The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-07-14

In its magnitude the last is the most crush
ing defeat that the American army has sus
tanned at the hands of savages since the
United States became nation, if there be
excepted st. Clair's disaster. This took
place November 4, 1871, when the Miamis
led by Mishckonequoh, better known us Lit
tie Turtle, utterly routed the American army
under General st. Clair, who lost thirty
| nine officers and 593 men. One of the
few occasions on which Washington, him.
self ycrsed in Indian warfare and remem-
| bering the fate of the regulars under
Braddock, lost his self control, was when
| he received the news of this calamity.
The news was brought to him by n special
messenger while he was at dinner with
company. He went out to speak with the
messenger, returned to his seat, went
through the dinner with perfect composure,
and Immediately attended Mrs. Washing
! tons drawing room, speaking courteously
with every lady. When the company had
gone and Mrs. Washington had retired,
, leaving the President and his Secretary
Mr.. Sears, alone, Washington broke out
again and again in terrible explosions of
J wrath. EYES," he exclaimed, "herc on this
very spot took leave OF him; l wished
him success and honor. You have your
| instructions from the Secretary of War,
said /. l had strict eye to them, and
| will add but one word--Bcwaro of q sur
prise! You know how the Indians fight
us. / repeat it-Bcware of surprise.
He went off with that, my last warning,
thrown in his cars. And yet, to suffer that
army to be cut to pieces, hacked, butcher
cd, tomahawkcd by n surprsc--the very
thing had guarded him against. o, Cod
| O,God! Throwing up his hands and shak-
ing with emotion) he's worse than muir
dcrcr. How can he answer to his countryS
The blood of the slain is upon him, the
curse of widows and orphans, the curse OF
| heaven"
The war of 1912 witnessed no serious
defeat, the massacrcs of Chicago and De
troit having been wrought on dclcnceless
prisoners. In 1885 came the Seminole war.
General Thompson, the commissioner,
when the Indians refused to cmgrate, de-
nying that they had signed the treaty of
Fort Gibson undcrstandingly, put Osccola
in irons and proyokedn war. On the 2Sth
of December Osceola killed Thompson, n
lieutenant and several Others at Fort King,
and the same day, in the Wahoo swamp,
fell on Major Dado and n body of ITO reg
ulars and destroyed them completely; in
deed, the bodies were not found for II long
time. Thus began Il war which cost the
United States l ,4GG lives and $4,000
900.
The next great Indian war was provok-
ed by the massacre Of some five hundred
Indians, principally women and children,
November %, 1864, at Fort Lyon, by Colo
mel ChNington, after they had been Undue
ell to 60 into camp in the vicinity of the
troops. The Indians Ind vengeance for
this in December, 1866. The Government
had been constructing new road to Mon
tana, which the Indians claimed would
drive the game out of their best hunting
grounds; accordingly they opposed its
making and use vigorously. From July
2G to December 81 they attacked every
train that passed over the road, and fifty
one times appeared in hostile array before
Fort Phil Kearny and killed five officers,
ninety-one men and tiity-cight citizens.
December &, they attacked II wood train
two miles from the fort. Colonel Fettcr.
man, with fifty men, sallid out and rescued
| it, This gave the Indians the hint and
on the DIST they planned similar attack,
preparing an ambush. Colonel Fettcrman
Captain Brown and Lieutenant Grummond
were sent out with ninety-on men, when
the Indians 5000 strong, fell on them and
destroyed them. Sixty seven corpscs were
found int space thirty five feet in diameter
| Colonel Fcttcrman and Captain Brown
blew ont each others brains to avoid being
| taken alive.