Skip to main content

Full text of "Biography of Frances Slocum, the lost sister of Wyoming. A complete narrative of her captivity and wanderings among the Indians"

See other formats 


PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

*  FORT  WAYNE  &  ALLEN  C<5.,  (NO. 


M  i_ 


'Gc  977.201 
Meg  i  nness, 

1827-1899. 
Biogrsphy  of 

the  lost 


M58sLo 

John  Franklin, 


Frances  S 1 o  c  u  m 
fter-  of  Nyomi  ng 


sister  o- 


IN^nrANf^  r:o?lTlP"'^-T'Tr>KT 


^.^-j    L^^L^  /\  y-^^r. 


^  z^yL<hy     j^ ,   /LO  jL^g^JL^, 


'  -^^^ 


BIOGRAPHY 


FRANCES  SLOCUM, 


LOST  SISTER  OF  WYOMING 


Eomplete  Narrative  of  her  Kaptivity  and  Wanderings  among  the  Indians. 


•  I  am  become  a  stranger  unto  my  brethren, 
And  an  alien  unto  my  mother's  children," 

— Psalms  Ixix.-S. 


BY   JOHN     R.    MEQI>^riE.S^ 

Author  of  the  "History  of  the  West  Branch  Valley  of  the  Susquehanna, 
"Biographical  Annals,"  "The  Historical  Journal,"  etc. 


WILLIAMSPORT,   PA.: 

HELLER  BROS.'  PRINTING  HOUSE, 

1891. 


?$;C>° 


^X;>.* 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1890,  by 

JOHN  F.  MEGINNESS, 
In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


652135 


TO  THE  READER. 

Fort}^  years  ago,  when  I  first  read  the  account  of  the  capture  of 
Frances  Slocum,  and  the  persistent  efforts  of  her  mother,  brothers 
and  sisters  to  recover  her,  and  her  final  discovery  and  death  in  In- 
diana, it  made  such  an  impression  on  my  mind  that  I  decided,  if 
the  opportunit}^  ever  offered,  to  visit  her  grave.  After  a  lapse  of 
forty  years  the  opportunity  came.  In  October,  1889,  I  was  on  a 
visit  to  friends  at  Logansport,  Indiana,  and  remembering  that  it 
was  near  that  place  she  was  buried,  I  determined  to  carry  out  my 
resolution  of  forty  years  before.  Accordingly,  on  a  crisp  autumn 
afternoon,  I  found  my  way  to  the  Indian  cemeterj^  on  the  Missis- 
sinewa,  and  stood  beside  the  grave  of  the  captive.  It  was  pointed 
out  by  a  grandson,  who  seemed  to  entertain  almost  a  holy  rever- 
ence for  the  spot,  and  spoke  in  the  most  affectionate  terms  of  his 
grandmother,  whom  he  had  never  seen. 

While  standing  beside  her  grave  I  resolved  that  if  I  could  ob- 
tain sufficient  data,  I  would  attempt  the  work  of  compiling  a  con- 
secutive narrative  of  her  life,  and  put  on  record  fuller  details  of  her 
wanderings,  trials  and  sufferings,  than  had  yet  been  given  to  the 
public. 

I  fully  realized  that  many  newspaper  and  magazine  articles  con- 
cerning her  had  appeared  from  time  to  time,  together  with  one  or 
two  little  books,  but  nothing  like  an  exhaustive  biography  had 
ever  been  printed.  This,  when  the  importance  of  the  subject  was 
considered,  had  always  seemed  as  strange  to  me  as  the  mystery  of 
her  life. 

To  collect  the  official  documents  relating  to  her  Indian  history, 
confer  with  her  widely  scattered  relatives,  both  white  and  red,  soon 
proved  a  laborious  task,  and  more  than  a  year  was  devoted  to  the 
work  of  preparation.  In  the  progress  of  research,  it  was  discov- 
ered that  several  grave  errors  regarding  the  story  of  her  life  had 
found  their  way  into  print,  which  quickened  my  interest  in  the 
work.  Through  the  indefatigable  efforts  of  Mr.  F.  C.  Campbell, 
of  Washington,  her  petition  to  Congress  and  the  letters  accompa- 
nying it,  were  finally  found  buried  under  the  Congressional  debris 
of  forty-five  years  and  placed  in  my  possession. 


TO   THE   READER. 

Another  visit  to  Indiana  to  confer  with  her  Indian  descendants, 
learn  their  traditions,  and  examine  rehcs  which  once  belonged  to 
her,  was  found  necessary.  The  visit  was  made  in  June,  i8go,  and 
several  days  were  pleasantly  and  profitably  spent  among  the  rem- 
nants of  the  Great  Miami  tribe  in  the  upper  valley  of  the  Wabash, 
when  I  returned  with  more  valuable  and  interesting  information. 

Members  of  the  Slocum  family,  when  apprised  of  the  undertak- 
ing, at  once  evinced  a  deep  interest  in  the  work,  and  promptly 
placed  whatever  information  they  possessed  relating  to  Frances,  at 
my  disposal.  Her  Indian  descendants,  when  informed  of  what 
was  contemplated,  also  became  enthusiastic  over  the  enterprize, 
and  freely  imparted  what  they  remembered  of  the  "white  woman," 
whose  memory  the}'  seem  to  cherish  with  a  warmth  of  affection 
that  is  remarkable. 

To  the  following  gentlemen  I  desire  to  return  my  acknowledg- 
ments for  valuable  information  and  assistance :  Mr.  George  Slo- 
cum Bennett,  Rev.  Horace  Edwin  Harden,  and  Dr.  F.  C.  Johnson, 
Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.;  Dr.  Charles  E.  Slocum,  Defiance,  Ohio;  Mr. 
James  Slocum,  Brownsville,  Pa. ;  Hon.  Horace  P.  Biddle,  lyOgans- 
port,  Indiana;  J.  B.  Fulwiler,  Esq.,  and  W.  W.  Lockwood,  Esq., 
Peru,  Indiana;  Rev.  Peter  Bondy  and  Mr.  Gabriel  Godfroy,  Re- 
serve, Indiana.  A  bibliograph}-  of  the  authorities  consulted  is  also 
given  at  the  close  of  the  volume. 

There  is  nothing  in  the  annals  of  Indian  history  more  pathetic 
and  impressive  than  the  story  of  the  captivity,  life,  wanderings 
and  death  of  Frances  Slocum;  and  in  her  remarkable  history  there 
is  much  to  interest  the  ethnologist,  because  of  the  peculiar  devel- 
opments which  followed  her  association  with  the  Indians,  the  loss 
of  her  mother  tongue,  and  the  tenacity  with  which  she  clung  to 
the  strange  people  with  whom  her  lot  was  cast. 

In  the  preparation  of  this  book  no  claims  are  made  of  absolute 
accuracy  or  literary  polish.  It  has  proved  a  laborious  task  to  ar- 
range the  narrative,  on  account  of  the  many  contradictory  details, 
in  something  like  consecutive  order;  and  if  I  have  succeeded  in 
placing  new  and  valuable  matter  within  easy  reach  of  those  who 
are  interested  in  the  melancholy  story,  I  will  feel  that  my  "labor 
of  love"  has  not  been  wholly  in  vain. 

JOHN  F.  MEGINNESS. 

WiLLiAMSPORT,  Pa.,  January,  1890. 


MIAMI  INDIAN   BOY. 


'f 


KRANCKS   SLOCUM, 

THE 

LOST  SISTER  OF  WYOMING. 

CHAPTER    I. 

MEANING  OF  THE  WORD  WYOMING  AND  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE 
VALLEY — INDIAN  INVASION  AND  MASSACRE — THE  SLOCUM 
FAMILY — CAPTURE    OF    FRANCES — GRIEF  OF  THE    MOTHER. 

vHE  scene  of  our  story  is  laid  in  the  lovely  valley  of 
Wyoming,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna  P.iver,  and  the 
thrilling  incidents  connected  with  it  had  their  beginning  late 
in  the  autumn  of  1778.  But  before  proceeding,  and  in  order 
that  the  reader  may  have  a  clear  understanding  as  to  the 
location  of  this  beautiful  and  historic  region,  it  is  deemed 
best  to  describe  its  geographical  position. 

Chapman,  in  his  history  of  this  region  in  1818,  says  that 
Wyoming  is  a  corruption  of  the  name  given  to  the  locality 
by  the  Indians.  They  called  it  MaMgh-zvazv-wauie.  The 
word  is  compounded  of  maitgh-zvaiv^  large,  and  waine^  plains. 
The  name,  then,  signifies  The  Large  Plains.  The  Delawares 
pronounced  the  first  syllable  short,  and  the  German  mission- 
aries, in  order  to  come  as  near  as  possible  to  the  Indian 
pronunciation,  wrote  the  name  M'chweuwami.  The  early 
settlers,  finding  it  difficult  to  pronounce  the  word  correctly, 
spoke  it  Wauwaumie,  then  Wiawumie,  then  Wiomic,  and, 
finally,  Wyoming. 

B 


6  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

The  valley  of  Wyoming  lies  northeast  and  southwest;  is 
twenty-one  miles  in  length,  and  an  average  of  three  miles  in 
breadth.  The  face  of  the  country  is  considerably  diversified. 
The  bottom  lands  along  the  river  overflow  in  time  of  high 
water.  The  plains  are  in  some  places  perfectly  level,  and  in 
others  rolling.  The  soil  is  exceedingly  productive,  being 
suited  to  all  kinds  of  grain  and  grass.  The  valley  lies  im- 
mediately over  the  great  Wyoming  anthracite  coal  basin, 
which  yields  thousands  of  tons  of  coal  annually,  and  is  a 
source  of  great  wealth  to  the  owners.  Several  railroads  also 
pass  through  it. 

Two  ranges  of  mountains  hem  in  the  valley,  the  eastern 
range  being  of  an  average  height  of  looo  feet,  and  the  west- 
ern about  800.  The  eastern  range  is  precipitous  and  generally 
barren,  but  is  strikingly  diversified  with  clefts,  ravines  and 
forests,  and  presents  a  most  picturesque  and  lovely  view.  The 
western  range  is  rapidly  yielding  to  the  process  of  cultivation. 

There  are  several  charming  points  of  view  which  invite 
the  attention  of  the  lovers  of  .the  beautiful  and  the  grand  in 
nature:  Prospect  Rock,  east  of  the  city  of  Wilkes-Barre,* 
being  easiest  of  access  from  the  town,  and  the  most  frequently 
visited,  is  the  most  celebrated  in  the  annals  of  travel.  From 
this  point  the  valley,  with  the  slope  of  the  west  mountain, 
presents  the  appearance  of  a  beautiful  ascending  plain,  with 
the  remotest  border  merged  in  the  clouds,  or  bounded  by  the 
blue  sky.  A  more  charming  landscape  cannot  be  imagined. 
The  view  from  the  mountain  on  the  west  side  gives  you  a 
more  extensive  prospect  of  the  northern  and  southern  extrem- 

*  Tlie  city  of  Wilkes-Barre  is  in  41  deg.  14  min.  40.4  sec.  north  latitude, 
and  is  the  capital  of  the  populous  county  of  Luzerne.  It  derives  its  name 
from  the  celebrated  John  Wilkes  and  Col.  Barre,  who  were  members  of  the 
British  Parliament  during  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  and  took  a  decided 
stand  in  favor  of  America  against  the  measures  of  the  British  ministry. 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  7 

ities  of  the  valley.  At  this  point  you  have  a  fair  view  of  the 
northern  gap  through  which  the  Susquehanna  forces  its  way 
— of  the  Lackawanna  Valley,  Pittston,  Wyoming,  Wilkes- 
Barre,  Kingston,  Newport,  and  Jacob's  Plains.  Campbell's 
Ledge,  at  the  head  of  the  valley,  has  long  been  a  favorite 
point  of  view  for  the  romantic  and  athletic.  The  ascent  is 
laborious,  but  the  sublimity  of  the  scene  amply  rewards  the 
toil  of  the  traveler. 

From  whatever  point  the  valley  is  surveyed,  the  noble 
Susquehanna  is  one  of  the  many  beautiful  objects  that  present 
themselves  to  the  eye.  Such  are  its  windings,  and  such  the 
variety  which  characterize  its  banks,  that  you  have  no  ex- 
tended view  of  it.  It  is  only  seen  in  sections,  varied  in  size 
and  form  by  the  position  occupied.  Now  it  hides  itself  among 
the  bowers  of  willow,  sycamore,  and  maple,  which  fringe  and 
beautify  its  borders,  and  now  it  throws  open  its  mirror  bosom 
to  the  kisses  of  the  sunlight,  reflecting  the  forms  of  beauty 
and  grandeur  of  the  surrounding  scenery. 

Such  is  a  picture  of  this  magnificent  valley,  whose  gran- 
deur and  loveliness  have  afforded  a  theme  for  poets  and 
historians  from  the  earliest  times.  So  long  as  the  Indians 
occupied  the  country,  it  was  one  of  their  favorite  dwelling 
places,  and  they  sadly  and  sorrowfully  bade  adieu  to  its  glories 
and  beauties  when  compelled  to  leave  it.  White  settlers  came 
as  early  as  1762,  and  commenced  making  improvements. 
They  were  driven  away;  came  again,  and  finally  effected  a 
permanent  lodgement  after  passing  through  a  baptism  of 
blood. 

On  the  3d  of  July,  1778,  the  savages,  smarting  under  mon- 
strous wrongs,  and  goaded  on  to  deeds  of  violence  by  the 
British  and  Tories,  swooped  down  on  the  settlements  in  great 
force,  and  the  bloody  battle  and  massacre  of  that  hot  July 


8  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

afternoon  followed,  in  which  the  whites  suffered  a  disastrous 
defeat.*  The  carnage,  considering  the  numbers  engaged, 
was  dreadful.  As  nearly  as  could  be  ascertained,  about  200 
perished  in  the  battle  and  the  butchery  which  followed  during 
the  night,  while  the  loss  of  the  invaders  was  comparatively 
trifling.  The  deeds  of  atrocity  committed  afterwards  were 
of  the  most  cruel  and  brutal  character — a  shame  to  civilization 
and  an  ineffaceable  disgrace  to  Col.  Butler,  the  Tory,  who 
commanded  the  British  troops  and  their  red-skinned  allies. 
The  slain  and  the  butchered  prisoners  were  scalped,  because 
these  bloody  trophies  brought  a  stated  price  in  British  gold 
on  being  handed  over  to  the  authorities.  Stockade  forts  and 
houses  were  reduced  to  ashes,  the  crops  destroyed,  stock  driv^- 
en  off,  and  every  effort  made  by  the  invaders  to  efface  all 
traces  of  civilization,  and  leave  the  beautiful  valley  a  "howl- 
ing wilderness." 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  after  the  bloody  battle 
of  Wyoming,  It  was  indeed  a  cheerless  and  disheartening 
outlook  to  those  who  had  escaped  the  horrors  of  the  massacre, 
and  that  a  panic  should  ensue  is  not  strange.  Nearly  all  the 
settlers  who  could  get  away  took  flight,  and  the  roads  or  paths 
leading  through  the  wilderness  in  the  direction  of  the  Dela- 
ware River  were  crowded  with  fugitive  women  and  children, 
and  the  sufferings  they  endured  are  the  saddest  recorded  in 
the  annals  of  our  Indian  wars.     The  men  who  escaped  were 


*  A  moiuiment  62  feet  in  lieight  stands  on  the  battle  ground.  It  is  a 
plain  obelisk  in  the  dark  gray  stone  of  the  valley.  The  names  of  171  who 
perished  in  the  battle  and  afterwards,  are  cut  in  a  marble  tablet,  and  a  vault 
beneath  the  base  contains  their  bones.  One  hundred  years  after— July  3, 
1878— the  anniversary  of  the  battle  was  observed  in  the  presence  of  60,000 
l^eople.  President  Hayes,  several  cabinet  officers  and  governors  of  States 
were  present.  The  Delaware,  Lackawanna  and  AVestern  Railroad,  between 
Scranton  and  Northumberland,  85  miles,  runs  through  a  portion  of  the 
grounds. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  9 

collected  together  to  guard  the  rear  of  the  fleeing  column, 
and  save  what  property  they  could  from  the  vandal  hands  of 
the  remorseless  invaders. 

Among  the  few  who  remained  was  the  family  of  Jonathan 
Slocum.  They  had  settled  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  some 
miles  away  from  the  scene  of  the  battle,  and  on  what  is  now 
a  portion  of  the  site  of  the  rich,  populous  and  flourishing  city 
of  Wilkes-Barre.  The  battle,  it  must  be  remembered,  took 
place  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  and  it  should  be  borne  in 
mind  that  the  enemy  did  not  cross  the  stream  to  molest  the 
fort  where  many  of  the  settlers  had  collected.  Reinforce- 
ments, too,  were  expected,  a  knowledge  of  which  doubtless 
deterred  the  enemy  from  crossing  the  river,  and  they  soon 
hurried  away  in  the  direction  of  Tioga  Point  (now  Athens) 
with  the  trophies  of  their  victory. 

Jonathan  Slocum,  whose  ancestors  came  from  England  at 
an  early  date,  was  born  in  Kent  County,  Rhode  Island,  May 
I,  1735.  He  married  Ruth  Tripp,  February  23,  1757,  and  for 
several  years  they  resided  in  their  native  State.  They  were 
both  members  of  the  Society  of  Friends,  the  "Protestants  of 
the  Puritans."'' 

Some  time  during  the  year  1777  Mr.  Slocum,  with  his  wife 
and  nine  children,  emigrated  from  Rhode  Island  and  settled 
on  a  tract  of  land  lying  near  Wilkes-Barre  Fort.  Previous 
to  his  location  here,  however,  he  had  visited  the  place  as 
early  as  1771,  acquired  land,  and  made  preparations  fgr  the 
removal  of  his  family.  At  that  time  Connecticut  settlers 
were  pouring  in,  and  a  few  Rhode  Islanders,  attracted  by 
reports  of  the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  the  beauty  of  the  coun- 
try, joined  the  immigrants.  The  Slocum  family  removed  to 
their  new  home  in  a  covered  v/agon,  and  as  the  roads  were 

*See  "History  of  the  Slocuius  in  America."  p.  28. 


lO  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

bad  and  many  streams  had  to  be  crossed,  the  journey  was  a 
long  and  tiresome  one.  Isaac  Tripp,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Slo- 
cum,  came  with  them.  Of  the  ten  children  comprising  this 
remarkable  and  historic  family,  all  were  born  in  Rhode  Island 
bnt  one.  The  following  epitome  of  their  history  is  made  np 
from  Dr.  Charles  E.  Slocnm's  great  work  on  the  genealogy 
and  History  of  the  Slocuvis  in  America.  They  were  named 
as  follows  : 

I. — Giles,  b.  5  Jan.,  1759;  m.  Sarah  Ross;  d.  14  Nov.  1S26,  in  Co- 
lumbia Co.,  N.  Y.  He  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Wyoming,  and 
was  one  of  the  few  who  escaped  the  cruel  slaughter  by  swim- 
ming to  an  island  in  the  river,  rolling  in  the  sand  and  hiding 
under  a  fallen  tree,  covered,  by  bushes.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Society  of  Friends;  a  farmer  earlier  in  life;  later  an  inn- 
keeper (?)  and  merchant.     lycft  two  sons  and  one  daughter. 

II. — ^Judith,  b.  Oct.  — ,  1760;  m.  Hugh  Forsman,  a  farmer;  d.  11 
Mar.  1 8 14  in  Cincinnati.  Her  husband  was  a  subaltern  in  Capt. 
Hewitt's  company  during  the  Wyoming  massacre,  and  was  one 
of  the  fifteen  of  that  corps  who  escaped  the  slaughter,  and  he 
was  the  only  one  who  brought  in  his  gun.  She  left  several 
children. 

III. — William,  b.  6  Jan.  1762;  married  Sarah  Sawyer;  d.  Oct.  20, 
1 8 10,  near  Pittston.  He  was  wounded  in  the  heel  by  a  musket 
ball  16  Dec.  1778,  at  the  time  his  father  and  grandfather  Tripp 
were  killed  by  Indians  on  the  site  of  Wilkes-Barre.  Was  elected 
Sheriff  of  lyuzerne  County  in  1695,  when  it  included  Wyoming, 
Susquehanna,  I^ackawanna  and  part  of  Bradford.  He  held  the 
office  until  1799,  when  he  retired  to  his  farm,  and  in  1806  was 
elected  a  Justice  of  the  Peace.  He  was  classed  among  the  prom- 
inent and  influential  men  of  his  count5\  I>ft  four  sons  and  five 
daughters. 

