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 65
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A heavy fire now commenced from the Indian camp, which was re- turned with equal spirit by the whites, but without much effect on either side. Trees were barked very plentifully, dogs bayed, the In- dians yelled, the whites shouted, the squaws screamed, and a prodigious uproar was maintained for about fifteen minutes, when it was reported to Calvin that Kenton's party had been overpowered and was in full
601
ADVENTURES OF WARD, CALVIN AND KENTON.
retreat. It was not necessary to give orders for a similar movement. No sooner had the intelligence been received than the Kentuckians of the upper division broke their ranks and every man attempted to save himself as he best could. They soon overtook the lower division, and a hot scramble took place for horses. One called upon another to wait for him until he could catch his horse, which had broken his bridle, but no attention was paid to the request. Some fled upon their own horses, others mounted those of their friends. "First come, first served," seemed to be the order of the night, and a sad confusion of property took place, in consequence of which, to their great terror, a few were compelled to return on foot. The flight was originally caused by the panic of one individual. As the lower division moved up to the attack most of the men appeared to advance with alacrity.
Captain Ward, however, happened to be stationed next to McIntyre, who was a practiced woodsman and peculiarly expert marksman. Here- tofore he had always been foremost in every danger, and had become celebrated for the address, activity and boldness with which he had ac- quitted himself. As they were ascending the gentle acclivity upon which the Indian camp stood, however, he appeared much dejected, and spoke despondingly of their enterprise. He declared that it had been revealed to him in a dream, on the preceding night, that their efforts would be vain, and that he himself was destined to perish. That he was determined to fight, as long as any man of the party stood his ground, but if the whites were wise, they would instantly abandon the attempt upon the enemy, and recross the Ohio as rapidly as possible. These observations made but little impression upon Ward, but seemed to take deep root in the mind of the gentleman whose pale face had alarmed the company at the breastwork. The action quickly com- menced, and at the first fire from the Indians, Barre, a young Ken- tuckian, was shot by -'s side. This circumstance completed the overthrow of his courage, which had declined visibly since the first encounter in the morning, and elevating his voice to its shrillest Lotes, he shouted aloud, "Boys! it wont do for us to be here-Barre is killed and the Indians are crossing the creek !"
Bonaparte has said, that there is a critical period in every battle, when the bravest men will eagerly seize an excuse to run away. The remark is doubly true in regard to militia. No sooner had this speech been uttered by one who had never yet been charged with cowardice, than the rout instantly took place, and all order was disregarded. Fortu- nately, the enemy were equally frightened, and probably would have fled themselves, had the whites given them time. No pursuit took place for several hours, nor did they then pursue the trail of the main body
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OUR WESTERN BORDER.
of fugitives. But it unfortunately happened that McIntyre, instead of accompanying the rest, turned off from the main route, and returned to the breastwork, where some flour and venison had been left. The Indians quickly became aware of the circumstance, and following with rapidity, overtook, tomahawked and scalped him, while engaged in pre- paring breakfast on the following morning. Thus was his dream veri- fied. The prediction in this case, as in many others, probably pro- duced its own accomplishment by confounding his mind and depriving him of his ordinary alertness and intelligence. He certainly provoked his fate by his own extraordinary rashness.
WARD FINDS A LOST BROTHER-WARD, BAKER AND KENTON.
It is somewhat remarkable, that a brother of Captain Ward's was in the Indian camp at the moment when it was attacked. He had been taken by the Indians in 1758, being at that time only three years old, had been adopted as a member of the Shawnee tribe and had married an Indian woman, by whom he had several children, all of whom, to- gether with their mother, were then ·in camp. Captain Ward has in- formed the writer of this narrative, that a few seconds before the firing began, while he stood within rifle shot of the encampment, an Indian girl, apparently fifteen years of age, attracted his attention. She stood for an instant in an attitude of alarm in front of one of the tents, and gazing intently upon the spot where he stood. Not immediately per- ceiving that it was a female, he raised his gun, and was upon the point of firing, when her open bosom announced her sex, and her peculiarly light complexion caused him to doubt for a moment whether she could be an Indian by birth. He afterwards ascertained that she was his brother's child.
