Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the Elephant Part 18

"There is no course but war, as they will continue to rob and murder so long as we have a foot of land remaining.

"We respect Colonel Morgan, but are unfriendly to his cause. He must return to Pittsburgh. John Mason, who has been our friend so long and who comes to teach us about the white man's G.o.d, may remain."

Of all the council but one chief dissented, White Eyes, a Delaware; and he alone of all his tribe desired to remain neutral. When he spoke for neutrality, believing that the war would bring only disaster and suffering to the Indians, Chieftain Pipe, a rival chief of his own nation, rose and said: "I declare that every man should be called an enemy to his nation, who opposes war with the Long Knives."

To which White Eyes replied:

"If this council declares for war, you shall not go without me. I have been for peace that I might save my tribe from destruction; but all think me wrong. I hope you are right. I am a warrior and a Delaware. If you insist on fighting the Americans, go! and I will go with you. And I will not go like the bear hunter who sets his dogs upon the animal to be beaten about by his paws while he keeps himself at a distance. No! I will lead my people. I will be in the front. I will fall with the first of you. I will not live to bewail the destruction of a brave people who deserve a better fate.

"I ask that John Mason, who has fed my people when they were hungry and who has proved himself our friend, lodge with my tribe, many of whom believe in the white man's G.o.d, having been instructed by Mr.

Heckewelder. My tribe wished to drive him away; but I would not allow it, believing that something is to be learned from everyone. I am an old man and know not how long I shall live. I now rejoice that I have been able to induce my people to hear of this G.o.d. Our children and grandchildren will reap the benefit. Now I am ready to die whenever G.o.d pleases."

A guard of Indians in three war canoes, escorted Colonel Morgan to his friends near Pittsburgh, but declined his invitation to land fearing they might be ma.s.sacred.

John Mason remained with the Delawares; was taken into the family of White Eyes and treated by the whole tribe, except Chieftain Pipe, as an honored guest. Colonel Morgan had advised that he remain, hoping his influence would keep the tribe from joining the British.

He had been with them less than two months, when White Eyes was taken with the smallpox. As the disease usually a.s.sumes a malignant form with Indians, he nursed the old chief and kept his people from the lodge.

When it was evident that White Eyes was near death, he called for Mason's Bible and holding it in his hands asked to be placed upon a pallet without the lodge. There in the twilight of the day, and of his life, he talked to his a.s.sembled people.

"My friends, it is my dying wish that the Delawares should hear the word of G.o.d. I have therefore gathered together my young men and their children. I will kneel down before the Great Spirit who created them and me and I will pray unto Him that He will have mercy upon us and reveal His will to us. And as we cannot declare that will to those who are yet unborn, we will pray unto the Lord our G.o.d, to make it known unto our children's children."

White Eyes was succeeded by Chieftain Pipe, who hated all white men; but the promises and bounties of the British bought his allegiance. He sent Mason away and for several years willingly joined cause with the British.

The longer the war lasted, the less he relished it; noting that his people, as White Eyes had foretold, were the chief sufferers and fully aware that when peace was made between the whites a war of extermination would be waged against the Indian.

These reflections and disappointments made him moodily superst.i.tious. He spoke of being visited and advised by the spirit of White Eyes to withdraw from the war and to become a Christian. He had always listened to Mason's talks to his people. Towards the end of the war he exhibited much sympathy for the settlers; commanding his braves not to molest women and children and to disarm and capture, rather than kill their enemies. His people murmured because secretly he turned captives loose; and the belief prevailed among them that he had been converted to Christianity.

He attended a council between the British authorities and their Indian allies at Detroit; and, though an ally, could not disguise his growing hostile spirit.

Addressing the commanding officer, he said:

"Father-though I do not know why I should call you father; I have never known any father but the French; still as this name is imposed upon us I will use it.

"Father, some time ago, you put a war hatchet in my hands; you said: 'Take this, and try it on the heads of my enemies, the Long Knives, then let me know if it is sharp and good.'

"I have obeyed your commands. The hatchet I found sharp. This is what has been done with it. These are the scalps we have taken. (Handing the Commandant, known as 'the Hair Buyer,' a package of forty-three scalps, cured, dried, hooped and painted, to indicate how and from whom taken.) And yet I did not do all I might have done. No, I did not. I felt compa.s.sion for your enemy. Innocent women and children had no part in your quarrels; therefore I spared them. These are the scalps of men killed in battle.

"I took some prisoners. As I was bringing them to you I spied one of your large canoes, in which I placed them. They will arrive in a few days. If you will examine their skin you will find it the same color as your own. Father, I hope you will not kill those I have spared. You have the means of preserving them from want. The Indian is poor. His cabin is always empty. Your house is always full.

"He has helped you because you have furnished him with rifles, hatchets, blankets, food and rum, though this is not his quarrel. That is the reason he has risked his life. For this you think the Indian a fool.

"You and the Long Knives raised a quarrel among yourselves and you ought to fight it out. You should not compel your children, the Indians, to fight for you. Many lives have already been lost. The tribes have suffered and have been weakened. It is not known how many more will perish before your war shall end.

"Father, I have said that you may think me a fool for rus.h.i.+ng thoughtlessly on your enemy, as the hunter sets his dogs upon the bear.

The Indian expects to see the father shake hands with his enemy, the Long Knives. Do not think that I am ignorant that soon you may make peace with them. What then is to become of the Indian? You say you love him. It is for your interest to say so, that you may have him to serve you."

