1200 Bodies Excavated at a Historic Massacre Site

Within the confines of a few city blocks in a small Ohio town, was strewn the bodies of 1200 men women, and children in the largest massacre in U.S. history. This was the battle between Gen, St. Clair and  the Miami Indians.  More info in future posts

                                                         57 gruesome stories of capture and torture

In 1891, the battle sites were excavated, and the remains of some 1200 people were buried in a memorial park downtown.

Torture and Cannibalism Amongst the Algonquins and Miami Indians

Cannibalism existed amongst the Algonquins and the Miami, and many other tribes, and the Jesuits, who were often witnesses of the feasts in which human flesh was the only food supplied, have handed down to us an account of them.' One shudders with horror at the tortures invented by the ingenuity of man. Among some Indian tribes these tortures began several days before the final sacrifice. Lighted firebrands were applied to every part of the body the nails of the fingers and toes were wrenched off ; the flesh was torn, and burning splinters plunged into the gaping wounds ; the victim was scalped and burning coals applied to the spot. Women' and children were not the least eager amongst the torturers, and when the sufferer at last expired, his' breast was opened, and if he had died bravely the heart was taken out, cut in pieces, and distributed to the young warriors of the tribe. They also drank the still smoking blood, hoping to inoculate themselves with the courage of which they had just had proof. The trunk, limbs, and head were roasted or boiled ; all gorged themselves with the horrible food, and the day ended with dances and song which gayly finished off the feast.

57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture

The Last French Fort in Present Day Ft. Wayne, Indiana

FRENCH RELICS DUG UP ON THE SITE OF FORT WAYNE.
These three relics of the seventeenth century days of the occupation of the site of Fort Wayne by the French — B medallion bearing the date 1693, a copper kettle and a copper box are of incalculable historical value. The medal lion and the kettle are the property of Kenton P. Baker, 1008 Delaware Avenue. In 1870, while he was superintending some work of excavation at the junction of the present Delaware avenue and St. Joe boulevard, Henry J. Baker, Sr. (grandfather of Kenton P. Baker), uncovered the kettle shown here. It was found to contain some Indian arrowheads and the large brass medallion of which the picture shows the two sides. The indentations of the kettle were made by the ads in the hands of the workman who unearthed the relic. The place of finding the reminders of the French occupation, is the site of the last French fort, erected In 1750. It would seem that the medallion and the kettle have reposed within the limits of the present city of Fort Wayne for a period of nearly two centuries. The medallion was for a time the property of Mrs. C. E. Stapleford, now a resident of Colorado Springs, Col. Mrs. Stapleford ascertained, through correspondence with the mayor of Bordeaux. France, that Gull (William) de Nesmond, whose portrait appears on the medallion which was issued in commemoration of his death In 1963, was a member of a noble family in France. It is interesting to note that an exact duplicate of this medallion, found in the same locality. Is the property of Byron F. Thompson, residing north of Fort Wayne. The small copper box, with a hinged, embossed cover, undoubtedly a relic of the French occupation, is owned by L. W. Hills. It was unearthed by boys while at play in the vicinity of the site of the French fort.

THE LAST FRENCH FORT IN PRESENT DAY FORT WAYNE, INDIANA
Whatever Captain Rai mond may have thought of the refusal of the visitors to interest themselves in the location of his new fort, it is certain that he lost little time in beginning its erection. By the spring of 1750, this new home of his men, high above the surrounding territory, was ready for occupancy. While the former location was on low ground, the new fort occupied a commanding position on the east bank of the St. Joseph river (at the present St. Joe boulevard and Delaware Avenue, formerly Baker Avenue), where today the automobilist, as he hurries past the historic spot looks out upon a landscape to the westward very similar to that which gladdened the vision of these hardy Frenchmen, now made unromantic, of course, by the evidences of civilization. The coming years were destined to weave about this fort of Captain Raimond many thrilling tales of romance, horror and bloodshed. Here were to be enacted the scenes of the love story of the Englishman, Holmes, and its tragic climax of massacre; the tale of Morris who faced death at the stake ; of Croghan and the remnants of the French and British during the days when the young republic was training a Wayne and a Harrison in the school of warfare.
    With the abandonment of the old fort on the St. Mary's, the discarded buildings of the past became the center of an Indian settlement known as a Cold Foot's village, over which Chief Cold Foot presided until his death, which came at a time when his friendship was most keenly needed by the French commandant.
    "My people are leaving me for Detroit. Nobody wants to stay here and have his throat cut. All of the tribes who go to the English at Pickawillany come back loaded with gifts. I am too weak to meet the danger. Instead of twenty men, I need five hundred q • q We have made peace with the English; yet they try continually to make war on us by means of the Indians. They intend to be masters of all this upper country. The tribes here are leagued together to kill all the French, that they may have nobody on their lands but their English brothers. This I am told by Cold Foot, a great Miami chief, whom I think an honest man, if there be such thing among the Indians. * * • If the English stay in this country, we are lost. We must attack them and drive them out."1 To add to the distress of mind of the commandant of Post Miami, an epidemic of smallpox spread over the Maumee- Wabash region during the winter of 1751-2 and carried away as its victims, two of his true Indian friends, Chief Cold Foot and Chief LeGris, as well as many of the Miamis who formed the Cold Foot village.

