The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-03-03
NO.34

4 W Gil '41OtSllA~NAFO WAS tCntbtt
laughed heartily, and by all his ges
lures seemed delighted at tiies hoFrid
scene. -
| Girty then came up to me and bade
me prepare for death. He. said. how
eyer, l was not to die at that place,
but to be burnt at Shawanese towns.
, He swore by Cd I need not ex-
pect to escape death, but should suffer
death in all its extremities. l'-s' > = ''s-l
|, Colonel Crawford, at this period of
his sufferlngs, besought, the Almighty
to have mercy on his soul, spoke. very
low. and befe bis torments with the
most manly f0rtitude. nc continued
in all the extremities of pain for an
hour and three-quarters or two hours
longer, as near as I can judge, when
at last, being almost exhausted, he lay
down on his belly they then scalped
him, and repeatedly threw the scalp in
my face; telling me, ''that was my
great captain" :" Anoid squaw (whose
appearance every way answered the
ideas people entertain Of the deviD
got board, took parcel of Goals
and ashes and laid them on his back
and head after he had been scalped;
he then raised himself upon his feet
and began to walk round the post;
they next put burning stick to him,
as usual, but he seemed more iDsen-.
sible of pain than before.
The Indian fellow who had me in
charge, now took me away to CaLtlin
Pipes house, about three-quarers of
mile from the place of the colonel's
execution. l was bound all night,
and thus prevented from seeing the
last horrid spectacle. Next morning
being June 18th, the Indian united
me, painted me black, and we set off
for the Shawanese town, which he told
me was somewhat less than forty miles
distant from that place. We coon
came to the spot where the colonel
had been burnt, as it was partly in our
way I saw his bones lying among the
remains of the fire, almost burnt to
ashes < I suppose, after he was dead,
they laid his body on the fire. 9he
Indian told me that was my "bigcap
tain," and gave the Scalp halloo.
The following extract from an ar
ticle in the .44meriea1a Pioneer, by
Joseph NcCutchen, Esq, contains
some items respecting the death OF
Crawford, and Girty's interference in
his behalf, never before published.
He derived them from the Wyandot
-E--t1---,r, resided, rev years
since, in this country, some of whom
were quite intelligent +:
AS L have it, the story respecting
the battle is, that if Crawford had
rushed on when he first came among
the Indians, they would haven given
way and made but little or no fight /;
but they had talk with him three
days previous to the fight, and asked
him to give them three days to collect
in their chiefs and head men of the
different tribes, AID they would then
make treaty of peace with him. The
three days were therefore given ; and
during that time all their forces gath
cred together that could be raised as
fighting men, and next morning Craw-
ford was attacked, some two or three
miles north of the island where the
main battle was fought. The Indians
then gave back in south direction,
until they got into an island of tim
Der, which suited their purpose, which
was in large plain, now well known
as Sandusky plains. There the bat
tie continued until night. The In
dians then ceased firing and, it is
said, Immediately ;fte wlrds a man
came near to the army with white
flag, Colonel Crawford sent an officer
to him. The man said he wanted to
talk with Colonel Crawford, and that
he did not want Crawford to come
nearer to him than twenty steps, as he
(Girty) wanted to converse with
Crawford, and might be of vast les
neft to him. Crawford accordingly
went out as requested. Girty then
said, Colonel Crawford, do you know
met" The answer was, 81 seem to
have some recollection of your voice,
but your Indian dress deprives me Of
knowing you as an acquaintance"
The answer was then, "Nly name Is
Simon Girty;" and after some more
conversation between them, "Craw
ford, my object in calling you here is to
say to you, that the Indians have
ceased firing until to morrow morn
ing, when they intend to commence
the fight and as they are three times
as strong as you are, they will be able
to cut you all off. Tonight the In
dians will surround your army, and
when that arrangement is fully made,
you will hear some guns fire all around
The ring. But there is large swamp
on very wet piece of ground on the
east side of you where there will be
vacancy that gap you can learn by
the firing, and in the night you had
better march you men through and
make your escape in an east direc-
tion. ta =. Fl
Crawford, accordingly, in the night,
drew up his men and told them his in
tention. The men generally assent
ING, he then commenced his march
east but the men soon got into con-
fusion and lost their course. And
consequently, the next day they were
almost to a man cut off, and. as his
tory tells us, Crawford taken prison
er. He was taken by a Delaware
consequently the Delawares claimei
the rig ght, agreeably to their rule, of
of the prisoner. There was
a council held, and the decision was
to burn him. He was taken to the
main Delaware town, on a consider
able creek, called Tymochtee, about
eight mi es from the mouth. Girty
then supposed>he could make speeu-
lation by saving Crawfords life. He