Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-03-05

/ aSSOclaLcu WITH Jlle OenlXn lnllu-
ence OF the christian system, has
limited the carnage of war to those
In arms, so as to give the right Of
| life and hospitality to women, in-
fancy, old age, the sick, wounded
and prisoners, may not a farther
extension of the influence Of those
powerful but salutary agents put
an end to war altogether! May
not future generations read the
history of our civilized warefare
with equal horror and wonder,
that with our science and piety we
had wars at all
The English traders among the
Indians were the first victims in
this contest. Out of one hundred
and twenty Of them, among the
different nations, only two or three
escaped being murdered. The
forts of Presque Isle, st. Joseph
and Michilimackinac we're taken,
with a general slaughter of their
garrlsons.
The fortresses Of Bedford, Ligo-
nier, Niagara, Detroit and Pitt,
we're with difficulty preserved from
being taken.
1t was a principal object with the
Indians to get possessions Of De-
troit and Fort Pitt, either by as
sault or famine at considerable
distance from the settlements,
where alone supplies could be OBJ
tanned, determined the savages
to attempt its reduction by famine.
In their first attempt on Fort
Detroit, the Indians calculated on
taking possession OF it by strata
gem. a large number Of Indians
appeared before the place under
pretence Of holding congress with
Mai. Gladwin, the cOmmandant.-
He WAS on his guard and refused
| them admittance. On the next
day, about FIVE hundred moro of
the Indians arrived in arms, and
demanded leave to go into the fort,
to hold a treaty. The command
ant refused to admit "A greater num-
ber than forty. The Indians un.
derstood his design of OBTAINING
them as hostages, for the good
conduct of their comrades on the
outside of the fort, and therefore
did not send them into the place.
The whole number Of men in the
fort aud on board two vessels Of
war in the river, did not exceed one
hundred and ten or twelve but by
means of the cannon they possess
ed, they made shift to keep the lu-
dans at distance, and convince
them that they could not take the
place. When the Indians were
about to retire, Capt. Dalyel arriv-
ed at the fort with n considerable
reinforcement for the relief of the
place. He made a sOrtie against
the breastworks which the Indians
had thrown up, with two hundred
and forty-fvc men. This detach-
ment was driven back with the loss
of seventy men killed and forty
two wounded. Capt. Dalyel was
among the slain. OF one hundred
men who were cscorting a large
quantity Of provisions to Detroit,
sixty-seven were massacred.
Fort lit had been invested for
some time, before Capt. Ecayer
had the least prospect of relief
In this situation he and his garrl-
son had resolved to stand it out to
the last extremity, and even perish
of famine, rather than fall into the
hands of the savages, nOtwith.
standing the fort was bad one,
the garrison weak, and the country
between the fort and LIgonier in
possession of the savages, and his
messengers killed or compelled to
return back. In this situation,
Col. Bouquet was sent by Gen.
Amhurst to the relief Of the place,
with a large quantity Of provisions
under II strong escort. This escort
WAS attacked by large body OF
Indians, in a narrow defile on Turtle
Greek, and would have been entire
" defeated, had it not been for a
successful stratagem employed by
the commander for eXtricatlng
themselves from the savage army.
After sustaining furious contest
from one o'clock till night, and for
several hours the next morning, a
retreat was pretended, with a view
To draw the Indians into close
engagement. Previous to this
movement, four companies Of in
fantry and grenadiers were placed
in ambuscade. The plan succeeded.
! When the retreat commenced, the
Indians thought themselves secure
OF victory, and pressing forward
with great vlgor, fell into the
ambnscads, and were dispersed
with great slaughter. The loss
on tho side of the English was
above one hundred killed and
wounded; that of the Indians
could not have been less. The loss
was severely felt by the ludians,
as in addition to the number of
warriors who fell in the engage
ment, several Of the most dis
tinguished chiefs were among tue
slain. Fort Pitt, tho reduction OF
which they had much at heart, was
now placed out of their reach, by
n,.....,lt,, ,oI;ayaJ and oun