Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1847-01-14
MISCIIs IiAMY.
BY CHARLES LANMAN.


." - - N 49, .-... F-af - @
Starved Rock is the unpoetical name Of a
spot on the Illinois River, about eight miles
southof Ottawa. tits rocky bluff, rising
from the margin ofthe stream to the height
of more than hundred feet, and is only
separated from the~main land by narrow
chasms Its length might probably meas
are two hundred and fifty feet. Its sides
are perpendicular, and there is only one
point where it can be assembled, and that is
by narrow stair-like path. |: is covered
with macy, = cone-likc evergreen, and. in
summer, encireled by laxuriant grape AID
ivy vines, and clusters Of richly colored
flowers. 1t is undoubtedly the most con>
spicuous and beautiful pictorial feature Of
the sluggish and lonely Illinois, and is ass
sociaied with the final extinction Of the IL
liuois tribe of Indians. The legend, which
listened to from the lips Of venerable
IBdian trader, is as foilows:- ...-
Many years ago, the whole region lying
between Lake Michigan and the Mississ-
ippi was the home and dominion of Illinois
Indians. For them alone did the buffalo
and antelope range over its broad prairies i;
for them did the finest Of rivers roll thei:
waters into the lap of Mexico, and bear ups
on their boSoms The birchen canoe, as they
sought TO capture the wild water fowl nd
for them alone did the dense forests CT OVID
ing upon these streams shelter their unnum>
bered denizens. r-4.-...r
In every direction might be seen the
smoke Of Indian. wigwams curling upwards
10 mingle with the sunset clouds, which told
them tales OF the spirit land. ..
Years passed CA. and they continued to
be at ease in their possessions. But the
white man from the east. with the misefies
that have ever accompanied him on his
march Of usurratioh, began to wander into
the wilder ness, and trouble 10 the red man
was the inevitable consequence. The bans.
full fire water" which was the gift of civil
lization. created dissentions among the
savage tribes, until. in process of time. and
on account of purely imaginary evils, the
Po,tawattomies, from Michigan, determin-
ed TO make war upon the Indians of Illinois.
Fortune OF rather destiny, smiled upon the
oppressors. and the identical rock in ques>
| ton was the spot that witnessed the ,extinc>
ton Of an aboriginal race.
1t was the close of long seige of cruel
warfare, and the afternoon of day in the
| delightful Indian summer. The sunshine
threw mellow haze upon the Prairies, and
| Hinged the muItitudinous flowers with deep
est gold-while in the shadows of the for
est islands tie doe and her fawn reposed 10
perfect quietne.s, lulled into a temporary
slumber by the hum of the grass>hopper
and the wild bee. The wilderness world
wore the aspect of perfect sabbath, but
now, in the :winkling of an eye, the delight
full solitude was broken ny the shrill whoop
and dreadful struggle of bloody conflict up
on the pa les and the woods. All over
the country we're seen the dead bodies OF
The ill-faled Illinois, when il was ordered
by Providence thar the concluding skirmish
between the hostile parties should take place
in the vicinity Of Starved Rsck.
The Pottawattomies numbered near three
hundred warriors, wkile the Illinois tribe
| Oh Ann L.
were mostly aged chiefs and youthful he
roes-the more desperate fighters having
already pefished, ami the women and chill.
dren Of the tribe having already been mas
sacred and consumed in their wigwams,-
The battle was most desperate between the
unequal parties.
The Illinois were about TO give up all for
lost, when, in the frenzy, they gave defy
ing shout, and retrea.ed TO the rocky bluff.
From this, it was an easy matter to keep
back their enemies, but alas! from that mo-
ment they were to endure unthought of suf-
fering, TO the delight of their baffled yet vic
torious enemies.
And now TO describe in words the scene
that followed. and was prolonged for several
days, were. utterly impossible. Those stout
hearted Indians, in whom = nation was
about TO become extinct, chose TO die upon
their strange fortress ty. starvation and
.hirst,a rather than Surrender themselves to
the scaIpingskuife Of their exterminators. -
And, with few exceptions, this was the
manner ia which they did perish. Nov and
then, indeed, a desperate man would lower
himself, hoping 10 escape. bu, tomaha~k
would cieave his brain before he touched the
ground or water. = '' l"' . ''' @@ '.
Day followed day. and those helpless cap
tives sat in silence and gazing imploringly
upon their broad, beautiful lands, whilst
hunger vas knawing into their vitais.-