THE ATTACK AND RESULT.
Meantime the repairing of the pallisades had been going bravely forward,
every moment rendering the garrison more and more secure, which served
not a little to revive their spirits; and when at length the women had
all entered, the gate been barred, and they had seen themselves well
supplied with water, they could restrain their feelings no longer, and
one grand, simultaneous cheer burst from their lips.
"Now then," said Father Albach, "let 'em come, and I reckon as how
they'll meet with a warm reception. But to draw 'em on, we must send out
a party to make a feint to fight the others."
Thirteen young men, among whom was Isaac, were accordingly selected,
to pass out by the eastern gate and commence firing rapidly; while the
remainder, with loaded muskets, were to range themselves along the
western pickets, and be ready to pour their deadly contents into the
swarthy horde of besiegers, in case their attack should be made in that
quarter. As the young men departed, all relapsed into a solemn silence
of anxious suspense; which was presently broken by the rapid discharge
of firearms, outside the fort, accompanied with cheers and yells from
both the whites and Indians. Now was the all important moment--the war
sounds were gradually growing more and more distant--and every eye of
the inner garrison was strained in breathless expectation, in the
direction of the spring, while every rifle was cocked and in rest, ready
for any emergency.
Suddenly the tall weeds--which a moment before had been quietly waving
in the morning breeze--became dreadfully agitated; and the next instant,
as if by magic, the ground was peopled by some five hundred hideous
savages; who, led on by the notorious renegade, now rushed forward, with
wild frantic yells, to the western pallisades, where our gallant little
band stood drawn up ready to receive them. They had advanced in a
tremendous body, to within a few feet of the fort, when the word "Fire,"
uttered in a clear, manly voice, resounded above their own frightful
yells, and was followed the next moment by a terrible volley of leaden
balls, that carried death and terror into their serried ranks. With one
simultaneous yell of rage, consternation, and disappointment, they
halted a moment in indecision; when another death-dealing volley, from
the gallant Kentuckians, decided their course of action; and again
yelling fearfully, they parted to the right and left, and bearing their
dead and wounded with them, rushed for the covert of a neighboring
forest. At the same moment, the party which had sallied forth upon the
Lexington road, to make a feint of attacking their decoys, entered the
fort by the eastern gate, in high spirits at the success of their
maneuver.
The warfare was now carried on in the usual manner, after the failure of
stratagem, for several hours, with but little success on either side.
The block-houses were immediately manned by the garrison, who by this
means could command every point of compass; and whenever an Indian
came in sight, he was at once made the target for three or four keen
riflemen, who rarely missed their mark. In consequence of this, the
wily savage rarely showed himself in an open manner; but would creep
stealthily among the tall weeds, or among the tall standing corn, that
covered about an hundred acres of ground on the southern side of the
station, or ensconce himself behind some stump or trunk of a tree in
the vicinity, and discharge his rifle at any mark thought suitable,
or let fly his burning arrows upon the roofs of the cabins. To avoid,
if possible, a conflagration, every boy of ten years and upwards, was
ordered upon the roofs of the houses, to throw off these burning
missiles; but notwithstanding their great vigilance, so rapidly were
they sent at one period, that two of the cabins, being in a very
combustible state, took fire, to the great consternation of all, and,
before they could be extinguished, were totally consumed. Here again the
hand of an overruling Providence was manifest; for a light wind drove
the flames from the other buildings, and thus a terrible and fatal
calamity was averted.
From the attack in the morning by the main body, a sharp fire was
maintained on both sides till towards noon; when it began to slacken
considerably; and a little past meridian ceased altogether--the savages
having withdrawn for another purpose, as we shall show anon, leaving the
garrison in suspense as to whether they had totally abandoned the siege
or not.
