History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 9

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761

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His force was estimated by the Canadians at about eight hundred and twenty warriors, divided among the various tribes as follows : two hundred and fifty Ottawas; one hun- dred and fifty Pottawattomies, under their chief Ninivay ; fifty Wyandots, under Takee; two hundred Ojibwas, under Wasson ; with one hundred and seventy of the same tribe, under Sekahos.

THE SIEGE.

Pontiac was accustomed to spend a considerable portion of his time in summer upon a small island just below Lake St. Clair, and here he fixed his headquarters during the siege of Detroit. He intended to capture the place by stratagem or

HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

a sudden surprise, and endeavored to keep his plans a pro- found secret, but, according to Parkman, an Ojibwa maiden who had become a favorite of Maj. Gladwyn, revealed the plan to him, and he was thus placed upon his guard. Had it not been for this there is every probability that the place would have suffered the fate of the other English posts.

The plan of Pontiac was to get all his warriors in readi- ness and have them distributed around the fort, while he, with sixty of his chiefs, should enter the fort all armed with short rifles, which had been cut off so they could be concealed under their blankets. They were to come upon pretense of holding a council with Maj. Gladwyn and to smoke the pipe of peace with the English.

The previous night had been spent by the assembled warriors in their camp in a grand war-dance, and in making preparations for the intended massacre of the morrow. Gladwyn and his officers had kept a vigilant watch through the night in momentary expectation of an attack, for the sounds of the Indian orgies came fitfully on the breeze, and the monotonous war-drum was heard at intervals.

But no disturbance occurred, and the following morning dawned clear and beautiful. At an early hour the open ground around the fort was thronged with warriors, squaws, and children, and apparent preparations were making for a ball-play. Quite a large number of warriors, wrapped in their blankets, were admitted to the fort, for Gladwyn was a close reader of Indian character, and he wanted to show the savages that while he understood their treachery he did not fear their strength.

At length Pontiac appeared at the head of about sixty warriors, all wrapped in blankets, and marching in the customary Indian file. The line reached the gate at ten o'clock. They were all bedecked in war-paint and feathers, and were a stately and fierce-looking band. At their head strode the great chief, his face as calm and imperturbable as a summer morning, and his bearing that of a king. The chief and his party were promptly admitted, but as Pontiac stepped through the gateway and beheld the elaborate preparations made in anticipation of an emergency, his countenance for a moment changed, and he betrayed a look of surprise. A sudden ejaculation escaped his lips, but instantly recovering himself he passed on. He had, in- deed, reason to be surprised, for the troops were drawn up on the parade, with muskets and bayonets glistening in the sun, and the fur-traders and engagés were mustered in groups, and " all armed to the teeth," ready for instant service ; and a bloody service it would have been had the great chief dared to give the preconcerted signal. Pontiac felt instinctively that if his plans were not betrayed, at least Maj. Gladwyn was suspicious of treachery, and pre- pared for the worst.

The chief and his followers marched across the town and entered the council-room, where they found Gladwyn and his officers all seated ready to receive them, and the chief noticed that every man wore his side-arms. Saluting the commander of the fort, Pontiac inquired, in a half in- different way, " Why do I see so many of my father's young men standing in the street with their guns?" The major carelessly replied that they were out for their regular daily exercise.

It was not without considerable delay and many signs of distrust that the chiefs at length seated themselves on the mats prepared for them. In a few moments Pontiac rose, and holding in his hand the belt of wampum with which he was to have given the signal of massacre, commenced a speech cunningly devised and full of flattery. He pro- fessed the most profound friendship for the English, and declared he had come for the express purpose of smoking the pipe of peace and for renewing the chain of friendship. Once he seemed about to give the signal, when Gladwyn made a sign with his hand and instantly there was the clash of arms without, the drums rolled a charge, and every man's hand was on his weapons. The chief was astounded, and seeing the stern, unflinching look on Gladwyn's face, at length sat down in great perplexity.

Maj. Gladwyn made a brief and pointed reply, assuring the chief that he should be treated as a friend so long as he deserved it, but the first attempt at treachery would be met with a bloody retribution. The council broke up, but before leaving the room Pontiac, still true to his instinctive treachery, told the officers that he should return in a few days with his squaws and children, as he wanted them all to shake hands with the English. With this the gates were opened, and the baffled and disconcerted savage and his followers were suffered to depart.

