Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-02-17
masbingtan Sentinel,
The Two Spies.

and stockade above the mouth of the Hooking
river was a frontier post for the hardy pioneers
of the Northwestern Territory. There Nature
was in her undisturbed livery Of dark and thick
forests, interspersed with green and Towering
prairies Then the forest had not heard the
sound Of the woodman's axe, nor the plough of
the husbandman opened the bosom of the
earth Then those beautiful prairies waved
their golden plumes to the God Of nature; and
among the most luxpriant Of these were those
that lay among the Hockhocking valley, and
especially that portion of II on which the town
of Lancaster now stands.
Here the tribes of the north and west met to
counsel, 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 tomahawk
leaped in its scabbard, and the spirits of their
friends who had died in the field Of battle visited
the warrior in his nightvisions and called loudly
for revenge, it was ascertained at the garrison
above the mouth Of the Hockhocking river, that
the Indians were gathering in great numbers
for the purpose of striking blow on some Of
the frontiers. To meet this crisis, two Of the
most skilled and indefatigable spies were de-
spatched to watch their movements and report.
McCleland and White, two spirits that never
quailed at danger, and as unconquerable as the
Lybian lion in the month of October and on
one of the balmy days of Indian summer took
leave of their fellows and moved on through
the thick plum and hazel-bushes, with the
noiseless tread Of panthers, armed with their
unerring and trusty rifles. They continued
their march, skirting the prairies, till they
reached that most remarkable prominence
now known by the name Of Mount Pleasant,
the western termination Of which is perpen-
dicular cliff of rocks of some hundreds Of feet
h,r,1, o,,1
towers to the clouds and overlooks the vast
plains below. When this point was gained,
our hardy spies had Q position from which they
could see every movement Of the Indians below
in the valley.
Every day added new accession OF warriors
to the company. They witnessed their exercises
of horse-racing, running foot-races, jumping,
throwing the tomahawk, and dancing the old
sachems looking on with their Indian indiffer-
ence, the squaws engaged in their usual druid
gerry, and the children engaged in their playful
gambols. The arrival of new warrior was
greeted with terrible shouts, which, striking the
mural face of Mount Pleasant, were driven
back in the various indentations of the sur
rounding hills, producing reverberations and
echoes as if ten thousand fends were gathered
at a universal levee. Such yells would have
struck terror to the hearts Of those unaccus-
toned to Indian revelry.
To our spies this was but martial music
strains which walked their watchfulness, and
newly strung their veteran courage. From their
early youth they had always been on the from
tier, and were well practised in all the subtlety,
craft, and cunning of Indian warfare, as well
as the ferocity and bloodthirsty nature of these
savage warriors They were, therefore, not
likely to be ensnared BY their cunning, nor
without a desperate conflict, to fall victims to
41,n,,. ~
raj occasions small parties left the prairie and
ascended the mount from the eastern side. On
these occasions the spies would hide in the
deep fssures of the rocks on the west, and again
leave their hunting-places when their uninyited
and unwelcome visitors had disappeared.
For food, they depended on ierked venison
and corn bread, with which their knapsacks
were well stored They dared not kindle fire,
and the report of one of their rifles would have
brought upon them the entire force of the In
dians. For drink, they depended on rain water
which still stood in the hollows of some of the
rocks but in q short time this storewas exhaust
ed, and MCleland and White must abandon
their enterprise or find new supply. To accom-
plish this most hazardous enterprise, M'Cle-
land, being the Oldest, resolved to make the
attempt; and, with his trusty rife in his hand
and their two canteens strung across his shoul
ders, he descended by circuitous route to the
prairie skirting the hill on the north, and un-
der cover Of the hazel thickets he reached the
river, and, turning bold point Of the hill, he
found beautiful spring within few feet ofthe
river, now known by thename Of the Cold
spring, on the farm of d. Talmadge, esq., He
filed his canteens, and returned in safety to his
watchful companion. 1t was now determined
to have q fresh supply Of water every day, and
this duty was performed alternately.
t@ On ono of thaea oooo oo;o,s ~, yVI,.4a 4
filled his canteens, he sat a few moments watch
ing the limpid element as it came gurglng out
of the bosom Of the earth, when the light sound
of footsteps caught his practised ear, and upon
turning around he saw two squaws few feet
from him. On turning upon the foot of the
HILL the eldest squaw gave one of those far
reaching whoops peculiar to Indians. White
at once comprehended his perilous situation
If the alarm should reach the camp or town, he
and his companion must inevitably perish
Selfpreservation compelled him to inAict a
noiseless death on the squaws, and in such q
manner as, if possible, to leave no trace behind
Ever rapid in thought and prompt in action,
he sprang upon his victims, with the rapidity
and power Of a lion, and grasping the throat Of
each sprang into the river. He thrust the head
of the eldest under the water. While making
strong efforts to submerge the younger, who,
however, powerfully resisted him, and during
the short struggle with this young athletic to
his astonishment, she addressed him in his own
language, though in almost inartculate sounds.
Releasing his hold, she informed him that
she had been prisoner for ten years, and was
taken from below Wheeling; and that the In
dians had killed all the family, and that her
brother and herself were taken prisoners but
he succeeded on the second night in making
his escape. During this narrative, White had
drowned the elder sona,v.to,,J h,,l l.. L - a..
off with the current, where il would probably
not be found out soon. He now directed the
girl to follow him, and, with his usual speed
and energy, pushed for the mount They had
scarcely gone half way, when they heard the
alarm-cry some quarter of mile down the
stream. II was supposed some party of In.
dians, returning from hunting, struck the river
just as the body of the squaw Aoated past
White and the girl succeeded in reaching the
mount where M'Cleland had been no indiffer,
ent spectator to the sudden commotion among
L. la. y 5e.