the women and children who will die by his side !' I explained to him as well as I could that my friend, Lieutenant Pike, had had no hand in the execution of the two Indians ; that they were hung below St. Louis when Lieutenant Pike was on his way home from the Rocky Mountains. I told him also that Lieutenant Pike was a great friend of the Indians, and would do any thing to aid or please them ; that he had gone over the river that night to attend the wedding of a friend, and little dreamed that among the Indians he had any enemies who would raise their hands against him. " 'My friend/ said he, 'you have said enough; if you tell me that your friend, or the friend or the enemy of any man, takes the hand of a fair daughter on that ground to-night, an Iowa chief will not offend the Great Spirit by raising the war-cry there. No Iowa can spill the blood of an enemy on the ground where the hands and the hearts of man and woman are joined together. This is the command of the Great Spirit, and an Iowa warrior cannot break it. My friend, these warriors you see around me with myself had sworn to kill the first human being we met on our war-excursion. We shall not harm you; BOBASHEELA. 279 bo you see that I give you your life. You will, there fore, keep your lips shut, and we will return in peace to our village, which is far up the river, and we shall hereafter meet our friends, the white people, in the great city,* as we have heretofore done, and we have many friends there. We shall do no harm to any one. My face is now blackened, and the night is dark, therefore you cannot know me; but this arrow you will keep it matches with all the others in my auiver, and by it you can always recognise me ; but the meeting of this night is not to be known/ He gave me the arrow, and with these words turned his canoe, and, joining his companions, was in a moment out of sight. My arrow being passed under my hat band, and finding that the current had by this time drifted me down a mile or two below the place where I designed to land, and beyond the power of reaching it with my two awkward logs of wood, I steered my course onward toward St. Louis, rapidly gliding over the surface of the broad river, and arrived safely at the shore in front of the town at a late hour in the night, having drifted a distance of more than thirty- five miles. My two logs were an ample price for a night's lodging and breakfast and dinner the nex* day; and I continued my voyage in a Mackinaw boa on the same day to Vide Pouche, a small French town about twenty miles below, where my business required my presence. The wedding party proceeded undisturbed, and the danger they had been in waa never made known to them, as I promised the war- * St. Louis. THRILLING ADVENTURES. tfhief, ffho gave me, as the condition of my silence, the solemn promise that he would never carry his feelings of revenge upon innocent persons any farther. " Thus ends the story of ' floating down the Missis sippi river on the two logs of wood/ which the war- chief alluded to in the question he put to me this evening. On a subsequent occasion, some two or three years afterwards, while sitting in the office of Governor Clark, the superintendent of Indian affairs in St. Louis, where he was holding <a talk' with a party of Indians, a fine-looking fellow, of six feet or more in stature, fixed his eyes intently upon me, and, after scanning me closely for a few moments, advanced, and, seating himself on the floor by the side of me, pronounced the word ' Bobasheela,' and asked me if ever I had received an arrow from the quiver of an Indian warrior. The mutual recogni tion took place by my acknowledging the fact, and a shake of the hand, and an amusing conversation about the circumstances, and still the facts and the amusement all kept to ourselves. This step led to the future familiarities of our lives in the various places where the nature of my business led me into his society, and gained for me the regular adoption as Bobasheela (or brother) and the badge (the she-she- quoin, or mystery rattle) alluded to in the previous remarks, and which, it has been already stated, was lost by the sinking of one of my boats on the Cum berland river." REMARKABLE Efc-tArh FROM INDIANS. '281 turn tfje Indians* IN the autumn of 1695 a party of Indians attacked the town of Haverhill, Massachusetts, and succeeded in capturing two youths ; Isaac Bradley, aged fifteen years, and Joseph Whitaker, aged eleven. Without attempting further violence, the Indians quickly re treated, passed through the adjoining forests, an reached their tribes on the shores of Lake Winnepise- ogee. The prisoners w ,-re treated with kindness, and became members of a family in which were tw ) or three Indian children. They soon learned the Indian language ; a circumstance which so pleased the ti ibe, that it was resolved to carry them to Canada in the ensuing spring. To the elder boy, who was of an active and enterprising disposition, this resolution vvas full of terror. Already a deep and unbroken wilder ness, pathless mountains, and swollen rivers, lay be tween him and home ; and should he and his com panion be carried still further north, there was but little likelihood of their ever again reaching home. Isaac determined to attempt an escape, before the re turn of spring. Night and day, while apparently asleep, or ' while apparently cheerful in obeying the commands of his master, he adopted and rejected various plans, which might effect the wished-for pur pose. Anxiety of mind 'brought on a raging fever, from which he narrowly escaped with life. The gloomy winter of a New England forest came on; month after month slowly glided away, the spring 36 2A 2 282 THRILLING ADVENTURES. returned, and still the two boys were prisoneis. But the nearness of the dreaded calamity quickened the ingenuity of the captive youth ; he matured his plan and appointed a night in April for its execution. The attempt was made at midnight. Isaac lay awake until his Indian companions were sunk in sleep, and every thing was hushed around. He then arose and glanced timidly around. A thick darkness had settled on the face of nature, scattered only when the moon broke through the passing clouds. This attempt was a desperate one, and he felt it so ; but his spirit had been trained among those of the early settlers of Plymouth and Massachusetts. Stepping softly among his tawny bed-fellows, he secured his master's guns, moosemeat, and bread, which he carried to a neighbouring thicket of bushes. He then at tempted to awake his companion, but with a success which convinced him that to persevere in the attempt would ruin his purpose. He therefore left the wig wam and hurried to the place where were concealed the arms and provisions, but before he was able to reach it, he was alarmed by the noise of footsteps, and perceived that he was followed. It was by his fellow captive. They speedily secured their booty, and then, without chart or compass, struck into the woods in a southerly direction, aiming for the settle ment of Haverhill. After running all night, they stopped at daylight near a hollow log, into which they both crept. Here, in the course of the morning, they were tracked by their master's dogs. Behind them the In- REMARKABLE ESCAPE FROM INDIANS. 283 dUns were in full pursuit. In this extremity the boya spoke kindly to the animals, which, knowing their voices, ceased to bark. They then threw to them eome moosemeat, which the animals devoured greedily. The pursuers now arrived, but passed without noticing the dogs ; and at night Isaac and his com panion left the log, and hurried away in another direction. After consuming their small stock of bread, they gathered roots and buds. Next day they again concealed themselves; but they travelled the third day and night without resting. In this manner they journeyed five days, living partly on roots and partly upon a pigeon and a turtle, which they were obliged to cat raw. Oil the sixth day, they struck into an Indian path, and followed it till night, when they suddenly came within sight of an encampment, with in which a number of their enemies were seated round a fire. They precipitately retraced their steps, until, at the appearance of morning, they reached a small stream, by which they sat down. They were now in a pathless and seemingly interminable forest, surrounded by savages, hungry, destitute, and lacerated with thorns and rocks. It is no wonder that, under such circumstances, these unhappy boys felt their hearts sink within them, as they leaned one upon the other, and mingled their tears with the ripples of the careless stream. Still the elder boy did not despair. Knowing that the stream must eventually lead to a large body of water, he encouraged his companion, and after refresh ing themselves, both again pushed forward, following S4 THRILLING AD"JSNTURES. the couvvue of the rivulet. On the eighth morning Joseph lay down in despair. His limbs were mangled, his body was emaciated. Isaac begged him to pro- seed ; he dug roots for him to eat, and brought water to quench his thirst. He represented the certainty of death, should he remain there. It was vain ; and leaving his companion to his fate, he, with weary steps and a bleeding heart, pursued his lonely journey. Suddenly he came in sight of a small building. In spired by hope, he hurried to his companion, urged him to another trial, and rubbed his stiffened limbs until they could once more sustain their accustomed weight. They started together, Isaac sometimes lead ing, sometimes carrying his companion; until, after toiling all day, they reached Saco Fort. This is undoubtedly one of the most extraordinary escapes from Indians that we have on record. Dur ing nine days, two youths, one scarcely emerged from childhood, had travelled through an immense forest, subsisting on a little bread, on buds and berries, and on a raw turtle and a pigeon, without seeing the face of a friend or warming themsejves near a fire. When they arrived at Fort Saco, they were lacerated by thorns, exhausted by sickness, and emaciated to skeletons. When Isaac regained his strength, he started for Haverhill, and arrived safely at his father's dwelling. Joseph had more to suffer. For a long time he lay at Saco, suffering under a raging fever. His father, when Isaac returned, went to the fort, and as soon as possible brought home his long lost son. MASSACRE AT MIMMS S FORT. 2f I THE following account of the destruction oi Minima's Fort and the adjoining defences, by the Southern Indians, previous to their removal to the west, is extracted from the journals of the year 1813 . A few days before the attack, some negroes of Mr. McGirt's, who lived in that part of the Creek country inhabited by half-breeds, had been sent up the Ala bama to his plantation for corn. Three of them were taken by a party of Indians. One escaped, and brought down news of the approach of the Indians. The officer gave but little credit to him, but they made some further preparation to receive the enemy. On the next day, Mr. James Cornels, a half-breed, and some white men, who had been out on the late battle ground, and discovered the trail of a considerable body of Indians going towards Mr. McGirt's, came to the fort and informed the commanding officer of their discovery. Though their report did not appear to re ceive full credit, it occasioned greater exertions, and on Saturday and Sunday considerable work was done to put the fort in a state of defence. Sunday morning, three negroes were sent out to attend the cattle, who soon returned with an account that they had seen twenty Indians. Scouts were sent out to ascertain the truth of the report. They returned and declared that they could see no signs of Indians. One of the negroes belonging to Mr. Random was whipped for bringing what they deemed a false report. He 286 THRILLING ADVENTURES. Bent out again on Monday, and saw a body of Indians approaching, but, afraid of being whipped, he did not return to Mimms's, but to Pierce's fort ; but before his story could be communicated, the attack was made. The commanding officer called upon Mr. Fletcher, who owned another of the negroes, to whip him also. lie believed the boy, and resisted two or three applications; but at length they had him actually brought out for the purpose, when the Indians appeared in view of the fort. The gate was open. The Indians had to come through an open field a hundred and fifty yards wide before they could reach the fort, and yet they were within thirty steps of the fort at eleven o'clock in the morning, before they were noticed. The sentry then gave the cry of " Indians !" and they immedi ately set up a most terrible war-whoop, and rushed into the gate with inconceivable rapidity, and got within it before the people of the fort had any oppor tunity of shutting it. This decided their fate. Major Beasly was shot through the belly, near the gate. He called to the men to take care of the ammunition and to retreat to the house. He went himself to a kitchen, where it is supposed he must have been burnt The fort was originally square. Major Beasly had it enlarged, by extending the lines of two sides about fifty feet and putting up a new side, into which the gate was removed. The old line of pickets atood, and the Indians, upon rushing into the gate, obtained possession of this additional part, and through the portrholes of the old line of pickets fired on the peo ple who held the interior. On the opposite side of th* MASSACRE AT MIMMs's FORT. 289 fort, an offset or bastion was made round the back gate, which, being open on the outside, was also taken possession of by the Indians, who, with the axes which lay scattered about, immediately began to cut down the gate. There was a large body of Indians, though they did not probably exceed four hundred. Our people seemed to sustain the attack with undaunted spirit. They took possession of the port-holes in the other lines of the fort, and fired on the Indians who remained in the field. Some of thp Indians got on the block-house at one of the corners, but after firing a good deal down upon the people, they were dis lodged ; they succeeded, however, in setting fire to a house near the pickets, from which it was communi cated to the kitchen, and from thence to the main dwelling-house. They attempted to do it with burn* ing arrows, but failed. When the people of the fort saw that the Indians retained full possession of the outer court, that the gate continued open, that their men fell very fast, and that their houses were in flames, they began to despond. Some determined to cut their way through the pickets and escape. Of the number of white men and half-breeds in the fort, it is supposed that not more than twenty-five or < hirty escaped, and of these many were wounded : the rest, and almost all the women and children, fell a sacrifice either to the arms of the Indians or tho flames. The battle terminated about an hour or an hour and a half before sunset. 87 9B t0 THRILLING ADVENTURRS. American d?um* attadufc bg THE Mexican war afforded the Camanche Indiana favourable opportunities to capture or destroy portions of the American trains, that followed in the rear of our different armies. Sometimes small parties of vo lunteers or adventurers encountered some of the Ca manche bands, and, though generally successful, not unfrequently met with considerable loss. The famous " guerilla warfare," so dreaded in the civil contentions of Mexico, was in part sustained by half-civilized, half-savage Camanches, who, armed with lasso, gun, and tomahawk, and accompanied by white men, half- savage, half-civilized like themselves, spread terror and desolation wherever they came. It was reserved for the American volunteer to dissolve the halo of fear which had so long hung over the name of Ca- manche, and to prove to the world that he was not invincible. At daylight of July 26th, 1847, a party of Ameri cans on the Arkansas river, three hundred miles from Fort Leavenworth, was attacked by the Camanches. The party were escorting a large government train. The dragoons, being mounted, made a vigorous charge, the infantry, with a few horsemen, remaining to guard the camp. A desperate struggle ensued, in which three hundred Camanches exerted every effort of savage strength and ingenuity to surround a little band of opponents, whom they outnumbered six to one. Five of the Americans were killed, three DEATH OF CAPTAIN SMITH. 291 severely wounded, two slightly, and one hundred and thirty-five yoke of cattle driven off or butchered. The loss of the Indians was not ascertained, as they car ried off their dead and wounded. In one week, this band of Camanches, assisted by rancheros and gue rillas from northern Mexico, destroyed United State* property to the amount of ten thousand dollars. of aptate jbmhfj, a jbanta THE trading parties between Independence and S'inta F are frequently attacked by Indians, more, it would seem, from a thirst for plunder than from cruelty or revenge. Some instances of the latter kind are, however, on record ; and one of these, the mur der of the trader Captain Smith, was long remembered by the border men as an inducement to revenge. Smith had long been known as a Rocky mountain hunter, and his feats of daring in the great western wilderness formed subjects for admiration and asto nishment to many a forlorn " trapping" party, as it pursued its way over the prairies. In 1831, he joined a company under Captain Sublette, destined for Santa F6. Each man of this company appears to have been profoundly ignorant of the route, and of the hard ships to be encountered in a long journey through the deserts of New Mexico. After many days tra velling, they seem to have lost their road ; their water was exhausted, and around them was an arid waste, 292 THRILLING ADVENTURES. destitute of both stream and vegetation. In this dreadful condition, Smith left the party and followed a buffalo track, with the hope of thereby arriving at gome brook or pond. For many miles he fearlessly pursued his way, until what he imagined to be a small ptream broke upon his sight. He hurried forward as fast as his weakened condition would admit, but on reaching the bank, he found nothing but a dry, sandy bed, whose reflections glared intolerably upon his be wildered vision. Unable to bear his raging thirst any longer, he threw himself into the channel and scooped up the sand with his hands. As he dug deeper, it seemed to get moist, and at the distance of more than a foot below the surface, water began to ooze gradually through the sand. He sunk his face into it, and sucked the grateful liquid from the ground. He had escaped one mode of death only to die by another. A party of Camanches had followed his track, and, seizing the moment when he was thus un guarded, they discharged a flight of arrows upon him and rushed to closer conflict. Smith fought d.ispe- rately, killing two or three of his enemies ; bu: was at length overpowered and killed. foitf) a ^crto ef uta*. THE Eutaw or Yuta Indians inhabit the north' western part of New Mexico and California. They are renowned for bravery and for their custom of mi grating in large parties, especially during the spring ADVENTURE WITH THE YUTAS, and fall. They are almost constantly at war with some of the neighbouring tribes, and, when unsuccess ful, will often gratify their vindictive fe'elings upon parties of the whites. A case of this nature occurred in 1837. A considerable number of the Yutas en countered half a dozen Shawnees, near the head waters of the Arkansas. The Shawnees had come upon a friendly visit ; but the Yutas soon contrived to quarrel with them, and finally made a charge. The Shawnees boldly gathered around their goods, dis charged their arrows upon the enemy, and succeeded in effecting their escape without loss. Several of the aggressors were killed. Immediately after this affair, a party of about thirty-five traders, under Mr. Josiah Gregg, arrived near the battle-ground. On halting, in order to pass the night, they were surprised at seeing a large num ber of Indians enter their camp and move freely with themselves to every position. They were the de feated Yutas, who, incensed at their late discomfiture, were now prepared to perform any outrage upon friend or foe. Suddenly a young chief sprang upon a horse belonging to one of the traders, and galloped off at full speed. Gregg's force was too small to en gage the Indians, but he resolved to present a bold front, and accordingly demanded, in peremptory lan guage, the restoration of the horse. Its effect disap pointed him. The Indians laughed at the message, and, gathering in small groups, frowned contemptu ously upon their opponents. Gregg then declared his determination to obtain redress by force. The In 2B2 294 THRILLING ADVENTURES. dians immediately grasped their arms, uttered the war-whoop, and sprang upon their horses. Theii valour was accompanied with due caution. The wo men and children were removed to an adjoining precipice, and the warriors collected in order of battle. By this time they had observed that a part of the trading force were Mexicans ; and with true Indian cunning they prepared to take advantage of it. A young warrior left his ranks and riding up to within a short distance, exhorted his " Mexican friends" to desert the Americans. This was accompanied with the assurance that they should be well treated, while to the Americans no quarter was to be shown. The Mexicans treated the invitation with scorn, and both parties now prepared for a struggle. During the preliminary season of suspense, an aged squaw un expectedly rode up, and addressing the chiefs exhorted them to remember the ties of friendship existing be tween the Yutas and the Americans, and to reject the council of a few impetuous youths, who were clamorous for war. This strange mediation was fa vourably received ; both parties relaxed their military bearing; the stolen horse was restored, and the adven ture terminated by a social smoke between the traden and their strangely acquired friends. HUNTING THE BUFFALO BY STRATAGEM. 297 tfje Buffalo $$ Jbtratagem, THE western territories, especially the portions bear the Rocky Mountains, abound in wolves, of which the most numerous and formidable is a white species, which attains a great size, and is oonsidered a good match for the largest dog. These animals prowl about in flocks of fifty or sixty, attacking any solitary animal that may fall within their reach. The buffalo is their favourite prey; and they always fol low in the hunter's track to glean what he leaves, or to kill some unfortunate bull, which may chance to secrete himself from man. But, when the buffa loes are herded together, they have little fear of the wolf, and will permit him to approach very near them. Of this sense of security the Indian hunter frequently takes advantage. Covering himself with a white wolf's skin, he creeps across the prairie, and discharges his arrows among the unsuspecting herd with fatal effect. Of course, the fattest and most tender are selected on these occasions ; and some times a warrior will destroy as great a number in this manner as when engaged with the whole tribe in the chase. The method may remind the reader of the manner in which the negroes of southern and western Africa hunt and destroy the ostrich. Another equally effective method of hunting the buffalo is, by driving him into snow banks in the winter season. In these regions, the snow is often three or four feet deep, being blown from the tops and 38 298 THRILLING ADVENTURES. sides of hills. At such times, the buffaloes assemble on the hill tops ; but, on being attacked, they rush down and endeavour to pass through the snow, but sink in it to their flanks. Here they fall an easy prey to the hunter, who, on his snow shoes, glides with ease and celerity over the glazed crust of snow. The buffalo's skin is in winter much esteemed on ac count of its long fur ; but, with improvident thought lessness, the carcass is left to be eaten by the wolves. of 0m Biggin*. AMONG a party of young men who formed them selves into a little corps called Bangers, expressly for the protection of the western frontier, was one named Tom Higgins. He was a native of Kentucky, and a capital specimen of the genuine backwoodsman. In the month of August, he was one of a party of twelve men who were posted at a small stockade between Greenville and Vandalia. These towns were not then in existence, and the surrounding country was one vast wilderness. On the 30th of the month, In dians were observed in the neighbourhood, and at night they were discovered prowling around the fort, but no alarm was given. Early on the following morning, the lieutenant moved out with his little party mounted on horse back to reconnoitre the Indians. Passing round the fence of a corn-field adjoining the fort, they struck WONDERFUL ESCAPE OF TOM HIGGINS. 2 across the prairie, and had not proceeded more than a quarter of a mile, when, in crossing a small ridge, which was covered with a hazel thicket, in fall view of the station, they fell into an ambuscade of Indians, who rose suddenly around them to the number of seventy or eighty, and fired. Four of the party were killed, among whom was the lieutenant ; one other fell, badly wounded, and the rest fled, except Hig- giiis. It was a sultry morning, the day was just dawn ing, a heavy dew had fallen during the night, the air was still and damp, and the smoke from the guns hung in a cloud over the spot. Under cover of thia cloud, Higgins's companions had escaped, supposing all who were left to be dead. Higgins's horse had been hot through the neck, and fell on its knees, but roso Again. Believing the animal to be mortally wounded, ^e dismounted, but, finding that the wound had not disabled him, he continued to hold the bridle, for he now felt confident of being able to make good his retreat. Yet, before he did this, he wished, as he said, " to have one pull at the enemy." For this purpose he looked round for a tree, from behind which he might fire in safety. There was but one, and that was a small elm; but, before he sould reach it, the cloud of smoke, partially rising, disclosed to his view a number of Indians, none of whom, however, discovered him. One of them stood within a few paces of him, loading his gun ; at him Higgins took a deliberate aim, fired, and the Indian fell. Still concealed by the smoke, Higgins reloaded 300 THRILLING ADVENTURES. his gun, mounted his horse, and turned to fly, when a low voice near him hailed him with, " Tom, you won't leave me ?" On looking round, he discovered one of his com rades, named Burgess, who was lying wounded on the ground, and he instantly replied, ; No, I'll not leave you, come along, and I'll take care of you." " I can't come," replied Burgess, " my leg is smashed all to pieces." Higgins sprang from his saddle, and, taking his companion in his arms, proceeded to lift him on his horse, telling him to fly for his life, and that he would make his own way on foot. But the horse, taking fright at this instant, darted off, leaving Higgins with his wounded friend on foot. Still the cool bravery of the former was sufficient for every emergency, and, setting Burgess gently down, he told him, " Now, my good fellow, you must hop off on your three legs, while I stay between you and the Indians to keep them off," instructing him, at the same time, to get into the highest grass, and crawl as close to the ground as possible. Burgess followed his advice, and escaped unnoticed. History does not record a more disinterested act of heroism than this of Tom Higgins, who, having in his hands the certain means of escape from such im minent peril, voluntarily gave them up, by offering his horse to a wounded companion; and who, when that generous intention was defeated, and his own retreat was still practicable, remained, at the hazard of his life, to protect his crippled friend. WONDERFUL ESCAPE OF TOM HIGGINS. 801 The cloud of smoke, which had partially opened before him as he faced the enemy, still lay thick be hind him ; and, as he plunged through this, he left it, together with the ridge and hazel thicket, between him and the main body of the Indians, and was re tiring, unobserved by them. Under these circum stances, it is probable, that, if he had retreated in a direct line towards the station, he might have easily effected his escape. But Burgess was slowly crawl ing away in that direction, and the gallant Higgins foresaw, that, if he pursued the same track, and should be discovered, his friend would be endangered. He, therefore, resolved to deviate from his course so far, as that any of the enemy who should follow him would not fall in with Burgess. With this intention, he moved warily along through the smoke and bushes, hoping, when he emerged, to retreat at full speed. But, just as he left the thicket, he beheld a large Indian near him, and two more on the other side, in the direction of the fort. Confident in his own courage and activity, Tom felt undismayed ; but, like a good general, he deter mined to separate the foe and fight them singly. Making for a ravine not far off, he bounded away ; but soon found that one of his limbs failed him, hav ing received a ball in the first fire, which until no\* he had hardly noticed. The largest Indian was following him closely. Higgins several times turned to fire ; but the Indian would halt and dance about to prevent him from tak ing aim, and Tom knew that he could not afford tc 20 802 THRILLING ADVENTURES. fire at random. The other two were closing on him, and he found that, unless he could dispose of the first, he must be overpowered. He therefore halted, and resolved to receive a fire. The Indian, at a few paces distant, raised his rifle. Higgins watched his adversary's eye, and, just as he thought his finger pressed the trigger, suddenly turned his side towards him. It is probable that this motion saved his life, for the ball entered his thigh, which otherwise would have pierced his body. Tom fell, but rose again and ran; the largest In dian, certain of his prey, loaded again, and then, with the two others, pursued. Higgins had again fallen, and, as he rose, they all three fired, and he received all their balls! He now fell and rose several times, and the In dians, throwing away their rifles, advanced on him with spears and knives. They repeatedly charged upon him ; but, upon his presenting his gun at one or the other, they fell back, till at last the largest of them, thinking, probably, from Tom's reserving his fire so long, that his gun was empty, attacked him boldly, when Higgins, taking a steady aim, shot him dead. With four bullets in his body, with an empty gun, with two Indians before him and a whole tribe a few rods off, almost any other man would have de spaired. But Tom Higgins had no such notion ! He had slain the most dangerous of his foes, and he felt but little fear of the others. He, therefore, faced them, and began to load his rifle. They raised a whoop and rushed on him. WONDERFUL ESCAPE OF TOM H1GG1NS. 303 " They kept their distance as long as my rifle was loaded," said he; " but when they knew it was empty, they were better soldiers." A fierce and bloody conflict ensued. The Indians stabbed him in many places ; but- it happened, fortu- ^nateiy for Tom, that the shafts of their spears were thin poles, which had been hastily prepared for the occasion, and which bent whenever the points struck a rib, or encountered one of his- tough muscles. From this cause, and the continued exertion of his hands in warding off their thrusts, the wounds they made were not deep. His whole front, however, was co vered with gashes, of which the scars yet remain in proof of his valour. One of them now drew his tomahawk. The edge sunk deep into Higgins's cheek passed through his ear laid bare his skull to the back of his head, and stretched him on the plain. The two Indians rushed on ; but Tom, instantly recovering his self-possession, kept them off with his feet and hands. At length he succeeded in grasping one of their spears, which, as the Indian endeavoured to pull it from him, helped him to rise. Now, holding his rifle like a club, he rushed on the nearest of his foes and dashed his brains out, in doing which he broke the stock to pieces, and retained only the barrel in his hand. The remaining Indian, though wounded, was now by far the most powerful man ; but though our hero's strength was rapidly failing, his courage was not ex hausted, and the savage began to retreat towards the place where he had dropped his rifle. Tom in the 804 THRILLING ADVENTURES. meanwhile searched for the gun of the other Indian. Thus both, though bleeding and out of breath, weie in search of arms to renew tlie combat. By this time the smoke, which hung between the combatants iid the main body of Indians, had passed away, and a number of the latter having crossed the hazel thicket were in full view. It seemed, therefore, that nothing could save our valiant ranger; but relief was at hand. The little garrison at the fort had witnessed the wnole of this remarkable combat. They were only six in number, and among them was one heroic wo man a Mrs. Pursley. When she saw Higgins con tending singly with the foe, she urged the men to gc to his rescue ; but the rangers objected, as the Indians outnumbered them ten to one. Mrs. Pursley declared that so fine a fellow as Tom should not be lost for want of help, and, snatching a rifle out of her hus band's hand, she jumped on a horse and sallied out; while the men, ashamed to be outdone by a woman, followed at full gallop towards the place of combat. A scene of intense interest ensued. The Indiana at the thicket had just discovered Tom, and were ad vancing toward him with sayage yells ; his friends were spurring their horses to reach him first. Hig- gins, exhausted from loss of blood, had fallen and fainted ; his adversary, too intent on his prey to ol>- serve any thing else, was looking for his rifle. The rangers reached the battle-ground first. Mrs, Pursley rode up to Tom and offered him her gun ; but Tom was past shooting His friends lifted him WONDERFUL ESCAPE OF TOM IIIGGINS. 805 np, threw him across a horse before one of the party, and turned to retreat just as the Indians came up. They made good their escape, and the Indians retired to the woods. 1 After being carried into the fort, Tom remained insensible for some days. His life was preserved only by extreme and continued care. His friends extracted all the balls except two, which remained in his thigh. One of these gave him great pain at times for several years, al though the fiesii was healed. At length he heard that a skilful physician had set tled within a day's ride of him, and Tom determined to go and see if he could lielp him. The physician willingly undertook to extract the bullet; but on condition that he should receive the exorbitant sum of fifty dollars for the operation. This Tom flatly refused to give, as it was more than half a year's pension. When he reached home, he found that the exercise of riding had so much chafed the part that the ball, which usually was not discoverable to the touch, could now be plainly felt. He requested his wife to hand him a razor. With her assistance, he deliberately laid op-^n his thigh until the edge of the razor touched the bullet. Then inserting both his thumbs into the cut, ho "flirted it out" as he said, " without costing .a cent." The other ball remains in his limb yet ; but gives him no trouble except when he uses violent exercise. He is now one of the most successful hunters in the country, and it still takes the best fcind of a mow fa handle him. 39 2c2 THRILLING ADVENTURES. of Ifj? THE Crow and Sioux Indians, like most tribes who subsist by hunting, are obliged to move frequently from place to place ; and the manner in which they per* form one of the migrations is both singular and amu^ ing. The appointment of the time of starting is left in a great measure to the chief. A few hours before it arrives, he sends criers through the village, announcing his determination to move, and at the same time places the signal, always observed on such occasions, at his wigwam. The whole village is now in commotion. Provisions, household goods, and clothing are bundled together ; dogs and horses are yoked to burdens twice their own size ; children are slung in sacks, and placed on their mothers' backs; and each one is speedily loaded with the burden, never a very inconsiderable one, which he is to bear to the new settlement. The usual order of arrangement is as follows : The poles of a lodge are divided into two bunches. The little ends of each bunch are fastened upon the shoulders of a horse, leaving the other ends to drag upon the ground on each side. Behind the horse a cross-piece connects the bunches and keeps them in their place. On the bunches are placed the lodge or tent rolled up, Bundry huge articles of household stuffs, and three or four women and children. To lead each horse, which, under the circumstances, would appear absolutely ne cessary, a woman goes before holding the bridle, and carrying on her shoulders a load similar in size to that THE MURDERER'S CREEK. 309 of the horse. Occasionally the animal carries another woman upoi. his back, in whose arms is a young pa poose affectionately embracing a favourite dog. In this manner, five or six hundred wigwams, with all their furniture, are moved many miles at once. The cavalcade is drawn out to an immense distance, the men mounted on good horses, numbering more than a thousand, and the number of canine assistants at least five times that^number. Each dog has to bear part of the general burden. Two poles about fifteen feet long are placed upon his shoulders, in the same manner as the lodge poles are attached to the horses, leaving the larger ends to drag upon the ground be hind him. On these is placed a bundle, with which he trots off, keeping up with the caravan until night, and only stopping when there seems prospect of a battle with some of his companions. THERE is a little stream which runs into that most beautiful of all rivers, the noble Hudson, that still bears the name of the Murderers Creek, though few perhaps can tell why it was so called. About a cen tury ago, the beautiful region watered by this stream was possessed by a small tribe of Indians, which has long since become extinct, or incorporated with some more powerful nation of the west. Three or four hun dred yards from the mouth of this little river, a white 810 THRILLING ADVENTUKES. family of the name of Stacey had established itself in a log-house, by tacit permission of the tribe, to whom Stacey had made himself useful by his skill ia a variety of arts highly estimated by the savages. In particular a friendship subsisted between him and an old Indian, called Naoman, who often came to his house, and partook of his hospitality. The family consisted of Stacey, his wife, and two children, a boy and a girl, the former five, and the latter three years old. The Indians never forgive injuries nor forget benefits. One day Naoman came to Stacey 's log-house in his absence, lighted his pipe and sat down. He looked unusually serious, sometimes sighed deeply, but said not a word. Stacey's wife asked him what was the matter, if he were ill ? He shook his head, but oaid nothing, and soon went away. The next day he came, and behaved in the same manner. Stacey's wife began to think there was something strange in all this, and acquainted her husband with the matter as soon as he came home. He advised her to urge the old man to explain his conduct, in case he should come again, which he did the following day. After much importunity, the old Indian at last replied to her questions in this manner. " I am a red man, and the pale faces are our enemies : why should I speak?" " But my husband and I are your friends ; you have eaten bread with us a hundred times, and my chil dren have sat on your knees as often. If you have any thing on your mind, tell it me now." " It will THE MURDERER'S CREEK. 811 cost me ray life if it is known, and you white-facel women are not good at keeping secrets/' replied Nao- nian. " Try me, and you will find that I can," said she. " Will you swear by the Great Spirit that you will tell none but your husband ?" " I have no one else to tell." " But will you swear ?" " I do swear by our Great Spirit, that I will tell none but my hus band." " Not if my tribe should kill you for nok telling ?" " No, not though your tribe should kill me for not telling." Naoman then proceeded to tell her, that owing to the frequent encroachments of the white people on their land at the foot of the mountains, his tribe had become exceedingly angry, and were resolved that night to massacre all the white settlers within their reach ; that she must send for her husband, and inform him of the danger, and as secretly and speedily as possible, take their canoe, and paddle with all haste over the river to Fishkill for safety. " Be quick, and cause no suspicion," said Naoman, as he departed. The good wife instantly sought her husband, who was down on the river fishing, told him the story, and as no time was to be lost, they proceeded to their boat, which was unluckily filled with water. It took gome time to clear it out ; and meanwhile Stacey re collected his gun, which he had left behind. He went to his house and returned with it. All this took a considerable time, and precious time it proved to this poor family. The daily visits of Naoman, and his more than ordinary gravity, had excited suspicion in some of his tribe, who therefore now paid particular attention to 312 THRILLING ADVENTURES. the movements of Stacey. One of the young Indians who had been kept on the watch, seeing the whole family about to take the boat, ran to the little Indian village, a,bout a mile off, and gave the alarm. Five stout Indians immediately collected, and ran down to the river, where their canoes were moored, jumped in, and paddled after Stacey, who by this time had got some distance out into the stream. They gained upon him so fast, that twice he dropped his paddle and took up his gun. But his wife prevented his shooting, by telling him that if he fired, and they were afterwards overtaken, they would meet with no mercy from the Indians. He accordingly refrained, and plied his paddle, till the sweat rolled in big drops down his forehead. All would not do ; they were overtaken within a hundred yards from the opposite shore, and carried back with shouts and yells ol triumph. The first thing the Indians did when they got ashore, was to set fire to Stacey's house. They then dragged him, his wife and children, to their village. Here the principal old men, and Naoman among them, assembled to deliberate on the affair. The chief men of the council expressed their opinion that some of the tribe had been guilty of treason, in apprizing Staoey, the white man, of their designs, whereby they took alarm, and had wellnigh escaped. They pro posed that the prisoners should be examined in order to discover who was the traitor. The old men as- Bonted to this, and one of them who spoke English began by interrogating Stacey, and interpreted what THE MURDERER'S CREEK. 