Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1829-09-03
YDLo w
"-oT1IY GREGG AND HIS DOG.

,lr0 an aUcCuOlS, 4' ~ 30
.,o, Of dog which saved his masters lie )
oao of the earliest efforts Of my memory
~ ropeat the concluding lines:
oyy dog, the trustiesl of his kind,
With gratitude infames my mind
tusrk his true and faithful way,
And in my service copy fray.
aorI;fa heard it told, with many adj
!" AZ, md interesting particulars, by the
.0'I C.,or,l Dearborn a man whose life
"a Corm half the history Of his coun-
g' s,J whose memory was an inexhauStI Die
od Of anecdote.
' ~ = r,,< . said he, "personally acquainted
,,b CoD,ain Gregg, and have seen the valua-
, u 10 which he owed his life. Soon al
.,br british and Indians, under general st.
.rsr raised the siege of Fort Schuyler, so
80 defended by General GainSvoort,
i 'o,,;n Gregg, of the New York line, obtain
. omission to hunt, accompanied by broth
~ officer 49,.
They were successful in the expedition and
we're returning wi ha load of fresh provisions
! (which the fort had along time been destitute,
when they were suddenly fired upon by an
,mbp,b of Indians Both the officers fell
nd the Indians coming up, knocked them
lawn with tomahawk, aud scalped them, as
5er manner is, when they have time, from
heir forehead 10 the back Of the neck /; leav-
no only couple of small locks of hair by
| he side of the ears.
Captain Gregg wore club, by means OF
which thew took off the scalp, after having
1,,Id the k life entirely round the head
| In describing tn operation he said it felt as II
molten lead were poured upon him.
Yet he had the hardihoOd to be perfectly
still. suppressing even his breath, lest his emf
mics should discover that life was in him
and the Indians, very naturally supposing
their cruel work had been fatal, departed
After lying in this situation some time, he
this burning head touched gently and ten
DERBY and he Immediately conjectured ii was
his iavourite dog, which had accompanied
him TO the chase. and run away at the first APP
prOach OF the Indians.
''Never" said he, "shall | forget how
soothing the cool tongue of the faithful crea-
ture felt al that dreadful moment.
SuppO>iug by the fcarleSsncss of the amin
al, that the Indians had gone, he raised his
head with difficulty, and Looked around him
His brother officer lay dead near him
and his IavOurite spaniel cfter a few indica-
lions Of anxious sympathy, disappeared in the
woods.
IN attempting to rise, Captain Gregg
found that he was wouded near the back bone
by musket shot, and was severely bruised
on the forehead by the stroke of tomahawk.
The Indians always consider blow of the
:om1hawk across the forShead as immediate
lea'l and and It would inevitably have put
sudden end to the suffering of the unfortu-
nate olhcer, had not the cooked hat which ne
wore taken the principal weight of the
stroke.
However, alone and mangled as he was, he
LAD no hopes oflife. Having resigned him
sell to due, he crawled, as well as he was able,
0hIs dead companion, and opening his waist
coat, he laid his head upon his soft, warm bo-
,0I' Tor the sticks and stones among which
ne lay were torture To him.
but ne wasnottorsakcn in this trying houf;
hs faithful dog had not forgotten him! The
oAeers at Fort Schuyler had already begun
10 entertain fears for the safety of the hun
'eIS, and were anxiously on the look out for
,AeIr return, when " fray" was seen issuing
ron the wood, painting with eagerness and
SoSue They are coming, for there is the
Jog was the universal exclamation. But
0eTanxlouS eyes were beLt toward the wood
10 VAN; their friends did not appear; and the
PANEL, by whining, crouching, going to and
TO aud looking up in the mos, supplicating
manner, plainly indicated that some accident
lad betallen them. A detachment was inn
hsdiaIeIy ordered to follow him. With I'M
;'rnS Instinct the faithful creature guided
mem to the scene we have just described; ever
'ad anon returning from rapid race to re-
roach their unavoidable delay. The dying
vas iound resting on the bosom Of the dead
'ne was committed to the earth, and theother,
'nder the care of the surgeon, borne carefully
10 the fort,
, Eight weeks after this, during which time
me capture of Burgoyne had taken place, &C.
neral, then Colo eli, Dearborn returned from
me scenes of Saratoga to Albany, where he
earu the story, Just as we have related 1t,