Page 24

THE RED MEN OF IOWA.

were out a short distance from the enclosure in search of horses, when they were met by six Indians, by whom one of the men was shot. The other succeeded in reaching the fort, and Colonel Shepherd, the commandant, sent out a detachment of fifteen soldiers in search of the savages. As it proved, these prowlers were but a decoy, for a large force of Indians was in ambush, and when the soldiers were a sufficient distance from the fort and within their lines, the Indians surrounded them, and of the fifteen only three escaped. Thirteen others who rushed to their assistance shared the same fate. About four hundred savages, led by the notorious Simon Girty, invested the fort, its defenders then being reduced to only about a dozen men and boys, and several women who had taken refuge within it. The latter proved fully equal to the men in calmness and courage. Girty demanded the surrender of the fort in the name of King George, but Colonel Shepherd refused to yield. This was just at sunrise on the morning of the 27th. The siege then commenced, and all day the fight continued, but the rifles of the assailants were powerless against the fort. At night the supply of powder in the fort was exhausted, but it was remembered that there was a keg concealed in the house of Ebenezer Zane, about sixty yards distant. Then came the question as to how it could be obtained. Who would volunteer to go for it? It was at this crisis that a young lady, the heroic Elizabeth Zane, sister of Ebenezer and Silas Zane, came forward and volunteered to perform the service. Her proffer was preemptorily refused, for others were willing to go, but she insisted, saying that the lives of the young men could not be spared. At last her petition was granted; the gates were

Page 25

INDIAN HOSTILITIES IN THE WEST.

opened and she passed out, proceeding in full sight of a number of Indians who were straggling about the fort. For some reason they did not molest her, and she soon returned bearing in her arms the keg of powder. As she approached the fort, some of the Indians, who doubtless then suspected the character of her burden, discharged a volley of bullets at the heroic girl, but the leaden missiles fell wide of the mark, and with the welcome prize she glided swiftly and safely within the gates.

In the meantime Girty extemporized a cannon, made of a hollow maple log bound with chains. Loading it heavily with stones, he discharged it at the gates, but instead of having the effect to open them, it was shattered into a thousand fragments, maiming and killing some of Girty's own copper-colored friends. The Indians became disheartened, and during that night many of them withdrew.

On the morning of the 28th fifty-five men from other settlements came to the assistance of the little garrison, and safely entered the fort. The Indians finding their efforts against the fort useless, after killing all the stock, and burning the houses of the settlers, retired. Of forty-two men who occupied the fort when the alarm was first given, twenty-five were killed. The Indians lost about one hundred. The reinforcement which came to the relief of the fort had been rallied by Captain Ogle, one of the men who escaped on the occasion of the first skirmish. In 1785 he emigrated to the Illinois country, where many of his descendants now reside. The reader will not forget that while these border scenes were being enacted the great struggle for independence was going on east of the mountains.

Pages 26 - 27

Chapter 2

Introductory Page| Portrait of MA-KA-TAI-ME-SHE-KIA-KIAH (Black Hawk)| Title Page| Page 2|

Preface (pages 3 - 6)| Illustrations (page 7)| Contents (pages 8 - 17)

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