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 58
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535
AN ASSAULT UPON A QUARTETTE OF SAVAGES.
strikingly blended. Jackson eagerly inquired the cause of his alarm. His companion, in a low voice, replied that they were within one hundred yards of four Indian warriors, who were reposing upon the bank of the little rivulet on the other side of the hillock ; that they were about kindling a fire in order to prepare their breakfast, and that two white men lay bound hand and foot within twenty feet of them.
He added that the whites were evidently prisoners, exposed to the same dreadful fate which they had just escaped ; and concluded by de- claring that, if Jackson would stand by him faithfully, he was de- termined to rescue them or"perish in the attempt. Jackson gave him his hand and expressed his readiness to accompany him. Sackville then looked carefully to the priming of his gun, loosened his knife in the sheath, and desired Jackson to follow him, without making the slightest noise.
They, accordingly, moved in a stooping posture up a small and bushy ravine, which conducted them to the top of the gentle hill. When near the summit, they threw themselves flat upon the ground, and crawled into a thick cluster of whortleberry bushes, from which they had a fair view of the enemy. The Indians had not changed their position, but one of the white men was sitting up, and displayed the countenance of a young man, apparently about twenty-five, pale, hag- gard and exhausted. Two Indians, with uplifted tomahawks, sat within three feet of him. One lay at full length upon the ground, while the remaining one was in the act of lighting a fire.
Sackville cocked his gun, and in a low voice directed Jackson to fire at one of the guards, who, from the quantity of beads and silver about his head, appeared to be a chief, while he selected the other guard for a mark. Each presented at the same moment, took a steady aim, and fired. Both Indians fell-the chief shot dead, the other mortally wounded. The other two Indians squatted in the grass like terrified partridges when the hawk hovers over them, and lay still and motion- less. Sackville and Jackson reloaded their guns as rapidly as possible, and shifted their position a few paces in order to obtain a better view of the enemy. In the meantime, the two Indians cautiously elevated their heads above the grass, and glanced rapidly around in order to observe from what quarter the fatal shots were discharged. The thin wreaths of smoke which curled above the bushes where our adventurers lay, be- trayed their hiding place to the enemy. Before they could take ad- vantage of it, however, they were ready to fire again, and this second volley proved fatal to one of their enemies, who lay without motion, Lut the other was only slightly wounded, and endeavored to reach the bushes upon the opposite site of the brook.
536
OUR WESTERN BORDER.
Sackville and Jackson now sprang to their feet and rushed upon him, but the desperate savage shot Sackville through the heart, as he advanced, and flourished his tomahawk so menacingly at Jackson, that he was compelled to pause and reload his gun. The savage seized this oppor- tunity to grasp the two rifles belonging to the Indians who had been first killed, and Jackson, in consequence, was compelled to retreat to the friendly shelter of the bushes, which he had too hastily abandoned. At this instant the two prisoners, having burst the cords which confined them, sprang to their feet and ran towards the bushes for protection. Before they could reach them, however, the Indian shot one dead, and fired his last gun at the other, but without effect. Jackson having loaded again, fired upon their desperate enemy and wounded him in the neck, from which he could see the blood spouting in a stream. Nothing daunted, the Indian rapidly reloaded his gun and again fired without effect.
The prisoner who had escaped now seized Sackville's gun, and he and Johonnet, having reloaded, once more left the bushes and advanced upon their wounded enemy. The savage, although much exhausted from loss of blood, sat up at their approach, and, flourishing a toma- hawk in each hand, seemed at least determined to die game. Johonnet was anxious to take him alive, but was prevented by his companion, who, leveling his gun as he advanced, shot his adversary through the head, and thus put an end to the conflict. It was a melancholy victory to the survivors. Johonnet had lost his gallant comrade, and the res- cued white man had to lament the death of his fellow captive. The last Indian had certainly inflicted a heavy penalty upon his enemies, and died amply revenged. The rescued prisoner proved to be George Sexton, of Newport, Rhode Island, a private in Harmar's army.
