xt72z31ngn4r https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt72z31ngn4r/data/mets.xml Finley, James B. (James Bradley), 1781-1856. 1860  books b929701f4962009 English Curts & Jennings : Auburn, Miller, Orton & Mulligan Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Wyandot Indians. Indians of North America --Biography. Indians of North America --Northwest, Old. Life among the Indians; or, Personal reminiscences and historical incidents illustrative of Indian life and character. text Life among the Indians; or, Personal reminiscences and historical incidents illustrative of Indian life and character. 1860 2009 true xt72z31ngn4r section xt72z31ngn4r 
    
    
    
    
   LIFE AMONG THE INDIANS;

OB,

PERSONAL REMINISCENCES

AND

HISTORICAL INCIDENTS

illustrative of

INDIAN LIFE AND CHARACTER. b y

REV. JAMES B. PINLEY,

"THE OLD CniEF," OR RA-WAH-WAII.

EDITED BY REV. D. W. CLARK, D. D.

CINCINNATI:

CURTS & JENNINGS.

NEW YORK:

EATON   & MAINS 
    
   H R E F A C E.

No living man, probably, has seen and known more of the Indians in the north-west than myself. During almost seventy years I have been among them, as it were   have been acquainted with their principal men, studied their history, character, and manner of life. With me it has not been, as with most who have written about them, a mere matter of theory; for I have been among them, hunted and fished with them, ate and lodged in their wigwams, and been subjected to all the labors, excitements, perils, and privations of life among them. In this long experience and observation, I have gathered up many things which I thought worthy of record. Some of them occurred in my experience as a missionary among them.

Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan, were the great battle-fields between barbarism and civilization in the west.   My acquaintance extended

3 
   4

PREFACE.

over all these states; and there is scarcely a spot celebrated in Indian warfare which I have not visited again and again. Tales of Indian life and warfare were the entertainments of my childhood; the realities of these things were among the experiences of my manhood. Now, when the scene is nearly over with me on earth, I have gathered up these reminiscences of the past, to amuse and instruct the generations of a later age. Those who enjoy so goodly a heritage in this vast region, ought to know through what trials and perils their forefathers obtained it for them.

I have endeavored to connect the facts narrated in these pages, so as to give a condensed view of Indian history in the north-west. In the preparation of the work I am indebted to Flint, M'Donald, Drake, Schoolcraft, and others. Col. M'Donald's work was written at my suggestion, and a portion of the material was also furnished by me; consequently, I have felt free to draw upon it. The work of Mr. Flint is rich in the materials of history; but they are so entirely com mingled and without system, as to detract much from its value. This work is also out of print; and I have gleaned from it some narrations of 
   PREFACE.

5

interest. But the great body of the matter has been gleaned from my own resources   not a little of it, indeed, connected with my own experience.

Thus I send this work out, hoping that it embodies some historic elements and some practical lessons that may be useful to those who now live, and also to those who shall come after me.

The Author. 
    
   CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

  emo/ai.  to   the   north- western territory.

Emigration to the North-Western Territory   The country a wilderness    Uncertainty of land titles   Slavery   Scioto Valley: Its great fertility    Col. Massie   Defense   Columbia   Gallipolis   The "Three Islands"    Surreys     Attack   Donaldson: His capture   Escape   "Donaldson's creek "   Hassie's narrow escape   Ellison's capture   Runs the gantlet    Is imprisoned   Edgington killed   A race for life   Manner of surveying   Manner of Lodging   Attack contemplated   Indians escape    Another battle   Action at Brush creek   Settlement at Chillicothe    Scioto   The Finley family emigrate   A Wyandott killed   Indians demand the murderer   Refused   Two innocent men killed in revenge    Whisky   A pioneer magistrate   Stolen collar   Thief whipped   Rapid settlements..............................................Page 17

CHAPTER II.

incidents  of  indian life  and warfare.