It appears still more remarkable, that exactly one year afterwards, John Ward, the adopted Indian, should have been opposed to another one of his brothers, Captain James Ward, of Mason, in a night skir- mish somewhat resembling that which we have just detailed. Captain James Ward, together with Kenton, Baker and about thirty others, while engaged in pursuit of some stolen horses, fell upon a fresh trail of Indians, that crossed the road which they were then pursuing. In- stantly abandoning their former object, they followed the fresh trail with great eagerness, and a short time after dark arrived at an encamp- ment. Having carefully reconnoitered it, they determined to remain quiet until daylight, and then fall upon the enemy, as before, in two di- visions, one to be commanded by Kenton and the other by Baker.
603
WARD FINDS A LOST BROTHER.
Everything remained quiet until four o'clock in the inorning, when Baker moved at the head of his party, in order to take the appointed position, (which was very advantageous, and in conjunction with Ken- ton's, completely surrounded the enemy,) while Kenton remained sta- tionary, awaiting the signal of attack. By some mistake, Baker moved in a false direction, and, to the surprise of both parties, instead of en- closing the Indian camp, he fell directly upon it. A heavy firing and the usual yelling quickly announced the fact to Kenton, who moved hastily up to the assistance of his friends. It was still perfectly dark, and the firing was of course at random.
Baker, in whose fiery character courage predominated over every- thing else, lost all patience at the restraint under which they lay, and urged strenuously that they should rush upon the enemy and decide the affair at once with the tomahawk; but Kenton, whom repeated misfor- tunes had rendered extremely cautious, opposed it so vehemently that it was not done. One of their men had fallen, and they could hear one of the enemy, apparently not more than thirty yards from them, groan deeply, and occasionally converse with his companions in the In- dian tongue. The wounded man was the unfortunate John Ward, whose hard fate it was to fight against the whites in a battle in which his own father was killed ; to encounter two of his brothers in the field, and, finally, to fall mortally wounded in a night skirmish, when his brother was opposed to him and was within hearing of his groans. His father perished in the long battle at the " Point," as it was called, near the mouth of the Kanawha. The whole force of the Shawnees was assembled at that point, and John Ward was then nineteen years of age, so that there can be but little doubt of his having been present.
604
OUR WESTERN BORDER.
A DESPERATE ATTACK ON CAPT. WM. HUBBELL'S BOAT.
In the year 1791, while the Indians were yet troublesome, especially on the banks of the Ohio, Captain William Hubbell, who had previously emigrated to Kentucky from the State of Vermont, and who, after hav- ing fixed his family in the neighborhood of Frankfort, then a frontier settlement, had been compelled to go to the eastward on business, was a second time on his way to that country. On one of the tributary streams of the Monongahela he procured a flat-bottomed boat and embarked, in company with Mr. Daniel Light and Mr. William Plascut and his family, consisting of a wife and eight children, destined for Limestone, Kentucky. On their progress down the Ohio river, and soon after passing Pittsburgh, they saw evident traces of Indians along the banks, and there is every reason to believe that a boat which they overtook, and which, through carelessness, was suffered to run aground on an island, became a prey to these merciless savages. Though Cap- tain Hubbell and his party stopped some time for it in a lower part of the river, it did not arrive, and has never, to their knowledge, been heard of since.
Before they reached the mouth of the Great Kanawha, they had, by several successive additions, increased their number to twenty, consist- ing of nine men, three women and eight children. The men, besides those mentioned above, were one John Stoner, an Irishman and a Dutch- man, whose names are not recollected, Messrs. Ray and Tucker, and a Mr. Kilpatrick, whose two daughters also were of the party. Informa- tion received at Gallipolis confirmed the expectation, which appear- ances previously raised, of a serious conflict with a large body of In- dians; and as Captain Hubbell had been regularly appointed com- mander of the boat, every possible preparation was made for a formid- able and successful resistance of the anticipated attack. The nine men were divided into three watches for the night, which were alternately to continue awake, and be on the lookout for two hours at a time. The arms on board, which consisted principally of old muskets, much out of order, were collected, loaded and put in the best possible con- dition for service.