318 was said to the others. Stacey refused to betray his informant. His wife was then questioned, while two Indians stood threatening the children with their tomahawks, in case she did not confess. She attempted to evade the truth, by pretending that she had a dream the night before, which had warned her to fly, and that she had persuaded her husband to do so. " The Great Spirit never deigna to talk in dreams to the white faces," said one of the old Indians. " Woman, thou hast two tongues and two faces; speak the truth, or thy children shall surely die." The little boy and girl were then brought close to her, and the two savages stood over them ready to execute their cruel orders. " Wilt thou name that red man," said the old In dian, " who betrayed his tribe ? I will ask thee three times." The mother made no answer. " Wilt thou name the traitor ? This is the second time." The poor woman looked at her husband, and then at her children, and stole a glance at Naoman, who sat smoking his pipe with invincible gravity. She wrung her hands and wept, but remained silent. " Wilt thou name the traitor? I ask you for the third and last time." The agony of the mother was more and more intense : again she sought the eye of Naoman, but it was cold and motionless. A moment's delay was made for her reply. She was silent. The toma hawks were raised over the heads of her children, wh>? besought their mother to release them. " Stop," cried Naoman. All eyes were instantly turned upon him. " Stop," repeated he, in a tone of 40 2D 814 THRILLING ADVENTURES. authority. " White woman, thou hast kept thy word with me to the last moment. Chiefs, I am the traitor. I have eaten the bread, warmed myself at the fire, and shared the kindness of these Christian white people, and it was I who told them of theil danger. I am a withered, leafless, branchless trunk ; cut me down if you will : I am ready to fall." A yell of indignation resounded on all sides. Nao- man descended from the little bank of earth on which he sat, shrouded his dark countenance in his buffalo robe, and calmly awaited his fate. He fell dead at the feet of the white woman, by the blow of the tomahawk. But the sacrifice of Naoman, and the heroic firm ness of the Christian white woman, did not suffice to save the lives of the other victims. They perished how, it is needless to say ; but the memory of their fate has been preserved in the name of the beautiful little stream on whose banks they lived and died : which to this day is called the Murderers Creek. THE scalp-dance, says Mr. Catlin, is given as a cele- Dration of a victory ; and among the Sioux, as I learned while residing with them, danced in the night, by the light of their torches, and just before retiring to bed. When a war-party returns from a war excursion, bring- Sig home with them the scalps of their enemies, they THE SCALP-DANCE. o!7 generally " dance them" for fifteen nights in succes sion, vaunting forth the most extravagant boasts of their wonderful prowess in war, while they brandish their war weapons in their haxids. A number of young women are selected to aid (though they do not actually join in the dance) by stepping into the Centre of the ring, and holding up the scalps that have been recently taken, while the warriors dance (or rather jump) around in a circle, brandishing their Weapons, and barking and yelping in the most fright ful manner, all jumpii>g on both feet at a time, with a simultaneous stamp and blow, and thrust of their weapons, with which it would seem as if they were actually cutting and carving each other to pieces. During these frantic leaps, and yelps, and thrusts, every man distorts his face to the utmost of his mus cles, darting about his glaring eyeballs arid snapping his teeth, as if he were in the heat, and actually breathing through his inflated nostrils the very hiss ing death, of battle ! No description that can be written could ever convey more than a feeble outline of the frightful effect of these scenes enacted in the dead and darkness of night, under the glaring light of their blazing flambeaux ; nor could all the years allotted to mortal man in the least obliterate or de face the vivid impress that one scene of this kind would leave upon his memory. The precise object for which the scalp is taken is one which is definitely understood, and has already been explained ; but the motive, or motives, for which this strict ceremony is so scrupulously held S18 THRILLING ADVENTURES. by all the American tribes over the scalp of an ene my, is a subject as yet not satisfactorily settled in my mind. There is no doubt but one great object in these exhibitions is public exultation ; yet there are several conclusive evidences that there aro other and essential motives for thus formally and strictly dis playing the scalp. Among some of the tribes, it is the custom to bury the scalps after they have gone through this series of public exhibitions, which may in a measure have been held for the purpose of giv ing them notoriety, and of awarding public credit to the persons who obtained them, and now, from a cus tom of the tribe, are obliged to part with them. The great respect which seems to be paid to them while they use them, as well as the pitying and mournful song which they howl to the manes of their unfortu nate victims, as well as the precise care and solemnity with which they afterwards bury the scalps, suffi ciently convince me that they have a superstitious dread of the spirits of their slain enemies, and many conciliatory offices to perform to ensure their own peace one of which is the ceremony above described. fttobentu?** of an Indian &Koman. THE life of an Indian woman, even though she may be the favourite wife of a great chief, is always fraught with toil and drudgery. The men will go through great fatigue in war or hi hunting, but any AD^ENTURES OF AN INDIAN WOMAN. 319 thing like regular work they scorn. Scooping out canoes, building their huts, dressing the skins of ani mals, and cultivating the earth, are labours which fall to the lot of the squaw ; but, what is still worse they are obliged to carry all the heavy burdens with out any assistance from their husbands. An Indian hunter, setting out in the morning before sunrise, tra verses the country for many miles in search of deer, and, as he goes along, he once in a while breaks down a bush to serve as a mark for his wife, whose business it is to find the game he has killed and carry it home, and, as the animals sometimes lie at a great distance from each other, and she can carry but one at a time, he toil she then encounters is truly grievous. In fishing and snaring birds, the women are very successful, and, uniting much art with insurmounta ble patience, they catch great numbers of geese and ducks, which migrate to the lakes at certain seasons of the year. To snare these birds in their nests re quires a considerable degree of art, and, as the na tives say, a great deal of cleanliness ; for they have observed that, when the snares have been set by those whose hands were not clean, the birds would not go into the nest. Even the goose, though so simple a bird, is noto riously known to forsake her eggs, if they have been breathed on by the Indians. The smaller species of birds, which make their nests on the ground, are by no means so delicate, and of course less care is necessary in snaring them. It has been observed that all birds which build on the 820 THRILLING ADVENTURES. ground, go into their nest on one particular side, and out of it on the opposite. The Indians, being accu rate observers of nature, are well aware of this fact, and always set their snares on the side on which the Lird enters the nest ; and, if care be taken in setting them, seldom fail of seizing their object. For small birds, such as larks and many others of equal size, the Indians generally use two or three of the long hairs out of their own head; but for larger birds, par ticularly swans, geese, and ducks, they make snares of deer sinews, twisted like pack-thread, and occa sionally of a small thong cut from a dressed deer skin. We may believe that women so trained are not very delicate, or easily daunted by any difficulties that may befall them ; and, in proof of this, I will relate an anecdote as it was told by an English gen tleman who travelled among the northern Indians many years ago : On the llth of January, as some of my compa nions were hunting; they observed the track of a strange snow-shoe,* which they followed, and at a considerable distance came to a little hut, where they discovered a young woman sitting alone. As they found she understood their language, they brought * Snow-shoes are from three to four feet in length, and more than i foot wide in the middle ; they are sharp-pointed at both ends, the frames are made of birch-bark, and they are netted cross and crosa with thongs of deer-skin, leaving a hole just big enough to admit the foot. These shoes, being large and light, enable the Indians fa travel over the snow with great facility ADVENTURES OF AN INDIAN WOMAN. 821 her with them to our tents. On examination, she proved to be one of the western Dog-ribbed Indians, who had been taken prisoner by the Athapuscow In dians two summers ago, and last summer, when the Indians that took her prisoner were near this part, he escaped from them, with the intention of return ing to her own country; but the distance being so great, and having, after she was taken prisoner, been carried in a canoe the whole way, the turnings and windings of the rivers and lakes were so numerous, that she forgot the track; so she built the hut in which we found her, to protect her from the weather during the winter, and here she had resided ever since the beginning of autumn. From her account of the moons past since her elopement, it appeared that she had been nearly seven months without seeing a human face; during all which time she had supported herself very well by snaring partridges, rabbits, and squirrels; she had also killed two or three beavers and some porcupines. That she did not seem to have beon in want is evident, as she had a small stock of proviskms by her when she was discovered. She was also in good health and con dition, and was certainly by lar the finest looking Indian woman that I have ever seen in any part of America. The methods practised by this poor creature to pro cure a livelihood were truly admirable, proving in deed the truth of the old proverb, that " necessity is the mother of invention." When the few deer sinews that she had an opportunity of taking with her were 41 822 THRILLING ADVENTURES. all expended in making snares and sewing her clc th ing, she had nothing to supply their place but the sinews of the rabbits' legs and fee-t ; these she twisted together with great dexterity and success. The rab bits and squirrels which she caught in her snares, noi only furnished her with a comfortable subsistence, but of the skins she made a suit of neat and warm clothing for the winter. It is scarcely possible to conceive that a person in her forlorn situation could be so composed as to bo capable of contriving or executing any thing that was not absolutely necessary to her existence ; but there were sufficient proofs that she had extended her care much further, as all her clothing, besides being calcu lated for real service, showed great taste, and exhi bited no little variety of ornament. The materials, though rude, were very curiously wrought, and so judiciously placed, as to give the whole of her garb a very pleasing, though rather romantic appearance. Her leisure hours from hunting had been employed in twisting the inner rind or bark of willows into small lines, like netting-twine, of which she had some hundred fathoms by her ; with this she intended to make a fishing-net as soon as the spring advanced. It is of the inner bark of willows, twisted in this manner, that the Dog-ribbed Indians make their fish ing nets; and they are greatly preferable to those made by the northern Indians.* * The northern Indians make their fishing-nets with small thongi cut from raw deer-skins, which, when dry, appear very good ; but, after being soaked in water some time, grow so soft and slippery that, ADVENTURES OF AN INDIAN WOMAN. 323 Five or six inches of an iron hoop made into a knife, and the shank of an iron arrow-head, which served her as an awl, was all the metal this poor wo man had with her when she eloped ; and with these implements she had made herself complete snow shoes, and several other useful articles. Her method of making a fire was equally singular and curious, having no other materials for that pur pose than two hard sulphureous stones. These, by long friction and hard knocking, produced a few sparks, which, at length, communicated to some touch-wood ; but, as this method was attended with great trouble, and not always with success, she did not suffer her fire to go out all the winter. Hence we may conclude that she had no idea of producing fire by friction in the manner practised by the Esqui maux and other uncivilized nations ; because, if she had, the above-mentioned precaution would have been unnecessary. When the Athapuseow Indians took this woman prisoner, they, according to the universal custom of those savages, surprised her and her party in the night, and killed every one in the tent except her- eelf and three other young women. Among those whom they destroyed were her father, mother, and husband. Her young child, between four and five months old, she concealed in a bundle of clothing, and took with her undiscovered in the night ; but, when large fish strike the net, the meshes are very apt to slip and let them escape. Besides this inconvenience, they are very liable to fot, unless they be frequently taken out of the water and dried. 824 THRILLING ADVENTURES. when she arrived at the place where the Athapuscow Indians had left their wives, (which was not far dis tant,) they began to examine her bundle, and, find ing the child, one of the women took it from her and immediately killed it. This last piece of barlarity gave her such a dis gust towards those Indians, that, notwithstanding the man who took care of her treated her in every re spect as well as he did his wife, and was, as she said, remarkably kind to her, so far was she from being able to reconcile herself to any of the tribe, that she rather chose to expose herself to misery and want than live in ease and abundance among persons who had so cruelly murdered her infant. In a conversation with this woman soon after wards, she told us that her country lies so far to the westward that she had never seen iron, or any other kind of metal, till she was taken prisoner. All of hei tribe, she observed, made their hatchets and ice- chisels of deer's horns, and the'ir knives of stones and bones. She told us that their arrows were shod with a kind of slate, bones, or deer's horns ; and the instruments which they employed to make their wooden utensils were nothing but beavers' teeth. Though they had frequently heard of the useful ma terials which the tribes to the east of them were sup plied with from the white men, so unwilling were they to draw nearer for the sake of trading in iron, that, on the contrary, they retreated further back, to avoid the Athapuscow Indians, who made terrible slaughter among them both in winter and summer. AN INDIAN LODGE. 327 THE Blackfeet and the Crows, (says CatlinJ like the Sioux and Asinneboins, have nearly the same mode of constructing their wigwam or lodge; in .which tribes it is made of buffalo skins sewed to gether, after being dressed, and made into the form of a tent ; supported within by some twenty or thirty pine poles of twenty-five feet in height, with an apex or aperture at the top, through which the smoke escapes and the light is admitted. These lodges, or tents, are taken down in a few minutes by the squaws, when they wish to change their location, and easily transported to any part of the country where they wish to encamp ; and they generally move some six or eight times in the course of the summer, following the immense herds of buffaloes as they range over these vast plains, from east to west and north to south. The objects for which they do this are two fold: to procure and dress their skins, which are brought in, in the fall and winter, and sold to the Fur Company for white man's luxury, and also for the purpose of killing and drying buffalo meat, which they bring in from their hunts, packed on their horses' backs, in groat quantities; making pemican and preserving the marrow-fat for their winter quar ters, which are generally taken up in some heavy- timbered bottom, on the banks of some stream, deep imbedded within the surrounding bluffs, which break off the winds and make their long and tedious winter 828 THRILLING ADVENTURES. tolerable and supportable. They then sometimes erect their skin-lodges among the timber, and dwell in them during the winter months ; but more fre quently cut logs and make a miserable and rude sori of log-cabin, in which they can live much warmei and better protected from the assaults of their ene mies, in case they are attacked ; in which case a log- cabin is a tolerable fort against Indian weapons. The Crows, of all the tribes in this region, 01 on the Continent, make the most beautiful lodges, They construct them as the Sioux do, and make them of the same material; yet they oftentimes dress the skins of which they are composed al most as white as linen, and beautifully garnish them with porcupine quills, and paint and orna ment them in such a variety of ways as renders them exceedingly picturesque and agreeable to the eye. I have procured a very beautiful one of this description, highly ornamented, and fringed with scalp-locks, and sufficiently large for forty men to dine under. The poles which support it are about thirty in number, of pine, and all cut in the Rocky Mountains, having been some hundred years, perhaps, in use. This tent, when erected, is about twentj -five feet high, and has a very pleasing effect, with the Great or Good Spirit painted on one side, and the Evil Spirit on the other. KILOUEE. THERE cannot be a more unprincipled and vicious get of men than the whites who dwell on the bounda ries between civilized men and the Indians ; they rob, murder, and betray them. And in return, taking a dreadful revenge for many unprovoked attacks, the Indians frequently destroy, not only their persecutors, but their whole families with them. Virginia, so named in honour of Queen Elizabeth, was first settled by English colonists about two hun dred and fifty years ago. On one particular occasion, Colonel Bird was employed by the English govern ment to transact some business with a tribe of Chero kee Indians. It unfortunately happened that a short time before he went among them, some white people had seized two Indians who had given them some trifling offence, and had most unjustly put them to death; and the Indians, naturally made angry at such an outrage, determined upon taking revenge when ever an opportunity should offer. The wished-for opportunity was now presented by the appearance of Colonel Bird among them, and pri vate consultations were held by their aged men as to the most effectual means of getting him into their power, and making him the sacrifice. Their unfriendly intentions were soon perceived by Colonel Bird, who, although he was by no means deficient in courage, felt that he had just cause of alarm ; for he knew he was in their power, without 42 2 E2 580 THRILLING ADVENTURES. neans either of escape or defence. On retiring to rest, he could not help reflecting that before morning he might be scalped, or, what was worse, retained a prisoner to be tortured for their savage amusement. Several nights were passed in sleepless anxiety, and in vain endeavours to contrive some plan of escape. Among the neighbouring Cherokees was one named Siloue*e. Besides being a chief, he was also a cele brated pow-wow, or, as we should say, a wizard, or a conjuror. This man had known Colonel Bird for a considerable time, and had even eaten with him at his table. Siloue"e therefore felt a friendship for the colonel, and almost every night came to his tent, and appeared anxious to relieve him. He told him not to be alarmed, and even assured him that the Indians should not injure him. This assurance comforted Colonel Bird in some degree ; but, as Silouee was only one among many chiefs, he feared that his influence would not be sufficient to protect him from the vio lence of the revengeful savages. At length a general council of the chiefs and old men of the tribe was held, and, contrary to SiloueVs expectation, it was determined that Colonel Bird *hould be put to death in revenge for the loss of their countrymen. It was in vain that Silouee earnest 1\ pleaded for his friend, urging that he had no hand in the murder of their two countrymen. The unani mous decision was against him. Two warriors were now despatched to Colonel Bird's tent, to execute the cruel sentence that had been pronounced against him. Siloue'e insisted on SILOUEE. 881 accompanying them. On reaching the tent, Siloue'e rushed in before them, threw himself on the bosom of his friend, and, as soon as the two warriors ap proached, he exclaimed, " This man is my Mend ; before you take him, you must kill me." Overawed by the magnanimous determination of Siloue'e, the warriors returned to the council and re lated to their brethren what they had seen. Indians entertain the greatest respect for a faithful friend. The consultation was renewed. The noble c.onduct of Siloue'e touched their better feelings, and altered their purpose. They could not put to death a white man who was the friend of Silouee ; they, therefore, released Colonel Bird, and bid him go to his home in peace. Silouee was his guide and protector, and not till they came in sight of Colonel Bird's tent did he leave him. As they parted, Silouee's last words to bis friend were, " When you see poor Indian in fear of death from cruel white men, remember Silouee." The strong tendency to superstition in the Indian mind furnishes a powerful inducement to the more bold and crafty among them to assume the character of pow-wows, medicine-men, and even prophets. Every thing among the Indians of great efficacy and power in short, every thing that is inexplicable is a " medicine," and " medicine-men" are held in almost as great respect as the warriors and braves " Medicine-men" are a sort of jugglers, and they affect much mystery in preparing and administering their nostrums. Incredible stories are related of their powers and performances, many of which we pre- THRILLING ADVENTURES. Bume never took place, except in the imaginations jf the ignorant hunters and trappers who were imposed on by the dexterity of these audacious quacks. A medicine is also a charm which every Indian, who has arrived at the age of manhood, carries about him. It is usually the dried skin of some animal, such as a beaver, an otter, a fox, weasel, raven, or some other bird; but, whatever it may be, it is preserved by them with the most superstitious care. In no in stance have they been tempted to sell a " medicine" to the white man, however great the price offered ; and at their death it is invariably buried with its owner. Some years after Colonel Bird's life had been saved by Silou6e, he became a Virginian planter, and took up his residence near the James river, where he cul tivated tobacco. Silouee, we have already stated, was &pow-wow; he retained his friendship for Colonel Bird, of whom he was now a near neighbour. Like many of his nation, he had, by his intercourse with white men, acquired a great taste for " strong wa ters," as they call intoxicating spirits, and the dignity of the chief was often clouded over by drunkenness. On one occasion, Colonel Bird had gone to another part of the country, forty or fifty miles distant, on business, and had left the care of his plantation to an overseer. The tobacco had obtained some size, and a long drought coming on, there was a prospect of the crop being much injured. One day, when Si- loue came to the plantation, the overseer expressed regret that the tobacco was taking so much SILOUEE. 888 harm ; " indeed," continued he, " it will be entirely lost, if we have not rain soon." " Well," said the Indian, " what will you give me if I bring you rain ?" " You bring rain ?" said the overseer, laughing. " Me can," said the Indian. " Give me two bottles turn only two, and me bring rain enough." The overseer cast his^eyes towards the heavens, but could discern no appearance that foretold rain. To gratify the Indian, he promised to give him the two bottles of rum when Colonel Bird arrived, in case the rain should come speedily and save the crop of tobacco. Silouee now fell to pow-wowing with all his might, making grimaces, contorting his body, and uttering Bi range, unintelligible ejaculations. It was a hot, close day, and it so happened that towards evening, the sky, which had been clear for some weeks, clouded over, and the appearance of the heavens was strongly in favour of rain. Before mid night, thunder was heard, and heavy showers of rain watered the colonel's plantation thoroughly ; while it was remarked that the showers were so partial that the neighbouring plantations were left almost as dry as they were before. The Indian waited quietly till the rain was over, and then walked away. A few days after, the colonel returned to the plantation, and, when Silouee heard of his arrival, he went immedi ately to visit him. " Master Bird," said he, " me come for my two bot> ties rum." 534 THRILLING ADVENTURE";. "Your two bottles of rum," exclaimed tlie colonel, pretending not to know any thing of the matter ; " pray, do I owe you two bottles of rum ?" " You do," replied the Indian. " How so ?" inquired the colonel. " Me bring you rain me save your crop," said the Indian. " You bring rain," said the colonel ; " no such thing." " Me did," persisted the Indian ; " me loved you ; me tell overseer give two bottles rum, and then me bring rain. Overseer say he would ; me bring cloud, then rain ; now me want rum." " You saw the cloud," said Colonel Bird ; " you are a sad cheat." " Me no cheat," said the Indian ; " me saw no cloud; me bring cloud." "Well, well," said the colonel, "you are an old friend, and you shall have the rum, since you beg so hard for it. But mind you, it is not for the rain. The Great Spirit sent the rain, not you." " Well," said the Indian, "your tobacco had rain upon it why others have none? Answer that, colonel, if you can." Although the North American Indians have never been found idolaters ; yet, like all ignorant people, they are exceedingly superstitious. Some of their superstitions, connected with religious beliefs, are very curious, as they bear so much resemblance to the Mosaic account of the Creation and the Deluge as to leave hardly a doubt of their having some tradition SILOUEE. 3W of those events; but, from the art of writing being totally unknown among them, the wonder is that any similarity in the account should have been preserved through so many ages. As might be expected, different tribes have their own peculiar superstitions ; but all agree in the belief Tin one All- wise, Supreme Being, whom they call the Grea* Spirit, or Master of Life ; that he created the world and all good things, and that he rewards good actions, both in this world and in a future life. Their heaven, or place of reward, they imagine to be a delightfully warm country, where game of all kinds is very abundant, and where corn and fruits grow without the trouble of cultivation. Their imagined place of punishment is a climate of extreme cold ; barren, and covered with eternal snows. The torments of this freezing place they de scribe as the most excruciating ; but they also believe that those who go there will suffer for a time propor tioned to their transgressions, and that they will then be admitted into the land of happiness. Some of the Indian tribes observe an annual reli gious ceremony, for which great preparations are made beforehand. On the appointed morning there ap pears at a distance a man whom they recognise by the name of Nu-mock-muck-a-nah, which means, the first or only man. He slowly and with great gravity enters the village, telling the assembled people that he is just arrived from the West. His body is painted red ; he is dressed in the skins of white wolves ; his head-dress is made of ravens' feathers, and in his 836 T TRILLING ADVENTURES. hand he carries an enormous pipe. At his approach, the medicine-lodge, which till then had been most scrupulously kept shut, is thrown open, and the floor is seen strewn with green willow branches and the most fragrant herbs that can be collected. It is like wise whimsically ornamented with buffalo and human sculls. The first man now proceeds to every lodge or wig wam that composes the village, and demands from each a knife, an axe, or some such tool; and these are readily given to be sacrificed ; " for, with these things," say they, " the great canoe was built." These articles are then deposited in the medicine- lodge, with profound veneration, until the ceremonies are all over, and they are then sacrificed by being thrown into the water. At sunrise, on the following morning, Nu-mock- muck-a-nah opens and enters the medicine-lodge ; a number of young men follow him, who, after lying on the floor in perfect silence and fasting till -their strength is almost exhausted, voluntarily submit to the most cruel tortures, during which several annu ally perish ; but those who survive are recompensed by having acquired the honourable title of " Braves/ and the hope of this distinction enables them to en dure the most agonizing pain without flinching. The conductor of the ceremonies now enters the lodge. He is painted yellow, and wears a cap of buf falo skin ; he receives the great pipe from the first man, who immediately leaves the lodge and returns to the West, not to make his appearance again till *he next annual celebration. SILOUEE. 887 During the first three days, there is a great va riety of dances and curious songs and ceremonies per formed in front of the medicine-lodge, by persons fan tastically dressed and painted for the occasion. They are performed round an elevated mound of earth, about six feet in diameter, and as many in height, on the top of which is placed with the greatest venera tion a model of " the great canoe" The principal actors in this scene are eight persons * variously painted and nearly naked, but all carrying wreaths of willow in their hands; the season when this interesting ceremony takes place being uniformly as soon as this tree is in full leaf; for the Indians say that " the twig which the dove brought to the great canoe had leaves upon it" They consider this bird as eacred, and never attempt to destroy it. On the third day, in the midst of all this* dancing and festivity, the village appears to be suddenly thrown into the utmost confusion by the approach of a man who is seen running about apparently in great trouble. He is naked and painted black, with the exception of his face, which is frightfully daubed with red and white. He is called by the Indians the "Evil Spirit" He runs from lodge to lodge, and be haves with the greatest rudeness to all whom he meets ; but he is constantly frustrated in his evil de- gigns by the conductor, who thrusts his great pipe be tween him and those whom he assails. At length he is fairly driven out, and the village is again restored to tranquillity. * The number? of persons who went into the ark. 43 2V 838 THRILLING ADVENTURES. & Buffalo THE buffalo hunt is, next to an Indian battle, the most intensely exciting scene which may be witnessed among the wilds of the West. To the buffalo, the Indian looks for food, for clothing, and for religious and household implements. The hunting of that ani mal he regards as a duty as well as a pleasure ; and when once it is rumoured through a village that a herd of buffaloes is in sight, then warriors who have faced death in a hundred forms bring out their swiftest horses and spring upon them ; and when the whole party rushes across the field to engage the bellowing herd, a scene is presented for which it would be vain to look for a parallel, not merely amid the tame for malities of civilized life, but even among the deserts and cane-brakes of Africa or the jungles of India. The Indians have several methods of attacking buffaloes. The most exciting, as well as most danger* ous one, is that in which they surround the herd for A BUFFALO HUNT. , 341 the purpose of destroying it. The hunters, well mounted on their buffalo horses, and armed with bows and arrows or long lances, divide themselves into two columns, take opposite directions, and at the distance of a mile or more draw gradually around the herd, and having formed a circle, close upon their prey at regular distances. On perceiving the danger, the herd run in the opposite direction, but the horsemen rush in full speed to their front, and by brandishing their weapons and yelling, they turn the dense mass in an opposite direction. Here they are met and foiled in a similar manner. By this means, the hun ters soon unite their parties, thus forming a continu ous line around the herd. By this time the buffaloes are wheeling about in a crowded and confused mass, wounding and climbing upon each other. Then the work of death commences. Galloping round and round, the fierce hunters drive their arrows and lances to the hearts of their trembling victims. Some times the animals, infuriated by deadly wounds, plunge furiously forward, and, bearing down horse and rider, gore and crush the former, while the Indian escapes by running. Sometimes the herd suddenly divides into two; and the horsemen, blinded by clouds of dust, are wedged in among the crowding beasts, when their only chance of escape is to leap over the backs of the herd, leaving the horses to their fate. Occasionally a buffalo selects a particular horseman and pursues him at full speed, until, when stooping to lift the horse upon his iorns, he receives in the side the warrior's shaft. Some of the Indians, when pursued, throw 8*3 812 THRILLING ADVENTURES. their buffalo robe over the horns and eyes of the in furiated animal, and dashing by its side, drive their weapon to its heart. Others suddenly dash off upon the prairies in pursuit of the few who have separated from the throng. These are soon brought down. In a few minutes the hunt is changed into a desperate bdttle, and gradually the whole mass of buffaloes sink in death. A new scene immediately succeeds the work of car nage. The hunters, leading their horses by the bridle, move among the dead and dying animals, and draw ing the weapons from their sides, claim their prey by the private marks on the arrows. " Among the poor affrighted creatures (says an eye-witness to one of these scenes) that has occasionally dashed through the ranks of their enemy, and sought safety in flight upon the prairie, I saw them stand a while looking back, when they turned, and as if bent on their own de struction, retraced their steps and mingled themselves and their deaths with those of the dying throng. Others had fled to a distance on the prairies, and for want of company had stood and gazed on until the battle scene was over, when they fell easy victims to the pursuer's weapons." After all the animals have been claimed, the war riors hold a council, and, after smoking a few pipes, ride into their village to announce the result. Of course every thing is there in commotion, and soon long processions of dogs and women issue forth, skin and cut up the prey, and return amid loud acclama tions to their homes. SUFFERINGS OF BARD's FAMILY. 848 ^buffering* of pta(a THE cruelty of the Indians to their captives taken m war is proverbial. A detail of the tortures which they f( rmerly inflicted upon such, would shock and sicken the modern reader. Happily these atrocities are now much less common than formerly, even among the tribes which still retain their primitive strength and independence. The silent, but powerful influence of association or intercourse with the whites has not failed to produce a gratifying effect ; while the com paratively small number of wars among different tribes tends to render them more friendly in peace, more humane in war. But when the entire tract from the Alleghanies to the Pacific swarmed with fierce and populous tribes, embroiled in endless wars with each other, and possessing nothing in common, save hatred to the English settlers, the sufferings endured by the unfortunates who fell into Indian hands were indeed dreadful. Perhaps no States suffered more than Virginia and Pennsylvania. The history of our western counties, Alleghany, Westmoreland, Bedford, and others, is one continuous narrative of massacre conflagration, and devastation. The family of Richard Bard resided on the Carroll tract, in Adams county. On the 13th of April, 1758, his house was attacked by nineteen Delaware Indians. Bard and his wife, two children, a servant boy, and Lieutenant Potter, a relative, were within. As the foremost Trdifins rushed in. one of them aimed a h!>w 44 THRILLING ADVENTURES. at Potter with a large cutlass ; this he dodged und wrested the weapon from the owner. Bard snapped a pistol, which alarmed the savages, and they retreated from the house. But the odds were so great that Bard, fearing they would fire the house, surrendered. Two other men and a boy were taken in a field, and the Indians, having plundered the house and fired the adjoining mill, set out on their return. By this time the neighbourhood had become alarmed, and a party of white men were forming to pursue the savages. Aware of this, the latter hurried their re treat toward the Alleghanies. Now the sufferings of the prisoners began. At a little distance from the house, Potter was killed and scalped ; soon after the smaller child was tomahawked and scalped. One of the men found in the field shared a like fate. The remaining prisoners were hurried through forests and over mountains, and subjected to every extreme of toil and hunger. A council was held to determine upon Bard's fate. At its close one half of his face was painted red, to indicate that the warriors were equally divided respecting his fate. Toward evening he was employed with his wife in picking a turkey. At this time some of the Indians were lying down, and others amusing themselves with articles of dress. Bard re solved on attempting an escape, and communicated the. design to his wife. Soon after being sent to a spring for water, he effected his purpose, while Mrs. 3ard amused the Indians with one of her gowns. JYer an unsuccessful search, they proceeded to fort !jquesne and thence down the river to Kuskusky. SUFFERINGS OF BARD*S FAMILY. 845 Here the Indians pulled arid scratched the faces of Mrs. Bard and her children, and then beat them in an unmerciful manner. Daniel McManimy, one of the captured men, was detained outside the town. The Indians surrounded him, beat him with sticks and tomahawks, tied him to a post, tortured him with burning coals and scalped him. They passed red-hot gun barrels over his body, and stabbed him with bayonets heated to fusing until he expired. After this tragedy the Indians separated Mrs Bard from her children, and carried her into one of their councils. Two squaws approached and struck her or the face ; but this insult was condemned by the war riors as a breach of decorum. A chief took her by the hand, and delivered her to two Indians as a sub stitute for a deceased sister. She lived as such aLout a month, and was then taken to the head waters of the Susquehanna. The journey was so fatiguing that she was taken sick, and remained so nearly two months. She remained in captivity two years and five months, when she was ransomed, together with her children, by Mr. Bard. He, after effecting his escape, had wan dered about from one settlement to another, in quest of his wife ; and on more than one occasion narrowly escaped death from the Indians. He afterwards lived on friendly terms with one of the Indians who had toted as brother to his wife. THRILLING ADVENTURES. AMONG the first tribes of the Great Oregon Tern* tory, which established friendly intercourse with the United States traders, were the Omahas. The boast of these Indians was a chief named Blackbird, who was a steadfast friend of the white men and the ter ror of the neighbouring hostile tribes. Such were his skill, courage, and success in war, that friends and foes regarded him as enchanted. He delighted in trials of strength or agility, in which he always came off victorious. In addition to these qualities, he pos sessed a secret which rendered him more than human in the eyes of his barbarous followers. This was an acquaintance with the properties of arsenic, which he had obtained from a white trader. Whenever he was displeased with an Indian, he prophesied his death before a certain day, and the sure accomplishment of the prophecy rendered Blackbird an object of terror and reverence. On one occasion the Poncas made an incursion into Blackbird's territory, and carried away a number of ivomen and horses. He immediately collected his warriors and pursued them. The Poncas sheltered themselves behind a rude embankment, but their per severing enemy, gaining a good position, poured upon them a well-directed fire, which did fearful execu tion. The Ponca chief despatched a herald with the calumet, but he was immediately shot; a second herald experienced the same treatment. The chie BLACKBIRD. 847 taint d.