Chillicothe   Shawnees   Mrs. Dennis : Becomes a squaw, physician, and nurse   Becomes celebrated   Her escape   Indians pursue   Fire upo'ii her   She conceals herself   Crosses the Ohio   Reaches Greenbrier    Lies down to die   Is discovered and sent forward   Dreadful revenge    Daniel Boone   He is captured   Adopted by a chief   Shows great skill in hunting   Is compelled to make salt   Resolves to escape   Succeeds    An encounter with savages   The Indians are routed   Anecdote   The stolen venison   The Indian's inquiry   His aeuteness--Duke Holland    A savage murder   Pursuit of the murderers   Mode of tracking them    Discover them   Cowardice   Report at home   Pressure of emigration    Indian hostilities and barbarities   Combination against them   Chilli-eothe attacked   Plan of Attack   Retreat   Colonel Bowman   Captains Logan and Harrod   Black-Foot killed   Kentucky rangers   Various tribes   The monster Girty   General Harmar   Colonel Hardin   A se-

7 
   8

CONTENTS.

fere conflict   The number skin   General St. Clair   Terrible barbari ties   Loud call for vengeance   Great mourning   Two thousand sottleri killed   Movements against the savages   A general action   Gencial Butler killed   The whites flee   Reach Fort Washington   The Miasis-sayo chief   His great military skill   General Scott   Indians attaoked    Their defeat complete   Final great battle   General Wayne   Fort Recovery   Miami of the Lakes   Offers of peace to the savages   Evasive reply   Preparations for battlo   Savages completely routed   British post   Indian towns and, corn destroyed   Treaty of peace   emigration.....................................................Page 45

CHAPTER III.

indian cruelties.

Provocations to the Indians   Moravian missionaries   Their mission villages   Colonel Williamson and his company   Moravian Indians give up their arms   Are confined   Entreaty for mercy   Prayers and praisos in prison   One hundred Christian Indians murdered   Savagos greatly exasperated   Revenge impending   Colonel Crawford and his expedition   Attacked and defeated by the Indians   Colonel Crawford and Dr. Knight captured   Wingenund   Interview between Wingenund anu Crawford   The interview unsuccessful   Preparations for the horrible tragedy   Crawford appeals to Girty   His answer   Captain Pipe   Tht rush upon Crawford   Horrible tortures   The brutal Girty   His words to Knight   Crawford faints   Is scalped   Dies   Dr. Knight escapes    Crawford's son meets the samo fate   Another tragedy   A white family attacked   Most of them murdered   Mr. Morgan   Struggle for life    Dunkard's creek   Mrs. Bozarth   Her Heroism   Mrs. Merrill   She kills seven savages   The boys, Henry and James Johnson   Their bravo exploit and escape from captivity..............................68

CHAPTER IV.

indian tribes in the north-western territory .

Leading Indian nations   Indian origin unknown   Their own traditions differ   Different names of the samo tribes   Wyandotts or Hurons    Their territory   The "Grand Fathers"   War with the Six Nations    Origin of the Seminoles   Wyandotts' removal west   Their wars with other tribes   Their humane and hospitable character   Their bearing toward tribes at pence   Treatment of prisoners   Their great number    Their heroio valor   Tho great ohange   The Indians despair   The "Five Nations "   Their territory   Reason of thoir name    Called Iroquois by the Frenoh   Tradition about their origin   Mohawks the oldest   Onei- 
   CONTENTS.

9

das   Onondagas   Seneeas   Cayugas   Tuscaroras   Mr. Thatcher   Adi-rondacks   Their warlike character   Their alliance with the French    Iroquois prevail   Becomo the leading tribe of the continent   Piskardt greatly celebrated   Great exploit   Other strange adventures of Piska-. ret   Scattering of the tribes beforo the Iroquois   Extent of their ter ritory   Lose their pre-eminence with the advance of civilization    Origin of Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawatamies   Their emigrations    Detroit   Pontiac and the North-Western tribes   Braddook's defeat- -Great influence of Pontiac   Colonel Rogers   The two meet    Pontiae's demand   Rogers's reply   Poutiac's response   His friendship toward the English   His curiosity   Desiro to visit England   His change toward the English   Plan of operations   Unfolds his plan to his tribe    The Ottawas warmly sympathize   The great Indian alliance   War    Nine British stations captured   Traders taken   Horrible devastations    Indian strategy   Mackinaw and Detroit   The Delawares   William Ponn   Captain Pipe   White-Eyes   Fate of the Shawnees   Cinciunati Gazette   Sarcoxie   His hospitality   Missourians and Yankees   The Indian girl   Lodging   The papoose   Moravian missions   Horrible massacre of peaceful Indians at Conestoga   Shawnees   Originally from the South   Their character   Alliance against them   Emigrate north    Principal headquarters   Names of the Shawnee tribes   Sitting in oounoil   Origin of the name Piqua   Shawnees' theory of races   Their explanation of their condition   Their decline   Condition in 1840    Civilization   Policy of the Government   Treaties with the several tribes   Government appropriations to tho Indian tribes.......Page 92

CHAPTER V.

bib g e  of  detroit  and  the  death  of pontiao.

