Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-12-01
The Stury Teller.
THE DECOTAH'S CAPTIVE.

While the Spanish colonists ravaged the
southern portion of North America in quest
of gold, and the English planted the germs
of self government on the eastern coast, the
French we're but the agents of home mer-
chants, who enjoyed a monopoly of the varl.
Gus traffics, and were sustained in the enjoy.
ment of it by the strong arm of military pow.
er. To the trading association in particular
we owe the discovery Of the Mississippi, by
the sons of the MEMBERSHIP intrepid La
Sale. In this day, lead was discovered
within the present limits of the State of Iowa.
but the noted Julien Dubuque was the 6rst
who taught the Indians to collect the ore,
and make an article of trade Of it. He was
not only brave but crafty man, and after
his death, the savages, in compliance with
his dying wish, deposited his remains on the
summit Of a high cliff overlooking the "Fath
er of Waters" securing the mouth OF the
mausoleum with massive leaden door OF
ton weight They then burned his dwellings
and erased every trace of civilized life around
his settlement, except the orchards planted
by his own hands. Vandal whites afterwards
cut up the door to sell, but the name of Du-
Buque will ever be remember in Iowa.
Years passed away. The white flag of
France no longer waved over the Mississippi
valley, and the bold frontiersman. advancing
on the foremost wave of civilization, crossed
the river in quest of lead ore, game, and fer
tile soil. Que of the first settlements thus
established, was formed by a party from
Kentucky, led by the grandsire of the younger
generation-old Joe Bates, noble specimen
Of frontiersman. Seventy winters had
whitened his long locks, but he was still hale
and hearty, able to WELD an axe with any Of
his sons, or to draw bead on rifle with that
fatal accuracy of aim which had enabled him
to render good service at the battle of New
Orleans. Selecting good locality on the
very shore of the Mississippi, old Joe and his
sons built log cabin. surrounded by stock
ade to keep off the Decotahs. They surround.
ed "clearing" with worm fence, deadened
the standing trees by the fatal axe circle, and
planted corn. When the corn was we'll above
ground and freed from weeds, they began to
"prospect" for lead ore.
Thus far they had seen no Indians, and
began to fatter themselves that the "red
skins" had left the country to their peaceful
possession but the willy savages had kept
constant watch upon their movements. Per-
haps, had they confined themselves to agricul-
tural labors, the intruders might have gone
on unmolested, especially as the Decotahs
wished to conciltate the United States Gov
ernment into a profitable treaty, but when
pick.axes were welded in search Of lead ore,
the destruction Of the palefaces was resolved
upon in council.
The first object of savage vengeance was
the oldest son, Frank Bates, who had built
"head quarters" despite the warnings of old
Joe. Frank, however, had no fear of Indi-
ans, and lived with his wife and babe in great
happiness, until one summers night when he
was awakened by the loud barking of his
dogs. Springing from his bed, he looked
through an opening in the logs, and saw to
his horror at least fifty Decotahs, in full war
costume, evidently seeking the easiest way to
force an entrance into the cabin. Arousing
his wife, he raised cellar trap door and was
about to send her down, when the child she
had left in the bed began to cry.
II cannot leave my babe" she said.
"Nay," he exclaimed, 81 will take care of
the boy" and almost forcing her down into
the small cellar, he closed the unhinged door,
over which he drew large chest Then,
seizing his rifle and hatchet, he took the in
fant and ascended to the loft of the cabin,
pulling the ladder up after him. A moment
more, the door was forced from its hinges,
and the Decotahs entered eager for their prey.
But Bates did not remain to watch their
movements, for lashing his boy to his should
ers, he cautiously opened a shutter in the
gable of the loft, and seeing that 10 Indians
were beneath, jumped to the ground, rifle in
hand.
Ere he had traversed his little gerden, the
air resounded with the blood chilling tones
of the war.whoop, and volley of arrows
rained around the fugitive. Happily only
one struck him, and that in the feshy part
of the arm, so that he kept on straiuing every
nerve to reach the stockade around his faith
er's cabin. But ere he had gone many pa
ces gigantic Indian overlook him. Turn
ing like a stag at bay, he faced his antagonist,
knocked him down with the butt Of his rife
and then sped on his way. But now, to his
horror, he saw large body of Decotahs
around his fathers dwelling as he approach
ed firing over on to the roofs of the cabins
with arrows to which burning tow was at
tached.
He paused-but the cries of his boy aroused
him to a sense of his own danger and his
wife's perilous situation. Directing his steps
towards the river, where he found his "dug-
out" safely moored, he soon was padding
across the river to settlement where there
were large number of whites.
Day had scarcely dawned on the succeeding
morning, before twenty miners, good men
and true, were ready to accompany him
across the river. They cared no more for
the Decotahs than for prairie dogs, and acted
upon the spur of the moment, regardless of
consequences. Crossing above his residence,
young Bates led them towards his clearing
but on arriving there nothing remained but
a mouldering pile of ashes. His beloved
wife had evidently perished in the fames for
among the ashes and charred beams in the
cellar they foun6 some blackened bones.
Just then they we're joined by old Joe Bates
and two of his younger sons armed to the
teeth. They were delighted to find Frank
alive, for they had feared that the column Of
smoke that had arisen from his cabin was his
monument; but now they did their best to
condole him in their way. He said but little,
but secretly vowed to avenge his wife's death,
and we'll did he keep his word. To have
seen him, no one would have supposed that
the mildlooking, slender built Frank Bates
was an incarnate demon in fight with the
Decotahs; yet within year after his cabin
was burnt, he bad twenty scalps hanging
around his pirdle "Veugeance' seemed his