Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1852-06-10
GBGG&GG GJIMD.
Earliest Accounts of Ohio.
COLONEL JOHN SMITH.

published In a pamphlet at Lexington,
Kentucky, in 1899, and his accurate and
intelligent account of the country and
Indians, and his adventures among them
renders it valuable to every one who feels
any interest in the early history of Ohio
We find the following account in the Day
ton Journal
He was taken prisoner by three Ind
ians, in May, 1853, when he was eighteen
years old. about four miles from Bedford
Pennsylvania. His comrade was killed
His captors took him to Fort D1 Qlesne,
where Pittsburg now is, and there made
him run the gauntlet They kept him
there till after Braddock's defeat, which
took place on the 9th of July the same
year. He stood upon the wall Of the fort
on the morning Of the battle, and saw the
Indians receive the ammunition, and march
off to the field with the French and Cana
dians; in all amounting to about 400 -
In the afternoon he saw them return vic
torious, exhibiting the scalps and plunder
they had taken; and in the evening saw
them commence the torture of their pris-
oners, whom they burnt to death
4 few days after the battle, the Indians
took him forty miles up the Allegheny,
to one Of their towns and after remain
ing there three weeks, they went to anoth-
er town on the vest branch of the Musk
ingum. near the position Of Newark where
they adopted him. and traSheli The 1chiis
blood out al him" He then accompan-
led some Of them to the Sciota Salt
Springs, in jackson county, on a hunt,
and after returning to the Muskingum,
went with his adopted brother to Lake
Erie. between Sandusky aud Huran river.
the Indian name of which was Caneadoo-
harie. They remained in that vicinity a
bout 4 year.
In the fall of 1856 he went with anoth-
er of his adopted brothers and a party,
along the lake shore, in canoes, to the
mouth of the Cuayhoga, which they as
cended to the Falls They remained
there until December, making one hunt
over to the Muskingum and back Then
they went to the head waters of Big Bea-
yer, and spent the winter, during which
the snow fell, in a day and night, to the
depth Of three feet
In March, 1857, they returned to the
( Cuayhoga Falls, and descended to the
mouth of the river from which they coast
| ed along the Lake to the mouth Of the
/ Maumce. A few days afterwards, they
sailed to the Detroit river, and ascended
/ to the Wyandot town on the Canada shore,
opposite Detriot. His description of the
[ French settlements on the Canada side,
below Detroit will be recognized as per-
fectly accurate, by any person who may
see them now There has been no change
there in the last hundred years
fVb1,- ro,,o;pol -, n,.~o,. -
November, when they coasted round the
/ Lake to the mouth Of the Maumee The
hunters spread themselves across the land
on the north side Of the river, from it to
the Lake. and drove all game included
within their line, down to the point or
cape. They killed about thirty deer, the
squaws and boys in canoes tomahawking
such as took to the water. They then
went to the Sandusky, and ascended it
until they came to the Plains, towards
the head of the Sciota There they had
what they called ring hunt They
kindled circle of fire in the prairie, and
as it burned towards the centre the game
crowded before it into n smaller space
when the hunters shot them They divi-
ded about ten dear apiece to the hunters
engaged
After this. the company to which Smith
belonged was reduced by various djvis.
ions, until his ouly companions were an
old man and young boy, with whom he
spent the winter on the west branch of the
Sciota, which he calls the Oleutangy. It
is the eastern branch which bears that
name, and this is the only geograp hical
inacuracy in the narrative
The old man soon became lame. and
the support of three devolved on Smith.
/ He succeeded in killing sufficient game
for their wants, until February, i758.when
a crust formed on the snow and the game
could not be approached They were re-
duced almost to starvation, and Smith. af-
ter living on short allowance for several
I days, went out and hunted two days, with
out having anything to eat during the
time. and returned home unsuccessful.
The Indian boy made some broth for
him, of some fox and wild cat bones that
( lay about the camp, which he thought de-
I licous. Next day he started out to hunt
again, when he determined to run off and
/ try to reach Pennsylvania, leaving the
old man boy to their fate When lie had
gone ten or twelve miles. he saw some
I DuudiOtS. ana Uy htdultl9 tHell anu con
cealing himself as they approached, was
I fortunate enough to XIII a COW. He built
a fire and began to roast some of the
meat, but his hunger was so great that he
ate it almost raw When be had satisfied
/ his hunger, his feelings for the old man
aud boy returned, and loading himself
with meat, after securing the rest from
the wolves he went back Next day, on
( his way to bring in another load Of meat,
/ he killed bear. and from that time pro
cured game sufficient to maintain them.
In the spring of 175s, they went to
Detroit again, but soon returned, and
hunted upon the Saudusky and Scioto IN
til the spring Of 1889. In April of that
year they visited Detroit, and went to
Montreal in an elm bark canoe. In July,
he left the Indians privately and got on
board French vessel which had English
! prisoners on board. that were to be ex-
changed They were, however, Ecmoved
to a prison in Montreal. and kept there
four months aud at last were sent TO
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