USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio in three volumes ; an encyclopedia of the state : with notes of a tour over it in 1886 contrasting the Ohio of 1846 with 1886-90, Vol. III > Part 83
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Crawford felt that with this sentence ended his last ray of hope, and now asked, with emo- tion, "What do they intend to do with me?"
Wingenund-"I tell you with grief. As Williamson, with his whole cowardly host, ran off in the night at the whistling of our warriors' balls, being satisfied that now he had no Moravians to deal with, but men who could fight, and with such he did not wish to have anything to do-I say, as they have escaped and taken you, they will take revenge on you in his stead." 1
Crawford-"And is there no possibility of preventing this ? Can you devise no way of getting me off? You shall, my friend, be well rewarded if you are instrumental in saving my life."
Wingenund-" Had Williamson been taken with you, I and some friends, by making use of what you have told ine, might perhaps have succeeded in saving you ; but as the matter now stands, no man would dare to in- terfere in your behalf. The king of England himself, were he to come on to this spot, with all his wealth and treasure, could not effect this purpose. The blood of the innocent Moravians, more than half of them women and children, cruelly and wantonly murdered, calls loudly for revenge. The relatives of the slain who are among us cry out and stand ready for revenge. The nation to which they belonged will have revenge. The Shaw- anese, our grandchildren, have asked for your fellow-prisoner ; on him they will take re- venge. All the nations connected with us cry out, Revenge ! revenge ! The Moravians whom you went to destroy, having fled, in- stead of avenging their brethren, the offence is become national, and the nation itself is bound to take revenge !"
Crawford-" My fate is then fixed, and I must prepare to meet death in its worst form.
Wingenund-" I am sorry for it, but can- not do anything for you. Hlad you attended to the Indian principle, that as good and evil cannot dwell together in the same heart, so a good man ought not to go into evil company, you would not be in this lamentable situation. You see now, when it is too late, after Wil- liamson has deserted you, what a bad man he must be. Nothing now remains for you but to meet your fate like a brave man. Fare- well, Colonel Crawford !- they are coming. 1 will retire to a solitary spot."
The savages then fell upon Crawford. Wingenund, it is said, retired, shedding tears, ¿. and ever after, when the circumstance was alluded to, was sensibly affected.
The account of the BURNING OF COLONEL CRAWFORD is related in the words of Dr. Knight, his companion, and an eye-witness of this tragic scene :
When we went to the fire the colonel was stripped naked, ordered to sit down by the fire, and then they beat him with sticks and their fists. Presently after I was treated in the same manner. They then tied a rope to the foot of a post about fifteen feet high, bound .the colonel's hands behind his back. and fastened the rope to the ligature between his wrists. The rope was long enough for
him to sit down or walk round the post once or twice, and return the same way. The colonel then called to Girty, and asked if they intended to burn him? Girty answered, "Yes." The colonel said he would take it all patiently. Upon this Captain Pipe, a Delaware chief, made a speech to the Indians, viz., about thirty or forty men, sixty or sev- enty squaws and boys.
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When the speech was finished, they all yelled a hideous and hearty assent to what had been said. The Indian men then took up their guns and shot powder into the col- onel's body, from his feet as far up as his neck. I think that not less than seventy loads were discharged upon his naked body. They then crowded about him, and to the best of my observation cut off his ears ; when the throng had dispersed a little, I saw the blood running from both sides of his head in consequence thereof.
The fire was about six or seven yards from the post to which the colonel was tied ; it was made of small hickory poles, burnt quite through in the middle, each end of the poles remaining about six feet in length. Three or four Indians by turns would take up, indi- vidually, one of these burning pieces of wood, and apply it to his naked body, already burnt black with the powder. These tormentors presented themselves on every side of him with the burning fagots and poles. Some of the squaws took broad boards, upon which they would carry a quantity of burning coals and hot embers, and throw on him, so that in a short time he had nothing but coals of fire and hot ashes to walk upon.
In the midst of these extreme tortures he called to Simon Girty and begged of him to shoot him ; but Girty making no answer, he called to him again. Girty then, by way of derision, told the colonel he had no gun, at the same time turning about to an Indian who was behind him, laughed heartily, and by all his gestures seemed delighted at the horrid scene.