It was certainly a bold and dangerous experiment of the chief to place himself within the power of his enemy ; but he no doubt had full faith in the secrecy of his scheme, and the movement was eminently characteristic of him. When he plainly saw that his treachery was anticipated, if not al- together betrayed, he bore himself with most consummate tact, and carried himself through the trying ordeal which he must have been aware, before its close, was liable to end in the destruction of himself and his party. A finer speci- men of savage craft and hauteur has never been witnessed in America.

Pontiac withdrew to his village, where he took counsel with his chiefs how best to circumvent the English, since his deep-laid and cherished scheme had failed. What were the conclusions arrived at we can best conjecture by the course subsequently pursued by the savages.

On the morning of the 9th of May the common was again thronged with Indians of all the four tribes then present,-Ojibwas, Ottawas, Pottawattomies, and Wyan- dots. Soon the stately form of the chief was seen approach- ing the gate, where he demanded entrance. The gate was closed, and Gladwyn replied that he could enter, but his followers must remain without. This brief interview ended the chapter of Indian diplomacy, and Pontiac withdrew in a rage to where his swarming followers were lying flat on the ground just beyond gunshot range. The whole plain in an instant became dark with the miscreants, who arose and ran, whooping and screeching like wild devils, to the house of an English woman, where they instantly beat down the door, and in a moment more the scalp-halloo told the bloody fate of its inmates. Another party ran yelling to the river, jumped into their canoes, and pushing from shore paddled rapidly for the Isle au Cochon, where they killed and scalped an old English sergeant, formerly of the regular army.

THE COLONY UNDER ENGLISH RULE.

The chief took no part in these outrages, but walking fiercely towards the shore, stepped into his canoe, and, push- ing across the river, ordered the Ottawa village to move at once to the other side of the stream, that all his people might be on the same side with the enemy, and nothing between them. He was at once obeyed.

And now the business of the siege began in earnest ; and it is a curious and interesting fact that never, before or since, in the history of the American Indians has such a protracted investment been kept up by them or carried on with so much system and military knowledge. On the 10th, at daybreak, Pontiac began the attack by a rapid musketry- fire, accompanied with most infernal yells. This was kept up for six hours, when the baffled savages fell back beyond range, and quiet covered the scene.

And now Gladwyn, who still thought the whole affair was but a sudden ebullition of Indian bloodthirstiness, be- lieved he might open negotiations with Pontiac, and at least, while they were pending, be able to obtain a supply of pro- visions, of which the garrison stood in great need. With this in view he dispatched the interpreter La Butte with a message to the Indian camp, asking Pontiac what his grievances were, and stating his willingness to redress them if his demands were reasonable. Accompanying La Butte were two Canadians of Detroit,-Chapeton and Godefroy.

The embassy was received very politely by the chief, who treated its members with studied kindness, and seemed to assent to Gladwyn's propositions. But the savage chieftain instantly saw his opportunity, and played his game with such consummate tact, and assumed such an honest counte- nance, that while planning the deepest treachery he com- pletely won over the interpreter and his companions to the belief that amicable and satisfactory arrangements could readily be made. With this belief La Butte returned alone to the fort and reported favorably, and suggested that a few presents distributed among the Indians would produce good results and eventuate in peace. But when he returned to the Indian camp he found that Pontiac would not come to any definite agreement. Finally all the chiefs withdrew and held a council, after which they returned, and Pontiac declared they had a desire to be at peace with their Eng- lish fathers ; but they desired to hold a council with them in person, and expressed an earnest wish to treat with Maj. Campbell in their camp, at the same time promising faith- fully that his person should be sacred, and no impediment be placed in the way of his safe return to the fort, whatever might be the result of the conference.

To this arrangement Gladwyn demurred, suspecting treachery ; but Campbell earnestly begged him to let him depart, as he had no fear of the Indians, with whom he had always been on friendly terms. The sequel is well known. Maj. Campbell went into the lions' den, from which he never returned, having been treacherously mur- dered in the camp a few days later in spite of Pontiac's efforts to protect him, after basely detaining him and his companion, Lieut. McDougal, the latter of whom fortu- nately escaped.

