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 64
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While anxiously meditating upon the best means of avoiding the dan-
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gers which surrounded him, he heard the tinkle of a bell within a few hundred yards of the spot where he stood, and hastily directing his steps towards it, he saw a horse grazing quietly upon the rank grass of the bottom. Instantly mounting him, he again attempted to move in a southern direction, but was compelled, by the thickness of the wood and the quantity of fallen timber, to change his course so frequently that he again became bewildered, and, abandoning his horse, deter- mined to prosecute his journey on foot. Daylight found him in a deep forest, without a path to direct him, without the means of procuring food, and without the slightest knowledge of any of those signs by which an experienced woodsman is enabled to direct his course through a trackless wilderness with such unerring certainty. Fearful of stum- bling unawares upon some Indian town, he lay concealed all day, and at night recommenced his journey. But fresh perplexities awaited him at every step. He was constantly encountering either a small village or a solitary wigwam, from which he was frequently chased by the Indian dogs, with such loud and furious barking, that he more than once con- sidered detection inevitable.
In this manner he wandered through the woods for several days, until, faint with hunger, he determined, at all risks, to enter an Indian village, and either procure food or perish in the attempt. Having adopted this resolution, he no longer loitered on the way, but throwing himself boldly upon the first path which presented itself, he followed it at a brisk and steady pace, careless to what it might lead. About four o'clock in the afternoon he came so suddenly upon a village that it was impossible to retreat without exposing himself to detection, and as he considered it madness to enter it in daylight, he concealed himself among some old logs until nightfall, when he sallied out like an owl or a wolf in search of something to allay the piercing pangs of hunger. Nothing could be picked up upon the skirts of the village, as neither roasting ears nor garden fruit were in season, and it became necessary to enter the town or perish of hunger. Fortunately, the embers of a decayed fire lay near him, in which he found a sufficient quantity of coal with which to black his face and hands, and having completely dis- guised himself in this manner, he boldly marched into the hostile town, to take such fate as it should please heaven to send. He fortunately had with him the remnant of a blanket, which he disposed about his person in the usual Indian manner, and imitating at the same time their strag- gling gait, he kept the middle of the street and passed unquestioned by squaw or warrior.
Fortunately for him, the streets were almost entirely deserted, and, as he afterwards learned, most of the warriors were absent. Security, however,
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was not his present object so much as food, which indeed had now be- come indispensable. Yet how was he to obtain it? He would not have hesitated to steal, had he known where to look for the larders ; nor to beg, had he not known that he would have been greeted with the toma- hawk. While slowly marching through the village and ruminating upon some feasible plan of satisfying his wants, he saw light in a wigwam at some distance, which gave it the appearance of a trader's booth. Cau- tiously approaching, he satisfied himself of the truth of his conjecture. A white man was behind the counter, dealing out various articles to sev- eral squaws who stood around him. After some hesitation, Skyles en- tered the shop and in bad English asked for rum. The trader regarded him carelessly, and without appearing surprised at either his dress or manner, replied that he had no rum in the house, but would go and bring him some, if he would wait a few moments. So saying, he leaped carelessly over the counter and left the shop. Skyles instantly followed him, and stopping him in the street briefly recounted the story, and, throwing himself upon his mercy, earnestly implored his assistance.
The trader appeared much astonished, and visibly hesitated. Quickly recovering himself, however, he assured Skyles that he would use every effort to save him, although in doing so he himself would incur great risk. He then informed him that a band of Shawnees had appeared at the village on that very morning in keen pursuit of a prisoner, who (they said) had escaped a few days before, and whom they supposed to be still in the neighborhood, from the zigzag manner in which he had traveled. Many of the warriors of the town were at that moment assisting the Shawnees in hunting for him. He added that they might be expected to return in the morning, in which case, if discovered, his death would be certain. Skyles listened in great alarm to his account of the danger which surrounded him. If he left the village, he could scarcely expect to escape the numerous bands who were ranging the forests in search of him. If he remained where he was, the danger was still more imminent. Under these circumstances he earnestly re- quested the advice of the trader as to the best means of avoiding his enemies. The man replied that he must instantly leave the village, as keen eyes would be upon him in the morning, and his design would be penetrated. That he must conceal himself in a hazel thicket, which he pointed out to him, where in a short time he would join him with food, where they could arrange some feasible plan of escape. They then separated, the trader returning to his shop and Skyles repairing to the friendly thicket.