IV. — Kbenezer,  b.  10  Jan.  1766;  m.  Sarah  Davis,  d.  5  July  1810, 
suddenly,  of  apoplexy,  in  the  street  while  on  a  visit  to  Wilkes- 
Barre.  In  1798  he  purchased  an  interest  in  a  grist  mill  in  Deep 
Hollow,  now  included  within  the  limits  of  Scranton.  Built  a 
saw  mill  and  a  distillery.  Afterwards  his  brother  Benjamin  be- 
came associated  with  him,  and  together  they  constructed  an  iron 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  II 

forge  in  the  early  part  of  1800,  and  another  distillery  in  181 1. 
They  carried  on  an  extensive  business.  The  firm  was  dissolved 
in  1826.  Mr.  Slocum  was  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1821  of  the 
district  which  included  the  present  Pittston,  Providence  and  Ex- 
eter townships.  He  was  successful  in  business  and  accumulated 
in  addition  to  other  property,  1,800  acres  of  land,  all  located 
within  the  present  limits  of  Scran  ton,  and  nearly  all  of  it  was 
underlaid  with  coal.  He  left  thirteen  children,  nine  sons  and 
four  daughters. 
V. — Mary,  b.  22  Dec.  1768;  m.  Joseph  Towne,  a  farmer;  resided 
in  Ohio  near  Circleville;  d.  5  April,  1844.     Left  several  children. 

VI. — Benjamin,  b.  7  Dec.  1770;  m,  Phebe  La  France.  Resided 
with  his  brother  Ebenezer  at  Slocum  Hollow;  in  181 1  was  ap- 
pointed Postmaster  of  Providence,  which  was  the  first  postoffice 
in  Lackawanna  Valley,  In  1826  he  settled  on  a  farm  which  in- 
cluded the  land  now  occupied  by  the  borough  of  Tunkhannock, 
and  there  he  died  July  5,  1832.  He  left  four  children,  one  son 
and  three  daughters.  The  son,  Thomas  Truxton,  who  succeed- 
ed to  the  farm,  gave  two  acres  of  land  on  which  to  build  the 
court  house  when  Tunkhannock  became  the  seat  of  justice  of 
Wyoming  County. 

VII. — Frances,  b.  March  — ,  1773;  d.  March  9,  1849.  The  In- 
dian captive,  and  the  subject  of  this  narrative.  She  married  an 
Indian  war  chief  of  the  Miamis,  named  She-pan-can-ah,  (deaf 
man)  and  left  two  daughters,  Ke-ke-se-qua  and  O-zah-wah- 
shing-qua. 

VIII. — Isaac,  b.  4  March,  1775;  m.  ist  Elizabeth  Patrick;  2d  Mrs. 
Lydia  Norton.  First  settled  on  a  farm  which  included  the  site 
of  Tunkhannock,  where  he  lived  until  1823  ;  then  removed 
to  Sandusky  County,  Ohio.  Died  near  Bellevue  Aug.  26,  1858. 
He  was  an  active  and  prominent  citizen,  held  several  military 
commissions,  and  served  as  postmaster.  He  took  a  deep  interest 
in  his  captive  sister,  and  frequently  visited  her.  Maj.  Slocum 
outlived  all  his  father's  family.  He  left  twelve  children,  eight 
.sons  and  four  daughters. 

IX. — ^Joseph,  b.  9  April,  1776;  m.  Sarah  Fell;  d.  27  Sept.  1855. 
He  was  a  blacksmith  and  farmer;  was  chosen  the  first  Captain 
of  the  "Wyoming  Blues"  military  company  in  1805,  and  was 
commissioned  As.sociate  Judge  of  Luzerne  County  in  1840,  and 


12  FRANCES   SI.OCUM, 

filled  that  office  three  or  four  years  very  acceptably.  The  town- 
ship of  Slocum  in  lyuzerne  County,  and  Slocum  postoffice  were 
named  in  his  honor.  Judge  Slocum  was  an  excellent  citizen 
and  greatly  respected.  He  left  seven  children,  two  sons  and  five 
daughters. 
X. — ^Jonathan,  b.  12  Sept.,  1778;  m.  Martha  Underwood;  d.Sept. 
— ,  1842,  Was  a  farmer  and  resided  late  in  life  near  Havana, 
Schuyler  County,  N.  Y.  He  left  ten  children,  eight  sons  and 
two  daughters. 

Giles  Slocum,  the  eldest  son,  who  was  a  young  man  of 
nineteen  at  the  time  of  the  invasion,  shouldered  his  gun  and 
took  part  in  the  battle.  This  act  of  hostility,  it  is  believed, 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  savages,  and  caused  them  to 
wreak  vengeance  on  the  family. 

Mr  Slocum,  on  account  of  his  non-combative  principles 
and  the  many  acts  of  kindness  he  had  bestowed  on  the  In- 
dians, considered  himself  and  family  comparatively  free  from 
danger.  His  father-in-law,  Mr.  Isaac  Tripp,  also  a  Quaker, 
entertained  the  same  opinion,  as  he  had  frequently  befriended 
the  Indians,  and  they  had  on  more  than  one  occasion,  during 
raids,  avoided  molesting  him.  The  entertainment  of  these 
opinions  evidently  were  among  the  reasons  why  they  did  not 
fly  after  the  battle.  And  possibly  they  would  not  have  been 
molested  had  Giles  not  taken  part  in  the  bloody  conflict  of 
July  3,  1778,  and  escaped  the  carnage.*  The  Indians  were 
cjuick  to  discern,  and  being  of  a  savage  and  revengeful  nature, 
at  once  concluded  that  deception  was  being  practiced  by  the 
Slocums,  else  Giles  would  not  have  taken  up  arms  against 
them;  and  they  at  once  determined  to  seek  revenge. 

After  the  massacre  straggling  bands  of  Indians  continued 
to  visit  the  valley  in  search  of  scalps  and  plunder,  until  the 

*  He  escaped  to  Monockonock  Island  in  the  river,  where  he  concealed 
liimself  until  it  was  safe  to  cross  to  the  main  land,  on  the  east  side,  and 
finally  made  his  way  to  his  father's  house, 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 3 

conclusion  of  peace  with  England.  'On  the  2d  of  November, 
1778,  three  Delaware  Indians  stealthily  came  into  the  valley 
and,  watching  a  favorable  opportunity,  approached  the  Slo- 
cum  residence.  Mr.  Slocum  and  his  father-in-law  were  away 
from  home  at  the  time.  Mrs.  Slocum  was  there,  with  several 
of  her  children  around  her,  and  two  boys  named  Kingsley. 
Some  time  previously  Nathan  Kingsle}'  had  been  made  pris- 
oner by  the  Indians,  and  his  wife  and  two  sons  were  taken  in 
by  Mr.  Slocum  and  afforded  the  comforts  of  a  home.  The 
house  stood  just  in  the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  when  the 
Indians  approached  they  saw  the  two  Kingsley  boys  at  the 
door  engaged  in  grinding  a  knife.  Dr.  Peck  informs  us  that 
the  elder  of  the  boys,  Nathan  by  name,  wore  a  soldier's  coat, 
which,  it  is  presumed,  was  a  special  reason  of  his  being  marked 
as  a  victim.  One  of  the  Indians  quickly  drew  up  his  gun 
and  shot  the  young  man  dead.  The  discharge  of  the  gun 
quickly  brought  Mrs.  Slocum  to  the  door,  when  she  was  hor- 
rified at  seeing  a  stalwart  savage  scalping  the  young  man  with 
the  knife  which  he  had  been  grinding.  Taking  in  the  situation 
at  a  glance,  Mrs.  Slocum  and  several  of  the  children  fled  into 
the  woods,*  while  Mary,  one  of  the  daughters,  seized  her 
brother  Joseph,  aged  about  two  years,  and  rushed  out  of  the 
back  door.  The  Indians  shouted  loudly  after  her  and  laughed 
to  see  the  speed  with  which  she  ran,  and  the  tenacity  with 
which  she  held  on  to  her  infant  brother.  The  chroniclers  of 
the  period  fail  to  inform  us  what  became  of  Mrs.  Kingsley, 
the  mother  of  the  murdered  boy,  but  it  is  inferred  that  she 
escaped  from  the  house  on  the  alarm  being  given,  and  saved 
her  life,  and  her  husband  was  afterwards  restored  to  her.  f 

■■  Todd's  Lost  Sister  of  Wyoming,  p.  !)L 

t  Nathan  Kingsley  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  Wyalusing.  He  was  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  and  belonged  to  one  of  the  most  noted  families  in 
that  State.    He  was  a  man  of  wealth  and  influence  in  that  early  day.     He 


14  FRANCES   SI-OCUM, 

Little  Frances,  according  to  a  tradition  still  preserved  among 
the  Miami  Indians  of  Indiana,  endeavored  to  secrete  herself 
under  the  stairway  leading  to  the  loft.  In  the  meantime  the 
Indians  entered  the  house,  which  they  quickly  ransacked,  and 
then  prepared  to  depart.  On  descending  the  stairway  one  of 
the  savages  saw  the  feet  of  the  child  protruding  from  her  hid- 
ing place,  and  seizing  them  quickly  drew  her  forth.  The 
surviving  Kingsley  boy,  Ebenezer  Slocum,  aged  about  twelve 
years,  and  little  Frances,  were  taken  prisoners,*  and  the  In- 
dians prepared,  to  depart  before  any  alarm  could  be  given.  Mrs. 
Slocum  breathlessly  watched  the  proceedings  from  the  thick- 
et, and  trembled  with  fear  lest  she  should  see  the  tomahawk 
buried  in  the  heads  of  her  children  ;  but  when  she  saw  them 
about  to  leave,  carrying  her  boy  and  little  Frances,  her 
motherly  instincts  overcame  all  fear  and  she  rushed  from  her 

occupied  the  old  log  house  now  standing  on  the  lands  of  Mrs.  Welles,  a  few 
rods  east  of  the  railroad  and  north  of  the  depot.  This  house  was  built 
about  1768,  and  was  for  a  time  occupied  by  a  brother  of  the  celebrated  mis- 
sionary Heckewelder.  It  is,  without  doubt,  the  oldest  house  in  the  [Brad- 
ford] county.  Here_  Kingsley,  by  means  of  great  watchfulness  and  prudence, 
lived  for  some  time  unmolested  by  the  Indians,  but  at  length,  in  June,  1778, 
was  captured  by  them  and  taken  to  Niagara.  After  a  confinement  of  several 
months  he  was  released,  and  returned  to  AVyalusing,  whither  his  family 
liad  fled  before  his  capture.  It  was  during  his  captivity  (Nov.  2, 1778,)  that 
his  son,  Nathan  Kingsley,  Jr.,  was  killed,  and  another  son  carried  into  cap- 
tivity. *  *  *  INIr.  Kingsley  had  but  one  son  left,  Wareham,  who,  long 
after  his  return,  married  into  the  Turrell  family,  and  went  to  Connecticut, 
where  he  ^ died.  After  troubles  in  the  valley  in  a  measure  ceased,  Mr. 
Kingsley  returned  to  Wyalusing,  where  he  lived  for  several  years.  Unfor- 
tunately the  old  man  acquired  intemperate  habits  and  became  very  poor,  so 
that  he  became  a  town  charge  and  his  keeping  was  sold  to  James  Arm- 
strong, who  removed  west,  where  Kingsley  died,  it  is  said,  by  the  falling  of 
a  tree,  about  the  year  1800. — Craft's  Hist.  Wyalusing,  p.  56. 

Mr.  Kingsley  returned  to  his  old  home  in  1785.  He  built  a  distillery 
near  where  Mr.  Welles'  stone  quarry  now  is.  He  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  Judge  of  the  Court  in  1787,  and  in  his  old  age  was  taken  west,  where  he 
died.  His  wife,  Roccelana,  died  in  AVyalusing,  but  the  exact  date  has  not 
been  ascertained.— Hist.  Bradford  Co.,  p.  443. 

*  Some  of  the  early  writers  assert — Miner  among  them — that  a  colored 
girl,  seventeen  years  of  age,  was  taken  at  the  same  time  from  the  Slocum 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 5 

hiding  place,  and  her  countenance  in  unutterable  language 
told  the  savages  that  she  was  the  mother,  and  with  tears 
streaming  from  her  eyes  she  implored  them  to  spare  her  chil- 
dren. They  scorned  her  tears  and  scoffed  at  her  supplications 
with  fiendish  glee.  She  frantically  pointed  to  her  son  Eben- 
ezer,  who  was  lame,  fearing  that  if  he  failed  to  keep  up  with 
them  he  would  be  cruelly  butchered.  This  idea  rushed  with 
such  force  on  her  mind  that  she  forgot  all  fear,  and  running 
up  to  the  Indian  who  was  dragging  him  away,  pointed  at  the 
feet  of  the  boy  and  exclaimed  :  "The  child  is  lame;  he  can 
do  thee  no  good  !  "  This  appeal  caused  the  Indian  to  release 
the  boy;  but  he  instantly  seized  little  Frances,  and  throwing 
her  over  his  shoulder,  rushed  after  his  companions.  Mrs. 
Slocum  begged  piteously  for  her  daughter,  but  in  vain.  The 
child  stretched  out  one  hand  imploringly  towards  her  mother, 
while  with  the  other  she  brushed  away  the  luxuriant  auburn 
ringlets  which  fell  over  her  face,  and  as  the  tears  streamed 
from  her  eyes  she  frantically  called  on  her  mother  to  save  her. 
The  Indian  dashed  into  the  bushes,  and  that  was  the  last 
Mrs.  Slocum  ever  saw  of  her  child  !  But  the  image  of  that 
piteous  face  was  so  indelibly  impressed  on  the  memory  of 
the  mother  that  she  never  forgot  it,  and  to  the  day  she  de- 
scended to  the  grave  she  always  recalled  the  sad  circumstance 
with  sorrow  and  deep  lamentation. 

house.  But  after  careful  inquiry  among  the  Miami  Indians  of  Indiana,  I 
find  tliat  they  have  no  tradition  of  such  a  capture,  but  deny  it  in  toto. 
Neither  did  Frances  refer  to  such  a  circumstance.  Miner,  however,  says 
that  she  was  afterwards  seen  by  prisoners  in  the  family  of  Col.  John  Butler, 
at  Niagara,  who  had  purchased  her  from  the  Indians.  If  such  a  person  was 
captured  it  might  have  occurred  at  another  time  and  place. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE  SEARCH  FOR  THE  LOST  CHILD  BEGINS — HER  FRIENDS 
GET  NO  CLUE — FIRST  RECORD  OF  HER  AT  JOHNSTOWN — 
STUPIDITY  OF  COL.   PROCTOR — DEATH    OF   THE    MOTHER. 


'1 


^HE  three  Indians,  with  Frances  and  the  boy,  Ware- 
ham  Kingsley,  fled  rapidly  into  the  forest,  and 
before  the  terrified  mother  and  her  children  conld 
clearly  comprehend  what  had  happened,  they  were  lost  to 
sight.  The  noise  and  excitement  of  the  capture  had  attracted 
attention  at  Wilkes-Barre  Fort,  situated  only  a  few  hundred 
rods  west  of  the  Slocuni  residence,  and  an  alarm  was  imme- 
diately given,  but  the  wily  savages  traveled  so  swiftly  that 
the  pursuing  party  could  find  no  trace  of  them,  and  the  chase 
was  soon  given  up.  In  the  meantime  the  grief  of  the  mother, 
when  she  fairly  came  to  realize  the  situation,  was  almost  un- 
bearable. The  captured  child  was  a  favorite  one,  and  the  pet 
of  the  family.  Her  exact  age  is  unknown,*  as  the  day  in 
March,  1773,  when  she  was  born,  has  been  lost;  but  as  she 
was  carried  into  captivity  November  2,  1778,  she  must  have 
been  about  four  years  and  seven  months  old.  A  tender  age, 
indeed,  to  be  torn  away  from  a  comfortable  home  and  cast 
into  the  wilderness  on  the  approach  of  winter  in  this  northern 
latitude;  but  Providence,  as  the  sequel  will  show,  stretched 
forth  His  strong  arm  to  shield  and  protect  this  defenceless 
child. 

*  See  (luotation  ;j;iving  the  names  and  ages  of  the  family,  on  p.  IL 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  17 

Jonathan  Slocum,  the  father,  was  away  from  home  when 
the  terrible  calamity  came  upon  his  household.  On  his  return 
he  beheld  the  bloody  corpse  of  the  murdered  young  man  lying 
at  his  door,  and  found  his  wife  prostrated  with  grief  at  the 
loss  of  their  little  Frances.  In  a  state  of  mind  bordering  on 
frenzy  she  related  the  story  of  the  capture,  and  in  piteous 
sobs  bewailed  the  sad  fate  of  her  child.  It  is  needless  to  add 
that  the  husband  and  father,  on  learning  the  situation,  was 
almost  paralyzed  with  horror,  and  he  scarcely  knew  what  to 
say  or  do.  Reflecting  a  moment,  however,  he  resolved,  with 
characteristic  self-control,  not  to  allow  the  current  of  his  grief 
to  break  over  all  its  natural  barriers,  accepted  the  situation 
and  humbly  bowed  to  the  stern  decree  of  fate.  Not  so  with 
the  mother.  She  could  not  give  up  her  child — she  could  not 
sever  the  maternal  tie — and  with  deep  sobs  and  broken  sen- 
tences gave  expression  to  the  most  profound  and  overwhelm- 
ing grief.  It  was  a  sad  and  impressive  scene  around  that 
desolate  hearth  as  the  gloom  of  night  settled  down.  Sleep 
fled  from  that  family.  Mrs.  Slocum  could  not  banish  from 
her  sight  the  last  look  and  plaintive  appeal  of  the  innocent 
child,  as  with  outstretched  hands,  streaming  eyes  and  dishev- 
eled locks,  she  disappeared  from  her  view;  and  her  frantic 
shrieks  of  '"'mamma!  mamma  .^"  rang  in  her  ears  and  haunted 
her  imagination  like  a  demon  of  darkness.  And  then  the 
question,  which  no  human  reason  could  solve  at  that  terrible 
moment  of  agony,  was:  "  What  would  become  of  the  child  ?" 
Would  she  be  cruelly  murdered  in  the  forest  and  her  body 
become  food  for  the  wolves  ?  or  would  she  be  worn  out  with 
fatigue  and  left  to  die  a  lingering  death  for  want  of  food  and 
comfortable  clothing?  Such  terrible  imaginations  haunted 
her  mind  and  she  could  not  dispel  them.  The  father,  as  he 
sat  with  his  head  bowed  in  silent  grief  and  listened  to  the 


l8  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

sobs  of  his  wife  and  children,  presented  a  picture  that  is  viv- 
idly drawn  by  the  poet  : 

"T  was  eve — a  little  circle  sat 

Around  the  cottage  hearth; 
Youth's  voice  and  rose-bud  lips  were  there, 

But  not  its  tones  of  mirth. 

' '  But  few  and  low  were  all  the  words 

Of  that  lone  fireside  ring; 
It  seemed  as  though  their  spirits  dwelt 

Upon  some  fearful  thing. 

"  Had  death  been  in  that  forest  home 

To  call  the  loved  away  ? 
Was  it  for  this  that  mother  wept 

From  eve  till  break  of  day  ? 

"  No;  though  they  missed  the  bab}'  voice 

And  little  dimpled  hand: 
Death  in  his  quiver  hath  no  dart 

lyike  that  which  pierced  that  band. 

"  They  missed  her  when  the  morning  came 

To  wake  the  voice  of  birds; 
She  was  not  there  to  mock  their  song 

With  her  soft  and  simple  words. 

"  She  was  not  there  with  acorn  cups 

Beside  the  woodland  rill, 
Calling  aloud  to  hear  her  voice 

Re-echo  from  the  hill. 

"  They  had  been  there — the  forest  men! 

And  from  her  mother's  breast 
They  tore  the  darling  of  her  love — ■ 

The  warbler  from  her  nest. 

"When  evening  came,  the  circle  met 

And  wept  with  anguish  sore; 
They  hoped^ — threw  hope  away,  and  then 

Retired  to  dream  it  o'er. 

"  And  in  the  chambers  of  the  soul 
One  picture  memory  laid — 


THE    LOST  SISTER.  19 

A  child — one  hand  among  her  curls; 
The  other  stretched  for  aid!" 

Time  dragged  heavily  in  the  stricken  household.  No 
tidings  of  the  lost  child  could  be  obtained,  notwithstanding 
searching  parties  went  in  the  direction  taken  by  the  savages 
and  scoured  the  country  carefully.  They  had  done  their  work 
quickly  and  well,  and  left  no  trace  of  their  flight  behind. 

Owing  to  the  condition  of  the  times  it  was  not  safe  for 
scouting  parties  to  venture  far  into  the  wilderness,  because 
the  Indians  lurked  in  the  thickets  rea'dy  to  pounce  upon  them 
with  the  agility  and  fierceness  of  beasts  of  prey.  The  set- 
tlers, too,  had  not  fairly  recovered  from  the  terror  and  con- 
sternation caused  by  the  battle  and  massacre  of  July  3d,  and 
as  so  many  members  of  families  had  been  slain,  and  the  west- 
ern side  of  the  valley  devastated,  it  is  not  strange,  perhaps, 
that  greater  efforts  were  not  made  at  the  time  for  the  rescue 
of  the  stolen  child. 