Girty then came up and bade me prepare for death. He said, however, I was not to die at that place, but to be burnt at the Shawanese towns. He swore by G-d I
need not expect to escape death, but should suffer it in all its extremities.
Col. Crawford, at this period of his suffer- ings, besought the Almighty to have mercy on his soul, spoke very low, and bore his tor- ments with the most manly fortitude: IIe continued in all the extremities of pain for an hour and three-quarters or two hours longer, ; as near as I can judge, when at last, being almost exhausted, he lay down on his belly ; they then scalped him, and repeatedly threw the scalp in my face, telling me, that "that was my great captain." An old squaw (whose appearance every way answered the ideas people entertain of the devil) got a board, took a parcel of coals and ashes and laid them on his back and head, after he had been scalped ; he then raised himself upon his feet and began to walk round the post ; they next put a burning stick to him, as usual, but he seemed more insensible to pain than before.
The Indian fellow who had me in charge now took me away to Capt. Pipe's house, about three-quarters of a mile from the place of the colonel's execution. I was bound all night, and thus prevented from seeing the last of the horrid spectacle. Next morning, being June 12, the Indian untied me, painted me black, and we set off for the Shawanese town, which he told me was some- what less than forty miles distant from that place. We soon came to the spot where the colonel had been burnt, as it was partly in our way ; I saw his bones lying among the remains of the fire, almost burnt to ashes ; I suppose, after he was dead, they laid his body on the fire. The Indian told me that was my big captain, and gave the scalp halloo.
The following extract from an article in the American Pioneer, by Joseph M'Cutchen, Esq., contains some items respecting the death of Crawford, and Girty's interference in his behalf, never before published. He derived them from the Wyandot Indians, who resided in this 'county, some of whom were quite in- telligent :
As I have it, the story respecting the battle is, that if Crawford had rushed on when he first came among the Indians, they would have given way and made but little or no fight ; but they had a talk with him three days previous to the fight, and asked him to give them three days to collect in their chiefs and head men of the different tribes, and they would then make a treaty of peace with him. The three days were therefore given ; and during that time all their forces were gathered together that could be raised as fighting men, and the next morning Craw- ford was attacked, some two or three miles north of the island where the main battle was fought. The Indians then gave back in a south direction, until they got into an island of timber which suited their purpose, which was in a large plain, now well known as San- dusky plains. There the battle continued
until night. The Indians then ceased firing ;" and, it is said, immediately afterwards a man came near to the army with a white flag. Col. Crawford sent an officer to him. The man said he wanted to talk with Col. Craw- ford, and that he did not want Crawford to come nearer to him than twenty steps, as he (Girty) wanted to converse with Crawford, and might be of vast benefit to him. Craw- ford accordingly went out as requested.
Girty then said, "Col. Crawford, do you know me?" The answer was, "I seem to have some recollection of your voice, but your Indian dress deprives me of knowing you as an acquaintance." The answer was then, " My name is Simon Girty ; " and after some more conversation between them, they knew each other well. Girty said, "Craw- ford, my object in calling you here is to say to you that the Indians have ceased firing until
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CRAWFORD'S BATTLE-GROUND.
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MEMORY OF FORCRAWFORD BANHO WAS URAED BY THEINDIANS THIS VALLEY FAUNE 11.1782
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to-morrow morning, when they intend to commence the fight; and as they are three times as strong as you are, they will be able to cut you all off. To-night the Indians will surround your army. and when that arrange- ment is fully made, you will hear some guns fire all around the ring. But there is a large swamp or very wet piece of ground on the east side of you, where there will be a vacancy ; that gap you can learn by the firing, and in the night you had better march your nien through and make your escape in an east direction, "'
Crawford accordingly in the night drew up his men and told them his intention, The men generally assenting, he then commenced his march east; but the men soon got into confusion and lost their course. Conse- quently, the next day they were almost to a man cut off, and, as history tells us, Crawford taken prisoner. He was taken by a Dela- ware ; consequently the Delawares claimed the right, agreeably to their rules, of dispos- ing of the prisoner. There was a council held, and the decision was to burn him. He was taken to the main Delaware town, on a considerable creek, called Tymochtee, about
eight miles from the mouth. Girty then supposed he could make a speculation by sav- ing Crawford's life. He made a proposition to Capt. Pipe, the head chief of the Dela- wares, offering three hundred and fifty dollars for Crawford. The chief received it as a great insult, and promptly said to Girty, "Sir, do you think I am a squaw? If you say one word more on the subject, I will make a stake for you and burn you along with the white chief."