Here within a few minutes he was joined by his friend, who informed him that he saw but one possible mode of escape. That it would be
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impossible for him either to remain where he was or to attempt to reach the white settlements through the woods, but he declared that if he was diligent and active, he might overtake a boat which had left them that morning for Lake Erie, and offered him his own skiff for that pur- pose. He added, that the boat was ladened with furs, and was com- manded by an English Captain, who would gladly receive him on board. Skyles eagerly embraced the offer, and they proceeded without a moment's delay to the river shore, where a handsome skiff with two oars lay in readiness for the water. Having taken an affectionate leave of the trader, Skyles put off from shore, and quickly gaining the current, rowed until daylight with the zeal of a man who knew the value of life and liberty. His greatest apprehension was, that his flight would be discovered in time to prevent his reaching the boat, and at every rust- ling of the bushes on the bank of the river, or at every cry of the owl which arose from the deep forest around him, the blood would rush back to his heart and he would fancy that his enemies were upon him.
At length, between dawn and sunrise, he beheld the boat which he had pursued so eagerly only a few hundred yards in front, drifting slowly and calmly down the stream. He redoubled his exertions, and in half an hour was within hailing distance. He called aloud for them to halt, but no answer was returned. Upon coming alongside, he was unable to see a single man on board. Supposing the crew asleep, he mounted the side of the vessel, and saw the man at the helm enjoying a very comfortable nap, with the most enviable disregard to the dangers which might await him on the waters of Lake Erie, which were then in sight. The helmsman started up, rubbed his eyes, looked around him, and, after saluting his visitor, observed that "he had almost fallen asleep." Skyles agreed with him, and anxiously inquired for the Cap- tain. The latter soon made his appearance, in a woolen night cap, and the negotiation commenced. The Captain asked who he was, and what was the cause of so early a visit? Skyles was fearful of committing himself by a premature disclosure of his real character, and replied that · he was an adventurer who had been looking out for land upon the Au- glaize, but that he had been driven from the country by the apprehen- sion of outrage from the Indians, who had lately become unusually in- censed against the whites. The Captain coolly replied, that he had. heard of one white man having been burned a few days before, at one of the Miami villages, and had understood that another had avoided: the same fate only by running away into the woods, where, unless re- taken, it was supposed he would perish, as he had shown himself a mis- erable woodsman, and as numerous parties were in search of him.
After a moment's hesitation, Skyles frankly acknowledged himself to 38
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be that fugitive, and threw himself at once upon their mercy. The English Captain heard him apparently without surprise, and granted his request without hesitation. All was done with the utmost sang froid. In a short time they arrived at Detroit, where, to his no small astonish- ment, he beheld Chick-a-tommo, Messhawa and their party, who had just arrived from Sandusky, after the sale of Johnston. Carefully avoiding them, he lay close in the house of a trader till the following day, when another large party arrived in pursuit of him, (having traced him down the river to Lake Erie,) and paraded the streets for several days, utter- ing loud complaints against those who had robbed them of their pris- oner. Poor Skyles entertained the most painful apprehensions for sev- eral days, but was at length relieved by their departure. As soon as possible he obtained a passage to Montreal, and returned in safety to the United States.
MISS FLEMING'S SAD PLIGHT-RESCUED BY KING CRANE.
In noticing the fate of the companions of Johnston's captivity, we are naturally led to say something of the only female of the party. The reader cannot have forgotten that one of the Misses Fleming was killed on the Ohio, and that the other became a prisoner, and was as- signed to the Cherokees. Johnston had been much surprised at the levity of her conduct when first taken. Instead of appearing dejected at the dreadful death of her sister and the still more terrible fate of her friends, she never appeared more lively or better reconciled to her fate than while her captors lingered upon the banks of the Ohio. Upon the breaking up of the party, the Cherokees conducted their prisoner toward the Miami villages, and Johnston saw nothing more of her until after his own liberation. While he remained at the house of M. Duchouquet, the small party of Cherokees to whom she belonged suddenly made their appearance in the village, in a condition so tattered and dilapidated as to satisfy every one that all their booty had been wasted with their usual improvidence.
