Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-07-03

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The idea Of present TO az InGi
an has sort OF mysterious charm,
very soothing 20 his rufflsd temper,
and l found them more eager to
treat with me than | expected. A
pound of powder, few yards of
red cloth, couple of strings Of
beads and q gallon of whisky settled
the business. They would not come
back into the village, evidently fear
ing treachery, but they came with
10 half mile, and / took the arti.
cles out TO them, and they went
away apparently satisfied.
We did not get over our alarm
sufficiently for the women and
children to leave the block house for
several days; but as Time passed on,
we gradually got back to the old
state of affairs, more especially after
. part of the same tribe came in
and traded with us on the same
friendly terms as before. without
making any allusion to the tragic
event in question.
1t was about three months after
the death of Cross John, that wac
one night awakened by series Of
the most appalling yelIs, mingled
with the terrific screams of women
and children and the report Of fire
arms. l was alone in the house.
My family, consisting of my wife
and two little children. had set of
the week before to visit her par
in the state of New York; most
consoling fact TO me now, when |
believed that few, if any, would es.
cape the horrible massacre already
going on around me. My first act,
after leaping out of bed, was to see
that my d0ors and shutters were
strongly secured; and the next, to
collect my weapons together-my
rifle, pistols, ak and knife-and be
prepared 10 sell my life as dearly az
possible.
/ had just accomplished THE, and
put on some of my garments 10 the
dark, thinking it imprudent- to
strike light when a reddish CLEAN
coming in through here and there a
crack or crevicc, made me aware
that the Indians had already begun
to burn the village, that they might
the better sec to catch the inhabi.
tants, aud running from one side oil
the house to the other and putting
my eye to the different spertures, |
soon had q general view of oil that
was taking place.
The Indians in great numbers,
were scattered all over the village
and while some were engaged in
plundering the shops and different
dwellings,, others were pursuing the
flying inhabitants, shouting, toma.
hawking them without mercy, seem.
ingly sparing none of either sex or
any age. The few men yet alive
were making what resistance they
could-and here and there ! could
see savage drop by well-aimed
she: from some building not yet
carried by storm-but the numbers
of the foe were 80 great, that the
few thus picked off did not seem to
lessen them, and / quickly became
convinced there was no hope of suc-
cessful repulse, and / mentally babe
my dear wife and children farewell,
never expecting to behold them
again.
"Death it is," muttered "but l
will die doing my best to rid tho
world OF as many human fiends as
possible" aud hurried up to my
roof with my rife, intending to load
and fire as long as life remained.
But on thrusting my head out into
the open air, and taking in the whole
horrible scene at glance, | at once
became struck with the remarkable
fact, that mine was the only dwelling
which had not been surrounded and
assailed. What could it mean ?
Was it chance or design9 Did they
believe my house deserted ? Or did
they intend that l alone should es-
cape? If the latter, it was certainly
the strangest Indian freak | had ever
heard of, and knew not what to
make of it.
But one thing, under the Cir cum.
stances, seemed highly proper--and
that was not to assail them, / should
cert inly draw attention upon myself,
and do the villagers no service |;
while, by keeping quiet and con-
cealed, it was possible / should, as l
had done, remain unmolested to the
end.
This, strange as il may seem, was
the result l was not molested, and
my house remained untouched,
Around me my friends were butcher
ed on every side, and their houses
plundered and burned to the ground;
aud yet, in the midst of the slaugn-
ter and burning ruin, myself and
dwelling we're protected, as ii by
some invisible power.
When the Indians finally departed
with their booty and trophies, and l
found myself free to escape to the
nearest settlement, could not clear
ly credit my senses or believe the
tale myself told. There were some
suspicious people who accused me of
being in league with the Indians
and sharing their spells. citing as a
proof the previous departure of my
family and my own testimony of re-
naming unmolested in the midst of
the scene Of destruction. never
blamed any one for these suspicious
for l should have had them OF
another 30 circumstanced--but, after
all, | was as innocent as child, and
as ignorant OF the true reason of my
escape as they we're.
1t was afterward asserted by the
savages themselves that the attack
upon the village was made in revenge
for the death of Cross John, and
that l was spared because had act
ed in friendly manner toward him
and his companions. Be this "a it
may, it was certain was saved in
the manner related.
Two others providentially escaped
the general massacre. All the rest
persisted by the hands of the human
fiends, and our once thriving, happy
village became an awful scene o..
death and desolation.