USA > Kentucky > The history of Kentucky, from its earliest discovery and settlement, to the present date, V. 1 > Part 48
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I Collins, Vol. II., pp. 419, 460.
EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1800.
369
CHAPTER XXII.
(1800.)
Nature and habits of Indians.
Described in Captain Smith's narrative. From Fort Duquesne to Ohio. Adopted by Indians.
Ceremonies. Indian dance and coquetries.
Cunning arts.
Smith loses caste.
Hunting and fasting.
Indian improvidence and indolence. Hospitalities. Tontillogo, Smith's brother.
Endurance of exertion.
Chasing horses.
Parental discipline.
Tontillogo's squaw.
Manetohcoa, the conjurer.
Military tactics.
Contempt of regulars and their methods.
Smith regains favor.
Indian compliments. Love of whisky.
Big debauch.
Religious views.
Their god, Owaneeyo.
Devout old chief.
Meat supply fails.
Faith of the Indian.
Relief at last.
Religious practices.
Old chief's prayer.
Several Indian dances.
War-dance of Ietan.
Acts the horse-stealer.
As a husband and dude. Indian faith. Extremes of character.
Anecdotes of Wawkaw and party. Ferocity of the Indian enemy. Burning of Colonel Crawford at the stake.
Nursing and rearing papooses.
Strapping to a board.
Experiences and habits of the pioneer whites in stockades and cabins. Husbandry.
The hunting season and habits.
Need of skill and intrigue.
The house-warming.
Building cabins.
Furniture.
The dance.
Mechanic arts.
Hominy block.
The grater.
The hand-mill.
Deer-skin sifters.
Tanning leather.
Utensils for house and farm.
Imitating birds and beasts.
Sports.
Emigrating then and now.
Happiness in the log-cabin. Diet.
Indian corn.
Making good corn-bread almost a lost art.
Measures of defense.
Dangers ever present.
The constant theme.
All learned to fight Indians.
Effect on character.
Religion in pioneer days.
The Baptists, the first pioneers.
Rev. William Hickman.
John Taylor and others.
Lewis Craig.
First Baptist churches.
First associations.
Numbers.
Early Roman Catholic immigrants.
Settlements in Nelson county. Revs. Badin, Fournier, and Salmon. Hardships and perils in mission work.
2.4
370
HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
Settlement in Woodford county.
Revs. Haw and Ogden first itinerant
Methodist ministers appointed.
Others preceded them. Francis Clark pre-eminent.
Conference, 1787.
Bishop's Asbury's visit. Results in 1800.
First Presbyterian work. Rev. David Rice's labors.
Presbytery of Transylvania.
Churches in Washington county.
Rev. John Poage Campbell, Archibald Cameron, and James Blythe.
First Episcopal service and church.
French Atheism in Kentucky.
Talent and learning.
Aggressiveness and combativeness of the
ministers of all denominations. Dividing doctrines. 1
Much information upon the nature, habits, and character of the Indians will be found interspersed through the pioneer period of history, upon which to form a general idea of savage life. Yet, upon this essential subject, the story of the incidents of the founding of our Commonwealth out of the rudest original elements of nature, and of the remarkable people from whom its territory was wrested, would be incomplete without a more special and coherent description of the wild children of the forest. A picturesque and intensely-interesting sketch is condensed from the narrative of Colonel James Smith, following the description of the burning at the stake of prisoners taken at Braddock's defeat, from which we quote : 1
"Two or three days after this shocking spectacle, most of the Indian tribes dispersed and returned to their homes, as is usual with them after a great and decisive battle. Young Smith was demanded of the French by the tribe to whom he belonged, and was immediately surrendered into their hands.
"The party embarked in canoes, and ascended the Alleghany river as far as a small Indian town, about forty miles above Fort Duquesne. There they abandoned their canoes, and, striking into the woods, traveled in a western direction, until they arrived at a considerable Indian town, in what is now the State of Ohio. This village was called Tullihas, and was situ- ated upon the western branch of the Muskingum. During the whole of this period, Smith suffered much anxiety from the uncertainty of his future fate, but at this town all doubt was removed. On the morning of his ar- rival, the principal members of the tribe gathered around him, and one old man, with deep gravity, began to pluck out his hair by the roots, while the others looked on in silence, smoking their pipes with great deliberation. Smith did not understand the design of this singular ceremony, but sub- mitted very patiently to the man's labors. who performed the operation of ' picking' him with great dexterity, dipping his fingers in ashes occasion- ally, in order to take a better hold. In a very few moments Smith's head was bald, with the exception of a single tuft upon the center of his crown, called the scalp-lock. This was carefully plaited in such a manner as to stand upright. and was ornamented with several silver brooches. His cars and nose were then bored with equal gravity, and ornamented with car-rings
I McClung's Sketches of Western Adventures.
