The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-03-30

Shawnees, but were set al liberty.
At the place where we were ordered
to sit down, a number OF squaws and
boys attacked the five prisoners who
were still alive, and killed them with
their tOmahaws; four others had al
ready been tortured to death in the
most cruel manner. Amongst the
prisoners was one John Mckinly,
formerly an officer Of the 18th Virginia
regiment, whose head, after being
chopped OF by q squaw, was kicked
about by the Indians. The young In
dians came several times where the
Colonel and / were, and threw the
scalps in our fates. They now con-
Quoted US to the place where the Col
Onel was to be burned. Almost ev-
cry Indian who met US hit US with his
fist or with a stick. Girty waited till
we were near, and then said, ''Is that
the Doctor ?" Ianswered, "Yes, and
went up to him, offering my hand (;
but he told to be off, and called me a
damned rascal.
After coming to the fire the Colonel
was entirely stripped, and ordered to
sit down by the fire; they then CON-
menced beating him with sticks and
with their fists. Soon after, having
treated me in the same manner, they
tied a rope TO the band or his wrists.
The Colonel called Girty, asked if they
were going to burn him eyes" !" said
Girty. Capt. Peip, a Delaware chief,
now addressed the Indians, consisting
of about thirty or forty men, sixty or
seventy squaws and children.
After the speech was finished, they
screamed horribly in appreciation of
what had been said. The Indians
took their rifles and fired powder at
the body of the Colonel. think not
less than seventy charges were fired
at his naked body. They closely sur
rounded him and cut Off his ears, as
I should judge, for after the crowd had
had dispersed little, saw the blood
trickling from both sides Of his head.
The fire was about six or seven
yards from the post to which he was
tied, and consisted of hickory poles
burned through the middle, leaving
about six feet OH each end. Three or
four Indians one after the other, took
up one Of these burning poles and
stuck them in his body, which was
already burned black with powder.
These tOrmentOrs surrounded him
completely; whichever side he moved
he was burned by their burning pole.
Some squaws took up broad boards,
heaped burning Goals and hot ciDders
upon them, and threw them on his
body, so that shortly after he could
not step on any thing but hot ashes
and burning Goals.
In this painful situation he called
Simon Girty and begged that he
would shoot him; Girty did not an
swer; he called to him again, and Cir.
ty jeeringly answered that hs ;,, bad 4}44;dieqY eqYc
ed outright, and showed by all his ac-
tiOns that he was pleased with this
horrible scene.
Girty then came to me and told me
to prepare myself for death. He said
that 1 was not to die there, but would
be burned to death in the villages Oi
the Shawnees. He swOre by the Al
mighty that l could not expect to es-
cape death, but shOulds suffer the cruel
est tOrtures.
During his tortures Col. Crawford
prayed to the Almighty to have mer-
cy on his soul. He spoke in a subdued
tone, aud bore his sufferings with real
fOrtitude. His excruciating pains last
ed about two hours. At last when
his strength failed, he prostrated him
self on his belly; they then scalped
him, threw his scalp several times in
my face, and said, "that was your
great captain" An old squaw, who
closely resembled the idea most peO-
pie have of Satan, took a board heap
ed Goals and ashes on it, and put them
on the CblOnels back after he was
scalped. He once more raised him.
self on his feet and walked around the
stake. They again applied n burning
pole to him, but his feelings seemed
to have left him.
The Indian, il whose custody 1 was
left, now took me to the house of
Capt. Piep, about three-quarters of a
mile from the place where Col. Craw-
ford was executed. l was kept tied
all night and was therefore unable to
see the end of that scene of horror.
The next morning, June 18th, the In
dian uRtied me, blackened me all
over, and went with me to the village
Vi NlAC iDAAeL " ACC7Y W HULL "
his statement, was about forty miles
distant. We passed the spot where
the Colonel was burned; it was on
cur road. 1 saw his bones nearly
burned TO ashes, among the remains
of the fire. They probably put his
body on the fire after he died.
The Indian told me that was my
great captain, and gave the scalp-yell.
He was on horseback and drove me
before him.
l feigned not to know that I was to
be killed in the village, tried to be as
cheerful as possible, and asked him il
we might not live as brothers in one
house? This seemed to please him,
and he said "yes." He now asked
me if I could build a wigwam Indian
hut, 1 asserted that 1 could. This
pleased him still more. We travelled
about twenty-five miles this day, in q
somewhat sOutherly direction. The
Indian told me that we would reach
the village next day by the time the
sun was south.
After lying down to sleep at night,
I tried several times to free myself but
the Indian was very watchful and sell
dom closed his eyes. He got up at
day-break, united me, stirred the fire,
and as the mosquitoes were very trou-
blesOme, asked if / might not make
some smoke behind us? which he as
sented to. I took the end of a dog
wood fork, which was barned down to
the length Of about eighteen inches
This was the longest stick / could get,
though not quite long enough for my
purpose; I then took smaller piece
of wood, put q coal between, and 60
ing behind him, TURNED round quickly
and struck him on the head with all
my might. which stunned him, so far
that he fell forward in the fire with
both his hands. But as l saw him
coming to again, I seized his rifle,
he ran OFF, giving a terrible yell. / fol-
lowed him, intending to shoot him,
but in cooking the rifle, l probably
broke the spring of the cock. pursued
him about thirty rods trying IN vain
to fire the rife. I returned TO the fire;
took his blanket, pair OF shoes, his
hand-basket, shOt-bag and powder
horn and ran of. About halfan hour
after sunset, ! reached a plain which
was about sixteen miles wide. ! laid
down in a thicket until dark, then I
arose and crossed the plain guided
by the north star, and reached the
woods before daylight. I Travelled on
ali next day, and at noon crossed the
path of our troops. These trails run
nearly east and west, but in order not
to be seen by the enemy, l went north
a III that a aff1ruo0u
At night felt very tired, which was
not to be wondered at had been a
six days; the first three or
four days I ate but little, and the last
two or three days scarcely anything at
all. There was a certain weed grow
ing abundantly about this spot, and I
knew that the juice Of it would refresh
and strengthen me greatly. 1 cOilec-
ted large bundle Of it, lay down be-
meath a large beech tree, sucked heart
lily Of the juice and fell asleep. Next
day I went east, and continued this
direction during the rest Of my jour
ney. I crossed the Muskingum river
about three miles below FOrL Law
renee, and thence I inclined more to-
ward the Ohio river. All the time /