Fortunately for Johonnet, his new comrade was an excellent woods- man, and very readily informed his deliverer of their present situation, and of the proper course to steer. He said, that in company with three others, he had been taken by a party of Wabash Indians, in the neighborhood of Fort Jefferson ; that two of his comrades having sunk under their sufferings, had been tomahawked and scalped upon the spot ; that himself and his dead companion had been in hourly expectation of a similar fate, and concluded with the warmest expressions of grati- tude for the gallantry with which he had been rescued. So lively, in- deed, was his sense of obligation, that he would not permit Jackson to carry his own baggage, nor would he suffer him to watch more than three hours in the twenty-four .. On the following day they fortunately fell in with a small detachment from Fort Jefferson, by which they were safely conducted to the fort.
537
THE DISASTROUS DEFEAT OF GENERAL ST. CLAIR.
THE DISASTROUS DEFEAT OF GENERAL ST. CLAIR.
Fought eye to eye and hand to hand, Alas ! t'was but to die ! In vain the rifle's deadly flash Scorch'd eagle plume and wampum sash, The hatchet hissed on high ; And down they fell in crimson heaps, Like the ripe corn the sickle reaps.
The ignominious failure of Harmar's expedition made a deep and very unpleasant impression upon the whole country. The depredations of the Indians, by consequence, became more flagrant and intolerable than ever. The delegates from Western Virginia memorialized the State for some protection to their exposed line of frontier nearly four hun- dred miles long. A demand for a new and larger expedition grew so strong and general, that in March, '91, Congress passed an Act for another regiment and for further protection of the frontiers, and Presi- dent Washington appointed General St. Clair Commander-in-Chief, and authorized a new expedition of no less than three thousand men. In the meantime, two smaller and preliminary expeditions were dis- patched immediately, one of eight hundred Kentuckians, under General Charles Scott, against the Wea towns on the Wabash and another of about six hundred, under Colonel Wilkinson, to destroy the towns on the Eel river ; both were destructive and exasperating, but accom- plished nothing definite. The burning of towns, crops and the captiv- ity of their women and children only made the savages more desperate, and the chiefs, Little Turtle, Miami ; Blue Jacket, Shawnee, and Buck- ongahelas, Delaware, were busy forming a new and strong Indian Con- federacy.
General Arthur St. Clair was, as stated, Governor of the Northwestern Territory, and had generally ranked high as an officer of courage and patriotism, but had been more uniformly unfortunate than any other of- ficer in the American service. He had commanded at Ticonderoga, in the Spring of 1777, and had conducted one of the most disastrous re- treats which occurred during the Revolutionary war. Notwithstanding his repeated misfortunes, he still commanded the respect of his brother officers, and the undiminished confidence of Washington. He was now selected as the person most capable of restoring the American affairs in the Northwest, and was placed at the head of a regular force, amount- ing to near fifteen hundred men, well furnished with artillery, and was empowered to call out such reinforcements of militia as might be neces- sary. Cincinnati, as usual, was the place of rendezvous.
538
OUR WESTERN BORDER.
In October, 1791, an army was assembled at that place, greatly su- perior, in numbers, officers and equipments, to any which had yet ap- peared in the West. The regular force was composed of three com- plete regiments of infantry, two companies of artillery and one of cav- alry. The militia, who joined him at Fort Washington, amounted to upwards of six hundred men, most of whom had long been accustomed to Indian warfare. The General commenced his march from Cincin- nati, and on the 12th of October arrived at Fort Jefferson without ma- terial loss, although not without having sustained much inconvenience from scarcity of provisions. The Kentucky Rangers, amounting to up- wards of two hundred men, had encountered several small parties of Indians, but no serious affair had as yet taken place. Shortly after leav- ing Fort Jefferson one of the militia regiments, with their usual disre- gard to discipline, determined that it was inexpedient to proceed farther, and, detaching themselves from the main body, returned rapidly to the fort, on their way home. This ill-timed mutiny not only discouraged the remainder, but compelled the General to detach the first regiment in pursuit of them ; if not to bring them back, at least to prevent them from injuring the stores collected at the fort for the use of the army. With the remainder of the troops, amounting in all to about twelve hun- dred men, he, sick and suffering, continued his march to the great Miami villages, toiling along at the slow rate of about seven miles a day and the troops deserting by fifties.
