Tales, Traditions and Romance of Border and Revolutionary TimesEllis, Edward Sylvester
History
Tales, Traditions and Romance of Border and Revolutionary Times
Ellis, Edward Sylvester
Frontier and pioneer life -- United States -- Anecdotes; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Anecdotes
the probability of finding all the members of an Indian party asleep at
the same time is small indeed.
On the present occasion two or three warriors, who were smoking over the
embers, caught the alarm before the assailants had quite closed in.
Still the surprise gave the white men a great advantage, and half a
dozen of the savages were shot down in their tracks before they
comprehended the meaning of the hideous uproar, which suddenly broke the
midnight stillness as Moredock and his company, finding their approach
discovered, rushed in upon them. This fatal effect of the first volley
was a lucky thing for the adventurers; for the Indians are less liable
to panics than almost any other people, and they closed with their
assailants with a fury that, combined with their superior skill in
nocturnal conflict, would have rendered the issue of the struggle a very
doubtful matter had the number of combatants been more nearly even. As
it was, the nimble warriors fought their way against all odds to the
point where their canoes had been moored. Here, finding their expected
means of flight removed, and exposed upon the naked sand-beach, the
survivors still made desperate battle until all were slain except three,
who plunged boldly into the stream, and, aided by the darkness,
succeeded in reaching the main land in safety.
Twenty-seven of those engaged in the massacre at the Grand Tower had
been destroyed at a single blow. But three had escaped from the bloody
trap, and while these lived the vengeance of John Moredock was
unsatisfied. They must perish, and he determined that it should be by
his own hand. He therefore dismissed his faithful band, and thenceforth
continued the pursuit alone. Having learned the names of the three
survivors he easily tracked them from place to place, as they roamed
about in a circuit of three or four hundred miles. Had the wretches
known what avenger of blood was thus dogging their tracks, the whole
extent of the continent would not have afforded space enough for their
flight, or its most retired nook a sufficiently secure retreat. But
quite as relentless Moredock pursued his purpose, and but few even of
his acquaintances knew the motive of his ceaseless journey along the
frontiers from Green Bay to the mouth of the Ohio, and far into the
unsettled wastes beyond the Mississippi.
At length, about two years after the massacre of his family at the
Tower, he returned to Kaskaskia, having completed his terrible task, and
bearing the scalp of the last of the murderers at his girdle.
Moredock lived to be a popular and leading man in his State, an
office-holder, a kind neighbor and beloved head of a family, yet he
never relaxed in his hatred of the race who had poisoned the fountain of
youthful hope for him.
DEBORAH SAMPSON, THE MAIDEN WARRIOR.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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