The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1871-07-27

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cIl chamber to witness the formula
OF his condemnation to the stake.
AT this council, Simon Girty, the
renegade, was present. This man,
SO dreaded and detested, had served
In the Dunmore war as ii companion
scout with kenton (Butier,D and rec,
ognIzing his old comrade, the rene
gade 50 used his powerful influence
over his savage confederates that
they acceeded to spare his friend s
life. 1t was but respite, however,
for news soon coming in OF Indian
losses i'll Kentucky, the Shawnees
cried aloud for Kenton's blood, and
Glrty was forced to give his friend
up. The stake again stared him in
the face, when the great Mingo 0ro-
quis) chief, Logan-an ally of the
Shawnees, and a more noble savage
took pity on the prisoner, and had
| him sent 10 the Sonduoky towns.
This was but another respite, for,
arriving at Sandusky, he was once
more ordered to the stake. PrOvi-
dence, however, seemed to befriend
the harassed and now desperate man.
An Indian agent from the British, at
Detroit, was III the village when
kenton came in, and hoping to OBJ
tain information from the prisoner re
garding the kentucky settlements
which the humane King George III
sought to destroy through his savage
emissarles-the agent made known
his wishes and soon departed for De-
troit, with his "prize"
In Detroit Kenton renained, a
prisoner at large, until the next
summer, (1779). Then assisted to a
rifle and ammunition by the wife of a
trader, he and two others made their
escape, and after thirty-three days
of terrible hardship, reached the
kentucky settlements in safety,
greatly to the surprise and delight Of
all
The British and Indians, under
Cap. Byrd, came down on the front
Ter post in the succeeding spring
O7SO), and destroyed two stations,
butchering both garreisons with hor-
rible ban barity. Maj. Clark then de-
termined to carry the war direct into
the Indian country--to lay waste
their towns, and to give the Shaw
nees such taste of cold steel as
would compel them to peace.
This was done under the pilotage
of kenton who only TOO well knew
the ground the brave Kentuckians lit
erarlly ravaged the Shawnee country,
destroying ChillicOthe, Hickaway,
and numerous other towns. A,
Pickawa the savages made stand -,
but after bloody conflict were de-
teated. kenton commanding the
company for Harrod's station, acted
brilliant part, and many Shaw,
Ice fell beneath his terrible aim.
This blow gave peace for two sea
sons to the settlements, during which
time Kenton was out on exploring
expeditions to the south and west
and scouting over the border, in the
Shawnee county, to keep a watch
Jul eye on the treacherOus savages,
whom British emiSsaries never ceas,
| ed to spur on to deeds of blood, us
ing, also, the influence of that human
monster, Girty, tn bring on a coli
sion.
The savages Of 1892 found the
savages on the war. path. Bloody
encounters transpired at several sta
lions, and a sad massacre of brave
men occurred at Blue Licks. CLARK
called for volunteers for a second
expedition of retaliation, and in the
fall OF 1892, led by Kenton, the Ken
tuckians, swept over the Shawnee
land with fire and bullet.
kenton having, after eleven years
OF exile, learned that he had not
killed his old rival of love in Virgin
ia, resumed his own name, and
thence forward became one of the
leading men of the young territory
He returned to his abandoned settle.
ment at Washington, fortified it,
opened out farm, and for years act
ed the commingled part of farmer
and warrior.
The settlement was the barrier
J against Shawnee approach, and by
the vigilance, bravery and skill OF
"Kenton's Rangers" the interior
towns were preserved from annoy
ance.
Two other expeditions to the
North were undertaken, in the sue
ceeding years, to drive back the In
dams, whose incessant forays kept
the border in ceaseless alarm, in
both of which Kenton sustained 8
responsible part.
From 1888 to 1893 the Sha wnees
continued their vengeance, but were
confronted by men so alert and
brave that their efforts to "drive
away the invader" grew weaker year
by year. Their last incursion, in
1893, kenton thwarted by ambush
ing the redskins at their crossing Of
the Ohio, and SO severely thrashed
them, that the war-whoop never
again resoundedin the Kentucky set
Element.
kenton's life after that was one
of peace, but not OF happiness. Az
the first settler, he had entered on
the records his claim to a large body
OF land around Washington, which
like other pioneer claims, was re
spccted as valid. But as the coun.
try filled up and lawyers came in, OF
course trouble came with them, and
The pioneer, whose lite had been one
long struggle to wrest his soil from
the savage, found the law ready
when he gave peace to his settle
ment, to wrest his possessions from
him.
Supplemented as child; as the
Golden Rule itself; credulous, like
men read in the school of nature, e
became a prey to spectators and
the legal fraternity, and by these
scoundrels actually was imprisoned
one whole year for debt, when il
truth he owed these men not dol
lar!
What cared they for the good
great heart-the noble defender-un
selfish citizen? Nothing.
Detrauded of his property, har
raised by suits, and beggared b,
costs, he abandoned Kentucky, anc
sought refuge in Ohio, settling il
Urbana, where, though poor, he wa
an honored citizen.
He was elected lso5) Brigade
General of State Militia, by his ad
mlrlng citizens. but soon resigned tina
office as one he was unified.
In 1910 ne joined the Methods
church. In 1913 he enlisted in tn
war OF 1912, by joining the Kentuck!
troops under Governor Shelby, ant
| N 70 IL lo1 UNl, N