We have previously stated that Bryan's Station stood on a gentle rise on
the southern bunk of the Elkhorn, whereby it commanded a view of much
of the surrounding country. A considerable portion of the land in the
immediate vicinity had been cleared and was under cultivation; but
still, in some places, the forest approached to a close proximity; so
that it was impossible, without traversing the ground, to determine
whether the foe had withdrawn altogether, or, as was more probable, now
lay hidden therein, awaiting an unguarded moment of the besieged to
renew hostilities. Where the Maysville and Lexington road now runs, was
a long narrow lane, bounded on one side by the large cornfield before
alluded to, and on the other by a heavy wood. Through this lane the
reinforcements from Lexington must naturally pass, to reach the station;
and knowing this, and that they were expected, (for the escape of the
two couriers in the morning had not been overlooked) the Indians, to
the number of more than three hundred, had concealed themselves in the
thicket, within pistol shot of the road, and were now quietly waiting to
cut them off.
Notwithstanding the quiet which had succeeded the sounds of warfare, the
garrison were still on the lookout, fearful of being surprised. In this
manner an hour or two passed away, without any event occurring worth
being recorded, when a voice shouted joyfully:
"The Lexington reinforcements are at hand!"
In a moment the whole station was in commotion--men, women, and children
rushing to the block-houses and pallisades nearest to and overlooking
the long lane just mentioned. The force in question numbered some
sixteen horsemen, and about twice as many foot; who, not having heard
any firing, nor seen any savages thus far, were somewhat carelessly
approaching the fort at a leisure pace, thinking, as was not uncommon in
those times of danger, when such things were often exaggerated, that
perhaps the alarm had been unfounded, or, at the most, based only on
slight grounds. They had been overtaken on the road between Lexington
and Hoy's station, for which place they had marched on receiving the
news of Holder's defeat, and had been informed by Tomlinson and Bell
that Bryan's station was surrounded by a large body of Indians, of whose
numbers they knew nothing. On hearing this, and knowing the unguarded
condition of Lexington, they had instantly turned back, and pressed
forward at what speed they could to the assistance of their neighbors,
of whom they were now in sight.
"Great Heaven!" cried the voice of the look-out, at this moment, in
consternation. "See!--see!--they are ambushed, and will all be cut off!"
As he spoke, a long rolling line of fire could he discerned; and
presently was heard the report of a tremendous volley of musketry,
followed by a cloud of dust and smoke, which for a time completely hid
them from view. In a few minutes, however, the horsemen were seen close
at hand, spurring forward with lightning speed. Some three or four
individuals instantly sprung to and threw open the eastern gate, and in
less than two minutes they reined in their panting steeds in the court
of the station. At the first shot of the savages, they had put spurs to
their horses, and, as the ground was very dry, a cloud of dust had
instantly enveloped them, by which means, fortunately, every one of them
had escaped unharmed, although on their way they had drawn the fire of
more than three hundred Indian rifles, successively discharged at them
while passing the lines of the ambuscade. Not thus easily, however,
escaped their companions on foot.
At the commencement of the firing, these latter were advancing toward
the station through the cornfield, and, being completely hidden from
the savages thereby, they might, had they pressed rapidly forward, have
gained the fort in safety. Not so was their conduct. They were brave,
hot-blooded, noble men. They could not think of flying and leaving their
friends in danger; and more noble and reckless than wise and prudent,
they turned and rushed to their assistance. They saw their error, but
too late to retrieve it. Their friends had fled, and were safe, but
they were now placed within a few paces of three hundred blood-thirsty
warriors. On seeing them, the savages uttered the most hideous yells,
rushed forward and cut them off from the fort, and then sprung after
them, tomahawk in hand. Luckily, however, for our little band of heroes,
the Indians had just discharged their rifles, and their own were loaded;
by which means, when hard pressed, they turned and kept their foes at
bay--the savage, in all cases, being too cautious to rush upon a weapon
so deadly, with only a tomahawk wherewith to defend himself. Moreover,
the corn was stout and tall, among which they ran and dodged with great
agility; and whenever an Indian halted to load his rifle, the fugitive
for whom its contents were designed, generally managed, by extra
exertion, to gain a safe distance before it was completed, and thus
effect his escape. Some five or six, however, were so unfortunate as
to be knocked or shot down, when they were immediately tomahawked and
scalped; but the remainder, in various directions and by various
artifices, succeeded in making their escape. A few reached the fort in
a roundabout manner; but the main body of them returned to Lexington;
where, had the savages followed them, they would have found an easy
conquest. Fortunately for the whites, however, the red men were not
so inclined; and pursuing them a few hundred yards only, the latter
abandoned the chase as hopeless.