---
371
THE ADOPTION OF JAMES SMITH.
and nose-jewels. He was then ordered to strip; which being done, his na- ked body was painted in various fantastic colors, and a breech-cloth fastened around his loins. A belt of wampum was then fastened around his neck, and silver bands around his right arm.
"To all this Smith submitted with much anxiety, being totally ignorant of their customs, and dreading lest, like the British prisoners, he had been stripped and painted for the stake. His alarm was increased, when an old chief arose, took him by the arm, and leading him out into the open air, gave three shrill whoops, and was instantly surrounded by every inhabitant of the village, warriors, women, and children. The chief then addressed the crowd in a long speech, still holding Smith by the hand. When he had ceased speaking, he led Smith forward and delivered him into the hands of three young Indian girls. These grappling him without ceremony, towed him off to the river, which ran at the foot of the hill, dragged him in the water up to his breast, and all three suddenly clapping their hands upon his head attempted to put him under. Utterly desperate at the idea of being drowned by these young ladies, Smith made a manful resistance; the squaws persevered, and a prodigious splashing of the water took place, amidst loud peals of laughter from the shore.
"At length, one of the squaws became alarmed at the furious struggles of the young white man, and cried out earnestly several times, 'No hurt you! No hurt you !' Upon this agreeable intelligence Smith's resistance ceased, and these gentle creatures plunged him under the water, and scrubbed him from head to foot with equal zeal and perseverance. As soon as they were satisfied they led him ashore and presented him to the chief, shivering with cold and dripping with water. The Indians then dressed him in a ruffled shirt, leggins, and moccasins, variously ornamented, seated him upon a bear- skin, and gave him a pipe, tomahawk, tobacco, pouch, flint, and steel. The chiefs then took their seats by his side, and smoked for several minutes in deep silence, when the eldest delivered a speech, through an interpreter, in the following words: ' My son, you are now one of us. Hereafter you have nothing to fear. By an ancient custom, you have been adopted in the room of a brave man, who has fallen, and every drop of white blood has been washed from your veins. We are now your brothers, and are bound by our law to love you, to defend you, and to avenge your injuries, as much as if you were born in our tribe.'
"He was then introduced to the members of the family into which he had been adopted, and was received by the whole of them with great demon- strations of regard. In the evening. he received an invitation to a great feast, and was there presented with a wooden bowl and spoon, and directed to fill the former from a huge kettle of boiled corn and hashed venison. The evening concluded with a war dance, and on the next morning the war- riors of the tribe assembled, and leaving one or two hunters to provide for their families in their absence, the rest marched off for the frontiers of Vir-
372
HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
ginia. In leaving the village, the warriors observed the most profound silence, with the exception of their leader, who sang the traveling song, as it is called ; and when some distance off they discharged their rifles slowly, and in regular succession, beginning in front and ending with the rear. As soon as the warriors had left them Smith was invited to a dance, in which the Indian boys and young unmarried squaws assembled, and entertained themselves for several hours together. They formed in two lines facing each other, at the distance of about twenty feet. One of the young men held a gourd in his hand, filled with pebbles or leads, which he rattled in such a manner as to produce music, and all the dancers, singing in concert with their leader, moved forward in a line until the parties met; then retired, and repeated the same exercises for hours without the least variation.
"Young Smith was merely a spectator in this scene, and his chief enter- tainment arose from observing the occasional symptoms of gallantry and. coquetry which diversified the monotony of the dance. Heads were often bent close together as the two lines met, and soft whispers, ogling glances, and an occasional gentle tap on the cheek, convinced Smith that Indians are not so insensible to the charms of their squaws as has been represented. An Indian courtship is somewhat different from ours. With them, all the coyness, reserve, and pretty delays are confined to the gentlemen. The young squaws are bold. forward, and by no means delicate in urging their passions; and a particularly handsome or promising young hunter is often reduced to desperate extremities to escape the toils of these female Lotha- rios. Smith was treated with the greatest kindness, and was for some time particularly distressed by the pressing invitations to eat, which he received from all quarters.
