New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-11-25


ernor, promising to return him when they
should require. A slight additional remunera
ton, afterwards paid to the Indians, completed
the ransom of Kenton, who accompanied Cap
tain Druyer to Detroit, and about year after
wards escaped and returned to Kentucky
AN INCIDENT IN THE WAR OF 1872.
At the battle Of Plattsburgh, in 1872, during
the din and uproar Of the heavy cannonade on
lake and on land, there appeared before the
commanding officer an unknown Indian, clad
in the widest savage costume, covered with
paint, and armed to the teeth, who gave intor-
nation of the approach through the woods, ON
the south bank Of the Saranac, of consider
able body Of the British, accompanied by a
small band of Hurons or Canadian Indians,
who acted as guides and scouts.
1t is well known that one column of the Brit
ish army, under command of General Brisbane,
had approached Plattsburgh from the west,
along the Beckmantown road, to the north of
the Saranac The Amer lean army was now
entrenched on the south bank, in the angle of
the river and the lake 1t will therefore be
readily understood that the approach Of this
force would place the Americans in a position
| sufficiently critical, to say nothing of the dan
gers to which they were already exposed.
The information brought by the savage was
too important to be wholly overlooked, and yet
came in too suspicious a manner to be wholly
! trusted. The officer, therefore, interrogated
the messenger.
ssWho are you, my friends" said he
Mohican,'' was the laconic reply.
sWhats you name?" 9-1
" Stockbridge Hank"
s'Where did you come from, and why are you
here?" t
ssIndian come from Dutch rivers.'' sl
'sBut why are you here'" inquired the
officer.
.sWhy are the Mingoes in the woods' Can
the captain tell me thats" replied the savage,
| his eyes flashing fire.
| "Does any body know this person ~ asked
the Sofhcer, turning to the bystanders--but no
| one knew him.
ssWhat do you want me to do, then % said
the officer, still looking upon him with sus-
picion.
| ssTake four, seven, ten soldier replied the
savage, holding up both his hands and spread,
| ing his fingers, g take 'em and wait for Mingoes
| in the wood.
sHe's right, by Jove," said the officer; the
men are too few to have an ambush laid for
them, and we need q picket of that kind. The
redskin must be friendly after all. Let nine
picked men, headed by corporal, 60 with him
but let them be watchful and be on their guard,
and let me be informed of the first approach Of
| an enemy in that direction"
| The officer turned away. The men were
| quickly detailed; and guided by the Indian
| they took their silent way through the woods
| up the south bank of the Saranac, down which
the new hostile force was reported to be coming
They moved forward rapidly for about half an
hour, when the Indian began to proceed with
more caution, and to listen for every unusual
sound which disturbed the forest At last, put
ting his ear close to the ground, he listened fol
a moment, and then, rising quickly up, he made
a rapid sign for the soldiers to betake them
selves to a neighboring thicket which borderet
q small creek flowing into the river. The mel
concealed themselves among the bushes as quick
as possible, while the Indian stealthily crawlei
to a position somewhat more advanced, conceal
ing himself behind the trunk Of fallen tree
He had epjoined on them not to fire OF make
any noise until they should receive from him {
certain signal. For some distance forward from
the place where he lay, the woods were tolera
bly, clear OF underwood, and kind Of patl
skirted the bank of the river, and crossed th
creek near its mouth, about ten rods from tn
} place where the soldiers were concealed. From
the position the Indian occupied, this pass wa
in full view In order to cross the stream, an,
one going along that path had to descend abou
ten feet almost perpendicularly so that whil
he was in the bed of the brook, he could not b
seen by those who should happen to be any dis
tance behind. zt5
The soldiers had not been in ambush long
: when by a quick sign the scout gave them I
. understand that some one was approaching
They soon saw an Indian coming along at
rapid, though silent pace, toward the crossing
He had just got nearly in view, when at q dis
! tance of two rods behind came another, and {
on to the number of seven. They were all
war paint, and armed with rifles and toma
hawks The soldiers were all attentive to tn
Il nn Of hair nf
/ moment to receive the signal to fire. To thei
/ surprise, however, they saw him lay down b
f gun and draw from beneath the log long bo
Y and bundle of flint headed sharp-pointed al
9 rows He then turned himself about under IL
. log until he faced the pass in the creek.
: The strange Indians appeared to move forwar
, without any hesitation or suspicion. The for'
most one coming to the pass dropped at once
!, cross it, At this moment the guide was ol
e served to pull his bow with quick and power
: full effort, and SO rapidly as almost to clue
: sight, an arrow was sped upon its mission
n death. The stranger was seen to drop into ii
s middle of the brook, but not cry issued fro
d his mouth Quick as lightning the Mohican al
s justed an arrow to his bow, SO that as soon
: the second Huron dropped down to cross Il
pass, he too, was observed to reel and fall witt
: out groan.
In the same manner was the third and IL
b into the fatal ditch They were so close to eat
% other, and the whole scene passed off with sui
: silence and rapidity, that neither of them hs
+ observed the fate Of his comrades until he he
g met his own The sixth Indian, however, beir
q q little more behind than the others, seemed
e little surprised that he did dot see them in vie
h on the other bank. For this reason he d
l. scended with little more hesitation into Il
l. gully. He was Immediately aware OF the ho
rible fate that had arrested their footsteps al
l. sileneed their tongues. He endeayored to +
le coil, butit was already too late A fatal miss
le was on the wing for him; he was. struck Ii
y, the rest, but not with immediate death, and
ID had time to raise in the depth Of the forest o
lie Of those appalling yells Of warming and Of rs
m which announced among the people of his ra
ID the presence of mortal danger
re The soldiers still looked upon this tearf
ID scene in astonished silence, entranced by I
to murderous magic which took place before the
" When the stiffness and the spell were broken