Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1862-09-05
HOW A BRAVE MAN SAVED A CITY.

HOW A BRAVE MAN SAVED A CITY.
The following incident which is related by
all eyewitness to the scenes described, most
happily illustrates the power possessed by
single individual Of determined will, in
whom are combined, cooness, judgment and
fearlessness of danger, over an unorganized
mob of savages, thirsting for blood, and, in
their blind fury, reckless of consequences. u-
The 10th Of August, 1912, was day that
will be long remembered by the pceple of
Detroit, for it was on that day theold and inn
beetle Hull, in the capacity Of Governor of
the Michigan Territory, snamefully surrender
Cd his important post, then garrisoned by two
thousand brave and efficient troops to the
British and Indians.
As soon as the articles of capitulatien were
singcd the enemy crossed the river from
Maiden and took possession of the place, fol-
lowed by rabble of vile camp followers, and
all the savages that had for some weeks been
attached to the English camp. OF course
the citizens were thrown into the utmost dis
may at the sight Of the painted Indians
swarming their streets, and the knowledge
they possessed that they might at any hour
when maddened by whisky, and encouraged
by their no less savage allies among the
whites, make an indiscrminato plumber of the
town. But the influence Of the British Gen
eral for some days was sufficient to keep
them from acts Of open violence, and Sy de-
grees the town people became accustomed to
their presence, and streve by all means in
their power to ingratiate themselves into the
good graces of their captors.
Whom the news of the surrender reached
the tribes Of the Southwest, they gathered
IRON far and near, and poured down upon
the frontier to share in the plumber, which,
in consideration Of their being allies of the
British, they deemed themselves justly enti-
tied to- Detroit was filled and surrounded
with savages, and the town became a scene
of drunken orgies and terror, which the Eng
lish were altogether unable to CONTROL
Scarcely an hour passed without an act oi
violence upon the unprotected citizens, and
their nights were rendered sleepless by these
drunken fends.
One day during this fearful period, small
party of Indians, restless for want efplunder
and scalps, went to n store kept by French
man named De Quindre, and two Of them en-
tered with the prctense that they wished to
purchase some cloth. The Indians snatched
roll, and turned to leave the place. Dc
Quindre called to them to stop, as they had
not paid for the goods But the savages
were passing out Of the door to rcjoin their
laughing companions, with the cloth under
their arms, when the Frenchman, leaping
over the counter, jerked the goods from them
and, being powerful man, pitched the two
Indians into the street.
Instantly the war whoop was raised by the
party which was replied to from all parts oi
the town, and the savages, drawing their
knives, made rush upon the imprudent
storekeeper. But the latter perceiving the
sprang again to his store and locking the door,
ran into the upper room, from which, by a
window he made his escape, and ran through
the back alley out upon the common, and on
to the fort, where he begged the British COM
manding officer to protect himself and prop
erty from destruction But the officer would
and could do nothing although he saw that
the Indians would probably massacre the en-
tire population, if they once got agoing, un-
der such a state of excitement.
at is not my property alone that is in
danger from their violence" persisted the
Frenchman, "but the entire population is in
the hands of the savages, and unless you will
exert your authority to quiet them, our streets
will flow with blood" ........r
81 am sorry for you sir" coolly replied the
Brton, 'but the truth is, my troops are too
few in number to control the warriors, and |
can do nothing for you"
De Quindre therefore abruptly left the fort
and ran to the quarters of Colonel Mckee,
then the British agent, whom he knew was
not popular among the savagss, but had al
ways excrtcd overthem unbounded influence
On his way he could see that Indians were
gathering in hundreds from every direction,
armed with war clubs and tomahawks, pre-
pared for a general massacre of the inhabi-
tants; while their fierce war-crcs were ring
ing with piercing tones upon the air. A
mob of at least a thousand Of the painted de-
mons had assembled in front of his house,
and were dsmolishing his doors and windows
while his goods were being thrown out to
the crowd waiting impatently for the owner
to be dragged forth and delivered to their
murderous knives.
This sight gave feetness to his feet, and
rushing into the cclonel's quarters he found
that officer to whom he briefly, and as dis.
tinctly as his excitement would permit, re.
lated what had occurred, and begged to inter.
fere, if possible, to prevent tho threatened
massacre.
Mckee, well versed in the Indian charac-
ter, instantly perceived the imminent danger
that mcnaced the place, and requesting De
Qundrc to remain where he was lest the In.
dians, so greatly exasperated against him.
might kill him, fastened to the scene Of sx-
citement.
lie was tall, straight, athletic, notebook.
ing man, with a voice like thunder, and from
his long intercourse with the Indians of the
frntier, had an intimate knowledge of their
language. Pushing his way through the say.
ages. now excited to madness at not finding
the Frenchman, he mounted to the top Of q
low building, waved his sword, and in q loud
tone, shouted
"Ho! who are the towards in this crowd p
The sound Of his we'll known voice arrest.
ed the attention of the yelling rabble, and af
ter brief silence, enc Of the Indians replied
"Therc are no eowards here! We are all
braves ~
'Irsa let returned the Colonel stamp
ing his foot with pretended rage. "Itell you
J.