The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1911-10-06

of August, 80 years ago. Capt. Viii
liam Wells came from Fort Wayne
with 80 friendly Miamis to act as
an additional escort for the troops in
their retreat. That night the liquor
and surplus ammunition was de-
stroyed, and the next day was spent
in distributing part of the stores to
the Pottawatomies and in making
final preparations for the march on
the following day.
Those of the Indians who were
friendly stayed closest around the
fort, and, perhaps, got the lions
share of the goods; that the stranger
| tribes, who were eager for an oppor-
tunity to destroy the whites. either
kept in the background or suppressed
their hostility to a measurable extent
until after the evacuation. Then they
rushed in to plumber the fort, and,
whether from disappointment or pre-.
| conceived design, about the same
| time fell upon the retreating garrison.
On the morning of evacuation the
| stockade gate was thrown open and
there issued forth sad procession. In
the lead rode part of the Miamis with
Wells. their dauntless leader. In due
| array followed the garrison. the won.
en- and children. and mysterious
militia" or Chicago guards One
wagon contained the ammunition and
supplies and in the other rode nine
of the youngest children. together
with three of their mothers. Captain
Head and his 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 a deadlier combat.
which we may perhaps think of as a
separate battle. was raging around the
wagons in the rear. Here 1t was that
the real massacre occurred. Appar-
outlu In tho ohoroo I'm fba cood horL
the :ain body of troops became sep
arated from the rear division. The
Indians swarmed around. and the Chi
cago militia. fighting desperately ia
save their loved ones. were slain to
man. While the fight was raging 9
young Indian climbed into TIC Wagon
and butchered eight Of the children
one after the other with his toma
hawk
While this slaughter was going or
Wells galloped back to the scene to
engage in last effort to save tht
women and children His horse wal
wounded and he himself shot through
the breast, but still he fought on
killing one Indian even while lyins
PROSTATE on the ground In all. sever
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 1t. thinking
thus to imbibe the qualities of til
owner in life
The cowardly Miamis had fed al
the first sign of hostilities, and. with
such men as still survived. Head
drew off to slight elevation on the
prairie and gained temporary re
spite. for the Indians refrained from
following him The fight thus far
lasted only abort fifteen minutes
After little delay negotiations were
opened with the Indians which re
suited in Heald's surrender. the lead.
er. Blackbird. promising to spare the
lives Of the prisoners The Ameri
cans had lost in the short action half
the regulars and NIL the militia, SO
men in all: in addition two of the
women and IL children were killed.
The Fate of the captives.
The captives werJ now led back
over the way they had so recently
traversed to the Indian village near
the fort Some of the wounded were
put to death at once; some seem to
have been reserved for torture that
night. when a jollification was held.
Those who were spared were divided
among the different tribes The next
morning the fort was burned and the
bands set out to their several BONES
and desoIation and horror reigned
over Chicago for the next few years
Captain Head and his wife were
taken to the st Joseph river, whence
the friendly band into whose hands
they had fallen sent them by canoe
to Mackinac. From this place they
made their way In roundabout fashion
to the home of Mrs. Heaid's parents
at Louisville. They were greeted as
people risen from the dead We can
only hint at the fate of the other cap
tives. Some of the prisoners were
slain by their captors or died Of the
hardships to which they were SUB
1ected The fate of some was never
known. Almost century has eIapse'
since these Rathfinders of civilization
u