The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-08-10

to take possession of the fort To make their
success more certain. they prevailed upon az
many AZ they could to come out OF the tort
while at the same time their squaws wrapped
In blankets. beneath which they had concealed
murderons weapons. were placed inside the en-
closure The plot was so Ingeniously laid that
no one suspected danger. The discipline OF the
garrison relaxed and the soldiers permit
ted to stroll about and view the sport without
weapons OF defense And when the ball.
as Ii by chance, was lifted high In the air
to descend inside the plckets, and was followed
by four hundred savages, all eager, all strug
CLING. all shouting In the unrestrained pursuit
OF rude. athletic exercise, no alarm was felt
until the shrill war-whoop told the startled gar
rlson that the slaughter had actually begun.
II did not 20 myself to see the match which
now to be played without the fort, because,
there being canoe prepared to depart on the
following day for Montreal I employed myself
In writing letters to my friends; and even
when a fellow trader Mr.. Tracy, happened to
call upon me- saying that another canoe had
just arrived from Detroit. and proposing that /
should go with him to the beach to inquire the
news. 1t so happened that / still remained to
finish my letters, promising to follow Mr.. Tracy
In the course OF few minutes. Mr.. Tracy had
not gone more than 20 PAGES from my door
OF general confusion. Going instantly to my win
dow saw a crowd OF Indians within the fort,
furiously cutting down and scalplng every Eng
llshman they found In particular | witnessed
the fate OF Lieutenant Jamette.
II had, In the room In which I was a fowl
Ing piece, loaded with swan shot This I i'm
mediately seized and held 1t for a few minutes,
waiting to hear the drum beat to arms. In this
dreadful interval I saw several of my country
men fall and more than one struggling between
the knees OF an Indian who, holding him In this
manner, scalped him while yet living
Henry saved himself from the massacre by
hiding In the home OF French trader but he
was later captured and eventually was ran
somed by his friend Wawatam or the garrison
Lieutenant Jamette. 16 soldiers and the trader,
Tracy were killed inside the fort. Captain Eth
rngton Lieutenant Leslie and III soldiers were
taken prisoners OF whom were later killed.
few days after the massacre a party Of OF
tawas arrived at MichllimackInac They were
furious at the Chippewas for making the attack
without consulting them. So they took English
captiyes away from the Chippewas and carried
them to LArbre Croche where they were kept
as prisoners until the end OF the war when they
were released ransomed at Montreal
During the Revolution MichIlimackinac was
one Of the most important British posts In the
West and In 1880 Major Sinclair, commandant
Of the post transferred part OF his troops to
Mackinac island where new fort was built
with bIockhouses at the corners to protect the
palisaded walls BY the treaty OF 1888 which
ended the Revolution Mackinac became an Amer
lean post and the Stars and Stripes became the
third national flag to fly over 1t. In 1906 the
first American troops under Maj. Henry Bur-
beck occupied the post but early In the War
OF 1912 1t was captured by the British who held
1t until the close of the war. On July is, 1915.
Colonel Butler Of the United States army took
formal possession of the fort and from that
time until 1906, period OF 80 years, when the
government abandoned It, Fort Macknac was
an American army post. 1t Is now Michigan
state park.
90 by Western NswupApsr union-1