Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-09-28
THE
FLATB0ATMEN
A True Story of the Ohio Valley
In the Eighteenth Century.
By DWIGHT NORWOOD


what may now be called the easterly
west. The main avenue to the con-
quest Of this same region, later called
the middle west, was through the Ohio
valley and the tributaries of that
stream. The stories these boys read
were not the fictitious tales their chill
dren or grandchildren perused in the
latter part Of the same century Of the
red man Of the "plains" or the Rocky
mountains, but real happenings to pio-
neers passing down LA belle riviere,"
as the early French settlers called the
Ohio river, to open up what became
Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and other ter
ritory in that region.
AS soon as the Revolutionary war
ended the tide of emigration to these
states commenced. From Pittsburgh
to its confluence with the Mississippi the
Ohio was dotted with the fiatboat Of
the period.
Hostile Indians infested the Ohio val
ley and were fertile in stratagem, as
all red men have always been. When
they took prisoners they would COM
pei them to act as decoys to emigrants
on the flatboats There were also rene
gade whites who served the same pur-
pose. These whites would hail fiat
boat and beg the emigrants to take
them aboard, saying that they had
been captured by Indians and escaped.
AS soon us the boat came into the back
waters on the shore, where 1t could
only with difficulty be brought again
into the current, it would be attacked
by Indians Who had been concealed on
the shore In time this strategem be-
came known to the whites, and they
would refuse to listen to the decoy's
pleading. Yet there were times when
the pleader was sincere and was de-
MED rescue.
Other devices We're reSOrted to by
the Indians to lure the flatboatmen to
the shore that they might be murdered
and plundered. Game was plentiful in
the forests, and the red men would i'm
itate the sounds made by animals or
birds. The wild turkey. which was OBJ
tainable in America till the middle or
latter part of the nineteenth century,
was a coveted meat by these pioneers,
and often when the gobble was heard
the boat would he steered to shore and
hunting party sent for the birds.
In 17SS Henry Crist and Solomon
Spears, engaged In obtaining salt from
the Kentucky ticks, with party of thlr-
Louisville and fioated down the Ohio
till they reached the mouth Of Salt riv-
er, which they assembled by the back
water. Scouts were sent ashore on the
near bank of Salt river while the boat
moved slowly onward. On the morn
ing Of the second day Of this ascent
the boat was landed and preparations
were made for breakfast. The COB
bling of the wild turkey was heard In
the woods, and two Of the crew went
ashore with their guns to secure bird
or two for the meal.
Now, these persons had seen indica-
lions of the presence Of Indians and
knew that the gobbling Of the turkey
was common decoy with them. But
not stopping to deliberate they fell
into the trap. Scarcely had they reach
ed the shore when more than a hun
dred Indians sprang forward.
Whoever has seen an Indian painted
for war, his features made savage by
the colored lines drawn upon them, can
imagine the terror inspired by the at
tack. Few persons now living have
seen this sight, but those who have
cannot understand how white men dur
ing the early history Of America could
take their wives and little children,
too, to make homes In a country where
they We're liable ut any moment to be
murdered.
OF the flatboat party two were on
shore, the rest still on the boat, which
had been fastened to tree by means
of q chain that had been carried around
the trunk and hook OH the end in.
serted In link. The object of the In
dams being to secure the emigrants,
the boat and its cargo, they made
furious attack upon the whole party.
Every man sprang to his gun, and
since In all there were dozen guns
the Indians, who never wasted life In
their encounters If they could help 1t.
retired behind the trees on the bank.
Then commenced steady fire ON
the boat. The Indians were protected
by the trees, and the return fire from
the whites availed little or nothing.
Besides the advantage Of hiding be-
hind trees, the savages were on higher
ground. Now one and now another Of
the pioneers fell, but such was the ne
cessity fer every man to stand by his
rifle that the killed were not Needed
and the wounded We're left to take care
Of themselves.
Unfortunately for the whites the boat
lay with its bow to the shore, and the
salt kettles had been placed along the
Sides. leaving an open space through
which the Indians sent destructive
fire. The water underneath the boat
was deep enough to float her, and 1t
was desirable to disengage the boat
from the shore, In which event she
would float out into the current and
beyond the reach of the Indians bull
lets. But II any one went ashore to
unhook the chain he would be dropped
Immediately.
Meanwhile the Indians were picking
off the men one by one. Every time
they dropped man there arose q
hideous yell that, with the loss of their
and the prospect Of death
for themselves, froze the blood In the
pioneers veins. Efforts would have
been made to turn the boat 30 that
they would get the protection of the
salt kettles, but any man who attempt.
ed to use an oar for the purpose must
stand up to be shot down.
Solomon Spears and several others
were killed, and 1t looked as II the
whole party would fall before the red
men. a man named Fosset, one Of the
NO who had gone ashore, had suffered |
broken arm from a bullet, but had
'etreated TO the hoaf NOT hainp ahla |