Good stories for great birthdays: arranged for story-telling and reading aloud and for the children's own readingOlcott, Frances Jenkins
History
Good stories for great birthdays: arranged for story-telling and reading aloud and for the children's own reading
Olcott, Frances Jenkins
Birthdays; Children's literature; South America -- History -- Anecdotes; United States -- History -- Anecdotes
“I have nothing to request in behalf of myself. You can kill me if you
desire. But I come to beg you to send for the women and children of the
war-party, who are now starving in the woods. Their fields and cribs
have been destroyed by your people, who have driven them to the woods
without an ear of corn. I hope that you will send out parties who will
conduct them safely here, in order that they may be fed.
“I exerted myself in vain to prevent the massacre of the women and
children at Fort Mims. I am now done fighting. The Red Sticks are nearly
all killed. If I could fight you any longer, I would most heartily do
so.
“Send for the women and children. They never did you any harm. But kill
me, if the white people want it done.”
While he was speaking, a crowd of officers and soldiers gathered around
the tent. Associating the name of Weatherford with the oft-told horrors
of the massacre, and not understanding what was going forward, the
soldiers cast upon the Chief glances of hatred and aversion. Many of
them cried out:--
“Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!”
“Silence!” exclaimed Jackson.
And the clamour was hushed.
“Any man,” added the General, with great energy, “who would kill as
brave a man as this, would rob the dead!”
He then requested Weatherford to alight, and enter his tent. Which the
Chief did, bringing in with him the deer he had killed by the way, and
presenting it to the General.
Jackson accepted the gift, and invited Weatherford to drink a glass of
brandy. But Weatherford refused to drink, saying:--
“General, I am one of the few Indians who do not drink liquor. But I
would thank you for a little tobacco.”
Jackson gave him some tobacco, and they then discussed terms of peace.
Weatherford explained that he wished peace, in order that his Nation
might be relieved of their sufferings and the women and children saved.
“If you wish to continue the war,” said General Jackson, “you are at
liberty to depart unharmed; but if you desire peace you may remain, and
you shall be protected.”
And as Weatherford desired peace, General Jackson sent for the women and
children and had them fed and cared for.
When the war was over, Weatherford again became a planter, for he had
been a prosperous one before he led his Nation, the Creeks, on the
war-path.
He lived many years in peace with white men and red, respected by his
neighbours for his bravery, honour, and good native common-sense.
To the day of his death, Weatherford deeply regretted the massacre at
Fort Mims. “My warriors,” said he, “were like famished wolves. And the
first taste of blood made their appetites insatiable.”
_James Parton and Other Stories._
SAM HOUSTON
Years before the fall of the Alamo, during the Creek War, at the Battle
of the Horseshoe, Andrew Jackson had just given the order for a part of
his troops to charge the Indian breastwork. The troops rushed forward
with loud shouts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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