The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-05-04

from an Indian trader Of very limited
means he at once became a very wealthy
man, and so continued to the day Of his
death.
The armament returned to St. Louis,
having lost nearly all of their stores and
more than half their men. Camp
bell for a long. time fingered be-
tween life and death. Nature, aided
by an iron constitution, finally triumph
ed-he recovered, but was manned and
crippled for life, his left arm being en-
tirely useless.
Long years after, the steamboat Gen.
Pike vas ascending the Mississippi; il
crossing the rapids, she ran aground
where Campbell's boat had stranded {;
to keep her from being drifted over and
stove upon the opposite rock, she
anchored right in the current; when
she swung around to anchor, her bow
lay within a few feet of the rock. A
tall, athletic man, with his left arm
hanging powcrless at his side, stood
looking al the rock, apparently absorb
ed in deep thought. As he thus stood
some one mentioned that the author of
"C~ampbcll's massacre" perpetrated
on that rock, was on board.
"Who do you sayP" Intercepted the
stranger; "do you mean old RolettP"
eyes, Pierre Rolett, of Prairie du
Chen"
"Where is hep"
"Up there in the cabin" was the
reply.
The stranger Immediately went up
into the cabin, where he found Rolett.
Walking up to him, he said:
"Your name, sir, | am informed, is
Mr.. Rolett-Rolett, of Prairie du
Chienp"
"That is my name, SIR" replied he.
"Well, sir, do you see that rock?'
pointing to the rock over the bow of
the boat.
EYES," was the reply.
"Well, that is Campbell's Rock. DO
you see that island on the opposite side
of the boat3 That is Campbell's Island,
now, sir, do you see mep l am John
Campbell. Do you see that arm, how
worthless it is? l am MANNED and Grip
pied for life, and you are the author of
it all. You instigated old Black Hawk
and his bloody savages to way.lay me
here they were concealed there among
the willows on that island; our boat
drifted down upon the rock; more than
half my men were either killed or
wounded; | vas shot all to pieces, rs
you see me now, and you we're the in.
stigator of the whole scheme-you
bloody, treacherous, black-hearted old
scoundrel-you instigated the savages
to murder ME and my men. Now, you
must do N of two things-either leap
upon the rock. and run your chances
Of being drowned or swimming to the
island, or l will cut your throat from
ear to ear. Take you choice"
Upon that he drew q knife and made
q blow at him, just grazing his neck.
Rolett, seeing there was no tritlinS with
such a man, made a leap from the stern
of the boat into the water, and finally
reached the island, but o without the
greatest difficulty, and at the imminent
hazard of drowning. The boat pursued
her way, leaving the half-drowned and
dripping Rolett to manage as best he
could to reach the main line. That
rock and island have ever since been
known as "Campbell's Rock and
Island" The latter, however, is some
times called "Rolett's Leap" in COM
memoration of the exploit of the fright
ened Indian trader. Most travellers of
the Upper Mississippi are acquainted
with the name and location of this rock
and island, but few are aware of the
original history of those names, or the
bloody tragedy there enacted. Camp
bell, Black Hawk, Rolett, and all en-
gagged in that bloody affray, whether
savage or civilized, have all, or most of
them, passed away, but the locality and
the name rs lasting chronicles of one of
those bloody and thrilling scenes with
which the early history of this valley
abounds.