USA > Massachusetts > Our western border : its life, combats, adventures, forays, massacres, captivities, scouts, red chiefs, pioneer women, one hundred years ago, containing the cream of all the rare old border chronicles > Part 34
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Boone, as has already been mentioned, instantly retraced his steps to Boonsborough ; but Kenton and his friend Montgomery determined to proceed alone to the Indian town, and at least to obtain some recom- pense for the trouble of their journey. Approaching the village with the cautious stealthy pace of the cat or panther, they took their station upon the edge of a cornfield, supposing that the Indians would enter it, as usual, to gather roasting ears. They remained here patiently all day, but did not see a single Indian, and heard only the voices of some children who were playing near them. Being disappointed in the hope
KENTON PASSES THROUGH SOME REMARKABLE ADVENTURES. 301
of getting a shot, they entered the Indian town in the night, and steal. ing four good horses, made a rapid night's march for the Ohio, which they crossed in safety, and on the second day afterwards reached Lo- gan's fort with their booty.
Scarcely had he returned, when Colonel Bowman ordered him to take his friend Montgomery, and another young man named Clark, and go on a secret expedition to an Indian town on the Little Miami, against which the Colonel meditated an expedition, and of the exact condition of which he wished to have certain information. They instantly set out, in obedience to their orders, and reached the neighborhood of the town without being discovered. They examined it attentively, and walked around the houses during the night with perfect impunity.
KENTON PASSES THROUGH SOME REMARKABLE ADVENTURES.
Thus far all had gone well-and had they been contented to return after the due execution of their orders, they would have avoided the heavy calamity which awaited them. But, unfortunately during their nightly promenade, they stumbled upon a pound in which were a num- ber of Indian horses. The temptation was not to be resisted. They each mounted a horse, but not satisfied with that, they could not find it in their hearts to leave a single animal behind them, and as some of the horses seemed indisposed to change masters, the affair was attended with so much fracas, that at last they were discovered. The cry ran through the village at once, that the Long Knives were stealing their horses right before the doors of their wigwams, and old and young, squaws, boys and warriors, all sallied out with loud screams to save their property from these greedy spoilers. Kenton and his friends quickly discovered that they had overshot the mark, and that they must ride for their lives ; but even in this extremity, they could not bring themselves to give up a single horse which they had haltered ; while two of them rode in front and led the horses, the other brought up the rear, and plying his whip from right to left, did not permit a single animal to lag behind.
In this manner they dashed through the woods at a furious rate, with the hue and cry after them, until their course was suddenly stopped by an impenetrable swamp. Here, from necessity, they paused for a few moments and listened attentively. Hearing no sounds of pursuit, they resumed their course, and skirting the swamp for some distance, in the vain hope of crossing it, they bent their course in a straight direc- tion towards the Ohio. They rode during the whole night without rest- ing a moment-and halting for a few minutes at daylight, they con-
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tinued their journey throughout the day, and the whole of the following night, and by this uncommon expedition, on the morning of the second day they reached the northern bank of the Ohio. Crossing the river would now ensure their safety, but this was likely to prove a difficult undertaking, and the close pursuit which they had reason to expect, rendered it necessary to lose as little time as possible. The wind was high and the river rough and boisterous. It was determined that Ken. ton should cross with the horses, while Clark and Montgomery should construct a raft in order to transport their guns, baggage and ammuni- tion to the opposite shore.
The necessary preparations were soon made, and Kenton, after forc- ing his horses into the river, plunged in himself and swam by their side. In a very few minutes the high waves completely overwhelmed him and forced him considerably below the horses, which stemmed the current much more vigorously than himself. The horses being thus left to themselves, turned about and swam again to the shore, where Kenton was compelled to follow them. Again he forced them into the water, and again they returned to the same spot, until Kenton became so exhausted by repeated efforts as to be unable to swim. A council was then held and the question proposed: "What was to be done?" That the In- dians would pursue them, was certain-that the horses would not, and could not be made to cross the river in its present state, was equally certain. Should they abandon their horses and cross on the raft, or re- main with their horses and take such fortune as heaven should send ? The latter alternative was unanimously adopted.
