Wetzel, the Scout; or, The Captives of the WildernessEllis, Edward Sylvester
General
Wetzel, the Scout; or, The Captives of the Wilderness
Ellis, Edward Sylvester
Dime novels; Frontier and pioneer life -- Fiction; Ohio River Valley -- Fiction; Shawnee Indians -- Fiction
Tom Moffat was older than his brother by six or seven years, and was one
of those scouts or rangers whose business it was to skirt along the Ohio
between the settlements, and to ascertain the doings and intentions of
the hostile tribes and to warn the whites when danger threatened them.
The services of such men were invaluable. There was hardly a movement of
the Shawnees which they did not discover and communicate, and to their
timely warning, in more than one instance, was the salvation of hundreds
owing.
The information which the scout imparted upon this occasion was that
Colonel Clark had determined, with his Kentucky Rangers, to march
against the Indians at Chillicothe, and to bring them to battle. A
summary chastisment was imperatively demanded, and our settlement
willingly volunteered to assist their gallant friends in the expedition.
Colonel Clark, a few weeks subsequent to these events, called together
his Kentucky Rangers, as they were termed, for marching against the
Indian settlements at Chillicothe. Tom Moffat, the scout, conducted his
brother, Kingman, and half a dozen others, through the wilderness to
join them, as our settlement had already gained quite a fame for its
readiness in assisting such expeditions.
This was in the summer of 1780. The Rangers collected together, and
headed by Colonel Clark, a gallant and inexperienced Indian fighter,
they reached the Indian town a day later; but the Shawnee runners had
apprized their nation of the force marching against them, and when the
villages were reached not even a squaw or pappoose was visible. This was
a surprise to the whites, as they fully expected to meet the combined
warriors and have a bloody battle; nevertheless, they determined that
the cowardly Indians should not escape them.
Their scouts were first dispatched to reconnoitre the forest, to prevent
falling into ambush. They reported that not a savage was in sight, and
it was evident they were thoroughly intimidated, and had retreated to a
safe distance. Colonel Clark then gave the order to burn the Indian
villages and destroy their corn-fields.
In a few moments the flames from the different lodges burst forth and
communicated to the others. They were made of light, combustible
material, and in an incredible short space of time the whole village was
one mass of roaring, crackling flame. The smoke ascended far over the
tree-tops and gathered and formed a dark, heavy cloud, which settled in
the horizon. These evidences of conflagration were witnessed by more
than one Shawnee from his hiding-place, and he trembled, for he knew
what a justly-excited people was revenging its wrongs. Not an Indian
made his appearance while the rangers were at work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account