Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-05-30
LIEUT.. BUYD BEFORE COL. BUTLER:
An INCIDENT OF SAVAGE FoRsEARANcE AND cIy-
ILIzED yINDiCTtYENkss.s

The fearful massacre in the Valley
, Of Wyoming caused a thrill of horror
throughout the country. and universal
cry OF vengeance rose on every hand -
Government awoke to the necessity OF
striking blow which should teach the
savages. and their more barbarous coaa
jntors. the blood thirsty Tories. that. if
slow to defend, it was powerful to revenge:
If weak to prevent. it was strong to pun
/ ish such iuhuman acts Accordingly an
army of five thousand meu was assemb-
led. in the fall of l779, for the purpose
of penetrating the Indian country. in
! Western New York and DESTROYING the
nest of vipers at Nlagara, the head quar-
ters whence the Ind ans dreH their SUP
i plies and receiv, their rewards The
expedition was under command of Gen
Sullivan and embraced. among other
corps, part of Morgan's rifemen. Af
ter severe battle at Cunewawah (uow
/ Elmira Sullivan pushed destroying
everything in his way, until be reached
Little Beardstown. where was a deep
stream which required bridging before
tie army could cross While waiting
here, Lieutenant Boyd, of the rifle corps
"a Young officer of great promise.-was
sent. with twenty-six meu, across the riv
er to reconnoi;re Piloted By faithful
! Indian guide, Bnvd aud his party reach
ed the village which they found deserted
although ii was evident the Indians had
recently been there as their fires were
still burning Night was approaching
when Boyd had completed his recoAaois
utice. and he concluded To encamp on the
! ground where he was In the morning
as the first dawE ilIumiued the east some
/ of his men were on their feet. aud ap
preaching the village. discovered Two In
dianS Shaking about. Oue of these was
shot and seal ped by a man named Mar
/ phv, who could never forego a shot a. an
! Indian. even when he endangered lis own
life thereby Su>pectinE, from the pres
erce of these. that more Indians might
be in his neigh borhood and having per
/ formed the duty assigned to him. Boyd
commenced to retrace his steps He soon
discovered, however that large party of
the enemy chiefly Indians were lying iii
ambush between him and the army -
Sccing that his case was desperate one,
and having 10 other alternative he de-
termined to cut his way through. if posi-
be Forming his men in solid pha.aux,
aud cheering them by his voice aud ex-
: ample, lie led to the attack The first
Charge was unsuccessful and singular
as 1t may seem. not a man of the little
party was killed. although they were op-
posed By some five hundred savage war
rior> aud Tories The second aud third
attacks were more unfortunate. almost all
of TIE party being killed, while o.ly two
or three succeeded in getting through.
/ Bovd. and ii man named Parker were ia
! ken prisoners on the spot and some few
fell as if dead and thus escaped as the
! Indians were too busy in following the liv-
my to trouble the dead
As soon "a Bayd found himself in the
hands of the bloodthirsty and reveuge-
tnl Tories he demanded an interview with
| Brandt the Indian leader. preferrus
to throw himself upon his we'll known
cleneucy, rather than to trust t. The gen
| erosity or forbearance of his Tory col
| league The chief being near presented
himself; when Boyd. giving a Masonic
sign aud grasping his hand gave him the
grip of master Mason and claimed his
protection Brandt, being a Mason. re
i cognized both, and claimed the two pris
oners as his own. promising and assuring
them that their lives should be spared
And 50, indeed. would they have been. had
not Brandt been called away from the
camp. on duties Of Importance requiring
his attention Whether there was a ruse
t" draw him away. is not aud cannot be
known for certainty; but advantage was
taken of his absence. by Colonel Butler
to endeavor to extort from the prisoners
under threat of torture, information re
garding Sullivan's army
Reader accompany me to the council
house of the village, where was assembled
group worthy the pencil Of the mos.
skilful artist
Before table on whirh was scattered
maps papers. writing materials. etc was
seated snort. feshv. Ill formed man
: whose head Extraordinarily considered)
gave token of al the animal passions. and
bur few of the neral or intellectual fac
ultIes. and whose features were express
Sive as his bead of all the peculiarities o.
his nature. which was cruel in the extreme
His dress was the uniform Of the Royal
Greens Of which regiment he was tn,
Colonel This was Colonel Butler =
Opposite to him sat an ad-de-canp, pre-
pared to commit to paper the statement
of the prisoner
In front of Butler. kneeling upon ore
knee. was the light active form of Lieut.
b ,yd His white hunting shirt brough,
htm out In bold relief from the dusky
FIRMS Of the savages, two of whom held
him in their grasp. while behind him
stood the stalwart form of Little Beard
the most vindcitire and cruel of the al
lies If Britain He was distinguished
for his dia holicai inveutiop in torturino 9
prisoner aud whenever such scenes were
tn be enacfed he was master of ceremo
nies With one hand tvned in the long
hair of Boyd's head. he welded in the
other a tomahawk which was raised C
strike the death blow on the signal from
Butler Behind him stood the other
prisoner Parker in the hands Of fourth
savage Several warriors and Soldier,
completed this group of fearful import
This INCIDENT. although painful in il. details
aud calculated 70 harrow the feelings It's Perus
I 1T. ,afSo