About sunset on that day, the 23d of March, 1791, our party over- took a fleet of six boats descending the river in company, and intended to have continued with them, but as their passengers seemed to be more disposed to dancing than fighting, and as, soon after dark, notwithstand- ing the remonstrances of Captain Hubbell, they commenced fiddling
605
DESPERATE ATTACK ON CAPT. WM. HUBBELL'S BOAT.
and dancing instead of preparing their arms, and taking the necessary rest preparatory to battle, it was wisely considered more hazardous to be in such company than to be alone. It was, therefore, determined to proceed rapidly forward by the aid of the oars, and to leave those thoughtless fellow travelers behind. One of the boats, however, be- longing to the fleet, commanded by a Captain Greathouse, adopted the same plan, and for a while kept up with Captain Hubbell, but all its crew at length falling asleep, that boat also ceased to be propelled by the oars, and Captain Hubbell and his party proceeded steadily forward alone. Early in the night a canoe was dimly seen floating down the river, in which were probably Indians reconnoitering, and other evident indications were observed of the neighborhood and hostile intentions of a formidable party of savages.
It was now agreed that should the attack, as was probable, be deferred till morning, every man should be up before the dawn, in order to make as great a show as possible of numbers and of strength ; and that, when- ever the action should take place, the women and children should lie down on the cabin floor, and be protected as well as they could by the trunks and other baggage, which might be placed around them. In this perilous situation they continued during the night, and the Captain, whohad not slept more than one hour since he left Pittsburgh, was too deeply impressed with the imminent danger which surrounded him to obtain any rest at that time.
Just as daylight began to appear in the East, and before the men were up and at their posts agreeably to arrangement, a voice at some distance below them, in a plaintive tone, repeatedly solicited them to come on shore, as there were some white people who wished to obtain a passage in their boat. This the Captain very naturally and correctly concluded to be an Indian artifice, and its only effect was to rouse the men, and place every one on his guard. The voice of entreaty was soon changed into the language of indignation and insult, and the sound of distant paddles announced the approach of the savage foe. At length three Indian canoes were seen through the mist of the morning rapidly ad- vancing. With the utmost coolness the Captain and his comrades pre- pared to receive them. The chairs, tables and other incumbrances were thrown into the river, in order to clear the deck for action. Every man took his position, and was ordered not to fire till the sav- ages had approached so near that (to use the words of Captain Hub- bell,) " the flash from the guns might singe their eye-brows ;" and a special caution was given, that the men should fire successively, so that there might be no interval. On the arrival of the canoes, they were found to contain about twenty-five or thirty Indians each.
606
OUR WESTERN BORDER.
As soon as they had approached within the reach of musket shot, a general fire was given from one of them, which wounded Mr. Tucker through the hip so severely that his leg hung only by the flesh, and shot Mr. Light just below his ribs. The three canoes placed themselves at the bow, stern and on the right side of the boat, so that they had an opportunity of raking in every direction. The fire now commenced from the boat, and had a powerful effect in checking the confidence and fury of the Indians. The Captain, after firing his own gun, took up that of one of the wounded men, raised it to his shoulder, and was about to discharge it, when a ball came and took away the lock; he coolly turned round, seized a brand of fire from the kettle which served for a caboose, and applying it to the pan, discharged the piece with effect. A very regular and constant fire was now kept up on botli sides. The Captain was just in the act of raising his gun a third time, when a ball passed through his right arm, and for a moment disabled him. Scarcely had he recovered from the shock, and reacquired the use of his hand, which had been suddenly drawn up by the wound, when he observed the Indians in one of the canoes just about to board the boat in its bow, where the horses were placed belonging to the party. So near had they approached, that some of them had actually seized with their hands the side of the boat. 0
Severely wounded as he was, he caught up a pair of horsemen's pistols and rushed forward to repel the attempt at boarding. On his approach the Indians fell back, and he discharged a pistol with effect at the foremost man. After firing the second pistol he found himself without arms, and was compelled to retreat ; but stepping back upon a pile of small wood which had been prepared for burning in the kettle, the thought struck him that it might be made use of in repelling the foe, and he continued for some time to strike them with it so forcibly and actively, that they were unable to enter the boat, and at length he wounded one of them so severely that with a yell they suddenly gave way. All the canoes then discontinued the contest, and directed their course to Captain Greathouse's boat, which was in sight. Here a strik- ing contrast was exhibited to the firmness and intrepidity which had been displayed. Instead of resisting the attack, the people on board of this boat retired to the cabin in dismay. The Indians entered it with- out opposition, and rowed it to the shore, where they killed the Cap- tain and a lad of about fourteen years of age. The women they placed in the centre of their canoes, and, manning them with fresh hands, again pursued Captain Hubbell and party. A melancholy alternative now presented itself to these brave but almost desponding men, either to fall a prey to the savages themselves, or to run the risk of shooting the
607
SECOND ATTACK AND OBSTINATE RESISTANCE.
