Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-06-15

| Caftsit. Bean. hcing Il few hundred ! ards
| in advance Of tue troops. observed two
| indians skulSiiig through the woods. ap-
parehtly Observing the motions of the
| detachment. They instantly iired upon
them, hut without success. Secresy now
being out OF the question. It Only re-
maincl to press forward with all practi-
cable dispatch. and afford the enemy "a
little time for preparation rs possible"
"As the wilderness begln to deepen
around them and the critical fiioment
approached in which their courage would
be tried, 1t became evident that the ar
dor of the men became consiGerab
cooled"
"On the eleventh day of their march
they reached the SPOT where the town OF
Slndusky had originally stood. but from
which the Indians had lately removed TO
Il spot about eighteen miles below. Here
the detachment halted, and here the in
subordinate spirit of the army ii. st dis-
played itself. They (the rank and file)
insisted upon returning home, giving as
Il reason the tired condition of their
horses and short supply of provisions.l
The officers. yielding TO the wishes of
their Constituents (for the troops had elect
ed their own o.liccrS) determined in
council, that they would continne their
march one Cay longer. and if no Indians
appeared. they would then return home!
What other results than these which we
are now about to record. could have been
anticipated from such officers and such
mem"
While. from this point of the author
quoted from above, we prefer the Use 81
our own language, With sttcn conrlu-
sions of our own. as well as opinions
formed from the knowledge of the conn
try where the scenes were transporting
nearly one hundreI years ago, still we
shall follow the general drift of his state
ment>. for some pages yet to come.
AS has he done, we cannot reflect upon
the character OF such officers and such
men," When we contemplate the hard
ships and trials of men. no doabt. rs bra
as ourselves. if not much more so, in
making their way for two hundred miles
into the unbroken wilderness. and now
far from home, friends. civilization and
all essential To- save from starvation,
seeking only the destroyer of his peace
the enemy of his race-and expecting to
find him on his own chosen ground and
ready to use all his strategy in defense
of those near and dear to him-though
sara9e as he is.-and knowing that death
must be the portion of every man falling
into his hands. and that all might perish.
and no one be left to carry back and
home the sad fate which might he theirs.
Is it not more to be wondered at that
their hearts were brape enough to have ac
complishcd what they had done up To
that liour when, III council. they decided
IT, '.go 70 Icard?r They dbl decide to pro
ceed for one day more. That was to be
the fatal day to them, ana 4 sGI one TO
friends far away!
This council must have been held at no
great distance from the present site OF
Upper Sandusky. The Upper Sandusky
of 1888 was distant from the present site.
nearly five miles. in Il north east direc-
ton, and but Il short distance south west
of the late resi- lenGe of Daniel Saith and
on land ROW owned by his son. and dis
tant from Crawforls battle ground nearly
two miles in Il northeast direction. so
that Crawford's little army approaching
it, over the plains, from the south. had
not reached it when the engagement took
place.
i: was not until after the death Of Tar
he, the Crane. in lSlS. that the Indians
transfer. ed their council-house to the
present sist OF Upper Sandusky. gave it
this name, ard called the other Crane
Town-but Il town without houses. The
old Crane town council-house was built
principally of bark, about 100 feet long
and fifteen feet wide.
But on returning to thc council ofoff-
GERS. it is said. that just as = had decided
light horseman. belonging to the advan-
ced guard. rode in at Il gallup, ant. an
nounced that Il large body of IndiaES
were found in an open wood, few miles
in advance of the little army of invaders.
Now came the hour of trial. lIaSty
preparations were made for battle. The
troops, notwithstanding former COM
plants, advanced to the conflict at hand,
and soon came up to the light horsemen,
who were slowly retiring. within view
of the enemy. The country was gener-
ally open, and wei calculated for the
operations of cavalry. Here and there
were gr0tts Of short oak timber, free
from undergrowth. giving each party, at
times. a full view of their movements.
Part of the Indian forces had possession
of one of these iSland-like groves; their
whole force not having yet arrived.
With the eye of Il soldier, Crawforj,-
as did Gen. Washington at the battle of
"Braddocks Defeat" at once saw the i'm
pOrtance of timber as a shield for his lit
tie band. and ordered them at once to
dismount. tie their horses, ami force the
enemy from his cover before being
strengthened by the remainder of his
| force, that, thereby. the timber might
become the screen for greater security
to Crawl ford and his men. This wise or
der was once obeycd, the object sought.
gained; and the whites changed places
with the red men-the invaders with the
invaded. But ut'scircely had this been ac-
complished when the main body of In
dianS came to the relief of their van. and,
outfianking Crawford. in turn opened 4
| heavy fire upon his men.