Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-03-05
MISCE LII A N Y,
The Dccotah's Captive.


The Decotah's Captive.
TALE OF THE LEAD MINES uF IOWA.
While the Spanish colonists ravaged the south
ero portions of North America in guest of gold
and the English planted the germs OF self gov
ern;,.o on the eastern coast, The French were
| mt the aoen,s of home merchants, who enjoyed a
monopoly of the various tra1cs, and were sustain
| ed in the endowment of it by the strong arm OF
military p,wer. To the trading association in
particular, we owe this discovery Of the Missis,
sippi. by the sans Of one OF the members-the ln-
trepid La Sale. 10 this day. lead was first dis.
covered within the present limits OF the State ot
1 Iowa. but the noted Julien Du Buque was tine
The first who taught the Indians to collect the ore
and make an article OF trade OF It, lie was not
only brave but crafty man, and after his death,
the savases in compliance with his dying wish,
Ideposited his remains on the summit OF high
cliff overlooking The Father OF waters" securing
| the mouth of the mansoleum with massive lead
on door Of a ton weight. They then burned his
dwellings and erased every trace OF civilized HE
around his settlement, except the orchards planted
bv his own hands Vandal whites afterwards
en-, up the dunr to sell, but the name oil Du Buque
will ever be remembered in Iowa.
Years passed away. The white flag of France
n, lnnqer waved over the Mississippi valley, and
the b1ld frontiers man. advancing on the fore
m,st wave of civilization, crnssed the river IN
last of lead ore, game and fertile soil. One OF
TIC first settlements thus established, was formed
bv party from Kentucky, led by the grandsire
| II The Younger generation Joe Bates, noble
soecimsn of frontier man-seventy winters had
,rb;,eued his long locks, but he was sull hale aud
hearty able to weid an axe with any of his sons.
nr IN draw bead on rifle with that fatal accuracy
,,f aim which had enabled him To render good
service at the battle OF New Orleans. Selecting
no ID locality on the very shore of the Mississippi,
old Joe and his sons built log ranin, surrounded
bv stockade to keep off the Dacotahs. Then
snrruunded clearing with worm fence, deaden
ed the standing trees by the fatal axe circle, and
,l,,leJ cora When their corn was well above
Ground and freed from weeds they began to 'Pros
pecf for lead ore. ;,
Thus far they had seen no Indians. and began
IN f,t,er themselves that the red skins had left
the country to their peaceful possessun, but the
willy sayaues had kept constant watch upon
Their movements. Perhaps, had they confined
themselves to agricultural labors. the intruders
myh, have gone on unmolested, especially as The
Dacotah's wished To concilia,e the United States
government into a profitable treaty but when
nick axes were welded in search OF lead ore. the
destruction Of the palefaces was resolved upon In
council.
lhe "'s' %,. D., wbn had bnih him a
o'orS' sun, L.J,sd ,,,ds tr,m .bead mar.
,.rs' despite The warnings ot old joe. Frank.
however, haa no .ea' VI ."u'1N; w 80, .'.n
his wife and babe in great hal Plness. nntil one
summers ngh', ""en NC M"s a"af So ii: haJ
lond oafk'hg VI ms ;.a,Sl,.s .nd cav
ne Looked "'l'us" , a" s,,r j,,co,,bs in TnlI war
to his horrol' at ,eaS' NY o 49, 80, ,,.y r.,
c"stume' evlue"'S ~" , ,bs c,h;n Ar1nsing his
torce au en''a"0' IL. ,,a, 1,nr and yas abnm,
wife, ne '"'Se' -, ths ch;Id Che had lett in
II send her uown' ""o" '"' ''''''
oeu "es'" ~ haho che said -
! caaho' 'e',e "y Il ,,iIl take "a q of the boy ,
Nay Nv rAo1'nSo, ,,,n into ,he small cellar
and ''.'i9'' "' "i';,'ra1 dnnr over which he drew
ne c'''eu -. r. sei7;no his fIe and hatch
a large cneS'' iue.' .'ea,'SoJ =, Tho lnft ,f
ct ne tonN'''e ,"'rr"t ~ H. M flor Rim A
the caoih, pu'H's '"e III II ;,s h;hoss
moment more, lhe uooi. M'' '"Ve' - -
and me Oacn'S''s e"'e'oo 9'..,ah ,ha;, ,ova
But bates aiu Nr' -, - h;s sLnnlierS he
'nens' lot 'as"mi - s,n,,ar in the ga ble of the
cautiously "po"'e J,i.ns ,.s,, hsne,tb
lott. anu seeing ''as w "a '';"'I" na,a
jumped 10 NV s'Ne"o ~, IL ,rden tho air
Ete he naa ,E1.s.sep "tS a,I;ngs .,E ,"ue "f The
reS"nnded wu'a '"e oo asra,,s r,nad oronrd
war Nnoop' ""I NJ ,,,, 'no s,rnct him and
'se 'us't'ss h,"pe p,r f ,hs arm So thai he tepr
na' IN i"v V, srsrp nerve ia reach the s,ockade
." su'," ,.,I,ar,s o,h;, Rut ere h. had goue
around MS ''s"e r;S.n,in Indian overlook him
many paugs 60 ., b,y be fac, d his aptauo
Turning Nt H." S'I sn % w,,n the butt Of his rifle
nlst' Snocheu @ "' Nv bs u'a mav Ba, now to bis har,
anu ,"e" sP'a J ,","a hnJv .f the Deco,ahs around
ror. he saw large oouy u '"' Deoo'aIo e1;a.
his fathers dwei''ngs 40 ;,h .,.',''s -" :,
over on to the rOoiS OF lne xod Itui"' =" A''"' ~
which burning Tow was a.'as"vn' g h;s b,v ,,ousod
lie paused 'ne e.rs y. .nd "i' hs G y;fs,s ner
him to sense o' ms OWN o'nse' a'" "s m. -,
'us s''Ga'"n pneJ' LeI .I"r nni safely moored
river, whefe lie Iou''u "'' u'S ~ so,,I.,
he soon was Pauu'lS ao'Tss we a',e nf ,rh;,es
ment where ihefe was 'a'Se nu'hoe' y. s" "t;no
| Day had scarcely uaNHtg w we S"@e0e""s