Detroit in 1763   Fortifications   Garrison   Major Gladwin   Indian plan    Detection   " Bloody Bridgo "   Carver's statement   Tho Indian woman    Her revelation   Active preparations   Pontiao admitted within the fort   Addresses Major Gladwin   Is ordered from the fort   Attacks tho fort   Driven back   A treaty proposed   Major Campbell and Lieutenant M'Dougal sent to treat   Are detained   Hostilities renewed   A fleet of boats approach   Is attacked by the Indians and captured   Another attempt to relieve the garrison   Indians attempt to board tho vessels    Defeated   Extracts from letters to Atlantic papers, 1763   Fate of Major Campbell   M'Dougal escapes   Detroit reinforced   Attack on the Indians contemplated   Is unsuccessful   Indians weary of the war    Pontiae's army roduocd   Wyandotts of Sandusky   General Bradstreet    A grand council   Peace   Pontiao disappears   Goes to tho Illinois   Lot-ter respeoting him   Is assassinated   His great influence   His death revenged   His memory revered by his countrymen...............128 
   10

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER VI.

fall of mackinaw and captivityof mb.henby.

Ur. Henry   Hostile disposition of the Indians   Plan against the garrison   II. Ducharrne   Strength of tho garrison   Gathering of Indians    Major Etherington   Wawatain   His friendship for Henry   Occasion of it   His present   His second visit   His talk with Henry   Urges him to leave the fort   Indians in groat numbers   Baggatiway   Suspicions- -Mr. Tracy   War cry   Tho Massacre begun   Henry seeks refuge   M. Langlade   A Pani woman   Sheltered in a garret   Horrible scene of blood   Indian search   The concealment   Dark prospect   Respite of sleep   Is discovered   Wenniway   His appearance   A reprieve   Still in danger   Life attempted   A narrow escape   Other prisoners   Number killed   The Jesuit missionary   Distressing suspense   Destitute condition   Isles du Castor   Seized by Ottawas   Ottawas take possession of the fort   Complaint of the Chippewas   Prisoners returned to the Chippewas   Desperate condition   Wawatam   His speech   The reply   Henry delivered to Wawatam   More murders   A horrid feast    English traders seized   Council seized   Fears of the Indians   Mourning oustom    Canoes captured   Drunkenness   Origin of tho name Mackinaw   Place of safety   Proves to be a place of bones and skulls   Final Esoape............................'....................Page 150

CHAPTER VII.

tecumseh and his wae.

Tecumsoh   His character   Apprehensions   His father   Birth   -Early bravery   John Waggoner   His escape   Murder of his family   Tecum-seh's obstinacy in fight   His influence extending   A stout Kentuck-ian   His alarm   Teeumseh's expression   His brother, "the Prophet"    Tecumseh's theory respecting Indian lands   Governor Harrison's letter to tho Secretary of War   Tecumseh at Vinccnnes   Captain Floyd's account   The council   Tecumseh states his objections to the treaty of Fort Wayno   His declaration of his position   Governor Harrison re plies   Tecumseh's singular conduct   Winnemac   Rev. Mr. Winans    Harrison demands an explanation   Tecumseh's reply   Harrison breaks up the council   Listens to Tecumseh's explanations next day   Position of other chiefs   The Governor's answer   Governor visits Tecumseh's camp   Further conversation   Tho overflowing water   Tho clam   Te-tiumseh's proposal and threat   Final declaration   Reflections on Tecnm-seh's conduct at the council   Bearing of tho Indians   Wrongly treated by the whites   Harrison's Testimony   Military forco secured for emerg- 
   CONTENTS.

11

encies   Harrison's speech to the Indians   Tecumseh's reply   Frequent Indian murders and robberies   Another council   Tecumseh in the south   Interview with Big Warrior   His strange threat   Its singular fulfillment   Harrison's efforts for peace   Assurances of the Prophet-Battle of Tippecanoe   Defeat of the Indians   Their rage against the Prophet   Loses his popularity and power   Tecumseh returns from tho south   Reproaches the Prophet   Declares his peaceful intentions   Insincerity   Joins the British...............................Page 182

CHAPTER VIII.

death   of tecumseh.