\<ighter, a young maiden of much personal beaut ;, then appeared before the stern foe, dressed with exquisite taste, and bearing the calumet. Black bird's heart softened, he accepted the sacred emblem, and concluded a peace with his enemy. The pledge given ttful received was the beautiful Ponca maiden as wif. to the fierce chieftain of Omaha. For >.he first time the heart of Blackbird felt the genial influence of love. He loved the young crea ture v,ho had saved her tribe, with all the ardour of untutored nature. But he was still a savage, and sometimes ungovernable bursts of rage would trans port him beyond all bounds of affection or decency. In one of these, his beloved wife unwittingly offended him. He instantly drew his knife and laid her dead with a single blow. The dreadful deed calmed him in a moment. For a little while he looked at the beautiful corpse in stupid grief, and then, with his head wrapped in his robe, he sat down beside it. He ate no food, spake no word for three days. The re monstrances of his people were received with silence, and no one dared to uncover his face. At length one of them brought in a small child, and placed the foot of the unhappy warrior on its neck. Blackbird was moved by the significant appeal, and throwing asido his robe, he arose and delivered an oration. The Omaha tribe were greatly thinned by small pox, and to this loathsome disease their great chief tain fell victim. His dying request was bold and fan ciful. Near the source of the Missouri is a high soli* tary rock, round which the river winds in a nearly 348 THRILLING ADVENTURES. circular direction, and which commands a view of the adjacent country for many miles around. There Black bird bad often sat to watch for tl.e canoes of the white traders, and there it was his dying request to be buried. He was- to be mounted upon his horse, com pletely armed, so as to overlook his lands, and watch for the coining boat of the white men. His orders were obeyed ; and on that same high promontory, over the tomb of the Indian warrior was raised his national banner, capped with the scalps which he had taken in battle. Of course the Indians regard the rock with superstitious reverence, and have their own stories of the scenes which occasionally take place on and around it. THIS ceremony seems to be peculiar to the Assm- neboin Indians. A small fire is made on a hard-trod den pavement in front of the village, and round this the dancers, generally young men, collect each seated upon a buffalo robe spread on the ground. The presiding genius is a chief, sometimes a medicine man, who, with a long pipe in his hand, seats him self by the fire, and smokes with a fervour and per severance worthy the dignity of an Indian ceremony. Occasionally he harmonizes the surrounding uproar by a song uttered in half-strangled gutturals, intelligible only to himself. Meanwhile; an equally august per- III! 'ill! 1 '" ESCAPE FROM TORTTRE. 351 sonage beats on a drum, modifying its music by a song, wholly independent of the pipe-smokers. In a little while, one of the young men leaps from the ground, and, while singing in time with the taps of the drum, leaps about off of one foot and on to the othet in the most violent manner. In this way he goe? round the circle several times, brandishing his fists in the face of each one seated, and at length jerking one of them forcibly to his feet. Both now dance and sing, until at length another is dragged out, who, in his turn, drags another. The whole party then join in frightful yells, and gesticulations so violent that the earth seems to shake under their feet. Mean while, the master of ceremonies sits with the utmost coolness, puffing clouds of smoke, and merrily grunt ing his inimitable song. The dance usually lasts nearly an hour, and closes with piercing yells and barkings, like those uttered by frightened dogs. from orture A RENOWNED Muscoghee warrior, named 013 Scranny, was taken prisoner by the Shawanoe war riors and condemned to the fiery torture. After beat ing him with their customary barbarity, he was tied to a stake and subjected to the most exquisite suffer ings. These he bore with entire unconcern ; at the same time returning the taunts of his persecutors 852 THRILLING ADVENTJRES. with all the scorn of an Indian warrior. He called them squaws and old women ; told them that his fame in his own nation, which was great, had all been achieved at their expense ; that they knew not how to die, and he longed to teach them. He con fessed that, through some impurity or other, he had forfeited the protection of the Great Spirit, and de- Berved to die ; but that he still retained virtue suffi cient to enable him to punish himself much more effectually than they could. This he engaged to prove, if they would release him and hand him one of the hot gun-barrels out of the fire. The proposal was rendered more bold by his manner of making it; and the curiosity of the Indians being excited, they agreed to grant him an opportunity. He was not slow in furnishing an exhibition of his skill. No sooner had he laid hold of the gun-barrel, then, brandishing it from side to side, he forced his way through the armed but astonished multitude, leaped down a high, steep precipice into the river, dived through it, ran over a small island, passed an other bank, amid a shower of bullets from the garri son at New Windsor, and gained a thick bramble bush, where he remained secure. From this he soon after started ; and, though numbers of his eager ene mies were in pursuit, he succeeded in reaching his own tribe. He war ever afterwards a terrible scourge to the Shawanoes, PERILOUS ADVENTURE OF CAPTAIN BRADY. 85S &fcbentur* of Captain IN the days when there were more red men than white in western Pennsylvania, little parties, each under a favourite leader, were frequently sent into the woods as rangers, to guard against surprise. One of these, commanded by Captain Samuel Brady, was sent into " French Creek country," in Butler county. On reaching the waters of Slippery Rock, a branch of the Beaver, he discovered an Indian trail, and pur sued it until dark. On the following morning, he recommenced the pursuit, and came up with the In dians while they were seated at breakfast. He im mediately fired. Suddenly he also received a fire from the rear ; and now perceived, for the first time, that he had himself been pursued by a second party of Indians. He was now between two parties. The battle cry of those in the rear was fiercely answered by those in front. Two of his men fell at the first fire, and his own tomahawk was shot from his side. There being no chance of successful defence, Brady's men fled in all directions. The captain was 'well known to the Indians as one of their most dan gerous foes, and, thirsting for revenge, they passed by his men so as to secure him. The country was un known to him, and he unconsciously took the road to the creek, the channel of which ran between deep and precipitous kinks, twenty-three feet apart. Sure of securing their enemy, the Indians uttered a 45 S^4 THRILLING ADVENTURES. of triumph as, throwing down their guns, they seized their tomahawks and bent forward to the chase. The captain had, long before this, resolved, as a rule of conduct, never to be captured by the Indians. On observing the creek, he comprehended at a glance what was his only chance of escape, and, summoning his every effort, he sprang toward the opposite shore. A moment after, the Indians arrived to see their prey on the bank coolly loading his rifle. " Brady make good jump," exclaimed the chief, as he darted away in a zigzag course to avoid the captain's fire. Soon after, Brady met his remaining three men at a place previously appointed, and the little party set out for Pittsburgh. Three Indians had been seen to fall by their first fire. jfet&rg of Indian NARRATIVES of revenge and bloodshed should be interesting to an enlightened mind only so far as, by illustrating human nature, they may be rendered effectual in reforming it. The morbid mind, which can dwell upon scenes of horror only for the purposes of curiosity and amusement, might, if divested of the restraints of civilized society, join the untutored sa vage in his war-whoop and scalp-dance. The intrin sic difference between the wild red man and the edu cated white man lies not so much in the training of the head as of the heart; arid, while we condemn STORY OF INDIAN REVENGte. 855 the former for his cruelty and thirst for revenge, it would be well for us to beware of imbibing 'an appe tite of mere curiosity for the narratives in which such characteristics are set forth. , In September, 1823, an Indian, named Abraham Antone, was executed for murder in Madison county, New York. The history of this individual is a pic ture of some of the darkest passions of human na ture. He never forgot an injury, and never failed to avenge one. When angry, his appearance was fright ful. One evening, on entering his wigwam, he found his child, about five months old, crying. Snatching it from the mother's arms, he buried it in a bed of hot coals, accompanying the action with expressions which made even the Indian mother tremble. In 1810, his daughter Mary became attached to a young man, member of another tribe, but who soon left her for a more agreeable partner. Nature had bequeathed to Mary a portion of her father's disposition. She visited her rival, stabbed her to the heart, and was executed at Smithfield. A gentleman, named Jacobs, who had been active in her arrest, was the principal witness against her. Antone threatened to kill him, and Ja cobs, knowing that such a promise from his enemy was never compromised, left the county. Thus foiled, the Indian changed his tactics, acknowledged the in justice of his former threat, and invited his victim to return He did return, and had an interview with Antone, while hoeing corn with a number of men in a field. The Indian grasped his hand, exclaiming <4 How d'ye do, brother/' and stabbed him three timt* $56 THRILLING ADVENTURES. under the ribs with a long knife, whkh he held ii his sleeve. Before the bystanders could recover fn>m their horroi, he uttered a loud yell and bounded away. That night a party of Indians set out in pur suit of him. He had encamped in a thick copse of underbrush, and was provided with dogs to give alarm if any one approached. In his rear he had, with much labour, cut a path in the almost impassa ble thicket. The plan completely succeeded An- tone fleeing through the narrow path at the first alarm and effecting his escape. Soon after a party of about thirty white men and Indians traced him to a second hiding-place; but again he succeeded in escaping. After this he went constantly armed with a rifle, two or three knives, and, as was supposed, a brace of pistols. Besides, he was generally accom panied by his two sons, well armed, and one or two of his brothers. On one occasion two large Indians, having ascertained that Antone was alone, repaired to his camp for the purpose of capturing him. He was making a broom ; but, hearing a rustling at tho entrance of the thicket, he quickly seized his rifle, and, as the foremost entered, pointed it toward him, declaring that if he advanced a step further he would shoot him dead. They stopped, and, after parleying for some time, withdrew. His rifle was unloaded! The adventure increased his recklessness. He boasted of having scared two Indians with an empty rifle, and at length passed through the towns and villages in open day. At his trial he pleaded not guilty. The witnesses MANDAN BULL DANCE. 857 against him were principally Indians ; but their tes timony was ^iven with carefulness and precision, and the evidence wag conclusive. 'His counsel rested the defence on the ground that New York had no crimi nal jurisdiction over the Indian tribes within her ter ritory ; but this the court overruled, and Antone was sentenced to be hanged on Friday, September 12, 1823. In his character, the evils of savage life and of jivil- ized society were blended, while, apparently, he was destitute of the manly virtues of the one, and of the softening influence of the other. Slant*. THE Bull Dance is one of the great religious ceremonies of the Mandans, preparatory to the cruel ordeal through which their young men pass before they are admitted to the dignity of braves. These religious rites are held annually, and the inhabitai ts of each village look forward to their return with det p interest. The occasion brings together men, women, and children, and such is the effect of superstition, that the stoutest warriors tremble on account of the evil influence which at that time is supposed to per vade the air. The great mystery lodge is opened, strown with herbs and boughs arid adorned with groupes of buffalo and of human skulls. During the first day a mysterious personage, Known as the First 858 THRILLING ADVENTURES or only man, passes from one lodge to another, relating the sad catastrophe which had happened on the earth's surface by the overflowing of the waters, and affirm ing " that he was the only person saved from the uni versal calamity; that he landed his big canoe on a high mountain in the west, where he now resides, that he had come to open the medicine lodge which must needs receive a present of some edged tool from the owner of every wigwam, that it may be sacrificed to the water, for if this is not done there will be another flood, and no one will be saved, as it was with such tools that the big canoe was made." The tool is always given, and deposited in the medicine lodge. During the night, no one is able to ascertain where this strange being sleeps ; all living things are kept within doors, and dead silence reigns throughout the village. On the following morning he again appears, followed by the young men who are candidates for torture, and who, with their leader, enter the medicine lodge. Here they remain for four days, fasting and praying to the Great Spirit. During this period they are cut off from intercourse with the villages, and meanwhile, the Bull Dance takes place outside. The ceremony is thus described by Catlin " This very curious and exceedingly grotesque part >t their performance, one of the avowed objects for which they held this annual fete ; and to the strictest observance of which they attribute the coming of buffaloes to supply them with food during the season is repeated four times during the first day, eight times on the second day, twelve times on the third day, and MANDAN BULL DANCE. 861 sixteen times on the fourth day ; and always around the curb, or e lig canoe,' of which I have before spoken, " The principal actors in it were eight men, with the entire skins of buffaloes thrown over their backs, with the horns and hoofs and tails remaining on; their bodies in a horizontal position, enabling them to imi tate the actions of the buffalo, whilst they were look ing out of its eyes as through a mask. " The bodies of these men were chiefly naked, and all painted in the most extraordinary manner, with the nicest adherence to exact similarity ; their limbs, bodies, and faces, being in every part covered, either with black, red, or white paint. Each one of these strange characters had also a lock of buffalo's hair tied around his ancle in his right hand a rattle, and a slender white rod or staff, six feet long, in the other ; and carried on his back, a bunch- of green willow boughs, about the usual size of a bundle of straw. These eight men, being divided into four pairs, took their positions on the four different sides of the curb or big canoe, representing thereby the four cardinal points ; and between each group of them, with the back turned to the big canoe, was another figure, en gaged in the same dance, keeping step with them, with a similar staff or wand in one hand and a rattle in the other, and (being four in number) answering again to the four cardinal points. The bodies of these four young men were chiefly naked, with no other dress upon them than a beautiful kelt or quartz-quaw, around the waist, made of eagles' quills and ermine, and very splendid head-dresses made of the sam 2 IT 862 THRILLING ADVENTURES. materials. Two of these figures were painted en tirely black with pounded charcoal and grease, whom they called the ' firmament or night/ and the numer ous white spots which were dotted all over their bodies, they called < stars/ The other two were painted from head to foot as red as vermilion could make them; these they said represented the day, and the white streaks which were painted up and down over theii bodies, were * ghosts which the morning rays were chasing away.' " This most remarkable scene, then, which is wit nessed more or less often on each day, takes place in presence of the whole nation, who are generally gathered around, on the tops of the wigwams or other wise, as spectators, whilst the young men are reclin ing and fasting in the lodge as above described. On the first day, this ' bull dance is given once to each of the cardinal points, and the medicine-man smokes his pipe in those directions. On the second day, twice to each; three times, to each on the third day, aiid/owr times to each on the fourth. As a signal for the dancers and other characters (as well as the pub lic) to assemble, the old man, master of ceremonies, with the medicine-pipe in hand, dances out of the lodge, singing (or rather crying) forth a most pitifu lament, until he approaches the big canoe, against which he leans, with the pipe in his hand, and con tinues to cry. At this instant, four very aged and patriarchal looking men, whose bodies are painted red, and who have been . guarding the four sides of the lodge, enter it and bring out the four sacks of water, MANDAN BULL DANCE. *hich they place near the big canoe, where they scat themselves by the side of them and commence thump ing on them with the mallets or drum sticks which have been lying on them; and another brandishes and shakes the eeh-na-dees or rattles, and all unite to them their voices, raised to the highest pitch possible, as the music for the bull dance, which is then com* menced and continued for fifteen minutes or more in perfect time, and without cessation or intermission. When the music and dancing stop, which are always perfectly simultaneous, the whole nation raise the huzza! and a deafening shout of approbation; the master of ceremonies dances back to the medicine^ lodge, and the old men return to their former place ; the sacks of water, and all rest as before, until by the same method they are again called into a similar action. " The supernumeraries or other characters who play their parts in this grand spectacle are numerous and well worth description. By the side of the big canoe are seen two men with the skins of grizzly beara thrown over them, using the skins as a mask, over their heads. These ravenous animals are continually growling and threatening to devour every thing before them, and interfering with* the forms of their religious ceremony. To appease them, the women are con tinually bringing and placing before them dishes of meat, which are as often snatched up and carried to the prairie, by two men whose bodies are painted black and their heads white, whom they call bald eagles, who are darting by them and grasping their 864 THRILLING ADVENTURES. food from before them as they pass. These are again chasad upon the plains by a hundred or more small hoys, who are naked, with their bodies painted yellow and their heads white, whom they call Cabris or ante lopes ; who at length get the food away from them and devour it; thereby inculcating (perhaps) the beauti ful moral, that by the dispensations of Providence, his bountiful gifts will fall at last to the hands of the in nocent. " During each and every one of these dances, the old men who beat upon the sacks and sing, are earnestly chanting forth their supplications to the Great Spirit, for the continuation of his influence in sending them buffaloes to supply them with food during the year ; they are administering courage and fortitude to the young men in the lodge, by telling them, that ' the Great Spirit has opened his ears in their behalf- -that the very atmosphere all about them is peace that their women and children can hold the mouth of the grizzly bear that they have invoked from day to day 0-ke-hee-de (the evil spirit) that they are still challenging him to come, and yet he has not dared to make his appearance !' " But alas ! in the last of these dances, on the fourth day, in the midst of all their mirth and joy, and about noon, and in the height of all these exultations, an instant scream burst forth from the tops of the lodges men, women, dogs and all, seemed actually to howl and shudder with alarm, as 'they fixed their glaring eye-balls upon the prairie bluff, about a mile in the west, down the side of which a man was seen dea* MANDAN BULL DANCE. cending at full speed towards the village ! This strange character darted about in a zig-zag course in all directions on the prairie, like a boy in pursuit of a butterfly, until he approached the piquets of the vil lage, when it was discovered that his body was entirely naked, and painted as black as a negro, with pounded charcoal and bear's grease ; his body was therefore everywhere of a shining black, except occasionally white rings of an inch or more in diameter, which were marked here and there all over him ; and fright ful indentures of white around his mouth, resembling canine teeth. Added to his hideous appearance, he gave the most frightful shrieks and screams as he dashed through the village and entered the terrified group, which was composed (in that quarter) chiefly of females, who had assembled to witness the amuse ments which were transpiring around the * big canoe.' " This unearthly-looking creature carried in his two hands a wand or staff of eight or nine feet in length, with a red ball at the end of it, which he continually slid on the ground a-head of him as he ran. All eyes in the village, save those of the persons engaged in the dance, were centred upon him, and he made a desperate rush towards the women, who screamed for protection as they were endeavouring to retreat ; and falling in groups upon each other as they were struggling to get out of his reach. In this moment of general terror and alarm there was an instant check ! and all for a few moments were as silent aa death. " The old master of ceremonies, who had run from 866 THRILLING ADVENTURES. nis position at the big canoe, had met this monster of fiends, and having thrust the medicine-pipe before him, held him still and immovable under his charm! This check gave the females an opportunity to get out of his reach, and when they were free from their danger, though all hearts beat yet with the instant excitement, their alarm soon cooled down into the most exorbitant laughter and shouts of applause at his sudden defeat, and the awkward and ridiculous posture in which he was stopped and held. The old man was braced stiff by his side, with his eye-balls glaring him in the face, whilst the medicine-pipe held in its mystic chains his Satanic Majesty, annulling all the powers of his magical wand, and also depriv ing him of the power of locomotion ! Surely no two human beings ever presented a more striking group than these two individuals did for a few moments with their eye-balls set in direst mutual hatred upon each other; both struggling for the supremacy, relying on the potency of their medicine or mystery. The one held in check, with his body painted black, repre senting (or rather assuming to be) his sable majesty, 0-kee-hee-de, (the evil spirit,) frowning vengeance on fche other, who sternly gazed him back with a lock of exultation and contempt, as he held him in check and disarmed under the charm of his sacred mystery-pipe. " When the superior powers of the medicine-pipe (on which hang all these annual mysteries) had been thus fully tested and acknowledged, and the women had had requisite time to withdraw from the reach of this fiendish monster, the pipe was very gradually with- IkANDAN BULL DANCE. 367 drawn from before him, and he seemed delighted to recover the use of his limbs again, and power of changing his position from the exceedingly unpleas ant and really ridiculous one he appeared in, and was compelled to maintain, a few moments before; ren dered more superlatively ridiculous and laughable, from the further information, which I am constrained to give, of the plight in which this demon of terror and vulgarity made his entree into the midst of the Mandan village, and to the centre and nucleus of their first and greatest religious ceremony. * * * * " In this plight he pursued the groups of females, spreading dismay and alarm wherever he went, and consequently producing the awkward and exceedingly laughable predicament in which he was placed by the sudden check from the medicine-pipe, as I have above stated, when all eyes were intently fixed upon him, and all joined in rounds of applause for the success of the magic spell that was placed upon him ; all voices were raised in shouts of satisfaction at his de feat, and all eyes gazed upon him; of chiefs and of warriors matrons and even of their tender-aged and timid daughters, whose education had taught them to receive the moral of these scenes without the shock of impropriety, that would have startled a more fastidi ous and consequently sensual-thinking people. "After repeated attempts thus made, and thus de feated in several parts of the crowd, this blackened monster was retreating over the ground where the buffalo-dance was going on, and having swaggered against one of the men placed under the skin of a 68 THRILLING ADVENTURES. buffalo and engaged in the ' bull dance/ he started back, and placed himself in the attitude of a buffalo. " After t iis he paid *his visits to three others of the eight, in succession, receiving as before the deafening shouts of approbation which pealed from every mouth in the multitude, who were all praying to the Great Spirit to send them buffaloes to supply them with food during the season, and who attribute the coming of buffaloes for this purpose entirely to the strict and critical observance of this ridiculous and disgusting part of the ceremonies. "During the half hour or so that he had been jostled about amongst men and beasts, to the great amusement and satisfaction of the lookers-on, he seemed to have become exceedingly exhausted, and anxiously looking out for some feasible mode of escape. " In this awkward predicament he became the laughing-stock and butt for the women, who being no longer afraid of him, were gathering in groups around, to tease and tantalize him ; and in the midst of this dilemma, which soon became a very sad one one of the women, who stole up behind him with both hands full of yellow dirt dashed it into his face and eyes, and all over him, and his body being covered with grease, took instantly a different hue. He seemed heart-broken at this signal disgrace, and commenced crying most vehemently, when another caught his vvand from his hand, and broke it across her knee. It was snatched for by others, who broke it still into bits, and then threw them at him. His power was SCENE IN AN INDIAN COUNCIL. 36ft now gone his bodily strength was exhausted, and he made a bolt for the prairie he dashed through the crowd, and made his way through the piquets on the back part of the village, where were placed for the purpose, an hundred or more women and girls, who escorted him as he ran on the prairie for half a mile or more, beating him with sticks, and stones, and dirt, and kicks, and cuffs, until he was at length seen escaping from their clutches, and making the best of his retreat over the prairie bluffs, from whence he firs* appeared." With this the bull dance terminated jbir>gu!ar j&cra* in an Into i an (Council. AN institution among the Indians, similar to one among the ancient Jews, rendered it the duty of the nearest relative of a murdered man to pursue and punish the murderer. If he was a member of another tribe, 0ne from its number was chosen to satisfy tho demands of justice. Such an atonement being re quisite to the happiness of the deceased warrior in the world of spirits, was considered more as a religious duty than an act of revenge. The following anecdote forcibly illustrates this custom, together with an in novation of it rarely permitted among Indians. About the year 1780, an Indian had been murdered HI Westmoreland county, New York, by some un- inown white man. The chiefs met in council at Oneida, to determine what was to be done. One of 47 870 THRILLING ADVENTURES. the early settlers in the county was a Mr. Dean, who feeling curious, perhaps alarmed, at the proceedings around him, continued, through the friendship of an Indian, to obtain knowledge of their consultations. It by no means satisfied him; since from the office he held (judge of county courts) and his high standing among the white men, the chiefs urged that he was the proper one to make atonement. But he had been adopted by them as a son, and many of the warriors argued that this circumstance would nullify the virtue of the sacrifice. For several days the matter was debated without being decided. His friendly informant Apprized him of all that was done, and he continued to hope for the best. An effort to escape would have exposed him, with his wife, and children, to certain destruction. He adopted the pre caution of concealing from his family all knowledge of his situation, and as the council remained in ses sion his hopes of escape brightened. They were vain One night after retiring to rest, he heard the war- whoop, and then for the first time intimated to his wife that he feared a party was approaching to take. his life. After exhorting her to remain q.*i*t with the children, he went to an adjoining chamber, ad mitted the Indians and seated them in the outer room. They numbered eighteen, and were the principal men of the tribe. After a short interval, the senior chief arose and informed the judge that they had come to sacrifice him for their dead brother, and that he must prepare to die. To this disagreeable piece of infor mation he replied at length, affirming that as he was SCENE IN AN INDIAN COUNCIL. 871 an adopted son of the tribe, it would be wrong to re quire his blood for the wrong committed by a wicked white man, that he was not ready to die, that he could xiot leave his wife and children unprovided for, &,c The council listened with profound gravity and atten tion, and after he had finished, one of the chiefs re plied. The debate continued a long while, but evi dently little to the judge's favour. When about re signing himself to his doom, the noise of footsteps was heard, and suddenly a squaw entered. She was wife to the senior chief and the foster parent of the unfortunate white man. Though her entrance into a Bolemn council was entirely repugnant to all Indian notions of propriety, yet she was permitted to take her place in silence. Immediately after, another squaw entered, and she was as soon followed by another. Each of the three stood closely wrapped in a blanket, but said nothing. After a long pause, the presiding war rior bade them be gone. The wife replied that the council must change its determination, and leave her adopted son, the good white man, alone. The com mand was repeated. Suddenly each of the women, throwing aside her blanket, brandished a knife and declared that if the sentence were executed, she would plunge it into her bosom. So strange a scene amazed even Indians ; they regarded the unheard of pro- cedure of a woman's interfering with a national coun oil as an interposition of the Great Spirit. The will of their deity was implicitly obeyed, the decree re versed on the spot, and the judge dismissed with honour. B71 THRILLING ADVENTURES. Warratffce of an I&wpe from t& Infcian*, THE following is a narrative of Major Moses Van Cainpen, a member of the American army during the Revolution, and quarter-master to General Sullivan during the expedition of that officer against the In dian towns of the Genesee, in 1779. He distinguished himself in several skirmishes at Newtown and Hog Back Hill, and with his brother was famous in the border wars of the Susquehanna. The account of his captivity is given in his own words : On the return of the army, I was taken with the camp fever, and was removed to the fort which I had built in 78, where my father was still living. In the course of the winter I recovered my health, and my father's house having been burnt in '78 by the party which attacked the before-mentioned fort, my father requested me to go with him and a younger brother to our farm, about four miles distant, to make prepa rations for building another and raising some grain. But little apprehension was entertained of molesta tions from the Indians this season, as they had been so completely routed the year before. We left the fort about the last of March, accompanied by my uncle and his son, about twelve years old, and one Peter Pence. We had been on our farms about four or five .(ays, when, on the morning of the 30th of March, we were surprised by a party of ten Indians. My father was lunged through with a war-spear, his throat was cut, and he was scalped ; while mj brother ESCAPE FROM THE INDIANS. S7S tomahawked, scalped, and thrown into the fire before my eyes. While I was struggling with a warrior, the fellow who had killed my father drew his spear from his body and made a violent thrust at me. I shrank from the spear ; the savage who had hold of me turned it v/ith his hand, so that it only penetrated my vest and shirt. They were then satisfied with taking me prisoner, as they had the same morning taken ray uncle's little son and Pence, though they killed my uncle. The same party, before they reached us, had touched on the lower settlements of Wyoming, and killed a Mr. Upson, and took a boy prisoner of the name of Kogers. We were now marched off up Fishing creek, and in the afternoon of the same day we came to Huntington, where the Indians found four white men at a sugar camp, who fortunately discovered the Indians and fled to a house. The Indians only fired on them and wounded a Cap tain Kansom, when they continued their course till night. Having encamped and made their fire, we, the prisoners, were tied and well secured, five Indians lying on one side of us and five on the other. In the morning they pursued their course, and, leaving the waters of Fishing creek, touched the head-waters of Hemlock creek, where they found one Abraham Pike, his wife and child. Pike was made prisoner; but his wife and child they painted, and tcld Joggo, squaw, go home. They continued their course that day, and encamped the same night in the same man ner as the previous. It came into my mind that sometimes individuals performed wonderful actions 21 374 THRILLING ADVENTURES. and surmounted the greatest danger. I then decidtJ that these fellows must die, and thought of the plan to despatch them. The next day I had an opportu nity to communicate my plan to my fellow-prisoners. They treated it as a visionary scheme for three men to attempt to despatch ten Indians. ' I spread before them the advantages that three men would have over ten whon asleep; and that we would be the first pri< Boners that would be taken into their towns and vil lages after our army had destroyed their corn ; that we should be tied to the stake and suffer a cruel death. We had now an inch of ground to fight on, and if we failed it would only be death, and we might as well die one way as another. That day passed away, and, having encamped for the night, we lay as before. In the morning we came to the river, and saw their canoes. They had descended the river arid run their canoes upon Little Tunkhannock creek, so called. They crossed the river and set their canoes adrift. I renewed my suggestion to my companions to' despatch them that night, and urged them to decide the question. They agreed to make the trial; but how shall we do it ? was the question. Disarm them, and each take a tomahawk and come to close work at once. There are three of us; plant our blows with judgment, and three times three will make nine, and the tenth one we can kill at our leisure. They agreed to disarm them, and after that, one take possession of the guns and fire, at the one side of the four, and the other two take tomahawks on tha other side and despatch them. 1 observed ESCAPE FROM THE INDIANS. . 875 that would be a very uncertain way. The first shot fired would give the alarm ; they would discover it to be the prisoners, and might defeat us. I had to yield to their plan. Peter Pence was chosen to fire the guns ; Pike and myself to tomahawk. We cut fend carried plenty of wood to give them a good fire. The prisoners were tied and laid in their places. After I was laid down, one of them had occasion to use his knife; he dropped it at my feet; I turned my foot over it and concealed it ; they all lay down and fell asleep. About midnight I got up and found them in a sound sleep. I slipped to Pence, who rose ; I cut him loose and handed him the knife; he did the Bame for me, and I in turn took the knife and cut Pike loose. In a minute's time we disarmed them. Pence took his station at the guns. Pike and myself with our tomahawks took our stations. I was to tomahawk three on the right wing, and Pike two on the left. That moment Pike's two awoke, and were getting up. Here Pike proved a coward and lay down. It was a critical moment. I saw there was no time to be lost ; their heads turned up fair ; I de spatched them in a moment, and turned to my lot as per agreement, and, as I was about to despatch the last on my side of the fire, Pence shot and did good execution. There was only one at the off wing that his ball did not reach. His name was Mohawke, a stout, bold, daring fellow. In the alarm he jumped off about three rods from the fire. He saw it was the prisoners who made the attack, and, giving the war-whoop, he darted to take possession of the guns. 376 THRILLING ADVENTURES. I was as quick to prevent him ; the contest vi AS then between him and myself. As I raised my tomahawk, he turned quick to jump from me. I followed him and struck at him ; but, missing his head, my tomahawk struck his shoulder, or rather the back of his neck. He pitched forward and fell ; at the same time my foot slipped, and I fell by his side. We clinched ; his arm was naked ; he caught me round my neck. At the same time I caught him with my left arm around the body, and gave him a close hug ; at the same time feeling for his knife, but could not reach it. In our scuffle my tomahawk dropped out. My head was under the wounded shoulder, and almost suffocated me with his blood. I made a violent spring and broke from his hold. We both rose at the same time, and he ran. It took me some time to clear the blood from my eyes. My tomahawk had got covered up, and I could not find it in time to overtake him. He was the only one of the party that escaped. Pike was powerless. I always had a reverence for Christian devotion. Pike was trying to pray, and Pence swearing at him, charging him with cowardice, and saying it was no time to pray; he ought to fight. We were masters of the ground, and in possession of all their guns, blankets, match-coats. &-c. I then turned my attention to scalping them, and recovering the scalps of my father, brother, and others. I strung them all on my belt for safe-keep ing. We kept our ground till morning, and built a raft, it being near the bank of the river where they ESCAPE FROM THE INDIANS. 877 had encamped, about fifteen miles below Tioga Point. We got all our plunder on it, and set sail for "Wyo ming, the nearest settlement. Our raft gave way, when we made for land ; and we lost considerable property, though we saved our guns and ammunition, and took to land. We reached Wyalusing late in the afternoon. Came to the narrows ; discovered a smoke below, and a raft lying at the shore, by which we were certain that a party of Indians had passed us in the course of the day, and had halted for the night. There was no alternative for us but to rout them, or go over the mountain. The snow on the north side of the hill was deep. We knew from the appearance of the raft that the party must be small ; we had two rifles each ; my only fear was of Pike's coward ice. To know the worst of it, we agreed that I should ascertain their number, and give the signal for the attack. I crept down the side of the hill so near as to see their fires and packs, but saw no In dians. I concluded they had gone hunting for meat, and that this was a good opportunity for us to make off with their raft to the opposite side of the river. I gave the signal. They came and threw their packs on to the raft, which was made of small, dry pine timber. With poles and paddles we drove her briskly pcross the river, and had got nearly out of reach of shot when two o^ 4;hem came in. They fired ; their shots did no injury. We soon got under cover of an island, and went several miles. We had waded deep creeks through the day; the night was cold. 48 878 THRILLING 4.D VENTURE* landed on an island, and found a sink-hole, in which we niade our fire. After warming, we were alarmed by a cracking in the crust. Pike supposed the In dians had got on the island, and was for calling for quarters. To keep him quiet, we threatened him with his life. The stepping grew plainer, and seemed coming directly to the fire. I kept a watch, <md soon a noble racoon came under the light. I shot the ra coon, when Pike jumped up and called out, "* Quar ters, gentlemen ; quarters, gentlemen !" I took my game by the leg and threw it down by the fire. " Here, you cowardly rascal," I cried, " skin that and give us a roast for supper." The next night we reached Wyoming, and there was much joy to see us. We rested one day, and it being not safe to go to Northumberland by land, we procured a canoe, and, with Pence and my little cousin, we descended the river' by night. We came to Fort Jenkins before day, ^ here I found Colonel Kelly and about one hun dred men encamped out of the fort. He came across from the w^yt branch by the heads of Chillisquake to FisLlojr cr^ek, the end of the Nob mountain, so called /n j&Ai day where my father and brother were killed. Kr had buried my father and uncle. My brother wa^ burnt, a small part of him only was to be found. Colonel Kelly informed me that my mother and her children were in the fort, and it was thought that 1 was killed likewise. Colonel Kelly went into tl.e fort to prepare her mind to see me. I took off my belt of scalps and handed them to an officer to keep. EARLY SETTLERS OF BEDFORD COUNTY. 