The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-08

This fort, says historian. stood on the
banks of the Piscataway and consisted of
! high earthworks having fiankers with loop
holes. and surrounded oy ditch. This
again was encircled by row of tall trees
from five to eight inches in diameter. set
three feet into the earth and six inches
apart and matted in such manner as II
protect those within and to afford aper-
lures for shooting through. The frontiers
men dwelling near Washington and below
saw in the Indian fort a perpetual menace
! to the security of the frontier. Under
these circumstances proposition from
Maryland for joint expedition against
these Indians was accepted by the Virgin
ians and each side of the Potomac muster
ed its forces By the middle of September
all was ready. The Maryland quota ad-
vanced under command of Major Truman,
and appeared in front Of the fort on the
morning of Monday. September p. 1876.
Within this fort the Indians to the num-
Der of one hundred warriors had entrench-
ed themselves with their women and Chill
dren. Upon the appearance of Truman s
force the Indians declared that the Senecas
alone were to be blamed for the inroads
and were hen at the head of Patpsco on
their return.
Meanwhile. the Virginans. who had been
delayed in crossing the river arrived under
command of Col. John Washington. Colonel
Mason aid Major Adderton. and next
morning new conference took place, the
Indians being represented by six chiefs.
The Virginia officers charged these Indians
with the murders which had been commit
ted upon the Virginia shore. At this junct-
ure detachment of rangers arrived
bringing with them the mangled bodies OF
some recent victims of Indian cruelty. Five
of the chiefs were Instantly bound and
knocked in the head Thenceforward the
resistance of the savages was desperate,
making frequent sallies and killing a num-
Der of the besiegers. and answering all
propositions for parley with demand for
their slain chieftains. The close palisades
withstood all attempts of the s.ormers to
make a breach. Undermining vas impoS-
sible, as the fort stood on marshy ground,
and being without cannon to batter, the
assailants were forced to content them
selves with negiigently conducted siege,
and rely upon famine to accomplish the
work they found themselves unable TO per
form.
Even to this foe the savages did not
yield, although at times their food gave
out, and they were forced to subsist on
the flesh of horses captured from the be-
siegers. The siege lasted six weeks. At
last the Indians made bold and successful
attempt to leave the fort. One glorious
night when full October moon crowned
the forest with light. they crept out during
a negligent watch killed ten of the sleep
ing militia and made the forest ring with
their warhoop as they fed with their wo-
men and children. Nothing was left in the
abandoned fort but few old and decrepit
men. The flying Indians passed up the
river side. crossed the Potomac above the
falls and staying as they went, made their
way to the headwaters of the Rappahan-
mock and the James.
Upon this river they killed the overseer
of Nathaniel Bacon. This reused the fire
of Bacon's soul. Kindling with the other
colonists at the bloody outrages. he led
them against the foe. Out of this grew
that strife between Sir William Berkeley
and Bacon which stains with blood so many
Tages of Virginia colonial history ard
which. because ii was unsuccessful is stili
called "Baeon's Rebellion" These escaped
Indians passed over the site of Washing
ton in their fight TO the headwaters of
the Potomac and the Rappahannock.
thenceforward the few Indians who re-
NAMED hereabouts were mere decrepit red
men occupying about the same position in
the community as the other colored race.
4 War Dance nj occaauun.
Tears afterward. Isl hen the Indians from
the back settlement came to visit Wash
ngton they often stopped on the north
bank of occuquan. where a mound teen
indicated the burial place of Indian war
liors- Davis in his Travels in America"
published in 1S03 gives an account of
visit OF this kind. He says: "A party OF
Indians. while ] was at Occoquan. turned
from the common road into the woods. 10
visit this grave on the bank Of the river
The party was composed of an elderly
chief. twelve young war captains, ana a
couple CT sqnawS. OF these Indians. the
men had not been inattentive to their
persons. The old chief had clad himself
il a robe Of furs. and the young warriors
had their bodies busted with charcoal
The Indians being assembled around the
graves. the old chief rose with a solemn
mien, and knocking his var cub against
the ground, pronounced an Grafton to the
OF the departed warriors. Hav-
ing ended his Grafton. the Indian again
struck his war club with fury against the
ground. and the whole party obeyed the
signal by joining in war housekeeping
and brandishing their knives at the
threats of each other, and accompanying
their meuacing attitudes with a whoop
and yell which echoed with ten-fold hor-
ror from the banks OF the river. The
dance took place by moonlight and was
a keg of whisky. and, having taken a
draught, passed it round among his
brethren. The squews now moved the
tcmahawks into the woods and a scene OF
riot ensued. The key was seen emptied.
The effect of the liquor began to display it.
self in the looks and motions CT the In !
dams. Some rolled their eyes with dis
traction; others could not keep on their
legs. At length succeeded the most dis
NAL noises-such whoops. such shouts.
such roaring. such wells. all the devils OF
hell seemed collected together Each
strove to do an outrage on the other This /
seized the other by the throat: that kicked
with raging fury al their adversary and !
TO complete the scene the old warrior was |
uttering the most. mournful iamentat ions
over the key he had emptied. inhaling its
favor with his lips"
After modern modes of travel came in |
the old Indian trail to Washington wa.
abandoned and is now probably forgotten
by the red man. All that is left of the
descendants of the famed rcamers over
Mount Pleasant and Capitol Hill now min
gle with the tribes OF the West that read
their doom in the setting sun" and mean
while come up to the Indian agency for
rations from their old enemy.
MARRIAGE PROPOSAL.
4 Nuremberg Lover Finds His Sweet |