Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1933-08-09

ing and spectacular events In American history.
This was the re-enactment Of the Indian ball
game played outside the walls Of Fort Michili-
mackinac on June A, 1853, a ball game which
ended In a swift tragedy that cost the lives of
more than q score Of white men. The occasion
for the re-enactment of this game was the dedi-
cation by Governor Comstock Of Michigan of a
replica of the little p~alisaded fort that once
stood on the present site of Mackinaw City. the
forerunner of later forts In the Mackinac region
over which. during the three centuries of its his
tory, have flown the flags of three nations.
The tragedy which took place at Fort Michili-
mackinac 40 years ago was one Of the events
in the larger drama Of the conspiracy of Pom
tiac, the famous chief Of the Ottawa Indians,
to "drive the hated English into the sea-" Pom
tiac's plan was a simultaneous uprising Of the
confederated tribes, the swift capture Of all the
forts In the West, the massacre of their gar
rIsons and a general attack on the frontier
settlements, and he all but succeeded in his am
bilious plan.
Because of Its location on the south side of
the Straits of Mackinac between Lake Huron
and Lake Michigan, M~ichilimackinac for more
than a century had been one of the most i'm
portant outposts OF the frontier. Connected with
its early history are the names Of Jean Nicolet,
Radisson, Groselliers. Joliet, Perot, La Sale,
Fatner AIiOue2 Anu rdLner MHTquelLe, Nno
founded the Mission of st. Tgnace nearby In
1911. Two years later 1t was selected by the
French as the site for a fort and from that
time until 1859, when France lost her empire
In America to England, the flag of France foated
over a fortress of one kind or another at Mich
nimackinac. In 1853 1t was garrisoned by some
W British officers and soldiers under the CON-
mand of Capt. George Burlington. Grouped
around the little fort were the homes of a mum
Der Of French and English traders and 1t was
some Of the former who first gave the COM
Mander q hint of the tempest that was brewing
among the Indians.
But Ethrington disregarded their warnings,
even going so far as to threaten to send as a
prisoner to Detroit the next person who should
disturb the Inhabitants of the place with such
evil tidings. The final warning, and one which
he should have needed even IL he had disre-
garded the others. came from Alexander Henry,
an English trader, who had been adopted as a
"son, brother and friend" by Wawatam, a Chip
pewa chief.
Henry, one Of the survivors Of the massacre,
has left us an interesting account of the events
leading up to the tragedy and of the massacre
itself, OF which he was an eyewitness. 1t fol-
lows, in part:
"On the second of June Wawatam came to my
house in a temper of mind visibly melancholy
and thoughtful. He told me that he had just re-
turned from his w~lntering ground and I asked
after his health; bur without answering my
question he went on to say that he was very
sorry to find ne returned from the Sault that
he had intended to go to that place himself, Inn
mediately after his arrival at Michllimackinac
and that he wished me to go there along with
him and his family the next morning.
ITO all this he Joined an inquiry whether or
- <Aa commandment hod hoard hoH noxue od5fo~
that during the winter he had himself been dis
turbed with the noise Of evil birds; and further
suggesting that there were numerous Indians
near the fort, many Of whom had never shown
themselves within 1t. Wawatam was about forty
I'VE years OF age, Of an excellent character among
his nation, and a chief.
Referring much Of what I heard to the pc
cullaritles OF the Indian character, I did not pay
all the attention which they will be found to
have deserved to the entreaties and remarks of