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 60
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The Battle of the Fallen Timbers, therefore, although a mere skir- mish in reality, must be judged by its effects. Had not Wayne taken such infinite pains to lead forth a compact, confident and well-drilled force, the battle would probably have been as much larger as its results might have been different.
One circumstance attending their flight is remarkable and deserves to be inserted. Three Indians, being hard pressed by the cavalry upon one side and the infantry upon the other, plunged into the river and attempted to swim to the opposite shore. A runaway negro, who had attached himself to the American army, was concealed in the bushes on the opposite bank, and perceiving three Indians approaching nearer than in his opinion was consistent with the security of his hiding-place, he collected courage enough to level his rifle at the foremost, as he was swimming, and shot him through the head. The other two Indians in- stantly halted in the water, and attempted to drag the body of their companion ashore. The negro, in the meantime, reloaded his gun and shot another dead upon the spot. The survivor then seized hold of both bodies, and attempted, with a fidelity which seems astonishing, to bring them both to land. The negro having had leisure to reload a second time, and firing from his covert upon the surviving Indian, wounded him mortally while struggling with the dead bodies. He then ventured to approach them, and from the striking resemblance of their features, as well as their devoted attachment, they were supposed to have been brothers. After scalping them he permitted their bodies to Aoat down the stream.
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CAPTAIN WILLIAM WELLS AND ROBERT MCCLELLAN.
Two MOST DARING RANGERS THEIR THRILLING EXPLOITS.
The body of scouts and rangers employed by General Wayne em- braced some of the most daring and famous woodsmen and Indian trackers that could be found on the borders. It is to this reason chiefly that may be ascribed his easy victory. The Indian scouting parties found him always ready-armed at every point. He could not be sur- prised-not even approached without a struggle. At length the savages, with whom surprise is half the battle, became completely discouraged and demoralized. They said: "No use fighting that man, his eye never shut." They used to call Wayne, when he was at Fort Wash- ington, General Chebang, which means to-morrow; because, they said, he was always promising them gifts to-morrow, but never gave any. Now they called him General All-eye. He had, indeed, learned much from the failures of other Generals.
Captain Ephraim Kibby, a bold and intrepid scout from near Cin- cinnati, commanded the principal part of the spies. The most active . sub-division was commanded by Captain William Wells, who had been taken prisoner when a youth, and who had grown to manhood with the Indians, under the name of Black Snake, and was, by consequence, well versed in all their wiles and stratagems. He became quite an in- fluential man among the Indians and married a sister of the celebrated chief, Little Turtle. He had fought Harmar and St. Clair by the side of his dusky brother-in-law, but he seems to have been ever visited with dim memories of his childhood home, of parents, brothers and play- mates, and to have been harassed with the thought that among the slain of those he was fighting against, may have been his own blood kindred. The approach of Wayne's army had stirred anew these heart memories and he resolved to part from the Indians, which he did in this open and honorable manner. Taking with him the great war chief, Little Turtle, to a secluded spot on the banks of the Maumee, Wells said to him : " I now leave your nation for my own people ; we have long been friends. We are friends yet until the sun reaches that height, (which he indi- cated). From that time we are enemies. Then if you wish to kill me, you may. If I want to kill you, I may." At the appointed hour, crossing the river, Wells plunged into the forest and struck the trail of Wayne's army. He had a long interview with Wayne and being des- perately brave, knowing well the Indian country and language, received
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CAPTAIN WILLIAM WELLS AND ROBERT MCCLELLAN.
a position of trust, and ever after remained faithful to the Americans. Two of Wells' daughters by Little Turtle's sister were educated in Kentucky, and became ladies of refinement and exemplary piety. He afterwards married another sister of Little Turtle, by whom he had one daughter.
John McDonald, of Ohio, was attached to Kibby's Rangers, and gives very interesting details of some of the principal scouts and of their daring exploits. He was intimately acquainted with the facts and persons of whom he treats, and is said to be perfectly reliable. We quote : Attached to Captain Wells' command were the following : Robert M'Clellan (whose name has been since immortalized by the graphic pen of Washington Irving, in his " Astoria,") was one of the most athletic and active men on foot that has appeared on this globe. On the grand parade at Fort Greenville, where the ground was very little inclined, to show his activity, he leaped over a road wagon with the cover stretched over ; the wagon and bows were eight and a half feet high.
