The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-06-15
One Hundred and
Eighteen Years Ago.
THE BURNING or COLONEL
CRAWFORD.
4 Poet!cal Reminder II One ri
the Greatest Tragedies If
American History

ford, a Revolutionary colonel and
friend aud compssr NJ Washing
ton, IA. cent from the western
part " Pennsylvania u the north
eastern part " OHM with force
~ about 40 men ~ subdue, Or
rather ~ ezteTminate, If possible,
the murdeTOBs sAyagss who were
making he miserable for the set
tlsrs 10 that secti0D
The Wyand0ts, DelaBares and
other tribes that inhabited north
sfD Ohio we're a most fefOcl0us.
treaehsfOus aud cruel type NJ red
men, aud Crawford IN bis ezpe
ditlOn met mOst disastrous de
feat and Has compelled ~ retreat
after losing a large number " his
men. On the retreat h., With a
number " others, Vas taken pris
onef, and On June u, l71Z, after
a sOft " mock trial, Was sentenced
~ death a. the stake. a mode Of
torture and execution unsurpassed
~ IT, cruelty in ali history. lie
suffered death seven miles north
Of what il nor the city " Upper
SanduskY, ohio. The execution
lasted the greater portion If the
day, and Crawford vas killed by
Inches. lie Bas stripped NAKED.
painted black and tied ~ a stake
with length NJ iope sufficient ~
walk around Within circle II
blazing brush At intervals
powder Was shot into his chest
and back aud squaws stuck the
eDds Of burning splinters IN hi-
hesh. He ears we're cat of, he
was scalped aud red hot Goals
we're placed upon his bare skull
Every conceivable method NJ tor
ture Was fcroricd ~ in order ~
make his death a. horrible ~
possible
Doctor Knight, the surgeon Of
the expedition, who was captured
with Crawford aud was to under
30 similar death the following
day, witnessed the execution,
and 10 an account which be after
wards wrote thanks ~ his escape,
says that Cfawf0rd's suGcrings
were agoniziug beyond words 10
describe. A monument now
marks the spot where Crawford
met his awful death. 10 was
erected by one Of the Pioneer AZ
s0ciati0ns Of Ohio. IN connec.
ton with the relation Of the above
tragic event, we append a piece
OF poetry which was composed "A
number Of years ago in commcm
Grafton Of the event, and il en-
titled "Simon Girty 10 Colonel
Crawford At the Stake.p
You say mn nccursed. ! am nccuised
OF all HE damned on earth | am the
worst.
Aud II la well am. that you receive
your just dcs"rlh which only / eau give
Compared win me the Delaware IL
tune
n suchIing wolf savage bat In name.
The grcnt Il grown alone within the
great,
a dirty can alone the white create
The Delaware Ind killed y0unta blow,
But dcsplse his mercy aud am slow
Speed seldom makes n single Wise re-
liecliou,
While bnHte ~ very careless In selection.
You are within yourself brother man,
Or good or bnd, ah but brother can.
But IN this pnaiime you will play the
good,
Ana ! the evil Of the white mans
blood
You, mixed M at birth, bound with
hong.
VIII symbolic the right entbrnlled by |
wrong
While In savage guise. viii play my
part
The unseen savage Of the white mans
heart
Nay, friend, your role Ia cnsy while |
speak,
Ills but 10 writhein paln about stake.
Your fnco II blackcd, with that Of
others here, T
That ln your fate your own may now
Appcnr
Behold the tomahnwk sinks In the
brain
Ufnii an tuarled -th. f..,...... T.. III
Nay, shuddcr not nor shrek All men
must die
You nro not en exception, nor am I.
hut you, the chieftaln Of these saught-
cred men,
Aie blossed above them all--in know.
Ing when
That In anticipation you may feel
n thousand times the kccn.edued but |
cheering steel
What groan beneath the blows Of
feeble aquawa,
And ieebler children with their scourge
Of atrawal
II In my care and kindness That the
small
10 given first that you endure them
ALL
BESIDES, these squaws aud children win
remind
You Of your wife aud children left be.
hind
To look for your return--to NOPE aud
muse,
Aud mourn your death with every
breath of news
Until, rerchance, the midnight axe