879 Human nature was not sufficient to stand the inter view. She had just lost a husband and a son, and one had returned to take her by the hand, and one, too, that she supposed was killed. Jkttto of ftfeftforfc MANY stories of Indian outrages and of daring per sonal adventure with the savages are still preserved by descendants of the early settlers of Bedford. In 1777, an attack was made upon the house of Mr. Tull, containing the old gentleman, his wife, and nine daughters, their only son being absent. A neighbour named Williams, and his son, were returning from some work on the road. Observing a smoke in the direction of Tull's house, they entered the garden. Here they found the old man just expiring, while near him lay an Indian paint-bag. They fled in terror to the fort; but next day a party returned to ascertain the fate of the survivors. The mother was found with the infant in her arms, both scalped, and at dif ferent distances were the remaining children all dead and scalped except one, who it was supposed had been burned. About the same time, a rather singular circum stance occurred in the neighbourhood of the Allegha- nies. A man, named Wells, after making considera ble improvement, was obliged, through dread of the Indians, to retire with his family to the adjacent 880 THRILLING ADVENTURES. fort. In the fall he returned to dig his potatoes, tak* ing with him six or seven men, a girl to cook, and a horse. After finishing their job, they made prepare tions to return on the following day. During the night, Wells dreamed that on his way he had been attacked and gored by a bull, and so strongly was he impressed by this circumstance, that he mentioned it to his companions together with his apprehension that something serious was about to occur. He again slept, and dreamed that, when about to shoot a deer, the main-spring of his gun broke, and he distinctly heard the crack of its spring. Lovers of the mar vellous will be pleased to hear, that, on his arising and examining his gun, the main-spring actually did break. The party now became alarmed, and, hastily despatching their breakfast, set out for the fort. The girl had already been sent forward on the horse. On the road, five Indians suddenly rose before Wells, and advanced with extended hands. His companions immediately fled. Not liking the looks of the near est Indian, Wells threw his useless rifle at him and ran. The Indians pursued; but, finding that he outran 'b^m^ they suddenly stopped and fired. All the balls struck him, but without much effect. Soon after he discovered his hidden companions, and beg ged them to fire; but they were afraid. He next overtook the girl, who, comprehending his danger, dismounted, and exhorted him to save himself, while she hid amongst the bushes. Destitute of a whip, he could get the horse only on a trot, and the Indians again got near enough to fire. One of the balls struck INDIAN ATTACK ON DOVER. . 381 him ill the hip, and lodged in his side. The report BO frightened the horse that he started off at full gal lop, thus enabling his rider to escape. The Indians were afterwards pursued, and four of them killed. Indian atiatfe on JHofosr, Keto IN 1689, that part of the town of Dover, lying on the first falls of the river Cocheco, contained five garrisoned houses. These were surrounded by timber walls, the gates of which were secured by bolts and bars. The garrisons, or rather families of these places, seem to have relapsed into a state of imaginary safety, neglecting the precautions which, at that early day. could not be neglected without risk of surprise and massacre. The Indians, some of whom were constantly prowling about the neighbourhood, were nut slow in discovering this criminal lethargy, nor in devising a plan to take advantage of it. Two of their women were to go to each of the garrisoned houses in the evening, and ask leave to lodge by the fire. At night, when all was hushed, they were to open the gates and give the signal by whistling ; upon which the assailants were to rush in and massacre or capture the garrisons. On the evening of Thursday, the 27th of June, 1789, two squaws applied to each of the garrisons for lodging, as they frequently did in time of peace. They were admitted into all but the younger Coffin's, 882 - THRILLING ADVENTURES. and the people, at their request, showed them how to open the doors, in case they should have occasion to go out in the night. Mesandowit, one of their chiefs, went to Waldron's garrison, and was kindly enter tained, as he had often been before. The squaws told the major that a number of Indians were com ing to trade with him the next day, and Mesandowit, while at supper, with his usual familiarity, said, " Brother Waldron, what would you do if the strange Indians should come?" The major carelessly an- ewered, that he could assemble a hundred men by lifting up his finger. In this unsuspecting confidence the family retired to rest. When all was quiet, the gates were opened and the signal given. The Indians entered, set a guard at the door, and rushed into the major's apartment, which was an inner room. Awakened by the noise, he jumped out of bed, and, though now advanced in life to the age of eighty years, he retained so much vigour as to drive them with his sword through two or three doors ; but, as he was returning for his other arms, they came behind him, stunned him with a hatchet, drew him into his hall, and, seating him in an elbow chair on a long table, insultingly asked him, " Who shall judge Indians now ?" They then obliged the people in the house to get them some victuals, and, when they had done eating, they cut the major across the breast and belly with knives, each one with a stroke, saying, " I cross out my account." They then cut off his nose and ears, forcing them into his mouth, and, when spent with the loss of INDIAN ATTACK ON DOVER- 883 blood, he was falling down from the table, one of them held his own sword under him, which put an end to his misery. They also killed his son-in-law, Abraham Lee ; but took his daughter Lee with seve ral others, and, having pillaged the house, set it on fire. Otis's garrison, which was next to the major's, met with the same fate. He was killed, with several others, and his wife and child were made prisoners, Hoard's was t saved by the barking of a dog just as the Indians were entering. Elder Wentworth, whc was awakened by the noise, pushed them out, and falling on his back set his feet against the gate, and held it till he had alarmed the people ; two balls were fired through it, but both missed him. Coffin's house was surprised ; but, as the Indians had no par ticular enmity to him, they spared his life and the lives of his family, and contented themselves .with pillaging the house. Finding a bag of money, they made him throw it by handfuls on the floor, while they amused themselves in scrambling for it. They then went to the house of his son, who would not admit the squaws in the evening, and summoned him to surrender, promising him quarter. He declined their offer, and determined to defend his house, till they brought out his father and threatened to kill him before his eyes. Filial affection then overcame his resolution, and he surrendered. They put both families together into a deserted house, intending to reserve them for prisoners ; but, while the Indians were busy in plundering, they all escaped. Twenty-three people were killed in this surprisal 884 THRILLING ADVENTURES. and twenty-nine were taken captive ; five or six houses, with the mills, were burned ; and so expeditious were the Indians in the execution of their plot, that, be fore the people could be collected from the other parta of the town to oppose them, they fled with their pri soners and booty. As they passed by Heard's garri son, in their retreat, they fired upon it; but the peo ple being prepared and resolved to defend it, and the enemy being in haste, it was preserved. The pre servation of its owner was more remarkable. Elizabeth Heard, with her three sons and a daugh ter, and some others, were returning in the night from Portsmouth. They passed up the river in their boat, unperceived by the Indians, who were then in possession of the houses ; but, suspecting danger by the noise which they heard, after they had landed, they betook themselves to Waldron's garrison, where they saw lights, which they imagined were set up for direction to those who might be seeking a refuge. They knocked and begged earnestly for admission; but, no answer being given, a young man of the com pany climbed up the wall, and saw, to his inexpressi ble surprise, an Indian standing in the door of the Louse with his gun. The woman was so overcome with the fright that she was unable to fly ; but beg ged rer children to shift for themselves, and they with heavy hearts left her. When she had a little recovered, she crawled into some bushes, and lay there till day-light. She then perceived an Indian coming toward her with a pistol in his hand ; he looked at her and went away. Keturning, he looked INDIAN \TTACK ON POVER. 386 al her again, and she asked him what he would have. He made no answer, but ran yelling to the house, and ehe saw him no more. She kept her place till the house was burned and the Indians were gone, and then, returning home, found her own house safe. Her preservation in these dangerous circumstances waa more remarkable, if, as it is supposed, it was an in stance of justice and gratitude in the Indians; for, at the time when the four hundred were seized in 1676, a young Indian escaped and took refuge in her house, where she concealed him. In return for which kindness he promised her that he would never kill her, nor any of her family in any future war, and that he would use his influence with the other Indians to the same purpose. This Indian was one of the party who surprised the place, and she was well known to most of them. The same day, after the mischief was done, a let ter from Secretary Addington, written by order of the government, directed to Major Waldron, giving him notice of the intention of the Indians to surprise turn under pretence of trade, fell into the hands of his eon. This design was communicated to Governor Bradstreet by Major Henchman of Chelmsford, who had learned it of the Indians. The letter was de spatched from Boston the day before by Mr. Weare ; but some delay, which he met with at Newbury ferry, prevented its arrival in season. The prisoners taken at this time were mostly car ried to Canada and sold to the French ; and these, it 49 2K 886 THRILLING ADVENTURES. would appear, were the first that ever were carried thither. One of these prisoners was Sarah Gerrhh, a re markably fine child of seven years old, a/,d grand daughter of Major Waldron, in whose house she lodged that fatal night. Some circumstai /yjo attend ing her captivity are truly affecting. Wl/TA she was awakened by the noise of the Indians in the house, she crept into another bed and hid herself under the clothes to escape their search. She remained in their hands till the next winter,- and was sold from ore to another several times. An Indian g'.d once pushed her into a river ; but, catching by the bashes, she escaped drowning, yet durst not tell how she came to be wet. Once she was so weary with tra velling that she did not awake in the morning till the Indians were gone, and then found herself alone in the woods, covered with snow and without any food. Having found their tracks, she went crying after them till they heard her and took her with them. At an .ether time, they kindled a great fire, and the young Indians told her she was to be roasted. She burst into tears, threw her arms round her master's neck, and begged him to save her, which he promised to do if she would behave well. Being arrived in Canada, nbe was bought by the Intendant's lady, who treated her courteously and sent her to a nunnery for educa tion. But when Sir William Pliips was at Quebec, she was exchanged and returned to her friends, with whom she lived till she was sixteen years old. The wife of Richard Otis was taken at the same INDIAN GRATITUDE FOR FA.VOURS. 387 time, with an infant daughter of three months old. The French priests took this child under their care, baptized her by the name of Christina, and educated her in the Romish religion. She passed some time in a nunnery, but declined taking the veil, and was married to a Frenchman, by whom she had two chil dren But her desire to see New England was so strong, that, upon an exchange of prisoners in 1714, being then a widow, she left both her children, who were not permitted to come with her, and returned home, where she abjured the Komish faith. Jnfoian gfratitufce for THE following anecdote displays a singular medley of cruelty and gratitude. It is refreshing to meet with instances of lenity, even though in the midst of slaughter; for light never appears so bright as when contrasted with a dark ground. During the old French war, a Mr. Schoonhovcr with six or seven other Americans, was captured by Indians while journeying from Fort William Henry to Sandy Hill. They were led to what is now the middle of Sandy Hill, and seated one by one on a log. The Indians then began at one end and deliberately split the skulls of the prisoners with their toma hawks, each feeling the stroke which murdered his neighbour before he received his own. Schoonhover was the last but one. The work of death had 888 THRILLING ADVENTURES. reached him, and the hatchet was already lifted, when the butchery was suddenly stopped. A chief approaching him, mildly said : " Do you not reinem* ber that, when your young men were dancing, poor Indians came and wanted to dance too ? Your young men said ' No, Indians shall not dance with us ;' but you said, ' Indians shall dance.' Now, I will show you that Indians can remember kindness." It in needless to add, that Schoonhover was spared, to gether with his trembling companion. from IN 1703, the town of Wells, in Maine, was attacked by Indians. Stephen Harding, a resident on the op posite side of the river, heard the firing, but supposed that it originated from a company of soldiers exercis ing. On the following morning, he prepared to go a hunting ; but his wife begged him to stay, because, during the night, two men, as she thought, had looked in at the window. Convinced that this was the effect of imagination, he went over to his shop to wait for breakfast. On the road he observed a crowd of pei- sons on a neighbouring height, and, being now alarmed, he returned to his house and told his wife to carry their child, about a year old, Across Gooch's creek, and remain under a particular oak until he could ascertain what was the matter. He then went ESCAPE FROM INDIANS. to his shop, beat on the side of it with an axe, and gave the war-whoop. Suddenly four Indians started up from their hiding-places, and ran toward the door. Harding escaped on the other side. In passing through an adjacent corn-field, and when within a Bhort distance of the house, he found his wife, who was too much frightened to run. He caught her under one arm and the child under the other, and aimed for the creek. Though it was at flood-tide, he safely forded it, and, placing his charge under an oak, he returned to ascertain the disposition of the Indians, still hoping it might be friendly. On the way he met an enormous bear, which obliged him again to seek his family, and set out with them to ward one of the Wells forts. A small dog was killed lest it might betray them by its barking. At night they reached the top of a hill, where they remained until morning, feeding upon berries. The next evening they reached Storer's garrison, the inmates of which were asleep. From this circumstance, Harding imagined that he had left his house without sufficient cause, and was about retracing his steps, when the cries of women and children for the loss of their relatives convinced him that he had not yielded to a false alarm. Meanwhile, the Indians had pulled up all the corn in search of the fugitive ; but afterwards gave up the pursuit, affirming that he was as good an Indian as themselves. They did not injure the house ; but killed his hogs and took all the clothing and bedding, throwing away the feathers of the latter. Their ol> 890 THRILLING ADVENTURES. ject was to take him alive and convey him to tLo set tlements in Canada, where his trade as a blacksmith would render him of great service to them. Afterwards the Indians crossed the river and killed the wife and three children of William Larrabee, who lived in the field near what are called Butler's rocks. Larrabee was at work on the marsh. Perceiving two Indians running toward him, he concealed himself among the bushes. After they had given up the search, he crept toward the house, and saw the party regaling themselves upon the provisions taken from his house. Near him his wife and two children were lying dead. The other child was not quite dead, but raised its head several times. The Indians next proceeded to the house of Philip Durrill. From thence they took away Mrs. Durrill, her two daughters, Susan and Kachel, and two sons, one an infant. The Indians carried their prisoners as far as Peywacket or Fryeburg, when Mrs. Durrill per suaded them to let her return with her infant. One of the Indians carried her child for her to the stone fort at Saco, from which place she returned home. The other son was accidentally drowned in Saoo; the daughters married Frenchmen, and refused to return after the war was over. MURDER OF A FAMILY. 8&1 $t a Jramilg in IN 1723, the family of Aaron Rawlins, on Samprey river, New Hampshire, was attacked by Indians, and himself and eldest daughter murdered, under circum stance of great barbarity. At that time the people generally retired at night to the garrisoned houses, and returned home in the daytime. On the evening of August 29, they neglected this precaution. At. this time eighteen Indians were in the neighbourhood, and observing the defenceless condition of the family, immediately resolved on an attack. Mrs. Kawlins, going to the door, was seized, together with two of her children. Her husband closed the door, and with his eldest daughter, about twelve years old, began firing upon the assailants, calling to his neighbours for help. They were afraid to venture out ; and the unhappy man was at length killed by a random shot through the door. The Indians then broke into the house, killed the daughter, cut off her head, and scalped her father. His wife and two children, a son and a daughter, were carried to Canada. In a few years Mrs. Rawlins was redeemed. The son was adopted by the Indians, and lived. After peace had been de clared, he came into Pennycook with some of his red companions, and expressed to some people with whom he conversed, much resentment against his uncle Samuel Rawlius, on account of some property which, as he supposed, had been detained from his mother. The daughter married a Frenchman, and when nearly 892 THRILLING ADVENTURES. sixty years old, returned with him to her native place, in expectation of receiving the patrimony which she imagined was left her by her father. But the estate had been sold by her grandfather's administra tor, and after a year or two she went back to Canada. of plefosg Indian* (in Ecnboiu) THE impossibility of studying the Indian character and Indian customs where they ought to be studied, among their native wilds, must ever prove a serious obstacle to their proper representation. It was a noble thought of our countryman, Mr. Catlin, to re ject those partial and meagre records concerning our aborigines which were current during his youth, and to resolve upon seeing the Indian in his own element, surrounded with all the mighty works of which he is a part. He found the Indian, in civilized life, a soli tary, degraded wanderer, without a country, without a home, without a friend, his hand against every man and every man's hand against him. He journeyed to the prairies of the West. There the Indian was another being the lord of creation, the member of a race of heroes, to which those of Homer and Tasso are tame; the champion of feats at which the white man would shudder. There, amid new laws and noble scenery, the Indian is the civilized man ; and the European, the wandering, dejected outcast. It is for this reason that Mr. Catlin's book is of all books DANCE OF OJIBBEWaY INDIANS. about Indians the most instructive and amusing. It takes for granted that the Indian is a man a real man like ourselves, has affections and feelings like other men ; having love for friends, gratitude for fa vours, sensibility for kindness, as other men have. The author went among populous tribes, some of them smarting under injuries lately received, armed not with rifle and scalping knife, but with a palette. He loved the Indian character, he mourned over their coming fate, and he appeared among their tribes as a friend. As a friend they welcomed him. The distinc tion of colour was forgotten ; the memory of past in juries was forgotten. The white man was admitted to every wigwam, shared every hunt and every ceremony. He was even installed a medicine-man, and admitted to the great ceremonial feasts. Can we wonder that he learned to love the poor Indian, or that his narrative fjrces us also to love them? On returning to the Eastern States, Mr. Catlin ex hibited his gallery of Indian paintings in New York. Afterwards he went with it to London ; while there, lie was surprised by a visit from a party of Ojibbe- way Indians, who not long after w r ere followed by a party of loways. These were exhibited in the same building with his paintings, and met with the greatest favour from all classes of the English people. Dur ing the exhibitions they gave the white people an opportunity to enjoy sights, and we may add to heal noises which their forefathers had neither seen nor heard. The displays were truly Indian ; and taught the spectators more of the real Indian character in 894 THRILL7NG ADVENTURES. one night than all the books of Indians then in the kingdom could have done, Mr. Catlin's book always excepted. Some of these performances, with their attendant incidents, were no less amusing than instructive. The following is Catlin's account of their first appearance at the Exchange Buildings, Manchester : " On the same evening, by our announcements, they were to make their first appearance in my exhibition, and at an early hour the Rooms were filled, and we were obliged to close the doors. I had erected a strong platform in the middle of my room, on which the Indians were to give their dances, and having removed all seats from the room, every part of the lloor was covered as dense ly as it was possible for men and women to be grouped together. Into the midst of this mass the party dashed in Indian file, with shield and bow and quiver slung with war-clubs and tomahawks in hand, as they sounded the frightful war-whoop and were endeavour ing to reach the platform. The frightened crowd, with screams and yells as frightful nearly as those of the Indians, gave way, and they soon had a free passage to the platform, upon which they leaped, without looking for the flight of steps prepared for them, and were at full length before the staring, gaping multi tude. They were in a moment seated, and were pass ing their pipe around, while I was, by a brief lecture, introducing them, and the modes they were to illus trate to the audience. "I described the country and the tribe they be longed to, and the objects for which they had crossed ,9. DANCE OF OJ1BBEWAY INDIANS. 397 the Atlantic ; and also expressed to the audience the happy opportunity it was affording me of corroborat ing the many assertions I had been heretofore making relative to the looks and modes of those people, many of which I was fully aware were difficult of compre* honsion. Having done this, I should leave the In dians to entertain the audience with such of their dances and other amusements as they might decide upon, and endeavour to stand by and explain each amusement as they gave it, feeling abundantly able to do so from a residence of eight years among the various tribes in America. " There was a shout of applause at the close of my remarks, and the most impatient anxiety evinced ou all sides to see the commencement of the curious tricks which were just ready to be introduced. At this moment, with a sudden yell, the men all sprung upon their feet ; their weapons brandished and their buffalo robes thrown back, while the women and chil dren seated themselves at the end of the platform. Another shrill yell of the war-whoop, with the flou rish of their weapons, and the medicine-man or doctor commenced with tambour (or drum) and his voice upon the war-song; and they were all off in the dance. At the first rest, when they suddenly stopped, there was but one mingled roar of applause, which showed to the poor fellows that they had made * ft hit/ and were to fo* received with great kindness anil interest. This stimulated them to finish it with spirit ; and when it was done, and they were seated a few moments to rest, hundreds were ambitious to 2L 898 THRILLING ADVENTURES crowd up to them and offer them their hands. It was with great difficulty that I could get the audience quiet enough to hear my explanations of the war- dance its meaning, and the objects and character of the war-whoop which they had just heard. I gained the patience of the crowd by promising them a num ber of dances and other amusements, all of which I would render instructive by my explanations, and afford all, in the remotest parts of the room, an op portunity to shake hands with the Indians when their amusements were finished. "After my explanations and their pipe were fin ished, they arose and gave the Wa-be-no dance, as they call it. Wa-be-no, in the Ojibbeway language, means mystery, and their mystery-dance is one of their choicest dances, only given at some occasion of their mystery-feasts, or for the accomplishment of some mysterious design. This dance is amusing and gro tesque, and made much merriment among the audi- 3nce. I explained the meaning of this also, and they afterwards gave some surprising illustrations of the mode of catching and throwing the ball in their fa vourite game of ball-play, with their ball-sticks in their hands. The astonishing quickness and certainty with which they throw and catch the ball in theii rackets elicited immense applause; and after this they gave the ' scalp-dance ,' which is given when a party returns from war, having brought home scalps taken from their enemies' heads, and preserved as trophies by the victors. In this dance the women, occupying the centre, hold up the scalps, attached to DANCE OF OJIBBE\7A\ INDIANS, 399 the tops of little poles, while men who h&ve come from war dance around in a circle, brandishing their weapons, gnashing their .teeth, and yelling the war whoop at the highest key of their voices. At the close of this terrifying dance, ^hich seemed to come just up to the anxiety of the excited audience, there was a tremendous roar of applause, and, in the midst of the uproar, an old gentleman took from his pocket a beautifully chased silver tobacco-box, and handing it to me, desired me to give it to the old chief, and tell him to carry his tobacco in it. I handed it to the old man, and, as he had seen th * hand that gave it, he sprang upon his feet, as if h<. ^ere but a boy, and reaching out his hand, grasped, over the heads of the audience, the hand of the venerable old gentleman, who told him ' he was happy to ee him, and to make him a little present to recollect him by/ The old chief straightened up and squared himself upon the platform, throwing his buffalo robe over his left shoulder and passing it forward under his right arm and into his left hand ; and with the most benignant smile (as he turned his box a moment under his eye, and passed it into his left hand) commenced ' My friends, though I am old I thank the Great Spirit for giving me strength to say a few words to you. He has allowed me to live many years, and I believe it is because I thank him for all his gifts. His eye was upon us when we were on the great salt lake, arid he has brought us here safe, for which we all are thank ful. He has directed you all to come here this night and to be so kind to us, for we had done nothing to 400 THRILLING ADVENTURES. make you coino. We have long heard of the Ss noshes* and we have been anxious to come and see them. We IIP ve fought for them and with them, and our fathers and brothers have bled for them. There are many of the Sag-a-noshes among us, and we ^ve them. The Great Spirit has smiled upon our under taking, and he has guided the hand of my brother to make me this present. My friends, my heart is wann and I am thankful. We have now done our dancing and singing, and we offer you our hands in friend ship.' At this there was a rush towards the platform from every part of the room to shake the hands of the Indians, who had seated themselves on the front of the platform for the purpose. " These greetings for half an hour or so were ex ceedingly warm ; and to make them more impressive, several persons deposited in their hands valuable trinkets and money, which they received with thanks." During the second night's performance, a most laughable scene took place between the Indians and the fair portion of his audience. To the general reader the narrative of it may perhaps afford unmixed amusement ; the more reflecting will perhaps dis cover in it some indications that the Indian character is not that stoical thing, indifferent alike to pleasure and pain, that many have hitherto represented it : " The room was filled long before they made their appearance ; and in the roar and confusion of ap plause at the end of their amusements, there was a cry from the end of the room, 'Let some of them * Englishmen. DANCE OF OJIBBEWAY INDIANS. 401 come this way we can't get near them we can't tell whether they are in their own skins or in flesh ings/ And another hallooed out, ' Let that handsome little fellow come here, (alluding to Samah, who was a very fine-looking young man ;) here is a lady who wants to kiss him !' " This being interpreted to him, he leaped into and through the crowd, (as he would dash into the river that he was to ford,) and had his naked arms around her neck and kissed her before there was any time for an explanation. The excitement and screaming and laughing among the women in that part of the room* . made kissing fashionable, and every one who laid her hand upon his arm or his naked shoulders (and those not a few) got a kiss, gave a scream, and presented him a brooch, a ring, or some other keep sake, and went home with a streak of red paint on her face, and perhaps with one or two of black or green upon her dress. The gallant little fellow squeezed himself through this dense crowd, kissing old and young as he went, and returned to the plat form, from which he held up and displayed his tro phies with much satisfaction. " I felt it my duty to reprimand him for his rude ness, and told him it was not fashionable in such crowds to kiss the ladies ; to which he replied, that ' he knew what he was about the white ladies are very pretty and very sweet, and I gave my kisses only where they were asked for ' The response all over the bouse was that * he had done right , good little feliow, ne has done no harm.' A voice, ' No, i 2 L 2 THRILLING ADVENTURES. indeed ; I'll kiss him again if he "will come charming little fellow !' He was in the act of leaping off, when Cadotte, the interpreter, seized him by the arm and turned him back." of a dpamill in THE following narrative of the murder of two fa milies on the Tennessee river, (April 22, 1812,) dis plays in the most glaring light the cruelties of the Bavage breast, when, through long-concealed hatred and the desire of revenge, it has banished or sup pressed every nobler feeling of untutored nature. In 1812, the dread of an attack from the southern Indians obliged the inhabitants of Humphreys county to collect in parties of fifteen or twenty, comprising sometimes several families in one house. For this purpose John Crawley had gone with his family to the house of Jesse Manly. The family of Crawley consisted of a wife and four children; Manly 's, of a wife and tnree children. The evening before the at tack, Manly and Crawley were both called from home, taking Crawley's eldest son with them. They had employed C. Hays, a promising young man, to etay at the house until their return. Early next morning he had saddled his horse, and had proceeded about one hundred yards from the house, when the Indians, who were concealed behind the fence, fired upon him, He received two mortal wounds. While MURDER OF A FAMILY IN TENNESSEE, 403 me of the Indians was scalping him, the other four .an into the house. One of Manly 's children, outside of the house, was torn in pieces by their dogs, and afterwards scalped. They now forced the door, and, snatching Mrs. Wanly's child, only eight days old, from her, scalped ft and threw it into the fire. An indiscriminate butchery of the other children followed, until five had been scalped and murdered. Mrs. Manly was the last victim. After shooting her, they scalped her and committed atrocious bar barities on her body. They then left the house, tak ing Mrs. Crawley along as prisoner. About four hours after the Indians were gone, the neighbours got infor mation of the murder and collected at the house. They found Mrs. Manly alive and in her perfect senses. Amidst the carnage, one of Mrs. Craw ley's children escaped unhurt. During the attack upon the house, she had the presence of mind to raise a portion of the floor, and throw her child into the cellar, THRILLING ADVENTURES. fog t&e Jbiou*. THE Sioux Indians are the dread of all the nu merous tribes scattered from Canada to Mexico, and from Council Bluffs to the Rocky Mountains. In numbers, in skill, and in ferocity, they are unequalled by any save the Camanches. The depredations about to be described were committed by them during the late \i ar between the United States and Mexico. On the 16th of December, 1846, a band of Sioux encountered some Omaha Indians near Council Bluffs, A battle ensued, in which the Omahas, being few in number, were worsted. The Sioux then entered the village and butchered sixty women and children. Four days previous, a war-party of Sioux had invaded the Omaha country, situated sixty miles from Bellevieu. DEPREDATIONS BY THE SIOUX. l *fc They found none there but women and children, the warriors having gone on a hunt. At once thu work of death commenced. The slaughter was indiscrimi nate and terrible. Seventy-three were killed and nineteen mortally wounded. Some white families, living with the Oinahas, and whose male members were found in the village, shared in the massacre. Only two of them escaped one of them, Joseph La- fleche, a trader in the employ of Mr. Peter A. Sarpy, and at that time in charge of a stock of goods. He arrived at Bellevieu with both feet frozen, having run the whole distance barefoot. Mr. Sarpy and the agent, Major Miller, despatched a party of men to ascertain the facts. They soon returned with the melancholy news. The scalped and murdered ones had been found ; property, household goods, the pro ductions of the field, had been destroyed or carried away. The snow for miles around was strewn with broken articles and tracked with blood. The village resembled a slaughter house. Five of the Sioux had been stabbed by the Omaha women. A few days before this tragic event, the Omahas had been at tacked by a war-party of Ayouas under a celebrated chief, White Cloud. On that occasion, they had four warriors wounded and one woman killed. In the game month, the Sioux and Osages held a council to deliberate upon a plan for uniting their forces and in fluence against the United States possibly under the hope of obtaining aid from Mexico. In 1847, the Sioux commenced a war of extermi nation against the Ottoes and Pawnees. In Septem 406 THRILLING ADVENTURES. her, they visited a building called " the farmer's house," in the Pawnee village, and destroyed a black- mith's shop, together with some tools and furniture. On the 17th of the same month, they attacked an Ottoe village, destroyed all the corn in the fields, killed twenty of the tribe, and burned th<s village. At the same time, they threatened the American garrison at Fort Kearny, ravaged and laid waste all the surrounding country, and drove the tribes hostile to them from their usual hunting-grounds. On the 26th of May, seven of their warriors entered the Ottoe country and concealed themselves near a field which the Ottoes had prepared for planting their corn. Three squaws, who were approaching the village, were fired upon. Two fell dead ; the other gave the alarm. The warriors rushed out and pursued the Sioux, who fled into a large weed brake. This the Ottoes surrounded and set on fire, and, as the mur derers attempted to escape, they were massacred without mercy. The war between these tribes is raging, (1849.) fritian CATLIN gives an astonishing account of the skill with which the Camanche Indians of northern Texas manage their horses. The Camanches, like the northern tribes, have many games, and in pleasant weather seem to be INDIAN HOIvSEM \NSHIP 409 continually practising more or less of them on the prairies back of and contiguous to their village. In their ball-plays and some other games, they are far behind the Sioux and others of the northern tribes ; but, in racing horses and riding, they are not equalled by any other Indians on the continent. Racing horses, it would seem, is a constant and almost inces- 1 eant exercise, and their principal mode of gambling; and perhaps a more finished set of jockeys are not to be found. The exercise of these people, in a country where horses are so abundant and the country so fine for riding, is chiefly done on horseback ; and it " stands to reason" that such a people, who have been practising from their childhood, should become exceedingly ex pert in this wholesome and beautiful exercise. Among their feats of riding, there is one that has astonished me more than any thing of the kind I have ever seen, or expect to see, in my life a stratagem of war learned and practised by every young man in the tribe, by which he is able to drop his body upon the side of his horse at the instant he is passing, effectually screened from his enemies' weapons as he lies .in a horizontal position behind the body of his horse, with his heel hanging over the horse's back, by which he has the power of throwing himself up again, and changing to the other side of the horse if necessary. In this wonderful condition he will hang vvhile his horse is at fullest speed, carrying with him his bow and his shield, and also his long lance of fourteen feet in length, all or either of which he will wield upon his enemy as he passes, rising and throw 52 2M 410 THRILLING ADVENTURES. ing his &r ows over the horse's back, or, with equal ease and equal success, under the horse's neck. Since writing the above, I have conversed with some of the young men of the Pawnees, who practise the same feat, and who told me they could throw the arrow from under the horse's belly, and elevate it upon an enemy with deadly effect ! This feat I did not see performed; but, from what I did see, I feel inclined to beliete that these young men were boasting of no more than they were able to perform. This astonishing feat, which the young men have been repeatedly playing off to our surprise as well as amusement, while they have been galloping about in front of our tents, completely puzzled the whole of us, and appeared to be the result of magic rather than of skill acquired by practice. I had several times great curiosity to approach them to ascertain by what means their bodies could be suspended in this man ner, where nothing could be seen but the heel hang ing over the horse's back. In these endeavours, I was continually frustrated, until one day I coaxed a young fellow up within a little distance of me by offering him a few plugs of tobacco, and he in a moment solved the difficulty, so far as to render it apparently more feasible than before ; yet leaving it one of the most extraordinary results of practice and persever ing endeavours. I found on examination that a short hair-halter was passed around under the neck of the horse, and both ends tightly braided into the xuane on the withers, leaving a loop tc hang under the INDIAN HORSEMANSHIP. 411 neck and against the breast, which, being caught up in the hand, makes a sling into which the elbow falls, taking the weight of the body on the middle of the upper arm. Into this loop the rider drops suddenly and fearlessly, leaving his heel to hang over the back of the horse to steady him, and also to restore him when he wishes to gain his upright position on the horse's back. Besides this wonderful art, these people have seve ral other feats of horsemanship, which they are con tinually showing off; which are pleasing and extra ordinary, and of which they seem very proud. A people who spend so very great a part of their lives actually on their horses' backs, must needs become exceedingly expert in every thing that pertains to riding, to war, or to the chase ; and I am ready, with out hesitation, to pronounce the Camanches the most extraordinary horsemen that I have seen yet in all my travels, and I doubt very much whether any p *o pie in the world can surpass them. 412 THRILLING ADVENTURES. battle of DURING the Revolutionary War the British were never more sanguine of ultimate success than at the period when General Burgoyne was marching from Canada to New York. The progress of that officer from the St. Lawrence to Vermont was a series of rapid triumphs. No American army could be brought against him ; towns and villages were deserted at his approach ; all the south of New England was in con fusion, and it was confidently anticipated that the army at New York would soon join him, and thus cut off all communication between the Middle States and the North. The turning point of this splendid career was Ben- nington ; yet previous to that battle, tke indefatiga ble energy of General Schuyler had nearly completed the plan which ultimately ruined Burgoyne. On$ BATTLE OF ORISKANY. 