St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-09-27
CONSPIRACY OF PONTIAC.
Story Of the Siege OF Detroit Told
by a Sioux Indian.

Story Of the Siege OF Detroit Told
by a Sioux Indian.
Boston Herald.
The large audiences of interested
children, with good number of older
people. still gather to hear the lectures
on the Indians at the Old South. That
OF yesterday possessed special interest
aside from the subject, 'Pontiac's Con-
spiracy," in the fact that the lecturer
was himself an Indian. Charles A. East
man, NJ. d., was born into the Sioux ma
ton, and is full bloOded Indian. He
is graduate of Dartmouth col
lege, and in June last was made all M.
ID. at the medical school of Bos-
ton university. He intends to return
to his people, and practice his profession
among them. Dr.. Eastman is tall and
straight. with black hair, and the I'M
mistakable Indian features and COM
plexion. In opening his address he
said there were no people so fond of
their native land, OF the hills and
valleys and forests in which they lived,
as the North American Indians. The
forced removal from their land was a
severe trial and bitter experience for
them. Samoset, when he welcomed the
handful of half-starved white men OH
the shores of Plymouth Bay, uncon-
sciOusly welcomed the lion that would
swallow his peoples land. The English
were crafty and grasping, holding out
one hand to the Indian in friendship
and graSping his possessions with the
other. The French were more success
full in adapting themselves to the In
dians, and more fortunate i'll winning
their good will and support. Pontiac,
himself great chief who had won
much credit for himself and his braves
in the French wars against the English,
became convinced that it was necessary
to make one last stand. and a final eff
fort to save his peOples'S land.
The French trapperS and traders con-
Stantly moved among the Indians and
stirred them to hatred for the English.
The whites were insolent and brought
liquor in large quantities among the
natives, gradually undermining their
strength and depicting their numbers.
Pontiac became restless, and despalred
of preserving the rights and possessions
of his people. He therefore
the Indian tribes in an attack
upon the forts, to be followed. if sue
cessful, by war upon the settlements.
The cOnSpirat0rs hoped to drive the
whites to the coast. This was probably
the last time that an Indian made a de-
liberate plan to fight the whites with
any hope of success: all the uprisingS
since have been desperate struggles
when driven into a conner by robbery Or
starvation. POntiac's plan to make his
way into Fort Detroit on a pretense of
smoking a pipe of peace. and to seize
the arms of the soldiers and overpower
them, was betrayed by an Indian girl.
The chief tried several times to
gain an entrance by strategy, but
each time he failed, and at last was
compelled to settle down for regu-
lar siege, hoping to starve out the gar
feated and captured, but OH July 80,
1853, Capt. Dalzell succeeded in reach
ing the fort and throwing into it both
pr DIVISIONS and reinforcements. Elated
by his success, and deceived by pre-
tended retreat of the Ottawas, he sailed
forth with his troops and Maj. Rogers
rangers to attack the Indian village.
They were ambuscaded, and only saved
by the rangers from complet deStruc
ton. In the meantime number of the
other forts had fallen before the Indi-
ans, but Pontiac had hard work to
keep his men from deserving. In
order to obtain supplies he issued
prOmissory notes OH birch bark and
marked with the figure Of an otter,
which were all faithfully redeemed.
Every means was employed to bring the
siege to successful issue, but in vain,
and it was finally abandoned after sew
eral months hardship. Pontiac was
not discouraged, and attempted to arouse
the Western Indians. but did not sue
coed and made Doace in 1765 He was
it was supposed he was killed by
drunken Indian at the inStigation of a
white trader. Thus ended the eventful
life of remarkable man, who sought
not glory and power for himself, but
the independence and prosperity of his
npOnlp