New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1861-04-29
An incident or inc WAX III rsFs

About the middle of December, rs I2 tile aasris8
son in charge of Fort Niagara at Tie mouth of
Niagara river, was surprised by a large party of
British and Indians, whereby the afnaFieaH from
tier, from Youngstown to Buffalo, was laid 0Iea til
the fepredat1ons of the sagagea.
One OF the most feHrishing American villages D1l
the Niagara, was leWistoWn. situated Oh ths Mia
CARA. situated opposite to the Canadian village of
Queenstown; and AZ the inhabitants of EawissoWu5
had been active in the defence Of The frontier the
enemy doomed the place To speedy destruction
!, When the names and snloka was ascending ffafas
the Wanton conttagratien Of Youngstown and the
parties OF villagers flying from the Taurdeaeaa saw
ages, notified the people Of LeHistuHH Of what
would soon be the tate Of their own homes and
families, every one was thrown into the utmost CON
| fusion and alarm, and sought safety in @
| Among the last to escape were two brothers
named LQthrop and Bates Cook, the former of
whom, few days previous, had had his right leg
amputated above the knee, and was now q help
less invalid. F$4
Lothrop, who in his crippled condition Ind no5
hope OF escaping the scalping knife of the aaYages
begged his brother to leave him and Gg for his life
But the generous man had no such Intention
With all the haste possible, BateH, after getting
the team and sleigh to the door, managed % drag
the bed, on which his brother lay, apon the ue-
hicle; and throwing in clothing and such other me-
eessares as came nearest to hand. started OF the
rear OF the flying fugitives. But 50 rough was the
ground, that the wounded youth could endure no
other than the sloWest motion.
Bates, therefore, found it necessary for him to
restrain his team to the sloHest walk, while he
could in his rear the flames bursting cut bf the
doors and windows of the house they had ist QUIT
ted, and the yeils and whoops Of the drunken
Indians rang with startling effect in his ears.
House after house was fired, and before the
young men had reached the top of the hill on their
way out of the place, the entire village Tas wrap
ped in flames.
They could see the painted warriors wild with
drink, and bedecked with the pinnaer Of the
stores dancing and bowling IN the streets like 10
many inGarnate demons; and mingled here and
there among them, and lodging in and cut of the
burning buildings their British associates, ID
bnsly engaged in the work Of plumber as The saw
ages while obscene oaths and drunken songs at
tested their Internal joy.
On the other hand, as they moved slowly along
they could see teams and gronps Of their neighbors
and friends I. disappearing rapidly II the distance,
Whe. tney were forced to move along slowly and
exposed to the first party Of drunken and infIr
ated savages who might espy them.
Moving thus along, they had proceeded some
thing like half mile from the smoking village
when on ascending an enlinence, Bates was
startled by fierce War-Whnop In their rear and to
his horror discovered a band of savagea in pursuit
of them, and wildly gesticulating for him to stop.
In the excitement of the moment he urged his
team to faster gait; but cry of pain from
Lothrop caused him to slaeken speed again and
catching up gun he had the fofethought to throw
into the Sleigh he prepared to defend his helpless
brother to the last.
Lothfnp now perceiving the danger they were in
and knowing, in his feeble condition, that Escape
was hopeless unless swftter progress could be
could only be death to him; and if the motion Of Il
the sleigh over the rough ground should kill him.
he thought it would certainly be better than fall
into the hands Of their Inereileaa pnrsusra.
The Indians, dashing on, were soon in mailing
distance, and in broken English threatened Bates
with the most cruel tortnresf he did notstop, but
he refused to obey.
Soon coming up with the sleigh, the savages be-
gan TO chase Bates round and round it, but from
some oversight paid no attention to his helpless
brother. AT last, Bates snatehea the gun from the
sleigh, and ran off to one side of the road to draw
the Indians, if possible, away from Lnthrop. The
ruse partially succeeded; but as a fierce looking
Indian pursued Bates more closely than was con-
sstent with his safety, he turned suddenly, and lew
cling his gun at the savage, fred. The Indian gave
terrific YELL leaped into the mir, ran d few PAGES.
and fell dead. The death of their leader exaspe-
rated the sayages to the last degree and they were
about to wreak their vengeance on the brothers.
when upon their right, on The side of the mountain
they heard wild, ringing War-Whaop, aud the
next instant volley of rifle shots whtstled towards
them, and several OF the puraaers fell killed and
wounded to the ground
The new party proved to be band of friendly
Tusearoras, under Little Gtaief who hearing Jha4.
firing along the road, hastered to reconnnitre and
seeing the two brothers, whom they Immediately
recognized, thus beset ran down the hill to their
relief and uf the fifteen CT twenty saVagas who
pursued the villagers, scarcely onefourth returned
to tell the fate OF their Companions.
Bhtes Cook afterwards became Controller of.tlle
State of New York, an& Lothfap ocenpied many
positions Of trust and 6astincfion, hut both now
sleep their last sleep.