57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture

Miami Indian Hunting Superstitions: Reverence for the Snake and Wolf

The Miami Indians were superstitiously opposed to killing snakes or wolves, and they had a custom of making peace with snakes at certain seasons, by offerings of tobacco, etc. The cliff of rocks on the north side of the canal near the west line of the county, was for many years known as Tobacco Rock, and tobacco has been seen there by early settlers. It was one of the greatest snake dens in the county until the canal was made, which destroyed their hiding places.
   One of the early settlers who lived in the west part of Allen County, Mr. Morrissoe. borrowed a gun from an Indian neighbor known as " Old Zeke, " to go hunting. When he returned the gun Zeke asked him what he killed. Mr. Morrissoe, well know ing the superstition of the Indians in regard to wolves, but not thinking of it at the time, told him he had killed a wolf, at which the old Indian expressed great sorrow, and said that his gun would never shoot straight any more, that it was spoiled; he took it all apart, washed and thoroughly cleaned every par ticle of it and went through some incantation to remove the spell from it. Mr. Morrissoe, who had lived among the Indians many years, said that it was not an uncomm on thing, when In dians killed more game than they could carry home, to leave a f art of it, in a certain place where they could get it the next day. if anyone in the evening would suggest that the wolves might eat it, the reply would always be," they are eating it," after which they would not go after it, but let it remain there. Another one of their peculiar customs was, cleaning and hang ing up in their cabins, the skulls of a certain number of the an imals caught in traps, as they seemed to think it would bring them good luck. 

57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture

The Act of Revenge by the Miami Indians

     Again, speaking of the Miamis, it is said they possessed a quiet, persevering, but determined nature. To illustrate: "If the death of a brother was to be avenged, they proceeded quietly about the work. Patience, at such a time, was called actively into play; and, if needs be, months might roll away before a blow was struck. While this is generally true of most Indian tribes, it was especially true of the Miamis. A case in point is remembered by many of the earlier residents of Cass County. Many years before. from some cause, whether imaginary or real, an offense was committed by one Thorntown Miami against another, which was kept in remembrance until the favored opportunity presented itself. On the occasion referred to, the event having transpired on the evening of February 24, 1835) —No-ka-me-na, better known as Capt. Flower, a principal chief of the Miamis, was stealthily murdered by a drunken Indian called “ Lame Man," on the south side of the Wabash, opposite Logansport. It seems that Lame Man had long and silently nursed his wrath, and only waited the arrival of the opportune moment. During the day and early evening preceding, he had been lying around one of the trading houses, considerably intoxicated, watching his victim. Later in the evening, he disappeared, and was not again heard or noticed until, on the following morning, it was announced that Capt. Flower had been killed the night previous to compensate for an old grudge. An editorial notice in the Telrgraph of February 28, 1835, thus referred to him: “ Capt, Flower was one of the finest looking Indians be longing to the Miami nation, and his death is regretted by a large number of friends and acquaintances." This was but one notable instance of the many that took place in this locality, exemplifying a peculiarity of the Miami nation as strikingly characteristic. perhaps, as any belonging to other nations.