On the evening of the 3d of November he encamped, now only about fourteen hundred strong, upon a very commanding piece of ground on the bank of a tributary of the Wabash, where he determined to throw up some slight works, for the purpose of protecting their knap- sacks and baggage, having to move upon the Miami villages, supposed to be within twelve miles, as soon as the first regiment should join them. The remainder of the evening was employed in concerting the plan of the proposed works with Major Ferguson of the engineers ; and when the sentries were posted at night, everything was as quiet as could have been desired. The troops were encamped in two lines, with an interval of seventy yards between them, which was all that the nature of the ground would permit. The battalions of Majors Butler, Clark and Pat- terson composed the front line, the whole under the orders of Major General Richard Butler, an officer of great bravery and merited reputa- tion. The front of the line was covered by a creek, its right flank by the river and its left by a strong corps of infantry. The second line was composed of the battalions ot Majors Gaither and Bedinger, and the second regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Darke. This line, like the other, was secured upon one flank by the river and
539
MAJOR GENERAL BUTLER KILLED.
upon the other by the cavalry and pickets. The night passed away without serious alarm. The sentinels were vigilant and the officers upon the alert.
BUTLER KILLED-WATERLOO DEFEAT AND DISASTROUS RETREAT.
A few hours before day St. Clair caused the reveille to be beaten, and the troops to be paraded under arms, as was the custom each day. In this situation they continued until daylight, when they were dismissed to their tents. Some were endeavoring to snatch a few minutes' sleep, others were preparing for the expected march, when suddenly the report of a rifle was heard from the militia, a few hundred yards in front, which was quickly followed by a sharp, irregular volley in the same direction. The drums instantly beat to arms, the officers flew in every direction, and in two minutes the troops were formed in order of battle. Presently the militia rushed into camp in the utmost disorder, closely pursued by swarms of Indians, who, in many places, were mingled with them and were cutting them down with their tomahawks.
Major Butler's battalion received the first shock, and was thrown into disorder by the tumultuous flight of the militia, who, in their eagerness to escape, bore down everything before them. Here Major General Butler had stationed himself, and here St. Clair directed his attention, in order to remedy the confusion which began to spread rapidly through the whole line. The Indians pressed forward with great audacity, and many of them were mingled with the troops before their progress could be checked. Major General Butler was wounded at the first fire, and before his wound could be dressed, an Indian, who had penetrated the ranks of the regiment, ran up to the spot where he lay and tomahawked him before his attendants could interpose. The desperate savage was instantly killed. By great exertions, Butler's battalion was restored to order, and the heavy and sustained fire of the first line compelled the enemy to pause and shelter themselves.
This interval, however, endured but for a moment. An invisible but tremendous fire quickly opened upon the whole front of the encamp- ment, which rapidly extended to the rear, and encompassed the troops on both sides. St. Clair, who at that time was worn down by a fever and unable to mount his horse, nevertheless, as is universally admitted, exerted himself with a courage and presence of mind worthy of a bet- ter fate. He instantly directed his litter to the right of the rear line, where the great weight of fire fell, and where the slaughter, particularly of the officers, was terrible. Here Darke commanded, an officer who nad been trained to hard service during the Revolutionary war, and
540
OUR WESTERN BORDER.
who was now gallantly exerting himself to check the consternation which was evidently beginning to prevail. St. Clair ordered him to make a rapid charge with the bayonet, and rouse the enemy from their covert.
The order was instantly obeyed, and, at first, apparently with great effect. Swarms of dusky bodies arose from the high grass and fled be- fore the regiment, with every mark of consternation ; but as the troops were unable to overtake them, they quickly recovered their courage, and kept up so fatal a retreating fire that the exhausted regulars were compelled in their turn to give way. This charge, however, relieved that particular point for some time; but the weight of the fire was transferred to the centre of the first line, where it threatened to anni- hilate everything within its range. There, in turn, the unfortunate General was borne by his attendants, and ordered a second appeal to the bayonet. This second charge was made with the same impetuosity as at first, and with the same momentary success. But the attack was instantly shifted to another point, where the same charge was made and the same result followed. The Indians would retire before them, still keeping up a most fatal fire, and the Continentals were uniformly com- pelled to retire in turn. St. Clair brought up the artillery, in order to sweep the bushes with grape; but the horses and artillerymen were destroyed by the terrible fire of the enemy before any effect could be produced. They were instantly manned afresh from the infantry and again swept of defenders.