Girty, knowing the Indian character, re- tired and said no more on the subject. But, in the meantime, Girty had sent runners to the Mohican creek and to Lower Sandusky, where there were some white traders, to come immediately and purchase Crawford-know- ing that he could make a great speculation in case he could save Crawford's life. The traders came on, but too late. When they ar- rived, Crawford was tied to a stake, blacked, his ears cut off and part burnt-too much so to live had he been let loose. He asked Girty to get a gun and shoot him, but Girty, knowing the rebuke he got the day before, dared not say one word.
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Notwithstanding the above, the cruelty of Girty to Crawford at the stake is established by other sources than that of Dr. Knight. Col. Johnston informs us that he has been told by Indians present on the occasion that Girty was among the foremost in inflicting tortures upon their victim. This, however, does not materially conflict with the above when we regard the motives of Girty in his be- half as having been mercenary.
The Crawford monument stands on the bank of the Big Tymochitec, about 300 feet from the spot where he was burnt.
By the treaty concluded at the foot of the Maumee rapids, September 29, 1817, Hon. Lewis Cass and Hon. Duncan M'Arthur, commissioners on the part of the United States, there was granted to the Wyandot tribe a reservation of twelve miles square in this county, the centre of which was Fort Ferree, at Upper San- dusky, and also a tract of one mile square on the Cranberry Swamp, on Broken Sword creek. At the same time was granted to the Delawares a tract of three miles square, adjoining the other, on the south. Their principal chief was Capt. Pipe, son of the chief so officious in the burning of Crawford.
The Delawares ceded their reservation to the United States in 1829. The Wyandots ceded theirs by a treaty made at Upper Sandusky, March 17, 1842, they being the only Indians remaining in the State. The commissioner on the part of the United States was Col. John Johnston, who had then the honor of making the last Indian treaty in Ohio-a State, every foot of whose soil has been fairly purchased by treaties from its original possessors. The Wyandots left for the far west in July, 1843, and numbered at that time about 700 souls.
The Wyandots were the bravest of the Indian tribes, and had among their chiefs some men of high moral character. Gen. W. HI. Harrison, in a discourse in the " Collections of the Historical Society of Ohio," states this of the Wyan- dots :
With all other tribes but the Wyandots, flight in battle, when meeting with unex- pected resistance or obstacle, brought with it no disgrace . . . With them, it was other- wisc. Their youth were taught to consider anything that had the appearance of an ac-
knowledgment of the superiority of the enemy ns disgraceful. In the battle of the Miami rapids, of thirteen chief's of that tribo who were present, one only survived, and he badly wounded. Some time before this action, Gen. Wayne sent for Cept. Wells, and re-
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quested him to go to Sandusky and take a prisoner, for the purpose of obtaining in- formation. Wells-who had been bred with the Indians, and was perfectly acquainted
with their character-answered that he could take a prisoner, but not from Sandusky, be- cause Wyandots would not be taken alive.
We annex a brief sketch of the Wyandot, or Huron tribe, as they were anciently called, in a letter from the Rev. Joseph Badger to John Frazier, Esq., of Cincinnati, dated Plain, Wood county, August 25, 1845.
Having been a resident missionary with the Wyandot Indians before the late war, and obtained the confidence of their chief's in a familiar conversation with them, and having a good interpreter, I requested them to give me a history of their ancestors as far back as they could. They began by giving a particu- lar account of the country formerly owned by their ancestors. It was the north side of the river St. Lawrence, down to Coon lake, and from thence up the Utiwas. Their name for it was Cu-none-tot-tia. This name I heard applied to them, but knew not what it meant. The Senecas owned the opposite side of the river and the island on which Montreal now stands. They were both large tribes, con- sisting of many thousands. They were blood relations, and I found at this time they claimed each other as cousins.