                                                          57 gruesome tales of capture and torture

Native American's Napoleon: Little Turtle of the Miami Indians

Native American's Napoleon: Little Turtle of the Miami Indians

    The early history of the Miami Indians is veiled in tradition and obscurity and little is known concerning its chiefs or head men prior to July 3, 1748.  On that date a treaty of peace and friendship was concluded at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, between commissioners appointed by the English colonial authorities and the chiefs of the several tribes in the interior.  In that treaty the name of A-gue-nack-gue appears as "principal chief of the Miamis," and it is said that he then lived at Turtle Village, a few miles northeast of the present city of Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Two other chiefs from Wabash country also signed the treaty, which lasted until after the Government of the United States was established.

    This chief Augenackgue married a Mohican woman, according to the Indian custom, and one of their sons wa Me-she-ke-no-quah, or Little Turtle, who became the chief leader of the Miami Nation upon the death of his father.  Little Turtle was born at Turtle Village about 1747 and at the time he succeeded to the chieftainship, his tribe was regarded as the leading one in all the great West.

    Little Turtle was not lacking in any of the essential qualifications of a great chief.  He has been described as "short in stature, well built, with symmetrical form, prominent forehead, heavy eyebrows, keen, black eyes and a large chin."  From his mother he inherited many of the finer qualities of the Mohicans.  Agile and athletic, his physical ability was not to be questioned for a moment.  As a youth his influence was made manifest on more than one occasion, even the older warriors listening with respect when he resented his views in council.  After he became chief, not only of his own tribe, but also other tribes of the Miami confederacy, he was acknowledged by all as their great leader and they followed him without the slightest jealousy or envy.  Wise in council, he was equally brave in battle.  No military academy taught him in the art of war, yet in the management of an army he showed the skill and strategy of a Napoleon.  His prowess as a commander is seen in the masterly manner in which he handled his warriors in the defeat of General St. Clari, November 4, 1791.  Not until he met Gen. Anthony Wayne, whom he designated as "the man who never sleeps" did the chief Little Turtle acknowledge defeat.

    As a statesman, Little Turtle was a conspicuous figure in the negotiations of the several treaties with the United States.  Having once affixed his signature to a treaty, his honor would not permit him to violate any of its provisions, and in this way he won the confidence and esteem of all the whites, though he incurred the displeasure of many of his tribe, who referred to him as "an Indian with a white man's heart."  Gen. George Washington, while President of the United States, resented him with a medal and a handsome sword as tokens of regard.  His last years were spent at Little Turtle Village.  A few months before his death, afflicted with gout, he went to Fort Wayne to consult a surgeon and died at his abode in the "Old Orchard," not far from the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Mary's rivers on July 14, 1812.


    Brice in his "History of Fort Wayne" says of Little Turtle

    "His body was borne to the grave with the highest honors by his great enemy, the white man.  The muffled drum, the solemn march, the funeral salute, announced that a great soldier had fallen, and that even his enemies paid tribute to his memory."

    Deposited in the grave with him were the sword and medal presented to him by Washington, together with the Indian ornaments and implements of war, according to the custom of his tribe.  A monument was afterward erected over his last resting place, and it has been said of him "He never offered nor received a bribe."  
Robert M. Waddell, History of northeast Indiana: LaGrange, Steuben, Noble and DeKalb Counties, Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1920, Noble County,