Should they now move up or down the river, or remain where they were ? The latter course was adopted. It was supposed that the wind would fall at sunset, and the river become sufficiently calm to admit of their passage, and as it was supposed that the Indians might be upon them before night, it was determined to conceal the horses in a neigli- boring ravine, while they should take their stations in the adjoining woods. A more miserable plan could not have been adopted. The day passed away in tranquility, but at night the wind blew harder than ever, and the waters became so rough that even their raft would have been scarcely able to cross. Not an instant more should have been lost in moving from so dangerous a post ; but, as if totally infatuated, they re- mained where they were until morning-thus wasting twenty-four hours of most precious time in total idleness. In the morning the wind abated, and the river became calm-but it was now too late. Their horses, recollecting the difficulty of the passage on the preceding day, had become as obstinate and heedless as their masters, and positively and repeatedly refused to take the water.
KENTON PASSES THROUGH SOME REMARKABLE ADVENTURES. 303
Finding every effort to compel them entirely unavailing, their mas- ters at length determined to do what ought to have been done at first. Each resolved to mount a horse and make the best of his way down the river to Louisville. Had even this resolution, however tardily adopted, been executed with decision, the party would probably have been saved, but, after they were mounted, instead of leaving the ground instantly, they went back upon their own trail, in the vain effort to regain posses- sion of the rest of their horses, which had broken from them in the last effort to drive them into the water. They thus wearied out their good genius, and literally fell victims to their love for horse-flesh.
They had scarcely ridden one hundred yards, (Kenton in the centre, the others upon the flanks, with an interval of two hundred yards be- tween them,) when Kenton heard a loud halloo, apparently coming from the spot which they had just left. Instead of getting out of the way as fast as possible, and trusting to the speed of his horse and the thickness of the wood for safety, he put the last cap-stone to his impru- dence, and, dismounting, walked leisurely back to meet his pursuers, as if to give them as little trouble as possible. He quickly beheld three Indians and one white man, all well mounted. Wishing to give the alarm to his companions, he raised his rifle to his shoulders, took a steady aim at the breast of the foremost Indian, and drew the trigger. His gun had become wet on the raft, and flashed. The enemy were in- stantly alarmed, and dashed at him.
Now, at last, when flight could be of no service, Kenton betook him- self to his heels, and was pursued by four horsemen at full speed. He instantly directed his steps to the thickest part of the woods, where there was much fallen timber and rankness of underwood, and had succeeded, as he thought, in baffling his pursuers, when, just as he was leaving the fallen timber and entering the open woods, an Indian on horseback gal- loped round the corner of the woods, and approached him so rapidly as to render flight useless. The horseman rode up, holding out his hand and calling out, "brother ! brother !" in a tone of great affection. Kenton observed that if his gun would have made fire he would have "brothered " him to his heart's content, but, being totally unarmed, he called out that he would surrender if he would give him quarter and good treatment. Promises were cheap with the Indians, and he showered them out by the dozen, continuing all the while to advance with extended hands and a writhing grin upon his countenance, which was intended for a smile of courtesy. Seizing Kenton's hand, he grasped it with violence.
Kenton, not liking the manner of his captor, raised his gun to knock him down, when an Indian, who had followed him closely through the
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brushwood, instantly sprang upon his back and pinioned his arms te his side. The one who had just approached him then seized him by the hair and shook him until his teeth rattled, while the rest of the party coming up, they all fell upon Kenton with their tongues and ramrods, until he thought they would scold or beat him to death. They were the owners of the horses which he had carried off, and now took ample revenge for the loss of their property. At every stroke of their ram- rods over his head, (and they were neither few nor far between,) they would repeat, in a tone of strong indignation, " Steal Indian hoss ! ! hey ! ! "
Their attention, however, was soon directed to Montgomery, who, having heard the noise attending Kenton's capture, very gallantly has- tened up to his assistance ; while Clark very prudently consulted his own safety by betaking himself to his heels, leaving his unfortunate companions to shift for themselves. Montgomery halted within gun- shot, and appeared busy with the pan of his gun, as if preparing to fire. Two Indians instantly sprang off in pursuit of him, while the rest at- tended to Kenton. In a few minutes Kenton heard the crack of two rifles in quick succession, followed by a halloo, which announced the fate of his friend. The Indians quickly returned, waving the bloody scalp of Montgomery, and with countenances and gestures which menaced him with a similar fate. They then proceeded to secure their prisoner. They first compelled him to lie upon his back and stretch out his arms to their full length. They then passed a stout stick at right angles across his breast, to each extremity of which his wrists were fastened by thongs made of buffalo's hide. Stakes were then driven into the earth near his feet, to which they were fastened in a similar manner. A halter was then tied around his neck and fastened to a sapling which grew near, and finally a strong rope was passed under his body, lashed strongly to the pole which lay transversely upon his breast, and finally wrapped around his arms at the elbows, in such a manner as to pinion them to the pole with a painful violence, and render him literally incapable of moving hand, foot or head, in the slightest manner.