War with Great Britain   Tecumseh declares his real position   Crosses to Brownstown   Attacks Major Tan Home, who retreats   General Hull-Battle with the British and Indians   General Brock   Tecumseh's sketch of the country   Investment of Fort Meigs   Battle   Proctor's plans    His pledge to Tecumseh   Capture of Colonel Dudley   Murder of his troops   Tecumseh's interference   Releases the Shawnee captives   Becomes disheartened   Meditates withdrawal from the contest   Is prevented   Address to Proctor   Proctor's promises   Tecumseh's prediction of his death   Arrangement of the British forces   Arrangement of the Americans   British in open ordei   Colonel Johnson's charge   British recoil   Surrender   Loss on either side   Tecumseh's conduct   His fate    Description of him............................................209

CHAPTER IX.

john stewart.

The Wyandott nation   Its degradation   Roman Catholics   Their instruction   John Stewart    Origin   Birthplace     Emigration   Dissipation    Conviction and conversion   Joins the Methodist Church   Call to preach   Voices from the North-west   Impressions to travel thither    Sets off   Reaches Goshen   Goes to Pipetown   Indian dance   Stewart sings   Indians listen   " Sing more "   Exhorts   Goes to Upper Sandusky   Suspected to be a slave   Finds friends   Jonathan Pointer    Becomes Stewart's interpreter   Meetings   Some Indians converted    Persecution   Tho Catholio priest   Stewart's Bible   Mrs. Walker    Great religious interest   Pointer's conversion   Stewart's faithfulness    John Hicks   His speech   Mononcue   His views   Stewart replies   A fresh revival   The power of the Spirit   Heathen efforts   Great feast and dance    Stewart leaves Sandusky   Regrets   Promises to return    Goes to Marietta   His letter to Mr. Walker   Accompanying address to the Indians..............................   .................233 
   12

CONTESTS.'

CHAPTER X.

JOHN   STEWART'S  RETURN   TO  THE WYANDOT TB.

aokslidings and disorders   Stewart's porsoveranoo   Opposition   Meam nsed   Stowart has some success   Returns to Marietta   Again among the Indians   Interference   Moses Cruino's remarks of Stewart   Local preachers aid Stewart   John P. Finley   Robert Armstrong   Mission taken into the regular work   J. Montgomery   R. Bigelow   R. W. Fin-ley   Moses Henkle   First Indian quarterly meeting   Betwoen-the-Logs's testimony   John Hicks's   Scuteash   Mononcue's interesting speech   Finley's address   Meeting appointed   Mononcue, speaker    Henkle reappointed   1820   First Indian mission of the MethodM Episcopal Churoh   School proposed   Indian address to the conference...................................................Pagb 267

CHAPTER XI.

T H S AUTHOR APPOINTED  MISSIONARY TO THB WYANDOTTS.

Finley missionary to the Wyandotts   Preparations for moving   The mis sion family   Safe arrival   Gamp Meigs   Acoident   Recovery   Hard work   Cold winter   Stewart   Happy death of an Indian woman   Society formed   Rules   Numbers increase   Influences of traders and whisky   Indian god, the devil   Indian exhortation     The squaw's dream     Sugar-making   Raccoons and molasses     Winter hunting-camps   Raccoon traps   Bears in winter   Mode of catching them    Their young   Bear-oil   Indian provision in war   Meetings at the hunting-camps   Preaching   Mononcue's views of rum-making and selling    Use of law   Confession of faults   Plain talk   The heathen party-Judicious instruction   Indian camp meeting   The desert blossoms as the rose   A squaw converted on horseback   Sioknesi    Triumph   Recovery   Stewart   Provision for him   Chiefs' at the conference   Their    ddress   Bishop M'Kendroe's reply..............................283

CHAPTER XII.

VISIT  TO NEIGHBORING TRIBES.

Author appointed to Lebanon distriot and superintendent of the mission    Charles Elliott, missionary   School rapidly increases   Great opposition-   Bloody-Eyes     Threatens his brother   Is converted     Dies in peace   De-un-quot and his party   The sermon   The Indian's reply    The missionary's answer   The chief becomes excited-    Death of De-un- 
   CONTENTS.

