Subject: HISTORY: Isaac Knight, part 3, Kentucky 1793 ------------------------------------------ Contributed for use in USGENWEB Archives by: Bob & Kate Cook Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 13:47:45 -0500 ------------------------------------------- From this place Isaac, together with many Indians, started up the river, to an Indian town situated upon a small island, in a lake through which the Illinois river passes, now called Illinois lake; this place gained in five days, noting very important transpiring on the route. It was Isaac’s fate, however, according to the direction of the squaw to whose care he was committed, to jump in the river every morning. When they arrived at this island, the Indians began soon to make preparations for a crop, and Isaac was sent in company with two squaws, (who took along with them skins to smoke) to pick up and burn corn stalks; these squaws set Isaac to work in the stalks, and showed him what to do and how to do it; but he pretended not to understand them; and after gathering a armful of stalks, took them and laid them down by one of the squaws, as if we supposed they intended, with them, to smoke the skins. This excited their laughter, but it was not sufficient to relieve him; for they set him at it again and made him do it. Here for the first time, Isaac discovered that his eye sight was injured by means of the small pox; for, when they started across the lake to the corn field, he could not see across it, but was surprised to gain the shore in so short a time. Returning that evening to the town on the island, Isaac was permitted to rest some days, by means of which his health gradually improved, and as he gained strength his eye sight was restored, until he could see mountains, trees, huts, horses, men and even dogs, at a distance. On this island a few Indians, supposing to have some sport with Isaac, caught two horses, and putting Isaac on one somewhat wild, had an Indian ride the other with a long pole or switch in his hand, to whip Isaac’ s horse, and perhaps to whip him, if he did not ride well; but he happened not to be brought up in the woods for nothing - suspecting what they were after, he stepped to the horse, he secured a little switch , and they gave him the signal to start he laid whip, and the Indian after him; but Isaac and his pony were smart enough to keep so far ahead of him that he never reached either of them; and the laugh all turned on the Indian, who came so far short of effecting his purpose. Soon after this time the small pox made its appearance among the Indians on the island, and the kind old squaw who had given so much attention to Isaac, and thereby endeared herself to him, was on the first subjects and victims of that destructive disease. He had for a long time feared that if this disease broke out among them, they would kill him, as he had been the means of bringing it among them; and although he sometimes hoped that some of the most cruel and barbarous of them would die with it; yet he more frequently desired they might all escape it, as he feared the consequences. Their manner of treating the disease proved fatal in many instances. They invariably at first, in that, as in other cases of complaint, took a severe sweat and then jumped into the river; and so terminated the existence of many. The death of this humane and motherly squaw gave the Author of this Narrative most unpleasant feelings, and was the cause of much distressing exercise of mind. He had found her a true and tender friend, and one who was willing to do for him all she could; but when he saw her taken from him, he found himself far from home, -- without a friend,-- among strangers, -- in the midst of foes, and surrounded with sickness, producing death in every direction. His spirits sunk, and all hope was well nigh gone. No cheering thought checked his distress - no gleam of hope could light up his countenance, or buoy up his disconsolate spirit, -- Clouds, gloom, and the prospect of death, in its most horrid form, for a considerable time encompassed the woe-worn mind of the lonesome little prisoner. No handsome grove, green upon this island, inviting the sufferer to contemplative retirement, nor even wood to warm the cold or cook for the hungry. All the wood used on this island was brought across the lake in canoes, and here had been pointed out to Isaac the spot where two prisoners had been buried. It was part of his employment, with others to do it alone. Here, in the far distant wood, his cheeks were frequently bathed in tears, while he gathered wood, which, for ought he knew, was to condume his own frail body, as a punishment for that for which he could feel no guilt. The death and burial of the squaw, whom Isaac recognized almost as a mother, were extremely solemn and impressive. Appearing sensible of her approaching dissolution, she gave Isaac to her daughter, who lived with her. She was buried after their manner, with great solemnity; and many of the Indians painted themselves black and mourned her for ten days, fasting every day until evening; but all this was not expressive of Isaac’s grief for the death of her who had nursed him with so much tenderness, and friendless now left alone, he found no one to whom he could unbosom his sorrows. Tears flowed in torrents, but were insufficient to quell his grief. Though he afterwards witnessed the death of his own dear mother, his feelings were nothing to compare with those which harrowed up his mind at the death of her who had given birth to the men who dragged him from the banks of the proud running stream where he had left his home. A number of Indians died of the disease on the island before they left it. Necessity seemed to compel them to leave the island, and, supposing that a change of situation would improve their health, they started, moving a short distance at a time, and spending but little time at any one place. They had moved, however, but seldom, until the squaw in whose care Isaac had been left, followed her