Miss Fleming's appearance, particularly, had been entirely changed. All the levity which had astonished Johnston so much on the banks of the Ohio was completely gone. Her dress was tattered, her cheeks sunken, her eyes discolored by weeping, and her whole manner expres- sive of the most heartfelt wretchedness. Johnston addressed her with kindness, and inquired the cause of so great a change, but she only replied by wringing her hands and bursting into tears. Her master quickly summoned her away, and on the morning of her arrival she was compelled to leave the village and accompany them to Lower San-
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dusky. Within a few days Johnston, in company with his friend Duchouquet, followed them to that place, partly upon business and partly with the hope of effecting her liberation. He found the town thronged with Indians of various tribes, and there, for the first time, he learned that his friend Skyles had effected his escape. Upon inquiring for the Cherokees, he learned that they were encamped with their pris- oner within a quarter of a mile of the town, holding themselves aloof from the rest and evincing the most jealous watchfulness over their prisoner. Johnston applied to the traders of Sandusky for their good offices, and, as usual, the request was promptly complied with. They went out in a body to the Cherokee camp, accompanied by a white man named Whittaker, who had been taken from Virginia when a child, and had been completely naturalized among the Indians.
This Whittaker was personally known to Miss Fleming, having often visited Pittsburgh, where her father kept a small tavern much frequented by Indians and traders. As soon as she beheld him, therefore, she ran up to the spot where he stood and, bursting into tears, implored him to save her from the cruel fate which she had no doubt awaited her. He engaged very zealously in her service, and finding that all the offers of the traders were rejected with determined obstinacy, he returned to Detroit and solicited the intercession of an old chief known among the whites by the name of "Old King Crane," assuring him (a lie which we can scarcely blame) that the woman was his sister. King Crane listened with gravity to the appeal of Whittaker, acknowledged the propriety of interfering in the case of so near a relative, and very calmly walked out to the Cherokee camp in order to try the efficacy of his own eloquence in behalf of the white squaw. He found her mas- ter, however, perfectly inexorable. The argument gradually waxed warm, till at length the Cherokees became enraged and told the old man that it was a disgrace to a chief like him to put himself upon a level with " white people," and that they looked upon him as no better than " dirt."
At this insupportable insult, King Crane became exasperated in turn, and a very edifying scene ensued, in which each bespattered the other with a profusion of abuse for several minutes, until the Old King recollected himself sufficiently to draw off for the present and concert measures for obtaining redress. He returned to the village in a tower- ing passion and announced his determination to collect his young men and rescue the white squaw by force, and if the Cherokees dared to re- sist, he swore that he would take their scalps upon the spot. Whittaker applauded his doughty resolution, but warned him of the necessity of dispatch, as the Cherokees, alarmed at the idea of losing their prisoner,
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might be tempted to put her to death without further delay. This ad- vice was acknowledged to be of weight, and before daylight on the following morning King Crane assembled his young men and advanced . cautiously upon the Cherokee encampment.
He found all but the miserable prisoner buried in sleep. She had been stripped naked, her body painted black, and in this condition had been bound to a stake, around which hickory poles had already been collected and every other disposition made for burning her alive at daylight. She was moaning in a low tone as her deliverers approached, and was so much exhausted as not to be aware of their approach until King Crane had actually cut the cords which bound her with his knife. He then ordered his young men to assist her in putting on her clothes, which they obeyed with the most stoical indifference. As soon as her toilet had been completed the King awakened her masters and informed them that the squaw was his ! that if they submitted quietly, it was well !- if not, his young men and himself were ready for them. The Cherokees, as may readily be imagined, protested loudly against such unrighteous proceedings, but what could words avail against tomahawks and superior numbers? They finally expressed their willingness to re- sign the squaw, but hoped that King Crane would not be such a " beast " as to refuse them the ransom which he had offered them on the preceding day ! The King replied coolly that he had the squaw now in his own hands, and would serve them right if he refused to pay a single broach, but that he disdained to receive anything at their hands without paying an equivalent, and would give them six hundred broaches. He then returned to Lower Sandusky, accompanied by the liberated prisoner. She was then painted as a squaw by Whittaker and sent off, under the care of two trusty Indians, to Pittsburgh, where she arrived in safety in the course of the following week.
