The Defeat, Beheading and Cannibalism of Captain Wells
After William Wells and his men were killed near Fort Dearborn, he was decapitated and his heart eaten by the Miami Indians
Accordingly, Maj. Siickney, with as much despatch as possible, sent Capt.
Wells, was a sub-agent, a brother-in-law of Little Turtle and thoroughly versed in Indian strategy from a lifelong intercourse with them, with a small force to athe beleaguered garrison. In the mean time, however, on the 9th of August,
Capt. Heald received orders from Gen. Hull to evacuate the post at Chicago
and move to Detroit. Three days later, Capt. Wells, with thirty picked
and trusty warriors, fully equipped, arrived at Fort Dearborn (Chicago), when
he was informed by Capt. Heald of the condition of affairs, and that,
after receiving the order of Gen. Hull, he had a conference with the
Indians of the neighborhood and agreed upon terms of evacuation. These
terms, among other things, embraced an agreement " to deliver up to the Indians
the fort with all its contents, except some ammunition and provisions necessary
for their march," in consideration for which he was to be permitted to pass unmolested. Capt. Wells thought such an arrangement ill advised, for the reason that the ammunition and whisky especially were dangerous elements to place at thedisposal of a horde of treacherous savages, who, when under the influence of the whisky, which they were sure to become, would not for a moment regard the
Terms of the agreement entered into. The truth of this opinion soon became manifest, when the Indians, being made acquainted with the fact of the presence of fire-water among the articles obtainable by a ready disregard of their agreement, determined at once to attack the garrison. Capt. Wells, being cognizant of their movements, took in the situation at a glance. He was not mistaken, for information had even then been communicated toMr. Kinzie of the proceedings and the intentions of the Pottawatomies engaged as an escort for them.
Soon after leaving Fort Dearborn, the men under Captain Wells would be attacked and massacred by 500 Indians.
The troops under the command of Capt. Heald consisted of fifty-four regulars and twelve militia. These, on the morning of the 15th of August, marched
out from the fort to the tune of the "Dead March," as if 'some invisible force
had impelled them to chant their own funeral dirge. Capt, Wells, too, as if
conscious of his impending fate, marched in front at the head of his little band
of faithful warriors with his face blackened.
After passing outside the walls of the fort, the garrison, with Capt. Wells'
band and the escort of Pottawatoniies, took up the line of march along- the margin of the lake, in the direction of Fort Wayne. When the sand hills separating the prairie and lake had been reached, the escort, consisting of five hundred Pottawatomies, instead of pursuing the regular route, kept along the plain to the right of the sand ridge, and had thus marched something more than a mile and a half, when Capt. Wells, having in the meantime watched these movementsclosely, and satisfied himself fully as to their purpose, and that an attack was contemplated, he communicated the result of his observations to the men, and direneed of a charge upon the assailants. At this period a volley was fired from behind the sand hills. The troops were then hastily formed into line, and chargedrapidly up the bank. " A veteran of some seventy years was the first to fall. Capt, Wells soon fell, pierced with many balls, and, in the words of one of the party, (Mrs. Kinzie), ' Pee-so-tum * * * held dangling in his hand a scalp!
which, by the black ribbon around the head, I recognized as that of Capt. Wells.'
Their leader now being killed, the Miamis fled ; one of their chiefs, however,
before leaving the scene of disaster, riding up to the Pottawatomies, and exclaim-ing to them in pretty strong terms: ' You have deceived the Americans and us.
You have done a bad action, and (brandishing his tomahawk"), I will be the first
to head a party of Americans to return and punish your treachery ; ' and then
galloped away over the prairie in pursuit of his companions, who were rapidly
making their way back toward Fort Wayne."
After a desperate conflict the troops were compelled to surrender, only to be
subjected to the barbarous inflictions of the tomahawk and scalping knife at the
hands of the treacherous savages. The result of this massacre was twenty six
regulars killed with all the militia, two women and twelve children. Twenty seven only were taken prisoners. One of the incidents related by Maj. Stickney, is
characteristic of Indian warfare : " As the character of Capt, Wells was unequaled for bravery, after his death, his head was severed from his body, and the Indians took out his heart, cooked it, and divided it among themselves in very small pieces.
They religiously believed that each one who ate of it would thereby become as
brave as he from whom it was taken." 