Unwanted Miami Indians For Dinner in Frontier Indiana

History of Dekalb County, Indiana 1885

   “ At that time there was a large Indian village where -Denmark now is, and some traders came among there with whisky and made them .drunk, so they came to rob us. We had worked hard all day until nearly sundown, when we went to the house to eat supper. The Indians came yelling and soon filled the house. They then drew their knives, bows and arrows and tomahawks, stuck their hands into our supper pot, and our supper was gone in a trice. Samuel Houlton drew a large poker and was about to strike, when Avery exclaimed, ‘Don’t strike, Sam, or they will kill us all!’ Hughes also told him not to strike, but let them take what they wanted, and he would go to the Indian Agent at Fort Wayne and make them pay for it. They then acted as true lords of the soil. 
   “They poured out the whisky into their camp kettles, knocked in the head of a flour barrel and also of a pork barrel, and in fif teen minutes flour, pork and whisky were gone. They crossed the creek about twelve rods off and camped for the night. While they were making their fires and drinking the whisky, we rolled out our last barrel of flour and hid it in a' brush heap. We had also about thirty pounds of pork up in the chamber that they did not get, and that was all that saved us from starvation. The 200 Indians fought and screamed all night. A better sample of the infernal regions never could be gotten up in this world.
       “ As soon as we had secured our barrel of flour, we next re solved that when they had generally got drunk we would alight on them with a vengeance and kill the last one of them. So we loaded our four guns with slugs and then got two tomahawks and two hand axes, and waited until they would become more drunk. In this, however, we were disappointed. They did not seem to get more intoxicated. After drinking twenty gallons of whisky, eating 230 pounds of pork, and using up 250 pounds of flour. With several bushels of potatoes, they started off about eight in the morning well satisfied with what they had done.
   “ We made application to the Indian Agent, at Ft.Wayne, but never got any compensation for the articles taken. Every time I think of the Indian tragedy I feel thankful that we were prevented from imbruing our hands in their life blood. It was the traders, with their whisky, that made all this trouble.

                                        57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and Torture

1761-1765. The Murder of Ensign Holmes at P

1761-1765. The Murder of Ensign Holmes at Post Miami (Fort Wayne, Indiana)

     A romantic traditional story relates that in May a beautiful Ojibway maiden,' in love with the Detroit commandant, Major Gladwyn, revealed to him the widespread plot of Pontiac to seize the entire west, and that the capture of Detroit post was planned for the following day. Thus warned, Gladwyn was enabled to hold the fort through a siege of several months, during which time Fort Sandusky, Fort St. Joseph, Fort Michilimackinac, Fort Ouiatanon and Post Miami passed into the hands of the savages. At the little fort on the St. Joseph river on the site of Fort Wayne, the garrison learned with fear of the further activities of the Indians. Nevertheless, Ensign Holmes, the commandant, was destined to be the first to lose his life. "And here," observes Parkman, "I cannot but remark on the forlorn situation of these officers, isolated in the wilderness, hundreds of miles, in some instances, from any congenial associates, separated from every human being except the rude soldiers under their command and the white or red savages who ranged the surrounding woods.
    The commandant, came to tell him that a squaw lay dangerously ill in a wigwam near the fort, and urged him to come to her relief. Having confidence in the girl, Holmes forgot his caution and followed her out of the fort. Pitched on the edge of a meadow [in the present Lakeside], hidden from view by an intervening spur of woodland, stood a great number of Indian wigwams. When Holmes came in sight of them his treacherous conductress pointed out that in which the sick woman lay. He walked on without suspicion, but, as he drew near, two guns flashed from behind the hut and stretched him lifeless on the grass. The shots were heard at the fort and the sergeant rashly went out to learn the cause. He was immediately taken prisoner, amid exulting yells and whoopings. The soldiers in the fort climbed upon the palisades to look out, when Godefroy, a Canadian, and two other white men, made their appearance and summoned them to surrender, promising that if they did so their lives would be spared.
   Such is the story as Parkman tells it, and we are given further "details" by Captain Robert Morris, who came to the village in the next year and who received the account from "the sole survivor" of the garrison. According to the tale of this man, whom Morris found chopping wood by the river bank, as the major's boat came floating by, the savages "killed all but five or six whom they reserved as victims to be sacrificed when they would lose a man in their wars with the English. They had all been killed except this one man," continues Morris, "whom an old squaw had adopted as her son." Possibly this "sole survivor" thought he was telling the truth, but it develops that he was not the only one whose life was spared. Others who lived to relate the story, and who told it under oath, were James Barnes, William Bolton, John McCoy and James Beems, who, as they found their way to Detroit during the succeeding weeks, gave their testimony before Gladwyn's court of inquiry. The substance of their combined narratives, together with that of John Welch and Robert Lawrence, traders, showed that the French men in the plot took the lead in the affair, and that the conduct of the savages stands out in commendable contrast with that of their white associates.

                                               57 gruesome tales of Indian capture and torture

Captain William Wells Decapitated and Heart Eaten by Miami Indians After Falling in Battle

History of Allen County, 1886
As the character of Captain 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 it, would thereby become as brave as he from whom it is taken.