Next was Henry Miller. He and a younger brother, named Christopher, had been made captives by the Indians when young, and adopted into an Indian family. Henry Miller lived with them till he was about twenty-four years of age; and although he had adopted all their manners and customs, he, at that age, began to think of returning to his relatives among the whites. The longer he reflected on the sub- ject, the stronger his resolution grew to make an attempt to leave the Indians. He communicated his intention to his brother Christopher, and used every reason he was capable of, to induce his brother to accompany him in his flight. All his arguments were ineffectual. Christopher was young when made captive-he was now a good hunter, an expert woodsman, and, in the full sense of the word, a free and inde- pendent Indian. Henry Miller set off alone through the woods, and arrived safe among his friends in Kentucky. Captain Wells was well acquainted with Miller during his captivity, and knew that he possessed that firm intrepidity which would render him a valuable companion in time of need. To these were added a Mr. Hickman, and Mr. Thorp, who were men of tried worth in Indian warfare.
Captain Wells and his four companions were confidential and privi- leged gentlemen in camp, who were only called upon to do duty upon very particular and interesting occasions. They were permitted a carte blanche among the horses of the dragoons, and, when upon duty, went well mounted; whilst the spies commanded by Captain Kibby went on foot, and were kept constantly on the alert, scouring the country in every direction.
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SINGULAR MANNER BY WHICH HENRY MILLER REGAINED HIS BROTHER.
The headquarters of the army being at Fort Greenville, in the month of June, General Wayne dispatched Captain Wells and his company, with orders to bring into camp an Indian as a prisoner, in order that he could interrogate him as to the future intentions of the enemy. Cap- tain Wells proceeded with cautious steps through the Indian country. He crossed the river St. Mary, and thence to the river Auglaize, with- out meeting any straggling party of Indians. In passing up the Aug- laize they discovered a smoke; they then dismounted, tied their horses and proceeded cautiously to reconnoitre the enemy. They found three Indians camped on a high, open piece of ground, clear of brush or any underwood. As it was open woods, they found it would be difficult to approach the camp without being discovered.
While they were reconnoitering, they saw, not very distant from the camp, a tree which had lately fallen. They returned and went round the camp, so as to get the top of the fallen tree between them and the Indians. The tree-top, being full of leaves, would serve as a shelter to screen them from observation. They went forward upon their hands and knees, with the noiseless movements of the cat, till they reached the tree-top. They were now within seventy or eighty yards of the camp. The Indians were sitting or standing about the fire, roasting their venison, laughing and making other merry antics, little dreaming that death was about stealing a march upon them.
Arrived at the fallen tree, their purpose of attack was soon settled; they determined to kill two of the enemy, and make the third prisoner. McClellan, who, it will be remembered, was almost as swift on foot as a deer of the forest, was to catch the Indian, while to Wells and Miller was confided the duty of shooting the other two. One of them was to shoot the one on the right, the other the one on the left. Their rifles were in prime order, the muzzles of their guns were placed on the log of the fallen tree, the sights were aimed for the Indians' hearts-whiz went the balls and both Indians fell. Before the smoke of the burnt powder had risen six feet, McClellan was running at full stretch, with tomahawk in hand, for the Indian.
The Indian bounded off at the top of his speed, and made down the river; but by continuing in that direction, he discovered that McClel- lan would head him. He turned his course and made for the river. The river here had a bluff bank, about twenty feet high. When he came to the bank he sprang down into the river, the bottom of which was a soft mud, into which he sunk to the middle. While he was en-
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HENRY MILLER REGAINS HIS BROTHER.
deavoring to extricate himself out of the mud, McClellan came to the top of the high bank, and, without hesitation, sprang upon him, as he was wallowing in the mire. The Indian drew his knife-McClellan raised his tomahawk, told him to throw down his knife, or he would kill him instantly. He threw down his knife and surrendered without any further effort at resistance.