The remainder of Johnston's narrative is easily dispatched. He quickly embarked in a boat laden with fur to Detroit, and after re- maining there a few days, took passage to Montreal, and continued his journey thence to New York. There he had an interview with Presi- dent Washington, who, having been informed of his escape, sent for him, in order to make a number of inquiries as to the strength of the tribes through which he had passed, the force and condition of the British garrisons, and the degree of countenance which they had afforded to the hostile Indians. Having given all the information of which he was possessed, he was dismissed with great kindness, and in the course of the following week found himself in the bosom of his family.
As the reader may probably take some interest in the fate of the
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Indians whom we have mentioned, we are enabled to add something upon that subject. Chick-a-tommo was killed at the decisive battle of the " Fallen Timber," where the united force of the northwestern tribes was defeated by General Wayne. Messhawa fought at the same place, but escaped, and afterwards became a devoted follower of the celebrated Tecumseh. He fought at Tippecanoe, Raisin, and finally at the River Thames, where it was supposed he was killed. King Crane lived to a great age, was present at St. Clair's defeat and at the "Fallen Timber," but finally became reconciled to the Americans and fought under Harrison at Thames. ' Whittaker, the white man, was in St. Clair's de- feat and afterwards with the Indians against Wayne. Tom Lewis fought against the Americans in all the northwestern battles until the final peace in 1796, and then was one of the deputation who came on to Washington City, where Johnston saw him in '97. He afterwards rose to the rank of chief among the Shawnees, but having an incurable propensity to rum and thieving, he was degraded from his rank, and removed, with a band of his countrymen, to the country west of the Mississippi.
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ADVENTURES OF WARD, CALVIN AND KENTON.
In the month of April, 1792, a number of horses belonging to Cap- tain Luther Calvin, of Mason county, Ky., were stolen by the Indians; and, as usual, a strong party volunteered to go in pursuit of the enemy and recover the property. The party consisted of thirty-seven men, commanded by Captains Calvin and Kenton, and was composed chiefly of young farmers, most of whom had never yet met an enemy. They rendezvoused upon the Kentucky shore, immediately opposite Ripley, and crossing the river in a small ferry boat, pursued the trail for five or six miles with great energy. Here, however, a specimen of the usual caprice and uncertainty attending the motions of militia, was given. One of the party, whose voice had been loud and resolute while on the Kentucky shore, all at once managed to discover that the enterprise was rash, ill advised, and if prosecuted, would certainly prove disastrous. A keen debate ensued, in which young Spencer Calvin, then a lad of eighteen, openly accused the gentleman alluded to of cowardice, and even threatened to take the measure of his shoulders, with a ramrod, on the spot. By the prompt interference of Kenton and the elder Calvin, the young man's wrath was appeased for the time, and all those who preferred safety to honor, were invited instantly to return. The per- mission was promptly accepted, and no less than fifteen men, headed by the recreant already mentioned, turned their horses' heads and recrossed the river. The remainder, consisting chiefly of experienced warriors, continued the pursuit.
The trail led them down on the Miami, and about noon, on the second day, they heard a bell in front, apparently from a horse grazing. Cautiously approaching it, they quickly beheld a solitary Indian, mounted on horseback, and leisurely advancing towards them. A few of their best marksmen fired upon him and brought him to the ground. After a short consultation, it was then determined to follow his back trail, and ascertain whether there were more in the neighborhood. A ‹mall, active, resolute woodsman, named McIntyre, accompanied by three others, was pushed on in advance, in order to give them early notice of the enemy's appearance, while the main body followed at a more leisurely pace. Within an hour McIntyre returned, and reported chat they were then within a short distance of a large party of Indians, supposed to be greatly superior to their own; that they were en- camped in a bottom upon the borders of a creek, and were amusing
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themselves, apparently awaiting the arrival of the Indian whom they had just killed, as they would occasionally halloo loudly, and then laugh immoderately, supposing, probably, that their comrade had lost his way.
