New Ulm weekly review., 1879-12-31
Lieut.. Boyd Before Col. Butler.
AN INCIDENT OF SAVAGE FORBEAR.
ssss ANCE AND CIVILIZED vIND1CTIyE.
NESS. #

ANCE AND CIVILIZED vINDICTIvE.
! EEE NESS.
! After the fearful massacre in the
valley of Wyoming, government
awoke to the necessity of striking a
blow which should teach the sava.
ges, and their more barbarous coad
tutors, the blood. thirsty tories, that,
if slow to defend, it was powerful to
revenge; if weak to prevent, it was
strong to punish such inlluman acts.
Accordingly, an army of five thous.
and men was assembled in the fall of
17l9 for the purpose of penetrating
the Indian country in Western New
York and destroying the nest of
vipers at Niagara, the headquarters
whence the Indians drew their sup
plies, and received their rewards.
The expedition was under command
of Gen. Sullivan, and embraced,
among other corps, a part of Nor.
gan's rifemen. After severe bat
tie at Conewawah, (now Elmira,) }
Sullivan pushed on, destroying every
thing in his way, until he reached
| Little Beards.town, where was adeep
stream which required bridging be.
fore the army could cross. While
waiting here, Lieut.. Boyd, of the
| rifle corps, young officer of great
promise, was sent, with twenty-six
| men, across the river to reconnoitre.
Piloted by a faithful Indian guide,
Boyd and his party reached the viii
lage, which they found deserted, al.
| though it was evident the Indians
had recently been there, as their
fires were still burning. Night
| was approaching when Boyd had
completed his reconnaissance,
and he concluded to encamp on the
ground where he was. In the NOR
ming, as the first dawn illumined the
east, some few Of his men were on
their feet, and approaching the vii
lage, discovered two Indians skulk-
ing about. One of these was shot
and scalped by man named Muir
phy, who could never forego shot
at an Indian, even when he endan.
cred his own life thereby. Suspect
ing, from the presence Of these, that
more Indians might be in his neigh
borhood, and having performed the
duty assigned to him, Boyd com.
menced to retrace his steps. He
soon discovered, however, that
large party Of the enemy, chiefly
Indians, were lying in ambush be.
tween him aud the army. Seeing
that his case was desperate one,
and having no other alternative, he
determined to cut his way through
if possible. Forming his men in a
solid phalanx. and cheering them by
his voice and example, he led them
to the attack. The fist charge was
unsuccessful, and singular, as 1t
may seem, not man Of
the little party was killed, although
they were opposed by some five
hundred savage warriors and tories.
The second and third attacks were
more unfortunate, almost all of the
party being killed; while only two
or three succeeded in getting through.
Boyd and a man named Parker were
taken prisoners on the spot.
AS soon as Boyd found himself in
the hands of the bloodthirsty and re-
vengeful tories, he demanded an in.
terview with Brandt, the Indian
leader, preferring to throw himself
upon his we'll known clemency, ra-
ther than trust to the generosity or
forbearance of his tory colleague.
The chief, being near, presented
himself; when Boyd, giving ma.
sonic sign and grasping his hand,
gave him the grip ola master ma.
son, and claimed his protection.
Brandt being mason, recognised
both, and claimed the two prisoners
as his own, promising and assuring
them that their lives should be spar
ed. And so indeed would they have
been, had not Brandt been called
away from the camp on duties of i'm.
portance requiring his attention.
Advantage was taken of his absence
by Col. Butler to endeavor to ex-
tort from the prisoners, under threat |
Of torture, information regarding
Sullivan's army.
In the council house of the village
was assembled a group worthy the
pencil of the most skilful artist.
Before table, on which was scat.
tered maps, papers, writing materi-
ais, &c., was seated a short, feshy, |
i'll favored man, whose head (phre- |
nologically considered gave token
of all the animal passions, and but |
few of the moral or intellectual ia.
culties, and whose features were as |
expressive as his head of all the pc.
culiarities of his nature, which was |
cruel in the extreme. His dress was
the uniform of the Royal Greens, of !
which regiment he was the colonel. |
This was Col. Butler. Opposite to
him sat an aid-decamp, prepared to |
commit to paper the Statements of |
the prisoner. In front of Butler.
kneeling upon one knee, was the |
light active form of Lieut.. Bovd, |
His white hunting.shirt brought !
him out in bold relief from the duskv
forms of the savages, two of whom |
held him in their grasp, while be-
hind him stood the slalwart form of !
Little Beard, the most vindictive |
and cruel of the allies Of Britain. He
was distinguished for his diabolica]
invention in torturing a prisoner,