By the time the scuffle had ceased in the mire, Wells and his compan- ions came to the bank, and discovered McClellan and the Indian quietly sticking in the mire. As their prisoner was now secure, they did not think it prudent to take the fearful leap the others had done. They selected a place where the bank was less precipitous, went down and dragged the captive out of the mud, and tied him. He was very sulky, and refused to speak either Indian or English. Some of the party went back for their horses, whilst others washed the mud and paint from the prisoner. When washed, he turned out to be a white man, but still refused to speak, or give any account of himself. The party scalped the two Indians whom they had shot, and then set off with their pris- oner for headquarters.
While on their return to Fort Greenville, Henry Miller began to ad- mit the idea that it was possible their prisoner was his brother Christo- pher, whom he had left with the Indians some years previous. Under this impression he rode alongside of him, and called him by his Indian name. At the sound of his name he started and stared round, and eagerly inquired how he came to know his name. The mystery was soon explained-their prisoner was indeed Christopher Miller ! A mys- terious providence appeared to have placed Christopher Miller in a situ- ation in the camp by which his life was preserved. Had he been stand- ing on the right or left, he would inevitably have been killed.
Captain Wells arrived safely with his prisoner at Fort Greenville. He was placed in the guard house, where General Wayne frequently inter- rogated him as to what he knew of the future intentions of the Indians. Captain Wells and Henry Miller were almost constantly with Christo- pher in the guard house, urging him to leave off the thought of living longer with the Indians, and to join his relatives among the whites. Christopher for some time was reserved and sulky, but at length became more cheerful, and agreed, if they would release him from confinement, that he would remain with the whites. Captain Wells and Henry Mil- ler solicited General Wayne for Christopher's liberty. General Wayne could scarcely deny such pleaders any request they could make, and without hesitation ordered Christopher Miller to be set at liberty ; re- marking, that should he deceive them and return to the enemy, they would be but one the stronger. Christopher was set at liberty, and ap-
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peared pleased with his change of situation. He was mounted on a fine horse, and otherwise well equipped for war. He joined the company with Captain Wells and his brother, and fought bravely against the In- dians during the continuance of the war. He was true to his word, and upon every occasion proved himself an intrepid and daring soldier.
As soon as Captain Wells and company had rested themselves and re- cruited their horses, they were anxious for another bout with the red- men. Time, without action, was irksome to such stirring spirits. Early in July they left Greenville ; their company was then strengthened by the addition of Christopher Miller ; their orders were to bring in pris- oners. They pushed through the country, always dressed and painted in Indian style ; they passed on, crossing the river St. Mary, and then through the country near to the river Auglaize, where they met a single Indian, and called to him to surrender. This man, notwithstanding that the whites were six against one, refused to surrender. He leveled his rifle, and as the whites were approaching him on horseback, he fired, but missed his mark, and then took to his heels to effect his escape. The undergrowth of brush was so very thick that he gained upon his pursuers. McClellan and Christopher Miller dismounted, and McClel- lan soon overhauled him. The Indian, finding himself overtaken by his pursuers, turned around and made a blow at Mcclellan with his rifle, which was parried. As McClellan's intention was not to kill, he kept him at bay till Christopher Miller came up, when they closed in upon him and made him prisoner, without receiving any injury. They turned about for headquarters, and arrived safely at Fort Greenville. Their prisoner was reputed to be a Pottawattamie chief, whose courage and prowess were scarcely equaled. As Christopher Miller had per- formed his part on this occasion to the entire satisfaction of the brave spirits with whom he acted, he had, as he merited, their entire confi- dence.
I have selected only a few of the acts performed by Captain Wells and his enterprising followers, to show what kind of men they were. History, in no age of the world, furnishes so many instances of re- peated acts of bravery as were performed by the frontiermen of West- ern Pennsylvania, Western Virginia and Kentucky; yet these acts of apparent desperation were so frequently repeated by numbers, that they were scarcely noticed at the time as being any other than the common occurrence of the day. I have no doubt that, during General Wayne's campaign, Captain Wells, and the few men he commanded, brought in not less than twenty prisoners, and killed more than an equal number. Desperate as they were in combat, that bravery was only a part of their merit, as demonstrated by the following circumstance :
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THE RANGERS RECKLESSLY ENTER A HOSTILE CAMP.