                                            57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture

Early Description of the Miami Indians in Present Day Fort Wayne, Indiana

A picture of conditions about the confluence of the St. Mary's and the St. Joseph at this time comes down to us from the letter of a French officer, writing in 1718. ' ' The Miamis are sixty leagues from Lake Erie and number four hundred, all good-formed men and well tattooed," he writes. "They are hard-working, and raise a species of maize unlike that of our Indians at Detroit. It is white, of the same size as the other, the skin much finer, and the meal much whiter. This nation is clad in deerskin, and when a woman goes with another man, her husband cuts off her nose and refuses to see her any more. They have plays and dances; where fore they have more occupation. The women are well clothed, but the men use scarcely any covering, and are tattooed all over the body." The writer adds in description of the region to the south-west, along the Wabash, that "from the summit of this elevation nothing is visible to the eye but prairies full of buffalo. ' ' Another writer of the same year adds strength to the correctness of the latter remarkable statement in the claim that along the Maumee river, at the mouth of the Auglaize, near the present city of Defiance, Ohio, "buffaloes are always to be found; they eat the clay and wallow in it."  Five years earlier, Father Gabriel Marest, a French missionary, wrote of the region to the southward that "the quantity of buffalo and bear found on the Oubache [Wabash] is incredible," and LaSalle in 1682, describing the region of the Ohio, says: "The multitude of buffalo is beyond belief. I have seen twelve hundred of them killed in eight days by a single band of Indians."

                                         57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture

Birthplace of the Famous Miami Chief Little Turtle

    Little Turtle was born in 1752 was located on the north tributary of Eel river, twenty miles northwest of Fort Wayne, Whitley County, Indiana, on lands now owned by William Anderson, in Section 9, Smith Township. This north tributary is known today as the Blue river branch near its junction at the Blue River Lake, to which it furnishes an outlet only a short distance away. The village stood on the west side of the river on a high, sandy point of land, surrounded An Indian trail led from this village northwest to the Elkhart river; another, southeast to the Miami villages, at the head of the Maumee (now Fort Wayne) ; a third, southwest down Eel river and the Wabash, and still another almost due west to Tippecanoe Lake and the Kankakee river. Blue River Lake is only a short distance and in plain view to the southeast. No doubt Little Turtle as a child and youth spent many happy hours about this enchanted spot. On this account the reader will pardon us if we make a slight digression.

     
." Blue River Lake lies two miles northwest of Cherubusco, and is in Sections 9, 10, 15 and 16, Smith Township of Whitley County. Indiana. It is oblong in shape, narrow at the eastern end, is about one and one-quarter miles long by one-half mile in average width. It has an area of about 420 to 500 acres, and a very uniform depth of 40 to 60 feet. The area of shallow water  of medium width, rather broad on the east, south and west sides, and narrower on the north. The shores at most points are rather abrupt, the surrounding country being of a rolling type. Blue river heads in Green township, Noble county, from a chain of small lakes that range across the north side of the township, including Sand. Long. Dock and Bowen Lakes. It finally empties into Blue River Lake for a few rods only on the .west end, and then takes a southwest course by Columbia City, and a few miles below empties into Eel river. This lake thus receives its waters from the upper Blue river and from springs along its sides and bottom. It is well stocked with food fishes.

                                           57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture

    

Burning of the French Fort in Present Day Fort Wayne, Indiana

Burning of the French Fort in Present Day Fort Wayne, Indian

Miami Indians burning the French Fort in present day Fort Wayne, Indiana

BURNING OF THE FRENCH POST MIAMI (SITE OF FORT WAYNE) 1747.

   During the period of the Chief Nicolas conspiracy, in 1747, while the commandant, Ensign Douville, was absent in Detroit, the savages attacked the post situated on the St. Mary,s river in the present city of Fort Wayne and partially destroyed it with fire. The post was rebuilt, and later, in 1750 a new fort was; established on the left bank of the St. Joseph river. 

