Indian Biography; Vol. 2 (of 2): Or, An Historical Account of Those Individuals Who Have Been Distinguished among the North American Natives as Orators, Warriors, Statesmen, and Other Remarkable CharactersThatcher, B. B. (Benjamin Bussey)
History
Indian Biography; Vol. 2 (of 2): Or, An Historical Account of Those Individuals Who Have Been Distinguished among the North American Natives as Orators, Warriors, Statesmen, and Other Remarkable Characters
Thatcher, B. B. (Benjamin Bussey)
Indians of North America -- Biography; Indians of North America -- History
White-Eyes perceived that the blow was aimed at himself; but he parried it
by immediately assembling and addressing his party by themselves; "If you
_will_ go out in this war," said he, observing the preparations of some of
them, "you shall not go without me. I have taken peace measures, it is
true, with the view of saving my tribe from destruction. But if you think
me in the wrong, if you give more credit to runaway vagabonds than to your
own friends, to a man, to a warrior, to a Delaware,--if you insist upon
fighting the Americans,--go! and I will go with you. And I will not go
_like the bear-hunter, who sets his dogs upon the animal to be beaten
about with his paws, while he keeps himself at a safe distance._ No! I
will lead you on. I will place myself in the front I will fall with the
first of you! You can do as you choose, but as for me I will not survive
my nation. I will not live to bewail the miserable destruction of a brave
people, who deserved, as you do, a better fate."
This spirited harangue had the desired effect. The assembly declared, with
all the enthusiasm which a grave Indian council are ever willing to
manifest, that they would at least wait the ten days, as he wished. Some
added that they would never fight the Americans, but with him for a
leader.
But Pipe and his party redoubled their efforts, and before the appointed
term had expired, many of the Delawares had shaved their heads in
readiness for the war-plume; and White-Eyes, though his request for delay
was still attended to, was threatened with a violent death if he should
say one word for the American interest. On the ninth day, vigorous
preparations were made for sending out war-parties, and no news had yet
arrived to abate the excitement.
At this critical juncture it happened that the German missionary, Mr.
Heckewelder, with some attendants, had arrived among the Christian
Delawares in the neighborhood of Goschocking, the settlement of
White-Eyes, from Pittsburg. He became an eye and ear witness of the sequel
of the affair, and we shall therefore avail ourselves of his narrative.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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