On one of Captain Wells' peregrinations through the Indian country, as he came to the bank of the river St. Mary, he discovered a family of Indians coming up the river in a canoe. He dismounted and con- cealed his men near the bank of the river, while he went himself to the bank, in open view, and called to the Indians to come over. As he was dressed in Indian style, and spoke to them in their own language. the Indians, not expecting an enemy in that part of the country, with- out any suspicion of danger, went across the river. The moment the canoe struck the shore, Wells heard the cocks of his comrades' rifles cry, " click, click," as they prepared to shoot the Indians ; but who should be in the canoe but his Indian father and mother, with their children ! As his comrades were coming forward with their rifles cocked, ready to pour in the deadly storm upon the devoted Indians, Wells called upon them to hold their hands and desist. He then in- formed them who those Indians were, and solemnly declared that the man who would attempt to injure one of them would receive a ball in his head. He said to his men " that that family had fed him when he was hungry, clothed him when he was naked, and kindly nursed him when sick, and in every respect were as kind and affectionate to him as they were to their own children."
This short, pathetic speech found its way to the sympathetic hearts of his leather-hunting-shirt comrades. Those hardy soldiers approved of the motives of Captain Wells' lenity to the enemy. They threw down their rifles and tomahawks, went to the canoe and shook hands with the trembling Indians in the most friendly manner. Captain Wells as- sured them they had nothing to fear from him ; and after talking with them to dispel their fears, he said " that General Wayne was approach- ing with an overwhelming force ; that the best thing the Indians could do was to make peace ; that the white men did not wish to continue the war. He urged his Indian father for the future to keep out of the reach of danger." He then bade them farewell : they appeared grate- ful for his clemency. They then pushed off their canoe, and went down the river as fast as they could propel her.
THE FIVE RANGERS RECKLESSLY ENTER A HOSTILE CAMP.
Early in the month of August, when the main army had arrived at the place subsequently designated as Fort Defiance, General Wayne wished to be informed of the intentions of the enemy. For this pur- pose Captain Wells was again dispatched to bring in another prisoner. The distance from Fort Defiance to the British fort, at the mouth of the
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Maumee river, was only forty-five miles, and he would not have to travel far before he would find Indians. As his object was to bring in a prisoner, it became necessary for him to keep out of the way of large parties, and endeavor to fall in with some stragglers, who might be easily subdued and captured.
They went cautiously down the river Maumee till they came opposite the site on which Fort Meigs was erected by General Harrison, in 1813. This was two miles above the British fort, then called Fort Campbell. On the west bank of the Maumee was an Indian village. Wells and his party rode into the village, as if they had just come from the British fort. Being dressed and painted in complete Indian style, they rode through the village, occasionally stopping and talking to the Indians in their own language. No suspicion of who they were was excited, the enemy believing them to be Indians from a distance coming to take a part in the battle which they all knew was shortly to be fought. After they had passed the village some distance, they fell in with an Indian man and woman on horseback, who were returning to the town from hunting. This man and woman were made captives without resistance. They then set off for Fort Defiance.
As they were rapidly proceeding up the Maumee river, a little after dark, they came near a large encampment of Indians, who were merrily amusing themselves around their camp fires. Their prisoners were ordered to be silent, under pain of instant death. They went round the camp with their prisoners, till they got about half a mile above it, where they halted to consult on their future operations. After consult- ation they concluded to gag and tie their prisoners, and ride back to the Indian camp and give them a rally, in which each should kill his Indian. They deliberately got down, gagged and fastened their pris- oners to trees, rode boldly into the Indian encampment and halted, with their rifles lying across the pommels of their saddles. They in- quired when last they had heard of General Wayne and the movements of his army; how soon and where it was expected the battle would be fought.
The Indians who were standing around Wells and his desperadoes were very communicative, answering all their interrogatories without suspecting any deceit in their visitors. At length an Indian, who was sitting some distance from them, said, in an undertone, in another tongue, to some who were near him, that he suspected that these stran- gers had some mischief in their heads. Wells overheard what he said, and immediately gave the preconcerted signal, and each fired his rifle into the body of an Indian, at not more than six feet distance. The Indian who had suspected them, the moment he made the remark, and
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THE RANGERS RECKLESSLY ENTER A HOSTILE CAMP.
a number of others, rose up with their rifles in their hands, but not be- fore Wells and his party had each shot an Indian.