A  little  more  than  a  month  had  passed  and  the  heart- 
stricken  family  had  not  recovered  from  the  blow,  when 
another  more  crushing  was  delivered,  and  a  deeper  gloom 
settled  on  the  stricken  household.  The  relentless  savages 
were  not  yet  satisfied.  The  distinguished  historian  of  Wyom- 
ing, Hon.  Charles  Miner,  says: 

"The  cup  of  vengeance  was  not  yet  full.  December  i6th, 
Mr.  Slocum  and  Isaac  Tripp,  Esq.,  his  father-in-law,  an  aged 
man,  with  William  Slocum,  a  youth  of  nineteen  or  twenty, 
were  feeding  cattle  from  a  stack  in  the  meadow,  in  sight  of 
the  fort,  when  they  were  fired  upon  by  Indians.  Mr.  Slocum 
was  shot  dead;  Mr.  Tripp*  was  wounded,  speared  and  toma- 

*  Little  is  known  of  the  history  of  Isaac  Tripp.  As  early  as  1768  or  '(!!), 
he  and  Joseph  Slocum,  father  of  Jonathan,  came  to  the  valley.  In  1774  he 
purchased  a  large  tract  of  land  which  embraced  Capoose  Meadow,  now  in-  • 


20  F'RANCES  SLOCUM, 

hawked;  both  were  scalped.  William,  wounded  by  a  spent 
ball  in  the  heel,  escaped  and  gave  the  alarm,  bat  the  alert 
^nd  wily  foe  had  retreated  to  his  hiding  place  in  the  mountain. 
This  deed,  bold  as  it  was  cruel,  was  perpetrated  within  the 
town  plot,  in  the  centre  of  which  the  fortress  was  located. 
Thus  in  little  more  than  a  month,  Mrs.  Slocum  had  lost  a 
beloved  child,  carried  into  captivity;  the  doorway  had  been 
drenched  in  blood  by  the  murder  of  an  inmate  of  the  family; 
two  others  of  the  household  had  been  taken  away  prisoners; 
and  now  her  husband  and  father  were  both  stricken  down  to 
the  grave,  murdered*  and  mangled  by  the  merciless  Indians. 
Verily,  the  annals  of  Indian  atrocities,  written  in  blood, 
record  few  instances  of  desolation  and  woe  to  equal  this." 

The  blow  was  indeed  an  overwhelming  one,  and  calculated 
to  crush  the  widow.  Her  lot  was  a  hard  one.  Both  the  slain 
men  had  often  befriended  the  Indians,  but  their  acts  of  kind- 
ness were  now  repaid  by  the  most  cruel  ingratitude.  The 
only  explanation  that  can  be  offered  for  this  extraordinary 

eluded  in  the  limits  of  Scranton.  In  1771  Jonathan  Slocum,  his  son-in-law, 
became  the  owner  of  a  part  of  this  tract,  and  in  1775  he  purchased  a  lot  in 
the  second  division  of  the  town  plat  of  Wilkes-Barre  and  settled  in  a  house 
a  few  hundred  yards  east  of  the  fort.  Isaac  Tripp  was  a  prominent  man 
and  took  an  active  part  in  the  political  troubles  at  Wyoming  between  the 
Connecticut  settlers  and  Pennamites.  In  1774  a  grandson,  also  named  Isaac 
Tripp,  settled  on  a  part  of  the  Capoose  farm.  At  the  age  of  eighteen,  and 
soon  after  the  Wyoming  massacre,  he  was  captured  by  the  Indians,  and 
with  others,  marched  to  Canada.  On  the  way  he  experienced  great  suffer- 
ing from  hunger  and  cruel  treatment.  At  Niagara  he  met  his  cousin,  Frances 
Slocum,  who  was  also  a  captive.  They  planned  their  escape,  but  were  dis- 
covered, separated,  and  never  more  met  on  earth.  He  was  sold  to  the 
English  and  compelled  to  enter  their  service,  in  which  he  reluctantly  con- 
tinued to  the  close  of  the  revolutionary  war.  He  was  then  released,  returned 
home  and  resumed  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  the  farm.  He  died  April  15th, 
1820,  aged  (iO  years.— Hollister's  Hist.  Lackawanna  Valley,  p.  127  ;  also  Hist, 
of  the  Slocums,  p.  12;). 

*  The  meadow  where  this  tragedy  occurred  was  located  somewhere  be- 
tween the  Slocum  house  and  the  public  square,  along  what  is  now  Canal 
street,  in  the  heart  of  the  city  of  Wilkes-Barre. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  21 

conduct  was  revenge  for  the  part  taken  by  Giles  in  the  battle. 
Revenge  is  one  of  the  strong  points  of  Indian  character,  the 
feeling  for  which  is  generally  caused  by  a  suspicion  of  decep- 
tion or  inconstancy  on  the  part  of  those  whom  they  had  con- 
fided in  and  trusted. 

In  moralizing  upon  the  tragedy  which  had  bereft  this  mod- 
ern Ruth  of  both  husband  and  father,  Dr.  Peck  dwells  upon 
the  fact  that  while  they  were  both  dead,  and  their  ashes 
reposed  beneath  the  green  turf,  time  gradually  modified  the 
poignancy  of  the  widow's  grief  for  the  slain,  but  Frances, 
where  was  she?  She  knew  that  the  others  were  at  rest,' and 
was  resigned.  But  what  was  the  fate  of  the  child  ?  The 
mystery  grew  deeper  and  more  oppressive  as  time  rolled  on. 
A  suspense  more  terrible  than  death  hung  over  her  fate,  and 
lapsing  years  only  increased  the  vividness  of  the  traces  of 
memory  relating  to  the  minutest  circumstances  connected 
with  the  thrilling  tragedy  of  her  capture.  She  called  up  all 
the  little  griefs  and  disappointments  which  family  discipline 
had  inflicted  on  her  dear  child.  One  circumstance  particu- 
larly, the  venerable  historian  informs  us,  which  distressed  her 
almost  beyond  endurance,  and  was  constantly  present  in  her 
mind,  was  that  Frances  had  a  pair  of  new  shoes,*  and  as  a 
matter  of  economy  she  had  been  required  to  lay  them  up  for 
colder  weather.  She  went  away  with  bare  feet,  and  in  that 
condition  would  doubtless  be  obliged  to  travel  rough  roads, 
and  perhaps  through  frost  and  snow  to  make  long  journeys. 
"Oh  !  if  the  poor  little  creature  only  had  her  shoes  !"  was 
her  constant  exclamation;  and  this  thought  was  a  source  of 
torture  to  the  bereaved  soul  of  the  mother  for  long  and  weary 
years. 

Peace  was  finally  concluded  with  Great  Britain,  and  efforts 

*  Dr.  Peck's  History  of  Wyoming,  p.  244. 
C 


22  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

were  at  once  made  by  the  infant  government  of  the  United 
States  to  conciliate  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  North.  Agents 
were  dispatched  to  negotiate  treaties  and  restore  confidence, 
but  it  took  a  long  time  to  appease  the  savage  mind  and  bring 
about  a  better  feeling.  While  these  negotiations  were  going 
on,  two  of  Mrs.  Slocum's  sons,  who  had  grown  into  man- 
hood, conceived  the  idea  of  making  a  journey  north  to  search 
for  their  lost  sister.  This  was  very  gratifying  to  the  mother, 
who  still  yearned  for  her  child,  and  firmly  believed  that  she 
lived  and  would  yet  be  found.  Accordingly,  in  1784,  they 
started  on  their  journey  and  traveled  as  far  as  Niagara.  This 
was  an  important  point  during  the  war,  and  prisoners  were 
frequently  carried  there  when  orders  were  issued  to  give  them 
up.  Being  men  of  means,  they  offered  a  reward  of  one  hun- 
dred guineas  for  the  recovery  of  the  child,  or  for  information 
regarding  her  whereabouts.  They  thought  this  sum  would 
be  sufficient  to  tempt  Indian  cupidity.  But  they  did  not  con- 
sider that  when  an  Indian  undertakes  to  keep  a  secret  nothing 
will  induce  him  to  break  the  seal  of  his  lips,  nor  especially 
the  criminality  and  disgrace  of  betraying  to  white  men  secrets 
confided  by  Indians.  As  will  be  shown  at  the  proper  time, 
the  little  captive  lived  and  was  widely  known  among  the 
northern  Indians.  For  some  strange  and  inexplicable  reason 
she  was  regarded  as  a  treasure,  and  was  guarded  with  jealous 
care.  Fate  seemed  to  have  woven  about  her  a  veil  of  ob- 
scurity which  was  an  impenetrable  mystery  to  her  friends. 
Had  the  disconsolate  mother  known  the  truth,  how  much 
greater  would  have  been  her  mental  anguish!  but  this  knowl- 
edge was  denied  her,  notwithstanding  some  invisible  power 
whispered  in  her  ear  that  the  child  was  not  dead. 

Disheartened  and  discouraged  the  brothers  finally  gave  up 
the  search  and  returned  home,  after  an  absence  of  several 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  23 

weeks,  almost  convinced  that  their  sister  was  dead.  This 
was  a  sad  blow  to  the  mother,  but  she  refused  to  fall  in  with 
their  belief,  and  did  not  abandon  hope.  In  some  respects  the 
mystery  surrounding  this  case  is  akin  to  that  which  has  so 
far  obscured  the  fate  of  Charley  Ross.  But  the  parallel  will 
only  be  complete  when  sixty  years  have  rolled  away  and  he 


wi 


11  be  discovered — if  fate  shall  so  decree  it. 


The  first  record  so  far  discovered  concerning  the  two  cap- 
tive children  of  November  2d,  1778,  is  found  in  a  report  of 
Cols.  Fred  Fisher  and  John  Harper,  of  Johnstown,*  N.  Y. , 
under  date  of  March  2,  1780,  relative  to  confiscations,  and 
Tory  families  to  be  sent  to  Canada.  That  list  contains  the 
names  of  fourteen  prisoners,!  and  among  them  are  the  fol- 
lowing :  "Hookam  child;  Kingsley  child,  Nov.  2,  1775." 
The  fact  that  the  last  name  is  spelled  correctly  shows  conclu- 
sively that  "Hookam"  is  meant  for  Slocum,  because  both 
were  taken  at  the  same  time.  The  only  part  of  the  record 
which  does  not  correspond  with  the  fact  is  the  year,  "1775," 
written  opposite  the  names.  But  such  a  mistake  could  easily 
have  been  committed  by  the  person  making  the  entry.  The 
correct  day  of  the  month  being  given  removes  all  doubt  as  to 
the  identity  of  the  "  Hookam  child."  This  important  record 
may  be  fou,nd  in  Governor  Clinton's  unpublished  papers, 
Vol.  IX.,  No.  2736. 

If  the  brothers  had  had  the  good  fortune  to  have  found 

*  Johnstown  is  now  the  capital  of  Fulton  County,  N.  Y.,  on  C'ayadutta 
Creek,  48  miles  W.  N.  W.  of  Albany. 

t  The  names  of  the  other  prisoners,  with  the  dates  of  capture,  are  given 
for  the  information  of  the  general  reader,  and  are  as  follows  ;  James  Bod- 
lack,  March  21,  1779,  released  at  Niagara,  1780 ;  John  Church  (58)  1778 ;  Jona- 
than Smith,  1770—1780  died;  Jacob  V.  Gardner,  —  Case,  Stephen  Parish, 
July  5,  1778;  Mrs.  Hageman,  Nov.  7,  1778;  Lanorah  Hageman,  ditto;  Brib- 
ben  Jones,  1778;  Zebulon  Parish,  Joseph  Parish,  1778;  Stephen  Kamboll, 
1778. 


24  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

this  record,  they  would  have  had  a  clue  to  the  object  of  their 
search;  but  where  secrecy  was  so  strictly  observed,  it  would, 
very  likely,  have  availed  them  little. 

As  the  years  passed  and  the  country  became  more  quiet 
and  settled,  in  obedience  to  the  yearnings  of  the  mother,  the 
brothers,  in  1788,  again  visited  the  Indian  country.  This 
time  they  traveled  westward,  and  penetrated  the  wilderness 
of  Ohio.  They  were  absent  for  several  months  and  enlisted 
the  sympathy  of  Indian  agents  and  traders,  who  aided  them 
all  they  could  in  their  researches.  They  offered  a  reward  of 
$500  for  any  information  with  regard  to  their  sister's  where- 
abouts, but  to  no  purpose,  and  they  were  forced  to  return 
home  no  wiser  than  when  they  went  out. 

Some  time  in  1789,  according  to  requests  of  government 
officials,  many  Indians  assembled  at  Tioga  Point,  (now 
Athens,  Pa.,)  with  children  who  had  been  captured,  to  give 
their  parents  and  friends  an  opportunity  of  identifying  and 
reclaiming  them.  Hearing  of  this,  Mrs.  Slocum,  then  about 
53  years  of  age,  made  a  journey  with  great  labor*  to  the  place, 
and  after  weeks  of  careful  search  among  the  captives,  found 
no  one  that  she  could  recognize  as  her  lost  Frances,  and  she 
returned  home  in  deep  sorrow  over  the  failure  of  her  mission. 
But  she  still  clung  to  the  belief  that  her  child  w,as  alive  and 
would  yet  be  found.      How  strange  that  this  idea  never  for- 

*  To  give  the  reader  an  idea  of  what  was  involved  in  making  the  jour- 
ney at  that  time,  the  following  extract  from  the  journal  of  Joseph  Ingham 
is  given:  "  I  traveled  (1789)  up  the  Susquehanna,  following  the  course  of 
the  river,  and  found  it  had  been  very  little  traveled ;  hardly  a  plain  path, 
and  this  very  crooked  and  hard  to  follow— (piite  impassable  for  more  than 
a  man  and  a  single  horse.  Along  the  edge  of  precipices,  next  the  river  and 
other  places,  I  had  to  ascend  and  descend  from  one  ledge  of  rocks  to  an- 
other, some  feet  perpendicular,  at  a  great  height  from  the  water,  and  in 
some  places  extremely  dangerous.  The  habitations  of  men  were  very  few, 
and  the  inhabitants,  instead  of  being  glad  to  converse  with  strangers  or 
travelers,  would  hardly  speak  to  them." — Hist,  of  Bradford  County,  p.  87. 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  ,  25 

sook  her!   Did  some  invisible  spirit  prompt  her  not  to  abandon 
hope  ? 

Tioga,  or  the  Diahoga  of  the  aborigines,  was  a  remarkable 
place.  It  was  the  open  door  throngh  which  their  war  parties 
passed  when  going  south  to  murder,  pillage  and  destroy,  and 
through  which  prisoners  were  dragged  on  their  way  north  to 
Niagara.  Mrs.  Perkins,  in  her  Early  Times  on  the  Siisqiie- 
haji7ta^  says  that  the  Indians,  with  Frances,  passed  up  the 
river  to  Tioga  in  a  canoe,  and  the  "  little  one  was  allowed  to 
amuse  herself  by  paddling  in  the  water,  and  when  on  land, 
to  practice  with  her  bow'  and  arrow  for  entertainment."  But 
the  writer  was  mistaken,  as  will  hereafter  be  shown  by  the 
statement  of  the  captive  as  to  how  they  traveled. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  1790  the  last  great  gathering  of  Indians 
took  place  at  Tioga.  Red  Jacket,  Cornplanter  and  many 
prominent  chiefs,  with  hundreds  of  their  followers,  were 
there.  They  assembled  to  meet  Timothy  Pickering,  who 
was  appointed  a  commissioner  by  Gen.  Washington  to  nego- 
tiate a  treaty.  The  meeting  was  a  memorable  one,  and  many 
eloquent  speeches  were  made,  but  strange  to  say,  there  is  no 
record  of  the  treaty  on  file  in  the  Indian  Office,  and  its  terms 
are  unknown.  When  the  conference  broke  up  very  few  In- 
dians were  ever  seen  there  again.  To  them  the  door  was 
closed. 

Early  in  1791,  General  Knox,  then  Secretary  of  War, 
commissioned  Col.  Thomas  Proctor  to  visit  the  several  In- 
dian tribes  inhabiting  the  country  bordering  on  Lake  Erie, 
and  the  Miamis  of  the  Wabash,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
peace  and  establishing  friendly  relations  with  them.  Accord- 
ing to  his  journal  he  started  from  Philadelphia  on  the  12th 
of  March,  1791,  and  on  the  17th  "crossed  the  east  branch  of 
the  Susquehanna"  at  "Hughsburg"  (now  Catawissa),  and 


26  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

spent  the  night  at  Berwick.  Having  served  in  Sullivan's 
Expedition  of  1779  as  a  colonel  of  artillery,  and  while  the 
army  was  ascending  the  river  had  charge  of  214  vessels  car- 
rying the  provisions  for  6,000  men,  this  visit  was  very  inter- 
esting to  him,  and  he  took  pains  to  note  in  his  journal  the 
points  where  they  had  encamped  twelve  years  before.  He 
also  speaks  of  owning  twenty-five  tracts  of  land*  on  Big 
Fishing  Creek.  Recrossing  the  river  at  Berwick  he  finally, 
with  his  party,  reached  "  Wilksburg"  (Wilkes-Barre)  on  the 
19th,  and  met  Col.  Butler  and  Col.  Pickering.  The  latter 
was  then  serving  as  prothonotary  of  the  county.  Continuing 
his  journey  up  the  river  he  arrived  at  Tioga  Point  on  the  26th 
after  a  toilsome  journey.  On  the  27th  he  reached  Newtown 
(now  Elmira),  where  he  remained  over  night  and  viewed  the 
battle  ground  at  Horseheads,  where  General  Sullivan  de- 
feated the  Indians  in  1779.  On  the  28th  he  enters  in  his 
journal  :t 

We  proceeded  to  the  Painted  Post,  or  Cohocton,  in  the  Indian 
language;  dined  and  refreshed  our  horses,  it  being  the  last  house 
we  should  meet  with  ere  we  should  reach  the  Genessee  river.  *  * 
*  *  Here  I  was  joined  company  by  a  Mr.  George  Slocum,+  who 
followed  us  from  Wyoming,  to  place  himself  under  our  protection 
and  assistance,  until  we  should  reach  the  Cornplanter's  settlement, 
on  the  head  waters  of  the  Allegheny,  to  the  redeeming  of  his  sis- 
ter from  an  unpleasing  captivity  of  twelve  years,  to  which  end  he 
begged  our  immediate  interposition.  -'-  *  '•' 

On  the  22d  of  x\pril,  1791,  Col.  Proctor,  after  writing  up 
his  journal  for  that  date,  and  stating  the  amount  of  money 
paid  certain  parties  for  services  and  provisions,  makes  this 
brief  but  remarkable  reference**  in  connection  with  others: 

*  Second  Series  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Yo\.  IV.,  p.  555. 

t  See  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Second  Series,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  560. 

j.  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History,  Vol.  III.,  (1870)  p.  115,  Mr.  James 
Slocum  of  Brovi^nsville,  Pa.,  shows  that  this  name  should  have  been  written 
Giles.    Frances  had  no  brother  named  George. 

7^*  See  Pennsylvania  Archives,  Second  Series,  Vol.  IV.,  p.  579.     Also  In- 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  27 

To  cash  paid  Francis  Slocum,  a  white  'prisoner,  7s.  6d.;  do.  a 
white  prisoner  at  Cataraugus,  iis.  3d.;  she  informs  me  that  she  is 
a  sister  of  Henry  Kepple,  in  Market  street,  born  in  Germany;  her 
husband,  a  Lieutenant  Groves,  of  the  Royal  Americans,  was  killed 
at  Venango,  in  the  year  1761;  had  been  prisoner  ever  since,  but 
too  old  and  enfeebled  to  leave  them;  she  informed  me  that  she 
was  truly  poor,  which  I  had  apparent  reason  to  believe,  and  I 
mean  to  inform  her  friends  of  the  same,  which  is  the  cause  of  my 
making  this  minute,  as  knowing  her  brother  was  under  wealthy 
circumstances.  *  *  *  * 

This  is  the  second  recorded  mention  that  has  been  made 
of  Frances  Slocum  since  her  abduction,  and  considering  the 
fact  of  the  surrounding  circumstances,  and  the  apparent  in- 
difference of  the  writer,  is  most  extraordinary.  After  being 
joined  by  her  brother  at  Painted  Post  only  three  weeks  before, 
who  apprised  him  of  the  object  of  his  mission,  claimed  his 
"protection"  and  begged  his  "immediate  interposition"  to 
reclaim  his  captive  sister,  it  is  passing  strange  that  Colonel 
Proctor  should  in  a  few  brief  words  name  the  girl  and  the 
amount  he  paid  her,  and  at  once  enter  into  details  about  an- 
other prisoner,  who  had  a  brother  living  in  Philadelphia 
"under  wealthy  circumstances!"  The  simple  error  in  the 
spelling  of  her  first  name  amounts  to  nothing.  She  was  be- 
yond peradventure  the  lost  child  of  Wyoming,  for  whom  the 
family  had  so  persistently  searched  for  over  thirteen  years  ! 
And  what  is  stranger  still,  she  was  at  this  time  less  than 
three  hundred  miles  from  the  home  of  her  mother — was  liv- 
ing with  the  Indians  congregated  at  Cornplanter's  town  on 
the  Allegheu}^  river — and  notwithstanding  a  brother  was 
either  present,  or  near  by,  the  commissioner  of  the  war  de- 
partment treated  the  matter  so  indifferently  that  she  was 
immediately  lost  sight  of,  when  practically  within  the  grasp 
of  her  friends.     Was  it  indifference  or  stupidity  that  caused 

(lian  Stiite  Papers,  and  Col.  Stone's  History  of  Wyoming,  p.  -!5G, 


28  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

Col.  Proctor*  to  treat  her  case  so  lightly  ?  for  he  must  have 
known  who  she  was  when  he  named  her,  after  paying  her  a 
small  sum  of  money. 

