THEY TAKE FORT PITT.
The morning of the 6th of April was a memorable one. Something unusual
was going to take place from the excited state of the camp. Everyone was
on the go. I was in a short time made acquainted with the reason. It
was more blood, more butchery, and more treachery. And oh! such a sight
presented itself to my eyes. The Indians were all attired in full war
habiliments. They had removed their clothes. A girdle around their
waists, was all--and their paint--every shade and color. Heads with
feathers, and those, who had killed a white, with quills. A quill for
every man scalped. Eyes painted like stars, in red, yellow and green;
faces, arms, legs and bodies elaborately decorated, and frescoed in
all their savage beauty, with bars, spots, rings and dots. Brandishing
tomahawks, bludgeons and guns; flinging and firing them in every
direction, accompanied with yells and whoops; a most hideous and
terrible sight. They embraced their wives and children, and the command
was given to start for Fort Pitt. In order to swell their numbers they
compelled the half-breeds and some of their squaws to accompany them.
The squaws ride horses like the men.
On Sunday the 12th of April they returned from the Fort flush with
victory. They had captured that place, killed policeman Cowan, taken the
whites prisoners, and allowed the police to escape down the river, all
without loosing an Indian or half-breed. The prisoners were brought in
while we were at dinner. Mr. and Mrs. Quinney came to our tent. Mrs.
Quinney said she was cold and wet. She sat, down and put her arms around
me and cried. I gave her a cup of hot tea and something to eat. Shortly
after the McLean's and Mann's came in. It was a great relief to see
white people again.
It was not long before they moved camp about two miles from Frog Lake.
Mrs. Delaney and I, walking with Mrs. Pritchard and family, through mud
and water: my shoes were very thin, and my feet very wet and sore
from walking. The Indians were riding beside us with our horses and
buckboards, laughing and jeering at us with umbrellas over their heads
and buffalo overcoats on. We would laugh and make them believe we were
enjoying it, and my heart ready to break with grief all the time. When
we camped, it was in a circle. A space in the centre being kept for
dancing.
I asked Blondin if he had any of our stockings or underclothing in his
sacks. He told me _no_ and shortly afterwards took out a pair of my
husband's long stockings and put them on before me, he would change
them three and four times a week. He had nearly all my poor husband's
clothes. Two men came in one time while Blondin was asleep and took one
of my husband's coats out of his sack and went out; Blondin upon missing
it got very angry and swore before me, saying that some person had come
in and taken one of his coats, and all the time I knew whose coat it was
they were quarrelling over. I wished then I could close my eyes and go
home to God. I went outside the tent and saw this other half-breed
named Gregory Donaire with my husband's coat on and pants, and just as
I looked up I thought it must be my own husband, and to see the fellow
laugh in my face, he evidently had an idea about what I was thinking.
Blondin wore my husband's overcoat, and all I had was my little shawl
and nothing to wear on my head, and the rain pouring down in torrents on
me; this fellow would walk beside the waggon and laugh, and when it quit
raining asked me if I wanted _his_ overcoat; I told him _no_, I did not
mind being wet as much as he did. That night Mrs. Delaney and I lay down
in one corner of the tent until morning came and then we had all the
baking to do. We dug a hole in the ground and started a fire, taking
flour, we stirred in water, kneading it hard. We then with our hands
flattened it out and placed it in a frying pan, baking it before the
fire, and by the time it was baked it was as black as the pan itself. We
dined on bannock and bacon for two months, and were very thankful to get
it.