18

quot   Between-the-Logs and tho fraudulent trader   The trial   -Visit to the neighboring tribes   Difference of Presbyterians and Methodists   Rescue of Jonathan   Van Meter   He is made class-leader   Port Ball   Seneca chiefs   Speech of the head chief   Answered by Between-the-Logs   Recommends the true religion   Hicks speaks   Mononcue speaks   His stirring eloquence   An Indian recognized after twenty-five years   Rattlesnake root   Senecas and Delawares...........Page 324

CHAPTER XIII.

BISHOP M'KENDREE  AND  THE MISSION.

Quarterly meeting   Eloquent address of Botween-tbe-Logs   Revival    The mission school   Bishop M'Kendrce   His letter respecting the mission   His notice of the schools   Opinion of the chiefs about tho schools   Letter of Mr. Johnston   Temptations   The Sabbath   The Indian's Christian experience   The true civilization   Importance of a skillful interpreter   Evil influence of white men   The Indian to the Indian agent   Expense of the mission   The national brand   Journal of acts   Stand against polygamy and adultery   Case of divorce   A great advance   Indian independence of character   Discipline of children   Favorable traits........................................ 347

CHAPTER XIV.

EXCURSION   TO   THE  NORTHERN TRIBES.

(Uatppointment to the mission   Jacob Hooper   Mrs. Hooper   Instruction *o extend missionary labors   Governor Cass   His statement of facts    cnippewas   John Stewart   His feeble health   Death   Start for the north   Reflections amid the journey   Lodging   Anecdote of Indian vt  r   Black Swamp   Tho ring-hunt     Fording tho Maumee     An Indian Christian   View of rum-selling   Praying in the snow   Difficulties   Honnis   His address   His history   Fort Maiden   Reaohes Detroit   Interview with Governor Cass   Kish-a-kauk-o   His desperate oharactor   Adam Brown   Preaching to the Indians   A Church organized    First Methodist Indian society in Canada   Journeyings and preaching   Returns to Detroit   A time of refreshing............. 377

CHAPTER XV.

CONVERTED INDIANS  ON  A WINTER HUNT.

Return journey   Sea-bisouit   Crossing the Maumee   Reaches tho mis    ion   Heathenism at work   Objections to the Bible   Difficulties with the sub-agent   Mission dofended   Indian honesty   Revival   Its influ- 
   14

CONTENTS.

oneo among the children   Hannah Armstrong   Her conversion   Triumphant death   The winter hunt   Instructions   Christian steadfastness   Indian? reprove tho whites   Astonishment   Suin-niun-de-wnt    His interview with a preacher   Return of the hunting party to the mission   Efforts against religion   Reasoning with tho erring   Friendships   Improvements   Policy of the mission   Place of worship   Visit to Washington   Monroe   Calhoun........................Page 402

CHAPTER XVI.

BISHOPS   M'KENDBEE   AND   SOULE   IN COUNCIL WITH   THE INDIANS.

Missionary meeting, Baltimore, 1824   Addrosses   Author reports th   work among the Wyandotts     Summerfield     His address     Amusing account   The little girl's penny and shilling   William Wirt   Visit to the mission by M'Kendree and Soule   Bishop Soule's account   Appearance of the crops   Public worship   Great devotion of the Indians    The school   Promising appearance of the children   Mononcue's address to the Bishop   Punch   Peacock   Sum-muu-de-wat   Gray-Eyes    Big-Tree   Washington     Two-Logs   Joseph Williams     Mononcue's closing speech   Mr. Walker   Good prospects.................... 424

CHAPTER XVII.

BEMOVAL  OP  THE WYANDOTTS.

Return to the mission, 1824     Removal of the Indians     Their opposition   Their appeal to Government   Reply of the Department   The pledge of the Government renewed   Indians quieted   Two things requisite   Permanent establishment of the school   Division of lands    General Cass   Removal still agitated   Exhibit of condition and claims of the Wyandotts   A conquered enemy   Become faithful friends   A merciful tribe   Civilization probable   Pledge of Government   Pretext, for removal   Pretext examined   Author's views of removal   Number in society   Death of Robert Armstrong   His early capture   Adoption of Indian habits and life   Became an interpreter   Became a Christian    His character   Last sickness   Author appointed sub-agent   Scutoash    His fall   Promises reform   Falls again   His sun sets in a cloud             4*2

CHAPTER XVIII.

