A DECOY AND AN ATTACK
The fort at Bryant's Station was for the protection of forty cabins
placed in parallel lines upon a little hill on the bank of the Elkhorn
River.
All through the night the garrison had been preparing as soon as
daylight came to depart from the fort to carry aid to the men at Hoy's
Station. A messenger had brought word to Bryant's Station of the defeat
which almost had overwhelmed Holder and his men. If Girty's band of six
hundred Indians had arrived a few hours later they would have found in
the fort only a few women and children, besides a small number of old
men, unable to fight.
Afterward it was learned that the Indians were listening all through the
night to the sounds of the activities within the fort, and when they saw
the lights gleaming from the blockhouse and the cabins they must have
suspected that news of their coming already had been received by the
inmates.
However, they made no attempt to steal upon the fort in the darkness,
although Girty and the Indian chiefs were planning and arranging their
attack for the following day.
For some strange reason many of the forts on the border had been built
at a considerable distance from the springs upon which the people
depended for their water. The fort at Bryant's Station was no exception.
By Girty's direction many of the Indians placed themselves in hiding,
within shot of the spring. One hundred selected warriors also were
stationed at a distance from the spring. The latter were ordered to open
a sharp fire and make their presence known to the garrison. Doubtless
the hope of the red men was that the actions of this party would draw
the white defenders from their place of safety.
If their plan succeeded Girty then expected that the other band of
warriors instantly would rush upon the opposite gate of the fort and hew
it down with their tomahawks while the men were chasing the little decoy
force. In this manner all the leaders of the attacking force expected to
make their way into the little cabins within the stockade.
When daybreak came the garrison was almost ready to open the gates and
march to the assistance of their friends at Hoy's Station.
Suddenly there was a furious and continued discharge of rifles
accompanied by such hideous yells and screams and whoops that they
terrified not only the women and children of Bryant's Station, but
alarmed even the men, accustomed though they were to the methods of
Indian warfare.
Running to the stockade and peering out through the loopholes, the
startled white men saw before them a small band of Indians. These
warriors were plainly exposed, yelling and making the most insulting and
furious gestures toward the fort.
All this was so different from their usual custom that some of the older
men of the fort warned their comrades that a trick of some kind was
being played upon them.
"It is a decoy party," said one of the men positively. "They will draw
you out of the fort and before you know it you will find yourselves
surrounded by more than a hundred of those howling savages."
"That is right" said another. "My suggestion is that we all make for the
other side of the fort. I believe the Indians are trying to draw us out
on this side and then attack us on the other."
The experiences which many already had had with the Indians of the
border confirmed the impression made by the words of the last speaker.
Even the younger men, who were eager to sally forth and attack the young
warriors that were making such a commotion, were held back by the
suggestion.
"We cannot protect ourselves very long in the fort," said one of the men
when the defenders had been divided into two bands.
"Why not?" inquired another.
"Because we have no water. There is not enough water in the fort to last
us thirty hours."
"What can we do?" inquired one of the older men after a tense silence
had followed the statement of the speaker. "If we go down to the spring
the Indians will pick us off, every one."
"Send the women," suggested another. "They go to the spring every
morning. The Indians may not think we have any suspicion of what they
are planning to do. If the women and girls go to the spring for water
just as they usually do the Indians will not fire at them. They will
want to save all their bullets for their attack on this side when our
men have been drawn out to chase the savages who are yelling now on the
other side."
"It seems cowardly," said another man "to ask the women to go down to
the spring when we know it would be sure death for us to go."
"It will not be sure death for the women, and my opinion is that not one
of them will be harmed," said the first speaker positively. "At all
events we can ask them to go and let them say whether they will or not."
When the proposition was made to the women there were some who made
replies not unlike those which their male defenders had suggested in the
council. Some of them said: "If the men were afraid that they might be
shot, why should they ask the women to go in their place?" Then it was
explained just why the request was made. Immediately some of the bolder
women and girls, taking their buckets, opened the gates and started
toward the spring, which was only a short distance from the fort.
