the adventures-第5章

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inhabitants　lived　chiefly　on　the　flesh　of　buffaloes。　The

circumstances　of　many　were　very　lamentable：　However；　being　a　hardy

race　of　people；　and　accustomed　to　difficulties　and　necessities；

they　were　wonderfully　supported　through　all　their　sufferings；　until

the　ensuing　Fall；　when　we　received　abundance　from　the　fertile　soil。



Towards　Spring；　we　were　frequently　harassed　by　Indians；　and；　in

May；　1782；　a　party　assaulted　Ashton's　station；　killed　one　man；　and

took　a　Negro　prisoner。　Capt。　Ashton；　with　twenty…five　men；　pursued；

and　overtook　the　savages；　and　a　smart　fight　ensued；　which　lasted

two　hours；　but　they　being　superior　in　number；　obliged　Captain

Ashton's　party　to　retreat；　with　the　loss　of　eight　killed；　and　four

mortally　wounded；　their　brave　commander　himself　being　numbered

among　the　dead。



The　Indians　continued　their　hostilities；　and；　about　the　tenth　of

August　following；　two　boys　were　taken　from　Major　Hoy's

station。　This　party　was　pursued　by　Capt。　Holder　and　seventeen　men；

who　were　also　defeated；　with　the　loss　of　four　men　killed；　and　one

wounded。　Our　affairs　became　more　and　more　alarming。　Several

stations　which　had　lately　been　erected　in　the　country　were

continually　infested　with　savages；　stealing　their　horses　and

killing　the　men　at　every　opportunity。　In　a　field；　near　Lexington；

an　Indian　shot　a　man；　and　running　to　scalp　him；　was　himself　shot

from　the　fort；　and　fell　dead　upon　his　enemy。



Every　day　we　experienced　recent　mischiefs。　The　barbarous　savage

nations　of　Shawanese；　Cherokees；　Wyandots；　Tawas；　Delawares；　and

several　others　near　Detroit；　united　in　a　war　against　us；　and

assembled　their　choicest　warriors　at　old　Chelicothe；　to　go　on　the

expedition；　in　order　to　destroy　us；　and　entirely　depopulate　the

country。　Their　savage　minds　were　inflamed　to　mischief　by　two

abandoned　men；　Captains　McKee　and　Girty。　These　led　them　to　execute

every　diabolical　scheme；　and；　on　the　fifteenth　day　of　August；

commanded　a　party　of　Indians　and　Canadians；　of　about　five　hundred

in　number；　against　Briant's　station；　five　miles　from　Lexington。

Without　demanding　a　surrender；　they　furiously　assaulted　the

garrison；　which　was　happily　prepared　to　oppose　them；　and；　after

they　had　expended　much　ammunition　in　vain；　and　killed　the　cattle

round　the　fort；　not　being　likely　to　make　themselves　masters　of　this

place；　they　raised　the　siege；　and　departed　in　the　morning　of　the

third　day　after　they　came；　with　the　loss　of　about　thirty　killed；

and　the　number　of　wounded　uncertain。Of　the　garrison　four　were

killed；　and　three　wounded。



On　the　eighteenth　day　Col。　Todd；　Col。　Trigg；　Major　Harland；　and

myself；　speedily　collected　one　hundred　and　seventy…six　men；　well

armed；　and　pursued　the　savages。　They　had　marched　beyond　the　Blue

Licks　to　a　remarkable　bend　of　the　main　fork　of　Licking　River；　about

forty…three　miles　from　Lexington；　as　it　is　particularly　represented

in　the　map；　where　we　overtook　them　on　the　nineteenth　day。　The

savages　observing　us；　gave　way；　and　we；　being　ignorant　of　their

numbers；　passed　the　river。　When　the　enemy　saw　our　proceedings；

having　greatly　the　advantage　of　us　in　situation；　they　formed　the

line　of　battle；　represented　in　the　map；　from　one　bend　of　Licking　to

the　other；　about　a　mile　from　the　Blue　Licks。　An　exceeding　fierce

battle　immediately　began；　for　about　fifteen　minutes；　when　we；　being

over…powered　by　numbers；　were　obliged　to　retreat；　with　the　loss　of

sixty…seven　men；　seven　of　whom　were　taken　prisoners。　The　brave　and

much　lamented　Colonels　Todd　and　Trigg；　Major　Harland　and　my　second

son；　were　among　the　dead。　We　were　informed　that　the　Indians；

numbering　their　dead；　found　they　had　four　killed　more　than　we；　and

therefore；　four　of　the　prisoners　they　had　taken；　were；　by　general

consent；　ordered　to　be　killed；　in　a　most　barbarous　manner；　by　the

young　warriors；　in　order　to　train　them　up　to　cruelty；　and　then　they

proceeded　to　their　towns。



On　our　retreat　we　were　met　by　Col。　Logan；　hastening　to　join　us；

