Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-12-09
4flisfellal1D.
ADVENTURES OF COLONEL JAMES SMITH.

+ Smith, then a youth of eighteen, accom-
panied by a party of three hundred men
/ from the frontiers of Pennsylvania, who
advanced in front of Bradock's army for
4 the purpose of opening a road over the
mountain. When within a few miles of
I the Bedford springs. he was sent back to
the rear, to hasten the progress Of some
wagons loaded with provisions and stores
| for the use Of the road-cutters. Having
delivered his orders. he was returning, In
company with another yonng man, when
I they were suddenly fred dupon by party Of
! three Indians from a cedar thicket which
/ skirted the road Smiths companion was
! killed on the spot and although he him
/ self was unhurt, yet his horse was so much
/ frightened by the fash and report of the
4 guns, as to become totally unmanagable,
and, after a few plunges, threw him with
violence to the ground Before he could
! recover his feet. the Indians sprung upon
him and overpowering his resjstances, Sc
cured him as a prisoner. One of them
demanded, in broken English whether
more white men were coming up :" and
upon his answering in the negative, be
was seized by each arm and compelled to
run with great rapidity over the noun
I tain until night, when the small party en-
camped and cooked their supper An
equal share of their scanty stock of pro
visions was given to the prisoner, and in
other respects. although strictly guarded,
! he was treated with great kindness. On
+ the evening of the next day, after rapid
walk of fifty miles, through cedar thick
/ cts, aud over very rocky ground, they
reached the western side of the Laurel
mountain, and beheld, at a little distance,
the smoke Of an Indian encampment-
! His captors now fred their guns, and
raised the scalp halloo This is a long
/ veil for every scalp that has been taken,
followed by rapid succession Of shrill,
quick, piercing shrieks, somewhat resem-
bling laughter in its most excited tones
+ They We're answered from the Indian
camp below, by discharge Of rifles aud a
long whoop, followed by shrill cries of JOY,
and all thronged out to meet the party
Smith expected instant death at their
hands, as they crowded around him but
to his surprise, no one offered him any vi
olence They belonged to another tribe
and entertained the party in their camp
with great hospitality, respecting the pris
oner as the property Of their guests On
/ the following morning Smiths captor's
continued their march and on the eve
ming of the next day arrived at fort Du
Ouesne-now Pittsburgh When within
half a mile of the fort, they again raised
the scalp halloo and fired their guns as
before Instantly the whole garrison was
in commOtion The cannon were fred
the drums were beaten and French and
Indians ran out in great numbers to meet
the party, and partake of their triumph.
Smith was again surrounded by a multi
tude of savages, painted in various colors,
and shouting with delight but their de
meanor was by no means as pacific as
that of the last party he had encountered
They rapidly formed in two long lines,
and brandishing their hatchets, ramrods,
/ switches. &c called aloud upon him to
run the gauntlet. Never having heard of
this Indian ceremony before. he stood a
mazed for fome time, not knowing what
to do; but one of his captors explained
to him that he was to run between the
two lines and receive a blew from each
Indian as he passed, concluding his ex-
PLANTATION BY exhorting him to .'run his
best" as the faster he ran the sooner the
affair would be over This truth was We
~ plain-and young Smith entered upon
his race with great spirit. He was switch
ed very handsomely along the liues for
about three fourths of the distance. the
stripes only acting as a spur to greater
exertions, and he had almost reached the
Iopposite extremity of the line when tall
chief struck him a furious blow with a
club upon the back of the head. and in
stantly felled him to the ground. Rccov-
ering himself in a moment, he sprung to
his feet and started forward again, when
a handful of sand was thrown in his eyes.
which, in addition to the great pain, com
pletely blinded him. He still attempted
to grope his way through, but was again
knocked down and beaten with merciless
severity He soon be came insensible un-
der such barbarous treatment, and recol-
leeted nothing more until he found him
self in the hospital of the fort under the
hands of a French surgeon. beaten to a
Jelly, and unable to move a limb.
Here he was quickly visited By one of
his captors-thc same who had given him
such good advice when about to com
: mence his race. He now inquired with
|. some interest. if he felt very sore. -
Young Smith replied, that he had been
bruised almost to death. and asked what
he had done to merit such barbarity The
Indian replied. that he had done nothing
but that it was the customary greeting Of
the Indians to their prisoners-that it
was something like the English 'how d We
, do 2" and that now all ceremony would be
laid aside, and he would be treated with
kindness Smith inquired if they had
any news of General Braddoek The In,
dian replied that their scouts saw him ev-
cry day from the mountains-that he was
{ advancing in close columns through the
j woods-(this be indicated by placing a
number of red sticks parallel to each
other, and pressed closely together) and
that the Indians would be able 10 shoot
them down @like pigeons"
Smith rapidly recovered. and was soon
able to walk upon the battIements # the
, fort with the aid of stick While en-.
gagged in this exercise, one morning, he