Anecdotes of the American Indians, illustrating their eccentricities of character
History
Anecdotes of the American Indians, illustrating their eccentricities of character
Indians of North America -- Anecdotes
A tall Indian was seen, at length, through the glimmering of the fire,
which was getting low. He moved cautiously towards them, skulking, as
an Indian always does. He seemed to suspect, at first, that a guard
might be watching, but seeing none, he came forward more boldly,
rested on his toes, and was seen to move his finger, as he counted the
thirteen men, sleeping, as he supposed, by the fire. He counted them
again, and retired; another came up, and did the same. Then the whole
party, sixteen in number, came up and glared silently at the logs, till
they seemed to be satisfied they were fast asleep. Presently they
took aim, fired their whole number of guns upon the logs, yelled the
horrid war-whoop, and pushed forward to murder and scalp their supposed
victims. The Sergeant and his men were ready for them; they fired upon
them, and not one of the Indians was left to tell the story of that
night. The Sergeant reached the army in safety.
SCENES IN KING WILLIAM’S WAR, 1689.
SURPRISE OF DOVER.
Thirteen years had almost elapsed since the seizure of the 400 Indians,
at Cocheco, by Major Waldron; during all which time an inextinguishable
thirst of revenge had been cherished among them, which never till now
found opportunity for gratification. Wonolanset, one of the sachems of
Penacook, who was dismissed with his people at the time of the seizure,
always observed his father’s dying charge, not to quarrel with the
English; but Hagkins another sachem, who had been treated with neglect
by Cranfield, was more ready to listen to the seducing invitations
of Castine’s emissaries. Some of those Indians, who were then seized
and sold into slavery abroad, had found their way home, and could not
rest till they had their revenge. Accordingly a confederacy being
formed between the tribes of Penacook and Pigwacket, and the strange
Indians (as they were called) who were incorporated with them, it was
determined to surprise the major and his neighbours, among whom they
had all this time been peaceably conversant.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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