One of the most active and ferocious on the part of the Indians during
this skirmish, which lasted nearly an hour, was Simon Girty. Enraged to
madness at the failure of his stratagem in the morning, he gnashed his
teeth and rushed after the fugitives, with all the fury depicted on his
countenance of a demon let loose from the infernal regions of Pluto. Two
with his own hand he sent to their last account; and was in hot pursuit
of a third--a handsome, active youth--who, being hard pressed, turned
round, and raising his rifle to his shoulder, with a scornful smile upon
his face, bitterly exclaimed, as he discharged it:
"Take that, you ---- renegade, and see how it'll digest!"
As he fired, Girty fell, and perceiving this, the Indians, with a yell
of despair, instantly gathered round him, while the man effected his
escape. This closed the exciting contest of the cornfield--which had
been witnessed throughout from the station with feelings better imagined
than described--but, unfortunately for humanity, did not end the career
of Girty; for the ball had taken effect in his shot pouch instead of his
body; and though wounded, his case was in no wise critical; and he was
soon able to take his place at the council fire, to deliberate upon what
further should be done.[22]
The council alluded to, lasted some two or three hours. The Indians were
disheartened at their loss in the morning, and the failure of all their
stratagems, even to cutting off the reinforcements of the enemy. They
were sufficiently convinced they could not carry the fort by storm; and
they also believed it unsafe to longer remain where they were; as the
alarm of their presence had spread far and wide, and there was no
telling at what moment a force equal to their own might be brought
against them; therefore, they were now anxious to abandon the siege and
return home. Girty, however, was by no means satisfied with the turn
matters had taken. He had with great difficulty and masterly persuasion
succeeded in getting them to unite and march in a body (contrary to
their usual mode of warfare, which consisted in skirmishing with small
parties,) against the whites; and he now felt that his reputation was in
a manner staked on the issue; consequently he could illy bear to leave
without the trial of one more stratagem. This he made known to the
chiefs of the council, and offered, in case of failure, to retreat with
them at once.
As this last design of Girty was merely to deceive the whites, and
frighten them into capitulation, without any further risk to themselves,
the Indians agreed to it, and the council broke up.
It was nearly sundown; and every one in the station had been on the
alert, ready to repel another attack should the Indians renew
hostilities, as was not unlikely, when a voice cried out:
"Hang me to the nearest cross-bar, ef the red sons of Satan hav'nt sent
out a flag of truce!"
This at once drew the attention of most of the garrison to a small white
flag on a temporary pole, which at no great distance was gradually
nearing them, supported in an upright position by some object crawling
along on the ground. At length the object gained a stump; and having
mounted it, was at once recognized by Reynolds as the renegade--although
Girty on this expedition had doffed the British uniform, in which we
once described him, and now appeared in a costume not unlike his swarthy
companions.
"Halloo the garrison!" he shouted.
"Halloo yourself!--what's wanted?" cried a voice back again.
"Respect this flag of truce, and listen!" rejoined Girty; and waving it
from side to side as he spoke, he again proceeded: "Courage can do much
in war, and is in all cases a noble trait, which I for one do ever
respect; but there may be circumstances where manly courage can avail
nothing, and where to practice it only becomes fool-hardy, and is sure
to draw down certain destruction on the actor or actors. Such I hasten
to assure you, gentlemen, is exactly your case in the present instance.
No one admires the heroism which you have, one and all, even to your
women and children, this day displayed, more than myself; but I feel it
my duty to inform you that henceforth the utmost daring of each and
all of you combined can be of no avail whatever. Resistance on your
part will henceforth be a crime rather than a virtue. It is to save
bloodshed, and you all from a horrible fate, that I have ventured hither
at the risk of my life. You are surrounded by an army of six hundred
savages. To-morrow there will be a large reinforcement with cannon;
when, unless you surrender now, your bulwark will be demolished, and
you, gentlemen, with your wives and children, will become victims
to an unrelenting, cruel foe. Death will then be the mildest of your
punishments. I would save you from this. I am one of your race; and,
although on the side of your enemy, would at this time counsel and act
toward you a friendly part. Do you not know me? I am Simon Girty--an
agent of the British. Take my advice and surrender now your fort into
my hands, and I swear to you not a single hair of your heads shall be
harmed. But if you hold out until you are carried by storm I can not
save you; for the Indians will have become thirsty for your blood,
and no commander on earth could then restrain them. Be not hasty in
rejecting my friendly offer. It is for your good I have spoken--and so
weigh the matter well. I pause for an answer."