Frances  was  now  about  i8  years  old,  as  she  was  less  than 
five  when  taken  away,  and  a  full  grown  woman.  That  the 
Indians  were  endeavoring  to  secrete  her  there  is  no  doubt, 
for  with  the  efforts  which  were  being  made  by  her  brothers  to 
find  her  and  the  large  rewards  that  they  offered,  she  could  not 
have  remained  in  obscurity  if  there  had  been  any  disposition 
to  give  her  up.  Why  this  desire  to  retain  her?  the  reader 
wall  doubtless  ask.  The  most  plausible  reason  that  can  be 
offered  is  that  she  had  been  adopted  by  an  Indian  family  that 
had  lost  a  daughter  about  her  age,  and  she  had  been  carefully 
reared  according  to  their  custom,  and  had  become  greatly 
endeared  to  her  foster  parents.  And  above  all,  she  had  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  red  hair,  which  became  almost  an  object 
of  worship  to  the  Indians.  These  are  the  reasons,  it  is 
believed,  which  caused  them  to  hold  on  to  her  so  tenaciously; 
and  through  care  and  kindness  she  grew  up  a  thorough  Indian 
and  did  not  want  to  leave  them. 

What  became  of  Mr.  Slocum,  Colonel  Proctor  does  not 
tell  us;  but  he  could  not  have  remained  with  him  long,  or  he 
certainly  would  have  gotten  a  clue  to  the  presence  of  his  sister. 
That  he  still  remained  in  ignorance  of  her  whereabouts  is 
evident,  for  the  early  historians  of  Wyoming  inform  us  that 

*  Rev.  David  Craft,  of  Wyalusing,  Pa.,  in  a  note  to  his  historical  address, 
published  in  Sullivan's  Indian  Expedition,  1779,  page  342,  says: 

Col.  Thomas  Proctor  was  born  in  Ireland,  but  in  early  life  came  to  Phila- 
delphia, where  he  worked  at  the  trade  of  a  carpenter  until  the  beginning  of 
the  war,  when  he  raised  a  company,  was  commissioned  captain  Nov.  27, 
1775,  and  promoted  colonel  from  major  Feb.  6,  1777,  resigned  April  9, 1781, 
and  died  at  Philadelphia  March  16,  1806.  He  was  a  man  of  great  executive 
ability,  and  was  frequently  serviceable  to  the  government  in  other  than 
a  military  capacity.  In  1791  he  was  sent  on  a  mission  to  the  Western  In- 
dians, which  he  performed  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  government. 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  29 

the  brothers  in  1797  undertook  another  expedition  among  the 
western  Indians.  This  they  did  in  obedience  to  the  entreaties 
of  their  mother,  who  had  never  become  reconciled,  but  firmly 
entertained  the  idea  that  her  child  lived,  and  must,  after  all, 
be  found.  Neither  did  the  zeal  of  the  brothers  in  the  search 
decline  with  the  lapse  of  years.  Four  of  them,  now  mature 
men,  and  possessing  ample  means,  entered  the  western  wil- 
derness and  spent  nearly  the  entire  summer  of  1797  in  visiting 
the  Indian  settlements. 

The  following  account  of  these  journeys  is  taken  from  an 
obituary  notice  of  Isaac  Slocum,  *  published  in  The  Witness^ 
at  Indianapolis,  under  date  of  October  27,  1858: 

"  As  soon  as  the  war  had  closed,  Giles  and  William  visited 
Niagara,  taking  with  them  a  drove  of  cattle  to  conceal  the 
object  of  their  visit,  well  knowing  that  if  their  real  business 
should  become  known  she  would  be  kept  out  of  their  way. 
But  they  could  gain  no  intelligence  of  her.  In  1793  another 
brother  visited  Buffalo  to  attend  an  Indian  treaty,  but  was 
equally  unsuccessful. 

"In  1797  four  of  the  brothers,  including  Isaac,  started 
from  Wyoming  with  a  drove  of  cattle  and  a  quantity  of  dry 
goods  on  another  search.  When  they  arrived  at  Seneca  Lake, 
N.  Y.,  three  of  the  brothers  took  the  goods  into  an  open  boat, 
while  Isaac  drove  the  cattle  to  Queenston,  where  they  met 
and  proceeded  together  to  Chippewa,  where  they  again  part- 
ed, Isaac  driving  the  cattle  through  Canada  to  Detroit,  and 
the  others  going  by  water.  When  he  arrived  at  Detroit  he 
was  without  shoes,  nearly  destitute  of  clothing  and  almost 
famished  for  want  of  food.  In  order  to  appreciate  the  trials 
and  sufferings  of  these  brothers  in  search  of  their  sister,  it 
must  be  recollected  that  the  Canadas  and  the  northwestern 
portion  of  the  United  States  were,  in  1797,  little  else  than  an 

*  Isaac  Slocum,  who  outlived  all  his  brothers  and  sisters,  died  at  Belle- 
vue,  Ohio,  Aug.  26,  1858,  in  the  84th  year  of  his  age. 


30  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

unbroken  wilderness,   inhabited  by  wild  beasts  and  savage 
tribes,  with  here  and  there  a  trading  post  or  fort. 

"On  this  trip  through  the  Canadas  Mr.  Slocum  made  a 
diligent  search  among  the  different  tribes,  and  finally  called 
together  five  Indian  traders  and  offered  them  a  reward  of  $300 
if  they  would  find  his  sister  and  bring  her  to  Detroit,  but  all 
in  vain.  He  wept  and  entreated,  and  they  seemed  to  sym- 
pathize in  his  sorrows,  but  after  consultation  among  them- 
selves, told  him  they  could  not  tell  him  if  they  knew  !  They 
were  obliged  to  return  home  without  any  intelligence  of  their 
sister,  after  having  spent  the  whole  summer  in  the  search. 

"  The  following  year  they  made  another  trip  to  the  north 
and  west,  but  with  no  better  success,  and  were  compelled  to 
return  disheartened  and  almost  discouraged. 

"In  the  meantime  the  object  of  their  visits  had  become 
known  among  the  Indians,  and  Frances  was  kept  out  of  the 
way,  and  finally  brought  by  her  Indian  father  to  Fort  Wayne 
and  given  to  a  chief  of  the  Miamis  who  married  her,  she  be- 
ing then  about  twenty-five  years  of  age." 

Dr.  Peck  and  other  writers  inform  us  that  about  this  time 
a  female  captive,  learning  of  the  efforts  made  by  the  Slocums 
to  recover  their  lost  one,  and  hoping  that  she  might  be  recog- 
nized as  the  real  Frances,  came  to  Mrs.  Slocum  and  told  her 
that  she  was  taken  prisoner  somewhere  on  the  Susquehanna 
when  a  child,  and  was  anxious  to  find  her  friends.  She  knew 
not  the  name  of  her  father,  nor  her  own  name,  but  she  had 
come  to  see  if  Mrs.  Slocum  was  not  her  real  mother.  Mrs. 
Slocum  quickly  saw  that  she  was  not  Frances,  but  she  bade 
her  welcome.  "Stay  with  me,"  she  said,  "as  long  as  thee 
pleases;  perhaps  some  one  else  may  extend  the  like  kindness 
to  my  dear  Frances."  The  stranger  remained  a  few  months, 
but  finding  that  none  of  the  attachments  and  sympathies  of 
natural  relationship  existed  between  them,  took  her  depart- 
ure, and  the  Slocums  heard  of  her  no  more. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  3 1 

The  eighteenth  century  had  drawn  to  a  close  and  the 
mystery  surrounding  the  disappearance  of  the  child  remained 
as  deep  and  impenetrable  as  ever  to  her  mother,  brothers  and 
sisters.  Finally  the  mother  went  down  sorrowing  to  the 
grave  without  finding  the  least  trace  of  her  lost  one,  but  left 
with  her  sons  a  solemn  charge  never  to  give  up  the  search  so 
long  as  the  possibility  remained  of  their  recovering  their  sis- 
ter, or  of  learning  the  circumstances  of  her  story  or  fate,  and 
the  sequel  will  show  how  faithfully  they  carried  out  her  dying 
injunction.  Mrs.  Slocum,  borne  down  with  grief  and  years, 
died  May  6,  1807,  aged  71  years,  i  month  and  15  days,  and 
was  laid  beside  her  husband  in  the  graveyard  at  Wilkes- 
Barre,  who  had  preceded  her  28  years,  4  months  and  20  days.« 

Some  years  ago  all  the  bodies  were  removed  from  the  old 
graveyard,  but  there  were  no  remains  of  the  Slocums  to  be 
moved.  Their  memory  is  preserved,  however,  by  the  follow- 
ing inscription  on  the  Slocum  monument  in  the  HoUenback 
Cemetery: 

Jonathan  Slocum, 

With  his  family,  emigrated  from  Rhode  Island  to  Wyoming 

Valley  in  1777.     Was  massacred  at  Wilkes- 

Barre  by  the  Indians  Dec.  16, 

1778,  aged  45  years. 

Ruth  Tripp, 

Wife  of  Jonathan  Slocum,  died  at  Wilkes-Barre 

May  6,  1807,  aged  71  years. 

When  she  died  Frances  had  been  lost  to  her  for  29  years, 
6  months  and  4  days;  and  of  her  ten  children,  all  were  known 
by  her  to  be  living  but  one.  And  that  one  lived  as  a  child  of 
the  forest,  but  she  knew  it  not.  How  inexpressibly  sad  is 
the  story  of  the  life  and  death  of  this  noble  Christian  woman! 
If  it  had  been  vouchsafed  to  her  to  know  that  her  wandering 


32  FRANCES  SLOCUM. 

daughter  lived  on  the  plains  of  the  west,  and  was  well  cared 
for  and  happy,  she  could  have  departed  with  the  conscious- 
ness, at  least,  of  knowing  that  she  had  not  suffered  a  cruel 
death  at  the  hands  of  the  savages.  Mrs.  Slocum  lived  and 
died  greatly  respected  ;  "but,"  says  R.ev.  John  Todd  in  his 
Lost  Sister^  "the  brightest  smile  that  ever  played  upon  her 
lips  was  saddened  by  the  memory  of  her  lost  child.  Probably 
it  was  the  deepest  image  which  time  had  graven  on  her  heart. 
She  slept  in  death  almost  consoled  by  the  belief  that  her  child 
had  long  since  ceased  from  among  the  living.  But  that 
Providence  whose  ways  had  been  so  mysterious  and  whose 
hand  had  covered  the  event  with  so  thick  a  veil,  had  deter- 
mined that  the  veil  should  not  always  remain  drawn  over  it. 
His  eye  and  His  hand  had  guided  the  little  captive,  and  she 
was  not  amono^  the  dead." 


CHAPTER   III. 

AN  INDIAN  TRADER  DISCOVERS  FRANCES  IN  INDIANA — AN 
IMPORTANT  LETTER  AND  STUPIDITY  OF  A  POSTMISTRESS 
— IT  GETS  INTO  PRINT  AT   LAST — MORE   CORRESPONDENCE. 

r^^^ORTY-BlGHT  years  had  now  passed,  and  no  light 
had  been  thrown  npon  the  mysterious  fate  of  the 
abducted  child.  If  living  she  must  now  be  over 
fifty  years  of  age.  The  strange  fate  which  had  befallen  her 
was  the  constant  theme  of  conversation  among  the  brothers 
and  sisters  who  survived,  for  three  of  them  had  passed  away, 
viz:  Giles,  Judith  and  William.  The  latter,  it  will  be  re- 
membered, was  present  when  his  father  and  grandfather  were 
killed,  December  i6,  1778,  and  was  wounded  in  the  heel  by 
a  spent  ball  from  an  Indian  rifle. 

The  six  survivors,  viz:  Ebenezer,  Benjamin,  Isaac,  Joseph, 
Jonathan  and  Mary,  had  not  forgotten  the  dying  request  of 
their  mother  to  keep  up  the  search  until  they  were  satisfied 
what  had  become  of  Frances.  They  were  constantly  on  the 
alert.  Letters  of  inquiry  were  written  and  information  sought 
of  persons  dwelling  in  the  west  and  Canada,  but  still  no  clue 
could  be  obtained. 

Finally,  when  the  mission  among  the  Wyandot  Indians* 
became  a  matter  of  public  interest,  and  the  chiefs  Between- 
the-Logs  and  Me-nun-cu  were  converted,  the  report  that  the 
former  had  a  white  woman  for  his  wife  came  to  their  knowl- 
edge, and  the  idea  of  the  possibility  of  her  being  Frances, 

*  Dr.  Peck's  History  of  Wyoming,  p.  246. 


34  FRANCES   SI.OCUM, 

induced  Mr.  Joseph  Slocum,  attended  by  a  nephew,  to  visit 
the  mission.  Accordingly,  in  1826,  they  made  a  weary  and 
expensive  journey  to  Upper  Sandusky,  and  found  the  woman, 
but  they  were  soon  convinced  that  she  was  not  the  one  whom 
they  sought.  They  were  received  with  great  hospitality  and 
kindly  treated,  and  came  away  deeply  impressed  with  regard 
to  the  influence  of  Christianity  upon  the  moral  character  and 
social  condition  of  these  Indians. 

For  almost  half  a  century  hope  had  been  fondly  cherished 
in  the  minds  of  the  Slocums  of  some  light  being  thrown  upon 
the  history  or  fate  of  Frances,  but  all  efforts  to  gain  informa- 
tion with  regard  to  her  having  utterly  failed,  they  began  to 
despair.  No  wonder.  They  had  spent  much  time  and  thou- 
sands of  dollars;  they  had  made  many  long  and  perilous 
journeys;  they  had  offered  large  rewards  and  enlisted  Indian 
agents  and  traders  in  the  object  of  their  search,  but  not  the 
slightest  trace  of  the  captive  had  yet  been  developed,  notwith- 
standing others  knew  of  her  existence.  And  had  they  known 
when  at  Sandusky  that  they  were  within  two  hundred  miles 
of  her  cabin,  how  joyfully  and  swiftly  would  they  have  hast- 
ened thither ! 

But  the  cup  of  her  destiny  was  not  yet  full.  The  last  that 
the  survivors  of  the  family  knew  of  her  was  that  she  was 
borne  away  on  the  shoulders  of  a  stout  Indian,  on  a  bleak 
November  day  in  1778,  and  as  he  disappeared  in  the  thickets 
of  the  swamp,  the  frantic  shrieks  of  the  child  died  away  in 
the  distance  and  were  heard  no  more.  From  that  sad  moment 
an  impenetrable  cloud  (to  them)  of  darkness  had  enshrouded 
her,  which  all  efforts  on  their  part  failed  to  penetrate.*  How 
appropriate  the  lines  of  the  poet : 

"  They  searched  through  many  a  forest  wild, 
And  swelHng  rivers  crossed  ; 
*  Todd's  lost  sister  p.  110. 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  35 

And  yet  the  years  brought  on  their  wings 
No  tidings  of  the  lost. 

' '  Age  sprinkled  on  their  heads  its  fro.st ; 

They  cherished  still  that  name  ; 
But  from  the  forests  of  the  west         g^  CCO'4  »>  CI 

No  tale  of  Frances  came."  OOiwXoO 

Nearly  sixty  years  had  now  passed.  The  lame  boy  who 
had  been  saved  from  captivity  by  his  mother's  appeal  was 
still  alive,  as  well  as  the  sister  who  had  escaped  savage  ven- 
geance with  her  infant  brother  in  her  arms.  A  thousand 
times  the  family  had  talked  over  the  events  of  that  fearful 
day,  and  the  probability  of  the  removal  of  the  veil  of  mys- 
tery which  enshrouded  the  subject  was  now  becoming  ex- 
ceedingly faint,*  if  it  had  not  wholly  passed  away  ;  the 
search  was  given  over,  and  it  almost  ceased  to  be  a  matter  of 
conversation,  excepting  as  the  capture  of  the  child,  and  the 
great  efforts  which  had  been  made  for  her  discovery,  were 
connected  with  the  history  of  the  beautiful  and  romantic 
valley  in  which  she  once  lived.  More  than  a  generation  had 
passed,  and  the  wonderful  story  was  only  known  to  those 
who  read  brief  sketches  of  it  in  newspapers,  magazines  and 
books. 

This  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  suddenly  startling 
news  of  the  discovery  of  a  white  woman  living  among  the 
Indians  of  a  western  State  was  received,  and  a  new  and  ex- 
citing scene  in  this  wonderful  drama  is  about  to  open  to  our 
vision,  apparently  by  accident,  but  really  under  the  guiding 
hand  of  Providence;  and  a  train  of  circumstances  brought  to 
light  the  whereabouts  of  the  long  lost  Frances,  and  quickly 
revived  the  flickering  spark  of  memory  which  had  almost 
faded  out  of  the  minds  of  her  brothers  and  sisters.  How 
strange  and  yet  how  gratifying  must  this  unexpected  intelli- 

*  Dr.  Peck's  Hist,  of  "Wyoming,  p.  247. 


36  FRANCES   SI.OCUM, 

gence  have  been!  With  what  emotions  mnst  the  news  have 
been  received  !  They  could  scarcely  credit  the  report,  be- 
cause they  had  been  so  often  deceived  before  and  their  hopes 
of  success  dashed  to  earth  just  at  the  moment  they  expected 
to  solve  the  mystery. 

Many  accounts  of  the  discovery  have  been  published,  but 
as  they  are  nearly  all  out  of  print,  and  therefore  inaccessible 
to  the  present  generation,  it  is  deemed  best  to  be  more  explicit 
in  giving  the  details  in  this  narrative,  so  that  our  readers  may 
clearly  comprehend  the  story. 

We  now  take  the  reader  to  Indiana,  in  the  valley  washed 
by  the  Wabash  River  and  its  tributaries.  Here  we  find  Col. 
George  W.  Ewing,  an  Indian  trader,  living  at  Logansport, 
and  carrying  on  a  large  business  with  the  Miami  Indians. 

Colonel  Ewing  having  acquired  the  language  of  this  and 
other  tribes,  and  having  business  with  their  head  men,  often 
made  journeys  through  the  wilderness  and  among  the  Indian 
settlements.  On  one  of  these  journeyings,  when  returning 
from  Fort  Wayne  (Ke-ki-ong-a  of  the  Miamis),  he  was  be- 
nighted at  what  was  known  as  "The  Deaf  Man's  Village," 
situated  on  the  Mississenewa,  a  few  miles  above  its  junction 
with  the  Wabash.  Feeling  the  need  of  a  stopping  place  for 
the  night,  he  asked  for  and  was  kindly  granted  the  hospitality 
of  a  respectable  Indian  cabin.  The  mistress  of  the  dwelling 
was  a  venerable  and  respectable  looking  Indian  woman,  who 
received  him  with  great  kindness  and  strove  to  make  him 
comfortable.  She  presented  a  marked  appearance,  and  he 
noticed  that  great  deference  was  paid  her  by  the  whole  family 
circle,  composed  of  children  and  grandchildren.  Being  weary 
and  rather  indisposed,  after  his  journey  of  the  day,  after 
partaking  of  some  refreshments  provided  for  him,  he  laid 
himself  down  to  rest  on  a  bed  made  of  deer  skins  and  blankets 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  37 

in  a  corner  of  the  room.  The  inmates  soon  disappeared, 
with  the  exception  of  the  venerable  head  of  the  family,  who 
remained  to  attend  to  some  light  household  duties  for  the 
night.  He  could  not  sleep,  and  as  he  tossed  on  his  bed  his 
attention  was  attracted  to  the  aged  woman  as  she  appeared 
before  him.  There  was  something  peculiarly  striking  in  her 
appearance  and  hair^  and  the  more  he  observed  her  the  more 
he  became  impressed  with  the  idea  that  she  might  be  a  white 
woman,  though  she  wore  the  costume  of  the  tribe  and  was  in 
style  and  manners  a  thorough  Indian. 

' '  Night  shrouds  the  western  wilderness — 

A  traveler  is  there  ; 
And  worn  and  wearied  much  he  begs 

The  red  man's  fire  to  share. 

' '  Within  the  hut  sits  one  who  seems 

Of  something  fair  the  wreck  ; 
No  Indian  trace  was  in  her  hair, 

Nor  olive  on  her  neck. 

' '  The  stranger  asked  her  if  her  home 

In  childhood's  day  had  been 
Within  the  red  man's  smoky  hut, 

With  barbarous  kith  and  kin. 