with　a　number　of　well　armed　men：　This　powerful　assistance　we

unfortunately　wanted　in　the　battle；　for；　notwithstanding　the

enemy's　superiority　of　numbers；　they　acknowledged　that；　if　they　had

received　one　more　fire　from　us；　they　should　undoubtedly　have　given

way。　So　valiantly　did　our　small　party　fight；　that；　to　the　memory　of

those　who　unfortunately　fell　in　the　battle；　enough　of　honour　cannot

be　paid。　Had　Col。　Logan　and　his　party　been　with　us；　it　is　highly

probable　we　should　have　given　the　savages　a　total　defeat。



I　cannot　reflect　upon　this　dreadful　scene；　but　sorrow　fills　my

heart。　A　zeal　for　the　defence　of　their　country　led　these　heroes　to

the　scene　of　action；　though　with　a　few　men　to　attack　a　powerful

army　of　experienced　warriors。　When　we　gave　way；　they　pursued　us

with　the　utmost　eagerness；　and　in　every　quarter　spread　destruction。

The　river　was　difficult　to　cross；　and　many　were　killed　in　the

flight；　some　just　entering　the　river；　some　in　the　water；　others

after　crossing　in　ascending　the　cliffs。　Some　escaped　on　horse…back；

a　few　on　foot；　and；　being　dispersed　every　where；　in　a　few　hours；

brought　the　melancholy　news　of　this　unfortunate　battle　to

Lexington。　Many　widows　were　now　made。　The　reader　may　guess　what

sorrow　filled　the　hearts　of　the　inhabitants；　exceeding　any　thing

that　I　am　able　to　describe。　Being　reinforced；　we　returned　to　bury

the　dead；　and　found　their　bodies　strewed　every　where；　cut　and

mangled　in　a　dreadful　manner。　This　mournful　scene　exhibited　a

horror　almost　unparalleled：　Some　torn　and　eaten　by　wild　beasts；

those　in　the　river　eaten　by　fishes；　all　in　such　a　putrified

condition；　that　no　one　could　be　distinguished　from　another。



As　soon　as　General　Clark；　then　at　the　Falls　of　the　Ohio；　who　was

ever　our　ready　friend；　and　merits　the　love　and　gratitude　of　all　his

country…men；　understood　the　circumstances　of　this　unfortunate

action；　he　ordered　an　expedition；　with　all　possible　haste；　to

pursue　the　savages；　which　was　so　expeditiously　effected；　that　we

overtook　them　within　two　miles　of　their　towns；　and　probably　might

have　obtained　a　great　victory；　had　not　two　of　their　number　met　us

about　two　hundred　poles　before　we　come　up。　These　returned　quick　as

lightening　to　their　camp　with　the　alarming　news　of　a　mighty　army　in

view。　The　savages　fled　in　the　utmost　disorder；　evacuated　their

towns；　and　reluctantly　left　their　territory　to　our　mercy。　We

immediately　took　possession　of　Old　Chelicothe　without　opposition；

being　deserted　by　its　inhabitants。　We　continued　our　pursuit　through

five　towns　on　the　Miami　rivers；　Old　Chelicothe；　Pecaway；　New

Chelicothe；　Will's　Towns；　and　Chelicothe；　burnt　them　all　to　ashes；

entirely　destroyed　their　corn；　and　other　fruits；　and　every　where

spread　a　scene　of　desolation　in　the　country。　In　this　expedition　we

took　seven　prisoners　and　five　scalps；　with　the　loss　of　only　four

men；　two　of　whom　were　accidentally　killed　by　our　own　army。



This　campaign　in　some　measure　damped　the　spirits　of　the　Indians；

and　made　them　sensible　of　our　superiority。　Their　connections　were

dissolved；　their　armies　scattered；　and　a　future　invasion　put

entirely　out　of　their　power；　yet　they　continued　to　practise

mischief　secretly　upon　the　inhabitants；　in　the　exposed　parts　of　the

country。



In　October　following；　a　party　made　an　excursion　into　that

district　called　the　Crab　Orchard；　and　one　of　them；　being　advanced

some　distance　before　the　others；　boldly　entered　the　house　of　a　poor

defenceless　family；　in　which　was　only　a　Negro　man；　a　woman　and　her

children；　terrified　with　the　apprehensions　of　immediate　death。　The

savage；　perceiving　their　defenceless　situation；　without　offering

violence　to　the　family　attempted　to　captivate　the　Negro；　who；

happily　proved　an　over…match　for　him；　threw　him　on　the　ground；　and；

in　the　struggle；　the　mother　of　the　children　drew　an　ax　from　a

corner　of　the　cottage；　and　cut　his　head　off；　while　her　little

daughter　shut　the　door。　The　savages　instantly　appeared；　and　applied

their　tomahawks　to