Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-21
In Memory of
Col. CRAWFORD.
Who was burnt ny the Indians in this
Valley,
June II, A. d. 1882.

To-day the Pioneer Association of
Wyandot county observed the one hun
dredth anniversary of his death with
appropriate exercises. The story of Col.
Crawford's suferiDgs is one of extreme
cruelty. He was captured by the Della
ware Indians, and the warriors decided
that he must die. But before they could
carry out their decree it was necessary to
obtain the consent of the Wyandots.
The Delaware Indians were tenants.at-
will in the Wysndots' country, and
burning at the stake was an obsolete GUS
tom with them. Without the consent of
the BALI King the captors of Col. Craw
ford did not dare to iutiict the death
penalty. A messenger, bearing
belt of wampum, was sent to the Half
King with the following message:
Uncle We, your nephews, the Lenni
Lenape (the Indian name of the Della
wares) salute you In spirit of kindness,
love, and respect Unclel We have a
project in view which we ardently wish
to accomplish if our uncle will not over
rule us! By returning the wampum we
will have your pledged word" Half
King, concluding it was a contemplated
expedition of a Delaware war party in
tending to strike some Of the white set
Elements, returned the belt to the mes.
senger, saying: Say to my nephews
they have my pledge This was death
warrant to the unfortunate Crawford.
As soon as the fleet runner had return
ed from the Half Kings village with the
now torture-empowering belt of wan
pun, Colonel Crawford was hurried
forth TO his place of torture. 1t was on
the 18th day of June, and the afternoon
was we'll spent when Crawford, under
escort of his tormentors, arrived at this
very memorable spot of ground. They
here met many Wyandots from the Half
Kings town, and men, squaws and chill
dren from the Delaware village, over
which Captain Pipe ruled. A fire was
brightly burning. Crawford was strip.
ped naked and ordered to sit down near
the fire. The Indians now beat him with
their fists and sticks. The fatal stake
post about fifteen feet high--had been
set firmly in the ground and
piles of hickory poles, thicker
than mans thumb, aud from
eight to twelve feet long, lay at the dis
lance of four or five yards from the
stake. Crawford's hands were tied be
hind his back. A strong rope was pro.
| duced, one end OF which was fastened to
| ligature between his wrists and the other
| tied to the post near the ground. The
| rope was long enough to permit him to
walk around the stake several times and
then return. Crawford, observing these
terrible preparations, called to Simon
Girty, who sat on horseback at a dis
lance of few yards from the fire, and
asked him if the Indians were going
to burn him. Girty very coolly replied
in the affirmative Crawford heard
the reply with firmness, merely observ.
ing that he would bear it with fortitude.
| When the poles had been burned asun,
der in the middle, Captain Pipe arose
| and addressed the crowd in a tone of
| great energy and with animated gestures,
pointing frequently to Crawford, who
regarded him with unruffled composure
AS soon as he had ended his haranguc a
loud whoop burst from the assembled
throng, and all made rush for the I'm
fortunate prisoner. When they left him
his ears were gone, and blood was stream
ing from the cruel wounds,
A terrible scene of torture now began.
| The warriors shot charges of powder
into his naked body, commencing with
The calves of his legs and continuing to
his neck. Three or four Indians by turns
would take up one of the burning pieces
of poles and apply the burning end to
his naked body. already burns black
with powder. These tormentors pre-
sented themselves on every side of him,
so that whichever way he ran round the
post they met him with the burning
brands. Some of the squaws took broad
pieces of bark, upon which they could
carry quantity of burning Goals and
hot embers, and threw on him.
so that in short time he had
nothing but Goals of fire and hot
ashes to walk upon In the mi st Of
these extreme fortunes Crawford called
to Girty and begged of him to shoot him
through the heart. Don't you see l
have no gun, ColonelP" replied the
white savage monster, bursting into q
loud laugh, and then turning to an
Indian beside him he uttered some brutal
iests upon the naked and miserable ap
pearance of the suffering prisoner, and
seemed delighted at the horrld scene
The terrible scene had aot lasted more
than two hours, and Crawford had be-
come very much exhausted. He walked
slowly around the stake upon his fiery
pathway, and in a low tone of
voice earnestly besought God to
pardon all his sins and have mercy
on his soul. His nerves had lost
much of their sensihilitY, and he no
longer shrunk from the firelrands with
which his tormentOrs necessarily touched
him. At length he sank in fainting fit
upon his face and lay motionless. In
stantly an Indian sprang upon his back,
knelt lightly upon one knee, made cir
GUAR ~incision with his knife upon the
crown of his head, and, clapping the
knife between his teeth, tore the scalp
off with both hands. Scarcely had this
been done when withered old hao ap
preached with a piece of bark full of
Goals and burning embers and poured
them upon the crown of his head, now
laid bare to the bone. The Colonel
groanel deeply, arose, and again walked
slowly around the stake. Nature at
length gould endure no more. and at a