The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-12-29
YHEK AS HI u M B &c IN. O N. I

This was ON the right. But, the left was terri
bly, CALLED by the fire of the Indians who lay
hidden in the bushes, completely o~utianking
us. Dennison ordered his men TO change their
position, falling back so as to present their
front to the enemy The order was misunder-
stood to be a command to retreat, and the en-
tire wing fell into confusion. In vain Butler
endeayored to, restore confidence. Hpon't leave
me, my children he Gied, riding between
the fires, rs.and the victory win be ours ]" 1t
was, too late. The indians sprang. from their
coyerts in overwhelming numbers, and rushed
on the wavering ranks, Wit. fearful yells. 4
few men stood firm. "Se p said Westover TO
George Cooper, "our men are retreating shall
we go too "Ill have one more shot," was
the reply, and an Indian fell dead. "Now,
come y said Westoyer, "IIl load first, answer
ed Cooper. Before he had time to do this the
Indians had dashed forward after the fugitives,
leaving him behind unarnied. 73
The right stood their ground a little longer.
"The day is lost" said an officer to Captain
Hewitt the Indians are sixty rods in our rear;
shall we retreat ?" 'sNo,' replied Hewitt, with
an oath. drummer, strike up p'3 The words
had hardly been spoken when he fell dead,
striving to rally his men. 1T was all in vain:
the odds against them were too great. In half
AN hour from the firing of the first shot, all was
lost. The fugitives, cut off from the fort by
the fanking party of Indians, flung away their
arms and fed towards the broad river. Some
swan and escaped. Others were shot Town or
taken prisoners and reserved for torture. OF
the three hundred and twenty who marched out
that afternoon, two hundred were killed in the
fight or the pursuit, or were massacred during
the night. six captains led their companies
into action;allwer killed atthe head oftheirmen.
Butler was among the last to fly. As he
galloped after the ~fugitives he overlook Rufus
Bennett, a lad of seventeen. hotly pursued by
two. Indians, one of whom was close upon him.
The youth laid hold of the long tail of his COM
mander's horse to aid him IN his fight. The
pursuers kept at their speed and hardly lost.
ground. They were sure that the boy could
not keep his,hold, and would fall an easy prey
Just then Butler caught sight of Richard In
man, one of the best shots in the valley, who
had fallen behind on the march, and had not
been engaged in the fight. "Inman," he shout
ed, "shoot that Indianp The rifle rose with
a steady aim-the foremost Indian fell dead
his comrade turned back, and the boy escaped.
with the tidings of the disaster, crossed the
riyer the next day to the fort at Wikesbafra,
and, seating his wife behind him on the horse,
from the valley. He had fought brayely
during the war, and had abundant reasons for
not wishing to be made a prisoner.
Some of the f~ugitives swan over to None
easy Island, whittier they were followed by their
pursuers and killed. Among these was Henry
Pencil, whese brother John was among the
Tories. The tory caught a glimpse of his
hidden among the willows. $50, it is
he said, presenting his gun. The fugi-
begged for his life, promising to serve his
brother as long as he lived. A this is mighty
WE'LL" replied the brother; 'but you are a
damned rebel ;" and shot him dead on the spot.
The Indians themselves were struck with hor
and looked with suspicion ut the fratricide.
When the tories were finally driven from the
country, he went to Canada. There he was
twice attacked by wolves, and rescued by the
Indians. They came to regard him as stricken
with a curse, and resolved thereafter to leave
him to his fate. ale too wicked" they said
no more help him." He was a third
lime attacked by a pack of wolves. The In
lians, true to their resolution, would not save
him, and he was torn in pieces by the wolves.
The morning of the 4th of July broke gloom
ly over the Valley of Wyoming. Butler
Forty Fort to surrender. The terms
II equalization were soon arranged. The in
were to give up their arms, surrender
he public stores, and remain neutral during
he war, retaining peaceful possession of their
arms, and Butler was to use his influence to
preserve their property from plumber. On the
morning of the 9Th, Butler with his rangers,
marched IN at one gate, and the Indians at an
'ther. The Seneca chief glared around suspi-
iously, as though apprehending a snare
Queen Esther addressed Denison in a taunting
manner, but was checked by the British COM
handler. "Women should be seen not heard"
aid he. Among the prisoners he saw Boyd, a
eserter from the British. 'Boyd," he said to
i'm, ego to that tree !" The poor fellow claim
d to be treated as a prisoner of war. eco to
he tree, sir y repeated Butler, sternly. He
beyed and was shot Town at a signal from But
err. No other life was taken after the c%apitula-
ion. The stories of subsequent massacres
'hich were reported at the time, and which
lade their way into the histories of the day,
nd have since been repeated, were sheer fabri-
atoms. {
Butler soon found that in guaranteeing tbs
roperty of the people he had promised more t
ian he could perform. The Indians laid hands t
everything which came in their way and took i
hatever they could lay their hands on.
Butler with his troops, soon left the valley.
he Indians scattered themselves in every d.
'etion destroying everything which they could
OF carry off. The cattle were turned into the 4.
,rnfelds, the houses were plundered and burn I
l. A few that stood near the fort at Wilkes v
ARA were spared, but every other dwelling in
lie valley was destroyed. II
In a few weeks the f~ugitives began to return, a
order to secure such of their crops as had I
capped destruction. In October they under
ok to gather the remains of their comrades
no had fallen and to give them a-decent bu- o
al. The weather had BEEN so hot and dry that n
&c mutilated corpses were shriveled up, and
II
They could only be recognized by the cloth
G that remained upon them. They were ia c.
N up with pitchforks, and deposited in a
'mmon grave, which remained unmarked for J
ore than a half a century. AT last a granite
onument was erected over the spot, bear
g appropriate inscriptions, and recording the