The effect of Girty's speech upon the garrison, was to alarm them not a
little. His mention of reinforcements with cannon, caused many a stout
heart to tremble, and many a face to blanch and turn to its neighbor
with an expression of dismay. Against cannon they knew, as Girty stated,
resistance would be of no avail; and cannon had, in 1780, advanced up
the Licking Valley, and destroyed Riddle's and Martin's stations. If
Girty told the truth, their case was truly alarming.
As the renegade concluded, Reynolds--who saw the effect his words had
produced, and who, knowing him better than any of the others, believed
his whole tale to be false--at once begged leave to reply for the
garrison, which was immediately granted. Placing himself in full view of
Girty, he answered as follows, in a tone of raillery:
"Well done, my old worthy companion! and are you really there, carrying
out another of your noble and humane designs? When, O when, I humbly beg
to know, will your philanthropic efforts end? I suppose not until death
has laid his claim, and the devil has got his due. You ask us if we know
you. What! not know the amiable Simon Girty, surnamed the Renegade?
Could you indeed for a moment suppose such a thing possible? Know you?
Why, we have an untrusty, worthless cur-dog in the fort here, that has
been named Simon Girty, in compliment to you--he is so like you in every
thing that is ugly, wicked and mean. You say you expect reinforcements
of artillery. Well, if you stay in this quarter long, I know of no one
that will be more likely to need them than yourself and the cowardly
cut-throats who call you chief. We too expect reinforcements; for
the country is roused in every direction; and if you remain here
twenty-four hours longer, the scalps of yourself and companions will
be drying on our cabins. Bring on your cannon and blaze away as soon
as you please! We shall fear you not, even then; for if you succeed in
entering, along with your naked, rascally companions, we shall set our
old women to work, and have you scourged to death with rods, of which we
have on hand a goodly stock for the purpose. And now to wind up, allow
me to say I believe you to be a liar, and _know_ you to be a most
depraved, inhuman villain. This knowledge of your character is not
second-hand. I paid dearly for it, by a year's captivity. I defied
you when in your power: I spit at and defy you now in behalf of the
garrison! My name you may remember. It is Algernon Reynolds. What would
you more?"[23]
"Would that I had you in my power again," shouted back Girty; "for
by ----! I would willingly forego all other vengeance on the whites, to
take my revenge on you. I regret the garrison did not choose some one
to reply who was not already doomed to death. It was my desire to save
bloodshed; but my offer has been rejected from the mouth of one I hate;
and now I leave you to your fate. To-morrow morning will see your
bulwarks in ruins, and yourselves, your wives and little ones, in the
power of a foe that never forgives an injury nor forgets an insult.
Farewell till then! I bide my time."
As Girty concluded altogether, he began to ease himself down from the
stump, when his progress was not a little accelerated by hearing a voice
from the garrison cry out:
"Shoot the ---- rascal!--don't let him escape!"
Instantly some five or six rifles were brought to bear upon him; and
his fate might then have been decided forever, had not the voice of
Nickolson warned them to beware of firing upon a flag of truce. Girty,
however, made good his retreat, and the garrison was disturbed no more
that night. Before morning the Indians, after having killed all the
domestic cattle they could find belonging to the station, began their
retreat; and by daylight their camp was deserted; though many of their
fires were still burning brightly, and several pieces of meat were found
on roasting-sticks around them, all showing a late and hasty departure.
[Footnote 22: The foregoing is strictly authentic.]
[Footnote 23: This celebrated reply of Reynolds to Girty, is published,
with but slight variations, in all the historical sketches that we have
seen relating to the attack on Bryan's Station and is, perhaps, familiar
to the reader.]