Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1844-05-11
From tire Baltimore Republican.
THE LAST OF THE NANTICOKEs,
AN INDIAN LEGENL

me, as it should be to any man claiming com.
mon sense, to observe the waste of sympathy
on the American savage. 1t isa license grant
ed to poets and romancers, by universal consent,
10 use the four expressive words, "Lo the poor
Indian ~ 1t is all very well to incorporate in
story the bearing of the "noble red man of the
fores,"-but when stern reality paints TO our
| imagination, in characters of blood, the heart
| less butcheries committed by them-how they
stepped their hands in the gore of innocent and
defenceless women and children, we grow sick
at heart and all sympathy fades like msts be-
meath summer sim
| maintain that there is not a noble trait in
the Indian character. "NoJle son of the forest"
indeed! And what are his noble qualities
| Those which prompt him nssassian.lke, TO bury
his tomuhawk in the skull of a sleeping enenv,
or those who prompt him to rcnd the infant
from the mothers breast, and hang its scalp
uron his belt as trophy Truly, brave In
dian, what yourself and kind have done on oar
! Western boarders, m the dead hosr of nipht,
should rear for you never dying monument
| in our memory.
have II tale which will give as it was
| given TO me by an old soldier, whose thread of
! life was cleft in twain some ten or twelve years
| ago, which will Illustrate Indian character in
! a measure.
| Any person who has ever travelled along the
Susquehanns river in the dead of winter, must
necessarily have observed the bleak and cheer.
less aspect the country about Shamokn pre-
sents al that season of the year--and manva
way-worn traveller, before civilization spread
It's broad penant in that region, fell benumbed
upon the crusted snow, and breahed his last.
and the bowling blast sung many doleful
dlrge over his remains ere he was discovered
1t was in the depth of winter, and at time
when but two hardy pioneers had vcntured to
build their log cabins on the West Branch, that
a part of the tribe of Delaware Indians, consist.
ing OF about two hundred warriors, with the usu-
al accompanmcnts, settled where the beautiful
borough of Lewisburg now stands, having left
the main body at the Delaware river, in conse-
quence of scarcity ofprovisohs. Their lodges
we're reared and preparations were made for
the grand buffalo hunt.
About two hundred a'es up the river lived
the remnant of fierce and reckless trde, call.
ed the Nanticokes, numbering six hundred men.
women and children. They were once pow
eriuI nation, but their treachery and .ubtety had
rendered them outlaws to all other tribes. Tbev
recognised no principles of virtue, and many
''noble" warrior fell by the war club for ill.,
timed overtures to the wives of the different
chiefs
Intelligence having reached the Nan,icokes
that the Dclawarcs were encamped below,
they Immediately destroyed their lodges and
took up their line of march, and in the course OF
week encamped on the other side of the river
Immediately opposite TO the Deawares. These
lawlcss and desperate characters were too well
known by the Delaware chiefs, who gave order,
that no intercourse or communication whatever
should be held by the outlaws. This was al
most death blow to the Nanticoke braves, whc
had come for the express purpose ofhaving lai
sons with the wives o: the Delawares. How
ever, that low cunning of which the savage j.
, SO excellent master, was brought into reQuisi
ton, and they fnay triumphed.
The refusal of the Delawares to smoke the
+ ca'mut of peace, provoked the Nanticokes, and
a council was called to form stratagems to a.
, venge the insult. After number oichiefs had
f given their opinion as 10 The most feasible man
: ner Of furnishing 'heir neighbors Chut-td-wee
noble looking individual and heartless liber
, tine, for IN Iadian, arose, and with voice
double like the Dukes" urged that the mos
satisfactory procedure to them, and The mos
eXcruciatng to the Deawares, would be to vi
o,ate their women. This proposition was mad,
in grave and solemn silence, bat was reward
5 ed with such yell depreciation, as could only
emanate from Indians So elated was Chut-ta
: wee that ne Immediately pledged himself Il
4 bring about the opportunity.
True to his word, he skulked about the Della
e ware camp until he met dark eyed dusky De
d iaware maid who (aas poor human nature,
y was not able to withstand the honeyed accent
Of the handsome Nantcokc chiek who wooet
= and won, soon got from her all the information
G as to their movements, &c, he desired. ii,
II found that great preparations had been made 70
e hunting in buffalo valley and that they wer,
% only waiting TO see the tracks Of herd whel
e business would commence. Chut.ta.wee 500
o took advantage of this information. for the yer
% neA' "'e"' "' sized n-,ty Of his oompal