                                         57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture

Discovering Miami Indian Chief, Little Turtle's Grave in Ft. Wayne, Indiana

  We herewith give the account of the finding of the grave as related by Mr. J. M. Stouder, of whom we will have more to say later. The date of the discovery will hereafter be of interest to the citizens of Fort Wayne and Allen County, and indeed, to all persons interested in the early settlement of the Northwest Territory. The Lockner brothers soon found a number of Indian skeletons in digging out the cellar, which was, no doubt, the last burying ground of the Miamis at Fort Wayne. Noticing that whatever was in the graves was appropriated by the laborers, the contractors called off the crew, and with the assistance of Dr. George Gillie proceeded to finish the cellar and to dig the drain for the same. In this cellar drain the grave of Little Turtle was found. The tinders had no idea of the identity of the body. About the neck of the chief was found the string of silver beads and crosses, and in the few remaining tufts of hair on the back of the skull was the string of white shell beads. The hair was also tied with a buckskin thong, and from the description given by the Lockner brothers, was well preserved. The vermilion plaits were beneath the Chieftain's knees, the silver armlets on his arms, and the anklets and the famous sword, guns and remnants of the pistols were at his side. The various other implements had been placed in different parts of the grave and had probably become disarranged in the digging of the drain. On the breast were the silver disks believed to be medals. They were fastened together by means of a buckskin thong and are shown in the collection just as they were found. About a month later Mr. J. M. Stouder had occasion to visit the house of Albert Lockner and asked to see the Indian relics that he knew he had in his possession as he always was interested in such discoveries. He was immediately struck by the apparent wealth and the importance of the find and began an investigation as to the identity of the remains of the person in the grave. Early in his research work he became convinced that Albert and Charles Lockner and Dr. Gillie had discovered the grave of Little Turtle. He says that he was greatly indebted to Miss Eliza Rudisell, Mr. Howard Hanthorn and Mr. Charles Warden for the assistance they gave him in identifying the grave of the greatest chief of his time. The articles taken from the grave are: Eight silver bracelets; two silver anklets; one heavy metal bracelet; three silver medals : four silver brooches ; one pair of silver earrings ; six pendants ; one string of silver beads ; twenty-three silver crosses each one inch long; one sword, which we are certain is that presented to the Chief by General George Washington ; one string of white silver beads; four metal buttons; one small pocket knife; one large clasp knife of very odd design; one drinking cup; one metal spoon ; one pair of shears; one hammer; one gun barrel, from which rotten portions of the stock fell when it was lifted from the grave ; one pair of bullet molds ; one flint lock; the remains of a pistol; three large knives; one pair of steel spurs ; one ax ; one tomahawk ; and copper kettle con taining, when found, beans and corn, which went to a fine powder when exposed to the air. We are satisfied that the grave of no ordinary Indian would have contained this costly and various displays of riches, and that this is undoubtedly an accidental and genuine find of the remains of Little Turtle. W. D. Schiefer, of the Schiefer Shoe Store, says that while he resided on the old Barnett place in 1875 a man named Hedges, who had been present at the burial of Little Turtle, had pointed out to him the exact location of the grave, as well as he could remember, without any suggestions from anyone. Although he had not been in the locality since Spy Run had been laid out, Mr. Schiefer located the spot within one hundred feet of the place where the grave was uncovered. The standing of Mr. J. M. Stouder, a hardware dealer at 122 East Columbia St., Fort Wayne, IND., who identified the grave and its remains, preserved the relics and marked the spot at his own expense for all time, is high. Too much credit cannot be given this man. In justice to historical facts relating to the find and identity of this long-lost grave, it is said, 

"That Mr. The studio is an almost lifelong citizen of Fort Wayne, that he is regarded by his fellow townsmen as a straightforward, upright, enterprising citizen. He is a member of high standing in the Free Mason Lodge, highly esteemed by all who know him." This discovery is regarded as genuine by the people of Fort Wayne and vicinity, as well as by all scientific and historical experts, who have seen fit to investigate this most remarkable and important discovery, historically considered, of recent times.