A.SWINTON.
Simon Kenton takes a Mazeppa ride. SEE PAGE 305.
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KENTON TRIES A MAZEPPA RIDE.
KENTON TRIES A MAZEPPA RIDE-ESCAPE AND RECAPTURE.
They tied his hands, Mazeppa like And set him on his steed, Wild as the mustang of the plains, And, mocking, bade him speed. Then sped the courser like the wind, Of curb and bit all freed, O'er flood and field ; o'er hill and dale, Wherever chance might lead.
During the whole of this severe operation, neither their tongues nor hands were by any means idle. They cuffed him from time to time, with great heartiness, until his ears rang again, and abused him for " a. teef !- a hoss steal !- a rascal!" and, finally, for a " d-d white man!" All the western Indians had picked up a good many English words- particularly our oaths, which, from the frequency with which they were used by our hunters and traders, they probably looked upon as the very root and foundation of the English language. Kenton remained in this painful attitude throughout the night, looking forward to certain death, and most probable torture, as soon as he reached their towns. Their rage against him seemed to increase rather than abate, from indulgence, and in the morning it displayed itself in a form at once ludicrous and . cruel.
Among the horses which Kenton had taken, and which their original owners had now recovered, was a fine but wild young colt, totally un- broken, and with all his honors of mane and tail undocked. Upon him Kenton was mounted, without saddle or bridle, with his hands tied be- hind him, and his feet fastened under the horse's belly. The country was rough and bushy, and Kenton had no means of protecting his face from the brambles, through which it was expected that the colt would dash. As soon as the rider was firmly fastened upon his back, the colt was turned loose with a sudden lash, and dashed off like a dart through the briars and underbrush, but after executing many curvets and caprioles, to the great distress of his rider but to the infinite amuse- ment of the Indians, he appeared to take compassion upon his rider, and falling into a line with the other horses, avoided the brambles en- tirely, and went on very well. In this manner he rode through the day. At night he was taken from the horse and confined as before.
On the third day they came within a few miles of Chillicothe. Here the party halted and dispatched a messenger to inform the village of their arrival, in order to give them time to prepare for his reception. In a short time Blackfish, one of their chiefs, arrived, and regarding Ken- ton with a stern countenance, thundered out, in very good English, 20
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" You have been stealing horses?" "Yes, sir." "Did Captain Boone tell you to steal our horses?" "No, sir ; I did it of my own accord." This frank confession was too irritating to be borne. Blackfish made no reply, but brandished a hickory switch, which he held in his hand, and applied it so briskly to Kenton's naked back and shoulders, as to bring the blood freely, and occasion acute pain.
Thus alternately beaten and scolded, he marched on to the village. At the distance of a mile from Chillicothe, he saw every inhabitant of the town, men, women and children, running out to feast their eyes with a view of the prisoner. Every individual, down to the smallest child, appeared in a paroxysm of rage. They whooped, they yelled, they hooted, they clapped their hands, and poured upon him a flood of abuse to which all that he had yet received was gentleness and civility. With loud cries they demanded that their prisoner should be tied to the stake. The hint was instantly complied with. A stake was quickly fastened in the ground. The remnants of Kenton's shirt and breeches were torn from his person, (the squaws officiating with great dexterity in both operations,) and his hands being tied together and raised above his head, were fastened to the top of the stake. The whole party then danced around him until midnight, yelling and screaming in their usual frantic manner, striking him with switches, and slapping him with the palms of their hands. He expected every moment to undergo the torture of fire, but that was reserved for another time. They wished to prolong the pleasure of tormenting him as much as possible, and after having caused him to anticipate the bitterness of death until a late hour of the night, they released him from his stake and conveyed him to the village.