This episode over, the siege was resumed on the 12th of May with greater fury than before. The fort was com- pletely surrounded except on the river side, and no one

could expose a head above the pickets without the speedy whistle of a musket- or rifle-ball admonishing him to seek cover. This continued for weeks, until the garrison were worn with constant watching and provisions began to be scarce. In pressing need of supplies, Gladwyn was fortunate enough to obtain them through the friendliness of M. Baby, who lived on the Canadian side of the river. This real philanthropist, under cover of neutrality, succeeded in getting over in the night sufficient cattle, hogs, and other supplies to relieve their immediate wants, and provide tolerably for the future.

Pontiac was likewise in great straits for provisions, but his wonderful sagacity came to his assistance, and he man- aged with all the tact and acumen which are supposed to belong to the white man alone. He canvassed the Cana- dian farms, and assigned the exact amount which each was to furnish to his army, and in the absence of the necessary means with which to defray his expenses issued his certifi- cates of indebtedness upon slips of birch-bark, sealed with the figure of an otter, the totem of his nation, and subse- quently redeemed them all. In this way he kept a re- spectable force together for a period most remarkable in Indian history.

Both sides were looking for reinforcements. Pontiac, on his part, sent an express to the French commandant on the Illinois asking for a reinforcement of regular troops ; while Gladwyn, on the part of the English, sent one of his vessels to Niagara to hasten forward men and supplies. The sav- ages undertook to capture her as she lay becalmed at the entrance to the lake, but were not successful.

Lieut. Cuyler left Niagara on the 13th of May, and em- barked above the falls with ninety-six men and a large amount of supplies. On the 28th he reached Point Pelée, where he landed and prepared to encamp. Here he was set upon by a strong force of Indians, who had lain in ambush, and his party cut to pieces and everything captured except- ing Cuyler and two boats, who pulled away and returned to Niagara. The loss was about sixty men and nearly all the supplies. The boats captured by the savages were rowed up the Detroit River, appearing in sight of the fort on the 28th of May. They were mistaken at first for the convoy, but the naked forms of the Indians were soon made out in them, and gloom and disappointment settled down upon the garrison.

The savages who so successfully accomplished this bold stroke were Wyandots. The prisoners taken were brought to the camps around Detroit, and there put to death with the most inhuman tortures. On the heels of this terrible disaster came the news of the loss of Sandusky and the massacre of its garrison.

At length the vessel which Gladwyn had sent to Niagara reached the west end of Lake Erie on its return, with a small reinforcement and supplies. On the 23d of June there was a great commotion among the Indians around the fort, and they were noticed in hundreds passing towards the south. Nearly the whole force was on its way to intercept the schooner now attempting to pass up the river. Maj. Gladwyn heard of her arrival through a Canadian, and fired two signal-guns, to let her people know that the fort still held out.

HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

The schooner had about sixty men on board, mostly con- cealed below. Her commander, knowing of the fate which had befallen Cuyler's party, was on the alert, and ready for the enemy. When in the narrowest part of the channel, near Fighting Island, the wind died away, and she came to anchor.

A strict watch was set, and in the middle of the night, when everything was still save the gentle plashing of the water against her bows, the sentinel discovered a swarm of canoes gathering around the vessel. Instantly the men were called to their places, and lying quietly along the deck on either side awaited the attack. When the Indians were close upon her the blow of a hammer on the mast gave the signal, and, like a flash of lightning, the vessel burst into flame from stem to stern. Her heavy guns, charged with grape, and a deadly fire of musketry poured death and de- struction among the horde of naked savages, who set up a terrible howl and paddled away with the greatest haste. Several of the canoes were cut to pieces, and fourteen In- dians were killed and many wounded.

The Indians had constructed a breastwork on Turkey Island, from which they opened fire as soon as they could recover from the consternation produced by the fire from the vessel ; but their shots did little harm, though the Eng- lish commander deemed it prudent to weigh anchor and drop down to where the stream was broader until the wind should be favorable. A few days later she took advantage. of a favorable breeze and sailed up to the fort, though the enemy pelted her with musketry as she passed their breast- work. As she swung around broadside on to the Wyandot village she opened all her guns upon it, and sent a storm of grape and canister among its whooping inhabitants, kill- ing several, and stirring them up beautifully.

