The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-08-05
Written for The Spirit of Democracy
THE GRAVE OF CORNSTALK;
Now and a Hundred Years Ago.
STAFFORD, O., July 10, 1877;

STAFFORD, O., July 10, 1878.
Ed SPIRIT: Being. few months ago,
on trip up the, Big Kanawha, it became
necessary for me TO stop over at Point
Pleasant, to await boat to ascend that
stream. Point Pleasant is the county
seat of Mason County, West Va; it is
sparsely built, but pleasantly situated on
a broad plateau at point just above the
confluence of the Great Kanawha and
the Ohio Rivers, (hence its name.)
After registering my name and dispo-
sing Of my luggage at one of the houses
of entertainment in the place, large
and commodions building, used in the
time of the late rebellion as Federal
Hospital, as is indicated by q fragment
of the old sign that hangs just below the
cave. For pastime and recreation,
|strolled up the broad and delightful val
ley that stretches away between the lofty
and majestic hills on either side, whose
bases are widely separated, with their ir-
regular submits, peaked formed tops
and cone like pinnacles, donsely set in
forest trees, interspersed with the cedar
and the wavering pine, and their angular
sides and sedrine slopes, by natures plas-
tic hand profusely set and decked in las
ting evergreen, that sway their tasseled
tops and waving branches in the passing
breeze, oy their beck and nod seem to
invite us, like the son of Alensina,to en-
ter within the retreats and recesses of the
lofty howers,ever gladdened by song and
sweet melodies, made by the aerial song
sters that assemble there to sing their
vesper and their matn songs. While
the delightful valley that lies between as
| it reaches away disclosing to view farm
after farm, with their broad acres waving
in golden grain or verdant meadows, with
broad fields of pasturage grazed by nu-
merous aocks and herds, with here cot
tage and there stately mansion, with
walks and gardens that attend to adorn
and beantify the scene.
! When the sun is sinking down the
Western slope, and dewy twilight begins
to steal upon the scene, and the pennate
shadows to lengtheu up the vallejo gaze
in pensiye mood upon the landscape and
surrounding scene. appear as the recol.
lection or impress made upon the mind
! by some glowing imagery of romantic
tale. AS fancy reverts, and we compare
the past with the present, the contrast
how great and how impressive!
/ Not many generations ago, here where
now is encircIed with all that exats
and embellishes civilized life, the
rude bramble nodded in the wind, ani
the wild beasts unmolested made thei
lairs. Here lived and loved another race
of beings; beneath the same sun that il
now declining in the West, the Indial
; hunter pursued the painting deer; gazing
, upon the same moon that smiles on US
the Indian lover wooed his dusky mate
| Here the wigwam blaze beamed upon th'
tender and helpless, and the council-fir
glared upon the wise and daring. Her
they bathed their athletic forms in tn
sedge-bound river and padded the ligh
canoe along the rocky shore
How they walred ;the echoing whoop
the bloody grapple, the defying death
song, all were here. Here,nearly cen
tury ago, in Lord Dunmore's war, the,
fought sanguinary battle, in point 0
numbers the most desperate and blood
the historian has ever cbronicled in tn
annals of Indian warfare. Here Genera
, Lewis met the confederate and allie,
tribes of Shawnee, Delaware, Mingo an,
, Wyandot Indians, led on by the grea
Sachem, Cornstalk, the po werful Chiei
a strategist that had no rival either in th
council or the field, whose acts of darin
: are not surpassed by the illustrious deed
$ of the famed Tecnmseh. Here the nc
: BILE and philanthropic Logan, after re
e naming so long an advocate for peac.
, stung by the keen sense Of wrong an,
t burning for revenge of his murdere,
family, graspcd the hatchet and rushe
S to battle. Here Col Lewis, while pres
r sing on to repel the charge, fell mortal
wounded among his broken lines, an
was carried dying from the field. Whe
Cornstalk led his warriors on to battl
with fury where the fight was thick
est. there Cornstalk led his stalwal
!, and sable minions, their tonsured head
dyed somber and vermlion, they locke
and fought like demons ushered fror
: the gates of Pandemonium. Maddene
rage and burning for the revenge of pre-
/, vious wrongs, with savage yells rushe
: on, on, like q violent tornado, crying
''Remem5er the Wappatomica, Yelo'
d Creek and Captina p
Amid the raging storm, the whoop,th
clang of arms, the hideous outcry, an,
din of battle, the voice of Cornstal
could be heard, loud above the savag
and deafening yell, cheering his warrior
on, bidding them be strong. Even i
the very gates of despair, when all wa
clamor, violent struggle and helples
death, woe was to he of the dusky hu
!. that attempted to fly or turn upon hi
heel; he was felled by stroke of th
war club or instantly hewed down by tn
battle ak. Here the brave anG detian
Pontiac fell, the father of the renowne
and famous "Tecumseh. The contes
continued with unremittent ardor from
near the rising to the setting sun, whe
Gen. Lewis seeing, after the repeate,
: charges that he had made throughout th