"The Hair Buyer" at this council paid the bounties and collected his scalps. These were forwarded (eight packages) to the Governor of Canada with the following communication:

"May it Please Your Excellency:

"At the request of the (illegible), I hereby send your Excellency, under the care of James Hoyd, eight packages of scalps, cured, dried, hooped and painted with all the triumphal marks of which the following is the invoice and explanation:

"No. 1. Containing forty-three scalps of Congress soldiers, killed in different skirmishes. These are stretched on black hoops four inches in diameter. The inside of the skin is painted red, with a small black spot, to note their being killed with bullets; the hoops painted red, the skin painted brown and marked with a hoe; a black circle all around to denote their being surprised in the night; and a black hatchet in the middle, signifying their being killed with that weapon.

"No. 2. Containing ninety-eight of farmers killed in their houses; hoops red, figure of a hoe, to mark their profession; great white circle and sun to show they were surprised in the day time; a little red foot to show they stood upon their defense, and died fighting for their lives and families.

"No. 3. Containing ninety-seven of farmers; hoop green to show they were killed in the fields; a large white circle with a little round mark on it for a sun to show that it was in the day time; black bullets marked on some, a hatchet mark on others.

"No. 4. Containing one hundred and two-eighteen marked with a little yellow flame, to denote their being of prisoners burnt alive after being scalped; their nails pulled out at the roots and other tortures. One of these latter being supposed to be an American clergyman; his hand being fixed to the hoop of his scalp. Most appear to have been young or middle aged men; there being but sixty-seven very gray heads among them all, which makes the service more essential.

"No. 5. Containing eighty-eight scalps of women; hair long, braided in Indian fas.h.i.+on to show they were mothers; hoops blue, skin yellow ground with little red tadpoles to represent by way of triumph the tears of grief occasioned to their relatives; black scalping knife or hatchet at the bottom, to mark their being killed by those instruments. Seventeen others hair very gray, black hoops, plain brown color; no marks but the short club or ca.s.setete, to show they were knocked down or had their brains beat out.

"No. 6. Containing one hundred and ninety-three boys' scalps of various ages. Small green hoops, whitish ground on the skin, with red tears on the middle and black marks, knife, hatchet or club as their death happened.

"No. 7. Containing two hundred and eleven girls' scalps, big and little, small yellow hoops, white ground, tears, hatchet, scalping knife.

"No. 8. This package is a mixture of all the varieties above mentioned, to the number of one hundred and twenty-two; with a box of birch bark containing twenty-nine little infants' scalps.

"With these packages the chiefs send to your Excellency the following speech delivered by Conicogatachie in council:

"'Father-We send you herewith many scalps that you may see we are not idle friends. We wish to send these scalps to the great King, that he may regard them and be refreshed; and that he may see our faithfulness in destroying his enemies and be convinced that his presents have not been made to an ungrateful people-etc-.'"

(This communication was published by Benjamin Franklin in the American Remembrance; was reprinted in many European publications; and the revolting practice universally condemned in Europe and America).

CHAPTER X.-The End and After the War.

The General a.s.sembly of the new Commonwealth, made up of the delegates of the Fifth Virginia Colonial Convention, met at Williamsburg, October 7, 1776.

To Donald McDonald and his friends, the most important pending legislation involved the old religious contentions, this time waged by Dissenters, who, finding themselves in the majority, demanded the enactment of laws effectively severing church and state; and repealing all existing revenue measures for the support of the Established Church.

Their fight was led by Jefferson, a member of the Established Church, who was much more an advocate of severance of church and state than a churchman. The opposition was led by Edmund Pendleton and John Page.

Donald McDonald, Lewis Craig and Charles Marshall were present as Dissenter lobbyists; while several rich planters and a couple of bishops argued and pleaded with the members and before committees that the proposed measures were not only attacks upon the church but an a.s.sailment of the Protestant faith.

As liberalism and equality were at the time in the saddle, the advocates of severance were successful. Laws were pa.s.sed removing all civil disabilities because of religious belief; placing all sects upon the same footing and taxing only Conformists for the support of Conformist churches.

Emboldened by their successes, the advocates of equal rights introduced bills abolis.h.i.+ng entails and the existing statute of descent. Under the English law of primogeniture, bolstered by local statutes since the organization of the colony, the family plantation had descended to the eldest son, the law prohibiting its sale or enc.u.mbrance. All such laws were attacked and repealed, upon the ground that they established and maintained an aristocracy.

As this legislative action placed all freeholders upon the same footing, civil and religious, Donald McDonald's long continued labors in Williamsburg were at an end and he and his fellow laborers returned home.

There, he was made to feel that he was an old man. All able-bodied men of the community were away; either in the new State militia or the Continental Line service. He, however, was still able to preach, and most effectively, to the women, the children and his more or less afflicted comrades among the men.

Nothing was talked of but the war. Patriotism fired every heart. All at home were making the supreme sacrifice; eating insufficient bread; going with the minimum clothing; doing with the least bedding, and in other ways denying themselves in order that those in the field might have their share of the scanty store. Though each soldier had left home properly equipped, as months went by this outfit became rags and the army had no fresh supplies to issue. It rent the hearts of those at home to hear that their soldiers were forced to march barefooted in the snow and live for weeks on the scantiest allowance.