The vessel brought a most welcome supply of men, arms, and munitions, and, in addition, tidings of the conclusion of a treaty of peace between England and France, by which the latter ceded her Canadian possessions, including Detroit, to the former. This news was of course promulgated at once among the Canadians and the army of Pontiac ; but many of the former detested the English, and persuaded the Indians that the report was an invention of Maj. Gladwyn's. Pontiac himself was loth to believe it, and his hatred of the English impelled him to continue the war on his own account, even though Gladwyn spoke the truth. He renewed the siege with great vigor, and at the same time attempted to frighten Gladwyn into a surrender by sending him information that eight hundred Ojibwas would join him in a few days, when the whole English garrison would be massacred. To this message Gladwyn returned a very brief and haughty answer, that he cared nothing for him or his Ojibwas. Pontiac next tried to persuade the Canadians to take up arms with him, and threatened war upon them unless they complied ; but they pleaded the convention of Montreal, and claimed that they dare not violate its conditions lest the king of France should be angry with them. A band of the rougher class, voyageurs and coureurs des bois, struck hands with the Indians, but their aid amounted to very little, and most of them fled before the siege ended to the Illinois country.

The next grand attempt against the English was directed towards the two armed vessels lying at the wharf, of which

the Indians stood in much dread, for they had on several occasions, when the wind was fair, sailed up abreast of the Indian camps and given them a taste of their metal, creating great consternation, which had on more than one occasion ended in a stampede of warriors, squaws, and children to the woods.

Resolved to destroy this source of their troubles, the Indians, on the 10th of July, sent down a blazing raft, which fortunately missed the vessels. On the 12th they made a second attempt, which also proved a failure. Other similar attempts followed, but all failed of accomplishing their object, and the Indians finally desisted.

The siege had now continued for several months, and a portion of the Indian forces began to grow weary of the war. The Wyandots and Pottawattomies sent deputa- tions to the fort to ask for peace. Arrangements were easily made with the former, but there was considerable difficulty encountered with the Pottawattomies in effecting an ex- change of prisoners, and on one occasion a deputation of their chiefs had adopted the desperate resolution of assassi- nating Gladwyn in his quarters, but by a sudden change in the situation were compelled to abandon the design. Peace was finally made with them and prisoners were exchanged.

BLOODY BRIDGE.

From this time until near the beginning of August nothing of importance transpired, though the Ojibwas and Ottawas kept a close surveillance around the fort. In the mean time a strong reinforcement, though without the knowledge of the garrison, was coming to their aid. Capt. Dalzell,* aid-de-camp on the staff of Sir Jeffrey Amherst, was preparing an expedition for the relief of Detroit.

The gallant captain left Niagara with twenty-two barges or bateaux, carrying two hundred and eighty men, several small pieces of artillery, and a good supply of provisions and munitions. On the 26th of July the expedition landed at Sandusky, and from thence marched inland and de- stroyed the Wyandot village and all its growing corn. As- cending the river, the convoy, on the morning of the 29th, came in sight of the beleaguered garrison and signal-guns were fired.

It will be recollected that the Wyandots and Pottawat- tomies had made a treaty of peace a few days previously, but they still remained in their camps. As Dalzell's little fleet came abreast of their villages the perfidious miscreants opened a hot fire upon it, by which fifteen of the troops were killed or wounded. The savages were, however, driven back and the boats reached the wharf, where they were received with every demonstration of joy.

The reinforcement consisted of detachments from the 55th and 80th Regiments and twenty independent rangers, the latter commanded by Maj. Rogers, the same officer who, three years previously, had received the surrender of De- troit from the French.

On the day of his arrival Capt. Dalzell had a conference with Maj. Gladwyn, and urged him to send out a strong party and attack the savages in their camp, believing that it would finish the war at a single blow. Gladwyn, become cautious from long experience, was not in favor of the plan,

# Gen. Amherst writes this name Dalyell.

THE COLONY UNDER ENGLISH RULE.

but at length yielded a reluctant consent to the persistency of the impetuous officer, who, had he known his adversary as well as Gladwyn did, would have been perhaps equally wary of risking anything in open battle.

