, 1877-08-05

long worn this medal as token
Of mutual friendship. Our young men are re.
whites. cannot restrain them, and / viii not
wear a token OF peace whileI am cotnpctlcd to
art rs an enemy" Evidence was not wantino
to show that the little band OF whites wcre
doomed to destruction But there was no way
for retreat. Therefore they prepared to leave
the fertilization which had sheltered them thus
far but sehirh at best could protect them only q
few days longer. lucumbered Is they were
with women and children, aud sick and en-
fccblcd soldiers, their march must necessarily
be a fatiguing one, even it unmoIcstcn. Every
thing not deemed an absolute necessity had
| been given to the Indians or DESTROYED. OF
| ammunition they had but twenty-five rounds,
and small box OF cartridges in one Of the bag
t gagc-wagons.
The 18th Of August was the day fixed upon for
| leaving the post. The day dasned with all the
| beauty Of an August morn, and the rising sun
| never sl,one more brightly upon the placid
waters OF Lake Michigan.
| Early in the morning Mr.. Kinzie received q
| dispatch from ''Tope-ne-bc," saying that the
] promised escorts were already plotting for the
| destruction of the troops. He advised Mr..
| Kinzie, who had resolved upon accompanying
! TIL. detachment, to remain with his family.
| under the charge Of some friendly Indians, with
a view Of their thus being conveyed to st.
| Joserh. This party consisted OF Mrs. Kinxic,
four Children, their nurse (this persons name
/ al Bt1-
tistc Beaubicn, wife OF Maj Gen Bcaubien Of tlis
city), clerk Of Afr. hinzie's, two servants, aud
| the buatnlen, or poyagsnFs, with Indians as pro-
tcctors. They were to proecc1 along the SOUTH
ern shore Of the lake to st. Joseph, Mr.. Kin
! zic declined accompanying them, as hc hoped
| bis prcseucc might afford some protection to
! the detachment, and To-pe-te-be assured him
| that the Indians would not moIest his boat.
| But hardly had the family reached the lake It,
fore the friendly To-pc~ne-be scnt another mes
1 fffh fhnn, fr t,f
! the old residents but at that time between
! 7 and OF age, was one Of the four children in
| this hoat. he recollccts very distinctly every
| incident Of tue terrible massacre. He saw the
troops US they left the fort In martial array and
watched their course along the sands Of the
| beach. He witnessed the first discharge OF the
murcrous yollcy from the treaehcrous Indians,
which was poured into the ranks Of tho
troops. it WAS Simultaneous discharge, the
flash, like a ball Of tire, and the smoke rolling
III m,irlsy cloud in the clear air. The conflict
| which followed, the confusion aud alarm, the
pranciag and fish: of horses, the whoopng OF
the Indians, and the yclis of their women and
! children, are parts of the scene yet distinctly
remembered, alter period Of for1y-iiyc years.
At O'Clock the troops left the fort to the
solemn notes of tue dead march. They were
hardly ont Of the inclosure when the Indians
commenced shooting aud butchering the cattle.
until they came to Il range of sand hills, about
half nile south OF the present location Of
the roundhouse belonging to the Illinois
Central Railroad. Here the Pottawatomics
between them aud the Americans. Suddenly Il
yollcy from the Indian Huskcts behind the
sandy barricadcs was poured upon them. The
troops formed and charged up the bank, an
aged soldier Of 70 falling just as they reached
its height.
THE CONFLICT SOON BECAME GENERAL
The Mialnis fed at the first fire, notwithstand~
in. the efforts OF Capt. Wells to prevent it,
Their Chief, riding up to tue Pottawatomies,
bFal,1isscd his tonallaws, charged taem with
trrachery, and declared he would be the first to
head party to return aud punish them. He
then turned his horse and galloped away.
The Americans fought with desperation, but
were obliged to surrender after the loss of
nearly twt-thirds OF tnclr number, The Indians
agreed to spare their lives, aud the women aud
children, and to deliver them up at some British
post unless they were ransomcd by the traders.
After the capituation, however: the Indians
pretended that this arrangement didnot include
the sick and wounded, aud terrible scene ell
s,lpd. Twelve children belonging to the whites
we're tomal,awked by one young savage. Capt.
Wells seeing this. determined to avcnge their
death. and rode off rapidly for the eucampment
OF the Indians Oh the Ch'cago River west Of
children. He was pursued By several Indians,
who killed his horse and disabled him. 81 Win
1e-meg " aud IS Wau-ban-see" T" endedyorcd to
save his life. but we're unsuccessful. HPee-so-
Capt. Wells was taken out, and cut IN pieces,
and distributed among the tribes. browns
"History Of Illinois."} Mr. J, Ii. Kinzie re-
members seeing the head OF Capt. Wells carried
about among the Indians, and his mutilated re-
mains lying in most horrible condition upon
the 1ake-shore.
Mrs. Helm, a step-dauehter of Mr.. Kinzic, vas
wounded in the shoulder by q toinahawk which
had been aimed at her head. While struggling
with the savage, she was rescued byan unknown
F-yn t%,s3 hnr ha
lake as If he would drown her, and whom she
then discovered to be- ss Black Partridgc.' Sup
ported by him aud another Indian, who held the |
scalp Of Capt. Wells in his other hand, she was
the Chicago River. Here she was treate' with !
great kindness by the wife OF Wau.bee-nce-
mah.'' While here an infuriatcd squaw |
seized stable-fork and commenced tor
turing one Of the wounded prisoners.
expected under such circumstances " "Wau-bcc- |
ucc-1nat1'' stretched mat across two poles |
between her and this dreadful scene, but it
could not shut nut the groans and cries OF the !
sufferers.
bravery and presence OF mind. The wife OF
Sergt. Holt was mounted on fine horse. The |
Indians wished to obtain 1t, aud pursued her,
striking at her with the butts Of their guns. in |
order to dismount her. She, however, defended |
herself with a sword, and not only injured their
them. Coming up to her the second
time, they captured her, but SO
pleased were they with her warrior
department that they treated her with great
kindness until she was restored to her friends
by an Indian trader. Mrs Hcald received sew
eli wounds. The Indians, dcsirous Of obtain
ing the horse she rode, aimed SO as to disable !
the rider without injnring the animal. She was
saved from instant death BY tho intcrpostion |
Of one Of Mr., kinzie's clerks, directed by Mrs.
Kinze. Hc gave mule for her ransom, and
ten bottles OF whisky when they
should reach THUR village.
Lieut.. Helm wus twice wounded and taken
prisoner. but was afterwards removed by some
friendly Indian to the Au Sable, and from
thence to St. Louis, where he was liberated
through the agency Of the late Thomas
Forsyth, Esq, half-broti1er OF a1r. Kinzie.
Ensign Roman and Or. Van Voorhees, fell in the
early part of the battle. .tr. kinzie's family, !
who remained In the boat, were carefully guard
ed by It t'kce- po-tah'' and another Indian. On
the
THIRD DAY AFTER THE MASSACRE
they were sent to St. Joseph's in boat. Here
they remained under the protection Of ''To~pc-
tle-bc'' until the next November. They were
then taken to Detroit and delivered to the Brit
ISL commander as prisoners OF war.
Capt. Head and his wife were sent to St.
Joseph's the day following the engagement.
The remainder of the prisoners were distributed
hn pr%t rs |