A war originated between the two tribes in this way. A man of the Wyandots wanted a certain woman for his wife; but she ob- jected, and said he was no warior : he had never taken any scalps. To accomplish his object, he raised a small war party, and in their scout fell upon a party of Seneca hunters, killed and scalped a number of them. This procedure began a war between the nations, that lasted more than a century, which they supposed was fully a hundred winters before the French came to Quebec. They owned they were the first instigators in the war, and were generally beaten in the contest. Both tribes were greatly wasted in the war. They often made peace ; but the first, opportunity the Senecas could get an advantage against them they would destroy all they could, men, women and children. The Wyandots, finding they were in danger of being exterminated, concluded to leave their country, and go far to the West. With their canoes the whole nation made their escape to the upper lakes, and settled in the vicinity of Green Bay, in several villages, but, after a few years, the Senecas made up a war-party and followed them to their new settlements, fell on one of their villages, killed a number and returned. Through this long period they had no instruments of war but bows, arrows, and the war chib.
Soon after this the French came to Quebec, and began trading with Indians, and sup- plied them with fire-arms and utensils of various kinds. The Senecas having got supplied with guns, and learned the use of them, made out a second war-party against the Wyandots-came upon them in the night, fired into their huts and scared them exceedingly : they thought at first it was
thunder and lightning. They did not succeed so well as they intended. After a few years they made out a third party, and fell upon one of the Wyandot villages and took them nearly all; but it so happened at this time that nearly all the young men had gone to war with the Fox tribe, living on the Missis- sippi.
Those few that escaped the massacre by the Senecas agreed to give up and go back with them and become one people, but requested of the Senecas to have two days to collect what they had and make ready their canoes, and join them on the morning of the third day at a certain point, where they had gone to wait for them and hold a great dance through the night. The Wyandots sent directly to the other two villages which the Senacas had not disturbed, and got all their old men and women, and such as could fight, to consult on what measures to take. They came to the resolution to equip themselves in the best manner they could, and go down in perfect stillness so near the enemy as to hear them. They found them engaged in a danee, and feasting on two Wyandot men they had killed and roasted, as they said, for their beef ; and as they danced they shouted their vic- tory and told how good their Wyandot beef was. They continued their dance until the latter part of the night, and being pretty tired they all laid down and soon fell into a sound sleep.
A little before day the Wyandot party fell on them and cut them all off; not one was left to carry back the tidings. This ended the war for a great number of years. Soon after this the Wyandots got guns from the French traders and began to grow formidable. The Indians, who owned the country where they had resided for a long time, proposed to them to go back to their own country. They agreed to return, and having prepared theui- selves as a war party, they returned-came down to where Detroit now stands, and agreed to settle in two villages, one at the place. above mentioned, and the other where the British fort, Malden, now stands.
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But previously to making any settlement they sent out in canoes the best war party they could make, to go down the lake some dis- tance to see if there was an enemy on that side of the water. They went down to Long Point, landed, and sent three men across to see if they could make any discovery. They found a party of Senecas bending their course around the Point, and returned with the in- telligence to their party. The head chief ordered his men in each canoe to strike fire,
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and offer some of their tobacco to the Great Spirit, and prepare for action. The chief had his son, a small boy, with him : he covered the boy in the bottom of his canoe. He de- termined to fight his enemy on the water. They put out into the open lake : the Senecas came on. Both parties took the best advan- tage they could, and fought with a deter- inination to conquer or sink in the lake. At
length the Wyandots saw the last man fall in the Seneca party ; but they had lost a great proportion of their own men, and were so wounded and cut to pieces that they could take no advantage of the victory but only to gain the shore as soon as possible, and leave the enemy's canoes to float or sink among the waves. Thus ended the long war between the two tribes from that day to this.