mother, by means of the same disease. Indeed, they lost some at every place where they stopped. This squaw left a young child, some twelve months old, which it fell to Isaac’s lot to nurse, and besides the attention which he was compelled to give that infant, it devolved on him to nurse the sick, help bury the dead, and frequently do all alone. Worn down by fatigue, by means of his arduous labor, he devised means to be relieved of the burden of the child. Accordingly, as he carried it on his back, wrapped in Indian style, he drew the blanket tight around it, and so put an end to its cries, removed his burden and terminated its life. Isaac’s time however was taken up in attending ton the sick and burying the dead. One night in company with an Indian who assisted him in this service, after one of their parents died, the Indian laid down to sleep (for they were both much fatigued), and left Isaac to watch with the other until he died. Glad of an opportunity to sleep, Isaac laid out the last mentioned patient, and then laid down to rest between the other dead one and his assistant,-- here he spent the balance of the night pleasantly, until he was called to attend to a squaw that died the next morning. To bury these three Indians was Isaac’s business the next day. After the death of an Indian of some note, in these woods, whom they buried in as much splendor as their circumstances would permit, his squaw and four children, the eldest of whom was large enough to support the family by hunting left the rest of the Indians, and moved down the Illinois river in a canoe. Isaac’s fears being great lest he should yet be killed for bringing the small pox among them, he was halting whether to tell or not that he brought it, when he heard two squaws conversing on the subject, and learned from their conversation, that the Indians were of the opinion that they, in and by means of goods sold them by the French, had taken the disease. This so relieved his mind that he told them nothing about it. Some weeks afterwards the rest of the Indians turned their course down the river also taking Isaac along with them; still some of them were sick and dying all the time. After passing the island in the lake where the disease first appeared amongst them, they descended the river for some distance; but how far and how long time, it is not within the recollection of the Author. As they descended the river in their canoes, they found the three smallest sons of the squaw last mentioned, lying in their little bark, well night exhausted with hunger and struggling to ascend the river, in hopes to meet them and find something on which to sustain themselves. On their meeting, the Author states that all the distress he ever witnessed never equaled what was manifested on that occasion. The shriekes and cries of men, women and children surpassed all he had ever seen or heard. From the eldest of those boys they learned that they, with their mother and brother had bone some distance down the river, and that both the mother and eldest brother had died there, and leaving them alone, they had attempted to wade and tow their canoe up the river in pursuit of help. They then had been, as they said, seven days without any thing to eat; while they had been lying in that place, they had pulled up all the grass they could reach and chewing it, sucked the juice of it, which had kept them alive until that time. This being in the after part of the day, they went a little farther down the river and encamped. A heavy storm was approaching, and all hands were hurried to prepare a shelter for those poor little skeletons, for such they were. The storm, however, came so speedialy that the tent was not entirely fixed before the wind commenced to blow and the rain to pour down upon them. It was Isaac’s fate, poor fellow, to hold it down on one side until the storm would abate, while a heavy chunk held down the other. After descending the river a short distance farther, they encamped for several days; during which time, two squaws went down to the camp where the mother and brother of the boys were found dead; and, burying them, they returned, brining with them some of the property which the boys had not brought. A short time now elapsed until they started again up the river, passed the town on the island before mentioned, and Isaac, having been committed, by some means, to the care of another squaw, traveled up this river in the same canoe with her, and passing the place where her husband had been buried, she steered the canoe to shore, and, taking some venison in a bowl, had Isaac to accompany her to the grave. Here she kindled a small fire over the head of the grave, into which she threw some of the venison. Setting down the bowl she told Isaac to eat of it, which he did, while she walked to some distance, and mourned with loud and sore lamentations for near an hour; then returned to the grave, wiped off the tears, threw some more meat in the fire and on the grave, and bade Isaac to start. Ascending the river still farther then before, they all escamped, and lived with great difficulty, in as much as the crops were very short, the corn having received no attention after it was planted, owing to the sickness that prevailed with so much fatality. Indeed, the support of all depended on the success of the hunters and fishermen, and much time was spent moving from place to place by this means. About this time Isaac began to be threatened, as he learned from the Indian boys, by an old chief, who said he had brought the small pox among them, and while this was in agitation, one of the Indians arrived who had taken Isaac, and who had been separated from his associated, his fellow prisoners. This Indian, Isaac met with much joy, and he claimed him as his property. A few Towa Indians now arrived among this Pottawatomies, selling them goods, trading for furs, &c. These Indians were acting as agents for a merchants at Macanaw, as is frequently the case. To one of these Towa Indians Isaac was sold for what he thought