VISIT  TO  THE   EAST  WITH  INDIAN CHIEF8.

Author returned to the mission, 1825   John C. Brooke   A hazardous journey   A terrible night   Conversion of Scionta   His former char- 
   CONTENTS.

Id

acter   Powerful conviction and conversion   Great stir   His perseverance   A powerful influenco   Statistics of the mission   Letter of invitation to the missionary anniversary   The journey   The party    Reception at Buffalo   Canal boat   Captain Smith   Sabbath   Preaching   The Indian prayer and exhortation   Effect   Arrive at Albany    New York   Noise of the city   Sight-seeing   The sea-turtle   Gas-light exhibition   Tho party lionized   The anniversary   Bascom's sermon    Between-the-Logs   His account of Catholic influence   Seneca prophet    Shawnee prophet   Finley and Mononcue follow   Durbin's speech    Philadelphia   Dr. Sargent   Sam. Merwin   Meetings   Water-works    Baltimoro   Bishops Soulo and M'Kendrce   Great interest   Baltimore camp meeting   Thrilling address of Between-the-Logs   Washington City   Judge M'Lean   Return home......................Page 463

DIVISION  OF  THE  WTANDOTT LANDS.

Author's health impaired   M'Kendree's influence   His address to the Indian Christians   Reply   The Bishop's valedictory   Solemn parting    Division of land   Principles of the division   Principles approved by the chiefs.    Good effect of the division     Mononcue's letter to the author, 1830   Happy death of Big-Tree's wife   Murder   The Murderer executed   Big George   His wife   Her conversion   Marries Sum-mun-de-wat     Her triumphant death     The fruitful cause of Indian murder...................................................... 490

CHAPTER XIX.

CHAPTER XX.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

VIII. The Cruno, or Tarhe

I. Captain John..........

II. Captain Lowis.........

III. Captain Shigser........

IV. Little Turtle...........

V. Billy Wyandott and wifo

VI. John Van Meter......

VII. Black-Hoof............

IX. Do-un-quot......

X. Keokuk.........

XI. Sum-mun-de-wat

508

512

513

514

518

519

520 523

530

531 
    
   LIFE AMONCx THE INDIANS.

CHAPTER I.

removal to the north-western territory

In the spring of 1796, I emigrated to the Northwestern territory, and commenced planting corn on the prairie, a little below where Chillicothe now stands. The country was then a dense wilderness. There was not even a " blazed path " connecting with Wheeling, Va., or Maysville, Ky.; nor was there a single inhabitant along all the route. Civilization now began to assert the supremacy of her claim to the uncultivated land over which the native savage and the wild beast had roamed for untold ages. This was, in reality, "life among the Indians;" and especially was it the commencement of a series of events in my personal history, as related to the Indians, which I design to record in this volume.

My father, after emigrating to Kentucky, purchased some land, and settled near the present town of Flemingsburg.   This was in 1789.   Ours was the

frontier house of the settlement, and we were mucb

2 17 
   18

LIFE  AMONG  THE INDIANS.

exposed to the incursions of Indians and wild beasts. The next year we moved to Bourbon county. Here my father ministered to two congregations   one at Cane Eidge, the other at Concord. Both were prosperous in a high degree.

But we found here also causes of serious discontent. There was great uncertainty among the settlers as to the title to their lands. Some of them had spent their last farthing in the purchase of their lands; and then, after encountering all the dangers and toils of pioneer life, in clearing and bringing them under cultivation, some other claimant would come and dispossess them of their homes. In such cases there was often no redress. The unprincipled speculator, having sold his spurious title, would disappear, and when the defrauded settler discovered that his claim was worthless, could not be found. My father was also utterly opposed to the system of slavery which prevailed .in Kentucky, and had liberated his slaves. This brought down upon him the ill-will and persecution of the fiery advocates of the system. The main body of both his congregations, however, strongly sympathized with him in his antislavery views; and the mutual ties that bound them together were so strong, that nearly the whole of them finally emigrated with him to the North-Western territory.

While this state of things existed on the Kentucky side of the river, their attention was drawn to the rich lands of the Scioto Valley.    These lands had 
   col. massie's station.