Col. John Johnston relates, in his "Recollections," an interesting account of an Indian council, held at Upper Sandusky in 1818, on the occasion of the death of TARHE, or " the Crane," a celebrated chief of the Wyandots.
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'Twenty-eight years ago, on the death of the great chief of the Wyandots, I was invited to attend a general council of all the tribes of Ohio, the Delawares of Indiana, and the Senecas of New York, at Upper Sandusky. I found, on arriving at the place, a very large attendance. Among the chiefs was the noted leader and orator, Red Jacket, from Buffalo. The first business done was the speaker of the nation delivering an oration on the char- acter of the deceased chief. Then followed what might be called a monody, or ceremony, of mourning and lamentation. Thus seats were arranged from end to end of a large council-house, about six feet apart. The head men and the aged took their seats facing each other, stooping down their heads almost touching. In that position they remained for several hours. Deep, heavy and long continned groans would commence at one end of the row of mourners, and so pass round until all had responded, and these repeated at intervals of a few minutes. The Indians were all washed, and had no paint or decora- tions of any kind upon their persons, their countenances and general deportnient de- noting the deepest mourning. I had never witnessed anything of the kind before, and was told this ceremony was not performed but on the decease of some great man.
After the period of mourning and lamenta- ' tion was over, the Indians proceeded to business. There were present the Wyandots, Shawanese, , Delawares, Senecas, Ottawas and Mohawks. The business was entirely confined to their own affairs, and the main topic related to their lands and the claims of the respective tribes. It was evident, in the course of the discussion, that the presence of myself and people (there were some white men with me) was not acceptable to some of the parties, and allusions were made so direct to myself that I was constrained to notice them by saying that I came there as the guest of the Wyandots by their special invi- tation ; that as the agent of the United States I had a right to be there or anywhere else in the Indian country ; and that, if any insult was offered to myself or my people, it would be resented and punished. Red Jacket was the principal speaker, and was intemperate and personal in his remarks. Accusations, pro and con, were made by the different parties, accusing each other of being
foremost in selling lands to the United States. The Shawanese were particularly marked out as more guilty than any other ; that they were the last coming into the Ohio country, and although they had no right but by per- mission of the other tribes they were always the foremost in selling lands. This brought the Shawanese out, who retorted through their chief, the Black Hoof, on the Senecas and Wyandots with pointed severity. The discussion was long continued, calling out some of the ablest speakers, and was dis- tinguished for ability, cutting sarcasm and research-going far back into the history of the natives, their wars, alliances, negotia- tions, migrations, etc.
I had attended many councils, treaties and gatherings of the Indians, but never in my life did I witness such an outpouring of native oratory and eloquence, of severe re- buke, tanuting national and personal re- proaches. The council broke up late, in great confusion, and in the worst possible feeling. A circumstance occurred towards the close which more than anything else exhibited the bad feeling prevailing. In handing round the wampum belt, the emblem of amity, peace and good will, when presented to one of the chiefs, he would not touch it with his fingers, but passed it on a stick to the person next him. A greater indignity, agreeable to Indian etiquette, could not be offered.
The next day appeared to be one of un- usual anxiety and despondency among the Indians. They could be seen in groups everywhere near the council-house in deep consultation. They had acted foolishly- were sorry ; but the difficulty was, who would first present the olive branch. The council convened late and was very full ; silence pre- vailed for a long time; at last the aged chief of the Shawanese, the Black Hoof, rose-a man of great influence, and a celebrated orator. He told the assembly they had acted like children, and not men, on yesterday ; that he and his people were sorry for the words that had been spoken, and which had done so much harm ; that he came into the council by the unanimous desire of his people present, to recall those foolish words, and did there take them back-handing strings of wampum, which passed round and were received by all with the greatest satisfaction. Several of the principal chiefs delivered
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speeches to the same effect, handing round wampum in turn, and in this manner the whole difficulty of the preceding day was settled, and to all appearance forgotten. The Indians are very courteous and civil to each other, and it is a rare thing to see their assemblies disturbed by unwise or ill-timed remarks. . I never witnessed it except on the occasion here alluded to ; and it is more than probable that the presence of myself and
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