"She  said  the  red  man's  cot  was  not 

The  home  her  childhood  knew; 
Penn's  glorious  sky  once  o'er  her  hung 

Its  canopy  of  blue  ! ' ' 

As  she  moved  about  and  accidentally  bared  one  of  her 
arms  above  the  elbow,  he  noticed  that  the  skin  was  white! 
This  discovery  almost  convinced  him  that  he  was  right  in 
his  conjectures  and  he  commenced  a  conversation  with  her  in 
the  Miami  tongue.  On  gaining  her  confidence  somewhat  he 
pointedly  asked  her  if  she  was  not  a  white  woman  I  This 
question  seemed  to  startle  her  at  first,  and  she  evaded  answer- 
ing it  directly.      But  on  continuing  the  conversation  she  be- 


38  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

came  more  composed  and  confidential,  and  reflecting,  perhaps, 
that  she  had  but  a  short  time  to  live,  she  frankly  told  him 
that  she  ivas  not  an  Indian  ;  she  was  by  birth  a  white  woman. 
Colonel  Ewing  at  once  became  greatly  interested  in  her,  and 
on  pressing  her  to  relate  the  story  of  her  life,  she  told  him 
that  when  a  little  girl  she  had  been  captured  by  the  Indians 
on  the  Susquehanna,  carried  away,  adopted  into  an  Indian 
family  and  reared  by  them.  This  was  a  great  many  years 
ago.  She  had  never  had  any  communication  with  the  whites, 
and  was  taught  to  distrust  them.  She  had  to  all  intents  and 
purposes  become  an  Indian,  and  knew  nothing  about  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  whites.  She  did  not  remember 
her  name  and  could  not  speak  her  mother  tongue.  She 
thought  her  father's  name  was  Slocum,  and  that  he  was  a 
Quaker.  The  recital  of  her  story  greatly  interested  Colonel 
Ewing,  and  the  more  he  thought  over  it  the  more  he  became 
impressed  with  its  mystery. 

In  the  morning  Colonel  Ewing  mounted  his  horse  and 
prepared  to  set  out  on  his  journey  for  Logansport,  some 
twenty-five  miles  away.  He  bade  the  old  lady  and  family 
farewell  with  much  feeling.  In  accordance  with  Indian  cus- 
tom they  refused  to  receive  any  compensation  for  their  hos- 
pitality. As  he  rode  along  and  thought  over  the  strange  story 
that  had  been  related  to  him,  he  became  more  interested,  and 
determined  to  make  some  effort  to  discover  the  friends  of  the 
white  woman.  Reaching  home  he  told  his  mother  what  he 
had  learned.  At  once  the  feelings  of  a  mother's  heart  awoke, 
and  she  urged  her  son  to  write  to  the  Indian  woman's  friends, 
telling  him  that  the  information  would  no  doubt  be  a  source 
of  great  joy  to  them.  But  how  could  he  do  it  ?  She  did  not 
know  where  they  lived — all  she  remembered  was  that  she  had 
been  carried  away  from  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna  when 
a  child. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  39 

After  much  reflection  he  concluded  to  write  to  some  one 
in  the  interior  of  Pennsylvania,  but  as  he  knew  no  one  there, 
he  was  forced  to  abandon  that  idea.  He  then  wrote  a  letter 
and  addressed  it  to  the  postmaster  at  Lancaster,  thinking  that 
inasmuch  as  it  was  an  old  and  important  town,  near  the  Sus- 
quehanna River,  the  postmaster  might  know  if  any  child  had 
been  lost  by  the  earlier  settlers,  and  would  take  sufficient  in- 
terest to  make  the  Indiana  discovery  known.  Following  is 
a  copy  of  the  important  letter  written  by  Col.  Ewing: 

lyOGANSPORT,  Ind.,  Jan.  20,  1835. 

Dear  Sir  :  In  the  hope  that  some  good  may  result  from  it,  I 
have  taken  this  means  of  giving  to  your  fellow  citizens — say  the 
descendants  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  Susquehanna— the  follow- 
ing information;  and  if  there  be  any  now  living  whose  name  is 
Slocum,  to  them,  I  hope,  the  following  may  be  communicated 
through  the  public  prints  of  your  place  : 

There  is  now  living  near  this  place,  an  aged  white  woman,  who 
a  few  days  ago  told  me,  while  I  lodged  in  the  camp  one  night, 
that  she  was  taken  away  from  her  father's  house,  on  or  near  the 
Susquehanna  River,  when  she  was  very  young — say  from  five  to 
eight  years  old,  as  she  thinks — by  the  Delaware  Indians,  who 
were  then  hostile  toward  the  whites.  She  says  her  father's  name 
was  Slocum;  that  he  was  a  Quaker,  rather  small  in  stature,  and 
wore  a  large  brimmed  hat;  was  of  sandy  hair  and  light  complex- 
ion and  much  freckled;  that  he  lived  about  half  a  mile  from  a 
town  where  there  was  a  fort;  that  they  lived  in  a  wooden  house  of 
two  stories  high,  and  had  a  spring*  near  the  house.  She  says 
three  Delawares  came  to  the  house  in  the  daytime,  when  all  were 
absent  but  herself,  and  perhaps  two  other  children;  her  father  and 

*  The  lot  where  Jonathan  Slocum's  house  stood,  and  whence  Frances 
was  taken  Nov.  2,  1778,  is  on  the  corner  of  North  Canal  and  North  streets, 
Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.,  and  is  now  owned  by  Mrs.  Martha  Bennett  Phelps  and 
Mr.  George  Slocum  Bennett,  grandchildren  of  Judge  Joseph  Slocum.  It  is 
vacant,  and  not  a  trace  of  the  original  log  house  remains.  The  spring,  on 
account  of  the  march  of  improvement,  has  entirely  disapiieared.  There 
are  several  manufactories  in  the  vicinity,  the  Lehigh  Valley  railroad  passes 
within  one  block,  and  an  electric  passenger  railway  is  operated  on  Canal 
street. 


40  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

brothers  were  absent  working  in  the  field.  The  Indians  carried 
her  off,  and  she  was  adopted  into  a  family  of  Delawares,  who 
raised  her  and  treated  her  as  their  own  child.  They  died  about 
forty  years  ago,  somewhere  in  Ohio.  She  was  then  married  to  a 
Miami,  by  whom  she  had  four  children;  two  of  them  are  now  liv- 
ing— they  are  both  daughters — and  she  lives  with  them.  Her 
husband  is  dead;  she  is  old  and  feeble,  and  thinks  she  will  not 
live  long. 

These  considerations  induced  her  to  give  the  present  history  of 
herself,  which  she  would  never  do  before,  fearing  that  her  kindred 
would  come  and  force  her  away.  She  has  lived  long  and  happy  as 
an  Indian,  and,  but  for  her  color,  would  not  be  suspected  of  being 
anything  else  than  such.  She  is  very  respectable  and  wealthy, 
sober  and  honest.  Her  name  is  without  reproach.  She  says  her 
father  had  a  large  family,  say  eight  children  in  all — six  older  than 
herself,  one  younger,  as  well  as  she  can  recollect;  and  she  doubts 
not  there  are  yet  living  many  of  their  descendants,  but  seems  to 
think  that  all  her  brothers  and  sisters  must  be  dead,  as  she  is  very 
old  herself,  not  far  from  the  age  of  eighty.  She  thinks  she  was 
taken  prisoner  before  the  two  last  wars,  which  must  mean  the 
Revolutionary  war,  as  Wayne's  war  and  the  late  war  have  been 
since  that  one.  She  has  entirely  lost  her  mother  tongue,  and 
speaks  only  in  Indian,  which  I  also  understand,  and  she  gave  me 
a  full  history  of  herself 

Her  own  Christian  name  she  has  forgotten,  but  sa^^s  her 
father's  name  was  Slocum,  and  he  was  a  Quaker.  She  also  recol- 
lects that  it  was  upon  the  Susquehanna  River  that  they  lived,  but 
don't  recollect  the  name  of  the  town  near  which  they  lived.  I 
have  thought  that  from  this  letter  you  might  cause  something  to 
be  inserted  in  the  newspapers  of  your  country  that  might  possibly 
catch  the  eye  of  some  of  the  descendants  of  the  Slocum  family, 
who  have  knowledge  of  a  girl  having  been  carried  off  by  the  In- 
dians some  seventy  years  ago.  This  they  might  know  from  family 
tradition.  If  so,  and  they  will  come  here,  I  will  carry  them  where 
they  may  see  the  object  of  my  letter  alive  and  happy,  though  old 
and  far  advanced  in  life. 

I  can  form  no  idea  whereabout  upon  the  Susquehanna  River 
this  family  could  have  lived  at  that  early  period,  namely,  about  the 
time  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  but  perhaps  you  can  ascertain 
more  about  it.     If  so,   I  hope  you  will  interest  yourself,  and,  if 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  41 

possible,  let  her  brothers  and  sisters,  if  any  be  alive — if  not,  their 
children — know  where  they  may  once  more  see  a  relative  whose 
fate  has  been  wrapped  in  mystery  for  seventj^  years,  and  for  whom 
her  bereaved  and  afflicted  parents  doubtless  shed  many  a  bitter 
tear.  They  have  long  since  found  their  graves,  though  their  lost 
child  they  never  found.  I  have  been  much  affected  with  the  dis- 
closure, and  hope  the  surviving  friends  may  obtain,  through  your 
goodness,  the  information  I  desire  for  them.  If  I  can  be  of  any 
service  to  them,  they  may  command  me.  In  the  meantime,  I  hope 
you  will  excuse  me  for  the  freedom  I  have  taken  with  you,  a  total 
stranger,  and  believe  me  to  be,  sir,  with  much  respect. 
Your  obedient  servant, 

Geo.  W.  Ewing. 

Though  the  postal  facilities  were  slow  at  that  day,  compar- 
ed with  what  they  are  now,  the  letter  reached  its  destination. 
It  happened  that  Mrs.  Mary  Dickson*  was  the  postmistress, 
and  owner  of  the  Lancaster  Intelligence}'  I  But  strange  as  it 
may  seem,  she  took  no  interest  in  the  letter,  and  throwing  it 
aside  it  laid  for  two  years  among  a  lot  of  old  papers  and  let- 
ters which  were  deemed  worthless.  Here  was  another  of 
those  strange  interpositions,  as  it  were,  to  keep  the  knowledge 
of  the  existence  of  the  captive  from  her  friends.  If  she  read 
the  letter,  her  stupidity  in  not  comprehending  its  importance 
and  the  value  it  would  be  to  her  readers  as  a  strange  Indian 
story,  if  nothing  more,  is  only  equaled  by  that  shown  by 
Col.  Thomas  Proctor  forty-four  years  before,  when  he  met 
Frances  on  the  Allegheny  River  among  the  Seneca  Indians, 
and  wrote  her  name  in  his  journal  after  paying  her  a  small 
sum  of  money,  but  did  not  possess  sufficient  thoughtfulness, 
interest  or  sympathy,  to  impart  the  information  to  her  brother 
Giles,  who  had  met  him  only  three  weeks  before,  and  begged 
his  "  interposition  "  to  recover  her. 

*  The  records  in  the  Department  at  Washin-rton  sliow  that  Mary  Dickson 
was  appointed  postmaster  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  Ai)ril  17,  182i),  and  served  until 
Nov.  19,  1850.  She  was  succeeded,  at  that  date,  by  George  W.  Ilammersley, 
who  served  until  April  -1.  1853,     His  successor  was  Henry  M.  Keig, 


42  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

But  there  was  a  Providence  in  the  discovery  of  the  lost 
one,  and  would  that  Providence,  which  was  concerned  in  the 
first  development,  allow  the  light  to  die  out,  and  the  whole 
matter  to  remain  hidden  from  the  vision  of  those  so  deeply 
interested  in  the  revelation  until  they  should  pass  away  ?  We 
shall  see. 

The  letter  which  the  careless  postmistress  had  treated  so 
indiiferently,  finally  fell  into  the  hands  of  another  person — 
whose  name  is  known — who  at  once  recognized  its  import- 
ance, and  sought  an  opportunity  to  give  it  publicity.  The 
Intelligencer  had  recently  been  sold  by  Mrs.  Dickson,  and  in 
March,  1837,  John  W.  Forney,*  then  a  young  man,  became 
one  of  the  editors  and  publishers,  and  at  once  entered  on 
what  proved  to  be  a  brilliant  career  as  a  journalist  and  politi- 
cian. The  letter  was  handed  to  him  by  the  lucky  finder, 
who  called  his  attention  to  the  suggestion  of  Col.  Ewing. 
Through  his  journalistic  instinct  Forney  at  once  saw  its  im- 
portance and  published  it  in  his  paper. 

Here  Providence  seems  to  have  again  interposed  and, saved 
the  important  letter,  destined  to  unravel  a  great  mystery, 
from  final  oblivion.  And  another  interesting  fact  in  this  con- 
nection is  worthy  of  special  mention.  The  letter  made  its 
appearance  in  a  large  extra  edition  of  the  paper  containing 
some  temperance  documents,  and  these  were  sent  to  the 
clergymen  generally  through  that  part  of  the  State.  One  of 
these  fell  into  the  hands  of  Rev.  Samuel  Bowman, t  a  distin- 
guished Episcopal  minister,  who,  when  a  young  man,  had 
resided  in  Wilkes-Barre,  and  was  acquainted  with  several 
members  of  the  Slocum  family.      He  had  often  heard  from 

*  Ellis  &  Evans'  Hist,  of  Lancaster  Co.,  (1883,)  p.  499. 

t  For  a  very  full  biographical  sketch  of  this  brilliant  and  eloquent  di- 
vine, who  died  an  Episcopal  Bishop  Aug.  3,  1861,  near  Pittsburg,  see  Hist, 
of  Lancaster  County,  Pa.,  by  EUis  &  Evans,  p.  466. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  43 

them  the  melancholy  story  of  the  capture  of  their  sister,  and 
well  knew  the  strenuous  efforts  they  had  made  for  many  long, 
dark  and  weary  years  to  find  her.  He  immediately  mailed 
one  of  these  papers  to  her  brother,  Joseph  Slocum,  who  lived 
at  Wilkes-Barre,  and  the  wonderful  developments  made  by 
the  letter  almost  threw  the  community  into  a  state  of  frenzied 
excitement.  Mr.  Slocum  and  his  friends  wondered  and  pon- 
dered over  the  strange  but  gratifying  news.  INIany  sore  dis- 
appointments had  been  encountered  before,  but  now  Mr. 
Slocum  felt  that  light  was  beginning  to  dawn,  and  that  the 
veil  of  mystery  which  had  concealed  the  fate  of  his  sister  for 
nearly  sixty  years  was  about  to  be  lifted.  It  is  true  there  was 
no  mother  living  to  say  "  Frances  is  yet  alive,  and  I  will  go 
and  see  her  before  I  die!"  but  there  were  brothers,  a  sister, 
and  a  large  circle  of  nephews  and  nieces,  whose  hearts  leaped 
for  joy  at  the  prospect  of  at  least  learning  the  veritable  his- 
tory of  Frances,  who  had  been  for  so  many  years  in  savage 
life,  utterly  lost  to  kindred,  friends  and  civilization.  Her 
father  had  died  a  cruel  death  nearly  fifty-nine  years  before, 
and  almost  twenty-nine  had  passed  since  her  sorrowing  mother 
was  laid  by  his  side. 

The  relatives  at  once  took  steps  to  collect  all  possible  in- 
formation they  could  for  the  purpose  of  verifying  the  story, 
and  a  correspondence  was  at  once  commenced  between  Jona- 
than J.  Slocum,  Esq.,  son  of  Mr.  Joseph  Slocum,  and  Colonel 
Ewing,  as  follows: 

Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.,  Aug.  8,  1837. 
Geo.  W.  Ewing,  Esq., 

^ear  Sir :  At  the  suggestion  of  my  father  and  other  relations, 
I  have  taken  the  liberty  to  write  to  you,  although  an  entire 
stranger. 

We  have  received,  but  a  few  days  since,  a  letter  written  by  you 
to  a  gentleman  in  Lancaster,  of  this  State,  upon  a  subject  of  deep 
and  intense  interest  to  our  family.     How  the  matter  should  have 


44  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

lain  so  long  wrapped  in  obscurity  we  cannot  conceive.  An  aunt 
of  mine — sister  of  mj'-  father— was  taken  away  when  five  years 
old,  bj'  the  Indians,  and  since  then  we  have  onlj^  had  vague  and 
indistinct  rumors  upon  the  subject.  Your  letter  we  deem  to  have 
entirely  revealed  the  whole  matter,  and  set  everything  at  rest. 
The  description  is  so  perfect,  and  the  incidents  (with  the  exception 
of  her  age)  so  correct,  that  we  feel  confident. 

Steps  will  be  taken  immediately  to  investigate  the  matter,  and 
we  will  endeavor  to  do  all  in  our  power  to  restore  a  lost  relative 
who  has  been  sixty  years  in  Indian  bondage. 

Your  friend  and  obedient  servant, 

Jon.  J.  Slocum. 

What  must  have  been  the  surprise  as  well  as  gratification 
of  Col.  Ewing  to  receive  this  letter?  Over  two  years  had 
passed  since  he  had  written  to  the  postmaster  at  Lancaster, 
and  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  he,  in  the  hurry  and  rush 
of  business,  had  almost  forgotten  the  circumstance,  but  he 
had  not.  He  immediately,  as  will  be  perceived  by  the  date, 
replied  as  follows: 

LoGANSPORT,  Ind.,  Aug.  26,  1837. 
Jon.  J.  Slocum,  Esq.,  Wilkes-Barre, 

(Dear  Sir  :  I  have  the  pleasure  of  acknowledging  the  receipt  of 
your  letter  of  the  8th  instant,  and  in  answer  can  add,  that  the 
female  I  spoke  of  in  Januarys  1835,  is  still  alive  ;  nor  can  I  for  a 
moment  doubt  but  that  she  is  the  identical  relative  that  has  been 
so  long  lost  to  your  family. 

I  feel  much  gratified  to  think  that  I  have  been  thus  instrument- 
al in  disclosing  to  yourself  and  friends  such  facts  in  relation  to 
her  as  will  enable  you  to  visit  her  and  satisfy  yourselves  more 
fully.  She  recovered  from  the  temporarj^  illness  b}^  which  she  was 
afflicted  about  the  time  I  spent  the  night  with  her  in  January,  1835, 
and  which  was,  no  doubt,  the  cause  that  induced  her  to  speak  so 
freely  of  her  early  captivity. 

Although  she  is  now,  by  long  habit,  an  Indian,  and  her  man- 
ners and  customs  precisely  theirs,  yet  she  will  doubtless  be  happy 
to  see  an}^  of  you,  and  I  myself  will  take  great  pleasure  in  accom- 
panying you  to  the  house.     Should  you  come  out  for  that  purpose, 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  45 

I  advise  you  to  repair  directly  to  this  place  ;  and  should  it  so  hap- 
pen that  I  should  be  absent  at  the  time,  you  will  find  others  who 
can  take  j-ou  to  her.  Bring  with  you  this  letter;  show  it  to  James 
T.  Miller,  of  Peru,  Ind.,  a  small  town  not  far  from  this  place.  He 
knows  her  well.  He  is  a  young  man  whom  we  have  raised.  He 
speaks  the  Miami  tongue  and  will  accompany  you  if  I  should  not 
be  at  home.  Inquire  for  the  old  white  woman,  mother-in-law  to 
Brouillette,  living  on  the  Mississinewa  River,  about  ten  miles 
above  its  mouth.  There  you  will  find  the  long  lost  sister  of  your 
father,  and,  as  I  before  stated,  you  will  not  have  to  blush  on  her 
account.  She  is  highly  respectable,  and  her  name  as  an  Indian  is 
without  reproach.  Her  daughter,  too,  and  her  son-in-law,  Brou- 
illette, who  is  also  a  half-blood,  being  part  French,  are  both  very 
respectable  and  interesting  people — none  in  the  nation  are  more  so. 
As  Indians  they  live  well,  and  will  be  pleased  to  see  you.  Should 
you  visit  here  this  fall,  I  may  be  absent,  as  I  purpose  starting  for 
New  York  in  a  few  days,  and  shall  not  be  back  till  some  time  in 
October.  But  this  need  not  stop  you;  for,  although  I  should  be 
gratified  to  see  you,  yet  it  will  be  sufficient  to  learn  that  I  have 
furthered  your  wishes  in  this  truly  interesting  matter. 

The  very  kind  manner  in  which  you  have  been  pleased  to  speak 
of  me  shall  be  full}'  appreciated. 

There  are  perhaps  men  who  could  have  heard  her  story  un- 
moved; but  for  me,  I  could  not;  and  when  I  reflected  that  there 
was,  perhaps,  still  lingering  on  this  side  of  the  grave  some  brother 
or  sister  of  that  ill-fated  woman,  to  whom  such  information  would 
be  deeply  interesting,  I  resolved  on  the  course  which  I  adopted, 
and  entertained  the  fond  hope  that  my  letter,  if  ever  it  should  go 
before  the  public,  would  attract  the  attention  of  some  one  inter- 
ested. In  this  it  seems,  at  last,  I  have  not  been  disappointed, 
although  I  have  long  since  supposed  it  had  failed  to  effect  the 
object  for  which  I  wrote  it.  I^ike  you,  I  regret  that  it  should  have 
been  delayed  so  long,  nor  can  I  conceive  how  any  one  should 
neglect  to  publish  such  a  letter. 