A PRODIGIOUS SLAUGHTER AND A DISGRACEFUL ROUT.
The slaughter had now become prodigious. Four-fifths of the officers and one-half of the men were either killed or wounded. The ground was covered with bodies, and the little ravine which led to the river was running with blood. The fire of the enemy had not in the least slack- ened, and the troops were falling in heaps before it in every part of the camp. To have attempted to have maintained his position longer could only have led to the total destruction of his force, without the possi- bility of annoying the enemy, who never showed themselves unless when charged, and whose numbers (to judge from the weight and ex- tent of the fire) must have greatly exceeded his own.
The men were evidently much disheartened; but the officers, who were chiefly veterans of the Revolution, still maintained a firm coun- tenance, and exerted themselves with unavailing heroism to the last. Under these circumstances, St. Clair determined to save the lives of the survivors, if possible, and for that purpose collected the remnants of
541
A PRODIGIOUS SLAUGHTER AND A DISGRACEFUL ROUT.
several battalions into one corps, at the head of which he ordered Lieutenant Colonel Darke to make an impetuous charge upon the ene- my, in order to open a passage for the remainder of the army. Darke executed his orders with great spirit, and drove the Indians before him to the distance of a quarter of a mile. The remainder of the army in- stantly rushed through the opening in order to gain the road, Major Clark, with the remnant of his battalion, bringing up the rear and en- deavoring to keep the Indians in check.
The retreat soon degenerated into a total rout, the greater part of the men throwing away their arms and accoutrements even long after the pursuit had terminated. Officers who strove to arrest the panic only sacrificed themselves. Clark, the leader of the rear guard, soon fell in this dangerous service, and his corps was totally disorganized. Officers and soldiers were now mingled without the slightest regard to discipline, and " devil take the hindmost" was the order of the day. The pursuit at first was keen ; but, as at Braddock's defeat, the tempta- tion afforded by the plunder of the camp, soon brought them back, and the wearied, wounded and disheartened fugitives were permitted to retire from the field unmolested. The rout continued as far as Fort Jefferson, twenty-nine miles from the scene of battle. The action lasted more than three hours, during the whole of which time the fire was heavy and incessant.
The loss, in proportion to the number engaged, was enormous, and unparalleled, except in the affair of Braddock. Sixty-eight officers were killed upon the spot and twenty-eight wounded. Out of nine hundred privates who went into the action, five hundred and fifty were left dead upon the field, and many of the survivors were wounded. General St. Clair was untouched, although eight balls passed through his hat and clothes, and several horses were killed under him. He was placed by a few friends upon an exhausted pack-horse that could not be pricked out of a walk, and in this condition followed in the rear of the troops.
The Indian loss was reported by themselves at fifty-eight killed and wounded, which was probably not underrated, as they were never visible after the first attack until charged with the bayonet. At Fort Jefferson the fugitives were joined by the first regiment, who, as noticed above, had been detached in pursuit of the deserters. Here a council of war was called, which terminated in the unanimous opinion that the junction with the first regiment did not justify an attempt upon the enemy in the present condition of affairs, and that the army should re- turn to Fort Washington without delay. This was accordingly done ; and thus closed the second campaign against the Indians.
542
OUR WESTERN BORDER.
The unfortunate General was, as usual, assailed from all points of the country. He was called a coward, a traitor and an imbecile. All the misfortunes of his life, and they were many and bitter, were paraded in dread array against him. His plan of battle was torn to pieces by newspaper critics and carpet knights who " had never set a squadron in the field," and all the bitter ingredients which go to fill the cup of the unsuccessful General was drained to the very dregs. "Nothing is so successful as success." Aware of the public odium, St. Clair demanded a court, but it was denied. He offered to resign, but was not allowed. It seems as if Washington alone stood by him.
