The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-09-29
THE
PIONEERS
BY MARJORIE CLoUCH

uHueT plONcsS VI tohpucot iioh 'he
savage. Reading of the terrible dan
gers, the many butcheries Of the set
tiers of that period, we are wonder
struck not only that men should go to
such region to live, but that they
should take their wives and children
with them.
In April, 1854, six families left Louis
vile, KY, to make new home farther
down the Ohio on Green river. The
method Of travel was by the fiatboat
Of the period. They used two Of these
boats, one for themselves, the other
for the cattle. One night about 10
o'clock, when they were floating In the
middle of the river, the bloodcurdling
Indian yell was heard several miles
below, coming from the northern shore.
Having floated little farther down,
they saw fires on the bank from which
the yells proceeded.
A boat had passed the emigrants
during the day, and they concluded
that the Indians had captured 1t and
were massacring its crew. The fiat
boat was designed to drift with the
current, and there was no propeiling
power capable Of forcing 1t upstream.
The emigrants were therefore COM
PEELED to float on down and run the
gantlet of the savages. man named
Rowan was In command Of the boats,
which were dashed together, and under
his direction preparations were made
for defense. The men of the party
we're seven, including himself.
The Indians being on what is now
the Indiana shore, the boats were
guided nearer the Kentucky shore, but
the emigrants dared not approach TOO
near, fearing there might be sayages
there too. The fires were extended
along the shore, and the boats must
pass them all to secure safety. Rowan
directed that not sound should be
made. either Of voice or oar, hoping
that they might drift by unperceived.
They had reached point midway on
the line of fires when the Indians dis
covered them and ordered them to
come to the shore. The whites con-
tinued their course and their silence.
With yell the savages rushed to their
canoes and left the shore to intercept
them. The latter fioated on In silence,
not even moving an oar to assist In
their escape.
When the red men had approached
to within a hundred yards of the float
ing boats the wife Of the commander of
the whites rose from her seat, collected
the axes and placed one beside each
man, who silently awaited till the In
dams should come near enough to war
rant giving them yolley. Mrs.
Rowan, desiring to make sure that
each man knew that an ak had been
left beside him and not being permit
ted to speak, touched him as she de-
posted his weapon. The furnishing of
these axes was designed to enable the
men to repel the Indians In case they
should attempt to board the boats.
With so many children present 1t
was difficult to preserve silence, and
each mothers duty was TO see that
none of her brood gave vent to terror
II has been recorded that no one ex-
cept such as have heard the Indian
yell can form any idea Of the fear with
which 1t inspires one. II is therefore
TO be wondered that the children, who
heard the bloodcurdling sounds, could
be kept quiet.
A being used 10 inspire fear by noise
would naturally be awed by silence.
Whether IL was this silence on the fiat
boats or the red men believed that
their intended victims were waiting
for their nearer approach TO pour a
volley into them after coming a certain
distance, they ventured no nearer,
keeping up their fiendish yells. brand
ishing their weapons and otherwise at
tempting TO paralyze their intended
victims by fear MIS-. Rowan. who had
reserved a Ratchet for her own use In
case the boat was boarded. remained
seated like a statue, while every other
mother watched her children 20 see
that none OF them broke the silence.
One can fancy the feelings Of these
awed not only by the death
that threatened them. but the scene
about them. There were the dark wa
ters. the still darker banks. the great /
dome above. while the whole was illr-
by the lurid fires on the shore. |
But what wns most terrorizing were the |
hideous yells OF the savages. who al |
ways used these means 10 paraiyze |
those they wished 10 capture. The /
Ohio was called by the French Ia Belle |
Riyiere beautiful river. but this was
The river Of Hell
For three miles the Indians followed /
The boats. then. awed by the impres
i've silence. drew OF. More than a
hundred savages had been kept AZ hay /
bv seven men and three boys. for ]
uhom there were but nine guns. This /
result. achieved by q policy requiring /
marvellous self control. a control that 1
was largely assisted by the calmness
" one woman. D. notable. Rowan.
who planned and directed the mute de /
tense. must have been - remarkable /
'or leadership as his wife for her part /
b the defense
II was from such stock ne this that 4
many - our national magnates sf,rzng.
Presidents n the United states. emf 1
sent furfsts and Industrial kings are
lrnonr their DESCENDANTS One chfld 4
q fhass hardy pioneers stands PRE-
.uYnent Atrnhrm Lincoln was Ngrn
y fhix very region Just fifteen years