women, who had been placed in the canoes in the hope of deriving pro- tection from their presence. But "self-preservation is the first law of nature," and the Captain very justly remarked, there would not be much humanity in preserving their lives at such a sacrifice, merely that they might become victims of savage cruelty at some subsequent period.
SECOND ATTACK AND OBSTINATE RESISTANCE-A BRAVE BOY.
There were now but four men left on board of Captain Hubbell's boat capable of defending it, and the Captain himself was severely wounded in two places. The. second attack, however, was resisted with almost incredible firmness and vigor. Whenever the Indians would rise to fire, their opponents would commonly give them the first shot, which, in almost every instance, would prove fatal. Notwithstanding the dis- parity of numbers, and the exhausted condition of the defenders of the boat, the Indians at length appeared to despair of success, and the canoes successively retired to the shore .. Just as the last one was de- parting, Captain Hubbell called to the Indian who was standing in the stern, and on his turning round discharged his piece at him. When the smoke, which for a moment obstructed the vision, was dissipated, he was seen lying on his back, and appeared to be severely, perhaps mor- tally, wounded.
Unfortunately the boat now drifted near to the shore, where the In- dians were collected, and a large concourse, probably between four and five hundred, were soon rushing down on the bank. Ray and Plascut, the only men remaining unhurt, were placed at the oars, and, as the boat was not more than twenty yards from shore, it was deemed pru- dent for all to lie down in as safe a position as possible, and attempt to push forward with the utmost practicable rapidity. While they con- tinued in this situation, nine balls were shot into one oar and ten in the other, without wounding the rowers, who were hidden from view, and protected by the sides of the boat and the blankets in its stern. Dur- ing this dreadful exposure to the fire of the savages, which continued about twenty minutes, Mr. Kilpatrick observed a particular Indian, whom he thought a favorable mark for his rifle, and, notwithstanding the solemn warning of Captain Hubbell, rose to shoot him. He im- mediately received a ball in his mouth, which passed out at the back part of his head, and was almost at the same moment shot through the heart. He fell among the horses that about the same time were killed, and presented, to his afflicted daughters and fellow travelers, who were witnesses of the awful occurrence, a spectacle of horror which we need not further attempt to describe.
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OUR WESTERN BORDER.
The boat was now providentially and suddenly carried out into the middle of the stream, and taken by the current beyond the reach of the enemy's balls. Our little band, reduced as they were in numbers, wounded, afflicted and almost exhausted by fatigue, were still unsub- dued in spirit, and being assembled in all their strength, men, women and children, with an appearance of triumph gave three hearty cheers, calling to the Indians to come on again if they were fond of the sport.
Thus ended this awful conflict, in which out of nine men two only es- caped unhurt. Tucker and Kilpatrick were killed on the spot, Stoner was mortally wounded and died on his arrival at Limestone, and all the rest, excepting Ray and Plascut, were severely wounded. The women and children were all uninjured, excepting a little son of Mr. Plascut, who, after the battle was over, came to the Captain, and, with great coolness, requested him to take a ball out of his head. On examination it appeared that a bullet which had passed through the side of the boat, had penetrated the forehead of this little hero, and remained under the skin. The Captain took it out, and the youth, observing, " that is not all," raised his arm, and exhibited a piece of bone at the point of his elbow, which had been shot off, and hung only by the skin. His mother exclaimed, " Why did you not tell me of this?" "Because," he coolly replied, " the Captain directed us to be silent during the ac- tion, and I thought you would be likely to make a noise if I told you."