57 gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture

Miami Indians Burn the French Fort in Present Day Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Miami Indians Burn the French Fort in Present Day Ft. Wayne, Indiana

The earlier movements of Nicolas, under the direction of the English, were openly displayed in the massacre of five Frenchmen who were returning to Detroit from their trading posts on the White river, in the present Indiana. As soon as the emissaries of Nicolas reached the site of Fort Wayne, they deceived the Miamis into the belief that the post at Detroit, with its garrison, had fallen into the hands of the conspirators and that there remained no reason why the lives of the men at Post Miami (Fort Wayne) should be spared. The Miamis believed the report but were reluctant to massacre the Frenchmen at their post. They did, however, surround the fort, set it on fire, and take captive the eight men who happened to be within the stockade at the time.2 Two of the men escaped and made their way to Detroit where the news of the affair caused alarm and put under way a general preparation to check the spreading disaffection of the savages. The stockade and buildings on the site of Fort Wayne were but partially destroyed. At the time of the attack, Ensign Douville was absent from the past over which he held temporary command. He had been sent from Detroit to the Miamis for the special purpose of inviting them to attend a conference in Montreal," and two of their chiefs, Cold Foot and Pore Epic (Hedgehog) had accompanied him as far as Detroit, at which place the news of the outbreak overtook him. He proceeded to Montreal alone, while the two friendly chiefs returned to their people. Sieur Dubuisson, leaving his post at Detroit, then hastened to the post on the site of Fort Wayne in response to penitent protestations from the Miamis that they had been deceived into a participation in the outbreak, and pleading for mercy because they had spared the lives of the men. The petition of the savages had been addressed directly to Longueuil, urging him to "send back some Frenchmen to them, and not to deprive them of their indispensable supplies, promising him that order would be restored in a short time. That officer yielded to their solicitation, with a view to deprive the enemy [the British] of the liberty of seizing a post of considerable importance."* Dubuisson was instructed, however, to form but a small establishment for the winter. He was supplied with thirty Frenchmen to garrison the post, as well as a like number to pass onward to the post at Oouiatanon, on the Wabash. The latter was instructed to rejoin Dubuisson in the spring and return with him and his force to Detroit. It appears that the few Miamis who remained in the region kept their promise of loyalty, but an overt act of characteristic savage cruelty occurred at Post Miami soon after the arrival of Dubuisson and his men. One of the latter, captured by a lurking Iroquois, was scalped and the bloody trophy was carried in triumph to the camp of Nicolas.

Miami Indian Battle in Noble County, Indiana 

Late in the summer of 1895 Mr. W. A. Kuhn, of Albion, told me of the existence 
of mounds and of the discovery of a large number of bones, skulls, etc., in a 

 peninsula formed by a sharp northeast bend of the Elkhart river, in section 16,  York township. The excavation

took place in 1842, Mr. Kuhn, then a youth of eighteen years, being a participant in

 the work.  An Indian trail, deeply worn and running from Lake Wawassee northeastward toward Mongo-

 quinong, crossed the river at the bend, where there was a fording place. A little  

southwest of  the point where the trail on the Eversole farm crossed the river certain 

peculiarities of  formation in some of the mounds suggested artificial work and led to 

excavation.   The result, as above stated, was the uncovering of many human skulls and other  parts of  human frames. 

    On exposure to the air most of the hones crumbled to  dust, but some retained 

their forms long enough to show a physician and anatomist of the party, Dr. W. H.  

Ninmon, that they belonge to a race different from the European, and probably to 

aborigines or Indians. Everything about the place indi- cated that it was not an ordinary 

burial ground: Together   with the great number of stone implements of war — arrow and 

spearheads,    fragments of  hatchets, and war- clubs — found at different times in the 

vicinity, the trail and ford commanded on either side of the riser by morainic bluffs, 

all told of a savage battle of a past century, long  anterior to the advent of civilized men. 

    Here, at this strategic point, the warriors of the Denizen tribe, probably the  

Miami, met the southward advance of invading foes, who crossed in the face of strong 

resistance and a bloody battle raged on the southern bank, the Miamis lighting desperately

for their ancient homes and hunting grounds; the fierce northern hordes for possession of a

richer country in a  milder climate than their own, the sterile and stormy north and northwest. Such incursions 

are historic. About two hundred and fifty years ago an avalanche of Chippewas,

 Winnebagos,  Sacs and Foxes and Pottawatomies descended upon northern Illinois and Indiana, the beautiful country of the Minnewas, or Miamis, whose ancestral possessions stretched 

from   the Scioto to the Mississippi, and from the St. Joseph valley in southern Michigan to 

the Ohio  river, in- habited by peaceful tribes of the common Minnewa stock, of whom the

 Miamis   were the parent and ruling family, with the capital    home at Ke'-ki-on-ga 

Fort Wayne). 

                     Gruesome stories of Indian capture and torture