At two o'clock on the morning of the 31st of July the gates were thrown open, and the detachment, consisting of about two hundred and fifty men, marched quietly out and took up its line of march towards the camp of the enemy. Two large bateaux, carrying each a small swivel-gun in the bow, were rowed up the river abreast of the column.

Capt. Dalzell hoped to surprise the Indians, and the command moved with the utmost celerity and in close col- umn by the flank, every man as silent as death. But he little knew the wary enemy with whom he had to deal.

Pontiac had learned something of the intentions of the English, and, in anticipation, had broken up his camp, sending his women and children out of harm's way, and was, at the same moment when the detachment filed through the gate of the fort, marching at the head of five hundred chosen warriors to intercept it.

A small stream, called then Parent's Creek, but since that fatal night named " Bloody Run," entered the river about a mile and a half above the fort. A few rods above its mouth a wooden bridge crossed the stream, and beyond the ground rose in terraces on both side of the creek. On their summits were rude intrenchments, thrown up by order of Pontiac to cover the approach to his camps. Here were the orchards, gardens, and dwellings of the Canadians, with out-buildings, piles of firewood, and picket-fences around them; and here the great Indian leader placed his men under cover, and awaited the approach of the English, while nothing disturbed the stillness of the night except the occasional barking of a dog, whose howl rose omin- ously as the column of determined men pushed on in the darkness.

Lieut. Brown led the forlorn hope, Capt. Gray com- manded the centre, and Capt. Grant* brought up the rear. Maj. Rogers also led a party of the provincial rangers on this memorable occasion.

The night was exceedingly dark, and the Canadian dwellings were only dimly discerned on either hand as the troops passed along. The column entered upon the bridge; the advance-guard had passed it, and the centre was rapidly following, when-

" At once there rose so wild a yell Within that dark and narrow dell, As all the fiends from heaven that fell Had pealed the banner-cry of hell !"

A deafening crash of musketry burst upon the startled column, and pandemonium seemed breaking loose. Half of the advance fell under this withering fire, and for a moment the destruction of the whole detachment seemed inevitable. The men staggered under the dreadful carnage, and but for the heroic exertions of Dalzell and his brother

officers the rout would have been complete. The horrible yells of the savages, continuous as the roar of a conflagra- tion, drowned the voice of command, but Dalzell placed himself at the head of the column and dashed on over the bridge and up the slope beyond, determined to come to close quarters with the enemy and give them the " British bayonet." But they fought an invisible foe, and when they deployed upon the height not an Indian was to be seen. They had scattered in all directions, and the fire now assailed the troops in front and on both flanks. They were in a deadly cul-de-sac, and the enemy, keeping out of reach, still poured in a murderous fire and continued their infernal yells. The flashes of their guns were incessant, and the air was full of the whizzing messengers of death.

In this emergency the commander determined to fall back a short distance and await the approach of day, now near at hand. The bateaux, which had been rowed up the little stream to the bridge, were loaded with the dead and wounded, preparatory to taking them to the fort. At this moment a heavy fire assailed them from the rear. The Indians were between them and the fort. In a moment Grant formed his command, and attacking the enemy on the hill to the south of the bridge, routed them with the bayonet ; but they only fell back a few rods, and continued the work of death.

A retreat was now ordered, and the column moved in reverse order, Grant leading the advance and Dalzell cover- ing the rear. Fighting all the way, they fell back a half- mile, when they encountered a murderous fire from a clus- ter of farm-buildings, which again threw them into mo- mentary confusion. But the gallant commander, though severely wounded, restored order, and the fire was returned with good effect. Maj. Rogers with his rangers burst open the doors of a house in which a large party of Indians were concealed, and drove them out; while Capt. Gray charged with great impetuosity upon another body lying behind the fences, and routed them, though he fell mortally wounded in the encounter. It was now daylight, but a thick fog obscured everything, and the retreat was again resumed, while the savages poured an incessant fire from every available spot where they could hide themselves, and followed rapidly upon the rear, cutting down stragglers and scalping the dead and wounded, while the morning air re- sounded with their continuous yells.

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History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 9

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott Number of Pages: 761

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761