418 portion of this plan was the defence of Fort Schuyler The garrison, commanded by Lieutenant-colonel Gansevoort, was besieged by a large body of British Tories and Indians, led by St. Leger, but behaving with heroic courage, their savage enemies were driven off with shame and heavy loss. It was while advancing to relieve the garrison, that General Herkimer, with the militia of Tryon county, New York, was surprised by the enemy, his march arrested, and himself mor tally wounded. The battle was fought August 6, 1777. Fired by the atrocities of the Indians, the militia collected from all quarters, and, led by General Herkimer, marched hastily toward the scene of action. On the 5th, they reached Oriskany, and next morning the general an nounced his intention of remaining there to await re inforcements. This prudent precaution was over ruled ; officers and men clamoured to be led against the enemy, and accused their leader of cowardice. Yield ing to their importunities, he gave orders to advance, and the party again moved forward in high spirits with much confusion. After marching about two miles, they reached a gentle acclivity, bounded by a deep ravine, which, after crossing the road from north to south, swept toward the east so as to enclose a semicircle The bottom of this ravine was marshy, and the road crossed it by means of a causeway. At this place, St. Leger, having heard of Herkimer's ap proach, had posted a force of Indians and Tories under Butler and Brant, to oppose him. They occupied the rising ground parallel to the ravine, and were sc 2*2 414 THRILLING ADVENTURES. arranged in a circle, having only one small gap through which the Americans could march. Before leaving Oriskany, Herkimer determined to send forward scouts to clear the road ; but the design was either neglected or abandoned. The militia ad vanced with blind speed into the enemy's midst ; and were roused from their fatal indifference only by the Indian war-whoop. They found themselves within the fatal circle, the opening to which was immediate ly closed. The rear guard alone were excluded, but they fled at the first fire. The devoted band received a galling fire which completely broke their ranks; their general fell wounded in the early part of the action, and the savages, sure of success, were prepar ing to charge with the tomahawk. Happily Herki mer was still able to direct the battle ; his men formed into circles, or, placed back to back, received the In dians on the points of their knives and bayonets, and the terrible scene commenced of a conflict hand to hand with infuriated savages. Personal danger seemed forgotten in the struggle, and the work of butchery was arrested only by a heavy storm. The enemy re tired to some neighbouring trees, and General Herki- iner formed his men in a circle. In the early part of the battle, if an American fired a gun from behind a tree, an Indian rushed up and tomahawked him be fore he could reload. Herkimer now placed two men at a single tree, one to reserve his fire until an Indian ran up as before. After an hour's intermission, the battle was re newed. The Americans received the charge with FIGHT BETWEEN CROWS AND BLACKFEET. 415 firmness, while .their hidden marksmen picked off so many of the savages, that they began to give way. At this moment, a fresh body of Tories, known as Johnson's Greens, arrived. The greatest part of these men were personally known to the Americans, a cir cumstance which increased their former fury to mad ness. After discharging his piece, each man sprang upon his selected victim, throttled or stabbed him and rushed upon another. The field was covered with groups of friends and foes, each grasped in his enemy's embrace. This obstinate resistance discouraged the Indians, who soon broke and fled in disorder. They were soon followed by the main body, thus leaving the militia masters of the field. In this severe struggle the Americans lost two hun dred, or, according to Marshall, four hundred men. The British loss was equally heavy. General Her- kimer was removed from the field on a litter, and con veyed to his house on the Mohawk, where his leg was amputated. The operation was unskilfully per formed, and in a few days he died. He was buried near his own house in the town of Danube. IN June, 1845, a party of about seven hundred Crow Indians were driven from their own country by the Sioux, to the vicinity of fort F. A. C. near the Falls of the Missouri. On the 17th they encountered 416 THRILLING ADVENTURES a small party of Blackfeet warriors, whom they im mediately attacked. Notwithstanding the great dis parity in numbers, the battle was fierce and bloody. Twenty-two of the Blackfeet were killed, and one hundred women and children carried away, together with three hundred horses. At this moment they beheld the main body of their party approaching; the battle was renewed with terrible fury, and the Crows, though superior in number, were in their turn driven back. They retreated to a strongly fortified spot, carrying with them the horses and goods. Most of the prisoners escaped. The Blackfeet made several desperate charges, but were finally obliged to retire. About a dozen of their number were killed and many more wounded. At the time of this battle the Blackfeet tribe were west of the Rocky Mountains, near the head waters of the Columbia, whither it is their custom to retire every spring. Those attacked by the Crows were consequently only an advanced party which had crossed the mountains earlier than usual. The Crows had themselves been driven into the neighbourhood where the fight occurred by the Sioux, who were out in great force against them. At other times when the Blackfeet are absent, they usually visit that sec tion of country. About a fortnight before the fight, a small party of the Blackfeet had attacked the guard at fort F. A. C.. (the trading post of the American Fur Company,) killed one man, seriously wounded another, and stole thirty horses. The wl ole affair will serve to show the dangers to which the western set- Bac&foot Waracff. SAVAGE PATRIOTISM. 419 tiers are exposed, as well as the condition of constant war and ferment in which the Indians of the great West are still engaged. jbafmge $atrioti*m. The following anecdote is given in " Notes on tne Michigan Territory," lately published : The Indians of Fond du Lac, a small village of about fifty men, from their pacific dispositions, werp branded by their neighbours, the Sioux, with coward ice. Feeling indignant at this, thirteen of them, without consulting their friends, who were then nego tiating a peace with the Sioux, formed a league to rescue their tribe from the imputation on their cou rage, and secretly penetrated into the Sioux country Unexpectedly they came upon a party of one hun dred Sioux, and began to prepare for battle ; but the Sioux, seeing their small number, advised them to return home ; that they admired their valour, and in timated to them that, if they persisted, their destruc tion was inevitable. The Fond du Lac Indians re plied that they had set out with a determination to fight the first enemy they should meet, however un- equal their numbers might be, and would have en tered their villages, if none had appeared sooner. They had resolved in this manner to show their brethren that the stigmas that were thrown upon them were unjust, "for no men were braver than 120 THRILLING ADVENTURES. their warriors," and that they were ready and would sacrifice their lives in defence of the character of their *ribe. They encamped a short distance* from tb* Sioux, and, during the night, dug holes in the ground, to which they might retreat and fight to the last ex tremity. They appointed one of their number, the youngest, to take a station at a distance and witness the struggle, and. instructed him to make his escape to their own country, when he had witnessed the death of all the rest, and state the circumstances under which they had fallen. Early in the morning they attacked the Sioux in their camp, who, immediately sallying out upon them, forced them back to the last place of retreat they had resolved upon. They fought desperately, and more than twice their number were killed before they lost their lives. Eight of them were tomahawked in the holes to which they retreated, and the other four fell on the field ; the thirteenth returned home according to the directions he had received, and related the cir cumstances to his tribe. They mourned their death ; but, delighted with the unexampled bravery of theil friends, they were happy in their grief. FARMER s BROTHER. 421 DURING the second war with England, the Seneca nation of Indians, who reside in the neighbourhood of Buffalo, were employed by the American govern ment, and attached themselves to the army, then about to enter Canada, under the command of Gene ral Brown. The principal chief of this tribe was called "Farmers Brother" a stout, athletic warrior. The frosts of more than eighty winters had passed over his head, and yet he retained his faculties in an eminent degree. He possessed all the ardour of his young associates, and was uncommonly animated at the prospect which a fresh harvest of laurels pre sented to his mind. This celebrated chief, in the war between England and France, was engaged in the service of the latter. He once pointed out to the writer of this account 2N 422 THRILLING ADVENTURES. the spot where, with a party of Indians, he lay in ambush patiently waiting the approach of a guard that accompanied the English teams employed be tween the Falls of Niagara and the British garrison. The fort there had surrendered to Sir William John eton. The place selected for that purpose is now known by the name of the " Devil's Hole," and is three and a half miles below the famous cataract upon the United States side of the strait. The mind can scarcely conceive a more dismal-looking den. A large ravine, occasioned by the falling in of the per pendicular bank, made dark by the spreading branches of the birch and cedar, which had taken root below and the low murmurings of the rapids in the chasm, added to the solemn thunder of the cataract itself conspire to render the scene truly awful. The Eng lish party were not aware of the dreadful fate which awaited them. Unconscious of danger, the drivers were gayly whistling to their dull ox-teams. On their arrival at this spot, Farmer's Brother and his band rushed from the thicket that had concealed them, and commenced a horrid butchery. So unexpected was the event, and so completely were the English de prived of all presence of mind, but a feeble resistance was made. The guard, the teamsters, the oxen, and the wagons were precipitated into the gulf. But two of them escaped. A Mr. Stedman, who lived at Schlosser, above the Falls, being mounted on a fleet horse, made good his retreat ; also one of the soldiers, who was caught on the projecting root of a cedar, which sustained him until assured by the distant yell FARMER'S BROTHER. 428 of the savages they had quitted the ground. He then clambered up, and proceeded to Fort Niagara with the intelligence of the disaster. A small rivu let, which pours itself down the precipice, was lite rally coloured with the blood of the vanquished, and has ever since borne the name of "The Bloody Run." In the war of the Revolution, Farmer's Brothe evinced his hostility to the Americans upon every occasion that occurred ; and with the same zeal he engaged in the late war against his former friends the British. Another anecdote of this chief will show his promptness and decision of character. A short time before the United States army crossed the Niagara, Farmer's Brother chanced to observe an Indian who had mingled with the Senecas, and whom he in stantly recognised as belonging to the Mohawks, a tribe living in Canada, and then employed in the ene my's service. He went up to him and addressed him in the Indian tongue : " I know you well ; you be long to the Mohawks you are a spy ; here is my rifle my tomahawk my scalping knife I give you your choice ; which of them shall I use ? but I am in haste !" The young warrior, finding resistance vain, chose to be despatched with the rifle. He was ordered to lie upon the grass, while, with the left foot upon the breast of his victim, the chief lodged the contents of the rifle in his head. It should be re membered that this proceeding was not at all incon sistent with the practice of civilized nation & in the 424 THRILLING ADVENTURES. case >f a spy. On proof of the fact., he is put to death. Farmer's Brother possessed many estimable traits of character. He was as firm a friend, where he promised fidelity, as a bitter enemy to those against whom he contended, and would rather lose the last drop of his blood than betray the cause he had espoused. He was fond of recounting his exploits, and, savage-like, dwelt with much satisfaction upon the number of scalps he had taken in his skirmishes with the whites. In company with several other chiefs, he once paid a visit to General Washington, who presented him with a silver medal. This he constantly wore sus pended from his neck, and so precious was the gift in his eyes, that he often declared he would lose it only with his life. Soon after the battles of Chippewa and Bridge water this veteran paid the debt of nature at the Seneca village, and, out of respect to his bravery, he was there interred with military honours from the fifth regiment of United States Infantry. Xnftian IN the northern part of the American continent the subterraneous retreats of the black bear may bs easily discovered by the mist which uniformly hangs about the entrance of the den, as the animal's heat and breathing prevent the mouth of the cave from INDIAN BEAR HUNT. 427 be ng entirely closed, however deep the snow may be. As the black bear usually retires to his winter quarters before any quantity of snow has fallen, and does not again venture abroad till the end of March or the beginning of April, he therefore spends at least four months in a state of torpidity, and without obtaining food. It is therefore not very surprising, though the bear goes into his winter quarters exces sively fat, that he should come forth in the spring a melancholy picture of emaciation. The black bear is sometimes destroyed by blocking up the mouth of the cave with logs of wood, and then suddenly breaking open the top of it, they kill the animal with a spear or gun. This method is, however, considered both cowardly and wanton, as the bear can neither escape nor offer the slightest injury to his merciless destroyers. The northern Indians display great ingenuity in tlie manner in which they throw the noose around the neck of this animal ; but the barbarous way in which they despatch him with the hatchet or tomahawk, after having drawn him to the top of his hole, has little in it to admire. Sometimes he is caught in traps, strong steel ones chained to a tree and laid in a path which has been partially stained with blood, by drawing a newly- killed carcass along it. At other times, a noose, sus 'pended from a strong bough, is substituted for the trap, in a path similarly prepared. The bear, whose sense of smell is exceedingly keen, always follows upon the track along which a dead animal has been drawn, 428 THRILLING ADVENTURES. even although it has left no trace perceptible by the human senses. The common mode of hunting this bear is by two or three well-trained dogs. When he finds that he is pursued, he generally pushes forward for eight or ten miles, and sometimes more, in nearly a straight course. But when the dogs come up to him, he turns and strikes at them with his paws, the blows of which are so severe, that one of them, taking effect, would instantly fell the strongest dog to the ground. The great art in training the dogs consists in teaching them to avoid these blows, and keep harassing the animal till he is exhausted. When that is the case, he climbs a tree to the height of twenty or thirty feet, at the root of which the dogs remain ind " give tongue" till the hunter makes his appearance. When the hunter appears, the bear drops to the grciund, not for the purpose of attacking him, but of making a new effort at escape from the now increased number of his pur suers. But, as he is heated by the effort of climbing and by the fall, though bears, from their form and also the nature of their covering, fall with much less injury than any other animals of the same weight, he Is much more annoyed by the dogs than before. This makes him take to a tree again for refuge. He then climbs as high as it will bear him, and endeavours to conceal himself among the thick foliage. The hunter now strikes against the trunk of the tree as if he were felling it, which soon puts the bear in motion. He makes his way to the extremity of a long and lofty branch, at which he draws himself partially into THE CATASTROPHE. 429 the form of a ball, and drops down often from such a height as that he rebounds up again for several feet, as if he were an elastic substance. He rises again from this fall, still uninjured, and seeks safety by flight as before. His exertions are, however, so much greater than those of his pursuers, that, whatever may be his strength, they in time wear him out, and he is ultimately shot, either when standing up to give battle to the dogs, or when attempting to hide himself behind the trunk of a tree. Such is the mode of bear-hunting where there are trees ; but, in the large open prairies, he runs much farther, and the hunt is one of greater ardour, unless when he is shot at an early stage. But, if the marksman is not skilful, shooting is rather a dangerous matter while the bear is unexhausted, as the pain arouses all his strength, and arms him with the most desperate powers of re venge, so that he would be too much both for dogs and hunter. THE son of a Kickapoo chief, being engaged to a Wiattanon girl, came in quest of her to Fort Knox, at Vincennes though an Indian war was then wag ing against the United States ; and, in this, the Kicka- poos were among the most formidable. We happened to be there at this time. It was summer, and the weather very warm. The young Kickapoo was ad mitted into the fort, and, among oilier presents, threw down several joints of venison ; observing to the coin inacding officer, that, if lie could not eat them him* 430 THRILLING ADVENTURES. self, (for they were tainted,) they might answer foi his hogs and dogs* muttering, at the same time, and making the sign of a halter round his neck, that per haps they might hang him for appearing among them, (alluding, no doubt, to the then Indian war.) On the evening of the same day the young Kicka- poo got into a drunken frolic with other savages, among whom was a Wiattanon. The latter said to the Kickapoo, " May be I shall kill you :" and, with out further preface, he plunged a knife into him which instantly proved fatal. At this moment the Wiattanons in company took the alarm fearful of the consequences that might befall their tribe, from the death of the son of a powerful chieftain. It was therefore determined to propitiate the Kickapoo's father, by sending a deputation to him with the pre sent of a ten gallon keg of whisky as a peace-offering. This was furnished for the purpose, on request, by the commanding officer of the fort. They had not gone far when the precious liquor proved too great a temp tation : the keg was broached, and soon emptied What then was to be done ? Next morning, however, they appeared again at the fort deplored the " accident" (as they called it,) and begged for another keg of liquor. This too was granted and off they went again. But this keg met with the fate of the former : its contents proved an irresistible temptation. As no more whisky could now be obtained, the mission fell through. * Appellations the Indians bestow upon menial servants Thit HftVOUTS Strnnfrlv nf flip nrirln f\f \-ni\t\-r\e\r\f\e\-nnn THE CATASTROPHE. 431 Upon this, the Indians appeared before the fort, with the murderer in custody, under the window of the writer,* and demanded justice to be done on the prisoner. He told them it was an affair for them selves to settle, as it was confined to themselves alone. They now inarched in Indian file, carrying off the murderer, who, every now and then, looked fearfully behind him for the brother of the deceased's sweet heart had taken post next in his rear. They had not proceeded far, when this brother plunged a knife into the prisoner's back, which broke, and a part was left buried in the wound. The whole party now returned before the fort the wounded man singing his death- song. He was borne off by his friends into a thicket, in the prairie, where all their efforts to extract the broken blade proved ineffectual ; and the next day or two he died. The Spider, a brother of the murderer, and then at Kaskaskia, hearing of the predicament which had befallen the latter, hastened to Vincennes ; but death had closed the scene. He came in time, however, to attend the funeral. When the body was about to be consigned to the earth, he opened the blanket which enveloped the corpse, and taking off a silver orna ment which encompassed his head, he bound it around that of the defunct, saying, " There, brother ! this will bring you respect in the land of spirits." * He was a judge of the supreme court of the North-western Ter ritory, and then upon the circuit to open tin courts through thai extensive region. THRILLING 'ADVENTURES of &*2>* THE following was communicated to the Cincinnati ronicle, in the autumn of 1829, by a gentleman, in aabstance, as related below. He received it from the mouth of Ash himself, who resides on the Ohio, in Indiana, upon lands first presented to him by the Indians, and afterwards confirmed, in party by Con gress he paying for the same. We copy it from Tur ner's Traits of Indian Character : " My father, John Ash, was one of the earliest emigrants to Kentucky, and settled near Bardstown, Nelson county, many miles from any other white settlement. In the month of March, 1780, when I was about ten years of age, we were attacked by the Shawnee Indians ; a part of the family was killed, the rest were taken prisoners. We were separated from each other, and, excepting a younger sister, who was taken by the same party that had me in possession, I saw none of my family for seventeen year&. STORY OF GEORGE A.SH. 48S " My sister was small; they carried her two or three days, but she cried, and gave them trouble, and they tomahawked and scalped her, and left her lying on the ground. I was, after this, transferred from one family to another, several times, and treated harshly, and called a * white dog/ till at length I was domesti cated in a family, and considered a member of it. After this, my treatment was like that of other chil dren of the tribe. " The Shawnees, at this time, lived on the Big Miami, about twenty miles above Dayton. Here we continued until General Clark came out, and attacked us, and burnt our town. We then removed to St. Mary's, and continued there about two years. After this, we removed to Fort Wayne, on the Maumee ; here we were attacked by General Harmar ; we then removed to the Anglaize River, and continued there some years. While there, General St. Glair came out against us. Eight hundred and fifty warriors went out to meet him, and on their way were joined by fifty Kickapoos. "The two armies met about two hours before sun set. When the Indians were within about half a mile of St. Clair, the spies came running back to inform us, and we stopped. We concluded to encamp; *it was too late/ they said, 'to begin the play/ they would defer the sport till next morning. " General Blue Jacket was our commander. After dark, he called all the chiefs around him, to listen to what he had to say. ' Our fathers/ said he, ' used to do as we now do ; our tribes used to fight other tribe 55 90 484 THRILLING ADVENTURES. they could trust to their own strength and theif numbers; but in this conflict, we have no such re liance ; our power and our numbers bear no compari son to those of our enemy, and we can do nothing, unless assisted by our Great Father above. I pray now/ continued Blue Jacket, raising his eyes to heaven, < that he will be with us to-night, and (it was now snowing) that to-morrow, he will cause the sun to shine out clear upon us, and we will take it as a token of good, and we shall conquer/ " Blue Jacket appears to have been a priest, as well as a warrior. "About an hour before day, orders were given for every man to be ready to march. On examination, it was found that three fires, or camps, consisting of fifty Pottawattomies, had deserted us. We marched till we got within sight of the fires of St. Clair; then General Blue Jacket began t( talk, and to sing a hymn, as Indians sing hymns." Here the narrator mentioned some ceremony, that 1 did not well under stand. " The fight commenced, and continued for an hour or more, when the Indians retreated. As they were leaving the ground, a chief, by the name of Black Fish, ran in among them, and, in the voice of thunder, asked them what they were doing, where they were going, and who had given them orders to retreat? This called a halt, and he proceeded in a strain of the most impassioned eloquence, to exhort them to courage, and to ' deeds of daring/ and con cluded with saying, ' that whatever the determination of others might be, he knew not, but, for himself, AIJ STORY OF GEORGE ASH. 485 determination vvas, to conquer or die ! ' You who are like-minded, follow me!' and they raised the war- whoop which is, ' we conquer or die f " The attack was most impetuous, and the carnage, for a few moments, shocking. Many of the Indians threw away their guns, leaped in among the Ameri cans, and did the butchery with a tomahawk. In a few moments, the Americans gave way; the Indians took possession of the camp and the artillery, spiked the guns, and parties of Indians followed the retreat ing army many miles. Eleven hundred Americans were left dead on the field. The number of Indians killed, together with those wfro afterwards died of their wounds, amounted to only thirty-five I " In this battle, a ball passed through the back of Ash's neck; he fell, and says, his recollection re turned while an Indian was carrying him away on his back." Many years afterwards, Ash ascertained that he had a brother in St. Glair's army, who was killed in this battle. Who can say that he did not direct the ball that did the fatal work ? for, all who have seen Ash will allow that he was not a man to be idle in battle. " After this battle, I started, with eight others, on an embassy to the Creek Nation. Our object was, to renew the friendly relations between that nation and our own tribe, and two of our number were regularly accredited ambassadors, for that purpose. We made a visit of a year, and were successful in the objects of our mission. The nations north of the Ohio were 430 THRILLING ADVENTURES. desirous of strengthening themselves against the whites, by foreign alliances. " While we were absent, our tribe had had a battle with the whites, near Fort Hamilton. The Ameri can army was commanded, I think, by General Bradley. "After our return, Wayne came out against us with eight thousand men. We sent out runners to all nations, to collect together warriors, and soon an army of fifteen hundred men was in the field. We marched on to meet Wayne, who then lay at Fort Recovery. We took one of Wayne's spies in our march a Chickasaw. He was taken to the Indian army, that he might give us some account of Wayne's movements. But the Indians were so enraged at him, for his treachery, that they fell upon him, in the midst of his narrative, and killed him. Our army was then in great want of provisions. The Chippeway Indian* cut him up, roasted, and ate him. " Near Fort Recovery we met a party of the Ameri can army, and fought them without much success and returned home. Wayne marched on the towns, and only three hundred warriors could be mustered to meet him. We went out, however, and fought him in two battles, within three days of each other. These battles were fought near Fort Wayne, and the place where they were fought are not more than five miles from each other. The Indians were, in fact, conquered, and the war ended. General Blue Jacket that winter hoisted the flag of truce, and marched into Greenville to treat with Wayne." STORY OF GEORGE ASH. 437 We are all familiarly acquainted with the history of these Indian wars of the gallant, but unfortunate St. Glair and of the chivalrous and successful Wayne. This, for aught I know, is the first Indian account of these transactions that has appeared; and, if it is correct and I have abundant reason to think it is it must go, at least, to diminish our censure of St. Clair, if it does not detract from the credit of Wayne. St. Clair suffered himself to be surprised by the In dians in their own territory a fault which Washing ton thought admitted of no excuse ; besides, his army exceeded the enemy's in numbers. But, when we take into consideration his ignorance of Indian war fare, and that he had to fight them in their own wilds, we must acknowledge the disparity was not very great. By their own showing, likewise, their army consisted of nearly a thousand men and such men as are not easily conquered by any force for their motto was " We conquer, or die." Ash had now been with the savages seventeen years. He had long identified himself with them, gpoke their language perfectly, and had almost for gotten his own ; and had adopted their dress, and all their modes of life. His right ear is fixed in a pe culiar manner for the purpose of wearing jewels. The edge of the ear, about a third of an inch deep, is cut off, excepting at the ends where the ear joins the head. This rim hangs down on the face, and serves as a kind of loop. The parting gristle of the nose is perforated ; there is likewise a hole in his left ear. I made some inquiries as to his painting. He 2 o 2 488 THRILLING ADVENTURES. eaid he painted, and wore about a hundred dollars worth of silver in ornaments, when he visited the ladies. In his nose, he wore three silver crosses and seven half moons, valued from five to six hundred dollars ; and, as he proceeded to describe his decora tions for these excursions of gallantry, and the re ception he met with, I could not but reflect upon the effect which ornament has with the fair in all ages and among all nations. " After peace," proceeded he, " I told the Indians I wanted to go to the white settlements, and see if any of my family were living. They, at first, made ob jections, but finally consented; and, in full dress, with a good horse, a good gun, and a good hunting dog, I started for Fort Pitt. " Having travelled alone fourteen days in the wil derness, I arrived at my place of destination. I there found a brother, and learned that my father was still living in Kentucky. After staying some time at Fort Pitt, I was employed by a gentleman as a guide through the wilderness to Detroit. When we arrived in the neighbourhood of Detroit, I told my employer e might go on, and that I would spend the wintei among the Indians with my wife : for I had taken a wife before I left them. He called for me in the spring, and we returned to Fort Pitt together. " I there sold my horse, and proceeded down the Ohio river in. a boat, with the intention of visiting my father. I arrived at his house in the night, called him up, and requested entertainment for the night. He denied such a request to no man, whoever he STORY OF GEORGE ASH. 439 might be, but evidently was not much pleased with my appearance, for I was still in my Indian costume, and could speak but a few words of English. " He paid me but little attention, gave a servant Borne orders about my lodging, and was about retiring to bod, when I drew him into a conversation, by ask ing some questions about his family. I asked him if he had not a son George (many years before) taken by the Indians. He replied that he had that he had heard he was in St. Glair's defeat, and was killed. I assured him that the report was incorrect, and that I knew something of his son. He asked with eager ness where he was. I replied, ' He now stands before you! He looked at me with searching scrutiny for a few moments, and commenced pacing the room. He walked up and down the room for two hours, before he uttered another syllable. ' Would you know youi brother Henry,' said he, at last, 'if you should see him ?' I told him ' No : for he was a mere infant when I went away.' He thought I should, and, though late in the evening, rode several miles to bring him." In this part of the narration I perceived that Ash's eyes grew moist, and that his voice was husky. He rose to depart, but, by some entreaty, he was induced to return, and continue his tale. " My father," said he, " had become wealthy, pos sessing negroes and fine horses in abundance. But my mother was dead, and my lather had married a second wife, who was not backward in letting me know that that was no place for ine. THRILLING ADVENTURES. " I started again for the Indian country, crossed the Ohio, and pitched my camp on the spot where my house now stands, on the bank of the Ohio, exactly opposite the mouth of the Kentucky. "After hunting for some time, I determined to n<ake another visit to my red brethren, and a friend gave me a horse to ride. I found them preparing a deputation for their great father, the President, and nothing would do but that I should make one of the party. With a number of chiefs I set out for Phila delphia, and, after visiting the President and all the great people there, and by them, no doubt, thought a very good Indian, I returned to my old camp, where I now live. "Asa compensation for my services on this mission the Indians granted me a tract of land, opposite the mouth of the Kentucky, four miles in length on the river, and one mile back. When the territory was ceded to the United States, the Indians neglected to reserve my grant. I had cultivated some parts of my land, and it was worth more than the government price. It was offered for sale, and I petitioned Con gress to secure to me what was in fact my own. They denied me the request, but permitted me to purchase as much as I could at the government price ! " I had considered myself rich in lands, but I waa poor in cash, and my domain was reduced to about two hundred acres. On this I have lived ever since; and this completes the history of George Ash." THE SIOUX A NO CHIEF \VA IlKT.vOELl. 441 iou*, 01 SParoiag, &nb t&efo $id SSKaJffctajjdf, ox Bi From the Travels of Maximilian, Prince of Wied. THE Dacotas, or Sioux, called by the Ojibuas or Ghippeways, Nandoesi, or Nadowassis, are still one of the most numerous Indian tribes in North America. Pike stated their number at 21,575 souls, and they are still reckoned at 20,000 ; nay, some even affirm that they are still able to furnish 15,000 \variiors, which seems rather too high an estimate. Major Long, who gives much information respecting this people, calculates their number at 28,100, of which 7,055 are warriors, the nation possessing 2,330 tents, which agrees pretty nearly with the statements we received on the Missouri. If we ]dd the Assiniboins, who are of the same origin, and 5* 442 THRILLING ADVENTURES. who are estimated at 28,000, we shall have for a/I the Dacotas 56,100 souls, of whom 14,055 are war riors, and the number of their tents 5,330. Major Long is of opinion that they cannot be calculated at less than 25,000 souls and 0,000 warriors; 20,000 is, therefore, not too high an estimate. The territory which they inhabit extends from Big Sioux River, between the Missouri arid the Missis* sippi, down the latter to Rock river, and northwards to Elk river ; then westwards, in a line which in cludes the sources of St. Peter's river, and reaches the Missouri below the Mandan villages, stretches down it, crosses it near Hart river, and includes the whole country on the western bank to the Black Hills about Teton river as far as Shannon river. The Sioux are divided into several branches, which all speak the same language, with some deviations. Three principal branches live on the Missouri, viz. the Yanktons or Yanktoans, the Tetons or Titoans, and the Yanktonans or Yanktoanons. The Mende-Wa- kan-Toann, or the people of the Spirit Lake, and some others, live on the Mississippi. All these branches together are, as Major Long says, divided by the traders into two great classes the Gens du Lac and the Gens du Large ; i. e. those who live uear the Spirit Lake, and are now chiefly found on the banks of the Mississippi, and those who roam about in the prairies. The Yanktoanons are said to constitute one-fifth of all the Dacotas, and the Teton* the half of the whole nation The Dacotas roam as far as the territory of the THE SIOUX AND CHIEF WAHKTAGELI. 443 Puncas, over the Black Hills, to the Arkansas, ancl westwards to the Rocky Mountains into the territory of the Crows, on the Yellow Stone river, &c. Pike makes them, as well as the Pawnees, descend from the Tartars ; but many objections may be made to this notion, as the affinity of the North Americana and the people of Asia is not proved, and the resem blance between them appears to be very limited. In general, these Indians have more strongly-marked countenances and higher cheek-bones than many other tribes on the Missouri, nor are their features so regular or pleasing ; yet there is no considerable dif ference in their physiognomy. Bradbury says they arc much inferior in stature to the Osages, Mandans, and Puncas, and by no means so robust ; but this assertion must be very much restricted, because there are many tall men among the Dacotas. The Yank- tons live in Sioux Agency, or the furthest down the Missouri,, among which tribe we now were. All these Dacotas of the Missouri, as well as most of those of the Mississippi, are only hunters, and, in their excur sions, always live in portable leather tents. Only two branches of them are exceptions to this rule, especially the Wahch-Pe-Kutch, on the Mississippi, who cultivate maize and other plants, and therefore live in fixed villages. All these Indians have great numbers of horses and dogs, the latter of which often serve them as food. The Dacotas, on the Mis souri, were formerly dangerous enemies to the whites Bradbury calls them blood-thirsty savages ; whereas now, with the exception of the Yanktonans, they 444 THRILLING ADVENTURES. bear a very good character, and constantly keep peace with the whites. Pike seems to have too high an idea of their valour ; at least this is the opinion now entertained on the Missouri. Such of these Indiana as reside near the whites are frequently connected with them by marriages, and depend on them for support. They then become negligent hunters, in dolent, and consequently poor. This was partly the ease at Sioux Agency, where they rarely possessed more than two horses. One of the most considerable men among them, wholly devoted to the whites, was Wahktageli, called the Big Soldier, a tall, good-look ing man, about sixty years of age, with a high aqui line nose and large animated eyes. Besides him, there were several elderly, and some slender young men of this nation here. They had, in general, a rather narrow, oval countenance ; narrow, long eyes, and aquiline, or straight, well-formed noses; their colour was a dark brown. They wore their hair hanging down long over the shoulders, and often platted en queue; the older men, however, let it hang loosely, cut off a little below the neck, arid turned back from the forehead. Younger people generally wore it parted, a large lock hanging down on the nose. Young men had the upper part of the body only wrapped in their large white or painted buffalo hides. They had long strings of blue and white wampum shells in their ears. Some of them wore one, two, or three feathers, which were partly stripped till towards the point. Mr. Bodmer having expressed a wish, immediately THE SIOUX AND CiIIEF WAIIKTAGELI.- 445 on the arrival of the Big Soldier, to paint his portrait at full length, he appeared in his complete state dress. His face was painted red with vermilion, and with short, black, parallel, transverse stripes on the cheeks. On his head he wore long feathers of birds of prey, which were tokens of his warlike exploits, particu larly of the enemies he had slain. They were fast ened in a horizontal position with strips of red cloth. In his ears he wore long strings of blue glass beads ; and on his breast, suspended from his neck, the great silver medal of the United States. His leather leg- gins, painted with dark crosses and stripes, were very neatly ornamented with a broad embroidered stripe of yellow, red, and sky-blue figures, consisting of dyed porcupine quills ; and his shoes were adorned in the same manner. His buffalo robe was tanned white, and he had his tomahawk or battle-axe in his hand. (See his portrait, which is a striking likeness, in the frontispiece to this volume.) He appeared to stand very willingly as a model for Mr. Bodmer, and remained the whole day in the position required, which, in general, the Indians find it difficult to do. The remainder of these people were now entirely without ornaments, naked, and the upper parts of their bodies not at all painted, but only wrapped in their buffalo robes. On their backs they carried their quivers, which were made of leather, in which their arrows are kept. They carry their bows in their hands. The features of the women resembled, on the whole, those we have already described; yet, their faces, for the most part, were not so broad und flat a* 2P 446 THRILLING ADVENTURES. those of the Saukies- or Musquake women, and soma were even pretty. The tents of the Sioux are high pointed cones, made of strong poles, covered with buffalo skins, closely sewed together. These skins are scraped on both sides, so that they become as transparent as parchment, and give free admission to the light. At the top, where the poles meet, or cross each other, there is an opening to let out the smoke, which they endeavour to close by a piece of the skin covering of the tent, fixed to a separate pole standing upright, and fastened to the upper part of the cover ing on the side from which the wind blows. The door is a slit in the front of the tent, which is gene rally closed by another piece of buffalo hide stretched upon a frame. A small fire is kept up in the centre of the tent. Poles are stuck in the ground near the tent, arid utensils of various kinds are suspended from them. There are, likewise, stages on which to hang the newly-tanned hides ; others, with gayly- painted parchment pouches and bags, on some of which they hang their bows, arrows, quivers, leather- shields, spears, and war-clubs. We paid a visit to Wahktageli in his tent, and had gome difficulty in creeping into the narrow, low en trance, after pulling aside the skin that covered it. The inside of this tent was light, and it was about ten paces in diameter. Buffalo skins were spread on the ground, upon which we sat down. Between us and the side of the tent were a variety of articles, Buch as pouches, boxes, saddles, arms, &,c. A rela tion of the chiof was employed in making arrows, THE SIOUX AND CHIEF WAHKTAGELI. 