The Chicago Massacre of 1812: With Illustrations and Historical Documents — John Shaqi
The Chicago Massacre of 1812: With Illustrations and Historical DocumentsKirkland, Joseph
History
The Chicago Massacre of 1812: With Illustrations and Historical Documents
Kirkland, Joseph
Chicago (Ill.) -- History; Fort Dearborn Massacre, Chicago, Ill., 1812
After the fighting commenced, Mrs. Heald turned back and ascended a
little elevation between the army and the wagons. She saw a young,
fine-looking officer fall [probably Lieutenant Ronan] and thought it
was her husband, and was under this impression until after the fight
was over. Just before the surrender, she got up in range of the
bullets coming from Indians on both sides of her. She did not know
whether the Indians aimed at her or not, but she was wounded in six
places, one hand being rendered helpless, the ball passing between
the two bones of her arm. Her son has seen the scar a thousand times.
I have remarked that Mrs. Heald does not mention the presence of Mrs.
Helm, nor does the latter that of the former. We judge from this, and
from Mrs. Helm's account of her being saved by being plunged in the
lake, that the latter remained nearer the shore than did the other.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN WELLS.
Captain Wells, who was shot through the lungs, rode up and took her
hand, saying: "Farewell my child." Mrs. Heald said to him: "Why
uncle, I hope you will get over this." "No my child," he said, "lean
not." He told her he was shot through the lungs, and she saw the
blood oozing through his nose and mouth. He still held her hand and
talked to her, saying that he could not last five minutes longer.
He said: "Tell my wife--if you live to get there, but I think it
doubtful if a single one gets there--tell her I died at my post doing
the best I could. There are seven red devils over there that I have
killed."
His horse, which had been shot just behind the girth, then fell and
caught Captain Wells' leg under him. As he did so, Captain Wells
turned and saw six or seven Indians approaching them. He took aim and
fired, killing one of them. They approached still closer, and Mrs.
Heald said to him: "Uncle, there is an Indian pointing right at the
back of your head." Captain Wells put his hand back and held up his
head that better aim might be taken, and then cried "Shoot away!" The
Indian fired, the shot being fatal. They then pulled him out from
under his horse (Mrs. Heald still seated on her horse near by) and
cut his body open, the gashes being in the shape of a cross. They
took out his heart, placed it on a gun-stick and whirled it round
and round, yelling like fiends. The noise drew other Indians to the
spot and they then commenced cutting up the heart and eating it. They
crowded around and the bleeding heart was thrust forward at one after
another.
Finally an Indian cut off a piece, held it up to Mrs. Heald and
insisted on her eating it. She shook her head. He then daubed her
face with it. She shook her fist at him. Then they called her
"Epeconier! Epeconier!" this being their name for Captain Wells--thus
signifying that she was a Wells--a person full of pluck and fortitude.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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