Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-30

sembling of the Indians to receive thei
payments; the trading in peitries; tn
} occasional birth of baby-these wer
the events that interested the people n
chronicle of this early period exists. Il
, 1910 Captain Nathan Head succeeded
Captain Whistler In command of the gar
rison.
THE MASSACRE.
In April, 1872, considerable excitemen
!. was created by hostile attack on thu
settlers at Lees farm, four miles from thu
fort on the South Branch (near Bride
borol, which resulted in the death o
Liberty White and French tenant
General William Hull, then in command
at Detroit, having information as to the
growing unrest of the Indians, ordered
the evacuation of the fort at Chicago, be-
lieving that it could not Withstand de-
termined attack. 1t has been generally
stated that he ordered distribution Of
the property as peace offering to the
Indians. John Moses holds this opinion
in his recent history of Illinois. but quotes
Captain Heads report leaving it to my
discretion to dispose of the property as
thought proper" At the fall of Macinac
in July, Tecumseh advised the Indians to
take up arms against the Americans.
THE Indians were well armed at this
time and it is claimed acted under the
advice of the British.) Captain Head,
apparently reckless as to the peril of his
surroundings, decided to notify the neigh
boring tribes of the order to abandon the
fort and of his intention to divide the
goods. August 18th, Captain William
Wells, an uncle of Mrs. Head, arrived
from Fort Wayne with thirty friendly
Miamis, to act as escort to his post. On
the following day clothes and paints were
distributed to the Indians, but they OBJ
served that large portion Of the sup
plies, that in their estimation had been
promised, were withheld. During the
night they found that the surplus sup
ply of muskets had their locks broken
and the much coveted casks of whisky
| had been stove in and the liquor poured
into the river.) This, however, is an in
cident The rowing bands of young bucks
were anxious to emulate the example Of
Tecumseh. Black Partridge, Chief of
the Pottawattomies, appeared before Cap
tain Head that night, and said that he
was DO longer able to control his young
men, at the same time giving up his
medal that he had worn as symbol Of
friendship.
| 1t was decided to move on the 18th.
There were fifty-four regular soldiers in
the garrison; each had twenty-five rounds
of ammunition. The soldiers marched
first, next the heavy laden baggage and
ambulance wagons and then an Indian
escort of 500 following in the rear. In
John Wentworth's "Fort Dearborn" one
of those exhaustive and interesting COM
pilations of the Fergus Historical Series,
is incorporated the report of Captain
Head, which reads as follows: ''The situa-
ton of the country rendered it necessary
for us to take the beach with the lake on
our left, and high sand bank on the right
about 800 yards distant. We had pro-
ceeded about a mile and a half when it
was discovered (by Captain Wells, who was
in the lead), that the Indians were pre-
pared to attack us from the bank. i'm
mediately marched up with the company
to the top of the bank when the action
commenced; after firing one round we
charged, and the Indians gave way in front
and Joined those on our fanks THE CEN
ter of the fight is now indicated by a large
COttOuWOoQ llCC tndt otduOo nCdi oCOISC W.
! Pullman's residence, the prospective site of
a handsome memorial.) In about fifteen
minutes they got possession of our horses,
baggage, provisions of every description !;
and finding the Miamis did not assist US, /
drew off the few men had left and took
possession of small elevation on the open
prairie out of shot of the bank or any other
cover. The Indians did not follow me,
but assembled in body on top of the
bank, and after some consultations among
themselves, made signs for me to approach
them. l advanced toward them alone, and
was met by one of the Pottawatomie
chiefs called Black Bird, with an inter-
prefer He requested me to surren-
der, promising to spare the lives of the
prisoners On few moments considera-
| ton / concluded it would be most reason
able to comply with the request, although
| did not put entire confidence in his pro-
mise.
AFTER delivering up our arms, we were
taken back to their encampment THE
present site of Reid, Murdoch & Fishers
store) near the fort and distributed among
the different tribes The next morning
they set fire to the fort and left the place,
taking the provisions with them. The
number of warriors was between 400 and
500, mostly of the Pottawatomie nation,
and their loss, from the best Information
could give, was about fifteen. Our
strength was 6fty-four regulars and twelve
militia, out of which twenty-six regulars
and all the militia were killed in action,
with two women and twelve children. En-
sign George Renan, DR.. Isaac V. Van
| Voorhis, Of my company, with Captain
Wells, of Wort Wayne, to my great sor-
row are numbered with the dead. Lieu
tenant II. T. Helm, with twenty-one nom
commissioned officers and privates, and
eleven women and children were prisoners
when we separated. Mrs. Head and my
self were taken to the mouth of the river
st. Joseph, and, both being badly wounded
were permitted to reside with Mr.. Burnett
an Indian trader. In few days after our
arrival the Indians went off to take Fort
Wayne, and in their absence engaged a
Frenchman to take US to MichilimackinaG
by water, where | gave myself up as a
prisoner of war with one of my Sergeants.' u
Mrs. Lieutenant Helm gives the follow
ing experience, published in Mrs. McKin
zie's stWau-Buno Sat this moment {
Young Indian raised his tomahawk at me
BY springing aside l avoided the blow
which was intended for my skull bu
alighted on my shoulder seized hin
around the neck, and while exerting my
utmost efforts to get his scalping knife
which hung in the scabbard over hi
breast, | was dragged from his grasp b.
another and older Indian" She was
dragged to the lake and plunged in. He
captor proved to be Black Partridge, dis
guised, who by the show of violence savet
her from the maddening crowd. The for
had become scene of plumber to such a
remained after the troops marched out
, The cattle had been shot down as they RAJ
. at large, and lay dead or dying around