19

been surveyed by Col. Massie, in 1792, and he gave the most glowing accounts of the fertility of the soil and the beauty of the scenery. My father, in the latter part of 1794, opened a negotiation with Massie for a tract of from fifteen to twenty miles square, for the settlement of his two congregations, and such other friends from eastern Pennsylvania, as might choose to join him. On the succeeding March, Col. Massie visited him at his residence. Here he had an interview with a large company of those who were anxious to emigrate, and arrange ments for that purpose were made. A day was fixed upon for a general rendezvous at Massie's Station, now Manchester, and my father took immediate measures to apprise his friends in the east of the arrangements, and the prospects of the enterprise.

Massie's Station was about twelve miles above Mays-ville, but upon the opposite side of the river. The settlement had been made in 1791, and now consisted of about thirty families. They were strongly intrenched in their log-cabins, and the whole town was inclosed with strong pickets firmly fixed in the ground, with block-houses at each angle for defense. Though the most desperate Indian war was then raging, and fearful barbarities were committed by the savages, this settlement, owing to its excellent preparations for defense, and the watchfulness of the brave spirits that guarded it, suffered comparatively little. Even their agricultural labors were prosecuted with comparative safety; for having cleared the lowest of 
   20

I'FE  AMONG  THE INDIANS.

the "Three Islands," which were in the river just opposite to their settlement, they planted it with corn The soil was very rich, and the crops abundant, so that the wants of the little settlement were abundantly supplied. Besides this, there were at this time only two settlements on the north-western bank of the Ohio   one at Columbia, eight miles above Cincinnati, and one at Gallipolis, near the mouth of the Great Kanawha. These were the germs of the great north-western states, which now, in population, enterprise, wealth, and refinement, take their rank as stars of the first magnitude in the glorious constellation of our Union.

The location at the " Three Islands " was the headquarters of Massie's surveying party. From this point he went out in every direction, surveying the country and making locations. An incident may illustrate the perilous nature of this work. It was his invariable rule to keep spies around him; and if signs of Indians in the neighborhood were discovered, he would retire to his strongly-fortified post. At one time, however, in the spring of 1792, while prosecuting his surveys, accompanied by three men   one of them named Donaldson   a party of Indians suddenly came upon them. Fortunately, the Indians had left their arms in their canoe, at the landing. Massie and his party fled. The Indians, with horrid yells, pursued them. Descending a hill, the party had to leap a ravine some twelve feet in width, and about the sam e depth.   Three of them succeeded in effect 
   INDIAN CAPTURE.

21

ing the leap; but poor Donaldson failed to reach firm footing on the opposite bank, and fell back into the ditch. The other three made good their escape to the Station, and gave the alarm. The next morning, with a party of twenty men, Massie returned to fearn the fate of his companion, and to rescue him, if possible. He found that Donaldson had evidently been captured and taken off by the Indians. He pursued their trail some distance, but found no chance to surprise them; and knowing that if the Indians were aware of his pursuit, they would immediately butcher the unfortunate Donaldson, while, if left unmolested, they might spare him till he found some chance to escape, he gave over the pursuit. He judged rightly   Donaldson finally escaped.

When he made his unfortunate plunge, the fore-'most Indian was close to his heels, and instantly leaped upon him, tomahawk in hand. Donaldson immediately surrendered, and was made a prisoner. The party consisted of eight or ten Indians, who had been trapping, up the Big Sandy, and were now on their return to Wapatomaka   now Zanesfield   on Mad river. It was late in the evening when they took him, and they immediately loaded him with their r eltry, and made a rapid march homeward. In a few days he began to think about effecting his escape, although the difficulties against which he had to contend were great, owing to the extreme caution and watchfulness of the Indians. At night they took a strong tug   a rope made of the raw hide of the 
   22

LIFE  AMONG  THE INDIANS.

buffalo or elk   and fastened it around his body, each end of the tug being tied around the body of an Indian.   The tug was tied so tightly, that it could not be slipped, nor could he move to the one side or the other without drawing the Indian after him. It was from such a situation he had to extricate himself. One night, while the Indians were tying him after the usual manner, he puffed up his body to its full extent, by drawing in his breath; and when they had com pleted the process, he found that there was a good deal of play in the noose of the tug.   He laid very still till the Indians were fast asleep; then, having partly undressed himself, he began slowly and cau tiously to slip from the noose.   After a long trial he succeeded, and found himself once more a free man.    He instantly rushed to the thickets. The night was clear, and he could steer his course by the s