As  to  the  age  of  this  female,  I  think  she  herself  is  mistaken, 
and  that  she  is  not  so  old  as  she  imagines  herself  to  be.     Indeed, 
I  entertain  no  doubt  but  that  she  is  the  same  person  that  your 
family  have  mourned  after  for  more  than  half  a  century  past. 
Your  obedient  humble  .servant, 

Geo.  W.  Ewing. 


46  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

The  denouement  had  come.  The  kind  hearted  Indian 
trader  had  made  it  plain  what  course  the  brothers  should 
pursue  to  meet  and  identify  their  long  lost  sister.  That  she 
was  the  person  whom  they  sought,  there  was  scarcely  a  doubt 
any  longer.  Col.  Ewing*  was  justified  in  expressing  his  grat- 
ification at  having  performed  a  duty  in  the  interest  of  Christ- 
ian civilization  which  would  bring  happiness  and  joy  to  many 
households,  and  cause  the  weary  wanderer  in  the  wilderness 
to  realize  the  true  history  of  her  origin,  and  what  became  of 
her  parents,  brothers  and  sisters,  whom  she  dimly  recollected 
as  once  dwelling  on  the  Susquehanna.  The  way  was  now 
plain,  and  the  dramatic  scenes  which  soon  followed  will  be 
related  in  another  chapter. 

*  Alexander,  the  father  of  Col.  Ewing,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  176o, 
but  at  what  place  is  unknown.  He  served  in  the  Revolution;  in  1787  he 
was  a  trader  among  the  Indians  and  established  himself  on  wdiat  is  now 
the  site  of  the  city  of  Buffalo.  A  few  years  later  he  settled  on  a  farm  on 
the  Genessee  Flats.  There  he  married  Charlotte  Griffith  about  1795,  and 
there  his  eldest  son,  Charles  W.  Ewing,  and  a  daughter,  were  born.  Meet- 
ing with  reverses,  Mr.  Ewing  removed  west  in  1802,  and  settled  on  the  river 
Raisin,  in  the  Territory  of  Michigan.  There  three  more  sons,  William  G., 
Alexander  H.,  and  George  W.,  the  discoverer  of  Frances  Slocum,  were  born. 
In  1807  the  family  moved  to  Troy,  near  Piqua,  Ohio,  where  they  lived  until 
1822.  The  elder  Ewing  served  under  Harrison  in  1812-13,  and  was  at  the 
battle  of  the  Thames.  In  1822  he  moved  his  family  to  Fort  Wayne  and 
settled,  and  there  he  died  in  1827.  The  sons  became  extensive  Indian  tra- 
ders and  acquired  great  wealth.  Some  time  in  1830  George  W.  established 
a  trading  post  at  Logansport,  Indiana,  where  he  carried  on  a  large  business. 
In  1846  he  removed  to  St.  Louis.  The  firm  of  William  G.  and  George  W. 
Ewing  became  very  rich.  The  senior  member  left  nearly  a  million  when 
he  died,  and  the  estate  of  the  junior  reached  a  million  and  a  quarter.  He 
died  May  29,  1866,  at  Fort  Wayne,  and  was  buried  in  the  family  tomb  at 
that  place. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

TWO  BROTHERS  AND  A  SISTER  REPAIR  TO  THE  HOME  OF  THE 
CAPTIVE  AND  IDENTIFY  HER — SAD  SCENES  IN  THE  INDIAN 
CABIN    ON    THE    MISSISSINEWA    RIVER. 

S  SPEEDILY  as  possible  it  was  arranged  that  Mr. 
Joseph  Slociim,  then  residing  in  Wilkes-Barre, 
should  proceed  to  Ohio  and  join  his  sister,  Mrs. 
Mary  Towne,  who  lived  in  the  central  part  of  the  State,  and 
push  on  with  her  by  private  conveyance  to  Indiana.  His 
brother  Isaac,  who  had  emigrated  to  Ohio  as  early  as  1823, 
and  located  in  Sandusky  County,  near  Bellevue,  in  Huron 
County,  was  to  meet  them  somewhere  near  the  residence  of 
their  supposed  sister  in  Indiana.  This  was  in  September, 
1837.  Isaac,  who  lived  less  than  200  miles  from  the  village 
of  the  Miamis,  pushed  on  rapidly  and  arrived  in  advance  of 
his  brother  and  sister.  He  was  extremely  anxious  to  meet 
the  captive,  and  becoming  tired  waiting  for  Joseph  and  Mary, 
hunted  up  James  T.  Miller,  the  interpreter,  and  proceeded  to 
the  cabin  of  the  venerable  woman  so  accurately  described  by 
Col.  Ewing.  He  found  her,  to  all  appearance,  a  perfect  In- 
dian. He  had  fixed  in  his  mind  an  infallible  mark  of  distinc- 
tion. Before  she  was  captured,  one  of  her  brothers,  while 
they  were  playing  in  the  blacksmith  shop,  had  struck  the 
fore  finger  of  her  left  hand  with  a  hammer,  and  so  injured 
the  bone  that  the  nail  was  permanently  destroyed,  and  the 
finger  otherwise  disfigured.  She  received  him  with  the  sto- 
ical indifference  of  the  Indian,  and  did  not  manifest  any  sur- 


48  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

prise  at  his  presence.  After  some  conversation  he  observed 
that  her  finger  was  disfigured,  and  taking  hold  of  her  hand 
led  her  to  the  light  and  examined  it  more  carefully.  The 
mark  remained,  with  very  little  change  naturally  caused  by 
the  lapse  of  time  and  ravages  of  age.  With  his  heart  swell- 
ing with  emotion  he  asked  her  through  the  interpreter: 

"  How  came  that  finger  injured  ?  " 

"  My  brother  struck  it  with  a  hammer  in  the  shop,  a  long 
time  ago,  before  I  was  carried  away,"  was  the  answer. 

This  was  conclusive  evidence  to  him  of  her  identity,  and 
he  was  satisfied  beyond  a  doubt  that  the  real  Frances  Slo- 
cum,  for  whom  he  and  his  brothers  had  so  long  searched  in 
vain,  had  been  found.  How  the  memories  of  the  long  ago 
crowded  on  his  mind  and  brought  up  fresh  recollections  of 
the  golden-haired  and  prattling  child.  What  a  supreme  mo- 
ment of  satisfaction,  blended  with  grief  and  sorrow!  She 
stood  before  him  an  aged  Indian  woman  with  wrinkled  face 
and  hair  silvered  by  the  frosts  of  nearly  sixty  years!  She  was 
not  as  his  fond  imagination  pictured  her  in  the  days  of  their 
childhood  on  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna,  but  there  could 
be  no  doubt  of  her  identity.     She  was  Frances. 

While  these  thoughts  were  rushing  through  his  mind,  and 
tears  of  satisfaction  filled  his  eyes,  the  Indian  woman  said 
little  and  betrayed  scarcely  any  emotion.  She  was  suspicious, 
and  evidently  had  no  confidence  in  the  claims  of  the  stranger 
to  be  her  brother.  She  had  been  taught  that  white  men  were 
deceptive  and  wicked,  and  this  belief  was  evidently  well 
grounded  in  her  mind. 

Sadl}^  Mr.  Slocum  turned  away,  bade  her  adieu,  and  re- 
traced his  steps  to  the  town  of  Peru,  nine  miles  distant,  where 
he  anxiously  awaited  the  arrival  of  his  brother  Joseph  and 
sister,  Mrs.  Towne. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  49 

After  several  days  spent  in  deep  solicitude  and  weary 
watching  they  came.  Their  journey  had  been  a  toilsome 
one,  as  most  of  the  way  led  over  corduroy  roads  and  through 
a  country  comparatively  new.  Houses  were  widely  sepa- 
rated and  of  the  most  primitive  character  at  that  day.  Few 
persons  so  far  advanced  in  life — they  were  69  and  62  years  of 
age,  Mrs.  Towne  being  the  elder — could  have  performed 
such  miracles  of  endurance.  But  it  was  hope  and  anxiety 
that  buoyed  them  up.  After  resting  a  short  time  to  recover 
their  wasted  energies,  they  made  preparations  to  proceed  on 
their  way  to  the  house  of  the  lost  sister.  Miller,  the  inter- 
preter, and  a  young  man  named  James  B.  Fulwiler,*  who 
had  recently  settled  in  Peru,  accompanied  them.  Taking  the 
Indian  path — for  there  were  no  fine  roads  up  the  river  like 
there  are  to-day — they  soon  came  to  the  first  Indian  village 
on  the  Mississinewa,  a  short  distance  .above  its  junction  with 
the  Wabash.  Here  a  remnant  of  the  Miami  tribe  lived  in 
small  cabins  scattered  among  the  long  blue  grass  which, 
without  cultivation,  covered  the  luxuriant  soil,  and  the  corn 
fields  needed  but  little  care  and  attention.  During  the  last 
war  these  villages  had  been  burned  by  United  States  scouting 
parties,  but  were  now  restored.  Here  the  travelers  found 
many  Indians.  Some  were  lounging  about  their  huts,  while 
others  were  at  work  in  their  corn  fields,  with  their  ponies 
tied  near  by — for  an  Indian  will  never  walk  if  he  can  ride. 

*  James  B.  Fulwiler  was  born  in  Perry  County,  Pa.,  Sept.  6,  1812.  He 
was  educated  at  Hopewell  Academy  and  Gettysburg  Gymnasium,  now  Penn- 
sylvania College.  His  father,  William  Fulwiler,  was  one  of  the  early  gradu- 
ates of  Dickinson  College,  Carlisle,  where  he  was  born  and  reared,  and  died 
in  1830,  leaving  a  large  estate.  His  paternal  ancestry  is  traceable  through 
centuries  into  Switzerland.  The  mother  of  James  was  a  cousin  of  Hon. 
Jeremiah  S.  Black,  and  a  daughter  of  the  Rev.  James  Black,  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, a  Scottish  divine.  In  1834  the  subject  of  this  notice  settled  in  Peru, 
Indiana,  and  has  resided  thei'e  to  the  present  time.  He  is  a  gentleman  of 
culture,  very  intelligent,  and  an  alderman. 


50  FRANCES   SI.OCUM, 

In  the  field  they  dry  their  corn  and  cook  their  food.  At  night 
they  mount  their  bare-back  ponies  and  go  to  their  wigwams 
to  sleep. 

At  this  point  the  path  turned  to  the  left  from  the  Missis- 
sinewa  and  proceeded  to  the  residence  of  Francis  Godfroy, 
the  last  war  chief  of  the  Miamis.  His  settlement  consisted 
of  some  five  or  six  two-story  log  houses  situated  on  a  rising 
piece  of  ground  not  far  from  the  Wabash  River,  and  was 
called  Mount  Pleasant.  Here  his  great  store  or  trading  post 
was  located.  His  buildings  stood  within  a  square  enclosure 
of  about  half  an  acre.  A  gateway  admitted  them  to  the 
buildings,  which  were  quite  respectable  in  appearance.  On 
entering  the  main  building  the  interpreter  introduced  them 
with  much  gravity  to  the  chief  and  informed  him  of  their 
errand.  He  received  them  with  great  dignity  and  politeness, 
and  proffered  them  every  assistance  in  his  power  to  facilitate 
the  success  of  their  mission.  Godfroy  was  a  noble  looking 
man,  apparently  over  fifty  years  of  age,  majestic  and  solemn 
in  countenance,  and  weighing  over  300  pounds.  He  was 
dressed  in  a  blue  calico  shirt,  which  came  down  to  the 
knees  and  was  profusely  covered  with  ruffles.  Indian  leggins 
covered  his  lower  extremities  from  the  shirt  down.  He 
was  over  six  feet  in  height,  and  when  he  arose,  with  his 
long  hair  gracefully  tied  in  queue  down  his  back,  he  would 
have  made  a  splendid  model  for  an  artist.  Nature  had  done 
much  for  this  man.  He  had  wealth  and  abundance  around 
him,  was  noted  for  shrewdness  and  sagacity,  and  distinguish- 
ed for  his  hospitality. 

After  a  pleasant  visit  the  party  took  their  leave  of  the  chief 
and  hastened  on  a  few  miles  to  what  was  called  the  "Deaf 
Man's  Village  ",  so  named  for  a  deceased  chief  Again  they 
forded  the  Mississinewa,  and  entered  the  village  in  silence. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  5 1 

There  was  an  expectation  of  the  fnlfilhnent  of  hopes  which 
had  been  cherished  for  nearly  sixty  years.  Such  thoughts  as 
these  filled  their  minds:  "Would  she  have  any  family  like- 
ness by  which  they  might  know  her?  Would  she  have  any 
family  recollections  by  which  she  might  be  identified  ?  Would 
she  be  glad  to  see  them,  and  if  proved  to  be  their  sister  would 
she  return  to  the  home  of  her  birth  and  die  where  she  was 
born?     Would  she  be  overcome  at  seeing  them?" 

"  I  shall  know  her  if  she  is  my  sister,"  said  Mrs.  Towne, 
"by  having  lost  the  nail  of  her  left  fore-finger — you,  brother, 
remember  how  you  pounded  it  off  in  the  blacksmith  shop 
about  a  year  before  we  Ipst  her !" 

"  I  do  well  remember  it,"  he  replied,  and  this  was  all  they 
said  until  they  stopped  in  front  of  a  large  log  house,  or  rather 
two  houses  joined  together  by  a  shed.* 

When  the  Slocums  and  party  entered  the  dwelling  they 
found  the  mistress  of  the  house  quietly  sitting  in  her  chair. 
She  received  them  formally,  if  not  coldly,  and  after  the  cere- 
mony of  introduction  by  the  interpreter,  she  did  not  seem 
disposed  to  converse  freely.  In  a  short  time,  however,  she 
relaxed  somewhat  in  her  rigidity,  and  gave  a  brief  account 
of  her  family  and  the  circumstances  of  her  capture  ;  but 
seemed  utterly  unmoved,  and  not  free  from  suspicion  that 
there  was  some  plan  in  operation  to  take  her  away  or  rob  her 
of  what  she  possessed. 


*  Many  accounts  of  the  famous  meeting  have  been  written,  but  tliey 
nearly  all  difi'er,  because  of  the  lapse  of  time  and  the  carelessness  of  the 
writers.  The  best  and  most  reliable  are  those  given  by  Kev.  John  Todd 
and  Rev.  Dr.  Peck,  because  they  derived  their  data  mainly  from  members 
of  the  family,  only  a  few  years  after  the  visit,  and  their  narratives  have 
been  followed,  with  the  addition  of  other  details  which  subsequent  research 
has  developed.  The  former  wrote  nearly  fifty  years  ago,  and  the  latter 
about  thirty-two,  but  their  works  have  nearly  all  disappeared ;  and  when 
found  they  are  discovered  to  be  lacking  in  that  detail  which  the  careful 
reader  would  expect  them  to  have  given. 


52  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

During  this  time  the  brothers  walked  the  floor  with  emo- 
tions too  deep  and  overwhehning  for  utterance,  while  the 
sister  (Mrs.  Towne)  wept  copious  tears.  Their  Indian  sister, 
however,  did  not  change  a  feature  of  her  countenance,  shed 
a  tear  or  show  any  emotion. 

Mr.  Fulwiler  recently  informed  the  writer  that  the  scene 
at  this  juncture  was  the  saddest,  most  pathetic  and  painful 
he  had  ever  witnessed  during  his  long  life  of  nearly  seventy- 
eight  years,  and  he  became  so  deeply  impressed  that  he  was 
compelled  to  leave  the  room. 

The  brothers,  in  their  grief,  seemed  to  ask  themselves  the 
question  :  "Could  it  be  possible  that  this  aged  and  unmoved 
Indian  woman  was  the  dear  little  Frances,  whose  sweet  smiles 
lingered  in  their  memories,  and  which  they  could  scarcely 
identify  with  her  now  ?  Had  she  been  metamorphosed  into 
this  stoical,  iron-hearted  Indian  woman — old,  wrinkled,  and 
cold  as  an  iceberg?" 

But  there  could  be  no  mistake  about  it;  the  proofs  were 
clear,  convincing  and  overwhelming.  She  said  her  father's 
name  was  Slocum:  he  was  a  Quaker,  and  wore  a  broad-brim- 
med hat;  he  lived  near  a  fort  by  a  great  river;  she  had  seven 
brothers  and  two  sisters;  her  brother  hammered  off  her  finger 
nail;  she  was  taken  from  under  the  stairway;  three  Indians 
took  her,  with  several  others,  a  great  many  winters  ago,  when 
she  was  a  little  child.  The  question  of  identity  was  settled. 
Continuing  she  informed  them  that  she  was  now  a  widow. 
Her  husband  was  a  chief  She  had  two  daughters;  the 
younger  of  the  two  had  lost  her  husband;  the  husband  of 
the  elder  was  a  half-breed — his  father  was  a  Frenchman — his 
name  was  Brouillette,  who  managed  the  out  door  affairs  of 
the  family,  subject  always  to  the  views  and  feelings  of  the 
queen   mother-in-law.     The  family  circle  scrupulously   fol- 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  53 

lowed  the  lead  of  the  venerated  head  of  the  household,  mak- 
ing no  advances,  exhibiting  no  emotion.  On  this  occasion 
one  chord  more  tender  than  all  the  rest  was  touched.  The 
long  lost  sister  had  forgotten  her  own  name.  She  was  asked 
if  she  could  remember  it  if  she  would  hear  it  mentioned. 
Her  answer  was:  "  It  is  a  long  time;  I  do  not  know. "  "Was' 
it  Frances?"  asked  one  of  the  party.  Something  like  emo- 
tion instantly  agitated  her  iron-cast  features,  and  it  was  evi- 
dent that  an  idea  was  struggling  through  the  dark  recesses  of 
her  mind,  when  a  smile  illumined  her  countenance  and  she 
answered:  "Yes,  Franca,  Franca!"  The  clouds  of  darkness 
which  had  obscured  her  mind  so  long  were  slowly  rolled  away, 
and  she  recollected  the  endearing  name  of  her  childhood. 

' '  They  found  her  there — the  one  for  whom 

They  searched  as  for  a  gem  ; 
And  sore  they  wept,  as  memory  brought 

The  dreamlike  past  to  them. 

"  But  she  was  calm  and  passionless, 

And  as  a  statue  still ; 
There  were  no  chords  within  her  breast 

At  memory's  touch  to  thrill. 

"  They  questioned  her,  and  asked  her  name  ! 

She  said  she  could  not  tell ! 
They  breathed  that  long  loved  name  to  her— 

She  smiled  and  knew  it  well. 

"  They  wept,  and  wept  with  burning  tears — 

That  could  not  be  repressed  ; 
For  she  was  dark — and  knew  not  e'en 

When  came  the  Day  of  Rest." 

The  painful  situation  changed  a  little,  but  very  slowly. 
The  hospitalities  of  the  house  were  never  denied  to  respecta- 
ble strangers,  and,  of  course,  would  be  offered  to  the  Slocums. 
When  the  conversation  was  concluded  the  Indian  queen  went 
about  her  business,  apparently  with  as  much  indifference  as 

E 


54  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

thoiig-h  nothing  of  interest  had  happened.  The  party  sur- 
veyed the  premises  and  were  pleased  to  find  everything  in 
excellent  order  for  an  Indian  residence.  Returning  from  a 
stroll  they  observed  the  sister  seated  on  the  floor  at  work  at  a 
deerskin,  which  was  nearly  ready  for  use.  She  was  scraping 
the  rough  places  with  a  knife  and  reducing  its  rigidity  by 
friction.  She  paid  little  attention  to  the  strangers,  only  an- 
swering when  addressed  through  the  interpreter.  The  daugh- 
ters evidently  observed  the  strangers  with  interest,  but  Indian 
like,  only  cast  at  them  side  glances  when  they  thought  they 
were  not  observed. 

The  company  proposed  to  the  sister  to  accompany  them, 
with  her  son-in-law  and  daughters,  to  Peru.  She  could  not 
give  them  a  positive  answer  until  she  rode  over  and  consulted 
Chief  Godfroy.  He  advised  her  to  comply  with  the  request, 
assuring  her  that  she  would  be  in  no  danger  from  the  respect- 
able strangers;  that,  being  her  relatives,  they  had  certainly 
visited  her  with  none  other  than  the  most  friendly  intentions. 
Her  hesitancy  before  giving  an  affirmative  answer  showed  the 
cautiousness  as  well  as  suspicion  of  the  Indian.  The  advice 
of  the  chief  assured  her,  however,  and  she  gave  her  consent, 
when  the  party  returned  and  took  supper  together  at  the  ho- 
tel. Before  separating  for  the  night  Frances  promised  to 
again  visit  them  on  the  coming  day,  when  a  more  particular 
account  of  her  capture  and  succeeding  history  might  reasona- 
bly be  expected  from  her. 

