Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-26
SHE FOUGHT THE INDIANS
Single Handed a Tom2h Held the Redskins
ct Bay.
Peril of q Pioneer Family I'm Old
MissOuri-Feathers Utilized as
q Means Off Defense.


Ou Ine southern Slope OF nlliSlut, dpooe
fifty-f1ve miles west from st. Louis and
midway between the Missouri and Missis-
sippi rivers, is the ruin-and even that has
almost disappeared-of quaint. heavily
built log structure, known in the early
days Of the white mans advance into Mis-
souri, as Fort Kennedy. This outpost of
the westward march of civilization was the
scene of battle waged on one side by a
party of marauding Indians, on the other
by woman, and the result Of which was
the woman's victory. 1t was the battle OF
a woman for her home and little ones and
for her own life, too. The fort was years
afterward superseded by substantial
farm house. the forest has given way TO
the ak and what was once thick woodland
is now divided into pasture and grain
fields A railroad runs across one corner OF
the farm, and in sight of the house mas
grown up a thriving Missouri town Inc
descendants of the woman who fought ana
won the battle still own, but do not i've
on. the farm.
1t was autumn and the Osages, the tribe
of Indians that inhabited the territory at
that time. were rowing about in bands
hunting, the game season being at Its ze-
NTH. The red men were not friendly with
the ever-increasing palefaces, and, in fact.
looked on them as their inveterate enemies.
The whites returned the sentiment with m
terest, and collisions with hunting parties
of Indians were frequent. At the time men
toned maraudings and murders by the In
dams had been more frequent than usual.
1t was not strange. therefore, mat Motn ,1sa
Kennedy, standing at the front door Of the
fort, should feel apprehensive as she
peered down the vista in front, hanked
upon either side by long files of giant OAKS
and hickories. She and her three sinai MAJ
children were the only persons at the lori.
Her husband had gone out that morning
with his dogs and rifle in quest of game,
salt pork and dried venison having become
a tiresome diet He had said he would re-
turn in the afternoon, but had not come.
Musing on the probability OF her nus
bands return. fearing what might haee
happened, yet daring not to think on what
she feared, Mother Kennedy began DONG
the chores that evening brings about a
farm house. She noticed as she went ABOUT
the work that the hogs and cows had come
I'D from the range earlier than usual anu
huddled about the pens and feeding places
in a manner not usual with them. The two
ponies followed her about lmpatlentiy.
was almost dark when Mother henneuy
finished the evenings work and entered tlle
fort The evening meal over, the ANXIOUS
woman stepped outside to listen. ohe
thought she might be notlned OF her nus
bands approach by his singing or WINS
Ting for he was CHEEKY man or the parh-
ing of the dogs. She waited until II grew
quite dark, and then suddenly the cry OF
a panther broke on the still night ar. II
seemed a long way on ana was pan ~ ~
as the waiing of g child "Paintersr shs
this settlement all summer" and again sne
listened The cry was repeated. hsi
trained ear, this time expecting the sou no,
told her that it was counterlelt OF +; tne
CRYING of that animal. The cry this tlme
was nearer, too In an instant 1t was re-
peated on the other side Of the house some
distance away, but still nearer than tne
first "Injuns!'' said the haroy Woni an
Il reckon l better get dnlhss ieauS Aei
Varmints." -, -,
So She CROPPED her way through the dark
ness to the woodpile In the yard ana Sc
cured her husbands ak. returned ana re. r.
entered the fort. First, she FABRICATED the
door and set the lux against the wall, TO De
ready for emergencies. Then she looked
over her rifle and saw that it was wen
loaded. She leaned it against the "ali neai
a small aperture set at an angle to COM
mand view of one side of the fort linen,
without saying a word, she put her niue
ones to bed. This done, she looked, or,
rather, felt about for something else to do.
There seemed nothing. She listened. The
false panther cry grew very close to the
fort. Peering through the porthole OF the
fort, Mrs. Kennedy fancied she could see
forms Of Indians gathering on the edge OF
the clearing few rods from the building.
She raised her rifle. If 1T We're panther,
to fire would brighten the animal away.
If the forms she thought she saw We're
real a shot would warn the Indians that
the inmates Of the fort were aware of their
presence and prepared to receive them. If.
indeed none were hit, which she hoped
might be me case II she 1lTtu. dS IL WOultl
prove to the reds that it might be safer to
stay away than to attack. She was al
most the point of pulling the trigger,
when it occurred to her that. the tort
being dark-she had not llghted the talloW
dip-the Indians might conclude, after re-
connoitering, that one was there, and
would go away again. But this was not
to be. The forms drew nearer until she
could distinguish one from another. She
raised her rifle again, aimed and fired. A
form leaped into the air, there was
Shrek of pain and hurrying Of footsteps
back to the shelter of the trees. Mrs. Ken
nedy quickly reloaded her rifle, and, know
Ing the tactics of the Indians, made a cir
cult of the room and looked out of the
portholes-there were four. one on each
side of the fort-tO see if an approach was
attempted from any other point. She could
see nothing. Another contingency now
presented itself. She no sooner thought of
1t than she emptied the mattress on her
bed of it's stufiingS of geese and turkey
feathers into the fireplace Then, to be pre-
pared for an emergency. she awakened her
little ones and made them stand near the
door, ready to run for the timber II 1t
should be necessary to attempt to save her
self by flight Another circuit of the port
holes was made. but nothing was devel-
oped. After few minutes shots were fired
in front of the fort. Mrs. Kennedy rushed
to the portfolio on that side and raised her
rifle But she did not fire. She waited for
one of those dark forms to appear, so that
she might fire effectively. None appeared,
but the ruse of the Indians was effective,
and one or two of their number reached
the fort from the rear and scaled pole
to the roof. Hearing the clatter on the
roof Mrs. Kennedy understood what it
meant and the fact that the reds were
daring enough to attempt the feat also
convinced her that they knew her hus-
band was away. She sprang from the port
hole to the fireplace, flint and steel in hand.
There was flash and flames and pungent
smoke from the feathers rolled up the
chimney.
Howls of disgust and a quick clamberng
from chimney to roof told that the move
ment had been Successful-the Indians who
had started down the chimney retreated
from the heat and sitting smoke. Mrs.
Kennedy struck a light to the tallow dip.
so that if the Indians broke into the fort
she might escape into the darkness with
her little ones, while the assailants were
temporarily blinded by the light. She had
just set the light on the table in the center
of the room when there came batterng
at the door of the fort. The Indians in
front CT the place had taken advantage of
the opportunity offered by the ruse of the
reds on the roof to secure a large timber
and charge against the door in an attempt
to batter it in. At the third blow the lower
talf of the plank in the center of the door
gave way, leaving an aperture large enough
to permit man crawling through. Mrs.
Kennedy sprang TO one side of the door and
stood with appraised ak. painted face ap-