"With the Indians. it is uniformly the custom to invite every visitor to eat. as soon as he enters the wigwam; and if he refuse they are much offended, regarding it as an evidence of hostility to them, and contempt for their housekeeping. Smith, ignorant of this circumstance, was sometimes pressed to eat twenty times a day, and observing their dark and suspicious glances when he declined their hospitality, he endeavored at length to satisfy them at the risk of stuffing himself to death. Making it a point to eat with all who invited him, he soon found himself in great favor. In the course of a week after his adoption, an old chief honored him with an invitation to hunt with him. Smith readily consented. At the distance of a few miles from the village, they discovered a number of buffalo tracks. The old Indian regarded them attentively, and followed them with great caution, stopping frequently to listen, and rolling his eyes keenly in every direction. Smith, surprised at this singular conduct, asked him why he did not push on more rapidly, and endeavor to get a shot. 'Hush !' said the Indian, shaking his head, ' may be buffalo : may be Catawba !'
" Having at length satisfied himself that they were really buffalo, he pushed on more rapidly, and on the way assigned his reasons for his hesitation. He
373
SMITH AROUSES CONTEMPT.
said that the Catawbas had long been at war with his tribe, and were the most cunning and wicked nation in the world. That, a few years ago, they had secretly approached his camp in the night, and sent out a few of their spies mounted upon buffalo hoofs, who walked around their camp, and then returned to the main body. That in the morning, he and his warriors, per- ceiving their tracks, supposed a herd of buffalo to be ahead of them, and moved on rapidly in pursuit; that they soon fell into the ambuscade, were fired on by the Catawbas, and many of them killed. The Catawbas, how- ever, quickly gave way, and were pursued by his young men with great eagerness. But they had taken the precaution to stick a number of slender reeds in the grass, sharpened like a pen, and dipped in rattlesnake's poison, so that, as his young men pursued them eagerly. most of them were arti- ficially snake-bitten, and lamed. That the Catawbas then turned upon them, overpowered them, and took the scalps of all who had been lamed by the reeds. The old man concluded by shaking his head, and declaring that ' Catawba was a very bad Indian ; a perfect devil for mischief.'
"Smith, however, was so unfortunate a few days afterward as to fall into discredit with these simple people. He had been directed to go out and kill some venison for the squaws and children, who had suffered for several days, during the absence of the greater part of the warriors. As this was the first time that he had been entrusted with so weighty a commission alone, he determined to signalize his hunt by an unusual display of skill and enterprise. He, therefore, struck out boldly into the woods, and at a few miles distance, falling upon a fresh buffalo trail, he pushed on for several miles with great eagerness. Despairing, however, of overtaking them, as the evening came on he began to retrace his steps, and, as he had taken a considerable circuit, he determined to cut across the hills and reach the vil- lage by a shorter way. He soon became inextricably involved in the mazes of the forest, and dark found him completely bewildered. He fired his gun repeatedly, in hopes of being heard, but his signal was unanswered, and he wandered through the woods the whole night, totally unable to find his way home. Early in the morning, the Indians, probably suspecting him for de- sertion, started out in pursuit of him, but, observing the zig-zag manner in which the young woodsman had marched, they soon became satisfied of the truth. and their anger was changed to laughter and contempt. Smith's rifle was taken from him, and a bow and arrow were placed in his hand; and, although he was treated with undiminished kindness by all, yet it was evi- dent that it was mingled with compassion and contempt for his ignorance of the woods. He was now placed under the particular care of Tontillogo, his adopted brother and a renowned hunter and warrior. With the aid of his di- rections, he soon learned all the mysteries of hunting. He trapped beaver, killed deer, bear. and buffalo with great readiness, and in the course of the winter rose considerably in reputation. The warriors were still absent, and the women and children depended on them entirely for subsistence. Some-
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374
HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
times they were three days without food, particularly when the snow became hard and the noise which they made in walking on the crust frightened the deer, so that they could not come within gun-shot. Their only resource, then, was to hunt bear-trees; that is, large hollow trees in which bears lay concealed during the winter. The hole is generally from thirty to fifty feet from the ground, and they are often compelled to climb up and apply fire in order to drive Bruin out, who obstinately maintains his ground until nearly stifled with smoke, and then, sneezing, snuffling, and growling, he shows himself at the mouth of his hole for a little fresh air. The hunter stations himself below, and fires upon him as soon as he appears. . Toward spring, the warriors generally return, and game is then killed in abundance.
