The Daytona daily news., 1912-12-12

was burned at the VNNA 70 INNNA
stake. The boy SIMON OIRTT
was Simon Girty, son of an emigrant
who had turned Indian trader. The
lads father had been killed by a
drunken Indian. His friend, John
Turner, had slain the Indian and mar
ried Girty's widow. The Indians tribes
men In turn murdered Turner and
made young Simon a prisoner.
For years the boy lived among the
savages, learning their language and
customs, until he became at heart
more an Indian than white man. AS
he grew to early manhood he left the
tribe and sought living among the
settlers. His knowledge of Indian
ways made him useful in many ways
to the British military commanders
along the frontier. He enlisted IN
Lord Dunmore's forces as a soldier
and interpreter and soon became
known as one of the cleverest military
spies in the colonies.
Then the American Revolution be-
gan. Girty joined the patriot army
and rose to the rank of lieutenant.
Then. in 1777 he suddenly played the
traitor, and went over to the British.
1t Is not absolutely known whether he
did this because of some quarrel with
the Revolutionists or because he
thought he could make more money
and fame in the enemy's camp. At any
rate, the British received him gladly.
They were forever trying to get the
Indians against the Americans, and
/ 10 n i0 ant HfI.
ence to this effect with his savage
| friends.
The renegade performed the abom-
Unable task cleverly. Through the west
he went, everywhere stirring up the
Indians to attack the colonists. At the
| head of band of redskins he swoop-
ed upon ill-defended American forts
and .desolated the farming districts.
When Col. William Crawford, at the
head OF little body of patriots, march
ed against Sandusky, and was cap
tured by the Indians, he begged Girty
to save him. Girty, according to most
accounts, refused and laughed aloud
while Crawford was tortured to death.
! Girty always denied this, and said he
I had tried in vain TO persuade his In
/ dian followers tC spare Crawford. (He
/ did succeed once in saving from tor
/ ture his old friend. Simon kenton, the
Kentucky pioneer)
In 1852 GiTty invaded Kentucky at
the head of 600 Indians, and attacked
fort near Lexington. The plucky lit
tie garrison hello out until Daniel
Boone could come up with reinforce
H.
followed the Terrcating say4ges. The
TWO forces met at Blue LicAs. There
a fierce battle, diaasuous to the
Americans, was fought tae last Of
many great Indian battles in Ken
tuykyJ.
G.rty, not content with leading saw
ages against men of MS own race, next
proceeded TO drive the gentle Mo
rayiau missionaries out of the Indian
tribes He made his headquarters on
a Sandusky River farm, which he
changed into a trading station, and
from which he and his followers crept
forth every now and then on cruel
marauding expeditions. BY trade, and
by service to the British. the renegade
was amassing a very tidy fortune.
At Gen. Arthur St. Clairs defeat, in
1871, Girty played his usual murderous
role. In that battle Gen. William But
ler was wounded. Girty saw the gen.
eral lying helpless on the ground Call
Ing upon an Indian, he ordered him to
scalp and kill Butler.
When, in 1898, the United States
government appointed commission to
arrange a peace treaty with the In
dians, Simon Girty had himself made
interpreter. So crafty did he misin~
interpret, and so brutally did he insult
the commissioners, that the treaty feI
through.
Then came the war Of 1912. Grit
once more rushed to the front as tn,
friend Of the British and the foe of hil
own country. Again he marshalleo
his Indians to the fray, and again the
torch, tomahawk and scalping knife
wrought havoc along the frontier.
Girty's name was cursed by settlers
and soldiers alike. His cruelty, his
reachery, his genius for evil doing
all combined to make him, perhaps,
the best hated man in the west.
Many tales of his atrocities-some
true, some exaggerated-are still hand
ed down from generation to generation
IN the districts he ravaged. He has
been described as a human monster,
OF hideous aspect This is not true.
He was merely fat, swarthy, bull
necked man, about five feet nine
inches tall, and as quick in his move
ments as cat.
Some historians say Girty was kill
ed at the Battle of the Thames in
1913 (where Gen. Harrison crushed the
Indians, and where their leader, Te-
cumssh, teu); others that he survived
the war and died natural death two
years later.