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

This fort. says historian. stood on the
J banks Of the Piscataway and consisted of
nigh earthworks having fiankers with loop
holes and surrounded oy a 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
I apart and matted in such manner as to
4 protect those within and TO afford dper-
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 a proposition from
Maryland for q 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 i'm 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
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 Nirginians. who had been
delayed i'm crossing the river arrived under
. command OF Col John Washington. Colonel
Mason ana Major Adderton. and next
morning q new conference took place. the
Indians being represented by six chiefs.
I The Virginia officers charged these Indians
with the murders which had been commit
! ted upon the Virginia shore. At this junvt-
/ uIe a 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 a parley with demand for
their slain chieftains. The close palisades
withstOod all attempts of the stoTmers to
make a breach. Undermining was impos-
sible, as the fort stood on marshy ground
and being without cannon to batter. the
ASSISTANTS were forced to content them
selves with a negligently 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 we're forced TO subsst on |
the flesh Of horses captured from the be- 1
siegers. The siege lasted six weeks AZ |
last the Indians made bold and successful |
attempt to leave the fort. One glorious |
the forest vita light they crept out during |
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 heaGwaters 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 az 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
RACES Of Virginia colonial history and
which, because IL was unsuccessful is stili
called Bacon's Rebellion These escaped
Indians passed over the site OF Washing !
ton in thcis fight TO the headwaters of !
the Potomac and the Rappahanuock
tnencoiorward the few Indians who re-
NAMED hereabouts were mere decrepit red I
men occupying about the same position in | {
the community as the ether colored race.
4 War Dance nt occouunn.
Tears afier0ard, when the Indians from ,,
The back settlement came to visit Wash
sion they often stopped on the north '
bank Of occuquan. where a mound teen
indicated the burial place Of Indian war
iors. Davis in his Travels in America, !
published 10 1903, gives an account Of a d
visit OF this kind He says "A party or r
while ] was at OccOquan. turned a
rom the common road into the woods. 10 S
visit this grave on the bank OF the river. O
? be party was composed Of an elderly ! S
'hief twelve young war captains, and a "
'ouple CT squaws. OF these Indians the | n
nen had not been inattentive TO their | r
PERSONS. The Old chief had clad himself d
4 robe Of furs. and the young warriors X
lad their bodies busted with charcoal "
The Indians being assembled around the h
raves. the old chief rose with 4 solemn , I
MEN, and knocking his var cub against [,
be ground. pronounced IA Grafton TO the b
memory Of the departed warriors. Hay-
ng ended his OTation. the Indian again
truck his war club with fury against the
5round. and the whole party cbeyed the y
ignal by joining in a war dance-lcapinS
nd brandishing their knives at the
hrcsts Of each other and accompanying
heir meua2ing attitudes with a whoop
nd yell which echoed with a tcn-f3ld hor- a
or from the banks OF the river The /
lance took place by moonlight and was
carcely finished when the chief produced u
keg Of whisky and. having taken a q
iEausnl, passed lt round among his q.
brethren. The squsUs now moved the y
cmahawks into he woods and a scene OF o.
lot ensued The kcg was sCCn emptied "
he effect Of the liquor began to display it. u
ELF IN the looks and motions CT the In I ~
ians. Some rolled their eyes with dis Is
raction: others could not keep on their o.
zgs. Al length succeeded the most dis 1 e.
nal noises-such wh5ops. such shouts. u
uch roaring. such wells, all the devils or "
ell seemed collected together Each ! III
trove 10 DO an outrage on the other. This / 81
eized the other by the throat that kicked OF
'ith raging fury az their adversary. and | ~
o complete he scene the Old warrior was el
ttering the most mournfu lampntaJ ioas | ll
yer the keg he had emptied inhalng us al
avor with his lips" lc
After modern modes of travel came in ie
be old Indian trail 10 Washington was IN
5andoned and is now probably forgotten
y the red man. All that Is left Of the y
esceudauts OF the famed rcamers over ~
louni Pleasant and Capitol Hin now min 10
le With the tribes of The West that read OF
lcir doom in the setting sun" and mean ca
lille come un 20 the Indian agency for pa
atoms from their old enemy. pc
MARRIAGE PROPOSAL. le
Nuremberg Lover Finds His Sweet II
heart iH Oven. 40