"We shall here pause in our narrative to mention some traits of Indian character and manners which, perhaps, will be interesting to many of our readers who have not had opportunities of informing themselves on the sub- ject. The lives of the men are passed in alternate action of the most violent kind and indolence the most excessive. Nothing but the pressing call of hunger will arouse them to much exertion. In the months of August and September, when roasting-ears are abundant, they abandon themselves to laziness, dancing, and gaming, and can rarely be aroused, even to hunt, so long as their corn-fields will furnish them food. During these months, they are generally seen lying down in idle contemplation, dancing with their squaws, playing at foot-ball, or engaged in a game resembling dice, of which they are immoderately fond. War and hunting are their only serious occu- pations, and all the drudgery of life devolves upon the squaws. Smith gave high offense to the warriors by taking a hoe in his hands and working with the squaws for half an hour, at a time when they were engaged in planting corn. They reprimanded him with some severity for his industry, observing that it was degrading to a warrior to be engaged in labor like a squaw, and for the future he must learn to demean himself more loftily, always remem- bering that he was a member of a warlike tribe and a noble family.
"They are remarkably hospitable, always offering to a stranger the best that they have. If a warrior, upon entering a strange wigwam, is not im- mediately invited to eat, he considers himself deeply affronted. although he may have just arisen from a meal at home. It is not enough on these occa- sions that ordinary food, such as venison or hominy, is offered. It is thought rude and churlish not to set before their guest their greatest delicacies, such as sugar, bear's oil, honey, and, if they have it, rum. If there is no food of any kind in the house, which is often the case, the fact is instantly men- tioned, and is at once accepted as a sufficient apology. Smith was so un- fortunate as to incur some reproach upon this subject also. While he and his adopted brother, Tontillogo, were encamped in the woods, hunting, there came a hunter of the Wyandotte tribe, who entered their camp, faint and hungry, having had no success in hunting, and, consequently, having fasted for several days.
375
INDIAN ENDURANCE GREATER THAN THE WHITES.
"Tontillogo was absent at the time, but Smith received the visitor with great hospitality, and gave him an abundant meal of hominy and venison. Shortly after Wyandotte's departure, his brother, Tontillogo, returned, and Smith informed him of the visit of the stranger, and of his hospitable reception. Tontillogo listened with great gravity, and replied : 'And, I suppose, of course, you brought up some of the sugar and bear's oil which was left below in the canoe?' . No,' replied Smith; 'I never thought of it; it was at too great a distance.' 'Well, brother,' replied Tontillogo, 'you have behaved just like a Dutchman! I can excuse it in you this time, as you are young, and have been brought up among the white. people ; but you must learn to behave like a warrior. and never be caught in such little actions! Great actions alone can ever make a great man!'
"Their power of sustaining long-continued fatigue is very extraordinary. Even their squaws will travel as fast as an ordinary horse, and pack an in- credible quantity of baggage upon their backs. In the spring of 1756, a great quantity of game had been killed at a considerable distance from the village, and all the inhabitants, including squaws and boys, turned out to bring it home. Smith was loaded with a large piece of buffalo, which, after packing two or three miles, he found too heavy for him, and was compelled to throw it down. One of the squaws laughed heartily, and, coming up, relieved him of a large part of it, adding it to her own pack, which before was equal to Smith's. This, he says, stimulated him to greater exertion than the severest punishment would have done.