The boat made the best of its way down the river, and the object was to reach Limestone that night. The Captain's arm had bled pro- fusely, and he was compelled to close the sleeve of his coat, in order to retain the blood and stop its effusion. In this situation, tormented by excruciating pain, and faint through loss of blood, he was under the necessity of steering the boat with the left arm till about ten o'clock that night, when he was relieved by Mr. William Brooks, who resided on the bank of the river, and who was induced by the calls of the suffering party to come out to their assistance. By his aid and that of some other persons who were in the same manner brought to their re- lief, they were enabled to reach Limestone about twelve o'clock that night.
Immediately on the arrival of Mr. Brooks, Captain Hubbell, relieved from labor and responsibility, sunk under the weight of pain and fatigue, and became for a while totally insensible. When the boat reached Limestone, he found himself unable to walk, and was obliged to be carried up to the tavern. Here he had his wound dressed, and continued for several days, until he acquired sufficient strength to pro- ceed homewards.
On the arrival of the party at Limestone, they found a considerable
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A BRAVE BOY.
force of armed men about to march against the same Indians, from whose attack they had so severely suffered. They now learned that, the Sunday preceding, the same party of savages had cut off a detach. ment of men ascending the Ohio from Fort Washington, at the mouth of Licking river, and had killed with their tomahawks, without firing a gun, twenty-one out of twenty-two men, of which the detachment con- sisted.
Crowds of people, as might be expected, came to view the boat which had been the scene of so much heroism and such horrid carnage, and to visit the resolute little band by whom it had been so gallantly and perseveringly defended. On examination it was found that the sides of the boat were literally filled with bullets and with bullet holes. There was scarcely a space of two feet square in the part above the water which had not either a ball remaining in it, or a hole through which a ball had passed. Some persons, who had the curiosity to count the number of holes in the blankets which were hung up as curtains in the stern of the boat, affirmed that in the space of five feet square there were one hundred and twenty-two. Four horses out of five were killed, and the escape of the fifth amidst such a shower of balls appears almost miraculous.
The day after the arrival of Captain Hubbell and his companions the five remaining boats, which they had passed on the night preceding the battle, reached Limestone. Those on board remarked that during the action they distinctly saw the flashes, but could not hear the reports of the guns. The Indians, it appears, had met with too formidable a resistance from a single boat to attack a fleet, and suffered them to pass unmolested ; and since that time, it is believed, no boat has been assailed by Indians on the Ohio.
The force which marched out to disperse this formidable body of savages, discovered several Indians dead on the shore near the scene of action. They also found the bodies of Captain Greathouse and several others, men, women and children, who had been on board of his boat. Most of them appeared to have been whipped to death, as they were found stripped, tied to trees, and marked with the appearance of lashes, and large rods, which seemed to have been worn with use, were observed lying near them. .
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610
OUR WESTERN BORDER.
A SAVAGE BOAT ATTACK AND A TERRIBLE COMBAT.
In May, 1788, a flatboat loaded with kettles, intended for the manu- facture of salt at Bullitt's Lick, Ky., left Louisville with thirteen persons, twelve armed men and one woman, on board. The boat and cargo were owned by Henry Crist and Solomon Spears; and the com- pany consisted of Crist, Spears, Christian Crepps, Thomas Floyd, Joseph Boyce, Evans Moore, an Irishman named Fossett, and five others, and a woman, whose name is not preserved. The intention of the party was to descend the Ohio, which was then very high, to the mouth of Salt river, not far below, and then ascend the latter river, the current of which was entirely deadened by back water from the Ohio, to a place near the licks, called Mud Garrison, which was a temporary fortification, constructed of two rows of slight stockades, and the space between filled with mud and gravel from the bank of the river hard by. The works inclosed a space of about half an acre, and stood about mid- way between Bullitt's Lick and the falls of Salt river, where Shepherds- ville, Ky., now stands. These works were then occupied by the families of the salt makers, and those who hunted to supply them with food and acted also as an advanced guard to give notice of the approach of any considerable body of men.
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