Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1911-11-17

Heald and bis wife. both mounted.
were the last TO leave the fort
On the right Of the column moved
an escort of Pottawatomies. After
some distance had been traversed the
head of the column came to the sand
hills which lay between the lake and
the prairie The soldiers kept to the
beach. while the Pottawatomies filed
off to the right behind the ridge The
reason for this soon became apparent.
Captain Wells. In advance. discovered
that the Indians were about to. attack
the whites from their vantage point
behind the hills At this the soldiers
charged up the ridge and drove the
Indians before them. But this action
proved as futile as 1t was brave. The
Indians scattered In front only to
gather In another place, on flank, or
in the rear. and the fight went on.
Meanwhile deadlier combat,
which we may perhaps think of as
separate battle. was raging around the
wagons in the rear. Here 1t was that
the real massacre occurred. Appar-
emily in the charge up the sand bank
the ain body Of troops became sep
arated from the rear division. The
Indians swarmed around, and the Chi
cago militia. fighting desperately to
save their loved ones. we're slain to a
man. While the fight was raging
young Indian climbed into the wagon
and butchered eight of the children
one after the other with his toma.
hawk. It is also stated that the
brains of others were dashed out
against the wagon wheels. OF the
nine children In the wagon but one
escaped, Susan Simmons, an infant,
who was concealed under her moth.
er's skirt, carried by her for hun
dreds of miles during months of pain
full captivity and through hardships
almost incredible, and finally died
peacefully dozen years ago, the last
| survivor Of the Chicago massacre.
While this slaughter was going on
Wells galloped back to the scene to
engage in a last effort to save the
women and children. His horse was
wounded and he himself shot through
the breast, but still he fought on
killing one Indian even while lying
PROSTATE on the ground. In all, seven
fell at his hand before he was over
come. The Indians paid their SINGER
est tribute to his bravery by cutting
out his heart and eating it. thinking
thus to imbibe the qualities of itl
owner in life.
The cowardly Miamis had fed al
the first sign of hostilities, and, witt
such men as still survived, Heald
drew off to a slight elevation on the
prairie and gained a temporary re
spite, for the Indians refrained from
following him. The fight thus IA
lasted only about fifteen minutes
After little delay negotiations wer,
opened with the Indians which re
suited in Heald's surrender. the lead
er. Blackbird. promising to spare tn
lives of the prisoners. The Amer
cans had lost in the short action hal
the regulars and all the militia. 8
men in all; in addition two of tn
women and IL children were killed.
The captives were now led bac
over the way they had so recentl
traversed to the Indian village nea
the fort Some of the wounded wer
put to death at once; some seem t
have been reserved for torture tha
night, when a jollification was held
Those who were spared were divide,
among the different tribes The mex
morning the fort was burned and tn
bands set out to their several homes
and desolation and horror reigne
over Chicago for the next few years
! Captain Heald and his wife wer
taken to the St. Joseph river, whenc
, the friendly band into whose hand
J they had fallen sent them by cano
! to Mackinac From this place the
made their way in roundabout fashio
} to the home of Mrs. Heald's parent
at Louisville. They were greeted a
! people risen from the dead. We ca
, only hint at the fate of the other cal
, tives. Some Of the prisoners wer
slain by their captors or died Of tn
) hardships to which they were sui
. jected The fate of some was neve
known. Almost century has elapst
. since these pathfinders of civilizatio
r here struggled and died.