The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-06-14


was Simon Girty. son OF an emlsrant
who had turned Indian trader. Tne
lsd.s father had been killed by
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 tho boy lived among the
sayages. learning their language end
customs, until he became at heart
more an Indian than a white man. As
hs 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
10 the British military commanders
along the frontier. He enlisted In
Lord Dunmore's forces as 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.
Il is not absolutely known whether ne
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
they counted on Glrty to use his iniiu-
ence to this effect with his savage
friends.
The renegade performed the aDom'
Unable task cleverly Through the west
he went, everywhere stirring Up the
Indians to attack the colonistS. At the
head of bani OF redskins he swoop
ed upon ill-defended American forts
and desolaled the farming districts.
When Col. William Crawford, at the
head CT little body OF patriots, march
ed against Sandusky, and was cap
tured by the Indians. he begged Girty
| 10 save him. Glrty, according TO most
accounts, refused and laughed aloud
while Crawford was tortured to DEATH
| Girty always denied this, and said he
had tried in vain to persuade his In
dian followers to spare Crawford. (He
did succeed once In saving from tor.
ture his o,d friend, Simon Kenton, the
Kentucky pioneer)
In 1882 Glrty invaded Kentucky at
| the head OF 600 Indians, and attacked
a fort near Lexington. The plucky lit
tie garrison held out until Daniel
Boone could come up with reinforce
ments and drive Girty away. Boone
| followed the retreating savages. The
two forces met at Blue Licks. There
a fierce battle, disastrous to the
| Americans, was fought (the last OF
many great Indian battles IN Ken
tucky).
Girty. not content with leading saw
ages against men Of his own race, next
proceeded to drive the gentle Mo-
ravian missionaries out Of the Indian
tribes. He made his headquarters on
@ 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
maraudlng expeditions. BY trade, and
by service 10 the British. the renegade
was amassing a very tidy fortune.
At Gen. Arthur St. Clair's defeat, in
! 1871, Grty played his usual murderous
role. In that battle Gen. William But
! Ter 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 1893, the United States
government appointed commission to
arrange IA peace treaty with the In
! dams. simon Girty had himself made
Interpreter. SO crafty did he misin-
Interpret, and so brutally did he insult
! the commissioners, that the treaty fell
through.
Then came the war Of 1912. Girty
once more rushed TO the front as The
friend of the British and the foe Of his
own country. Again he marshalled
! 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
treachery, 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 a cat.
Some historians say Girty was kill
cd at the Battle OF the Thames In
1918 (where Gen. Harrison crushed the
Indians, and where their leader. Te-
cumseh, fell); others that he survived
the war and died . natural death two