The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-07-27
A MARVELLOUS ESCAPE.

eFn pioneers ITOH Tue 1Ceu lnulauS were
so remarkable as TO be almost, if not quite,
mir acuIous.
The disastrous expedition of Colonel
Crawford, in tue spring of 1882, is a
matter of history. The Colonel himself
was taken by the Indians, and compelled
TO undergo the most excruciating tortures
which their savage ingenuity could devise.
A large number of the men under his
command were killed on their retreat, and
few taken prisoners. On these unfor
tunate captives the Indians vented their
most terrible rage. They seem to have
felt no mercy for any one connected with
that unfortunate campaign 1t was
enough for them to know that a captive
had been concerned in that wicked expe>
dition, to cOnsign him to the most cruel
death. In this there was species of bar
barous, poetic justice. The objects of that
campaign was the murder and punder Of
MoravIan Indians-an inotfensive, non re-
sistant, Christianized sect-and the whites
were defeated by brave, determined wars
riors, who noby espoused the cause Of
their innocent brethren. If fearful and
vindictive retaliation could ever in any
case be justified, their own, under the
circumstances, might be regarded as fit
retributIon. There were, no doubf, many
misguided men, not wilfullv guilty of
wrong, who suffered for the sins and
crimes Of others but such is always the
tate of war.
After pitched battle with the Indians,
in which the whites were sadly defeated,
we have said that many were killed on
their retreat, and few taken prisoners.
Among the latter was a man 10y the name
of Slower, whose wonderful, not to say
miraculous, escaue from the final tortures
to which he was condemned, We purpose
to relate.
After the capture, Slower was taken to
an Indian village called Grenadier Squaw
Town, to have his fate decided This
place stood in the centre Of the celebrated
PIckaway Plains, Ohio. The Grenadier
Squaw, from whom thus village took its
name, was large, muscular, masculine
woman, of good intellectual abilities, but
of an unprepossesslng appearance. She
was a sister of the great chief Co stalk,
whose village was on the opposite side of
ID
rods below the Grenadier Squaw Town
was the council house of the nation and
near it small elevation, which com~
manded view of the level plains for miles
around. On this little hilock was set the
stake of torture, and the flames around the
victim could be seen by the savage inhab-
itants of The different settlements and iso-
lated dwellings, within circuit of many
leagues.
Slower was considered great prize by
his cap!ors-a prizs which would afford
them both amusement and revenge. They
therefore guarded him with great care,
but could not fUrbear 10 have a little
savage sport with him in the interval be
tween his capture and trial. 1t was their
almost invariable custom, whenever a
prisoner entered village, either to re-
main or merely pass through on his way
TO another, 10 compel him to run the
gauntlet, previous to deciding upon his
tate and this Slower had been forced to
do several times before reaching Grena-
dier Squaw Town.
This running the gauntlet was in itself
no tTifiing affair, and many a stout cap
tive has received his death~blow between
the lines. Slower lad been much beaten
and bruised before arriving at his destina-
ton but the more fierce of the savages
had been warned not to kill him, as that
would be giving him an easy death, and
deprivlng the nation of a glorious holiday
OF amusement and revenge. At Grena-
dier Squaw Town, Slower was received
with the most savage delight, and the last
gauntlet was Immediately prepared for
him Two long lines of men, women and
children were formed, extending from the
village to the councIl>house, which was
building much larger than the dwellings,
and stood, as we have said, some distance
below the others, on the open plain -
These living lines were armed with sticks
and clubs and, as The unfortunate pris-
oner ran between them, they rained upon
his unprotected head and body success
sion of heavy blows, accompanied with
Internal yels and screeches. Like their
predecessors 10 this species of torture, they
had all been duly warned against depriv-
ing him of life, and therefore he reached
the council house in partially exhausted,
bruised, and bleeding state, but without
any very serious wounds.
Once inside tue council house, accord
ing to savage law or custom, the prisoner
was safe till after his trial and as
Slower was guilty of the exceedingly grave
offence of belonging to the unholy expedi-
ton OF Colonel Crawford, who had already
been tortured to death on the ground of
his battle and defeat, the trial in his case
was made one of the gravest importance
and most impressive solemnity. All the
great chiefs and warriors of the different
villages, for miles around, assembled to
make it grave affair of state, and the
trial was conducted with that dignified
decorum usual with the barbarous natives
: on such occasions. 1t was not of long