The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1852-02-27


e l41id.d With h's ltIhtr PURSUING h
calling d . ia|Infr khd huhler, without an
H.Ilp iSlbl6 inc den I 1nliI he spring 81 l75s
iNIen % she3 28Ih day Of ApfiI. beinp mn
'osiI.1ting expedition On Bakers river. i
vas Asn prisoner By q scout Of ten Indian
ys0m ~. Francis. Trails Of Indians ha
been discovered, end be and his companiou
William Stark, Amos Eastman OF Penna
cook now Concord -and John Stinson d
Aicndondery, were collecting their trans /,
return home. John Stark was alone, whe,
taken, and wes stopping down upon The ban
Q. the rlvet, over the water, taking up trap
The lndians were 10 ambush and suIrounde,
MN With the utmost caution, pointing sever
ri guns towards him. Stark's attention wa.
first By a sharp "hiss, when look.
iny round, he saw that escape or resistance
was equally hopeless. The next morning
the indians lay in ambush for his compan-
ions, and as they were making their way
4 down the hver, Eastman upon the shore. and
Stiuson and William Stark in a cunoe. the
former was secured, while the Indians order
ed John Stark 10 bail those in the canoe and
Induce them TO come shore. Stark accord
ipgly hailed item, but only 10 inform them Of
his mlshap, and to hasten their fight 10 the
opposite shore. The Indians Immediately
rose up and raised their guns to fire upon
them, but Stark struck UP their guns. They
threatened him and aimed again, when he
struck up their guns; but others out of his
reach, hired upon the fugitives, and Stinson
was killed in the act of Jumping out Of the
canoe, upon the shore. The paddle in VIM.
Stark's hand was pierced with bullets-but
taxing 70 the woods, he however. rnade his
escape. The Indians were SO enraped al Jobn
Tor aiding his brothers. escape. thai thew
struck him with their guns, but he retnrnea
tneir blows with buffets, that the chief, adj,
mlrlng his bearing ordered them 10 desist, and
,e vas no further molested. Upon VIII.
llains return TO the settlements, a party from
humiord, consisting Of Nathaniel Eastman !.
Timothy Bradley and Phiness Virgin, start.
ed ior the scene of the disaster, found the bo.
dy OF Slinson scalped, buried il in The woods
near by, ard returned IN safety. Meantime.
the Indians and .heir prisoners were on their
way to st. Francis, where they arrived on The
7lil OF June. Stark, by his spirited bearing
had become qnite a fayorite with his Indisn
captors, and their good will protected him
nom injury in the grand ceremony of enter
ing the village Of st. Francis, called "nm-
ning the gauntlet" The prisoners had heen
Y, N uaimng the last part Of the Journey for
snls imposing ceremony, which consisted in |
elch prisoners passing through two lines Of |
.ne men, women, and children of the village.
urawn up Tor the purpose, and each one pe,.
mitted to kick or strike The prisoner as he
passed, as often and as hard, as caprice or re-
yenge might dictate. The ceremony was du-
~ explained to the prisoners, and they were
told tnat they must repeat some Indian sem
tence as they passed along, and that usage
permitted them to pass through the lines as
quick as they could. The sentences to be
'epeated were given out and committed TO !,
memory. These were repeated again and Y
gain, so that there could be no mistake in !,
'mphasis or pronunciation, amid the din and
xcI'ement Of the imposing ceremony. y
Arrived at the village, all was excitement
nd tumult. The lines were quickly formed.
md the prisoners again instructed in their y =
ARTS. Each OF them was furnished with a
'ole, some SIX or eight feet in length, on the a
op which was placed the skin of some ami.
nal, Starks pole was furnished with coon . .
Eastman's turn came first, and he com. :,
ienced running and singing out at the ton of :. !,
is voice. 'Nen nutlagkompish wameup ~ ~
(which being translated G
eads, Il will beat all your young men," The =.
oung men taking this as a most audacions ~
INSULT, hit him right and left with their clubs -
nd when Eastman got through the lines, he ~
I'll exhausted more dead than alive, from :.
he blows he had received. oe
stark, awaited his turn patiently, and with
decisionand promptness that never forsook
I'm In any emergency. The Indians had be- an
ome wild with the excitement of the occa fo,
on, their rough usage Of Eastman having or,
1t sbarpened their desire for the rough a. vo
usement. The lines were quickly formed ted
'e sign was given for the prisoner to start, ma
Id Stark started off at the deliberate trot- 10,
nging out at the top of his voice, "Nutcb;p- '
uttoonapish wameug gnonkkishquog, which 10,
cans, 'Iwill kiss ali your young women p hats hs
he entered the lines, the first Young Indi- . o. ,
IS, in the height of the excitement struck -,
ark some smart blows; whereupon, be-, re- ~ ~
rdless Of his Coon's skin, whiIled his pole dor
5nt and lett, hitting here one and there a. WV
'lher. and dealing such heavy blows, as 10
lock down one or two Of the nearest Indi. 7
s, and to cause the others to give him ,r;,
de berth. In this manner he passed The ""
es without injury, filling the young Indi. ION
win astonlshment, at the temerity of the
soner, and the warriors with laughter, al mat
discontinue Of their young men. cal
'ucn Doldness, on the part Of Stark, won imI
admiration Of the Indians, and he was The roo
onte OF the si!iage, The Sycamore adopt do
him as his son. This favor secured for the
2 good treatment, but it enhanced his val the
u the eyes Of his captors, and when in Ju- free
oiiowing, he wasdiberated by Capt. Ste any
3 OF Number Four, and Mr.. Wheelsight :
boston,--one hundred and three dollars 81
= 9s demanded as the price Of his freedom, ms
lie Eastman was liberated for >tbe snm ~ that
ty dollars. ~ sNA' " has
thro
=. Mr..
- brave resistance. Sard