This intelligence fell like a shower-bath upon the spirits of the party, who, thinking it more prudent to put a greater interval between them- selves and the enemy, set spur to their horses and galloped back in the direction from which they had come. Such was the panic, that one of the footmen, a huge, hulking fellow, six feet high, in his zeal for his own safety, sprang up behind Captain Calvin, (who was then mounted upon Captain Ward's horse, the Captain having dismounted in order to accommodate him,) and nothing short of a threat to blow his brains out, could induce him to dismount. In this orderly manner they scampered through the woods for several miles, when, in obedience to the orders of Kenton and Calvin, they halted, and prepared for resist- ance in case (as was probable) the enemy had discovered them, and were engaged in the pursuit. Kenton and Calvin were engaged apart in earnest consultation. It was proposed that a number of saplings should be cut down and a temporary breastwork erected, and while the propriety of these measures were under discussion, the men were left to themselves.
Captain Ward, as we have already observed, was then very young, and perfectly raw. He had been in the habit of looking up to one man as a perfect Hector, having always heard him represented in his own neighborhood as a man of undoubted courage, and a perfect Anthro- pophagus among the Indians. When they halted, therefore, he naturally looked around for his friend, hoping to read safety, courage and assur- ance of success in that countenance, usually so ruddy and confident. But, alas ! the gallant warrior was wofully chop-fallen. There had generally been a ruddy tinge upon the tip of his nose, which some ascribed to the effervescence of a fiery valor, while others, more mali- ciously inclined, attributed it to fumes of brandy. Even this burning beacon had been quenched, and had assumed a livid, ashy hue, still deeper, if possible, than that of his lips. Captain Ward, thinking that the danger must be appalling which could dampen the ardor of a man like this Bombastes, became grievously frightened himself, and the con- tagion seemed spreading rapidly, when Kenton and Calvin rejoined them, and speaking in a cheerful, confident tone, completely reanimated their spirits.
Finding themselves not pursued by the enemy, as they had expected, it was determined that they should remain in their present position until night, when a rapid attack was to be made, in two divisions, upon
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the Indian camp, under the impression that the darkness of the night, and the surprise of the enemy, might give them an advantage which they could scarcely hope for in daylight. Accordingly, everything re- maining quiet, at dusk they again mounted and advanced rapidly, but in profound silence, upon the Indian camp. It was ascertained that the horses which the enemy had stolen were grazing in a rich bottom below their camp. As they were advancing to the attack, therefore, Calvin detached his son, with several halters which he had borrowed from the men, to regain their own horses, and be prepared to carry them off in case the enemy should overpower them. The attack was then made in two divisions. Calvin conducted the upper and Kenton the lower party. The wood was thick, but the moon shone out clearly, and enabled them to distinguish objects with sufficient precision. Calvin's party came first in contact with the enemy.
They had advanced within thirty yards of a large fire in front of a number of tents, without having seen a single Indian, when a dog, which had been watching them for several minutes, sprang forward to meet them, baying loudly. Presently an Indian appeared, approaching cautiously towards them, and occasionally speaking to the dog in the Indian tongue. This sight was too tempting to be borne, and Calvin heard the click of a dozen rifles in rapid succession, as his party cocked them in order to fire. The Indian was too close to permit him to speak, but turning to his men he earnestly waved his hand as a warning to be quiet. Then cautiously raising his own rifle, he fired with a steady aim just as the Indian had reached the fire and stood fairly exposed to its light. The report of the rifle broke the stillness of the night, and their ears were soon deafened by the yells of the enemy. The Indian at whom Calvin had fired fell forward into the burning pile of fagots, and by his struggling to extricate himself, scattered the brands so much as almost to extinguish the light. Several dusky forms glanced rapidly before them for a moment, which drew a volley from his men, but with what effect could not be ascertained. Calvin, having discharged his piece, turned so rapidly as to strike the end of his ramrod against a tree behind him, and drive it into its sheath with such violence, that he was unable to extricate it for several minutes, and finally fractured two of his teeth in the effort.
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