Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1850-1854, 1852-12-24
AN INCIDENT in THE LAST WAR,

and armed to the teeth, who gave information
OF the approach through the woods on the south
bank of the Saranac, of considerable body of
The British, accompanied by''a snail band OF HUI
rons, or Canadian Indians, who acted as guides
and scouts. 1t is we'll known that one column
OF the British army, under command OF Gen.
Brisbane, had approached Plattsburgh from the
west along the Beckmantown road, TO the north
of the Saranac. The American army was now
entrenched on the south bank, in the angle form
ed by the river and lake. 1t will therefore be
readily understood that theapproact of this new
free would place the Americans in position
sufficiently critical, TO say nothing of the dam
ge-s to which they were already exposed.
The information brought by the savage was
too important to be wholly slighed, and yet came
in too suspicious manner to be wholly trusted.
The officer therefore, thoughtit best to in erro-
gate the messenger
"Who are you, my friends ?" said he.
"Mohican," was tie laconic reply.
"What is your nlne 2"
" Stockbridge Hunk" answered the strang-
"Where did you come from and why are you
hare pursued the officer.
"Indian come from The Dutch rivers" replied
he.
" But why are you here, say?"
"Why are the Mingoes in the woods ? can the
clptain tell me that ?" replied the savage his
eyes flashing fire.
"Does any one know this person ?" but no
one replied, for no one knew him.
"What do you want me to do then ?" said the
officer to the Indian, still looking upon him with
suspicion.
take four, seven, ten, soldier" replied the
savage, holding up both hands, and spreading his
fingers Me take em and wait for Mingoes in
the woods"
"He's right, by Jove exclaimed the officer
The men are too few to have an ambush laid for
them, and we need a picket of that kind The
red skin must be friendly, after all. Let nine
picked men, headed by corporal, 90 with him !;
but let them be watchiul and keep on their guard,
and let me be informed of the first approach Of
any enemy in that direction.
The officer turned away. The men were
quickly detailed, and guided by the Indian, they
took their silent way in the woods, up the sonth
bank of the Saranac, down which the new hos
tile force were reported to be coming They
moved forward rapidly for about half an hour,
when the Indian began to proceed with more eau
ton, aud to listen for every unusual sound which
disturbed the forest At last putting ais car
close to the ground, he listened for moment,
and then quickly rising up, he made rapid sign
for the soldiers to betake themselves to a neigh
boring thiCket which bOrdered small creek flow
ing into the river. The men concealed them
selves among the bushes quick as possible, while
the Indian crawled stealthily to position some
what more advanced conccaling himself behind
the trunk of a fallen tree. He had enjoned up
on them not to fire or make any noise until they
should receive from him certain signal For
some distance forward Of the place where he lay,
the woods were tolerably clear Of underbrush,
and kind of path which skirted the bank of the
river, crossed the creek its mouth, about ten
rods from where the concealed soldiers were hid
From the position the Indian occupied, this pass
was in full view. In order to cross the stream,
one going along that path had to descend about
ten feet almost perpendicularly so that while
he was in the bed of the brook, he could not be
seen by those who should happen to be any dis
lance behind.
The soldiers had not remained in ambush long,
when by quick sign, the scout gave them to un-
derstand that some one was approaching. They
soon saw an Indian coming at a rap ID but silent
pace towards the crossing. tie had but Just
got clearly in view, when at distance of about
two rods behind, appeared another and so on to
the number of seven. They were all in war
paint, and armed with rifles and tomahawks-
The soldiers were all attention to the movements
of their guide, expecting at every moment to re-
ceive the signal to fire. To their SURPRISE how
ever, they saw him lay down his gum aud draw
from beneath the log, long and powerful bow,
anda bundle of flintheadcd, sharp pointing arrows.
lie then turned himself about under the log until
he faced the pass in the creek.
The strange Indians appeared to move forward
without the least hesitation or suspicion. The
foremost of them on coming to the creek dropped
at once down to cross it. At this moment the
guide was observed to draw in his bow with a
quick and powerful effrt; and, so rapidly al
most as to elude the sight, an arrow was spt OH
its mission OF death. The stranger was seen to
drop in the middle Of the brook, and not q cry
issued from his mouth. Quick as lightning, the
Mohican adjusted an arrow to his bow, so that a.
soon as the second Huron had dropped down to
cross the stream, he too was observed TO reel and
fall without a groan.
In the same manner was the third and fourth
and the tth Huron pierced as he eaped into the
fatal ditch. They were so close to each other,
and the whole sc2ne passed with such miracu-
lous silence and rapdty, that nc ther of them had
observed the fate of his comrades until he met
his own. The sixth Indian, however, being a
little behind than the others seemed to be some
what surprised that he did not see them in view
on the opposite bank. For this reason he de-.
seconded into the gully with little more hesta-
uon. lie was Immediately aware OF the hOrrI-
bic fate that had arrested their steps and silenced
their tongues. lie endeavored to recoil, but it
was already too late. fatal missive was also
on the wing for him. He was struck like the
rest, but not with immediate death, and he had
time to raise into the depths Of the forest one of
those appalling yeI!s OF warning and of rage,
which announces among the people of his race,
the presence OF mortal danger.
The soldiers looked upon this fearful scene in
astonIshed silence, entranced with the murder
Gus magic which took place before them. When
the stiffness and the spell were broken by that
warning cry, they expected to see the wood
swarm with hostile savages. None, however,
appeared and when the echo had died away they
looked in vain for the seventh and last of the
uuronS. lie ha- vanished as il swallowed up
in the earth. No trace of him was visib!e-no
sound of retreating foot steps was audible. The
Mohican, however, still kept his position behind
the log, immovable as the log itself, but with fe-
ryeyes bent in quick and searching gances in
almost every direction at once. lie was obvi-
ously at fault as we'll as the rest. No one dared
to move, or to speak above his breath. There
was something awful in his mysterious and sud
den disappearance.