As soon as Wells and his party fired, they put spurs to their horses, lying with their breasts on the horses' necks, so as to lessen the mark for the enemy to fire at. They had not got out of the light of the camp fire before the Indians shot at them. As McClellan lay close on his horse's neck he was shot, the ball passing under his shoulder blade, and coming out at the top of his shoulder. Captain Wells was shot through the arm on which he carried his rifle; the arm was broken and his trusty rifle fell. The rest of the party and their horses received no injury.
After having performed this act of military supererogation, they rode at full speed to where their captives were confined, mounted them on horses, and set off for Fort Defiance. Captain Wells and Mcclellan were severely wounded; and to Fort Defiance, a distance of about thirty miles, they had to travel before they could rest or receive the aid of a surgeon. As their march would be slow and painful, one of the party was dispatched at full speed to Fort Defiance, for a guard and a surgeon. As soon as Captain Wells' messenger arrived at Fort De- fiance, with the tidings of the wounds and perilous situation of these heroic and faithful spies, very great sympathy was manifested in the minds of all. General Wayne's feeling for the suffering soldier was at all times quick and sensitive ; we can then imagine how intense was his solicitude, when informed of the sufferings and perils of his confiden- tial and chosen band. Without a moment's delay, he dispatched a sur- geon, and a company of the swiftest dragoons, to meet, assist and guard these brave fellows to headquarters. Suffice to say, they arrived safely in camp, and the wounded recovered in due course of time.
As the battle was fought and a brilliant victory won a few days after this affair took place, Captain Wells and his daring comrades were not engaged in any further acts of hostility till the war with the In- dians was auspiciously concluded by a lasting treaty of peace. A new and happy era was about dawning on the West. A cruel and extermi- nating war, of nearly fifty years' continuance, was closed by a general peace with the redmen of the forest.
What became of Thorp, Hickman, and the two Millers, I have never learned ; but, if alive, they probably reside in some smoky cabin in the far and distant West, unknown and unhonored. The last I heard of the brave, hardy and active McClellan, he had just returned to St. Louis, in 1812, from an expedition across the Rocky Mountains. He had been to the Pacific Ocean, at the mouth of the Columbia river. The fate of the brave and lamented Captain Wells was sealed during 36
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the war of 1812, near Fort Dearborn, at the mouth of the Chicago river, where he was slain in an unequal combat, sixty-four whites attacked by upwards of four hundred Indian warriors. Then fell as bold a spirit as ever shouldered a rifle or wielded a tomahawk.
MORE ABOUT MCCLELLAN-RESCUED BY A GIRL.
Such a remarkably daring and marvelously agile scout as McClellan deserves a somewhat more lengthy notice than McDonald has given him, and fortunately we are enabled to supplement his relation from other sources. John, William and Robert McClellan were sons of a pioneer living in Cumberland county, Pa., and were early schooled in all the arts of woodcraft and inured to all the hardships of frontier life ; when mere boys they followed the business of pack-horse drivers, continuing in that business for several years after the Revolution. In 1790, Robert's reckless and restless disposition and personal prowess led him to seek adventures farther west, and he served as spy or ranger at Fort Gower, on the Hock-hocking, O., and soon made a name for himself, having many singular adventures ; one of these we condense from Rev. James B. Finley's autobiography.
At the Hock-hocking block-house it was learned that the Indians were gathering in numbers at a large town situate where now stands Lancas- ter, O., for the purpose of striking some terrible blow upon the border. Two of the most skilled and fearless of the spies, White and Mcclellan, dauntless spirits that never quailed at any danger, and as tameless and unconquerable as Lybian lions, were sent out to watch the savages and report. They continued their march until they reached a remarkable prominence, now known by the name of Mount Pleasant, the western termination of which is a perpendicular cliff some hundreds of feet high. When this lofty point was gained, a fine outlook was enjoyed, and every movement of the Indians in the valley below could be dis- tinctly seen. They thence witnessed for many days their dances, sports, and the constant arrival of new war parties. They dare not kindle a fire or shoot game, depending for food on the jerk and parched corn they brought with them, and for drink on rain water found in hollows of the rocks. In a short time, however, their store was exhausted and McClellan and White must abandon their post or seek a new supply. The former being the oldest and most experienced, started out with rifle in hand and two canteens slung accoss his shoulders, and cautiously de-
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