In  this  connection  the  following  extract  from  a  letter  writ- 
ten at  Peru,  September  27,  1837,  to  their  friends  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  published  in  the  Wyoming  Republican^  is  given  to 
complete  the  record  of  the  visit  more  fully: 

"  We  arrived  here  on  the  21st  inst.  The  town  is  new  and  flour- 
ishing; situated  on  the  north  side  of  the  Wabash,  a  little  below 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  55 

the  mouth  of  the  Mississinewa,  which  empties  in  from  the  south. 
The  last  twenty-five  miles  was  through  the  Miami  Reserve,  with- 
out any  white  inhabitants.  We  found  Isaac  Slocum  here  awaiting 
our  arrival.  He  had  visited  the  woman  in  the  Reserve,  mentioned 
in  the  letter  of  Mr.  Ewing,  and  is  perfectly  satisfied  that  she  is  the 
sister  taken  captive  in  1778.  The  next  day  we  repaired  to  the 
village  with  Mr.  Miller,  the  interpreter,  together  with  Mr.  Hunt, 
a  half-breed  that  was  educated  at  Col.  Johnson's  school,  in  the 
state  of  Kentucky,  and  another  gentleman .  Fording  the  Wabash 
at  this  place,  we  passed  up  the  river  to  the  Mississinewa,  and  in 
about  five  miles  came  to  an  Indian  town,  surrounded  with  blue 
grass  pasturage  and  corn  fields  intermixed  without  order.  Some 
of  the  natives  were  about  their  houses;  others  were  at  tents  pitched 
in  corn  fields,  gathering  corn,  their  ponies  standing  saddled  near 
the  tents.  Whenever  they  have  any  work  to  do  at  even  so  short 
a  distance  from  their  houses,  they  pitch  a  tent,  cook  and  live  there 
until  the  work  is  done,  a  few  only  returning  to  their  houses  at 
night.  We  soon  after  came  to  the  seat  of  Godfroy,  the  second 
war  chief  of  the  Miamis,  consisting  of  five  or  six  two-storj^  houses, 
within  an  enclosure  of  perhaps  half  an  acre,  which  we  entered 
through  a  gate  wide  enough  for  a  carriage  to  pass.  Upon  enter- 
ing the  house,  we  were  all  introduced  to  the  Chief  by  Mr.  Miller, 
who  told  him  our  business  in  the  nation.  He  received  us  very 
courteously,  and  proffered  us  all  the  assistance  in  his  power.  He 
is  probably  over  50  years  of  age,  of  portly  and  majestic  appear- 
ance, being  more  than  six  feet  high,  well  proportioned  and  weigh- 
ing about  320  pounds.  He  was  dressed  in  leggings  and  a  blue 
calico  shirt  that  came  down  to  the  knee,  profusely  ornamented 
with  ruffles  of  the  same,  his  hair  nearly  half  gray  and  tied  in  a 
queue  hanging  elegantly  down  his  back.  After  taking  leave  of 
the  Chief,  we  proceeded  to  Deaf  Man's  Village,  the  residence  of 
the  captive  woman,  a  distance  of  about  four  miles  further  up  the 
Mississinewa,  where  the  natives  were  employed  in  the  same  way 
as  before  described.  At  one  of  which  we  found  the  husband  of 
the  youngest  daughter  of  the  captive  woman.  He  mounted  his 
pony  and  went  with  us  to  the  village,  where  we  were  introduced 
to  the  captive,  her  two  daughters,  and  Captain  Brouillette,  the 
husband  of  the  elder.  The  girls  are  aged,  one  thirty-three  and 
the  other  twenty-three.  The  youngest  has  three  small  children, 
but  not  by  this  husband.     The  elder  had  two,  but  both  are  dead. 


56  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

Capt.  Brouillette  is  a  half-breed  Indian,  of  elegant  appearance, 
very  straight  and  slim,  and  about  six  feet  high.  Uncle  Joseph  at 
once  recognized  his  sister,  and  after  conversing  with  them  some 
time,  in  the  course  of  which  we  endeavored,  by  all  means  in  our 
power,  to  gain  their  confidence,  it  was  proposed  to  them  to  accom- 
pany us  upon  our  return  to  Peru.  Mr.  Miller  had  to  give  the 
old  lady  very  strong  assurances  that  we  had  no  intention  to  take 
her  away  contrary  to  her  inclination  before  she  would  go;  but  at 
length  she  consented,  and  accompanied  by  her  two  daughters  and 
their  husbands,  she  returned  with  us  to  the  town,  where  they 
then  joined  us  at  the  supper  table  and  appeared  to  be  perfectly  at 
ease.  They  had  now  become  perfectly  satisfied  that  we  were  their 
relations,  and  their  confidence  was  so  much  strengthened  that  she 
felt  justified  in  proffering  us  their  friendship.  This  was  done  by 
one  of  them  placing  on  the  stand  something  wrapped  in  a  white 
cloth,  after  which  they  spoke  with  the  interpreter  in  a  solemn 
manner,  when  he  rose  up  and  said  that  they  were  our  friends,  and 
by  way  of  acknowledging  themselves  as  such,  they  presented  us 
with  a  piece  of  fresh  venison,  which  they  wished  us  to  receive  as 
a  token  of  friendship.  We  then  rose  and  thanked  them  and  re- 
ceived the  token,  Mrs.  Towne  taking  up  the  ham  of  venison  and  re- 
moving the  cloth,  which  made  them  satisfied.  The  next  morning 
they  all  came  to  breakfast  with  us,  and  the  captive  gave  us,  in  the 
course  of  the  day,  all  the  history  of  her  life  which  she  could  recol- 
lect. Mr.  Miller,  to  whom  we  are  greatly  indebted,  and  Mr.  Hunt 
acted  as  interpreters.  I  wrote  down  the  narration  in  the  words  of 
the  interpreter.  There  are  not  many  striking  incidents  in  her  life, 
but  she  and  her  family,  in  their  native  costume,  their  extreme 
simplicity  of  manner,  the  natural  modesty  and  solemnity  of  their 
deportment,  formed  the  most  interesting  group  I  ever  beheld. 
They  are  decidedly  the  most  respectable  family  in  the  nation,  and 
they  are  also  very  wealthy,  having  upward  of  a  hundred  horses 
and  many  cattle  and  hogs.  Capt.  Brouillette  is  the  only  Indian 
who  cultivates  corn  with  the  plow.  He  has  a  yoke  of  oxen,  and 
wagon,  and  frequently  takes  beef  and  other  articles  to  market. 

"Mr.  Miller,  who  has  often  passed  the  night  with  them,  says 
they  live  well.  They  dress  quite  richly,  and  the  old  lady  told  me 
she  had  always  had  plenty  and  lived  happily  with  the  Indians. 
Her  husband  and  two  of  his  children  were  buried  where  she  now 
lives,  and  she  never  can  think  of  leaving  her  present  abode.     I 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  57 

cannot,help  thinking  she  is  right,  for  the  family  appears  to  be  one 
of  the  most  happy  I  ever  saw.  The  two  daughters  have  returned 
to  see  us  several  times.  They  are  sensible  and  wish  to  be  very 
sociable,  but  labor  under  a  great  difficulty  in  not  understanding 
our  language.  The  eldest  presented  Isaac  Slocum  with  a  pajr  of 
moccasins  for  his  wife,  as  he  is  to  leave  soon.  The  confidence 
they  reposed  in  us  seems  to  be  complete  and  the  more  I  see  of 
these  children  of  the  wilderness,  the  more  I  respect  their  character. 
They  have  a  natural  politeness  and  good  feeling  that  cannot  be 
surpassed  in  the  most  polished  circles;  but  this  is  not  shown  until 
they  have  every  confidence  in  those  around  them;  before  that,  in 
the  presence  of  strangers,  they  are  timorous  and  distant.  They 
have  just  taken  leave  of  us  for  home;  it  is  four  o'clock  p.  m.,  but 
they  never  hurry  themselves.  They  frequently  ride  home,  nine 
miles,  most  of  the  way  through  the  woods,  with  as  much  sang 
/void  as  they  would  in  the  day  time." 

To  some  readers  it  may  seem  that  more  sentiment  was 
expressed  over  this  meeting  than  was  warranted  by  the  facts, 
but  they  must  remember  the  extraordinary  and  deeply  mel- 
ancholy circumstances  which  surrounded  the  case.  It  stands 
without  a  parallel  in  American  history.  A  sister  is  carried 
away  in  childhood,  and  after  a  search  extending  through  a 
period  of  nearly  sixty  years,  is  found  by  her  brothers  and  sis- 
ters changed  in  every  respect  into  an  Indian.  She  has  lost 
the  language  of  her  people,  and  the  memory  of  her  parents, 
relatives,  location,  in  fact  everything  pertaining  to  her  early 
life  is  vague  and  uncertain.  Her  perversion  from  civilization 
is  of  interest  to  the  ethnologist  as  well  as  to  those  who  may 
look  at  it  from  a  sentimental  standpoint. 

The  following  extract  from  a  letter  written  by  the  late 
Hon.  Hendrick  B.  Wright,  under  date  of  Dec.  31,  1877,  and 
addressed  to  Mrs.  Lord  Butler,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  gives  another 
version  of  how  Frances  Slocum  (her  aunt)  came  to  reveal  the 
secret  of  her  history  to  Colonel  Bwing.     Colonel  Wright  says: 

"While  in  Congress,  the  XXXIII,  I  think,  and  probably  in 
the  year  1853,  a  gentleman  of  remarkably  agreeable  and  pleasant 


58  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

deportment  called  on  me  at  my  hotel,  in  Washington,  and  intro- 
duced himself  as  George  W.  Ewing,  of  lyOgansport,  Indiana.  He 
said  that  he  had  been  informed  that  I  represented  the  Wilkes-Barre 
district  of  Pennsylvania,  and  he  had  come  to  speak  to  me  on  the 
subject  of  Frances  Slocum,  if  agreeable  to  me.  I  told  him  that  I 
was  very  glad  that  he  had  called  on  me,  and  nothing  could  please 
me  more  than  to  have  a  narrative  from  his  own  mouth  of  a  matter 
which  I,  in  common  with  all  the  people  of  Wilkes-Barre,  and 
especially  the  Slocum  family,  which  was  numerous  and  highl}- 
respected,  felt  so  much  interest. 

' '  Colonel  Kwing  said  that  he  had  been  on  an  excursion  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  Deaf  Man's  Village,  the  residence  of  the  white 
woman,  widow  of  the  chief  whose  name  gave  the  title  to  the  vil- 
lage, was  belated,  and  darkness  coming  on,  he  concluded  to  remain 
over  night  at  the  house.  He  knew  her  well,  and  could  speak  the 
language  of  the  people  of  her  tribe.  She  provided  me  with  a  good 
supper  and  ordered  wood  to  be  piled  on  the  big  hearth,  which  sur- 
prised me,  as  our  supper  was -over  and  the  Indian  bed-time  had 
arrived.  After  sitting  a  half  hour  or  so,  and  talking  over  ordinary 
matters  about  her  family,  her  crops  and  her  cattle,  and  that  she 
was  well  off  in  the  necessaries  of  life,  I  told  her  that  I  would  retire 
to  my  bed.  She  said  '  No,  I  have  something  on  my  mind.  I  am 
old  and  weak.  I  shan't  live  long,  and  I  must  tell  it.  I  can't  die 
in  peace  if  I  don't.' 

' '  The  Colonel  said  that  here  followed  a  long  pause,  during 
which  she  kept  her  e5^es  constantly  on  the  fire  and  her  body  mov- 
ing back  and  forth  in  her  big  arm  chair,  apparently  in  pain,  at 
least  in  great  agitation  of  mind.  I  did  not  wish  to  break  the  long 
silence.     The  famil}'  had  all  left  us;  she  and  I  were  alone. 

"In  this  condition  she  remained  at  least  a  half  hour.  My 
mind  was  in  an  excitable  state,  for  I  could  not  of  course  divine 
what  the  secret  was  that  she  would  disclose.  Finally  she  motioned 
with  her  hand  to  the  stairs,  and  before  I  reached  the  door  she  said, 
'  Come  back,  I  must  tell  it.'  I  came  back  and  seated  myself.  A 
half  hour  more  elapsed  and  no  sound  came  from  the  woman's  lips. 
I  at  last  told  her  she  could  reveal  it  to  me  at  another  time.  '  No, 
no,'  she  replied,  'I  may  die,  I  may  die;  and  then  I  will  have  no 
rest  in  the  Spirit  World  ! ' 

' '  She  said  she  did  not  wish  to  keep  her  secret  for  any  other 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  59 

person,  because  if  she  made  it  public  her  friends  would  come  and 
carry  her  away  from  her  home,  and  she  wouldn't  endure  it — it 
would  kill  her. 

"  I  now  began  to  understand  that  her  secret  had  reference  to  the 
subject  that  it  finally  resulted  in. 

' '  I  then  assured  her  that  I  would  protect  her  in  any  attempt  to 
remove  her  from  her  home  or  separate  her  from  her  children.  Col. 
Ewing  then  stated  that,  with  great  hesitancy,  she  proceeded  with 
her  story,  stopping  often  with  her  hand  to  her  ear,  and  turning 
her  head  half  round,  as  though  some  one  was  eavesdropping. 

"  When  she  had  completed  the  narrative  she  said:  'There,  now, 
I  can  die.  Oh  !  you  don't  know  how  this  has  troubled  me;  some- 
thing all  the  time  whispered  in  my  ear,  you  must  do  it — you  must 
do  it,  and  now  it  is  done — and  the  great  load  I  have  carried  over 
fifty  5^ears  is  off  my  shoulders;  I  am  a  free  woman  !' 

"  I  have  given  as  exact  a  statement  as  I  remember,  related  to 
me  by  Col.  Ewing  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago.  I  am  almost  cer- 
tain that  what  I  have  written  has  never  before  been  offered  in  con- 
nection with  the  thrilling  narrative  of  the  captivity  and  life  of 
Frances  Slocum.  The  events  of  it  will  be  read  with  interest  by 
the  people  of  this  valley  [Wyoming]  in  centuries  to  come — and 
long  after  the  Indian  race  has  become  extinct — and  not  one  of 
them  lives  to  repeat  the  traditions  of  their  exploits  on  the  war 
path,  and  their  wrongs  bj'  a  higher  race  of  civilized  men. 

"  Colonel  Ewing'sname  will  be  blended  with  the  story  of  Fran- 
ces Slocum.  When  I  met  him  he  may  have  been  forty  years  of 
age — of  a  tall,  well  built  frame;  very  fine  personal  appearance — 
intelligent  and  sociable.  From  this  acquaintance,  thus  com- 
menced, I  would  often  spend  leisure  hours  with  him  with  much 
satisfaction,  and  our  meetings,  sooner  or  later,  would  always  chal- 
lenge some  conversation  about  poor  Frances  Slocum." 

The  statements  of  Colonel  Ewing  as  to  her  hesitancy,  and 
the  extreme  caution  she  observed  before  relating  her  sad  story, 
differ  somewhat  from  the  version  he  previously  gave,  but  in- 
stead of  detracting  from  the  interest  of  the  narrative  they 
increase  it,  and  make  it  more  pathetic.  Her  course  also 
shows  how  she  had  been  taught  by  the  Indians  to  keep  her 


6o  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

secret,  and  made  to  believe  that  if  her  friends  among  the 
white  people  came  to  know  of  her  existence,  they  would  come 
and  tear  her  away  from  her  true  friends — those  who  had  rear- 
ed, protected  and  defended  her.  But  the  weight  of  the  secret 
of  her  life  increased  on  her  mind  with  advancing  years,  and 
when  she  felt  that  the  end  was  near,  she  could  not  rest  happily 
until  she  had  revealed  it. 


CHAPTER   V. 

A  REMARKABLE  INTERVIEW — FRANCES  RELATES  THE  STORY 
OF  HER  LIFE  AND  WANDERINGS — SHE  POSITIVELY  REFUSES 
TO   RETURN   TO   THE   HOME   OF   HER   CHILDHOOD. 

:)T  WAS  Saturday  evening  when  the  party  returned  to 
Peru  from  this  memorable  visit,  and  their  feelings  can 
be  better  imagined  than  described.  They  slept  very 
little  that  night.  '  Their  thoughts  constantly  dwelt  upon  the 
strange  scenes  they  had  witnessed  in  the  Indian  domicile  on 
the  banks  of  the  Mississinewa,  and  they  could  not  refrain 
from  talking  about  their  sister  and  the  life  she  had  lived 
among  the  Indians.  They  longed  to  learn  more  particulars 
of  her  history,  and  the  dawning  of  the  morrow  w^as  anxiously 
awaited.  Would  she  come,  as  she  had  promised  ?  was  the 
question  which  agitated  their  minds.  There  was  only  one 
drawback  to  the  circumstance  of  the  meeting,  and  that  was 
the  fact  that  the  day  fixed  upon  was  Sunday.  And  was  it 
possible,  they  reasoned,  that  Frances  had  lost  all  idea  of  the 
sacredness  of  the  day,  and  did  not  know  when  Sunday  came? 
Here  was  an  evidence  to  them  that  she  had  become  an  Indian 
in  everything  excepting  her  parentage,  and  that  she  was  in 
fact  a  pagan.  Nothing  else  could  have  been  expected,  and 
yet  this  fact  seemed  as  surprising  as  it  was  distressing  to  her 
brothers  and  sister. 

At  length  the  day  arrived,  and  true  to  her  promise,  Fran- 
ces, accompanied  by  her  son-in-law  and  two  daughters,  came 
riding  in  single  file,  on  their  Indian  ponies,  and  presented 


63  FRANCES   SI.OCUM, 

themselves  before  the  door  of  the  new  hotel*  in  Peru.  It 
was  a  strange  looking  cavalcade.  They  were  decked  in  gay 
barbaric  apparel,  as  was  the  Indian  custom  when  an  impor- 
tant meeting  was  to  take  place,  and  attracted  the  attention  of 
the  residents  of  the  town.  It  was  true  they  were  accustomed 
to  see  parties  of  Indians,  as  hundreds  lived  in  this  section  of 
the  State,  but  the  movement  on  this  occasion  indicated  that 
something  unusual  was  going  on,  and  the  town  was  all  astir. 

The  brothers  met  them  at  the  door  with  great  cordiality, 
requested  them  to  alight,  and  conducted  them  into  the 
house  and  made  arrangements  for  their  comfort.  But,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  Miamis — and  in  fact  nearly  all 
Indians — before  any  intimacy  could  be  established  it  was 
necessary  to  give  and  receive  a  formal  pledge  of  friendship; 
therefore,  when  they  were  all  assembled,  the  oldest  daughter 
brought  in  a  package  rolled  up  in  a  clean  white  cloth,  which 
she  laid  upon  the  table,  and  then,  through  the  interpreter, 
solemnly  presented  it  as  a  pledge  of  their  confidence  and 
friendship.  Mrs.  Towne  was  then  told  to  receive  it,  which 
she  did.  On  removing  the  cloth  the  hind  quarter  of  a  deer 
was  found,  which  they  had  probably  just  hunted  and  killed 
for  this  purpose.  Still  they  were  not  satisfied  till  the  brothers 
and  sister  had  as  solemnly  received  it  as  a  token  of  friendship 
and  kindness  on  their  part.  This  being  done,  and  the  present 
taken  possession  of  by  the  civilized  sister,  they  seemed  at  ease 
and  from  that  moment  gave  their  new  friends  their  entire 
confidence.  The  ceremony  was  beautiful  and  impressive, 
and  was  recognized  among  those  rude  people  as  the  seal  of 
faith. 

The  best  provisions  were  now  made  for  the  entertainment 

*  According  to  the  recollection  of  J.  B.  Fulwiler,  Esq.,  this  hotel  stood 
on  what  is  now  the  site  of  the  elegant  Bearss  House. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  63 

of  Frances  and  the  members  of  her  family,  and  she  soon  be- 
came more  at  ease,  and  listened  with  interest  to  a  history  of 
the  Slocnm  family.  They  told  her  how  her  father  was  cruelly 
murdered  by  Indians  less  than  two  months  after  her  capture, 
and  the  deep  anxiety  of  their  mother,  while  she  lived,  to  learn 
the  fate  of  her  lost  child;  how  her  brothers  had  searched  for 
her  in  vain,  and  how  they  had  learned  of  her  whereabouts 
thrpugh  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Ewing,  They  assured  her  that 
Mrs.  Towne  was  the  sister  who  ran  away  to  the  fort  with  her 
little  brother  in  her  arms,  and  that  Joseph  Slocum,  now  be- 
fore her,  was  that  very  brother!  This  seemed  to  make  a  deep 
impression  on  her  mind,  as  she  listened  carefully  to  the  par- 
ticulars as  they  were  communicated  to  her  through  the  inter- 
preter. In  due  time  preparations  were  made  to  take  down  in 
writing  her  Indian  history.  To  this  she  seemed  to  have  some 
aversion,  until  the  reasons  for  it  were  fully  explained  by  Mr. 
Miller,  the  interpreter,  when  she  consented. 

