The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1950-03-30

1t was the only Shawnee town IN
the neighborhood, all others beng
Delawares, Goschachgunk, principal
town of the Turtle tribe of the Della
wares, vas about five miles north
where Coshocton now stands; and
another, "Old Town." was at Dun
cans Falls. About six more Della
ware towns were in the vicinity.
Goschachgunk was little smaller
than Wakatomaca. 1t had about so,
log, pole and bark shacks and 700
warriors in 1778 and Natowatwees,
chief of the Turtle Delawares, lived
there. In 1778-1779 hordes of hostile
Wyandottes and Mingoes came into
the vicinity and caused Wakatomaca
much trouble. In June, 1774, the
Indian town got into lot of trouble
with the white men.
Orders Town Wiped Out
Wakatomaca had a pretty bad
reputation and in 1774 the Earl of
Dunmore, governor of Virginia, sent
400 men, under Col. Angus Nc
Donald, to wipe it out. The country
then belonged to Virginia. 1t was
in great Botetcourt County, which
included all the lands now Ohio,
Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minneso-
ia, Michigan and West Virginia.
Kentucky was a county of its own
Kentucky County, Virginia. McDon-
Id was a British officer, loaned to
Virginia. Jonathan Zane, Thomas
Nicholson and Tady Kelly, men fa-
miliar with the backwoods, were the
little army's guides.
About six miles from Wakatomaca
the army was ambushed by about so
Indians, who killed two men and
wounded nine others. One Indian
was killed and several wounded.
When the army came up to the
town it was found evacuated-the
savages had fled to the opposite
shore of the Muskingum, formed an
ambuscade and were waiting for the
white men to follow them across.
Tells of Indian Fight
Private Abraham Thomas, who
was there, related that five or six
whites instead of two, were killed in
the first fight. Privates Fox and
Martin were shot by the chief, who
then lodged behind tree. When
he reappeared he was killed by Uriv-
ate Welson, a neighbor of the deao
man. Thomas, 18, was in a comany
commanded by Capt. Mike Cressap.
Finding Wakatomaca deserted, Col
onel Mcdonald posted sentries up
and down the river and bivouaced
until morning. One, Private John
Hargue, of Cressap's company, shot
an Indian scout during the nlght-he
loaded his gun with two balls and
put both through the savage's neck.
Next morning he scalped the Indian
Another Indian was shot between the
eyes by Private Jack Hayes and his
body dragged into camp.
| During the night two Indians
came to the white army camp and
spent several hours trying to fix
terms of surrender. That gave the
Indians time to get their women and
children out of Wakatomaca and
make ready for the coming battle on
the opposite bank of the river. The
/ two Indians were allowed to leave.
Indians Flee
Two hours before daylight. Cap
tain Cressap stealthily formed his
men and took them across the river
to the ambush, leaving Mcdonald
and the balance of his army in
camp. The Indian camp was sur
rounded and the attack was begun.
But the savages fled into the thicket
and no whites and only one Indian
were killed in the fight.
In Wakatomaca only an old COW
and some corn were found by the
white men. These were distributed
among the men, the village was
burned and the little army started
back on it's three-days march towards
home. The men became almost
famished and some were so weak
they could not carry their own
equipment.
One man had good stock of
tobacco, and whether or not they
ever had used tobacco before, many
men kept going only by chewing it.
But for the Indian corn and very
| little small game, the army had been
out of provisions since it's first ar
rival at Wakatomaca.
Soldiers Famished
On the return march the army
crushed ear corn with tomahawks,
mixed it with water in gourds or
tin cups and ate it as porridge.
Running across a drove of hogs,
several were shot and the meat cook
ed and eaten hungrily without much
preparation"
Each man had started out with
seven days provisions of his own
furnishing, in his pack. Most of it
was eaten up during three days
halt Colonel Mcdonald ordered on
the march to Wakatomaca. During
the halt it stormed and arms and