Plymouth advertiser. [volume] (Plymouth, Ohio) 1853-1988, 1854-02-18
From "Life Of Rev. J. B. Fuller"
The Two Spies.

From "Life Of Rev. j. b. Fuller"
The Two Spies.
As early as the year 1870, the block
house and siockade above the mouth Of
the Hooking river, vas a frontier post
for the hardy pioneers of the Northwest
eIn Territory. There nature was in her
undisturbed livery of dark and thick for
ests, interspersed with green and flowing
prairies. Then the forest had not heard
the sound of the woodman's axe, nor he
plow of the husbandman opened the boz
som of the Garth. Then those prairies
waved their golden bloom to the God of
Nature: and among the most luxurian. OF
these were those which lay along the
Hockhocking Valley, and especially that
portion of it on which the town Of Ian
caster now stands. This place, for its
beauty, its richness of soil, and pictuf-
esque scenery was selected as location
for an Indian village. This afforded a
suitable place for the gambot Of Indian
spor'smen, as we'll as certain spot for
concentrating the Indian warriors.
Here the tribes of the North and West
met to consult, and from this spot led
forth the war path in different directions.
Upon one of these occasions, when the
war>spirit moved nightly among the
sons of Nature, and the toma iawk leap
ed from the belt, and the spirits of their
friends VITO had died in the field of bat
tie. visited the warrior in his night Wis.,
ions, and called loudly for revenge, and
it was ascertained at the garrison above
the mouth of the Hockhocking river, tha.
the Indians were gathering in great mum.
hers for the purpose of striking blow
on some post Of the frontiers. 10 meet
this crisis, two of the most ski led ard in
defatgable spies were dispatched to watch
their movements and report.
M'Cleland and White. two spirits that
never quailed at danger, and as uncon-
querable as the Lybar lion, in the month
of October, on "ne of the balmy days of
Indian summer. took leave of their iel.
plum and hazel bushes with the noiseless
tread of panthers, armed with their un-
erring and trusty rifles. They continued
their march, skirting the prairies, till they
reached that most remark able prominence,
now known by the name of Mount Pleas.
ant. the western termination OF which is
a perpendicular cliff OF rocks of some
hundreds of feet high, and whose summit
from western view, towers to he clouds
and overlooks the vast plains below -
When this point was gained, our hardy
spies held position from which they
could see every movement of the Indians
below in the valley.
/ Every day added new accession o
warriors to tha company. They witness
ed their exercises of horse racing, jump
ing, throwing the tomahawk and dancing
the old sachems looking on with heir In
dian Indifference, the squaws engaged ir
their usual drudgery. and the children en-
gagged in their playful gambpls. The ar
rival of new warrior was greeted witt
terrible shouts, which, striking the mura
face of Mount Pleasant, were driver
back in the various indentations of TIT
surrounding hills, producing reverbera
tions that would havo sent terror to tn
hearts of those unaccustomed to Indial
revelry.
To our spies this was but martial musi
strains which walked their watchfulness
and newly strung their veteran courage
From their early yon'h. they Ind been o.
the frontier, and were well prac,ised il
all the subtility, craft and cunning of In
dian warfare, es we'll as the ferocity an
blood thirsty nature Of these savage wal
riors. They were, therefore, not likel
to be ensnared by their cunning, mol
without desperate conflict, to fall vic
inns TO their scalping knives or toms
hawks. On several occasions small pal
les left the prairie, and ascended tn
mount from the eastern side. On thes
occasr ons, the spies would hide in tn
deep fssures of the rocks on the ives
end again leave their hiding-places, whe
their unlimited and unwelcome visitor
had disappeared.
For food they depended on jerked vel
ison and corn-bread, with which the
were we'll supplied. They dare not ligt
fire, and the report Of one Of their 7
fes, would have brought upon them tt
entire force Of the Indians. For wat
they depended upon some rain which sti
renamed in the ho,lows Of some of tt
rocks but in short time this was e.
hausted, and McClelland and White mu
abandon their enterprise, or find ne
supply. To accomplish this most haza
dous enterprise, McClelland, being Il
oldest, resolved 10 make the attempt, al
with his trusty rife in his hand, and the
two canteens slung across his shoulder
he descended by q circuitous route to Il
prairie, skirting the hill on the mort
|. and under cover of the hazel ,hickets.
i. reached the river, and turning to bo
e point Of the hill, he found beautif
> spring within a few feet Of the river, no
II known by the name of Cold Spring, I
the farm of D. Talmadge, Esq.
> filled his canteens and returned in safe
to his ,waschful companion. 1t was no