Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-12-18
The White FaWsa.
A FEARFUL TALE OF WESERN WAR
FARE

| BY E. r. ROWE, EDITOR OF THE MORGAN JOUR
NAL.
In the year 1904, the United States gov
ernment erected small fort at the mouth Of
Chicago river, where the present city of that
name stands. They had obtained the right
to do SO from the Indians, at the treaty of
Greenville, 1895, together with the adjacent
lands for miles square. The fort however,
consisted Of merely two block houses on the
southern side, and on the northern side sal
! ly port, or subterranean passage leading from
the parade ground to the river. 1t was called
Fort Dearborn.
On the afternoon of August 7th, 1872,
Capt. Head, who was then in command of
the fort, received by the hands of friendly
Indian, message of Gen. Hull, the comman-
der-in-chief of the northwest, announcing
the declaration of war between England and
the United, States and ordering him to evacu-
ate the fort if necessary, and to distribute
the property at the fort among the Indians.
For some unknown reason, Captain Heald
determined, without calling his officers into
council, to evacuate the fort, and accordingly
the next morning announced his decision on
parade. His subalterns demonstrated with
him against the measure as fraught with
nothing but danger; but Captain Head was
immoveable, and preparations were made for
the departure of the troops for Fort Wayne.
Some weeks before this time the Indians on
the Illinois river had brought prisoner up to
the neighborhood of Chicago, for the purpose
of recovering a ransom from his countrymen,
the English, in some part of Canada. The
prisoners name was James Saunders. He
had been more than a year in the possession
of the Indians on the Upper Mississippi, and
had worked his way up from tribe to tribe
towards Canada by the promise of rich
ransom upon reaching the British port. But
on getting into the neighborhood of Fort
Dearborn, he foolishly varied his story, and
telling the Indians that he was an adopted
American, begged them to carry him to Capt.
Head. The Indians became suspicious of
him, and declined carrying him to the Amer
ican fort. At length, on the 9th of August,
the Indians heard indirectly one day in ad-
war; They sent runners out among the
tribes in every direction, calling grand coun-
Gil to determine upon their future course, and
on the night of the 7th, several hundred as !
sembled round the council FIRE, ten miles a.
bove the fort, on the Chicago river They !
were chiefly Pottawa tonnes; but there were !
also present some Winnebagoes, Ottawas,
Shawnees aud perhaps some others.
Precisely as the sun went down on the 7th .
of August the chiefs and braves of the various
tribes who were encamped in the vicinity
gathered in silence around the council fire.
One after another, they seated themselves
upon the ground and to the eye of an ordi-
nary observer, their rigid features would have
been wholly void of expression. A stolid
sterness was the leading trait of all and un-
til after the pipe, which was the emblem of
amity among the tribes which were present, |
had been circulated, not word was spoken. .
At length the old Pottawatomee chief called
Black Bird, who had for months been stirring
the tribes up to attack the Americans rose
slowly, looked around the council and said
Brothers, the bright sun which has just
gone down, never looked upon a fairer land
than this-would you lose this land forever
the immage of that frightening star never
danced on the ripple of so bright lake as
yon; are your canoes broken that they should
ride no more upon the lake! Brothers speak"
He drew his blanket proudly around him
and took his seat The silence remained un-
broken for several minutes. But an old chief
called Black Partridge, arose. He had long
been on terms of friendship with the whites,
and had received medal from the President
rs mark of confidence.
Brothers. said he, "ask your squaws if
the Black Partridge ever quailed before the
enemy. A hundred scalps have hung beneath
my girdle. Shall speak 7"
The impre ssive silence which followed his
appeal assured him Of their attention, and he
continued:
"Brothers, the English live beyond the
lake. Their posts extended TO the great O.
cean, they have many soldiers, and their
watch-fres burn all over Canada-will they
go away over the great sea and give up Can
ada to the red men No, brothers, no. 1t is
only the power of our friends, the Americans,
which has prevented them from following the
sun across the lake, and driving off the red
man here. Shall we betray our protectors,
and make war with our friends ! or shall we
follow wisdom, and remain true to our alliesl
listen to your answer"
He had scarcely taken seat when tall