The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1862-01-23
A Scrnn Of LIistnrY.

The telegraph from Cairo, last week, In
mentioning The movement of troops from
that point, stated that detachment landed
and cncampcd on the Kentucky shore, at
old Fort Jefferson This old fort has a
history which is not without mtere9t
II is located about six miles below Cairo,
opposite, or nearly opposite, 10 Island No.1.
The fort was erected Joy George Rogers
Clarke, IN the year l1Sl, under the direction
Of Thomas Jefferson, then Governor of Vir-
ginia, In view of an anticipated attompt bv
the Spaniards 10 occupy and lay claim to
territory east of the Mississippi river. Gen.
Clark was soon succeeded in the command
of the post Wy Captain James Pgott. Sow
cral families settled in the vicinity the same
season the folt was built.
The Chickasaw aud Choctaw Indians were
inccnscd at this occupation OF their lands
without their consent. determined on the
destruction OF the fort and settlement. I'm
der the lead of ono Calbert, n Scotchnan,
who was virtually one of their chiefs, thcy
harassed the settlement, killing some of the
settlers, and finally laid siege to the fort
The garrison having been iorcwarncd of the
attack, and being already short of provisions
almost to a point Of starvation, had de-
BpatChcd messenger to the falls of the
ly for three days. Those within were suf-
loring severely from sickness. want of food
the water almost given out. and withaf. they
had only n small supply of ammunition
Their desperate condition was made known
to the bcsegcrs by white prisoner who
had b5cn captured. Calbcrt with two chiefs,
then approached the fort with flag Of
truce, urging a surrender at discretion, to
avert the horrors of massacre ut the hands
OF the Indians IN case Of prolonged defense
assuring protection to the inmates. excepting
n few obuoSious persons whom the Indians
had sworn TO butcher. They offered an
hour for consideration. Capt. Pigolt, Mr.
Owens and another acted on behalf of the
garrison in the conference which was carried
on within range of shot from the fort. They
proposed that if the Indians would with
draw from the vicinity they would cvacuatc
the Tort. As the comforting parties were
about to separate, itle Indians to consider
IN council upon the oiicr) a Mr. Music,
whose family had been murdered by the
eaNagcs, fired at Calbcrt Wpunding him
severely. The Indians had sent force Of
warriors to intercept the relief that was
hoped for from the Falls, and if that was
cut off it was impossible for the garrison to
hold out But while the Indians were en-
gagged III thoir council the hoped for succor
had arrived, having fortunately escaped the
bands sent out to intercept them.
AS soon as it was dark the Indians tried
to gaIu access to the fort by stealth but
foiled in that, they attempted to carry it by
assault. The cannon Of the fort were placed
so as to rake tho walls, and these swept
down tho assailants in heaps, while their
rifles did but littlc damage to those within
the walls. Rcpulsed in repeated assaults
with great loss, the Indians, after fight of
several hours, were compelled to fly to save
themselves from destruction During the
fight they repeatedly attempted to fire the
blOck-houscs One Indian gained the roof
of a blocll-houso, and was Just lighting the
flame, when he was shot dead and fell out
side the fort After hours of desperate
lighting and repeated onslaughts, III which
they had many killed and wounded, the
Indians abandoned the siege and withdrew,
carrying off their dead and disabled.
We condonsc this sketch from long and
interesting narrative of the affair III the
Cairo Gazette. Our soldiers now in cam
paign against rebels, pitch their camp upon
the spot made historical by II baltic eighty
years ago. That was between the frontier
soldiers Of the revolutionary time and the
savage hordes who were the predecessors
of the secession barbarism of this day.
The Gd:eHe closes the narration of the
siege and its termination as follows:
With all convenient speed the fort was
abandoned. Many Of the sol!icrs, with
settlers who had taken quarters III it, moved
to kaskaskia. They proved the first con-
acquisition OF American population
in Illinois. Since then Fort Jefferson has
remained ahondonod-is now shapclcss
and undeIuahlo mass, but for the facts we
have detailed, will over remain an object Of
almost sacred interest, SO long as the strug-
glcs and privations of those who pioneered
the valley OF the Mississippi retain proper
place in the memory of the American race.
G,a- t seems that the report Of the rcsig-
nation Of Gen. Sigcl was rather premature.
He is still in command at Rolla, Mo.
Nf9, Three rebel schooncrs were captw-
ed the other day. 10y couple Of our steam
ers near the Mississippi sound
a..