4*7 which were finished very neatly and with great care. Wahktageli immediately, with much gravity, handed the tobacco-pipe round, and seemed to inhale the pre cious smoke with great delight. His wife was pre sent; their children were married. The conversa tion was carried on by Cephier, the interpreter kept by the Agency, who accompanied us on this visit. It is the custom with all the North American In dians, on paying a visit, to enter in perfect silence, to shake hands with the host, and unceremoniously eit down beside him. Refreshments are then pre sented, which the Big Soldier could not do, as he him self stood in need of food. After this the pipe circu lates. The owner of a neighbouring tent had killed a large elk, the skin of which the women were then busily employed in dressing. They had stretched it out, by means of leather straps, on the ground near the tent, and the women were scraping off the parti cles of flesh and fat with a very well-contrived in strument. It is made of bone, sharpened at one end and furnished with little teeth like a saw, and at the other end a strap, which is fastened round the wrist. The skin is scraped with the sharp side of this instru ment till it is perfectly clean. Several Indians have iron teeth fixed to this bone. Besides this operation, we took particular notice of the harness of the dogs and horses, hanging up near the tent, both these ani mals being indispensable to the Indians to transport their baggage on their journeys. Even the great tent, with many long, heavy poles, is carried by horses, as well as the semi-globular, transparent wicker pan- 448 THRILLING ADVENTURES. niers, under which the little children are protected against sun and rain by spreading blankets and skins over them. Smaller articles are conveyed by the dogs. Many of the Sioux are rich, and have twenty or more horses, which thej obtained originally from the Span iards on the Mississippi and the frontier of New Mexi- 30 on the Oregon ; but which are now found in great numbers among the several Indian nations. One of their most important employments is to steal horses ; and the theft of one of these animals from another nation is considered as an exploit, and as much, nay more honoured than the killing of an enemy. The dogs, whose flesh is eaten by the Sioux, are equally valuable to the Indians. In shape, they differ very little from the wolf, and are equally large and strong. Some are of the real wolf colour ; others black, white, or spotted with black and white, and differing only by the tail being rather more turned up. Their voice is not a proper barking, but a howl, like that of the wolf, and they partly descend from wolves, which approach the Indian huts even in the daytime ^nd mix with the dogs. General Simon Kenton. KKNTOH AND GIRTY. 451 $Unton cut SIMON KENTON was one of the most noted rangers in the early history of Kentucky. As a hunter and Indian fighter, he had few equals, being brave, enterprising, determined and skilful. Simon Girty, also a famous woodsman, was the friend of Kenton's youth. Girty, from unknown causes, became a rene gade, joined the Indians, and led many of their attacks upon the white settlements. Being active, of a strong constitution, fearless in the extreme, and at all times ready to join their war parties, he soon became very popular among his new associates, and a man of much consequence. He waa engaged in most of the expeditions against the fron tier settlements of Pennsylvania and Virginia. always brave and always cruel, till the year 1778, when occurred an incident which, as it is the only oright spot apparent in the whole dark career of the renegado, shall be related with some particularity. Girty happened to be at Lower Sandusky tki* 432 81MOW GIRTr. year, when Kenton, known at that period as Si HOD Butler, was brought in to be executed, by a par?y of Indians who had made him prisoner on the banks of the Ohio. Years before, Ken ton and Girty had been companions at Fort Pitt, and served together subsequently in the commencement of Dunmore's Expedition ; but the victim was already blackened for the stake, and the renegado failed to recognize in him his former associate. Girty had at this time but just returned from an expedition against the frontiers of KENTON AND G1KTT. 453 Pennsylvania, which had been less successful than h had anticipated, and was enraged by disappoirtmeirt He therefore, as soon as Kenton was brought into the village, began to give vent to a portion of his spleen, by cuffing and kicking the prisoner, whom he even tually knocked down. He knew that Kenton had floine from Kentucky ; and this harsh treatment was bestowed in part, it is thought, to frighten the prisoner into answers of such questions as he might wish to ask him. He then inquired, how many men there were in Kentucky. Kenton could not answer this question, but ran over the names and ranks of such of the officers as he at the time recollected. " Do you know William Steward ?" asked Girty. " Perfectly well." replied Kenton ; "he is an old and intimate acquaintance." " Ah ! what is your name, then?" "Simon Kenton," answered Kenton; and on the instant of this announcement, the hardened rene- gado caught his old comrade by the hand, lifted him from the ground, pressed him to his bosom, asked hia forgiveness for having treated him so brutally, and promised to do every thing in his power to save hib life, and set him at liberty. " Syme !" said he, weeping like a child, " you are condemned to die, but it shall go hard with me,I tell you, but I will save you from that" There have been various accounts given of this in teresting scene, and all agree in representing Girty as having been deeply affected, and moved for the mo ment to penitence and tears. The foundation of M'Clung's detail of the speeches made upon the occasion, was a manuscript dictated by Kenton him- 454 THRILLING ADVENTURES. self, a number of years before his death. From this writer I therefore quote : " As soon as Girty heard the name, he became strongly agitated ; and springing from his seat, he threw his arms around Kentoii's neck, and embraced him with much emotion. Then turning to the as sembled warriors, who remained astonished spectators of this extraordinary scene, he addressed them in a short speech, which the deep earnestness of his tone, and the energy of his gesture rendered eloquent. He informed them that the prisoner, whom they had just condemned to the stake, was his ancient comrade and bosom friend : that they had travelled the same war path, slept upon the same blanket, and dwelt in the same wigwam. He entreated them to have compas sion on his feelings to spare him the agony of wit nessing the torture of an old friend, by the hands of his adopted: brothers and not to refuse so trifling a favour as the life of a white man, to the earnest inter cession of one who had proved, by three years' faith ful service, that he was sincerely and zealously de voted to the cause of the Indians. u The speech was listened to in unbroken silence. A.S soon as he had finished, several chiefs expressed their approbation by a deep guttural interjection, whilo others were equally as forward in making known their objections to the proposal. They urged that his fate had already been determined on in a large and solemn council, and that they would be acting like squaws to change their minds every hour. They insisted upon the flagrant misdemeanours of KENTOK AND GIRTY. 455 Ken ton that he had not only stolen their horses, but had flashed his gun at one of their young men that it was vain to suppose that so bad a man could ever become an Indian at heart, like their brother fiirty that the Kentuckians were all alike very bad people and ought to be killed as fast as they were taken and finally, they observed that many of their people had come from a distance, solely to assist at the torture of the prisoner, and pathetically painted the disappointment and chagrin with which they would hear that all their trouble Lad been for nothing. "Girty listened with obvious impatience to the young warriors who had so ably argued against a re prieve, and starting to his feet as soon as the others had concluded, he urged his former request witl? great earnestness. He briefly, but strongly recapitu lated his own services, and the many and weighty instances of attachment he had given. He asked if lie could be suspected of partiality to the whites ? When had he ever before interceded for any of that hated race ? Had he not brought seven scalps home with him from the last expedition ? and had he not submitted seven white prisoners that very evening to their discretion ? Had he expressed a wish that a sin gle one of the captives should be saved ? This was his first and should be his last request : for if they refused to him, what was never refused to the intercession of one of their natural chiefs, he would look upon him- eelf as disgraced in their eyes, and considered as un worthy of confidence. Which of their own natural 456 THRILLING ADVENTURES. warriors had been more zealous than himself? From what expedition had he ever shrunk ? what white man had ever seen his back ? ^ Whose tomahawk had been bloodier than his ? He would say no more. He asked as a first and last favour, as an evidence that they approved of his zeal and fidelity, that the life of his bosom friend might be spared. Fresh speakers arose upon each side, and the debate was carried on for an hour and a half with great heat and energy. " During the whole of this time, Kenton's feelings may readily be imagined. He could not understand a syllable of what was said. He saw that Girty spoke with deep earnestness, and that the eyes of the assembly were often turned upon himself with vari ous expressions. He felt satisfied that his friend was pleading for his life, and that he was violently op posed by a large part of the council. At length the war-club was produced, and the final vote taken. Kenton watched its progress with thrilling emotion, which yielded to the most rapturous delight, as he perceived that those who struck the floor of the council-house, were decidedly inferior in number to those who passed it in silence. Having thus suc ceeded in his benevolent purpose. Girty lost no time in attending to the comfort of his friend. He led him into his own wigwam, and from his own store gave him a pair of moccasins and leggins, a breech cloth, a hat, a coat, a handkerchief for his neck, and another for his head." In the course of a few weeks, and after passing through some further difficulties in which the rene- KENTON AND GIRTY 457 gado again stood by him faithfully, Kenton was sent to Detroit, from which place he effected his escape and returned to Kentucky. Girty remained with the Iij'.Lons, retaining his old influence, and continuing his old career. THRILLING ADVENTURES. (Ertnrral GENERAL GEORGE ROGERS CLARKE was the idol of the early settlers of Kentucky. His dauntless spirit and military genius were known and appreciated, and when danger threatened he was the rallying point. As an Indian fighter, he had few equals, while his knowledge of regular civilized warfare was extensive. His expedition against Kaskaskia will always be re garded as the conception of a true military head, and the execution of a most indomitable spirit. No man letter understood the Indian character than Gen. Clarke. When he negotiated with them, he took a contrary course from that usually pursued by the whites, making no concessions lo the red men, and acting with a fearless independence which excited the respect, and secured the friendship of the most resolute warrior? The following speech, delivered to the Indians at Fort Vincennes, illustrates the policy of Gen. Clarke. oENERAL CLARKE AND THE INriAJVf, '' Men and warriors! pay attention to my words: informed me yesterday, that the Great Spirit had .ght us together ; and that you hoped, as he was jd, that it would be for good. 1 have also the same ope, and expect that each partj will strictly adheixs o whatever may be agreed upou, whether it be peace r >r war, and henceforward provr ourselves worthy of the attention of the Great S^ivi',. I am a man and a warrior : not a counsellor. I carry War in my right hand ; and in my left, P< /toe. I am sent by the Great Council of the Big Knife, and their friends, to take possession of all the towns possessed by the English in this country ; and to watch the motions of the Red People : to bloody the paths of those whc attempt to stop the course of the river ; but to clear the roads from us to those who desire to be in peace, that the women and children may walk in them with out meeting any thing to strike their feet against. I am ordered to call upon the Great Fire for warriors enough to darken the land, and that the Red People may hear no sound, but of birds who live on blood. I know there is a mist before your eyes. I w r ill dispel the clouds that you may clearly see the cause of the tvar between the Big Knife and the English : then you may judge, for yourselves, which party is in the right : and if you are warriors, as you profess to be, prove it by adhering faithfully to the party which you shall believe to be entitled to your friendship : and do not show yourselves to be squaws. * Dillon's History of Indiana. THRILLING ADVENTURES. (Kenrral lark? auto tf>e GENERAL GEORGE ROGERS CLARKE was the idol of the early settlers of Kentucky. His dauntless spirit and military genius were known and appreciated, and when danger threatened he was the rallying point. As an Indian fighter, he had few equals, while his knowledge of regular civilized warfare was extensive. Flis expedition against Kaskaskia will always be re garded as the conception of a true military head, and the execution of a most indomitable spirit. No man letter understood the Indian character than Gen. Clarke. When he negotiated with them, he took a contrary course from that usually pursued by the whites, making no concessions to the red men, and acting with a fearless independence which excited the respect, and secured the friendship of the most resolute warrior? The following speech, delivered to the Indians at Fort Vincennes, illustrates the policy of Gen. Clarke. GENERAL CLARKE AND TUB INFIAJVr, *" Men and warriors! pay attention to my words: You informed me yesterday, that the Great Spirit had brought us together ; and that you hoped, as he was good, that it would be for good. 1 have also the same hope, and expect that each party will strictly adheixj to whatever may be agreed upou, whether it be peace or war, and henceforward provr ourselves worthy of the attention of the Great Spi .i^. I am a man and a warrior : not a counsellor. / carry War in my right hand ; and in my left, P< /ice. I am sent by the Great Council of the Big Knife, and their friends, to take possession of all the towns possessed by the English in this country ; and to watch the motions of the Red People : to bloody the paths of those whc attempt to stop the course of the river ; but to clear the roads from us to those who desire to be in peace, that the women and children may walk in them with out meeting any thing to strike their feet against. I am ordered to call upon the Great Fire for warriors enough to darken the land, and that the Red People may hear no sound, but of birds who live on blood. I know there is a mist before your eyes. I will dispel the clouds that you may clearly see the cause of the war between the Big Knife and the English : then you may judge, for yourselves, which party is in the right : and if you are warriors, as you profess to be, prove it by adhering faithfully to the party which you shall believe to be entitled to your friendship : and do not show yourselves to be squaws. * Dillon's History of Indiana. 462 TIIRILLIXG ADVENTURES. " The Big Knives are very much like the Red People; they 'don't know how to make blankets, and powder, and cloth. They buy these things from the English, from whom they are sprung. They live by making corn, hunting, and trade, as you and ytmr neighbours, the French, do. But the Big Knives daily getting more numerous, like the trees in the woods, the land became poor, and hunting scarce ; and having but little to trade with, the women began to cry at seeing their children naked, and tried to learn how to make clothes for themselves. They soon made blankets for their husbands and children ; and the men learned to make guns and powder. In this way we did not want to buy so much from the English. They then got mad with us, and sent strong garrisons through our country ; as you see they have done among you on the lakes, and among the French. They would not let our women spin, nor our men make powder, nor let us trade with anybody else. The English said we should buy every thing from them ; and, since we had got saucy, we should give two bucks for a blanket, which we used to get for one : we should do as they pleased ; and they killed 9ine of our people, to make the rest fear them. This is the truth, and the real cause of the war between the English and us, which did not take place for some time after this treatment. " But our women became cold and hungry, and continued to cry. Our young men got lost for want of counsel to put them in the right path. The whole land was dark. The old men held down theii GENERAL CLARKE AND THE INDIANS. 463 heads for shame; because they could not see the and thus there was mourning for many years over the land. At last the Great Spirit took pity on us, and kindled a Great Council Fire, that never goes out, at o place called Philadelphia. He then stuck down a post, and put a war tomahawk by it, and went away. The sun immediately broke out : the sky Was bl ae again : and the old men held up their heads, and assembled at the fire. They took up the hatchet, sharpened it, and put it into the hands of our young men, ordering them to strike the English as long as they could find one on this side of the gieat waters. The young men immediately struck the war post, arid blood was shed. In this way the war began ; and the English were driven from one place to another, until they got weak ; and then they hired you Red People to fight for them. The Great Spirit got angry at this, and caused your old father, the French King, and other great nations to join the Big Knives, and fight with them against all their enemies. So the English have become like deer in the woods ; and you may see that it is the Great Spirit that has caused your waters to be troubled, because you have fought for the people he was mad with. If your women and children should now cry, you must blame yourselves for it, and not the Big Knives. "You can now judge who is in the right. I have already told you who I am. Here is a Bloody Belt and a White one ; take which you please. Behave like men : and don't let your being surrounded by 464 THRILLING ADVENTURES. the Big Knives, cause you to take up the one belt with your hands, while your hearts take up the other. If you take the bloody path you shall leave the town in safety, and may go and join your friendsj the English. We will then try, like warriors, who can put the most stumbling blocks in each other's way, and keep our clothes longest stained with blood. If, on the other hand, you should take the path of peace, and be received as brothers to the Big Knives, with their friends, the French, should you then listen to bad birds that may be flying through the land, you will no longer deserve to be counted as men ; but as creatures with two tongues, that ought to be destroyed without listening to any thing you migkt say. As I am convinced you never heard the truth before, I do not wish you to answer before you have taken time to counsel. We will, therefore, part this evening : and when the Great Spirit shall bring us together again, let us speak and think like men with but one heart and one tongue." This kind of oratory was very effective. It fitted tli'3 purpose to a hair. Gen. Clarke succeeded in con cluding several very advantageous treaties with the North-eastern tribes. ATTACK UPON WIDOW SCRAGGS* HOUSE. 467 upon iro&to Jbctagg*' ON the llth of April, 1787, the house of a widow named Scraggs, on Cooper's river in Bourbon county, becaine the scene of an adventure of a thrilling character. She occupied what is generally called a double cabin, in a lonely part of the county, one room of which was tenanted by the old lady herself, together with two grown sons, and a widowed daughter, at that time suckling an infant, while the other was occupied by two unmarried daughters from sixteen to twenty years of age, together with a little girl not more than half grown. The hour was 11 o'clock at night. One of the unmarried daughters was still busily engaged at the loom, but the other members of the family, with the exception of one of the sons, had retired to rest. Some symptoms of an alarming nature had engaged the attention of the young man for an hour before any thing of a decided character took place The cry of owls was heard in an adjoining wood, answering each other in rather an unusual manner. The horses, which were enclosed as usual in a pound near the house, were more than commonly excited, and by their repeated snorting and galloping, announced the presence of some object of terror. The young man was often upon the point of awakening his brother, but was as often restrained by the fear of incurring ridicule and the reproach of timidity, at that time an unpardonable blemish in the character 168 THRILLING ADVENTURES of a Kentuckian. At length hasty steps were heard in the yard, and quickly afterwards, several loud knocks at the door, accompanied by the usual excla mation of * who keeps house?" in very good English The young man, supposing from the language, that some benighted settlers were at the door, hastily arose, and was advancing to withdraw the bar which secured it, when his mother, who had long lived upon the frontiers, and had probably detected the Indian tone in the demand for admission, instantly sprung out of bed, and ordered her son not to admit them, declaring that they were Indians. She instantly awakened her other son, and the two young men seizing their guns, which were always charged, prepared to repel the enemy. The Indians, finding it impossible to enter under their assumed characters, began to thunder at the door with great violence, but a single shot from a loop hole, compelled them to shift the attack to some less exposed point; and, unfortunately, they discovered the door of the other cabin, which contained the three daughters. The rifles of the brothers could not be brought to bear upon this point, and by means of several rails taken from the yard fence, the door was forced from its hinges, and the three girls were at the mercy of the savages. One was instantly secured, but the eldest defended herself desperately with a knife which she had been using at the loom, and stabbed one of the Indians to the heart, before she was tomahawked. In the meantime the little girl, who had been over by the enemy in their eagerness to secure the Attack upon Widow Scragga' House. ATTACK UPON WIDOW SCRAGG'S HOUSE. 4.71 others, ran out into the yard, and might have effected her escape, had she taken advantage of the darkness and lied, but instead of that the terrified little creature ran around the house wringing her hands, and crying out that her sisters were killed. The brothers, unable to hear her cries, without risking every thing for her rescue, rushed to the door and were preparing to sally out to her assistance, when her mother threw herself before them and calmly declared the child must be abandoned to its fate ; that the sally would sacrifice the lives of all the rest without the slightest benefit to the little girl. Just then the child uttered a loud Bcream, followed by a few faint moans, and all was again silent. Presently the crackling of flames was heard, accompanied by a triumphant yell from the Indians, announcing that they had set fire to that di vision of the house which had been occupied by the daughters and of which they held undisputed pos session. The "fire was quickly communicated to the rest of the building, and it became necessary to abandoi. it, or perish in the flames. In the one case there was a possibility that some might escape ; in the other, their fate would be equally certain and terrible. The rapid approach of the flames cut short their momen tary suspense. The door was thrown open, and the old lady, supported by her eldest son, attempted to cross the fence at one point, while her daughter carrying her child in her arms, and attended by the younger of the brothers, ran in a different direction. The blazing rool .shed a light over the yard but little infe- THRILLING ADVENTURES. to that of day, and the savages were distinctly seen awaiting the approach of their victims. The old lady was permitted to reach the stile unmo lested, but in the act of crossing, received several balls in her breast, and fell dead. Her son, providen tially, remained unhurt, and by extraordinary agility effected his escape. The other party succeeded also in reaching the fence unhurt, but in the act of crossing, were vigo rously assailed by several Indians, who throwing down their guns, rushed upon them with their toma hawks. The young man defended his sister gallantly, tiring upon the enemy as they approached, and then wielding the butt of his rifle with a fury that drew their whole attention upon himself, and gave his sister an opportunity of effecting her escape. He quickly fell, however, under the tomahawks of his enemies, and was found at day-light, scalped and mangled in a shocking manner. Of the whole family, consisting of eight persons, when the attack commenced, only three escaped. Four were killed upon the spot, and one (the second daughter) carried off as a prisoner. The neighbourhood was quickly alarmed, and by daylight about thirty men were assembled under the command of Colonel Edwards. A light snow had fallen during the latter part of the night, and the In* dian trail could be pursued by a gallop. It led di rectly into the mountainous country bordering upon Licking, and afforded evidences of great hurry and precipitation on the part of the fugitives. Unfortu nately a hound had been permitted to accompany the ATTACK UPON WIDOW SCllAGGS* HOUSE. 473 whites, and as the trail became fresh arid the scent warm, she followed it with eagerness, baying loudly, and giving the alarm to the Indians. The consequen ces of this imprudence were soon displayed. The enemy finding the pursuit keen, and perceiving hat the strength of the prisoner began to fail, instantly sunk their tomahawks in her head, and left her still warm and bleeding upon the snow. As the whites came up, she retained strength enough to wave her hands in token of recognition, a-nd appeared desirous of giving them some informa tion with regard to the enemy, but her strength was too far gone. Her brother sprang from his horse and knelt by her side, endeavouring to stop the effusion of blood, but in vain. She gave him her hand, mut tered some inarticulate words, and expired within two minutes after the arrival of the party. The pursuit was renewed with additional ardour, and in twenty minutes the enemy was in view. They had taken possession of a steep narrow ridge, and seemed desi rous of magnifying their numbers in the eyes of the whites, as they ran rapidly from tree to tree, and maintained a steady yell in their most appalling tones. The pursuers, however, were too experienced to be deceived by so common an artifice, and being satisfied that the number of the enemy must be infe rior to their own, they dismounted, tied their horses, and flanking out in such a manner as to enclose the enemy, ascended the ridge as rapidly as was con sistent with a due regard to the shelter of theii persons. 474 THRILLING ADVENTURES. The firing quickly commenced, and now for the first time they discovered that only two Indians were opposed to them. They had voluntarily sacrificed themselves for the safety of the main body, and had succeeded in delaying pursuit until their friends could reach the mountains. One of them was instantly shot d'ead, and the other was badly wounded, as was evident from the blood upon his blanket, as well as that which filled his tracks in the snow for a considera ble distance. The pursuit was recommenced, and urged keenly until night, when the trail entered a running stream and was lost. On the following morning the snow had melted, and every trace of the enemy was obliterated. of Jrort TUE defence of Fort Harrison against a strong force of Indians was the first important exploit of Zachary Taylor, since so renowned as a general : Not long after, he joined the army at New Orleans, then under the command of General Wilkinson. In 1810 .he was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Smith, of Maryland, a lady in all respects worthy of his affections. In the following November, he was prcmoted to the rank of captain. In 1811, he was placed in command of Fort Knox on the Wabash, in the vicinity of Vincennes. Eicm mis station he was ordered to the east, a short time before the battle of Tippecanoe. In 1812 he received orders to taka DEFENCE OF FORT HARRISON. 475 command of Fort Harrison, a post situated on the Wabash, seventy-five miles above Yincennes, and fifty miles beyond the frontier settlements. This was a most important trust for one of his age. But subsequent events proved the sagacity of the appointment. While in command of Fort Harrison, Captain Taylor became the hero of one of the most desperate conflicts fought during the war. This frontier post was nothing more than a slight stockade, which had been thrown up by General Harrison in 1811, while on his march to Tippecanoe. The defences were of the most simple and primitive kind. The whole was built of unseasoned timber ; and was formed on three sides by single rows of pickets, the fourth side con sisting of a range of log huts, appropriated as bar racks for the soldiers, and terminated at either extreme by a block house. When Captain Taylor assumed the command of this rude fortification, it was exceedingly ill provided- either for comfort or de fence, and was garrisoned by a single broken company of infantry. On the 3d of September, 1812, two men were murdered by the Indians within a few hundred j^ards of the fort. Late on the evening of the 4th, between thirty and forty Indians arrived from the Prophet's to* r bearing a white flag. They were principally ebr- .d, and belonged to the various tribes that com- r jsed the Prophet's party. Captain Taylor was in formed that the principal chief would make him a speech the next morning, and that the object of their visit was to get something to eat. The plot was well 476 THRILLING ADVENTURES. conceived and boldly executed ; but it was instantly detected by the eagle eye of the young commander, and he redoubled his exertions to put the Fort in a proper state of defence. The premeditated attack, so craftily arranged, was made as expected. About eleven o'clock, Captain Taylor was awakened by the firing of one of the sen tinels. He immediately ordered the men to their posts, and the firing became general on both sides. In the rnidst of the uproar, it was discovered that the Indians had set fire to the lower block house. Without a moment's hesitation, Captain Taylor di rected buckets to be brought, and the fire to be ex tinguished. But it was much easier to give the order than to have it executed. The men appeared to be paralyzed and stupified. The alarm of fire had thrown the garrison into the greatest confusion, in the midst of which all orders were unheard or disre garded. Unfortunately, there was a large quantity of whiskey among the contractor's stores deposited in the block house, which having caught fire, caused the flames to spread with great rapidity, and to rage with irresistible fury. During this time the Indians were not idle, but kept up an incessant and rapid discharge of rifles against the picket ing, accompanied by a concert of the most infernal yells that ever issued from the throat of man, beast, or devil. The fire soon ascended to the roof of the block house, and threatened to wrap the whole fort in a sheet of flame. The men gave themselves up for lost, and ceased to pay any attention to the orders. DEFENCE OF FORT I1ARRISON. 477" Disorder was at its height, and the scene became terrific. The fire raged and surged, and roared the Indians howled and yelled dogs barked the woun ded groaned ; and high above all, arose the shriek of woman in her terror, sending its keen and thrilling accents through the mingled sounds of battle the surrounding forest, bathed in bloody light, returned a fiery glare, yet more appalling from the intense dark ness of the night ; and all combined made up a time of awful terror, before which the stoutest heart quailed and quaked. In the midst of this pandemonium stood the youthful hero, like a living rock, firm and col lected, rapid and decisive, at a single glance intui tively determining the order of the defence, animating his comrades to confidence and constancy, and by the irresistible force of example, imparting a spirit of de termined and courageous perseverance even to the weaker sex. The roof of the block house was thrown off; the other buildings were kept wet, and by the greatest exertions the flames kept under. The open ing made in the line of the defences by the burning of the block house was supplied by a temporary breastwork ; and after keeping up a constant fire until about six o'clock in the morning, the Indians retired. The loss of the garrison, in this affair, was only one man killed, and two wounded. That of the Indians was very considerable. Captain Taylor, for this affair, was promoted to the rank of Major by brevet. It was the first brevet con ferred during the war; and never was similar reward more justly merited. 47S THRILLING ADVENTURES. CAPTAIN HAAC 8HELBT. &e battle of fo(r.t p*a*ant. THE short contest known as Dunmore's War, in the annals of Western Virginia, was signalized by one of the bloodiest and hardest fought battles, in which the Indians ever engaged. This conflict is known as the battle of Point Pleasant. After several skirmishes and numerous disasters upon the frontier of Virginia had fully aroused the settlers, about 2500 men were BATTLE OF POINT PLEASANT. 481 Collected for active service. The troops were divided into two bodies the first being under the command of Gen. Andrew Lewis, and the second under the orders of Gov. Dunmore himself. Gen. Lewis had his rendezvous at Camp Union. There he received orders to meet the Governor at the mouth of the Kanawha, on the 2d of October, 1774. On the llth of September, Gen. Lewis, at the head of about 1100 men, commenced his march through an unknown and trackless wilderness. On the 30th, he reached the mouth of the Kanawha, where he was disappointed in not meeting the Governor. On the 9th of October, Gen. Lewis received information that the plan of the campaign had been changed, and also an order to march direct to the towns on the Sciota, where the other division would join him. Accord ingly, preparations were made to move forward the next day. Upon the morning of the 10th, the scouts brought information of the approach of a great body of Indians, under the command of the famous Cornstalk, the brave Logan, and other chiefs. The Commander- in-chief, supposing the number of the enemy was ex aggerated, ordered out the regiment under Col. Lewis, to check them. The Colonel had barely passed the outer guard, when the Indians appeared, and com menced the attack. Col. Fleming was now ordered to reinforce Col. Lewis, and the conflict became furi ous. Col. Lewis was mortally wounded at an early hour; but with a resolution rarely equalled, he main tained his post until the line of battle had been fairly formed, when he was carried, dying, from the field, 482 THRILLING ADVENTURES. The troops now gave way, and in all probability, would have been routed, had not Gen. Lewis ordered up Col. Field with a reinforcement. The fight now be came more desperate than ever, and was maintained bj both parties with consummate skill, energy and Valour. Neither parties could advance far, and neither would retreat. Amidst the roar of battle, the voice of the mighty Cornstalk was heard, bidding his warriors " Be strong !" Those who attempted to fly, he cut down with his tomahawk. The shouts of the whites mingled with the fierce yells of the Indians. Gen Lewis acted and commanded with coolness and decision. About 12 o'clock, the fire of the red men began to slacken, and they fell back slowly. The Vir ginians pressed them closely, but paid dearly for their daring, by being ambuscaded on several occasions. Gen. Lewis seeing the wily policy of Cornstalk, or dered three companies commanded by Captains John Stuart, George Mathews and Isaac Shelby, to move quietly beneath the banks of the Kanawha and Crooked Run, and so gain the enemy's rear. Thia manoeuvre was successfully executed, and the Indians fairly gave up the fight about 4 o'clock in the day. The victory remained with the Virginians, but they dared not pursue. Cornstalk's retreat wa^ original and masterly. He alternately led on his men and then fell back in such a manner as to hold the whites in check, and allow the Indians an opportunity to remove their dead. During the night they retired Deyond the Ohio. The exact losses sustained by the conflicting par- Comttalir M'Colloch's Leap. M'COLLOCH'S LEAP 487 ties in this great battle have never been ascertained. The Indians are said to have lost in all, about 150 men. The Provincials had about 200 of their army either killed or wounded. At least 100 of Gen. Lewis's men were absent, hunting, and knew nothing of the battle till evening. The Indian army was composed of the flower of the northern confederated tribes. Their commander, Cornstalk, the Shawanee, had talents for the council or the field, equal, at least, to those of the famous Tecumseh. He possessed all the elements of true greatness. The battle of Point Pleasant will ever remain as an indication of those mighty powers to which the wilderness had given birth. Peace was concluded soon after this great conflict. THE escape of Major Samuel Moloch from the Indians by leaping down a fearful precipice is one of the most startling exploits recorded in the history of Western Virginia. The M'Colloch family was one of the earliest that settled on Short Creek. Samuel was the second son. At a very early age, he was distinguished as a bold and enterprising borderer. He was constantly engaged in excursions against the Eed men, and scouting for the security of the settle ments. The Indians had reason to dread this indom* THRILLING ADVENTURES. itable warrior, and their desire for vengeance upon him was sleepless In 1775, M'CoKoch, in consideration of his many important services, was appointed Major. His most famous exploit occurred on the 2d of September, 1777 Shortly after the first attack upon Fort Henry, at Wheel ing, Major M'Colloch, with about 40 men, appeared before the fort, with the purpose of reinforcing the garrison. Simultaneously with his arrival the Indians re-appeared and began a furious onslaught, intending to cut off a portion of the reinforcement. All the men succeeded in entering the fort, except Major M'Col- loch, who, in his anxiety for the safety of the others, held back until he was nearly surrounded by the enemy. There was but one road, and that led over the lofty hill which now overhangs the city of Wheel ing. This hill was nearly three hundred feet high, and the descent was almost perpendicular in some places. M'Colloch gained the summit of the hill, and then he comprehended his danger. The enemy hemmed him in. They would not fire, for they wore anxious to take him alive and put him to death with torture. The bold soldier determined never to abide euch a fate. Without a moment's hesitation, he firmly fixed himself in his saddle, grasped securely the bridle with his left hand, and supporting his rifle in the right, he spurred his horse over the fearful pre cipice. The savages were amazed ; yet they were sure that their enemy had perished among the rocks below. How much greater was their astonishment, when they saw the Itf cjor. on his brave steed, gallop ADVENTURE CF TWO SCOUTS. 491 ing across the peninsula, by which he escaped. The feat was not more remarkable for daring than for suc cess. The place has become memorable as M'Col- loch's leap, and as long as the hill stands, the fam of the bold Major will be preserved. He was killed by the Indians in the summer of 1782, having fallen into an ambuscade. The red men ate his heart to make them brave. of too Jbcout*. As early as the year 1790, the block house and stockade, above the mouth of the Hockhocking river, was a frontier post for the hardy pioneers of that por tion of our State from the Hockhocking to the Sciota, and from the Ohio river to our northern Lakes. Then nature wore her undisturbed livery of dark and thick forests, interspersed with green and flowery prairies. Then the axe of the woodman had not been heard in the wilderness, noi the plough of the husbandman marred the beauty of the green prairies. Among the many rich and luxuriant valleys, that of the Hock hocking was pre-eminent for nature's richest gifts and the portion of it whereon Lancaster now stands, was marked as the most luxuriant and picturesque, and became the seat of an Indian village, at a period so early, that the "memory of man runneth not par allel thereto/' On the green sward of the prairie was held many a rude gamtol of the Indians ; and here 492 THRILLING ADTENTURES. too, was many an assemblage of the warriors ol uae of the most powerful tribes, taking counsel for a ' v/ar path ' upon some weak or defenceless frontier \ ost. Upon one of these war-stirring occasions, intelligence reached the little garrison above the mouth of the Ilockhocking, that the Indians were gathering ID force somewhere up the valley, for the purpose of striking a terrible and fatal blow on one of the few and scattered defences of the whites. A council was held by the garrison, and fccouts were sent up the Ilockhocking, in order to ascertain the strength of the foe, and the probable point of attack. In the month of October, and on one of the balmiest days of our Indian summer, two men could have been seen emerging out of the thick plumb and hazel bushes skirting the prairie, and stealthily climbing the east ern declivity of that most remarkable promontory, now known as Mount Pleasant, whose western sum- mit gives a commanding view to the eye of what is doing on the prairie. This eminence was gained by our two adventurers and hardy scouts, and from this point they carefully observed the movements taking place on the prairie. Every day brought an accession of warriors to those already assembled, and every day the scouts witnessed from their eyrie, the horse-racing, leaping, running and throwing the deadly tomahawk by the warriors. The old sachems looking on with Indifference the squaws, for the most part, engaged in their usual drudgeries, and the papooses manifest ing all the noisy and wayward joy of childhood. The arrival of any new party of warriors was hailed by Tho Two Scouts ADVENTURE OF TWO SCOUTS. 