"Their warriors, for a short distance, are not swifter than the whites, but are capable of sustaining the exercise for an incredible length of time. An Indian warrior can run for twelve or fourteen hours without refreshment, and after a hasty meal and very brief repose, appears completely refreshed, and ready for a second course. Smith found it more difficult to compete with them in this respect than in any other, for, although he ran with great swiftness for a few miles, he could not continue such violent exertion for a whole day. While he and his brother, Tontillogo, were encamped at a distance from the others. they were much distressed from having to pack their meat from such a distance, and, as three horses were constantly grazing near them, Tontillogo proposed that they should run them down and catch them, it having been found impossible to take them in any other way.
"Smith, having but little relish for the undertaking, urged the impossi- bility of succcess. But Tontillogo replied that he had frequently run down bear, deer, elk, and buffalo, and believed that, in the course of a day and night, he could run down any four-footed animal, except the wolf. Smith observed that, although deer were swifter than horses for a short distance, yet a horse could run much longer than either the elk or buffalo, and he was confident they would tire themselves to no purpose. The other insisted upon making the experiment, at any rate; and at daylight, on a cold day in February, and on a hard snow several inches deep, the race began. The
376
HISTORY OF KENTUCKY.
two hunters stripped themselves to their moccasins, and started at full speed. The horses were in very high order, and very wild, but contented them- selves with running in a circle of six or seven miles circumference, and would not entirely abandon their usual grazing-ground.
"At ten o'clock, Smith dropped considerably astern, and before eleven Tontillogo and the horses were out of sight, the Indian keeping close at their heels, and allowing them no time for rest. Smith, naked as he was, and glowing with exercise, threw himself upon the hard snow; and having cooled himself in this manner, he remained stationary until three o'clock in the evening, when the horses again came in view, their flanks smoking like a seething kettle, and Tontillogo close behind them, running with undi- minished speed. Smith, being now perfectly fresh, struck in ahead of Tontillogo, and compelled the horses to quicken their speed, while his Indian brother, from behind, encouraged him to do his utmost, after shout- ing: 'Chako! Chakoa-nough!'-' Pull away! Pull away, my boy!'
"Had Tontillogo thought of resting, and committed the chase to Smith alone for some hours, and then in his turn relieved him, they might have succeeded; but neglecting this plan, they both continued the chase till dark. Perceiving that the horses ran still with great vigor, they despaired of suc- cess, and returned to camp, having tasted nothing since morning, and one of them at least having run nearly one hundred miles. Tontillogo was somewhat crestfallen at the result of the race, and grumbled not a little at their long wind; but Smith assured him that they had attempted an impos- sibility, and he became reconciled to their defeat.
"Their discipline with regard to their children is not remarkably strict. Whipping is rare with them, and is considered the most disgraceful of all punishments. Ducking in cold water is the ordinary punishment for mis- behavior; and, as might be expected, their children are more obedient in winter than in summer. Smith, during his first winter's residence among them, was an eye-witness to a circumstance, which we shall relate as a lively example of Indian manners : His brother, Tontillogo, was married to a Wyandotte squaw, who had several children by a former husband. One of these children offended his step-father in some way, who, in requital, gave him the 'strappado,' with a whip made of buffalo hide.
"The discipline was quite moderate, but the lad shouted very loudly, and soon brought out his Wyandotte mother. She instantly took her child's part, with great animation. It was in vain that the husband explained the offense, and urged the moderation with which he had inflicted the punish- ment. All would not do. 'The child,' she said, 'was no slave, to be beaten and scourged with a whip. His father had been a warrior, and a Wyandotte, and his child was entitled to honorable usage. If he had offended his stepfather, there was cold water enough to be had; let him be be ducked until he would be brought to reason, and she would not utter a word of complaint; but a 'buffalo tug' was no weapon with which the son
377
SUPERSTITION OF THE INDIANS.
of a warrior ought to be struck. His father's spirit was frowning in the skies at the degradation of his child.'
.. Tontillogo listened with great calmness to this indignant remonstrance; and, having lit his pipe, strolled off, in order to give his squaw an oppor- tunity of becoming cool. The offense, however, had been of too serious a nature. His squaw, shortly after his departure, caught a horse, and taking her children with her, rode off to the Wyandotte village, about forty miles distant. In the afternoon, Tontillogo returned to his wigwam, and found no one there but Smith, an old man, and a boy. He appeared much troubled at his squaw's refractory conduct, uttered some deep interjections, but finally did as most husbands are compelled to do-followed her to make his peace.
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