Weekly Council Bluffs bugle. (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1857-1860, 1857-12-23
> GBristnas stap.
OLD DCROsS-FIRE:
= Story of BOrdsx a.iss !
Rv oRo. M'KnxmAx.

A&% S&xiy Elss9EY u kSC& W Ns22ESI
HHginis is rife wiik inuidans ea rensn
TIC character. The extraordinary psRse.
vsFsnes and courage which chaRneserised
tbs pioneers Of thRk region al eountwy
and the almeSs incredible suHsrings theg
were compelled to sAdnre, are psxhass,
without = parallel IA the history oE say
country bus ear own, While many Il
ah0se who penetrated far into tha Wsss-
SKa wilas went thither 10 hew d0wn khs
forest trees, Aad make tha wilasRness as
sums ths ehsarful aspes4 Of the aheaa ID
clVillmea uAn, q Large RambsE Of per.
sons we're attracted TO that country sole
iy By tha lore Of dangerous adventure,
and foadness FOR living In state ol
comparative Mnrestralnt frum the fogza
Of social life. The latter class Of ad.
EentureEs. thoagh not 90 Ranazoas a
The 6rst, furnished most Of the hageas oi
those desperate PaEtixan rsneo unssrH
Wiih the natives, which occupy 90 large
Il space in the annals Of the West
Durihg the Brst eight years Of that
long and bloody war with the savage
tTlbes, WHICH commenced in the year Of
ITI4, the settlements on the upper por-
tlon Of the Ohio river seem 10 have been
peculiarly obnoxious to the Indians,
Several furious assaults were mAds by
large bodies of AIiugok. WyaAdnka, and
ShAwasss, apen Fort wheeling, &nd
other stuekads forts in thai vicinity, and
parties OF marauders were continually J
prowling about the settlements, employ
ing themselves in burning hoasaa, de-
stroyiug the crops, driving OF cattle,
and numbering the people Is frequently
rs oceasion offered.
Amsng the most notorious Of the ls@d.
ers Of thesa savage bEigands, was Ma
gs Chief, called By tie settlers, "0ld
Gross Fige'a~-R&s 50 Eauek ca account Of
his years. as from the circumstances OK
his iriaR his rife from HE left shoulder.
The chief st the head Of his party had
committed numsrous dsprsdasisns on
the settlements, but alwsys succeeded in
escaping unharmed, dsspiks the many
exeTtions made by the huatsrs to &yrsss
his infnriate career. Old Cross-F FiRs
was an expert woods@an and aaaay q
boEdsxeR was willing to bear testimeay
&s his surprising skill IS . EnarksmGn.--
lie lad frequently Soms in SoliisieS with
Majog MsCulloeh, Lewis Wetzsl, and
Other famous Indian hRnteTs but all
their strataggEn and prowess was vAinly
exegssd the Mingo invariably caxne OF
anseakhsd, and vas emhoidsnsd 70 In
hict hia acts Of Eanton sEueisy with in
creased tsnerity. His psEsoa wss 10.
miliaF to naost Of the settlers BE VA
of hsFcnlean fabric, ais height being
several inches over s.x feet and every
wgrs of kis vast frama waa bulls in ID
SairabIe proportion, il We axesps hiI
arms, which like those Of Rob Rsy As.
Grsxsg, ware 80 long that
assnsshlsf osssa ssena Ia asssshs Hassas
Ard talEB ETtp bis khesA" ...
He carried q rife Of mOrN thaa ordinary
weighs, which he aEoss-aTsd from tn
Isfs shaaideT, and though contrary 70 tha
comm0n rude, with aimoss anyArying 30
cur1ey and esec4. a..-..--
AT ths tins Of the incident about 70 b
rglss&d. the Indians had in . grsaa meas.
are esased the hostile axsaEaions inkG
Wsasara Virginia Most Of thsm had n
sira1 fuEtk@ Waty TO opsFgte Agsinss In
aetslsmsnas en- the loves ssetsea uf sha
Ohios
Kyau Old CFcss-Rira himsslk who lin,
,ssrsd aboat Whssling long after hil
sawny comrades had eh&ngsd their sea
of war. vas now selaom spoken of b
the seEtisra. The prevailing idea wa
Ehak he had f0raaksR his old thsztxs q
operations for another thaa promiaad |
bstsaT remuneration feT his s0sls. Th'
only individual who disssnked fron 1hii
spinion, was Lewis Weasel, csas Of thl
nseas sasseasfal Indian scouts knOwms
saxsl was psrh&ps, posAssssd Of mor'
ghOsSagh knowledge of the character ans
habita 81 the Mingo chief, thar suy 9th
sr whikH man on the border, Tor he haa
bssn Q witness OF his arafkT moTszasnt
whsn be8ss BIZ kiA snsmiss, The ehie
had long been The sbieee Of Vessels ha
tired and shopgh hs hsd sssen laid assl
ais plans 10 enansfs hias the waly sas
age slw4ys founa msans g fFaseEss
them.
In the coarse Of his Eseeas ramblss i
the eeunsxy, WsGxai EFeensatiy discover
ed some pasuf1ax marx Of ssgm whiea
eonarmsd him "a the s0ngi ie2ion AhAa "a
Indian had not Lett klas nsiahbsgh9od =
His frisnd1 sndsaseFsa 70 puxsaa8s hi
shat be was mistAkGn; bot hs reselasas
Adhegea TO hia opinian, aMd dselAssa !
wamld yss Fhs ahs asssh Of shs suEssd Oh
Fsd dag
As Wssxsl eonla not eomvimee che sol
aAaxs that Old CrsRs-kirs was pee Inxa
ing about sAs neighbogs0ed, he sssss
20 msntisn his nanas bat asvse aliows
q wssk 10 slapse wfthpas kakiag 4 saas
throagh the eoansgy In khe hope al eos
iug ia contact with him.
Tks settlers, howsEsx, lallea aswn i
90 sssarity, and apprshsasiye e4 % In
psnAinG dagger, engaged N saEs5salsaRs
pursuits. Thsy sleaFnA fAs TZsA hsssas
lands, kuiIa ecclesiastical fanass, plamsa
THAR Germ and peseseas. end ae6m rms
Mn aiR Of eoMSoFa, azd peozsiss IT pIss
By, 70 thesE iafkns ses<z exnsns. Ttsi
ixaglsmenss og wa wsfs t6rown asalze !
aFstelea no Eomger uBokai. a mac IL ~
txMss vas oeeas iamally sasm Mslh kza ska
upoa hia sh0uIdaE. hSa - askaz DMER10z
was had II vssw Ehan "a skses ! der !
@ rid kMxkey.
AAaus tbs tsaMs . gaMaK mam 2ss.
aasA IL kha Alaazhaaias assaxsA ak =
wkaeAiAR 80 zaS@aaass Ms $50 - eal
81 the saseass joas@sw sssasN ~ mswl