The North-Carolinian. [volume] (Fayetteville [N.C.]) 1839-1861, 1856-05-24
NORTH CAROLINIAN.
An Indian Tragedy.
EfFETTETHLE,

! The incident recorded below. and which is of
recent occurrence, has been copied from one of
our estern exchanges:
| Logan tontanellc, chief of the Omahas
has Just been slain and scalpcd at Lonp Fork.
ny 4 band OF Sioux Logan was a noble fellow
ana ~ inns last mortal conflict, he dispatched
several OF the enemy to the spirit land before to
heraIe the coming of his own soul He fought
iohg, desperately, and with good effect, but
numbers hnaliy overcome him, and his life de-
parted through a hundred wounds. He died a
martyr to his people, and his should be
carved upon fames brightest tablet.
! lie was on his annual hunt with his nation.
a number his lodges were pitched upon the
/ plains near Lenp Fork As u yo-t,s WARRIOR
one day rode around tho adjacent hills, he
espied powerful band Of Sioux encamlsets along
{: stream in sequestercd vale. He shastencd
to inform Logan of the proximity and power
OF their natural foe. Logan ordered his people
to back Immediately, aud proceeded i'll straight
line, with all speed for home, while he would
remain behind and divert the Sioux, by false
camp fires and other devices, from IL different
pursuit of them This was about twilight.
The people got under way as quickly as posSi-
BILE, but not too soon; for scarcely had they
turned highland, when several Sioux warriors
came in sight and discovered the place of their
recent cncampment. They examined it and
found that the Omaias had been there, and
| they then returned to notify their chief and
| bring an adequate force to pursue and slaughter
! them.
Logan from hiding place, saw all, and
knew that no time was to be lost in drawing
their attention from the trail, which they would
| soon discover and follow, and mounting his
horse he dashed away at full speed across the
prairles, at right ges with the route his
tribe had taken, and struck fire about eight
| miles distant, on eminence where the Sioux
could distinctly see it. He had scarcely done
so before a powerful band were the spot he
| and his people had just left, and who without
stopping to distinguish the trail, started for the
| fire, which they saw rising against the clear,
| blue sky, and where they expected, in another
/ moment, to imbruc their hands in the gore of
| their unguar,cd victims. But Logan had not
| been unwary. AS the fire was lighted,
! he again mounted and rode eight or ten miles
| further and kindled another fire just they
| reached the first. This rather bewil,lere,i
them. They dismounted and examined the
ground Logan anticpa ting this, had trotted
| and walked his horse around it, so as to make
| the appearance upon the grass of treadi,,g of a
| dozen horses; and this drew them into the
belief that small body had fingered behind
and knded this fire. and then gone where they
could see the new fire burning; and so they
followed with renewed avidity The same
thing happened as before. Logan had gone on
| and another fire met their aStonished gaze
while the same sort of foot prints were abont
the one around which they were gathered
Their suspicious were How awakened They
| examined the ground more closely, both far
and near, and discovered that solitary horse
man had deceived them, and they knew it was
for the sole purpose of leading them off from the
party whose encampment they had first dis
covered.
Logan was then going round with glarng
torches, and understood their object, and knew
that his only chance of safety was in immediate
flight towards his home, and he further knew
that by the time they could retracc their
way to their place of starting, and find the trail
that his own people had taken, they would be
beyond the reach of danger.
The Sioux, in the meanwhile, had divided
into small bands, the largest of which was to
return and pursue the Omahas, and the others
to endeavor to capture the one they had missed
They knew that he must be Omaha and
that he would either go further and kindlc
another watcl,-lire, or start for his nation in
straight line, and therefore one party went Il
little further, and the others spread towards
the Omaha country, for the purpose of inter
cepting him.-Logan passed forward as fast as
his jaded stecd could bear him, until he though
he had entirely eluoed them, but the day
dawned, to his horror aud disuay, he saw his
purSuers close upon his track. He turned his
course for rarinc which he distinguished at a
distance covered with trees and undergrowth
He succeeded in reaching 1t, and just within its
verge he met an Indian girl dipping water from
a spring. She was startled, and about to cry
for help, when he hastily assured her that he
needed protection and assistance. With the
true instinct Of Il noble woman she apprcc in ted
his situation in an instant, and all her sympa-
tllics were with him. She directed him to dis
mount and 30 to a small natural bower to which
she pointed him, in the verge of the woods,
while she would mount his horse and lead his
pursucrs-Hc obeved her, and she mounted his
horse and dashed on i'll serpcntinc way
through the woods, leaving marks along the
bushes by which she could be traced.
The pursuers soon followed When she had
cot some distance down the branch, sh" rode
into the water and followed its descending
course for few steps, making her horse touch
its sides and leave footprints in that direction,
and then turned up the stream aud rode above
.he place at which, she entered it, without eav-
in.r a trace and back to where Logan con-
ceaIed She told Him to mount and speed
away, while his pursuers were going in con-
trary direction down the ravine. He did SO,
and got long distance out of sight, and again
thought himself out of the reach of danger
when in IL valley just in front of him, he saw
6fty braves coming up the hill to meet him.
They were some of those WHO were returning
from the pursuit Of his people He changed
his direction and tried to escape, but his poor
horse was too much exhausted to bear him with
sufficient speed. With savage Wells they
plunged their rowels into their horses sides, and
gained upon him. AS the foremost approached
within rood shooting distance T,oran turned