Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-12-10
PONTIAC'S CONSPIRACY.
The Story of the Siege of Detroit Told by
Sioux Indian.

The Story of the Siege of Detroit Told by
Sioux Indian.
The large audiences of interested chill
dren, with a good number CT older peo-
pie, still gather to hear the lectures Of
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, M. D., was born into the Sioux
Nation, and is full-blooded Indian.
He is graduate of Dartmouth College,
and in June last was made an M. d. at
the medical school of Boston Uni
versity. He intends to return to his
people, and practice his profession
among them. DR.. Eastman is tall and
straight with black hair, and the un-
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 val
leys and forests in which they lived, as
the North American Indians. The
forced removal from their land was
severe trial and bitter experience for
them. Samo.et when he welcomed
the handful Of half-starved white men
on 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
successful in adapting themselves
to the Indians, and more fortunate
in 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
final effort to save his peoples 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 de-
SPARED of preserving the rights
and possessions of his people. He
therefore made a plan to unite all
the Indian tribes in an attack
upon the forts, to be followed, if sue
cessful, by war upon the settlements.
The conspirators hoped to drive the
whites to the coast. This was probably
the last time that an Indian made de-
liberate plan to fight the whites with
any hope of success; all the uprisings
since have been desperate struggles
when driven into corner by robbery
or starvation. Pontiac's plan to make
his way into Fort Detroit on pretense
of smoking pipe of peace, and to seize
the arms of the sold iers 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
rison. One relief expedition was de-
feated and captured, but on July 80,
1868, Captain Dalzen succeeded in
reaching the fort and throwing to it
both provisions and reinforcements.
Elated by his success and deceived by
pretended retreat of the Ottawas, he
sailed forth his troops and Major
IN
village. They were ambuscaded, and
only saved by the rangers from COM
plete destruction. In the meantime
number of the other forts had fallen be-
fore the Indians but Pontiac had hard
work to keep his men from deserving.
In order to obtain supplies he issued
promissory notes on 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 several
months hardship Pontiac was not dis
couraged, and attempted to arouse the
Western Indians, but did not succeed,
and made peace in 1865. He was last
seen in ITO near st. Louis, where it was
supposed he was killed by drunken In
dian at the instigation of a white trad
er Thus ended the eventful life of
remarkable man, who sought not glory
and power for himself but the indie
pendence and prosperity of his people
Boston Herald.