Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-07-27
CHAPTER XIV.

The war was coming into Virginia
at last. Virginia falling would thrust
q great wedge through the center OF
the confederacy, feed the British ar
mics n end the fight. CORVALLIS
was to drive the wedge, and never
had the opening seemed easier. Vir-
ginia was drained Of her hghtlng
men, and south of the mountains was
protected only by a militia for the
most part Of old men n boys.
North and south ran despair. The
soldiers had no pay, little food and
only WORKOUT coats, tattered linen
overalls and one blanket between
three men to protect them from the
drifting snow and the wind. Even
the great Washington was near de-
spair, and in foreign help his sole
hope lay. Already the traitor, Ar
mold, had taken Richmond, burned
warehouses and returned, but little
harassed. to Portsmouth.
eCornwallis was coming on. Tar
leton's white rangers were %bedeviling
the land, and it vas at this time that
Erskine Dale once more rode Firef1y
to the river James.
The boy had been two years in the
wilds. When he left the Shawnee
camp winter was setting in, that ter
rible winter of '79-of deep snow and
hunger and cold. When he reached
Kaskaskia. Captain Clark had gone
to Kentucky. and Erskine found bad
news. Hamilton and Hay had taken
Yincennest. There Captain Helms
Creoles, as soo as they saw the red
coats. slipped away from him to sur
render their arms to the British, and
thus deserted by alu, he and the two
or three Americans with him had to
give up the fort. The French re-
swOre allegiance to Britain. Hamil-
on ~onfiscated their liquor and broke
up their billiard tables. He let his
Indians scatter to their villages, and
with his regulars. volunteers. white
{ Indian leaders and red auxiliaries
went into winter quarters. One band
Of Shawnees he sent to Ohio to scout
n take scalps in the settlements.
In the spring he would sweep Ken
lucky and destroy all the settlements
west of the Alleghenies. So Erskine
and Dave went for Clark; and that
trip neither ever forgot. Storms had
followed eac other since late Novem-
Der, and the snow lay deep. Cattle
n horses p~jerished. deer and elk
were found dead in the woods, and
bunalo came at nightfall to old ,Je-
rome Sanders fort for food and COM
~panionship with his starving herd.
There was no salt or vegetable, food
nothing but the flesh of lean wild
game. Yet. while the frontiersmen
remained crowded in the stockades
and the men hunted and the women
made clothes of tanned deer hides,
bunalo-wool cloth. and nettle-bark
linen. and both followed ''noggins'
ou OF a tree, Clark made his amaz.
Ing march to Vincennes, recaptured
~ by the n Of February, and sen
Hamilton to williamsburg a prisoner
Ersktne pleaded to be allowed to take
him there. but Clark would not LEI
him go. Permanent g%arrisons were
placed at vincennes and Cahokla
n at Kaskaskia. Erskine STAYED t.
help make peace with the Indians
and hunting bands
70 that By the end Of the year Carl
might sit at the falls OF the Ohio as
9 shield for the West and a SUR
guarantee that the whites would new
er BE forced to abandon with Ken.
tncky. Ae
The two years in the wilderness
sahAd left their mark on Erskine. Ht
- tail. lean. swarthy, gaunt and
yetsshe was not all woodsman. FOL
~ born Inheritance as ,Eentlemar
i more than emphasized by
gtatnSCreole officers in the Northvest
no hAdimproyed his French and
Gt1cnAd n pet wish of his life siI,ce
NJ Iast visit to the James-thev~ha6
gtAukh him to fence. His mothei. III
XhAd not seen again, but he had lea,rn.
e4sthAt she was alive and rot yet
MIMI OF Early Morn he had heard
sSsse4htf.E at All. Once traveller haS
sou9nt word,sofl.D Dane Grey. Gre,