Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-11-08
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
FRONTIER pERILs SEVENTY YEARS AGO.
TO THE EDITORS.
WAsHINoroN, NovEMBER I, 1851

Messrs. GALES IL SEAToN Two days only be-
yond sixty years after its occurrence, the record APP
-peared in your paper, from the hand OF the
highly worthy but unfortunate General, of "St.
'~Cair's defeat" by the Western Indians Predatory
10 Gen. ST. Clair's letter you observe, "Few are
the persons, we apprehend, who remember the cir
.cumstance Of the defeat of Gen. 81. Clair, DC.
OF those who do most impressively remember
that defeat and the terror excited over The whole
frontier region by the fearful report am one who
heard the report in its first echo part OF the
army was composed Of drafted men from The West
ern settlements, and not few OF them perlshed IN
that sangunary affair. ! was then living with my
parents in the vicinity, and five miles eastward of
Washington, Pennsy ylvania and then in my seven
teenth wear but was also living in the neighbor-
hood snll ten years earlier, and most vividly re-
member another defeat of the whites by the sa-
wages, known as "Crawford and Williamson's
defeat
Herewith you will receive, placed at your dispo-
sal, a brief view of the causes which led to, and
consequences produced by, the latter event, and
with reflections forced on my mind by spending
eighteen years of my early life from seven to
twenty-five from 1871 to 1897 on that theatre Of
human trial.
One remark more before closing From witness
ing the effect of both, fully convinced that,
with much general resemblance, Crawford and
Williamson's defeat was to the frontier inhabitants
idi VIC Iuost ulSuessinR. WILLIAM UAhDl
Lopg previous to the Revolutionary War; the Coonss of
Virginia, P, nnsyvania, and New York scattering
westward towards The Of Ohio river and Canadian
lakes Isolated each Other amid immense forests and
Injured incessant toll and DANGER OF rose who
for seagth, resolution, and perseverance, uere
probable, equaed. These rough in man
ner, but not ferocous They suitable to their
times.
Opposed to this and formidable invading race, the
Indian natives Of these wJs stood in defence Of their prime
val woods Between the the real peace Of mo-
ment impossible, and all treaties between them were
agems Of bellgerents deceive enemy and mu
tual uHqaenchabe hatred in fact common character
In their The nature Of the country supernduced
system Of tactics Of extreme watchuness and steahy caution
More civilized and much better supplied with The of
attack and Defence the whites constantly advanced For
tesses generally block houses and enclosed by stockade
erected, against which Indian modes Of attack
feeble. Amongst the whites body of men, which
have already alluded, who known the Hunter War
Iior of whom the Wetzls, lanes, JoIys, Willamsons
and others in their day stood prominent These men, whose
lives spent the ntermnabe forests the heroes
Of their age. Whenever combined expedition planned,
the commanders selected from this honored body
but deriving their nobility from personal merit and
puaion, their authority altogether moral. Strength
Of body, swiness Of foot unring watchfuness, and
durance fatigue hunge and thirst and above all
age which knew danger, the qua6 atoms which
gave character to officers and and the if
the esst suspicion against him regard to the latter
claim respect To sustain the eers Of his companions or
be burn, by the savsges presented small choice.
Such the long in prssence-one to defend
their native woods the oLer the forest and open
order Of things. or all portions Of mankind the native
savages of North America with inherent Of mind Of
high order have with obstinacy repused the ntroduc
tion Of the Of civilized life. Estimating them the
principles Of their nodes they indeed Of high order
intellect bu, the great mistake Of the whites who under
took civze and si chrisianze the Indian
suppose such change possible beneficial eItent
without radical change in modes of domestic existence.
Such trial made, and, though Fanacsm promised sue
cess Reason gave warning of the fatal result, indeed the
natural consequence.
few Moravan mssonsries, utterly ignorant Of savage
character some years previous 1882 had converted part
of one or more tribes of Western Indians profession Of
chrt any and the adoption of approach the
and habits of civilized life These converts known under
the Of Moravan Indians" located on the wa
Of the Muskingum and, their pastors residing with
them all might have evenuaed differently could peace have
between the savages and advancing and
increasing whites Such peace was under all crcumstan
ces unhoped-for consummaton and faulty could 90
further than expose handful Of beings who had lost the
energy and wutchune,s Of savage life without having gained
any available advantage Of civilization The Moravian In.
6ians wte fate had decred placed precisely where
the imminent danger menaced them all Sides I'm
der the possible guidance, infatuated fanatics few
Moravan missionaries, equally objects Of dsru-t to the
warrior Indians and frontier whites, between whom they
sded and the path of both, Of and refec
on civilized and savage oresaw and predicted the fate
Of those people unless removed from their dangerous position
Hn long and chequered life ever learned any thing,
the real character Of the frontier hunter warrior Such
knowledge obtained from infancy maturity in the
midst In less greater degree the very implicated
the catastrophe before my personal acquain
Fer them and all their compeers fearlesey assert
that generosity, humanity and bravery their compo
Differing all other differ in temperament, they had
general trait and taking the openhearted
David Williamson sLd the tacitun Ebenezer Zane the diff
ference very marked but adherence Of bascnes.
or cowardy inhumany, they all under category.
Such the heroes Of the heroic age Of great West
The present generation know them not their merit
be now appreciated Approaching my place Of rest, and
looking back the vicissiudes Of long le othe
remembrance me such pleasure to give my humble
Testimony TO the memory Of the gea, warrior pioneers Of
smiling land
Having given the preceding brief outline Of pioneer char
acter, now proceed to give what firmly believe to hav
been the real Of the destruction OF the Moravan In
dians on the Muskingum
The fierce revenge 70 10 nv pa;n, know