It is now deemed that St. Clair was no coward; that his position was well chosen; that he conducted the battle after the surprise, not only with courage but with ability, and that he made repeated and desperate charges which failed because he was outnumbered, and because his foes were brave, impetuous and admirably led. But misfortune had marked St. Clair for its own. He never recovered from this disastrous blow. His whole subsequent life was but a long struggle with poverty and wretchedness, and when, in his penury and old age, he appealed to Con- gress for a pension, he was stigmatized as a "pauper," and his claim was almost indignantly scouted and rejected.
Benjamin Van Cleve, who fought as a volunteer in this terrible en- gagement, says that the enemy's fire was tremendous ; that he saw one savage running off with a whole keg of powder, and that thirty officers and soldiers were lying scalped about the artillery. The ground was literally covered with dead and dying men. He saw a Lt. Morgan, an aide to General Butler, start on a run with six or eight men, and he started to run with them, but suddenly they broke right in among the savages, who were so taken back, thinking it was an attack, that they opened to right and left, and two hundred thus got through them and no shot fired.
WILLIAM KENNAN, THE RANGER, AND HIS RACE FOR LIFE.
William Kennan, of Fleming county, at that time a young man of eighteen, was attached to the corps of rangers who accompanied the regular force. He had long been remarkable for strength and activity. In the course of the march from Fort Washington, he had repeated op- portunities of testing his astonishing powers in that respect, and was universally admitted to be the swiftest runner of the light corps. On the evening preceding the action his corps had been advanced, as al- ready observed, a few hundred yards in front of the first line of in- fantry, in order to give seasonable notice of the enemy's approach.
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543
WILLIAM KENNAN, THE RANGER, AND HIS RACE FOR LIFE.
Just as day was dawning he observed about thirty Indians within one hundred yards of the guard fire, advancing cautiously towards the spot where he stood, together with about twenty rangers, the rest being con- siderably in the rear.
Supposing it to be a mere scouting party, as usual, and not superior in number to the rangers, he sprang forward a few paces in order to shelter himself in a spot of peculiarly rank grass, and firing with a quick aim upon the foremost Indian, he instantly fell flat upon his face, and proceeded with all possible rapidity to reload his gun, not doubting for a moment but that the rangers would maintain their position and sup- port him. The Indians, however, rushed forward in such overwhelm- ing masses, that the rangers were compelled to fly with precipitation, leaving young Kennan in total ignorance of his danger. Fortunately, the Captain of his company had observed him when he threw himself in the grass, and suddenly shouted aloud, " Run, Kennan ! or you are a dead man !" He instantly sprang to his feet, and beheld Indians within ten feet of him, while his company was already more than one hundred yards in front.
Not a moment was to be lost. He darted off with every muscle strained to its utmost, and was pursued by a dozen of the enemy with loud yells. He at first pressed straight forward to the usual fording place in the creek which ran between the rangers and the main army, but several Indians, who had passed him before he arose from the grass, threw themselves in the way, and completely cut him off from the rest. By the most powerful exertions he had thrown the whole body of pur- suers behind him, with the exception of one young chief (probably Mes- shawa) who displayed a swiftness and perseverance equal to his own. In the circuit which Kennan was obliged to take, the race continued for more than four hundred yards. The distance between them was about eighteen feet, which Kennan could not increase nor his adversary dimin- ish. Each, for the time, put his whole soul in the race.
Kennan, as far as he was able, kept his eye upon the motions of his pursuer, lest he should throw the tomahawk, which he held aloft in a menacing attitude, and at length, finding that no other Indian was im- mediately at hand, he determined to try the mettle of his pursuer in a different manner, and felt for his tomahawk in order to turn at bay. It had escaped from its sheath, however, while he lay in the grass, and his hair had almost lifted the cap from his head when he saw himself totally disarmed. As he had slackened his pace for a moment, the Indian was almost within reach of him when he recommenced the race, but the idea of being without arms lent wings to his flight, and for the first time he saw himself gaining ground. He had watched the motions of his pur-
544
OUR WESTERN BORDER.
suer too closely, however, to pay proper attention to the nature of the ground before him, and he suddenly found himself in front of a large tree which had been blown down, and upon which brush and other im- pediments lay to the height of eight or nine feet.
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