Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-04-24

the Missouri, singular and most hete-
rogenous fleet might have been seen
at anchor. 1t was composed of large
barses and light birch-bark canoes, of
which, in all, there were more than a
hundred. The barges were manned by
soldiers In scarlet-colored coats, under
the direction of officers in the snowy
British uniform. The canoes were lit
orally filled with dusky faces hideously
painted with black and red
ochre. Plumes from the wings of vari-
Gus wild birds, from the eagle down to
the .fish-hawk, waved over the dark
brows of the chiefs. The Indians of the
northern hive had swarmed from their
homes among the great lakes. A horde
of seven hundred base and bloodthirsty
marauders were waiting for the fall of
the sable mask of night to glide under
its cover and surprise the sleeping city
so recently erected near the father of
legendary rivers. And the apostate
Frenchman-th duelist and murderer,
Francois Mallet-was even then in adj
vance acting rs spy.
An hour after dark, the fleet left the
Illinois shore and shot swiftly down the
current Of the mighty stream. AT
length they landed some distance above
the doomed post, and extending their
columns rapidly around the uncon-
scious town, paused till the peep Of the
morning star from the east to COM
mence the terrible attack. The signal
agreed upon was the imitation of the
howl of wolf from the mound known
as the "falling garden"
Soon radiant Phosphor wheeled its
silver rim above the pale edge of the
oriental horizon, and long, dismal
howl was heard on the chill ofmounds."
It was followed by war-whoop, wild
enough to wake the dead, from circle
drawn completely around the city. And
then the British assassins and their
demon allies of the woods rushed for
ward to the horrible assault, murder
Gus enough to characterize the era for
ever as "LA1,aee du Coup" The feeble
garrison, only half aroused: were i'm
| mediately overpowered; and then en-
sued a scene Of massacre, rapine, and
plumber, which battles description. 1t
was such as none but British and brutal
savages could perpetrate. Peaceful in
habitants, who had never harmed them,
who had taken no part in the previous
war, and offered no resistance to the
present outrage, were shot down on
their hearthstones. and their wives and
daughters subjected to atrocious viola
ton before heir expiring eyes.
A band of yelling savages led by the
traitor, Francois Mallet whose insidious
representations as to the wealth of st.
Louis had organized the expedition, at
tackled the fine mansion Of Jacques LIE
Roux, the father of Annette. 1t occu-
pied but a moment to batter down the
the doors. In the parlor they found
the family hastily collected, alarmed
by the deafening uproar in the streets.
The brave old Frenchman stood in the
entrance, brandishing his naked sword,
and resolved to defend his wife and
lovely daughter to the utmost extrem-
itv Several huge Indians fell before
his blade, with small prospect of ever
again rising.
down to hi, after your son, and
I'll take care Of the pretty Annette p
shouted the hoarse voice of Mallet as
he sent whizzing pistol bullet through
the old heroes bosom, who fell pouring
out his hearts blood on his own costly
carpet. The daughter fell shrieking be-
side him. throwing her arms in con-
vulsive clasp around the bleeding form
of her father. She was torn away by
the fiendish traitor, and carried ap-
parently lifeless, towards her own bed
room. The fate of the AnorroW's bride
seemed about to be sealed for an agony
worse than death, when suddenly
bursting in from back door, d new
actor appeared on the CORY stage. At
tn first noise of the appalling tumult,
Pierre Choteau had hurried for the
abode of his betrothed. He was forced
to make large circuit, in order to
avoid the masses of enemies thronging
almost every avenue, and he arrived
only in time to behold his Annette in
the arms Of Mallet. Pierre, fortunate
ly, was no craven. He possessed, in an
eminent degree, the qualities ofstrength
agility and courage, which have been
perpetuated in his descendants, and
have rendered the name of Choteau a
familiar word everywhere from ST..
Louis to California.
One quick leap, as of lightnlng-one
fierce dagger thrust from hand that
never missed its aim, and the treacher-
Gus Malet was CHASTITY corpse! Young
Choteau, then Selling his unconscious
bride and supporting her slender form
on his bosom, though hotly pursued by
dozen savages, made his escape out Of
the house, out of the city, away to the
sheltering forests and deep brakes
of the Missouri bottoms, where they
subsisted on the wild game of the re-
gion for period Of several months,
until the hell-dogs Of Canada retreated
to their icy lakes! And from these two
devoted lovers some of the wealthiest
families of the west derive their origin.
The cruelties exercised by the British
robbers subsequent to the dreadful coup
de main, surpass any other horrors of
the revolutionary war. The city was
finally delivered from it's oppressors by
an American force under the gallant
General Clarke This veteran gloriously
urged his way from the frontiers of Vir-
\ IL