The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-11-06
Forgotten
III Err O Il S
BY
ELMO SCOTT WATSON
A Tough Old Pioneer

TIC ooiu COdSt VI SilcdSO, Dut there
Is a link between the two. For some
of the 400 Of the midwest metropolis,
as they serve afternoon tea in their
luxurious apartments and penthOuses,
can look down into Lincoln park and
can see there a reminder of the his
toric tea pouring" which took place
in Massachusetts l5S years ago. 1t is
simple granite boulder, bearing a
bronze tablet whereon you may read
In memory of David Kennison, the
last survivor of the Boston Tea Party
who died in Chicago February "a, 1852,
aged one hundred and fifteen years,
three months, seventeen days, and is
buried near this spot"
Yet the Boston Tea Party was only
one incident in one of the most re-
markable careers in all American his
tory. Kennison was born in New
Hampshire in 1876 and was one of the
first to enlist at the outbreak Of the
Revolution. He was minute man al
Lexington and Concord and with his
father and two brothers he fought at
tinental army, as soldier and scout,
was captured by the Mohawk Indians
! and held as prisoner for several
years. After the war he enlisted in
the regular army and was a member
of the garrison of the first Fort Dear.
born. Although past seventy, he re-
enlisted in 1908 for a term of five
years and was a survivor of the Fort
Dearborn massacre. He is said to have
fought at Sackett's Harbor in the War
of 1872 and to have been wounded in
the army by grapeshot at Williams
burg.
Next he settled in New York and
met with far more disasters than ever
he had during his service in two wars.
falling tree fractured his skull aud
broke his collar bone and two ribs at
military review the discharge of q
cannon broke both of his legs; and the
kick of horse left scar on his fore
head which he carried till his death.
KennisOn was married four times
and was the father Of twenty-five chill
dren. Late in life he became separat-
ed from his children and went to Chi
cago to live in 1915. Finding that his
Revolutionary war pension of So was
not enough for his living expenses, he
took up manual labor again and con-
tinued until 1913. Then at the age of
one hundred and twelve he decided he
had earned rest, but having no other
Of ho Fl
cago museum as an exhibit For the
last twenty months of his life he was
bedridden but his sight and hearing,
which had failed him for a time, be.
came perfect again and he retained
those faculties until his death in 1852.
The Defense of Fort Jefferson
Won will .ook in vain ON the Revo-
lutiOnary war maps for Fort JEFF
ferson. 1t probably was never placed
on any of them, for its existence was
short one. But during that brief
time it was the scene of one of the
most heroic defenses In the history of
the American frontier. 1t was built. In
1871 upon orders from Gov. Thomas
jefferson of Virginia by COL George
Rogers Clark near Mayfield's creek in
Kentucky, about five miles below the
mouth of the Ohio river.
Clark then returned to Louisville.
leaving in command Capt. James Pig.
gvtt, veteran of Washington's army
and of Clark's expedition into the IlIi-
nOfs country. Angered by this In
trusion upon their lands the Choctaws
and Chickasaws under their half-breed
Chief Calbert marched against Fort
Jefferson and laid seige to it. A mes
senger was hastily dispatched to Clark
but it was doubtful if reinforcements
could arrive in time.
The situation in the fort soon be-
came desperate. Their provisions
were almost exhausted, the water sup
ply was failing, ammunition was run
ming low and as a final horror, sick.
ness swept the little garrison. One of
the defenders who was captured Of
the Indians was forced to tell the true
state of affairs in the stOckade, and
upon learning this, Calbert, under q
flag of truce. demanded the surrender
of the fort, promising to spare the
lives of the settlers, but declaring thar
if there was further resistance he
might not be able to control his war.
riors if they once swept over the walls.
Captain Piggott made a counter pro.
posal. If the Indians would raise the
siege. the settlers would abandon the
fort and leave the country. Calbert
agreed to submit this proposal to a
council of the warriors. While the
council was in progress reinfOrcements
from Louisville arrived and prepare.
tons were made to defend the fort 10
the last.
The Indians Immediately attacked,
but the small cannon which the Louis
vile party had brought and which had
been mounted on the walls moved
them down by the score. But despite
this the battle ragged fiercely for hours
before Calbert gave up the attempt to
carry the fort by storm and retired
from the field. The settlers, too, had
haG enough. They prepared to evacu-
ate the fort, some to go to Louisville
and others to their former homes In
Kaskaskia, I'll. With their departure
the fort fell into ruins and within a
short time the wilderness had again
reclaimed the spot where Fort Jeffer-
son had stood.
pa 1881. Western Newspaper Union.)
Historic American Women