Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-05-27

to wait outside the gates III Reaper Won v
when those within should open
at the beginning of the fray.
What Judas was Pontiac, and how
worse than demons kiss was to be that
signal of the peace belt which would
begin the carnage? But ''forewarned is
forearmed," and Major Gladwin proved
equal to the occasion.
The night was spent in stern prepara-
tions for the mornings event The sol
diers were informed of the plot, and ev-
cry man enjOined to put his m9sket in
perfect order, load it carefully and pick
the flint, and fill his cartridge box with
ammunition. Several cannon were post
ed so as to command the council-house,
and when supplied with ammunition
were covered with sail cloth to hide
them from view. Certain weak places
in the.stockade were quietly repaired.
And, in short, everything possible was
done in order to give fitting reception
to Pontiac and his blood-thirsty band.
Promptly at ten o'clock the Indians
appeared at the. gate ready for their
treacherous work The stipulated two
hundred warriors counted OFF and march
ed in, apparently unarmed, although it
must be confessed that for a warm July
morning their extreme care in holding
their heavy blankets snugly about them
seemed rather ridiculous.
When they had all entered, the gates
were not only snugly closed, but certain
ingenious fastenings were applied which
no Indian could readily ,S0sen or break.
Thus it appeared as if whatever slaugh-
ter of the troops they might undertake
the two hundred must have it out, un-
aided by the savages on the outer side
of the wall.
Within, Pontiac noticed the garrison
under arms and posted in battle order
around the councii-house, and upon ask
ing the reason was told that it was de-
signed as mark of honor to him and
the distinguished chiefs attending him.
Whether the willy old saeham mistrust-
ed the real cause his stoical face gave no
token.
The council-house was simply a wide
roof supported on posts, without side
walls, so that when the Indians had sta
toned themselves according to their
ideas of rank they were in plain view OF
the preparations and precautions that
Major Gladwin had effected. al ali
After few of the highest chiefs and
some of the officers had puffed the pipe
the pipe of peace, Pontiac began his
speech, in the course of which the grand
catastrophe was to occur. To say that
every white man in the fort was sup
pressing furnace Of excitement would
not convey the intensity Of the hour.
Around the speakers waist was the
wampnm belt designed to introduce the
carnage, while under many a warriors
blanket the ill-conccaled shapes and
corners of weapons were discernible.
But Pontiac and his band could not
have felt at ease under the ciFcumstan-
ces. The cannon had been uncovered,
and the gunners stood with burning fu-
ses; every soldier was in position to dis
charge his musket at a seconds warn
ing, while the savages, encountered with
blankets, and crowded together, were
placed at a serious disadvantage.
The speech proceeded, and at the
point where the wampum was to be
passed to Major Gladwin as the signal
for the fight, each officer drew his sword,
each soldier raised his gun to his shoul-
der to fire, and each gunner at the can
non stepped forward for his fearful du-
ty.
But these movements showed the In
dians that they were detected. Pontiac
stammered and trembled, every chief
fiinched, many exclaimed, and for once
these stoics of the forest were unnerved.
But here POntiac's consummate sub
tlety came to his help. He neatly avoid
ed the concerted sign, and closing his
speech with words of the wsrmest re-
gard for the whites, gave way for Major
Gladwin's reply.
And now the polite and kind-souled
commandment showed himself master
of the situation. He directly and loud
ly charged Pontiac with his treachery,
and taunted him with the crime and the
failure of his diabolical plot.
When the old chief denied, and pre-
tended there was no plot, and that his
warriors were actually unarmed as he
had promised, Giadwin drew his sword,
and gallantly marching down the line of
savages, pulled aside many of their blan-
kets, and revealed the shortened guns,
tOmahawks and scalping-knives. AT
this the red skins confusion knew no
bounds. But words are inadequate to
describe the scene; the reader mnst PIC
ture it for himself.
just here appears the superiority in
noble and humane qualities of civilized
man over the barbarian, for instead OF
taking away their arms, or imprisoning
the whole band, or opening the great
guns upon them, Major Gladwin merci-
fully ordered them from the fort, al
though it must be acknowledged that he
did it with vehemence of words and
vigor of action that could not have been
very hatterng to the pride of pompous
Indian Emperor like Pontiac.