Early in the morning he beheld the scalp of Montgomery stretched upon a hoop, and drying in the air before the door of one of their principal houses. He was quickly led out and ordered to run the gaunt- let. A row of boys, women and men extended to the distance of a quarter of a mile. At the starting place stood two grim-looking war- riors, with butcher knives in their hands-at the extremity of the line was an Indian beating a drum, and a few paces beyond the drum was the door of the council house. Clubs, switches, hoe handles and toma- hawks were brandished along the whole line, causing the sweat involun- tarily to stream from his pores, at the idea of the discipline which his naked skin was to receive during the race. The moment for starting arrived-the great drum at the door of the council house was struck ___ and Kenton sprung forward in the race. He avoided the row of his enemies, and turning to the east, drew the whole party in pursuit of him. He doubled several times with great activity, and at length, ob-
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serving an opening, he darted through it, and pressed forward to the council house with a rapidity which left his pursuers far behind. One or two of the Indians succeeded in throwing themselves between him and the goal-and from these alone he received a few blows, but was much less injured than he could at first have supposed possible.
As soon as the race was over, a council was held in order to deter- mine whether he should be burnt to death on the spot, or carried round to the other villages and exhibited to every tribe. The arbiters of his fate sat in a circle on the floor of the council house, while the unhappy . prisoner, naked and bound, was committed to the care of a guard in the open air. The deliberation commenced. Each warrior sat in silence, while a large war club was passed round the circle. Those who were opposed to burning the prisoner on the spot were to pass the club in silence to the next warrior; those in favor of burning, were to strike the earth violently with the club before passing it. A teller was ap- pointed to count the votes. This dignitary quickly reported that the opposition had prevailed; that his execution was suspended for the present, and that it was determined to take him to an Indian town on Mad river called Wappatomica. His fate was quickly announced to him by a renegade white man, who acted as interpreter. Kenton felt re- joiced at the issue, but naturally became anxious to know what was in reserve for him at Wappatomica. He accordingly asked the white man what the Indians intended to do with him upon reaching the appointed place : "BURN YOU, G-d d-n you !!! " was the fero- cious reply. He asked no further question, and the scowling interpre- ter walked away.
Instantly preparations were made for his departure, and to his great joy, as well as astonishment, his clothes were restored to him, and he was permitted to remain unbound. Thanks to the ferocious intimation of the interpreter, he was aware of the fate in reserve for him, and secretly determined that he would never reach Wappatomica alive if it was possible to avoid it. Their route lay through an unpruned for- est, abounding in thickets and undergrowth. Unbound, as he was, it would not be impossible to escape from the hands of his conductors ; and if he could once enter the thickets, he thought that he might be enabled to baffle his pursuers. At the worst, he could only be retaken- and the fire would burn no hotter after an attempt to escape than be- fore. During the whole of their march, he remained abstracted and silent-often meditating an effort for liberty, and as often shrinking from the peril of the attempt.
At length he was aroused from his reverie by the Indians firing off their guns and raising the shrill scalp halloo. The signal was soon
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answered, and the deep roll of a' drum was heard far in front, an- nouncing to the unhappy prisoner that they were approaching an In- dian town where the gauntlet, certainly, and perhaps the stake, awaited him. The idea of a repetition of the dreadful scenes which he had already encountered, completely banished the indecision which had hith- erto withheld him, and with a sudden and startling cry he sprang into the bushes and fled with the speed of a wild deer. The pursuit was in- stant and keen, some on foot, some on horseback. But he was flying for his life-the stake and the hot iron, and the burning splinters were before his eyes-and he soon distanced the swiftest hunter that pur- sued him. But fate was against him at every turn. Thinking only of the enemy behind, he forgot that there might also be enemies in front, and before he was aware of what he had done, he found that he had plunged into the centre of a fresh party of horsemen, who had sallied from the town at the firing of the guns, and happened unfortunately to stumble upon the poor prisoner, now making a last effort for freedom. His heart sunk at once from the ardor of hope to the very pit of despair, and he was again haltered and driven before them to town like an ox to the slaughter house.