495 the terrible war whoop, which striking the mural face of Mount Pleasant, was driven back into the various indentations of the surrounding hills, producing rever beration on reverberation, and echo on echo, till it seemed as if ten thousand fiends were gathered in theii |)rgies. Such yells might well strike terror into the bosoms of those unaccustomed to them. Tc our scouts these were but martial music strains which waked their watchfulness, and strung their iron frames. From their early youth had they been always on the frontier, and therefore well practised in all the subtlety,craft and cun ning as well as knowing the ferocity and bloodthirsty perseverance of the savage. They were therefore not likely to be circumvented by the cunning of their foes ; and without a desperate struggle, would not fall victims to the scalping knife. On several occasions, Bmall parties of warriors left the prairie and ascended the Mount ; at which times our scouts would hide in the fissures of the rocks, or lying by the side of some long prostrate tree, cover themselves with the sear and yellow leaf, and again leave their hiding places when their uninvited visitors had disappeared. For food they depended on jerked venison, and cold corn bread, with which their knapsacks had been well stored. Fire they dared not kindle, and the report of one of their rifles would bring upon them the en tire force of the Indians. For drink they depended on eome rain water, which still stood in excavations of the rocks, but in a few days this store was exhausted, and M'Clelland and White must abandon their enter prise or find a new supply. To accomplish this most 496 THRILLING ADVENTURES. hazardous affair, M'Clelland being the elder, resolved to make the attempt with his trusty rifle in his grasp, and two canteens strung across his shoulders, he cautiously descended to the prairie, and skirting the hills on the north as much as possible within the Lazle thickets, he struck a course for the Hockhock- ing river. He reached its margin, and turning au abrupt point of a hill, he found a beautiful fountain of limpid water now known as the Cold Spring, with in a few feet of the river. He filled his canteens and returned in safety to his watchful companion. It was now determined to have a fresh supply of water every day, and this duty was to be performed alternately. On one of these occasions, after White had filled his canteens, he sat a few moments, watching the limpid element, as it came gurgling out of the bosom of the earth the light sound of footsteps caught his prac tised ear, and upon turning round, he saw two squaws within a few feet of him ; these upon turning the jet of the hill had thus suddenly come upon him. The elder squaw gave one of those far-reaching whoops peculiar to the Indians. White at once compre hended his perilous situation, for if the alarm should reach the camp, he and his companion must inevita bly perish. Self-preservation impelled him to inflict a noiseless death upon the squaws, and in such a man ner as to leave no trace behind. Ever rapid in thought, and prompt in action, he sprang upon his victims with the rapidity and power of a panther, and grasping the throat of each, with one bound he sprang into the Hockhocking. and rapidly thrust the head of ADVEIS T TURE OF TWO SCOUTS. 497 the elder woman under the water, and making strong efforts to submerge the younger, who, however, pow erfully resisted During the short struggle, the younger female addressed him in his own language, though almost in inarticulate sounds. Releasing his hold, she informed him, that, ten years before she had been made a prisoner, on Grave Creek flats, and thai the Indians, in her presence, butchered her mother and two sisters ; and that an only remaining brother had been captured with her, who succeeded on the second night in making his escape ; but what had be come of him she knew not. During the narrative, White, unobserved by the girl, had let go his grasp on the elder squaw, whose body soon floated where it would not, probably, soon be found. He now directed the girl hastily to follow him, and with his usual en ergy and speed, pushed for the Mount. They had scarcely gone two hundred yards from the spring, be fore the alarm cry was heard some quarter of a mile down the stream. It was supposed that some war riors returning from a hunt, struck the Hockhocking just as the body of the drowned squaw floated past. White and the girl succeeded in reaching the Mount, where M'Clelland had been no indifferent spectator to the sudden commotion * among the Indians, as the prairie parties of warriors were seen to strike off in every direction, and before White and the girl had arrived, a party of some twenty warriors had already gained the eastern acclivity of the Mount, and were cautiously ascending, carefully keeping under cover. Soon the two scouts saw the swarthy faces of the f(3, 2x2 498 THRILLING ADVENTURES. as they glided from tree to tree, and rock to rock, until the whole base of the Mount was surrounded, and all hopes of escape cut off. In this peril nothing was left, other than to sell their lives as dearly as they could ; this they resolved to do, and advised the girl to escape to the Indians, and tell them she had been made a captive to the scouts. She said " no ! death, and that in the presence of my people, is to me a thousand times sweeter than cap tivity furnish me with a rifle, and I will show you that I can fight as well as die. This spot I leave not ! here my bones shall lie bleaching with yours ! and should either of you escape, you will carry the tidings of my death to my remaining relatives." Remons trance proved fruitless ; the two scouts matured their plans for a vigourous defence opposing craft to craft, expedient to expedient, and an unerring fire of the deadly rifle. The attack commenced in front where, from the narrow backbone of the Mount, the savages had to advance in single file, but where they could avail themselves of the rocks and trees. In advanc ing the warrior must be momentarily exposed, and two bare inches of his swarthy form was target enough for the unerring rifle of the scouts. After bravely maintaining the fight in front, and keeping the enemy in check, they discovered a new danger threatening them. The wary foe now made every preparation to attack them in flank, which could be most suc cessfully and fatally done by reaching an insulated rock lying in one of the ravines on the southern hill Bide. This rock once gained by the Indians, they ADVENTURE OF TWO SCOUTS. 499 could bring the scouts under point blank shot of the rifle ; and without the possibility of escape. Our brave scouts saw the hopelessness of their situ ation, which nothing could avert but brave com panions and an unerring shot them they had not. But the brave never despair. With this certain fate resting upon them, they had continued as calm, and as calculating, and as unwearied as the strongest desire of vengeance on a treacherous foe could produce. Soon M'Clelland saw a tall and swarthy figure pre paring to spring from a cover so near the fatal rock, that a single bound must reach it, and all hope be destroyed. He felt that all depended on one advan tageous shot, although but one inch of the warrior's body was exposed, and that at a distance of one hun dred yards he resolved to risk all coolly he raised his rifle to his eye, carefully shading the sight with his hand, he drew a bead so sure, that he felt conscious it would do he touched the hair trigger with his finger the hammer came down, but in place of strik ing fire it crushed his flint into a hundred fragments ! Although he felt that the savage must reach the fatal rock before he could adjust another flint, he proceeded to the task with the utmost composure, casting many a furtive glance towards the fearful point. Suddenly he saw the warrior stretching every muscle for the leaj> and with the agility of a deer he made tin spring instead of reaching the rock he sprung tt'H feet in the air, and giving one terrific yell he fell upon the earth, and his dark corpse rolled fifty feet down the hill. He had evidently received a death shot 600 THRILLING ADVENTURES. from some unknown hand. A hundred voices from below re-echoed the terrible shout, and it was evident that they had lost a favourite warrior, as well as been foiled for a time in their most important movement. A very few moments proved that the advantage so mysteriously gained would be of short duration; for Already the scouts caught a glimpse of a swart? y war rior, cautiously advancing towards the cover so re cently occupied by a fellow companion. Now, too^ ne attack in front was resumed with increased fury, so as to require the incessant fire of both scouts, to prevent the Indians from gaining the eminence and in a short time M'Clelland saw the wary warrior be hind the cover, preparing for a leap to gain the fear ful rock the leap was made and the warrior turning a somerset, his corpse rolled down towards his com panion ; again a mysterious agent had interposed in their behalf. This second sacrifice cast dismay into the ranks of the assailants ; and just as the sun waa disappearing behind the western hills, the foe with- drew a short distance, for the purpose of devising new modes of attack. The respite came most seasonably to the scouts, who had bravely kept their position, and boldly maintained the unequal fight from thg middle of the day. Now, for the first time was the girl missing, arid the scouts supposed that through terror she had escaped to her former captors, or that she had been killed during the fight. They were not long left to doubt, for in a few moments the girl was seen emerg ing from behind a rock and coming to them with a ADVENTURE OF TWO SCOUTS. 501 rifle in her hand. During the heat of the fight she saw a warrior fall, who had advanced some fifty yards before the main body in front. She at once resolved to possess herself of his rifle, and crouching in under growth she crept to the spot, and succeeded in her enterprise, being all the time exposed to the cross fire of the defenders and assailants her practised eye had early noticed the fatal rock, and hers was the myste rious hand by which the two warriors had fallen the last being the most wary, untiring and blood-thirsty brave of the Shawanese tribe. He it was, who ten years previous had scalped the family of the girl, and been her captor. In the west, dark clouds were now gathering, and in an hour the whole heavens were shrouded in them; this darkness greatly embarrassed the scouts in their contemplated night retreat, for they might readily lose their way, or accidentally fall on the enemy this being highly probable, if not ii*- evitable. An hour's consultation decided their plans, and it was agreed that the girl, from her* intimate knowledge of their localities, should lead the advance a few steps. Another advantage might be gained by this arrangement, for in case they should fall in with some outposts, the girl's knowledge of the India a tongue, would perhaps enable her to deceive the sen tinel ; and so the sequel proved, for scarcely had they descended one hundred feet, when a low "whist" from the girl, warned them of present danger. The gcouts sunk silently to the earth, where by previous agreement, they were to remain till another signal was given them by the girl, whose absence for more 502 THRILLING ADVENTURES. than a quarter of an hour now began to excite the most serious apprehensions. At length she again ap peared, and told them that she had succeeded in re moving two sentinels who were directly in their route to a point some hundred feet distant. The descent was noiselessly resumed the level gained, and th scouts followed their intrepid pioneer for half a mile in the most profound silence, when the barking qf a small dog, within a few feet, apprized them of a new danger. The almost simultaneous click of the scouts' nfles, were heard by the girl, who rapidly approached them and stated that they were now in the midst of the Indian wigwams, and their lives depended on the most profound silence, and implicitly following her footsteps. A moment afterwards, the girl was ac costed by a squaw from an opening in a wigwam. She replied in the Indian language, and without stopping pressed forward. In a short time she stopped and assured the scouts that the village was cleared, and that they were now in safety. She knew that every pass leading out of the prairie was safely guarded by Indians, and at once resolved to adopt the bold ad venture of passing through the very centre of their village as the least hazardous. The result proved the correctness of her judgment. They now kept a course for the Ohio, being guided by the Hockhocking river -and after three- days' march and suffering, the party arrived at the Block-House in safety. Their escape from the Indians, prevented the contemplated attack . and the rescued girl proved to be the sister of the in- JOE LOGSTON. 503 trepid Neil Washburn, celebrated in Indian history as the renowned Scout to Capt. Ken ton's bloody Ken tuokians. See Eoggton. THE elder Logston, whose name was Joseph, and his wife, whose name was Mary, with an only son bearing his name, resided in a cabin in Virginia, near the source of the north branch of the Poto mac, in one of the most inhospitable regions of the Alleghany mountains, some twenty or thirty miles from any settlement. There never was, perhaps, a family better calculated to live in such a place. Old Joe (for they were soon known as Old Joe and Young Joe Logston,) was a very athletic man, with uncom mon muscular strength. The old lady was not so much above the ordinary height of women, but like the Dutchman's horse, was built up from the ground; and it would have taken the strength of two or three common women to equal hers. The son was no dis credit to either in the way of strength, size or activity In fact he soon outstripped his father. What littl he lost in height was more than compensated in the thickness and muscle of the motfrer, so that when he came to his full size and strength, he went by the name of Big Joe Logston. I would not ven ture to say his physical powers were equal to those of the strong man of old ; but such they were as to ke 604 THRILLING ADVENTURES. come proverbial. It was often said to stout looking, growing young men, " You will soon be as big as Big Joe Logs ton." Joe sometimes descended from the mountain heights into the valleys, in order to exchange his skins for powder, lead and other articles for the use of the family. While in society he entered with great alac rity, into all the various athletic sports of the day. No Kentuckian could ever, with greater propriety than he, have said, "I can out-run, out-hop, out-jump, throw-down, drag-out, and whip any man in the coun try." And as to the use of the rifle, he was said to be one of the quickest and surest centre shots to be found. With all this, as is usual with men of real grit, Joe was good-natured, and never sought a quar rel. No doubt many a bullying and bragging fellow would have been proud of the name of having whipped Big Joe Logston, but that, on taking a close aurvey of him, he thought " prudence the better part of valour," and let him return to his mountain without raising his dander. About the time Joe arrived at manhood, his father, and perhaps his mother, were called hence, leaving him single-handed to contend, not only with the Spitz- bergen winters of the mountains, but with the bears, panthers, wolves, rattlesnakes, and all the numerous tribes of dangerous animals, reptiles and insects, with which the mountain regions abound. Joe, however, maintained his ground for several years, until the set- tlements had begun to encroach on what he had been accustomed to consider his own premises. One maa JOE LOGSTON. 505 sat down six miles east of him, another about the same distance in another direction, and finally, one, with a numerous family, had the temerity to come and pitch his cabin within two miles of him. This Joe could not stand, and he pulled up stakes and de camped to seek a neighbourhood where he could heal the crack of no man's rifle but his own. Of all men then known he was one of the best quar fied to live on a frontier where there were savages, either animal or human, to contend with. His uncom mon size and strength, and inclination to be entirely free from restraint, made him choose his residence a little outside of the bounds of law and civil liberty. We do not know the precise time he left the Allegha- nies, but believe it was between the years 1787 and '91. The next we heard of Joe was, that he had set tled in Kentucky, south of Green river,- we tliink on Little Barren river, and, of course, a little in advance of the settlements. The frontiers were frequently com pelled to contend with the southern Indians. There was not a particle of fear in Joe's composition ; that ingredient was left out of his mixture. There he soon had an introduction to a new acquaintance. So far he had been acquainted only with savage beasts, but now savage man came in his way, and as it " stirs the Hood more to rouse the lion than to start a hare," Joe was in his delight. The Indians made a sudden at tack, and all that escaped were driven into a rude fort for preservation, and, though reluctantly, Joe was one. This was a new life to him, and did not at all uit his taste. He soon became very restless, and 2U 606 THRILLING ADVENTURES. every day insisted on going out with others to hunt up the cattle. Knowing the danger better, or fearing it more, all persisted in their refusals to go with him, To indulge his taste for the woodman's life, he turned out alone, and rode till the after part of tho day without finding any cattle. What the Indiana had not killed were scared off. He concluded to re turn to the fort. Riding along a path which led in, he came to a fine vine of grapes. He laid his gun across the pommel of his saddle, set his hat on it, and filled it with grapes. He turned into the path and rode carelessly along, eating his grapes, and the first intimation he had of danger, was the crack of two rifles, one from each side of the road. One of the balls passed through the paps of his breast, which, for a male, were remarkably prominent, almost as much as those of many nurses. The ball just grazed the skin between the paps, but did not injure the breast bone. The other ball struck the horse behind the saddle, and he sunk in his tracks. Thus was Joe eased off his horse in a manner more rare than welcome. Still he was on his feet in an instant, with his rifle in his hands, and might have taken to his heels; and we will venture the opinion, that no Indian could have caught him. That, he said, was .not his sort. He had never left a battle ground without leaving his mark, and he was resolved that that should not be the first. The moment the guns fired, one very athletic Indian sprang towards him with tomahawk in haul. His eye was on him, and his gun to his eye, JOE LOGSTON. 507 JOS LOGSTON AND THE INDIANS. ready, as soon as he approached near enough to make a sure shot, to let him have it. As soon as the In dian discovered this, he jumped behind two pretty large saplings, some small distance apart, neither of which were large enough to cover his body, and to save himself as well as he could, he kept springing from one to the other. 608 THRILLING ADVENTURES. Joe, knowing that he had two enemies on the ground, kept a lookout for the other by a quick glance of the eye. He presently discovered him behind a tree loading his gun. The tree was not quite large enough to hide him. When in the act of pushing down his bullet he exposed pretty fairly his hips Joe, in the twinkling of an eye, wheeled and let bin have his load in the part exposed. The big Indian then, with a mighty " Ugh !" rushed towards 'him with his raised tomahawk. Here were two warriors met, each determined to conquer or die, -each the Goliah of his nation. The Indian had rather the ad vantage in size of frame, but Joe in w r eight and mus cular strength. The Indian made a halt at the dis tance of fifteen or twenty feet, and threw his toma hawk with all his force, but Joe had his eye on him and dodged it. It flew quite out of the reach of either of them. Joe then clubbed his gun and made at the Indian, thinking to knock him down. The In dian sprang into some brush, or saplings to avoid his blows. The Indian depended entirely on dodging, with the help of the saplings. At length Joe, think ing he had a pretty fair chance, made a side blow with such force, that missing the dodging Indian, the gun, now reduced to a naked barrel, was drawn quite out of his hands, and flew entirely out of reach. The Indian now gave another exulting " Ugh !" and sprang at him with all the savage fury he was master of. Neither of them had a weapon in his hands, and the Indian seeing Logston bleeding freely, thought he oould throw him down and dispatch him. In this he JOE LOGSTON. 509 was mistaken. They seized each other and a despe rate scuffle ensued. Joe could throw him down, but could not hold him there. The Indian being naked, with his hide oiled, had greatly the advantage in a ground scuffle, and would still slip out of Joe's grasp and rise. After throwing him five or six times, Joe found, that between loss of blood and violent exer tions, his wind was leaving him, and that he must change the mode of warfare or lose his scalp, which he was not yet willing to spare. He threw the Indian again, and without attempting to hold him, jumped from him, and as he rose, aimed a fist blow at his head which caused him to fall back, and as he would rise, Joe gave him several blows in succession, the Indian rising slower each time. He at last succeeded in giving him a pretty fair blow in the burr of the ear, with all his force, and he fell, as Joe thought, pretty near dead. Joe jumped on him, and thinking he could dispatch him by choking, grasped his neck with his left hand, keeping his right one free for con tingencies. Joe soon found the Indian was not so dead as he thought, and that he was making some use oi his right arm which lay across his body, and on cast ing his eye down discovered the Indian was making an effort to unsheath a knife that was hanging at his belt. The knife was so short and so sunk in the sheath that it was necessary to force it up by pressing against the point. This the Indian was trying to ef fect, and with good success. Joe kept his eye on it and let the Indian work the handle out, when he sud- lenly grabbed it, jerked it out of the sheath, and sunk 610 THRILLING ADVENTURES. it up to the handle in the Indian's breast, who gare' a death groan and expired. Joe now thought of the other Indian, and not know ing how far he had succeeded in killing or crippling him, sprang to his feet. He found the crippled Indian had crawled some distance towards them, and had propped his broken back against a log and was trying to raise his gun to shoot him, but in attempting to do which he would fall forward, and had to push against his gun to raise himself again. Joe seeing thai he was safe, concluded he had fought long enough for healthy exercise that day, and not liking to be killed by a crippled Indian he made for the fort. He got in about nightfall, and a hard-looking case he was blood and dirt from the crown of his head to the sole of his foot, no horse, no hat, no gun with an account of the battle that some of his comrades could scarce believe to be much else than one of his big stories in which he would sometimes indulge. He told them they must go and judge for themselves. Next morn ing a company was made up to go to Joe's battle ground. When they approached it Joe's accusers be came more confirmed, as there was no appearance of dead Indians, and nothing Joe had talked of but the dead horse. They, however, found a trail as if some thing had been dragged away. On pursuing it they found the big Indian at a little distance, beside a log, covered up with leaves. Still pursuing the trail, though not so plain, some hundred yards farther, they found the broken-backed Indian, lying on his back with his own knife sticking up to the hilt in his body, JOE LOGSTON. 51) just below the breast-bone, evidently to show that he had killed himself and that he had not come to his end by the hand of an enemy. They had a long search before they found the knife with which Joe killed the big Indian. They at last found it forced down into the ground below the surface, apparently with the weight of a person's heel. This had been done by the crippled Indian. The great efforts he must have made alone, in that condition, show among thousands of other instances, what Indians are capa ble of under the greatest extremities. Some years after the above took place, peace with the Indians was restored. That frontier, like many others became infested with a gang of outlaws, who commenced stealing horses and committing various depredations. To counteract which, a company of regulators, as they were called, was raised. In a con test between these and the depredators, Big Joe Logs- ton lost his life. Such characters as Joe Logston would not be very highly esteemed in refined and civilized society Those very qualities which fit them for service upon the frontier, are obnoxious to the cultivated portion of mankind. Their daring courage, fortitude, and love of the exciting chase or war, would not be appre ciated, even if they found opportunity for exercise But where the struggle had to be constantly main tained against savage beasts and more savage men where foes lurked in every wood, and the hardy *nd adventurous settler was liable to attack at all times, such men a? Joe were considered invaluable. 512 THRILLING ADVENTURES. Without them the country never could have boen cleared and cultivated so as to be fit for the abode of peaceful and refined society. In the early history of the great west, many characters possessing the bold restless qualities of Joe Logston may be found. Their exploits were generally of a wild and startling nature, furnishing abundant material for the narrator and novelist. They met the red men in their own way, and with their own weapons, and asserted the super! ority of the white race in strength and skill. Where the arts of civilized warfare failed, they resorted tr, the wildest stratagems, and thus triumphed. THE INDt vN WARS AND MASSACRES IN 1862-63. CHAPTER I. The causes which led to the Outbreak Interference of Rebels and Canadians to stimulate the Indians to rise. The first Murders. Consultation with Little Crow Attack on the traders at the Lower Agency Other Day secures the escape of his friends the Missourians. Capt. Marsh's expedition It disastrous result. THE Sioux, the most warlike and barbarous of all the Indian tribes of the northwest, had been for some years growing more and more hostile to the white settlers of the frontier. Their dissatis faction arose from several causes. In common with most of the Indian tribes, they had a general dislike to the whites, whom they regarded as aggressive, and as disposed to crowd them back from their original hunting grounds. They con sidered it also as a serious grievance that they were not allowed to maintain a continuous war with the Chippewas and the Winnebagos, neighboring tribes with whom they had a hereditary feud. But the treaties for the cession of their lands, the frauds practiced upon them by the traders, and the belief that the agents and superintendents of the Indian Bureau had defrauded and wronged them, had done far more than aught else to ern- 13 614 THRILLING ADVENTURES. bitter them against the whites, and to impel them, on the first favorable opportunity, to seek a bloody and terrible revenge for both real and fancied wrongs. It was inevitable, in the rapid growth of flu Hew States and territories of the northwest, th;n the regions in which the Indians had for centurius roamed and hunted at will, should be invaded by the pioneer settlers, and that the Government should seek, by treaty, to extinguish the Indian title to these lands, which were capable of sus taining a far greater population than could sub sist upon them under the Indian modes of life. It cannot be denied that the Government have sought to deal justly by the Indians in these treaties, and have paid sums for these lands, and granted annuities to the Indian tribes, which were a fair equivalent fur their value, in most instances ; but unfortunately for the savages the good intentions of the Government have often been frustrated by the cupidity, deceit, and fraud, of those who have, from motives of gain, brought about the consummation of these treaties. The traders have known, years before, that treaties would be made with the Indians for the cession of their lands, and they have established them selves at points within their territory, and fur nished them goods on credit freely, and especially intoxicating liquors, tobacco, powder, lead, and guns, and while usually receiving from them a fair equivalent in furs and peltries, have pro- INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 515 fessedly brought them largely in debt, and when the time came for a treaty, have persuaded, often by small bribes, or the free use of intoxicating liquors ; the chiefs to sign the treaty, promising them that the Government would pay them large sums of money, blankets, food, horses, fire-arms, &c., and when the treaty was consummated, hav ing been instrumental in its ratification, they have presented their claims against the Indians, which have been allowed without scrutiny by the Indian Bureau, and the large money grants of Congress for the extinguishment of titles, have thus gone into the pockets of the traders, arid the Indians been not a whit the better for them. After the treaties were made the traders would sell goods to the Indians, and take their pay from the annui ties, which were paid them every year, and every loss or theft was charged to the Indians, and deducted from the whole sum due to the tribe. Often, too, by the connivance of the Indian Agents, frauds were practiced on these poor savages, and a portion of their annuities with held from them, under some pretence, till they were reduced to suffering and starvation. In the spring of 1862, there were other causes which tended to aggravate the hostile feeling. A con siderable portion of the Indians in the territory west of Arkansas had united with the confeder ates, and emissaries had been sent to the Sioux tn induce them to take up arms against the United States. These emissaries had represented that 616 THRILLING ADVENTURES, the confederates were invariably successful, and that the authorities at Washington had been obliged to call out every able-bodied man from %!1 the States, so that there were only old men, women and children left to protect the new settle ment?, which would, therefore, fall an easy prey 'to the invader, and that here was a favorable opportunity for the revenge which they sought The Mason and Slidell affair had produced, for the time great bitterness, on the part of a portion of the Canadians toward the United States, and there were not wanting those over the border, who, believing war inevitable between Great Britain and this country, sought to stimulate these vindictive savages to take sides with Great Britain. The Sioux, who were particularly con cerned in the outbreak, and who had manifested the greatest hostility, were living on two reserva tions secured to them by the treaties approved in 1852 and 1860, which were divided by the Yel low Medicine River, and was called the Lower and Upper Reservations. The tribes which occupied these reservations and which had pre viously ranged over the northeastern portion of Iowa, part of the western border of Wisconsin, the southwestern half of Minnesota, and adjacent portions of Dakota, were the Mcdewakauten, the Wahpekeuton, the Wahpeton, and the Sisseton tribes of the Sioux in Dakota. The Yanktonais and Yanktons were not largely represented in the war of 1862, but there were considerable INDIAN WARS AND MASSACilES. 517 numbers of them engaged in 1863. These tribes had their homes in Dakota territory. The Mcde- wakeutons and Wahpekeutons occupied the Lower Reservation in Minnesota, and the Wahpetons and Sissetons the Upper. A portion of these tribes numbering, perhaps, a hundred or more families, had adopted the dress and habits of civilization, and cultivated their lands, receiving from the Government facilities for successful farm ing and mechanical pursuits. These were called Farmer Indians, and were disliked by the others, who retained their savage dress and habits, be cause they received greater favors from the Govern ment than the nomadic bands. Many of the Farmer Indians had, under the teaching and influence of missionaries resident among them, professed Chris tianity. The principal chief of Mcdewakeutons was Tah- o-ah-ta-doo-ta or Little Crow, an Indian who had adopted the clothing and customs of civilization, and had several times made journeys to Wash ington on matters connected with the Sioux treaties. He was a man of great eloquence and superior intellect, brave, and not naturally cruel ; but a great liar, and ambitious, crafty, and deceit ful. Wabashaw and Taopee, the other chiefs of the Indians on the Lower Reservation were men of less mark, and were influenced at first by Little Crow. The chiefs of the Upper Reserva tion, Standing Buffalo, Paul arid Red Iron, were friendly to the whites, and exerted themselves to 44 518 THRILLING ADVENTURE?. defeat Little Crow's plans, but with limited success. There had been disturbances at the upper agency, which was situated at the mouth of the Yellow Medicine River, in the beginning of August, and the Indians had broken into the Government warehouse and taken away the pro visions stored there. Their excuse for this was that they were suffering from want, and that the traders would no longer give them credit. Starvation was, indeed, staring these tribes in the face, and the apprehended delay in the payment of their annuities by the Government, which was just then in temporary financial difficulties, aggra vated their ill-feeling. About the first of July, the young men of the Mcdewakeuton and Wah- pekuta tribes formed a " soldier's lodge," a secret organization whose objects were to obtain all the credit they could from the traders, and then, when the annuities came, prevent the traders from receiving them ; and if they resisted to rob their stores and drive them from the reservations, or kill them as might seem expedient. This organization was joined by nearly all the young men of the two tribes. The traders knew the purposes of this soldier's lodge, and refused credit to those who were connected with it, and violent altercations resulted, the Indians depart ing with muttered threats. Still a strange blind ness and apathy seems to have possessed the whites. Tb.e storm was growing darker and INDIAN \\ARS AND MASSACRES. 519 more threatening every moment, but they seemed to have no apprehensions of its coming. The agent of the Lower Reservation, Mr. Galbraith, a man of great energy and shrewdness, had visited the whole reservation early in August, and had discovered no signs of the danger. He had conversed with Little Crow, only three days l>.\ore the 18th of August, and had promised him a house, which was already in progress, if he would use his influence to bring around the idle young men of his tribe to habits of industry and civilization, and would abandon the leadership of the Blanket or Wild Indians, and had received his promise that he would do so. Apprehending no evil, Mr. Galbraith had enlisted forty -five men, mostly half-breeds, as recruits from tha. vicinity toward Minnesota's quota, under the calls of July and August, 1862, and on the 17th of August accompanied them as far as St. Peter's, leaving his family at the agfcncy, at the mouth of the Yellow Medicine. On this same day, Sunday, August 17th, a party of fifteen Indians, eleven of them from the Lower Reservation, and the other four, though Wahpetons by birth, living near the Lower Re servation, and intermarried with the Mcdewakeu- tons, were about six miles from Acton, Minne sota, when they fell into a dispute, first in regard to their right to some hens' eggs found on the prairie, and afterwards about an ox, the property of a white settler, which one of them killed in 620 THRILLING ADVENTURES. bravado. Like Indian disputes in general, espe cially when the disputants are excited by whisky, as was the case at this time, this grew hotter and hotter, and the two parties taunted each other with cowardice. They finally separated, the four Wahpetons going one way and the eleven Mcde- wakeutons another, the latter saying as they left, " You will find out whether we are brave or not, for we are going to kill a white man." A little time after, the four heard the others firing off their guns, and erroneously supposed they were killing whites as they had threatened, and two of the four insisted that they must do the same or the others would call them cowards. The other two reasoned against it, and while thus arguing they reached Acton. They came first to the house of Mr. Robinson Jones, whom they found at home with his wife and a Miss Wilson. They demanded whisky, which was refused them, and a wrangle ensued. Jones charging one of them with having neglected to return a gun which he had borrowed of him the previous year. It ended in Jones turning them out of doors. From this house they went to the house of Mr. Howard Baker, a son of Mrs. Jones by a former husband, and found there Mr. and Mrs. Baker, and a Mr. and Mrs. Webster, emigrants from Michigan, who had reached there that day. Here they appeared perfectly friendly, till Mr. and Mrs. Jones came over, and again accused the Indians of having taken the gun and failed to INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 521 return it,- Irritating language then ensued, and Mrs. Jones spoke of them as " black devils." Thoroughly irritated the Indians had now deter mined upon murder, and bantered Jones and Baker to go out and shoot at a mark, in order to take them at a disadvantage when their guns were discharged. They accepted the banter, and one of the Indians borrowed Mr. Webster's gun, complaining that the lock of his own was defec tive. After the Indians had fired, they carefully reloaded their pieces, which Jones and Baker neglected to do. One of the Indians then went out on the Forest City road, to ascertain whether any whites were near, and on his return, the four talked together for a minuir v** two, and then started apparently to go away, when they sud denly turned and fired together, wounding Jones and his wife and Baker and Webster, the last three mortally. Jones started for the woods when a second shot from one of the Indians brought him to the ground. Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Webster were not wounded, but after the Indians left they endeavored to do what they could for those who had been shot. The Indians re turned to Jones's house, broke it open, and killed Miss Wilson, and then departed. After the death of the wounded, Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Webster hastened to the house of a Norwegian a few miles distant, and amid sobs and tears, related what had happened. A boy was at once sent to Rip- ley, twelve miles distant, where a meeting was 44* ^r THRILLING- ADVENTURES. then being held to raiso volunteers for the war, to give the alarm. The boy's story was not at first credited, but finally a messenger was sent to Forest City, twelve miles distant, where Captain Whitcomb had a small body of recruits, and early the next morning the people assembled to the number of about seventy-five, to hold an in quest on the bodies of the murdered. The eleven Indians who had separated from their companions, and who, notwithstanding their boasts, had com mitted no murders, came up, while the inquest was in progress, and some of the whites, who were mounted, gave chase to them, but without effect. The four Indians who had committed the five murders already related at Acton, had, meantime, stolen two horses and made their way to Shako- pee's village, at the mouth of Rice Creek, where their band had its quarters, and related to their relatives what they had done. They immediately decided that it was best to commence the long- purposed massacre at once, as otherwise, these murderers, their kinsmen, would be caught, tried, and executed. Some of the more cautious of them objected to this, but finally consented to go to Little Crow for counsel, and to be governed by his decision. By daylight, they had reached Crow's house, two miles above the agency, one hundred and fifty strong, most of them well armed (generally with double-barrelled guns,) and well mounted, and all greatly excited and eager to shed blood. INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 52& Little Crow was called up from his bed by the braves, and was at first not a little agitated, at being called upon to decide so momentous a question, suddenly. As he afterwards acknow ledged, the perspiration came out in great beads upon his forehead, from his anxiety and excite ment. He knew far better than any of the In dians before him the power and resources of the United States Government, and the danger of bringing down upon himself and his people its vengeance, but he was ambitious and greedy of power, and he knew that the Indians who were assembled to hear his decision, many of them his own kinsmen, were all determined to commence the massacre, and would be joined by most of the young men of the tribes. He knew also, that he had been accused for having been bribed by the whites to promote their interests, and that his influence among the Indians was fast waning, and that unless he joined in this movement, in which his eloquence and abilities would give him the lead, his power over his tribe was gone for ever. Reasoning in this way, he said, u Trouble with the whites must come, and it may as well come now as at any other time. I am with you. We will go to the agency, kill the traders and take their goods." Messengers were sent accordingly with all speed to the other bands in the vicinity, >ind the Indians following Little Crow, hastened to the agency, and as they entered the village a little before six o'clock in the morning, broke up 524 THRILLING ADVENTURES. into small parties, and surrounded the stores, and some of the dwellings. It was agreed that the firing of the first gun should be the signal for the commencement of the massacre. No friendly voice of warning had apprized those unsuspecting citizens of the doom that awaited them, and death with all its horrors stalked in upon them, suddenly, in the fresh and dewy hours of the morning. The first shot was fired at the store of Myrick, one of the traders, and Mr. Lynde, one of his clerks, was the first person killed. The sight of blood seemed to infuriate the savages, and every one they saw, whether man, woman, or child, even those who had rendered them the greatest kind ness, was dispatched without mercy. Two or three exceptions only should be made to this charge of wholesale murder. A young man, named George Spencer, a clerk in Forbes' store, was fired at and wounded, and two of the savages attempted to kill him with their tomahawks, when another, on whom he had conferred some benefit, interposed and saved him. Little Crow himself interfered in behalf of a boy who had been a favorite with him, and endeavored, though in vain, to prevent the murder of women and children. All that day, the work of butchery went on. The stores and houses at the Lower Agency were plundered and burned, only two being left standing. Down the road on each side, below Fort Ridgely, and with in six miles of New Ulm, and up the river to INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 525 Yellow Medicine, the work of death extended. Parties numbering ten, fifteen, or twenty, gather ing their teams and moveables, sought safety in flight, but though partially armed, they would be suddenly met by bands of Indians so large as to render resistance hopeless, and giving up every thing in the hope of appeasing the wrath of the ruffians, and being allowed to escape, they found that their sacrifices were of no avail, and that a speedy and cruel death was their portion. But death was not the only thing which these poor sufferers had to fear. The Indians were as lustful as they were cruel, and they outraged the persons of their female victims, with every circumstance of brutality which their fiendish malignity could invent. Even young children were thus tortured to death by these wretches, and mothers com pelled to submit to their loathsome embraces, as the alternative of the murder of their infant children, were fated to witness, after all, the death of those very children, by the dashing out of their brains against a tree, or their being nailed to posts and suffered to perish of starvation. The atrocities of that fearful time were too terrible for human belief, and surpassed all that has been recorded of the horrors of war in ancient or modern times. The news of the outbreak reached Fort Ridgely about noon, and Captain Marsh, of the 5th Regi ment Minnesota Yolunteers, started at once for the Lower Agency with forty-eight men. Rev. 523 THRILLING AUVKNTURES. Mr. Hind man, a missionary at the Agency, who had escaped with ten others, met him, about a mile from the fort, and begged him not to attempt crossing the Yellow Medicine river, telling him that the Indians numbered more than three men to his one, and in their present state of fury would certainly destroy him and his little force. He advised him to go no further than to the bluff opposite the ferry, and collect what women and children he could, and bring them into the fort. The Captain, however, himself a brave and dar ing officer, had that sort of contempt for Indian valor which is very common among those who have had but little experience in Indian warfare, and replied that he should certainly cross the ferry. Other fugitives met him on the route, and begged so earnestly that he could not attempt it, that he resolved to delay a little. He reached the ferry about sundown and called to the Indians, when a conversation took place through his inter preter Quinn. Marsh told them he was coining over to look into things and see what the trouble was. Some of the Indians said he must not, and that they would shoot any one who tried to do so ; but White Dog, the President of the Farmer or civilized Indians, who had professed great friend ship for the whites, advised him to cross. While this parley was going on, many of the Indians had secretly crossed the river and concealed by logs and tall grass had surrounded Marsh's little force. Marsh sent one of his men, Mr. Majuer, to a point INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 527 a little distance below to ascertain the number on the other side, and had the ferry-boat brought up to the shore in readiness to cross. Majuer soon returned with the report that it would be certain death to attempt to cross. Others sided with him, ind Marsh consented to forego his intention of crossing, and wheeled with his men to march away fronr the ferry. The Indians had been anxious to get his troops upon the ferry-boat where they could have killed them all, but when they saw that they had abandoned the idea of crossing, Little Crow gave the signal to White Dog to fire, and that faithless villain passed it to others, when instantly, from every side, a storm of bullets burst upon the little band. Half the number fell at the first fire, and those who were not killed instantly, perished soon after, by the tomahawk and scalp ing knife. The survivors sought safety in flight, firing, however, first at the Indians, killing one and wounding five of them. Captain Marsh him self was uninjured, though the mule on which he rode was killed under him, and his interperter was fairly riddled with bullets. Gathering what he could of his men together, he succeeded with nine others in going two miles down the river, but discovering that the Indians were endeavoring to get between him and the fort he ordered his men to cross the stream at a point where it was sup posed to be fordable, and led the way himself, but soon got beyond his depth, and being seized with wramp was drowned. His nine companions reached 628 THRILLING ADYL'NTLRES. the fort in safety, as did fifteen or sixteen others in the course of the night. At the Upper Agency, the Indian messengers arrived and informed the Sisseton and Wahpeton Indians of the massacres which were going on. At first they were not believed, but when others came confirming the intelligence the Indians as sembled together in council, to the number of over one hundred, and among them about thirty young hunters of the Yanktonais tribe from Da kota territory. They were divided in sentiment, some being in favor of murdering all the whites, and taking their goods, while others insisted that the whites should be sent to the settlements further East, with their horses and what they could carry away. After several had spoken, Other Day, a civilized Indian, and a firm friend to the whites, but a man of well-known courage, addressed the council, tell ing them that though they might easily kill five, ten, or even a hundred unarmed whites, yet the result would be that their whole country would be filled with soldiers of the United States, and they would all be killed or driven away. He urged them to desist, and remain in friendship with the whites. Just at this moment the intelligence of Captain Marsh's disaster reached them, and thoso who had before hesitated were now emboldened to attack the whites. The council broke up in disorder, and the Sissetons, Yanktonais, and & few of the Wahpetons, moved toward the houses INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. of the settlers for an attack. Other Day, finding that he could not prevail with them, ran to his house, seized his wife by the arm took his gun, *nd went to the houses of the white* warned them of their danger, and persuaded them to assemble at the warehouse to the number of sixty -two armed, to protect themselves and their families from the Indians. He himself, with four of his relatives, stood as guards outside of the warehouse all night, to watch the movements of the Indians and give notice of an attack. The Indians prowled around in squads, watching an opportunity to catch the settlers unawares Those who had not gone to the fort were killed. About daybreak, the Indians broke into another warehouse, about a mile distant, and those who had been watching this beleagured company, ran off to see what their comrades were doing. Taking advantage of their absence, Other Day guided the company of whites, of whom forty-two were women and children, acoss the river and to the settlements in safety. The same night, friendly Indians went to the Mission Station of Messrs. Riggs and Williamson, six miles above the Upper Agency, and warned them of the danger, and forty-two persons, includ ing the Missionaries themselves, made their es cape Forts Ridgely and Necohlen were crowded that night with fugitives, many of them bleeding from ghastly wounds, and nearly all half dead with terror. In every direction burning buildings were to be seen and those who could look down 46 530 THIULLING AJ/VEiNTURES. upon the flats, near the Yellow Medicine, saw a large body of the incarnate demons who had shed such torrents of blood that day, rioting, feasting-, and indulging in mad orgies, through the night. Messengers were sent to St. Peter's, St. Paul, and other towns, imploring help, and Lieut. Shtehari, who had started on the 16th for Fort Ripley with a company of soldiers, was overtaken before dawn the next morning, though forty miles away, and returned to take part in the defence of the frontier settlements. CHAPTER II. Siege of Fort Ridgely. Adventures of Messrs. Riggs and Williamson id their party. The attack on Necohlen. Extent of the Indian depredations and outrages. THE loss of so large a portion of Capt. Marsh's force, and of that brave and gallant officer himself, was a very severe blow to Fort Ridgely, the gar rison of which, weakened previously by the de parture of Lieut. Shehan, was so small, and cum bered by so large a number of non-combatants, that had the Indians, as Little Crow proposed, moved upon it on Tuesday, the 19th of August, the fort, never a very strong work, could not have been held, and the hapless inmates would have fallen victims to the barbarities of the savages. Pro*i- dentially the Indians quarrelled, and a consider J IP INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 531 number of them drew off. to ravage arid plunder other settlements, leaving Little Crow's force so small, that he made no attempt at an attack till Wednesday afternoon, about 3 P. M., when the first announcement that the Indians were in the ricinity was a volley tired into one of the embra sures of the fort. This produced a fatal effect, killing a soldier who stood near. At this time, the garrison had been reinforced by the arrival of Lieut. Shehan .and Agent Galbraith and their men, the former having been turned back from his expedition to Fort Ripley, and the latter hav ing brought back the Renville Rangers, the en listed half-breeds, whom he had taken to St. Peter's. The two howitzers were drawn out, and put in position, but the Sergeant found, to his surprise, that they had been stuffed with rags, to prevent them being fired, by some of the half-breed Renville Rangers, who had then deserted to the Indians. Having removed these, they were re loaded, and used with excellent effect. The vln- dians have a wholesome fear of big guns, and though they kept up a fire, from their rifles and double barrelled guns, till half-past six, P. M'., and succeeded in killing three and wounding eight of the garrison, they were very careful to keep at a respectful distance from the range of the howitzers. The Indians spent the night, not far from the fort, in a drunken carnival. On Thursday, the attack was twice resumed, the first time at half-past nine, A. M., the second at ten 632 THRILLING ADVENTURES. minutes before six, P. M. Neither attack was protracted for more than half an hour, and the number of Indians was not large, as many of them were absent on marauding expeditions. On Friday, August 22d, Little Crow, having re ceived reinforcements from the Indians of the Upper Reservation, started again for the fort with a long train of wagons which he hoped to load with the plunder from the fort, which he was de termined to carry by assault this time. Leaving his wagons on the opposite side of the river, he crossed with 450 warriors, whom he concealed in the ravines about the fort. The garrison was small, not exceeding one hundred men, of whom a considerable number were wounded, and all were haggard and worn from excitement and watching, and the want of food. Within the pur lieus of the fort, were a large number of women and children, who had fled thither for refuge. They, too, were on short allowance, and their presence was a source of great anxiety to the garrison, who knew that if the Indians once captured the fort, these helpless ones would meet with little mercy. The ammunition was beginning to fail, and they could get no message to St. Peter's or other points from which they might hope for assistance. Still, dark as was the prospect, not a man of them fal tered. Their work was to repel the assault of the insidious and cruel foe, and that they would do, even unto death. Little Crow first approached openly, with about twenty of his warriors, near the INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 633 fort, and the party commenced waving their blankets and uttering shouts of defiance, in the hope of luring the garrison to come out and at tack them, when those who were concealed, would rush into the fort. The stratagem proved unsuc cessful ; the garrison containing too many good Indian fighters to fall into such a snare. Finding themselves foiled in this scheme, the Indians now poured their bullets in a constant storm upon the devoted fort, accompanying their fire with hideous shouts and yells. This was continued for fivo hours. Some of the Indians crept up and fired the outbuildings of the fort, and attempted to set the fort itself on fire, by the use of fire arrows on the roof, but the garrison had carefully covered this with earth, and it would not catch. The wo men and children, except those who loaded the guns of the garrison, were placed flat on the ground behind a stone wall, and thus kept in safety. During this fierce battle, only one white was killed and seven slightly wounded. Little Crow endeavored to bring his warriors up to charge the fort, and had he succeeded in making a vigorous assault he might have carried it, but the Indians would not follow him. The shells from the howitzers fell among them, and made havoc in the groups of savages, and finding that they could not succeed in carrying the fort, the disappointed braves returned to their camp, and after passing another night in feasting, prepared to attack New Ulm on the morrow. 45 534 THRILLING ADVENTURES. During this attack on Fort Ridgely an episode of thrilling interest 'occurred. We have already mentioned that the inhabitants of the Mission Station of Messrs. Williamson and Riggs, six miles above the Upper Agency, had been warned by friendly Indians, and had escaped in season to avoid massacre. That party, consisting of over forty persons, of whom more than thirty were women and children, had, after many hairbreadth escapes from their cruel foes, in which the interpo sition of Providence, in their behalf, was clearly seen, arrived in the vicinity of the fort, while this desperate fight was going on, and rejoicing that they were so near their long hoped for deliverance, in the gloom of the evening, one of the men crept on his hands and knees through the ranks of the savages and found his way into the fort. The garrison, horror-struck at his temerity, and them selves starving, their fort crowded with the feeble and helpless, starving like themselves, bade him go back at once to the rest of his company, and tell them that they could not be received by them, but must go on to Hutchinson, thirty miles or more distant. Saddened at this bitter disappoint ment, he returned, stealthily, to the waiting com pany, and communicated to them the chilling an swer he had received. Wearily, but with more courage than could have been expected, they re sumed their journey, and this time in more than their previous peril, for the Indians were every where around them ; but drenched with rain and INDIAN WAES AND MASSACRES. 535 worn out with fatigue, they finally sank down and slept as only the very weary can sleep. On mov ing in the morning, they found that a large body of Indians had passed within a few rods of their resting-place, and four of their number, who went out a short distance on the road toward New Uln^ wera shot down at once by the Indians. Still wearily tugged on that little company, concealing themselves, as far as possible, in the thick forest. During the day they passed near New Ulm, where, at that very time, a fearful battle was raging, whose thunders they could hear, and from whose fiendish assailants they were in constant expecta tion of attack. Beyond this they came to Nor wegian Grove, a pleasant little hamlet, whose in habitants had that very day been tortured and murdered with atrocities too horrible for recital, and within two miles of that place they entered a house from which the inhabitants, not two hours before, had fled only to meet a dreadful death at the hands of the savages ; and there, completely exhausted, they lay down and slept. From this point, their journey, though not absolutely without peril, was yet comparatively safe, and all succeed ed in reaching the larger towns. Returning now to the movements of the Indians, we find that after their repulse at Fort Ridgely, on Friday evening, they determined upon attack ing New Ulm. They had already made one assault upon that place, on Tuesday, the 19th of August, though not in large force, the attacking 536 THRILLING ADVENTURES. party numbering only about one hundred. They had been repulsed with some loss, mainly by the efforts of ex-Sheriff Boardman, of St. Peter's, and fifteen or twenty mounted men, who had come from St. Peter's that morning. Finding the cap ture of the place less easy than they expected, they, the Indians, had scattered among the smaller villages and settlements, and made no further at tempt upon New Ulm until Saturday, when they approached it in large force, early in the morning, burning all the houses in their way. They had collected all the members of the various tribes in the vicinity, whom they could, by any means, in duce to join them, and numbered probably about seven hundred men. They approached the town from two different points at the same time, one party above, the other below, the town. Judge Charles E. Flandreau, who was in command of the force which was to defend New Ulm, compris ing in all about two hundred and fifty men, went out upon the prairie to fight the Indians, believ ing it better and safer to fight them there than in the village. About ten,. A. M., the Indians moved toward them, at first slowly, and then with great rapidity, and drove the white soldiers, who were all raw volunteers, back, a short distance, and thus gained possession of one or two houses, which they used to advantage. The fighting which followed for four or five hours was very severe, but in the afternoon, the Indians were re- oulsed with heavy loss, and though they ke*pt up INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 537 the fight till dark, they did not regain their first position. In the night, Judge Flandreau deemed it best to contract their lines of defence, and to burn the buildings beyond them, that they might not give shelter to the foe. He also caused a brick building, in a favorable position, to be loop- holed, so as to attack the enemy from whichever side they might approach, and rifle pits to be dug outside his barricades, which would enable his force to check the approach of the enemy, too near the lines of defence. In the morning, the Indians renewed the attack, but not with much vigor, and about noon they withdrew. Reinforcements to the number of one hundred and forty-five men came in from Sibley and Nicollet counties, in the morning. The loss of the whites in this attack was ten killed and fifty wounded. During this first week, the Indians had com mitted depredations and murders over an extent of territory of about 20,000 square miles, compris ing all of Southwestern Minnesota, the entire breadth of the Northern tier of counties of Iowa and Eastern Dakota. Over seven hundred per sons were murdered or perished from their wounds and starvation, and about two hundred and fifty more were taken captives. From Breckenridge, fifty miles or more above Big Stono Lake, the seat of the Upper Sissetons, Eastward as far as St. Peter's, and Southward along the course of the Minnesota and its tributaries, the Des Moines and its upper branches, and thence Eastward to 538 .THRILLING ADVENTURES. Forest City, they roamed, carrying death, de struction, and outrage everywhere in their route. The hearts of the younger Indians seemed steeled against any impulse of humanity. Tender infants, helpless children, young maidens in their beauty, and matrons in their matured loveliness, those whose whole lives had been spent in kindness to the Indians, as well as those who were utter strangers to them, were alike doomed to perish by the riHe or the tomahawk, or to die under the torture of unspeakable brutalities and outrages, which made death itself seem long in coming. After the first week the murders and outrages were less frequent, but those who were the cap tives of these wretches, were constantly terrified by threats of murder, and their condition was, in deed, for a time, one of great peril, as a part of the Indians were determined to put them to death. CHAPTER III. The troops for the defence of Minnesota. The battle of Birch Coolie. CoL Sibley'a correspondence with Little Crow. Dissensions among the Indian*. The battle of Wood Lake. Release of the Captives. Trial of the mur. derors. Execution of thirty-eight. The war in 1863. Death of Little Crow. Battles of Big Mound, Dead Buffalo Lake, Stony Lake, and the banks of the Missouri. WHAT, the reader will naturally ask, were the authorities of Minnesota doing, during this week of horrors, to punish and subdue the ruffians who INDIAN AVARS AND MASSACRES. 539 had thus carried desolation into thousands of homes? To their honor it can be said, that they exerted themselves to the utmost, and very soon with good effect. But the blow had fallen sud denly, and with no opportunity for previous pre paration Minnesota, though one of the youngest States of the Union, had been surpassed by none, in the promptness with which she had furnished her contingent of troops for the National service ; and the demand had called from her prairies, her forests, and her workshops, so large a portion of her sturdy sons, that men of military age were fewer, in proportion to her population, than at any previous period of her history. It was just at the time of harvest, too, when every strong hand and vigorous arm was needed to secure the magnificent crops from destruction. Fortunately a part of the last quota called for by the proclamation of July and August, 1862, had not yet left the state, and one regiment, pa roled at the surrender of Murfreesboro', had just reached St. Louis. These were retained for the defence of the State, and volunteers poured into St. Paul and St. Peter's in great numbers. To arm and officer these troops, and to provide, on the emergency, sufficient supplies for them in a campaign of some length, were matters requiring some time. Still every exertion was made, and on Sunday, the 24th of August, Colonel (since General) H. H. Sibley, who was placed in com mand, had a force of fourteen hundred men under 540 THRILLING ADVENTURES. his command at St. Peter's. They were, however, only partially armed, mostly undisciplined, arid without supplies for forty-eight hours. The rein forcement which reached New Ulm, on Sunday morning, were from this force and the settlers and refugees in that place, on the next day, under the escort of the brave men who had defended them on Saturday, abandoned the town in a body, over two thousand in number, and reached Mankato in safety, the same evening. On Mon day, August 25, Col. Sibley sent forward sixty more men, forty of them mounted and the re mainder in wagons, to strengthen still farther the position at New Ulm. The men were all raw re cruits, and expected to be shot down by Indians in ambush, and their journey was performed in great anxiety, and some fear. Arriving at New Ulm, they found it deserted, and the worst appre hensions filled their minds. They returned, how ever, at once to St. Peter's, and there found that Col. Sibley, who had sent a detachment on before him, under Lieut. Col. McPhail, had gone to re lieve the garrison at Fort Ridgely. Their coming was welcome to the beleagured company there, and plenty soon reigned where the gaunt phan tom of starvation had looked them in the face. On Sunday, August 31st, a force of one hundred and fifty men, under command of Major Joseph R. Brown, were sent from the fort to the Lower Agency, for the purpose of burying the dead there, and ascertaining the whereabouts of the enemy. INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 541 The command buried the dead, and then proceeded some distance Northward, when Major Brown, an experienced Indian fighter, examining carefully, and finding no recent trace of Indians, gave the order to encamp. The place selected for encamp ment was chosen on account of its convenience in respect to wood and water, and without any ap prehension of a surprise, as the Indians were noi believed to be in the vicinity. It was called Birch Coolie, and was the worst position, from which to repel an attack, which could have been found, being a ravine within easy range of the wooded heights above. Here, after sleeping quietly dur ing the night, they were awakened by the alarm given by the sentry, who perceiving what he be lieved to be an Indian crawling toward him, fired, and was instantly answered by the fire of more than a hundred guns. All the horses of the party but one were killed by this first fire, and a large number of the soldiers were either slain or wounded. Making a sort of protection of the bodies of their dead horses, and digging with their bayonets, shallow rifle pits, the survivors stood their ground and kept their foes at bay. They suffered terribly for the want of water, how- ever, as the slightest exposure of their persons was sure to be followed by the unerring rifle shot, and for thirty-one hours they were unable to ob tain either food or drink, even to satisfy the ter rible thirst of the wounded. The firing was heard at Fort Ridgely, and Col. McPhail, with a force 46 THRILLING ADVENTURES. of about one hundred and sixty men, fifty of them cavalry, and one mountain howitzer, was sent to their relief. In a few hours the sullen boom of the howitzer indicated that the reinforcing party had also commenced fighting. Col. Sibley now ordered the whole force at his command to march, although it was just sunset. The darkness was intense, but after a march of thirteen miles the bright flash and the quick roar of the howitzer guided them to the point where their comrades were fighting. They had advanced to within three miles of the point wjiere Major Brown was supposed to be, and had been there attacked by a large force of Indians, and had thought it best to choose a position and wait for reinforcements. At early dawn, the whole force under Col. Sibley's command, was in motion, and soon, as they ap proached the Birch Coolie ravine, the Indians were seen swarming through the belt of woods, and attempted to draw the white troops into a pur suit of them into the forest. TsTot succeeding in this they approached nearer and commenced firing, but their balls flew too high, and the skirmishers, aided by the discharges of the cannon, of which Sibley now had three, soon put them to rout. Col. Sibley then advanced and found Major Brown's command in a sad plight. Twenty-three were killed or mortally wounded, forty-five more severely wounded, and among the number Major Brown and all his officers, and very few of the re mainder had escaped slight wounds. It appeared, INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 513 afterward, that the Indians had moved above the Yellow Medicine River, and that Major Brown was right in supposing they had left the vicinity. They had, on their way Northward, heard of the evacuation of ]N T ew Ulm, and were coming back to plunder that village, and then push forward to Mankato and St. Peter's, when they discovered the position of Major Brown's party, and at once attacked them. Severe as the disaster was, it was the means of saving New Ulm from destruction, and Mankato and St. Peter's from attack and massacre. For the next four or five days, the In dians contented themselves with attacking citizens in small parties at Acton, Hutchinson, Forest City, Hilo, and in the Butternut Valley, not kill ing large numbers, but plundering and destroying a great deal of property. Meantime Gol. Sibley was compelled to remain at Fort Ridgely, for want of ammunition and supplies, until the 18th of September, but the time was not lost. After driv ing the Indians from Birch Coolie, he had, before leaving the vicinity, attached to a stake a paper on which he had written the following: "If Little Crow has any proposition to make, let him send a half-breed to me, and he shall be protected in and out of camp. "II. H. SIBLEY, Col. Com'g Mil. Exp'n." This was found and delivered to Little Crow, and on the 7th of September, two half- breeds to Fort Ridgely, under a flag of truce, with 544 THRILLING ADVENTURES. a letter from Little Crow, in which he endeavored to justify his course, by relating what the agents and traders had done to oppress and injure the Indians. Pie assumed the responsibility of what had been done by his people, though he stated that some of the Winnebagoes had participated in the massacres. He admitted, what Col. Sibley very well knew, that he had a great many pri soners, women and children. Col. Sibley returned the following reply ; LITTLE CROW: You have murdered many of our people without sufficient cause. Return mo the prisoners under a flag of truce, and I will talk with you then like a man. "H. H. SIBLEY, Col. Com'g Mil. Exp'n." This did not suit Little Crow's notion. He wished to hold the prisoners as security for the pardon of himself and his warriors, for he had al ready become satisfied that they would be defeated and punished severely, if the war continued ; and if he could not secure, by the means of these pri soners, immunity for himself and his band, then he was resolved that they should be killed, and he would inflict what injury he could on the whites ere he perished. He accordingly sent an evasive reply, pretending that he could not give up the prisoners until the Sissetons arrived, who were then at Lac qui Parle. He also complained that Col. Sibley had not told him how he could make peace with his people. Col. Sibiey returned INDIAN WAKS AND MASSACRES. 545 a stern reply, telling him that it would be better for him to send in the prisoners, and upbraiding him for the murders which his band continued to commit. While this correspendence was going on, Col. Sibley received letters, sent secretly, from several Chiefs, both of the Upper and Lower Reservations, who had belonged to the Farmer Indians, most of whom were friendly to the whites, and had not participated in the murders, but had been compelled to come into the camp of the enemy, who sought, in every way, to implicate them in their outrages. Those Chiefs were de sirous of getting the white prisoners out of Little Crow's hands, and of effecting a reconciliation with their former friends. Among these were Wabashaw and Taopee, Lower Indians, whose hands were not entirely free from the stain of blood ; to these, Col. Sibley returned answer, that his troops would move, in about three days, upon the Indian camp, and that he would receive, glad ly, all true friends of the whites, with all the pri soners they could bring, and should punish ail who had washed their hands in innocent blood, He told them further, that they must not attempt to approach his camp without displaying, con spicuously, a white flag, and that when an answer ing flag was raised in his camp, they could come forward and place themselves under his protection. Knowing their guilt, they were not ready to do this ; but a bitter controversy now commenced k>. the Indian camp, between a portion of the Sisse*- 646 THRILLING ADVENTURES. ton Indians, about three hundred in number, under the lead of Paul, a civilized Indian and a Deacon in Mr. Riggs' church, who was really friendly to the whites, and had done all in his power for them, and Little Crow's adherents. Paul demanded that the prisoners should be given up to him, that he might send them to Col. Sihley. He was an eloquent speaker, and his appeal had considerable effect, but Little Crow and some of the other Chiefs opposed it, and declared that his captives should die rather than be given up. Col. Sibley was informed, from time to time, of the progress of this controversy, and was deeply anxious in regard to the captives, as he was aware that any injudicious movement on his part, might result in their destruction, but he could do little more than to encourage this dissension, which was doing more to break down the power of the Indians for future mischief, at that time, than a battle. He, therefore, gave all the encouragement he could to Paul and his friends. On the 18th of September, Col. Sibley moved forward with his entire force, and, after five days 1 march, encamped, on the evening of the 22d, on Lonetree Lake, two miles from Wood Lake, and two from the Yellow Medicine River. They had seen but few Indians on their route, but knew that they were then near their camp. The next morn ing, September 23d, the Indians commenced firing, between six and seven o'clock, on some foragiug teams of the expedition, and the 3d regiment. INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRES. 547 hurrying out, were soon engaged with the foe. The Indians now appeared in great numbers on all sides, and a severe battle ensued for an hour and a half, about eight hundred being engaged on each side. Lieut. Col. Marshall, with three companies of the 7th regiment, and Captain Grant, with one company of the 6th, charged upon the Indians, in a ravine, and put them to rout. Other Day, a friendly Indian, distinguished himself in this battle, dashing upon the Indians with a spring like a tiger, tearing them from their horses and tomahawking them. Little Crow and his braves were completely defeated and fled at full speed, and the Upper Indians, taking posses sion of the captives, separated from them, and made a camp near Lac qui Parle. The loss of the whites in this battle was four killed and between forty and fifty wounded. The Indians acknow ledged a loss of twenty-two killed, and they had many wounded. On the 26th of September, the force under Col. Sibley reached the vicinity of the Indian camp, which was located nearly opposite the mouth of the Chippewa River, and encamping about a quar ter of a mile distant, rode over and took posses sion of the Indian camp, the Indians surrendering themselves and two hundred and fifty whites, mostly women and children, whom they had held as captives. The scene was a touching one, the poor, half-starved, and nearly naked captives, weeping for joy at their deliverance, for which 5-18 THRILLING ADVENTURES. they bad so long waited, and of which, at times, they had been ready to despair. The delay, after the battle of Wood Lake, had been wisely direct ed by Col. Sibley, who knew the Indians very thoroughly, and was satisfied that any precipita tion would only lead to the murder of the captives. As it was, only one person among them had been killed, (a little boy,) after they arrived at the In dian camp. Some of the Indians in this camp had been con cerned in the massacres, and these were arrested, together with a large number, who were taken prisoners by the expedition, within the next few days, and a military commission appointed to try them. The trials took place, for the most part, at the Lower Agency. About eight hundred had surrendered or been taken prisoners. Of these, over four hundred were tried, Rev. S. R. Riggs acting as the grand juryman of the Court, and examining each case carefully, before it was brought up for trial. The Court was in session for several weeks, and three hundred and three were sentenced to death, and eighteen to imprison ment. Most of those acquitted were Upper Agency Indians, who, though they had left their homes and gone upon war parties, could not be convicted of any overt act of murder or outrage. Of the three hundred and three condemned to death, the President of the United States, on re viewing the testimony, decided that thirty-eight should be executed on the 26th of December, INDIAN WARS AND MASSACRED. 549 2. ar-d the remainder kept in close confine ment till further orders. This sentence was car ried into execution on that day. Those who re mained as prisoners were closely guarded, and other troops were stationed along the frontier, to guard it from further invision, as it was known that Little Crow and his band had escaped into Dakota Territory. In the spring, the condemned prisoners were removed to Davenport, Iowa, and there securely confined, and the remainder of the four tribes of Sioux, who had taken part in the massacres, as well as the Winnebagoes, were sent to the region of the Upper Missouri and placed upon reservations there. The loss of life to the white settlers of Minnesota, Iowa, and Dakota, in this massacre and the subsequent battles, as care fully ascertained by Mr. Galbraith, was, of citi zens massacred, six hundred and forty-four ; sol diers killed in the battles and skirmishes, ninety- three ; total, seven hundred and thirty-seven. The Indians killed in the battles did not, according to their own testimony, exceed forty- two. Many more were wounded, some of whom died, and ten or twelve were killed by citizens in the attacks upon residences. When Little Crow fled from Wood Lake, lie encamped near Ninnewauken. or Devil's Lake t in Dakota Territory, about five hundred miles North west of St. Paul. Here he gathered about him those of his braves who had not surrendered or been captured, with their families, and the Yank- 550 THRILLING ADVENTURES. tonais tribe of Sioux, making, in all, anout four thousand souls. During the winter, he sent pre sents to many of the Western tribes,, to enlist them in the war, and on the 1st of June, 1863, went to St. Joseph and Fort Garry, in the British Posses sions, and requested ammunition to fight the Americans. It was refused. Early in June, General Sibley, with a force of between two and three thousand men, started for Devil's Lake, by way of the Minnesota River ana Fort Abercrom- oie, and about the same time General Sully, with a large body of Cavalry, passed up the Missouri to co-operate with Sibley, and cut off the retreat of the savages. This attempted co-operation fail ed of accomplishment. The Indians had begun to be troublesome again, during the spring and early summer, coming into the State of Minnesota in small squads, and murdering whites, of whom they succeeded in killing about thirty, though more than a dozen of their own number were killed in return. On the 3d of July, Little Crow and his son penetrated through the frontier lines, and reached the neighborhood of Hutchinson, Minnesota, their errand being, according to the young Indian's account, to steal horses. Here Little Crow was shot by a Mr. Lampson, )f Hutchinson, and his son Chauncey, on the evening of that day, but it was not till nearly a month later, that it was known that it was the proud, ambi tious Indian Chief, the leader of the outbreak, who had been killed at that time. . 550 THRILLING ADVENTURES. tonais tribe of Sioux, making, in all, anout thousand souls. During the winter, he sent pre sents to many of the Western tribes., to enlist then in the war, and on the 1st of June, 1863, went tc St. Joseph and Fort Garry, in the British Posses sions, and requested ammunition to fight the Americans. It was refused. Early in June, General Sibley, with a force of between two and three thousand men, started for Devil's Lake, by way of the Minnesota River ana Fort Abercrom oie, and about the same time General Sully, will a large body of Cavalry, passed up the Missour to co-operate with Sibley, and cut off the retrea of the savages. This attempted co-operation fai ed of accomplishment. The Indians had begu to be troublesome again, during the spring ar early summer, coming into the State of Minneso in small squads, and murdering whites, of whc they succeeded in killing about thirty, thor more than a dozen of their own number w killed in return. On the 3d of July, Little Ci and his son penetrated through the frontier lir and reached the neighborhood of Hutchins Minnesota, their errand being, according to young Indian's account, to steal horses. H Little Crow was shot by a Mr. Lampson, Hutchinson, and his son Chauncey, on the eveni of that day, but it was not till nearly a month lat that it was known that it was the proud, am 1 tious Indian Chief, the leader of the outbree who had been killed at that time. :U \s~rt :