The Plymouth Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1878-1901, 1901-08-29
CHAPTER IL.
AT MUX-SEN-KUCK-EE.


new friends entered with complete
outfit of new clothing to replace the
ragged and dirty garments he called
his own, and with them he brought a
razor. Washed, shaved and cleanly
dressed, our freedman descended to
the mess-room for breakfast. where
his pleasant countenance, quick wit,
good nature and modest demeanor
carried him into the good graces of
the frank and open-hearted huntsmen
and fighters while his sad life won
their sympathy, andafter the meal he
was summoned to the mayors office
for further conference.
Major Rogers kept Angus for sew
eral hours, securing all possible in
formation concerning the regions now
included in Ohio and Indiana and the
inhabitants therein, making copious
notes of what he learned and roughly
tracing some of the streams i'm a
sketch-map he had before him and
locating the larger villages Angus
had seen, and the upshot of the ses-
sion that the young man enlisted as a
ranger and was assigned to the COM
mand detached for the descent of the
Wabash In two days the start was
made and the journey was pursued as
vigorously as possible in the hope of
reaching Oniatenon before the river
should freeze.
This expedition consisted of three
attachments, one of which remained
at Fort Miami asa garrison, another
returned with the French garrison to
Detroit. and the third continued the
journey to Oniatenon where the win
ter was spent. 1t was in the first
DAYS of December that the little fleet
of canoes hurried down the cold bO-
som of the Detroit river, and poled
up the Maumee between banks fringed
with the first ice of winter, the skies
were overcast with leaden clouds and
occasionally light snow fell, the days
were raw and chill and the nights
grew bitter cold toward morning.
The pause at Fort Miami was only
long enough to discharge the business
in hand and start the convoy of French
soldiers on the backward journey to
Detroit and the portage to the Wa
bash was quickly performed. Angus
recalled with bitter memories the very
spot where he was captured by the
cruel PottawattomieS, but there was
no time to indulge in sentiment.
They launched their frail craft i'm the
little stream that rapidly swelled in
size as it neared the Ohio and on the
French maps was designated as the
Onabache, and in a few days they
reached the struggling little stockade
of Fort Oniatenon, nor far from the
present city of Lafayette.
Oniatenon was the seat of the Wea
Indians and for half century before
Rogers rangers arrived there it had
been French trading, mission and
military post. 1t was one of the most
ancient Indian villages in the region
and was noted burial place for the
dead. The little garrison of rangers
found dilapidated stockade surround
ing nine French cabins and about it
stood forty or fifty Indian wigwams,
all situated on a high hill sloping from
the stream and overlooking a broad
treeless prairie famous asIthe feeding
grounds of great herds of buffalo. Ly.
ing close against the village were the
corn fields of the Indians and the veg.
etable garden of the French. Viewed
for the first time on bleak day in
winter the scene was dreary enough
The French soldiers had gone down tC
Vincennes so the new garrison took
possession without dispute or formal
ity and established themselves in such
comfort as they could. They haC
nothing to fear from the French, but
the temper of the Indians was very
uncertain and there is something
heroic in the spectacle of scant doz
en- men settling down to hold veal
stockade isolated in the midst of ;
bowling wilderness which was filled
with hordes of fierce and brutal savage,
who were likely at any moment t.
raise the war-whoop and the scalp
cry. Yet this spectacle was repeated
time and again by the British il
America aud sometimes at dreadful
cost.
+ The tedious winter dragged irk
somely in the garrison, for the dwell
: ers at Oniatenon declined to fraterniz
with the victorious soldiers, and moth
! ing but the hunting saved the stu
: alton from heart-breaking monotony
t Game was plentiful and the chase wa
+ diversified in its opportunities, TO
: there was dense forest on on
t side Of the river and an ocean o