The national whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1847, 1847-05-24
CHAPTER /

on the night Of the 4th OF September 10 = against
an Indian force under the P.ophel, lar ontnnm-
bering the besiegeJ.
On tile evening of Thursday, the Cd Of
September, 1872, the report of four guns
was heard in the direction, where two
Young farmers, resident in the country, were
making hay, about 400 yards distant from
Fort Harrison. This fort was situated on
the Wabash river in what was then called
Indiana Territory, and about IS miles North
of the present town Of Vincennes. Captain
ZACHARY TAYLOR, the subject Of these me-
moirs, was ia command of the Fort with a
garrison OF about so men. twas known TO
the commandant that the Prophet, with a
large body OF Indians, was on his way TO that
section OF country, and he concluded at once
from the report Of the four guns just heard,
that the young farmers had fallen victims to
the Indian rife The hour was late and it
was not deemed prudent to send out that
evening to see what had become OF the
farmers; but their not coming in tended to
confirm the suspicion that they were killed.
AT 8 o'clock the next morning, a corporal
with small party was sent in search of the
farmers, with orders not to run the risk Of
being drawn into an ambuScade. The cor
poral in few moments sent man back 10
inform Captain, Taylor that he had found
both the farmers slain; whereupon he sent
a cart and oxen out, and had the dead bodies
brought in and buried. They had been shot
with two balls, scalped and cut in the most
shocking manner.
Late in the evening Of tbs 4th Of Ssptem-
Der, 1912, old Joseph Lenar, with Thirty or
forty Indians arrived before the Fort from
the Prophets Town with white flag.
Among them were about ten women The
men were composed principally Of The chiefs
of the different tribes that made up the Pro-
phet's party A Shawanoe, who spoke good
English, informed Captain Taylor that old
Lenar intended to speak with him the next
morning with view to try to get something
to eat. At retreat beating, the mems arms
were all examined and found to be in good
order and completed with cartridges of l6
pounds per man. For some time past Cap
tain Taylor had not been able to mount
guard Of more than 6 priyates and two non
commissioned officers, ewing TO the sick
ness that prevailed in his little company,
and he had not considered his force ade-
quate to the defence Of his post, in conse-
quence of this state of things, should it be
vigorously attacked. He had just recovered
also from a severe attack Of fever and was
unable to be up much through the night.
However, after tattoo, he cautioned the guard
to be vigilant, and ordered one. of the nom
commissioned officers, as the senlinels could
not sec every part Of the garrison, to walk
on the inside during the whole night, with
view of giving the alarm, if The Indians
should show any signs Of attack.
About IL o'clock that same evening,
namely, the 4th Of September, 1912, Captain
TAYLOR was awakened by the firing Of The
sentinels He sprang up and ran on. and
ordered the men to their posts. AT this mo-
ment the orderly sergeant, who had charge
Of the upper block-housc, called out that the
Indians had set fire to the lower block
house, the lower part OF which contained
the property of the contractor TO the garri-
son, and the upper story Of which had been
assigned to corporal and ten prvate, as an
alarm post. The guns now began to be fired
pretty smartly fiom both sides. Captain
i
and water to be brought from the well, so as
to extinguish the fire without delay, as il
now began to make It's appearance. From
debility or some other cause, the men were
slow in executing these orders -for the
word g fire. appeared to throw the whole
Of them into confusion-and by the time
they had got the water and had broken
open the door of the block house, the fire
which the Indians had, unseen in the dark
ness of the night, introduced into the build
ing through some holes which the cattle had
made by kicking away the mud-fllng be-
tween the logs in search Of salt, had unfor-
tunately communicated to a quantity of
whiskey deposited on the lower floor, and
in spite of every cxerlion that was made to
prevent their spreading, the flames, in less
than momennt mounted to the roof, and
all efforts TO extinguish them were, for a
time, completely baffled. As this block
house joined the barracks which made part
Of the Notifications, most of the men gave
themselves up for lost and Captain Taylor
had the greatest difficulty in getting his or
ders executed. What, with the raging of
the flames-,he yelling and bowling of sew
eral hundred Indians--lhe cries of nine wo-
men and children, part soldiers and part
citizens wives, who had taken shelter in
the Fort and the Responding Of the men,
which was worse than all--the command
ants position was any thing but pleasant.
Indeed, there were moi more than Ten or ff-
teen men in the whole garrison able to do
great deal, the others being sick or conva-
lescent, and to add to the misfortunes Of the
commandant, two Of the stoutest men in the
Fort, and in whom Captain Taylor reposed
every confidence, jumped over the picket
and fed. But the presence ofmind Of Captlin