Upon reaching the village, .(Pickaway,) he was fastened to a stake near the door of the council house, and the warriors again assembled in debate. In a short time they issued from the council house and, sur- rounding him, they danced, yelled, &c., for several hours, giving him once more a foretaste of the bitterness of death. On the following morning their journey was continued, but the Indians had now become watchful, and gave him no opportunity of even attempting an escape. On the second day he arrived at Wappatomica. Here he was again compelled to run the gauntlet, in which he was severely hurt; and immediately after this ceremony he was taken to the council house, and all the warriors once more assembled to determine his fate.
He sat silent and dejected upon the floor of the cabin, awaiting the moment which was to deliver him to the stake, when the door of the council house opened, and Simon Girty, James Girty, John Ward and an Indian, came in with a woman (Mrs. Mary Kennedy) as a prisoner, together with seven children and seven scalps. Kenton was instantly removed from the council house, and the deliberations of the assembly were protracted to a very late hour, in consequence of the arrival of the last-named party with a fresh drove of prisoners.
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SIMON GIRTY SAVES HIS FRIEND.
SIMON GIRTY INTERCEDES AND SAVES HIS FRIEND.
At length he was again summoned to attend the council house, being informed that his fate was decided. Regarding the mandate as a mere prelude to the stake and fire, which he knew were intended for him, he obeyed it with a calm despair which had now succeeded the burning anxiety of the last few days. Upon entering the council house he was greeted with a savage scowl, which, if he had still cherished a spark of hope, would have completely extinguished it. Simon Girty threw a blanket upon the floor, and harshly ordered him to take a seat upon it. The order was not immediately complied with, and Girty impatiently seized his arm, jerked him roughly upon the blanket, and pulled him down upon it. In the same rough and menacing tone, Girty then in- terrogated him as to the condition of Kentucky. "How many men are there in Kentucky?" "It is impossible for me to answer that ques- tion," replied Kenton, " but I can tell you the number of officers and their respective ranks-you can then judge for yourself." "Do you know William Stewart ?" "Perfectly well-he is an old and intimate acquaintance." "What is your own name?" "Simon Butler !" re- plied Kenton.
Never did the annunciation of a name produce a more powerful effect. Girty and Kenton (then bearing the name of Butler) had served as spies together in Dunmore's expedition. The former had not then abandoned the society of the whites for that of the savages, and had become warmly attached to Kenton during the short period of their services together. As soon as he heard the name he became strongly agitated, and, springing from his seat, he threw his arms around Ken- ton's neck, and embraced him with much emotion. Then turning to the assembled warriors, who remained astonished spectators of this ex- traordinary scene, he addressed them in a short speech, which the deep earnestness of his tone and the energy of his gesture rendered elo- quent. He informed them that the prisoner, whom they had just con- demned to the stake, was his ancient comrade and bosom friend; that they had traveled the same war path, slept under the same blanket, and dwelt in the same wigwam. He entreated them to have compassion upon his feelings-to spare him the agony of witnessing the torture of an old friend by the hands of his adopted brothers-and not to refuse so trifling a favor as the life of a white man, to the earnest intercession of one who had proved by the most faithful service, that he was sin- cerely and zealously devoted to the cause of the Indians.
The speech was listened to in unbroken silence. As soon as he had
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finished, several chiefs expressed their approbation by a deep guttural interjection, while others were equally as forward in making known their objections to the proposal. They urged that his fate had already been. determined in a large and solemn council, and that they would be act- ing like squaws to change their minds every hour. They insisted upon . the flagrant misdemeanor of Kenton ; that he had not only stolen their horses, but had flashed his gun at one of their young men-that it was in vain to suppose that so bad a man could ever become an Indian at heart, like their brother Girty-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 had been for nothing.
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