Frightened, the women undoubtedly were, and with good reason. But with
unbroken lines they continued on their way to the spring. One by one
they knelt and filled their buckets and then joined the line which was
returning to the fort.
When the matrons and maids had arrived within a few yards of the open
gate their terror became so overpowering that they all began to run for
the shelter. Many a dusky face had been seen on the borders of the
forest, but not a shot was fired at the bold girls and the women of
Bryant's Station when they brought the water from the spring to the
inmates of the fort.
"Now is our time," said one of the men, after the return of the women.
"We ought to do two things: First we must get some one out of the fort
to carry word to Boone of the trouble we are having."
"And second?" inquired one of the company.
"We must send out some of the younger men to attack that decoy party."
"That's right," suggested one of the young men eagerly. "We must go out
and make all the noise we can. Then all the other men here in the fort
can be ready for Girty when he comes, and I know he will come."
"I will carry the message to Boone," volunteered one of the younger men
named Bell. It was arranged that he should depart with the young men who
were to attack the decoy party, and then instead of returning to the
fort he should make a dash into the forest and try to make his way to
Boonesborough as speedily as possible.
The men in the fort were all serious when they saw thirteen of their
younger companions depart from the fort through the gate which opened
toward the place where the decoy party had been seen.
"Do not chase the varmints too far," charged one of the watching men.
No response was given to the warning, and as soon as the hardy, young
settlers had departed the gate was closed and the remaining men, cocking
their guns, took their positions to await the result of the expected
attack as soon as it should be unmasked.
It was not long before the report of rifles was heard from the distant
road, and gradually the sound indicated that the men were being decoyed
farther and farther from the fort.
"Girty will order an attack on us soon, now that the boys have made so
much noise," suggested one of the waiting defenders.
Scarcely had the man spoken when Simon Girty, springing from the forest
at the head of five hundred of his painted warriors, rushed upon the
western gate of the fort. It was plain that they were trying to force
their way over the undefended palisade.
The men of the Station had been carefully arranged in small divisions;
and at the word from their leaders they fired upon the approaching
warriors. The determination of the white men and their anxiety for their
wives and children served to steady the nerve of every man and make of
him a sharpshooter.
The consternation of Girty's army cannot be described. Startled by the
unexpected resistance and beholding their comrades falling on every side
of them, with wild cries of anger and dismay the painted braves
scattered, and in confusion all ran back into the sheltering forest.
Two minutes after the sally not an Indian was to be seen, and the party
of thirteen young settlers returned to the shelter of the fort.
Every defender of Bryant's Station, however, was aware that this was but
the beginning of the siege. The attack now was undertaken more in
accordance with the usual methods of Indian warfare. From behind trees
or protected by rocks the red men fired upon the defenders whenever any
one showed himself. And the men of Bryant's Station were replying to the
attack in kind. Not much time had elapsed before it was plain that this
method of warfare was without marked effect on either party.
By the middle of the afternoon, however, a sudden change occurred which
instantly altered the entire combat. The cause of this change was due to
the messenger who had been sent from Bryant's Station as soon as the
discovery of the Indians had been made. Upon the fleetest horse in the
settlement young Bell had succeeded in making his way to Lexington, with
news of the dire need of help at Bryant's Station.
The messenger, however, was keenly disappointed when he found only the
women and children and a few old men in the place. He was informed that
the able-bodied men had all marched to the rendezvous at Hoy's Station
as soon as the knowledge of Holder's defeat had been received.
Following the direction in which he had been informed the fighting band
had gone, it was not long before Bell overtook them and gave them his
message.
In the band were sixteen mounted men and more than twice that number of
men on foot. As they set forth in response to Bell's appeal, their
courage was strengthened by the report of the coming of a force of men
from Boone's Station, among whom were Peleg, Israel, and the great scout
himself.