Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-03-26


birds and berries.
A Mr. Slower, who had been a
prisoner among the Indians, and
was one Of the pilots Of the army
was also taken prisoner to one o.
the Shawnee towns on the SciOtO
After being there a few days, and
as he thought, in favor with the
Indians, a council Of the chief,
was held, in which it was resOlv
ed that he should be burned. The
fires were kindled, and he was
blackened and tied 10 stake, in
an uncovered end of the council
house. Just as they we're about
commencing the torture, there came
on suddenly a heavy thunder gust,
with a great fall of rain, which
put out the fires. After the rain
was over the Indians concluded
that it was then too late to com
mence and finish the torture that
day, therefore postponed it till the
next day. Slower was then loosed
from the stake, conducted to an
empty house, to log Of which he
was fastened with buffalo tug
round his neck, while his arms were
piniOned behind him with cord.
Until late in the night the Indians
sat up smoking and talking. They
frequently asked Slower how he
would like to eat FIRE the next day.
At length one Of them laid down
and went to sleep; the other con-
tinued smoking and talking with
Slower. Sometime after midnight,
he also laid down and went to
sleep. Slower then resolved to
make an effort to get loose if posi-
ble, and soon extricated one of his
hands from the cord, and then fell
to work with the tug round his
neck, but without effect. He had
not been long engaged in these
efforts, before one of the Indians
got up and smoked his pipe awhile.
During this time Slower kept very
still for fear Of an examination.
The Indian laying down, the pris-
oner renewed his efforts, but for
some time without effect, and he
resigned himself to his fate. After
resting for awhile, he resolved to
make another aId a last effort, and
as he related, put his hand to tho
tug, and without difficulty slipped
it over his head. The day was just
then breaking. He sprang over a
fence into a cornfeld, but had pro
ceeded but a little distance in the
field, before he came acrossa squaw
and several children, lying asleep
under a mulberry tree. He then
changed his course for part Of the
commons of the town, on which he
saw some horses feeding. Passing
over the fence from the field, he
found a piece Of an old quilt. This
he took with him, and was the only
covering he bad. He then united
the cord from the other arm, which
by this time was very much swell
ed. Having Sc ec'ed, as he thought,
the best horse on the commons, he
tied the cord to his lower jaw,
mounted him and rode off at full
speed. The horse gave out about
10 o'clock, 80 that he had to leave
him. He then travelled on foot
with stick in one hand, with
which he put the weeds behind
him, for fear Of being tracked by
the Indians. In the other he carri-
ed bunch of bushes to brush the
gnats and musketoes from his
naked body. Being perfectly ac
quainted with the route, lie reached
the river Ohio in a short time, al
most famished with hunger and
exhausted with fatige.
Thus ended this disastrous cam
paign. 1t was the last one whicl
took place in this section Of the
country during the revolutionary
contest Of the Americans with the
mother country. 1t was undertaken
with the very worst of views, those
of murder and plumber. 1t was
conducted without sufficient means
to encounter with any prospect o
success the large force of Indians
opposed to ours on the plains o
Sandusky. 1t was conducted with
out that subOrdination and dlsci
plinc so requisite to insure success
in any hazardous enterprise, and II
ended in a total discontinue. Never
did an enterprise more completely
fail of attaining its object. Never
on any occasion, had the ferociouS
savages more ample revenge for the
murder of their pacific friends than
that which they obtained on this
occasion.
Should | be asked what cOnsid-
erations led so great number OF
people into this desperate enter
prise, why with so small a force
and such slender means they push
ed ON so far as the plains of San.
dusky, reply that many believed
that the MOravlan Indians taking
no part in the war, and having
given olTense to the warriors on
several occasions, their belligerent
friends would not take up arms in
their behalf. In this conjecture
they were sadly mistaken. They
did defend them with all the force
at their command, and no wonder,
for Notwithstanding their christian