Year: 1860

story can truly vouch, as one of the parties is
intimately known to me. The tragic scene,
while 1t affords true development of the in
dlvidual suffering and horrors incident to war,
especially to border wars, discloses traits of
youthful courage and presence of mind emf
nently worthy Of public record


Towards the close of the late war with
Great Britain, in 1872 or 1914, when the Amer
lean arms had been 50 far victorious as to alarm
and intimidate the Indians on the frontier,
they acceded to proposition to meet Amert
can Commissioners at Greenville, Ohio, for the
purpose OF making treaty Of peace, and of in
IDENTITIES. The British authorities in Canada,
learning the intelligence of this contemplated
Convention, became anxious to prevent as
many of the tribes disposed to attend il as pos
sIble from doing so. For this purpose they
detached a force Of Canadian savages, com
manded by French Canadian officer, whose
object was to intercept a tribe Of American
Indians and oyerawe them from proceeding to
Greenville. This scheme soon became known
to the military authorities of the United States
on the frontier. They promptly adopted meas
ures to ceunteract the project of the enemy
They selected lad about sixteen years of age
(who was afterwards Paymaster in the Army.
TO which place he was promoted he died in
Detroit, October 2lst, 1S49,) the son of a re-
spected native of this country, who had enjoyed
the confidence and gOod-w of the Indians all
his life. The father having died, they trans
ferred their attachment to the son. This boy,
armlng himself with a scalplng knife, toma-
hawk, musket and ammunition, engaged as
his companion half breed, the nephew of the
Canadian commander of the hostile Indian
force, somewhat older than himself, and pro-
ceeded from Detroit to visit the friendly
Indians and to induce them, by his hereditary
influence, to proceed on their mission to Green
VILE, as well as to warn them against the med
ltated attempt of the enemy to intercept them
The two lads marched with CELEBRITY, amidst
trying dangers and difficulties They passed
PottawatOmie village, with the aboriginal
inhabitants of which the American lad was a
great fayOrite. These Pottawatomies were
aware Of the movement of the Canadian In
dians and after the two lads had left, in pur-
suit of the business which they had been dis
patched, they became apprehensive that their
youthful favorite and his companion might be
msssacred by the hostile force, and therefore
sent number of their warriors after them, for
the purpose of affording them protection. Be-
fore the generous allies overlook them the two
boys had began TO cross a river in a canoe and
on the opposite shore of which had Just deserted
detachment of the savage enemy But it was
too late, They were ordered by the Csusdian
commander of the detachment to come on shore
and surrender themselves. Feigning submis-
sion, our young heroes, as they approached the
enemy, whose commander was advancing to-





to sell their lives dearly, and not to be taken
alive, if captured at all. They formed the
plan of walking up as near possible with
safety to the Canadian officer and shooting him
down ON the spot, each pledging himself to the
ether to FIRE simultaneously. AS they came
near to him the half-breed discovered that the
officer was his uncle. For a moment he fut-
tered; but renspired by the determined spirit
and energy of the American lad, he marched
fearlessly towards the commander. Within
few steps of him he demanded an immediate
surrender of themselves and arms. They look ed
around them, and perceived that the hostile
savage detachment were stationed on the brow
of a hill about fifty yards distant. They felt
their perilous situation; but, with undaunted
irmness and desperate resolution, they told
the Canadian officer not to come any nearer to
them, if he did they would certainly kill him
At first be laughed at them, for he could not
suppose it possible that two boys, neither of
them eighteen years Of age, would in the face
of large detachment of the savage enemy,
who were burning with resentment and flushed
with hope, dare execute their threat. Finding
that they were in no wise intimidated by the
dangers which on all sides surrounded them,
the Canadian commander resorted to the bold
expedient of moving towards his youthful ad-
verssries, and throwing open his bosom defy
ing them to fire at him, at the same time rails
ing his sword to cut down the young American
LII tnis act VI slrlklnB lney DOtn snOt MIN
through the heart, and he fell at their feet;
but such was the presence Of mind of the young
American in the fearful circumstances, and
uncertain whether the officer was certainly
dead, that to render assurance doubly sure''
and to prevent the possibility of his calling out
to his detachment to fire on them, he turned
the bHtt-end Of his musket and with it broke
at one blow the neck of the enemy whom they
had shot. At this instant the friendly Potta-
watOmies providentially appeared on the op-
posite shore of the river, gave a tremendous
yell, and rushed across the stream with the ra-
pidity of lightning. The savage enemy, by
this time apprised Of the fate of their comman-
der, and seeing the rapid approach of the Pot
tawatOmies, took to fight. The brave lads
were saved, and proceeded on their journey
amidst perils scarcely less imminent than the
one they had just escaped, and effected the
object of their mission. r The treaty of Green
vile was signed and ratified, peace was restored
with the Indian tribes. The intrepid young
American, left penniless orphan by the death
of his parent and the disastrous effects of the
war, lived to educate and bring up a large
family Of sisters by his own exertions, and still
lives, in afluence, to enjoy the society of that
family, respectfully established in life, and to
see the savage wilderness where he was cradIed
and matured under the uplifted tomahawk, in
state Of high cultivation and blossoming and
blooming like the rose.


- They were sent by the Hon. Lewis
Cass, the present Secretary of State, then Gov
ernor of Michigan.