would amount to about $500.00, and was delivered to his new master perfectly naked. He was then told to do so, and mounting the horse behind the man that bought him, rode off across what he now thinks was the Spoon river. Isaac’s situation by this trade was much improved, and his fears in a great measure subsided. When he alighted from the horse his new mother presented him with a new blanket. They then traveled for some days north of the Ohio river, to the hunting ground of the Indians who had now purchased him. Here the "Big Buck" was killed, and a feast prepared, to have Isaac adopted into the family. Some twelve or fifteen elderly Indians were invited in, and the whole buck was dressed and put into a large kettle with his horns sticking up amidst the curling smoke, while the heated blaze cooked the carcass. When it was well done, and the kettle set off, one Indian serving the rest, filled each man’s bowl, as they all sat around. An old Prophet, being informed by Isaac’s adopted mother (at whose side he sat all the time), what was to be his name, "Misawasee," commenced and repeated a lengthy ceremony, somewhat resembling a solemn prayer, in which he frequently mentioned Isaac’s new name, to all of which the Old Indians would now and then make some noise, which seemed to sanction what he said. After this, they ate their fill of the buck, of which the family took no part, and, repeating another ceremony of like character with the other, they all arose, and took with them in their bowls, all of the buck that was not eaten. Now being made heir, Isaac was trimmed, his hair pulled out, as was the custom of that nation, except the scalp, and a whole made through his nose. In his nose they put six silver rings; his hair being long it was divided and plated, one half before and the other half behind; the hinder part ornamented with beeds and the fore part willed with silver broaches. The little prisoner began now to be proud that he had gotten into a better family, where he had a prospect living somewhat more agreeably, if he should never see his home. On this hunting ground they spent the winter, and Isaac was principally employed in getting wood, making fires, cooking, &c. Towards spring they returned by the place where Isaac was purchased, and, crossing the Illinois and Chicago rivers, to the Indian sugar camp, near the latter river, and not far distant from Lake Michigan, where a number of Indians collected, and in the proper season, they made a considerable quantity of sugar. During the time they were making sugar, many of the Indians were frequently drunk, and in their drunken spriees, would often try to kill Isaac. On this account, he would sometimes flee to the woods, remain concealed all day, and return at night, knowing that at night they could not distinguished him from an Indian. At one time a drunken Indian came into the wigwam where Isaac lived, and with his knife drawn, and threatening to kill him. Another Indian happening to meet him at or near the door, detained him until Isaac, raising up from the mats, and drowding between some packs of deer skins, succeeded in getting out, and making his escape until night. The season for making sugar being over, they moved to the mouth of the Chicago river and commenced making arrangements to go to Macanaw with their skins and furs. The reader will of course understand that Indians, when they travel by water, go in canoes. These canoes are generally made the birch bark, and, as many persons may not understand how they are made, the Author has them proper describe them: They are sometimes make them of several pieces, which they sew together with a long pine roots, then tar the seams. Those of ordinary size are made of one piece, and in the following manner: Finding as large a tree as they can, of which to compose it, and, splitting the bark from the tree, and shape the ends as they want them, sew them together with a whip stick, and tar the seams so as to prevent them from leaking. They then rub them from end to end with pine splints, about the width of a man’s hand and place them as close as possible to each other. Then they put in knees, made of the same materials, extending from side to side, and of these compose the round of the canoe inside. They then put whaling on each side of the edges, and, clamping it with the knees and bracing it from one side to the other, they wrap the whaling and braces with pine roots, from end to end, and so make it perfectly safe. Few persons are aware how safely and with what speed these canoes will ride some of the highest waves. In the canoe in which Isaac sailed, with his adopted fathers and family, from the mouth of the Chicago to Mackanaw, they took not less than three thousand pounds of deer and fur skins, besides all the loose property belonging to the family, the dogs not excepted. As the route which they had to go led them far from shore, they encamped every night on it, where, for the security both of the canoe and its loading, they were under the necessity of unloading, drawing it out of the water, and turning it upside down, made it answer the purpose of a wigwam. They continued this route for some days, and arrived at a small island, on which was a number of Indians, where they landed and spent the night. Between that place and Mackinaw, they landed on another small island, inhabited by Indians with whom Isaac was left, until his Indian father and mother returned from Mackinaw. On their return, Isaac was curious to know what they had seen, and the boys were no less anxious to tell him. By them, therefore, he learned that they had seen such vessels as induced him to believe they were ships; this increased his anxiety to go there; hence all his future conduct was directed in a channel which he intended should impress the Indians with a belief that he would rather stay with them than white people. to be continued......... ************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. 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