The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1871-06-17
The Conspiracy Of Pontiac.


events which followed the cession of the
Canadas to Great Britain by France. The
occupation of the Northwestern country
by the British excited apprehensions and
jealousy among the Indians. The Indians
smothered their discomfort for several
months, waiting for some muster spirit to
arise and organize it for effective resistance
The master spirit appeared in the person
Of Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawas. lie was
prominently endowed, according to Mr.
Parkman, with courage, resolution, ad-
dress, and eloquence. "He possessed a
commanding energy and force of mind,
and in subtlety and craft could match
the best of his willy race. But, though
capable of acts of magnanimity, he was a
thorough savage, with wider range of
intellect than those around him, but shar-
ing all theirpassions and prejudces, their
fierceness and treachery. His faults were
the faults Of his race; and they cannot
eclipse his nobler qualities
At the close of 1862, he sent ambassa-
doris to the different nations inviting them
to prepare for war. The plot was matured
with the usual secrecy of the Indians; the
blow was struck with the usual accompan-
ments of treachery. Attempts were made
to obtain the fortified posts of the English
by stratagem. Where this succeeded there
was massacre; where it failed, the Indians
resorted to siege. Detroit was beset by
them, and was calamity defended by Major
Gladwyn from May till October, 1863,
while all the other forts on the lake fell
into their hands. The story of tho lake
campaign is an almost continuous success
sion of posts captured and escaping garri-
sons, when any did escape, stealthily max
ing their way, by boats or by Marches
through the woods to other posts, to find
them captured. Similar incidents of fight
through trackless forests to distant posts
mark the story of the war in the central
districts. The narrative of Bouquets
march from Carlisle over the Alleghanies
to Pittsburg, ard his terrible chastisement
of the Indians at Bloody Run, is one of the
ranks with that of Shcrmans march across
Georgia.
An incident which happened at Goshen,
in New York marks the condition of mind
in which the settlers lived during the try
ing times of this history: ''Four or five men
went out among the hills to shoot cartridges,
and, CHANGING to raise large covey, they
all fired their guns at nearly the same
moment. The timorous inhabitants hear
ing the reports, supposed that they came
from an Indian war party, and instantly
fled in dismay, spreading the alarm as they
went. The neighboring country was soon
in panic. The farmers cut the harness
of their horses and, leaving their carts and
ploughs behind galloped for their lives
Others snatching up their children and
their most valuable property, made with
all speed for New England, nor daring to
pause until they had crossed the Hudson.
For several days the neighborhood was
abandoned, five hundred families having
left their habitations and fled"
III Miy, ltoo, Clc lHuldHS gave up CLe
siege of Detroit. The war continued in
other quarters till the summer of 1865,
when Pontiac made peace. By this time,
the Indians had been made to realize that
tho French would not help them, and that
their power had passed from the land
Pontiac died in 1863, assassinated by a
Kaskasia Indian who had been bribed
to the work by an English trader, and
inhamed to it by free access to barrel of
liquor. ST. Louis stands upon his grave.
He was in some respects, an extlaordi-
nary person. He issued promissory notes,
signed with his totem, all of which he
faithfully redeemed. He was an earnest
seeker for knowledge, and inquired into
European military art, and the mode Of
making cloth, knives, etc. According to
D'Abbadie, he kept two secretaries: one to
write for him, and the other to read the
letters he received, and managed them so
as to keep each ignorant of what the other
did.
CHEAP MosQuITo- BAR-There is cheap