This  was  a  most  extraordinary  meeting,  and  excited  un- 
usual interest  in  the  community.  Many  of  the  residents  of 
Peru — several  of  whom  are  yet  living — knew  Frances  as  the 
"old  white  woman,"  but  none  of  them  at  that  time  knew 
that  her  history  partook  of  such  a  romantic  character.  The 
people  gathered  in  and  around  the  hotel,  gazing  upon  the 
strangers  and  listening  with  amazement  and  wonder.  They 
crowded  the  doors  and  windows  and  so  interrupted  the  free 
circulation  of  the  air  that  the  Indian  party,  so  accustomed  to 
the  free  atmosphere  of  the  woods  and  the  prairies,  were  almost 
suffocated.  The  food  cooked  by  civilized  methods  was  un- 
palatable to  them  and  they  did  not  relish  it.  The  circum- 
stances and  the  surroundings  had  a  depressing  effect  upon 
Frances,  and  she  sought  relief  in  accordance  with  the  cus- 
toms of  savage  life.      She  slipped  away  quietly,   and  a  few 


64  FRANCEvS  SLOCUM, 

minutes  afterwards  was  found  with  her  blanket  pulled  over 
her  head,  lying  on  the  stoop  fast  asleep  ! 

After  a  rest  the  conference  was  resumed,  when  the  follow- 
ing questions  were  asked  and  answers  given  :  * 

"  Were  you  ever  tired  of  living  with  the  Indians?" 

"No;  I  always  had  enough  to  live  on,  and  have  lived 
well.     The  Indians  always  used  me  kindly." 

"Did  you  know  that  you  had  white  relations  who  were 
seeking  you  for  so  many  years?" 

"No;  no  one  told  me,  and  I  never  heard  of  it.  I  never 
thought  anything  about  my  white  relations,  unless  it  was  a 
little  while  after  I  was  taken." 

"  Do  you  remember  when  you  were  taken  away?" 

"  I  can  well  remember  the  day  when  the  Delaware  Indians 
came  suddenly  to  our  house.  I  remember  that  they  killed 
and  scalped  a  man  near  the  door,  taking  the  scalp  with  them. 
They  then  pushed  the  boy  through  the  door;  he  came  to  me 
and  we  both  went  and  hid  under  the  staircase.  They  went 
up  stairs  and  rifled  the  house,  though  I  cannot  remember 
what  they  took,  except  some  loaf  sugar  and  some  bundles. 
I  remember  that  they  took  me  and  the  boy  on  their  backs 
through  the  bushes.  I  believe  the  rest  of  the  family  had 
fled,  except  my  mother. 

"They  carried  us  a  long  way,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  to  a 
cave,  where  they  had  left  their  blankets  and  traveling  things. 
It  was  over  the  mountain  and  a  long  way  down  on  the  other 
side.  Here  they  stopped  while  it  was  yet  light,  and  there  we 
staid  all  night.  I  can  remember  nothing  about  that  night, 
except  that  I  was  very  tired,  and  lay  down  on  the  ground  and 
cried  till  I  was  asleep.  The  next  day  we  set  out  and  traveled 
many  days  in  the  woods  before  we  came  to  a  village  of  In- 

*  Dr.  Peck's  Wyoming,  p.  2(>1,  and  Todd's  Lost  Sister,  p.  132. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  65 

dians.  When  we  stopped  at  night  the  Indians  would  cut 
down  a  few  boughs  of  hemlock  on  which  to  sleep,  and  then 
make  up  a  great  fire  of  logs  at  their  feet,  which  lasted  all 
night.  When  they  cooked  anything  they  stuck  a  stick  in  it 
and  held  it  to  the  fire  as  long  as  they  chose.  They  drank  at 
the  brooks  and  springs,  and  for  me  they  made  a  little  cup  of 
white  birch  bark,  out  of  which  I  drank.  I  can  only  remem- 
ber that  they  staid  several  days  at  this  first  village,  but  where 
it  was  I  have  no  recollection. 

"After  they  had  been  here  some  days,  very  early  one 
morning  two  of  the  same  Indians  took  a  horse  and  placed  the 
boy  and  me  upon  it,  and  again  set  out  on  their  journey.  One 
went  before  on  foot  and  the  other  behind,  driving  the  horse. 
In  this  way  we  traveled  a  long  way  till  we  came  to  a  village 
where  these  Indians  belonged.  I  now  found  that  one  of  them 
was  a  Delaware  chief  by  the  name  of  Tuck  Horse.  This  was 
a  great  Delaware  name,  but  I  do  not  know  its  meaning.  We 
were  kept  here  some  days,  when  they  came  and  took  away 
the  boy*  and  I  never  saw  him  again,  and  do  not  know  what 
became  of  him. 

"  Early  one  morning  this  Tuck  Horse  came  and  took  me, 
and  dressed  my  hair  in  the  Indian  way,  and  then  painted  my 
face  and  skin.  He  then  dressed  me  in  beautiful  wampum 
beads,  and  made  me  look,  as  I  thought,  very  fine.  I  was 
miich  pleased  with  the  beautiful  wampum.  We  then  lived 
on  a  hill,  and  I  remember  he  took  me  by  the  hand  and  led 
me  down  to  the  river  side  to  a  house  where  lived  an  old  man 
and  woman.  They  had  once  several  children,  but  now  they 
were  all  gone — either  killed  in  battle,  or  having  died  very 
young.     When  the  Indians  thus  lose  all  their  children  they 

*  This  was  Kingsley.  It  has  been  shown  that  in  course  of  time  he  re- 
turned from  captivity,  married,  and  finally  died  in  Rhode  Island. 


66  FRANCES   SI.OCUM, 

often  adopt  some  new  child  as  their  own,  and  treat  it  in  all 
respects  like  their  own.  This  is  the  reason  why  they  so  often 
carry  away  the  children  of  white  people.  I  was  brought  to 
these  old  people  to  have  them  adopt  me,  if  they  would.  They 
seemed  unwilling  at  first,  but  after  Tuck  Horse  had  talked 
with  them  awhile,  they  agreed  to  it,  and  this  was  my  home. 
They  gave  me  the  name  of  We-let-a-ivash^  which  was  the 
name  of  their  youngest  child  whom  they  had  latel}^  buried. 
It  had  now  got  to  be  the  fall  of  the  year  (1779),  for  chestnuts 
had  come.  The  Indians  were  very  numerous  here,  and  here 
we  remained  all  the  following  winter.  The  Indians  were  in 
the  service  of  the  British,  and  were  furnished  by  them  with 
provisions.  They  seemed  to  be  the  gathered  remnants  of 
several  nations  of  Indians.  I  remember  that  there  was  a  fort* 
here.  In  the  spring  I  went  with  the  parents  who  had  adopted 
me,  to  Sandusky,  where  we  spent  the  next  summer;  but  in 
the  fall  we  returned  again  to  the  fort — the  place  where  I  was 
made  an  Indian  child — and  here  we  spent  the  second  winter, 
[1780].  In  the  next  spring  we  went  down  to  a  large  river, 
which  is  Detroit  River,  where  we  stopped  and  built  a  great 
number  of  bark  canoes.  I  might  have  said  before,  that  there 
was  war  between  the  British  and  the  Americans,  and  that  the 
American  army  had  driven  the  Indians  around  the  fort  where 
I  was  adopted.  In  their  fights  I  remember  the  Indians  used 
to  take  and  bring  home  scalps,  but  I  do  not  know  how  many. 
When  our  canoes  were  all  done  we  went  up  Detroit  River, 
where  we  remained  about  three  years,  I  think  peace  had 
now  been  made  between  the  British  and  Americans,  and  so 
we  lived  by  hunting,  fishing,  and  raising  corn.  The  reason 
why  we  staid  here  so  long  was,  that  we  heard  that  the  Amer- 

*  There  can  be  little  doubt  that  the  place  she  describes  was  Fort  Niagara 
on  the  river  of  the  same  name,  which  Avas  the  concentrating  point  at  that 
time. 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  67 

icans  had  destroyed  all  our  villages  and  corn  fields.  After 
these  years  my  family  and  another  Delaware  family  removed 
to  Ke-ki-ong-a  [now  Fort  Wayne].  I  don't  know  where  the 
other  Indians  went.  This  was  now  our  home,  and  I  suppose 
we  lived  here  as  many  as  twenty-six  or  thirty  years.  I  was 
there  long  after  I  was  full  grown,  and  1  was  there  at  the  time 
of  Harmar's  defeat.  At  the  time  this  battle  was  fought  the 
women  and  children  were  all  made  to  run  north.  I  cannot 
remember  whether  the  Indians  took  any  prisoners,  or  brought 
home  any  scalps  at  this  time.  After  the  battle  they  all  scat- 
tered to  their  various  homes,  as  was  their  custom,  till  gath- 
ered again  for  some  particular  object.  I  then  returned  again 
to  Ke-ki-ong-a.  The  Indians  who  returned  from  this  battle 
were  Delawares,  Pottawatamies,  Shawnese  and  Miamis. 

"I  was  always  treated  well  and  kindly;  and  while  I  lived 
with  them  I  was  married  to  a  Delaware.  *  He  afterwards  left 
me  and  the  country,  and  went  west  of  the  Mississippi.  The 
Delawares  and  Miamis  were  then  all  living  together.  I  was 
afterwards  married  to  a  Miami,  a  chief,  and  a  deaf  man.  His 
name  was  She-pan-can-ah.  After  being  married  to  him  I 
had  four  children — two  boys  and  two  girls.  My  boys  both 
died  while  young.  The  girls  are  living  and  are  here  in  this 
room  at  the  present  time. 

"I  cannot  recollect  much  about  the  Indian  wars  with  the 
whites,  which  were  so  common  and  so  bloody.  I  well  re- 
member a  battle  and  a  defeat  of  the  Americans  at  Fort  Wash- 

*  The  statement  by  some  writers  that  her  first  husband  was  Little  Tur- 
tle is  incorrect.  This  celebrated  chief  was  born  a  few  miles  north-east  of 
Fort  Wayne  in  1747.  His  mother  was  a  Mohican  woman.  On  the  death 
of  his  father  he  became  chief  of  the  Miamis.  He  died  at  Fort  Wayne  July 
24,  1812,  and  was  succeeded  by  Pe-che-wa,  commonly  called  John  B.  Rich- 
ardville.  His  father  was  a  Frenchman  and  his  mother  was  a  sister  of  Little 
Turtle.  He  was  born  about  1761,  and  died  at  Fort  Wayne  in  1841,  and  was 
buried  by  the  Catholics  of  that  place.  A  monument  marks  his  grave.  He 
is  the  famous  chief  of  whom  it  is  said  "  he  never  took  or  offered  a  bribe !" 


68  FRANCES   SI.OCUM, 

ington,  which  is  now  Cincinnati.  I  remember  how  Wayne, 
or  '  Mad  x\nthony,'  drove  the  Indians  away  and  bnilt  the  fort. 
The  Indians  then  scattered  all  over  the  country,  and  lived 
upon  game,  which  was  very  abundant.  After  this  they  en- 
camped all  along  on  Eel  River.  After  peace  was  made  we  all 
returned  to  Fort  Wayne  and  received  provisions  from  the 
Americans,  and  there  I  lived  a  long  time. 

"  I  had  removed  with  my  family  to  the  Mississinewa  River 
some  time  before  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe.  The  Indians  who 
fought  in  that  battle  were  the  Kickapoos,  Pottawatamies  and 
Shawnese.  The  Miamis  were  not  there.  I  heard  of  the  bat- 
tle on  the  Mississinewa,  but  my  husband  was  a  deaf  man,  and 
never  went  to  the  wars,  and  I  did  not  know  much  about 
them. ' ' 

At  the  conclusion  of  this  account  of  her  capture,  life  and 
wanderings  with  the  Indians  for  so  many  years,  there  was  a 
pause  for  a  few  minutes.  Every  one  present  seemed  deeply 
impressed  with  the  story  and  the  simple,  artless  manner  in 
which  it  was  related.  In  a  short  time  the  conversation  was 
resumed : 

"We  live  where  our  father  and  mother  used  to  liv^  on 
the  banks  of  the  beautiful  Susquehanna,  and  we  want  you  to 
return  with  us;  we  will  give  you  of  our  property,  and  you 
shall  be  one  of  us  and  share  all  that  we  have.  You  shall  have 
a  good  house  and  everything  you  desire.  Oh,  do  go  back 
with  us!" 

"  No,  I  cannot,"  was  the  sad  but  firm  reply.  "  I  have  al- 
ways lived  with  the  Indians;  they  have  always  used  me  very 
kindly;  I  am  used  to  them.  The  Great  Spirit  has  always 
allowed  me  to  live  with  them,  and  I  wish  to  live  and  die  with 
them.  Your  wah-puh-mone  [looking  glass]  may  be  longer 
than  mine,  but  this  is  my  home.      I  do  not  wish  to  live  any 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  69 

better,  or  anywhere  else,  and  I  think  the  Great  Spirit  has 
permitted  me  to  live  so  long  because  I  have  always  lived  with 
the  Indians,  I  should  have  died  sooner  if  I  had  left  them. 
My  husband  and  my  boys  are  buried  here,  and  I  cannot  leave 
them.  On  his  dying  day  my  husband  charged  me  not  to  leave 
the  Indians.  I  have  a  house  and  large  lands,  two  daughters, 
a  son-in-law,  three  grand-children,  and  everything  to  make 
me  comfortable;  why  should  I  go  and  be  like  a  fish  out  of 
water?" 

Her  reasons  for  not  consenting  to  return  were  wise  as  well 
as  strong,  when  viewed  in  their  true  light.  She  would  have 
been  an  object  of  curiosity  and  therefore  ill  at  ease  among 
strangers.  Too  old  to  adapt  herself  to  the  usages  of  civilized 
life,  she  clearly  realized  that  her  new  condition  would  not  be 
a  happy  one,  and  she  aptly  clinched  the  argument  by  com- 
paring herself  in  that  event  to  a  "fish  out  of  water"  — 
meaning  that  she  would  soon  die.  In  this  connection  how 
appropriate  are  the  beautiful  lines  of  Mrs.  E.  L.  Schermer- 
horn,  entitled  the  "White  Rose  of  Miami": 

"  Let  me  stay  at  my  home,  in  the  beautiful  West, 
Where  I  pla3^ed  when  a  child, — in  my  age  let  me  rest; 
Where  the  bright  prairies  bloom  and  the  wild  waters  play, 
In  the  home  of  my  heart,  dearest  friends,  let  me  .stay. 

"  O,  here  let  me  stay,  where  my  Chief,  in  the  pride 
Of  a  brave  warrior-youth,  wandered  forth  by  my  side! 
Where  he  laid  at  my  feet  the  young  hunter's  best  prey. 
Where  I  roamed  a  wild  huntress, — O  friends,  let  me  stay! 

"  Let  me  stay  where  the  prairies  I've  oft  wandered  through, 
While  my  mocca.sins  brushed  from  the  flowers  the  dew: — 
Where  my  warrior  would  pluck  the  wild  blossoms  and  say, — 
His  White  Rose  was  the  fairest, — O,  here  let  me  stay  ! 

"  O,  here  let  me  stay  !  where  bright  plumes  from  the  wing 
Of  the  bird  that  his  arrow  had  pierced,  he  would  bring  ; 


70  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

Where,  in  parting  for  battle,  he  softly  would  sa}^ 

'  'Tis  to  shield  thee  I  fight', — O,  with  him  let  me  stay  ! 

"I^et  me  sIslj,  though  the  strength  of  mj'  Chieftain  is  o'er, 
Though  his  warriors  he  leads  to  the  battle  no  more  ; 
He  loves  through  the  woods,  a  wild  hunter  to  stray, 
His  heart  clings  to  home, — O,  then,  here  let  me  stay  ! 

"Let  me  stay  where  my  children  in  childhood  have  played, 
Where  through  the  green  forest,  they  often  have  strayed  : 
They  never  could  bend  to  the  white  man's  cold  sway. 
For  their  hearts  are  of  fire, — O,  here  let  them  sta)^ ! 

"You  tell  me  of  leaves  of  the  vSpirit  that  speak ; 
But  the  Spirit  I  own,  in  the  bright  stars  I  seek  ; 
In  the  prairie,  in  the  forest,  the  water's  wild  play, 
I  see  Him,  I  hear  Him, — O,  then,  let  me  stay  ! 

When  Frances  had  given  her  reasons  for  not  leaving  her 
home,  Capt.  Brouillette,  the  husband  of  her  eldest  daughter, 
spoke  and  said: 

"And  I  know  all  about  it.  I  was  born  at  Fort  Harrison, 
about  two  miles  from  Terre  Haute.  When  I  was  ten  years 
old  I  went  to  Detroit.  I  was  married  to  this  woman  (the 
eldest  daughter  of  Frances)  about  thirteen  years  ago.  The 
people  about  here,  at  Logansport  and  at  Miamisport  (now 
Peru)  liave  known  me  ever  since  the  country  was  settled  by 
the  whites.  They  know  me  to  be  industrious,  to  manage 
well,  and  to  maintain  my  family  respectably.  My  mother-in- 
law's  sons  are  dead,  and  I  stand  in  their  place  to  her.  I  mean 
to  maintain  her  well  as  long  as  she  lives,  for  the  truth  of  which 
you  may  depend  on  the  word  of  Captain  Brouillette." 

"What  Captain  Brouillette  says,"  quickly  added  the  old 
lady,  "is  true.  He  has  always  treated  me  kindly,  and  I  hope 
my  connections  will  not  feel  any  uneasiness  about  me.  The 
Indians  are  my  people.  I  do  no  work.  I  sit  in  the  house  with 
these  my  two  daughters,  who  do  the  work,  and  I  sit  with 
them." 


I 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  7 1 

"But  won't  you  at  least  go  and  make  a  visit  to  your  early 
home,  and  when  you  have  seen  us,  return  again  to  your  chil- 
dren ?  "  asked  one  of  the  brothers. 

' '  I  cannot,  I  cannot.  I  am  an  old  tree.  *  I  cannot  move 
about.  I  was  a  sapling  when  they  took  me  away.  It  is  all 
gone  past.  I  am  afraid  I  should  die  and  never  come  back.  I 
am  happy  here.  I  shall  die  here  and  lie  in  that  graveyard, 
and  they  will  raise  the  pole  at  my  grave  with  the  white  flag 
on  it,  and  the  Great  Spirit  will  know  where  to  find  me.  I 
should  not  be  happy  with  my  white  relatives.  I  am  glad 
enough  to  see  them,  but  I  cannot  go,  I  cannot  go.  I  have 
done." 

"  When  the  whites  take  a  squaw,"  said  Brouillette,  with 
much  animation,  as  if  delighted  with  the  decision  of  the  old 
lady,  "they  make  her  work  like  a  slave.  It  was  never  so 
with  this  woman.  If  I  had  been  a  drunken,  worthless  fellow 
this  woman  could  not  have  lived  to  this  age.  But  I  have 
always  treated  her  well.  The  village  is  Deaf  Man's  Village, 
after  her  husband.     I  have  done." 

The  eldest- daughter,  who  was  called  Ke-ke-sc-qiia^  or  "Cut 
Finger" — probably  on  account  of  her  mother's  defective  fin- 
ger— assented  to  all  that  had  been  said,  and  added  that  "the 
deer  cannot  live  out  of  the  forest!  " 

The  youngest  daughter,  0-:zah-zvah-shing-qiia^  which  on 
being  translated  means  "Yellow  Leaf,"  confirmed  all  that 
was  said,  and  thought  that  her  mother  could  not  go  even  on 
a  visit,  because,  said  she,  "the  fish  dies  quickly  out  of  the 
water!" 

This  remarkable  and   pathetic  interview  now  came  to  a 

*  She  was  then  in  her  Goth  year,  but  on  account  of  the  lianlships  and 
snfi'erings  she  had  endured  during  her  Indian  bondage  of  sixty  years,  was 
greatly  broken  down,  and  looked  much  older  than  she  really  was. 


72  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

close.  Frances,  the  Indian  sister,  was  weary  and  sick,  and 
anxious  to  return  to  her  humble  cabin  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississinewa,  so  congenial  with  her  feelings,  and  so  endeared 
to  her  by  the  tender  associations  which  clung  around  it  like 
the  tendril  which  entwines  the  sturdy  oak  in  the  forest. 
There  was  her  home  by  the  side  of  the  rippling  river,  and 
there  were  the  graves  of  her  chieftain  husband  and  her  sons 
on  the  beautiful  grassy  knoll  which  overlooked  her  habita- 
tion. And  there  was  the  magnificent  spring  at  the  foot  of 
the  hill  where  she  had  quenched  her  thirst  for  many  moons, 
and  which  is  there  to-day  in  all  its  purity  and  beauty.  There 
she  could  enjoy  the  wild  mode  of  life  which,  by  long  habit, 
had  become  her  natural  element,  and  out  of  which  she  could 
not  be  contented  and  happy. 

She  bade  them  a  warm  adieu,  and  mounting  her  pony,  fol- 
lowed by  her  daughters  and  Captain  Brouillette,  galloped 
away  and  was  soon  lost  in  the  distance.  The  brothers  and 
sister,  with  saddened  hearts,  now  prepared  to  depart  for  their 
homes.  They  had  found  their  long  lost  sister  Frances,  but 
they  were  unable  to  win  her  back;  they  had  found  and  left 
her  an  Indian,  with  almost  every  trace  of  Christian  civiliza- 
tion erased  from  her  soul  and  being,  and  yet  there  was  wisdom 
in  her  words.  "She  looked  like  an  Indian,"  remarks  Dr. 
Peck,  "talked  like  an  Indian,  lived  like  an  Indian,  seated 
herself  like  an  Indian,  ate  like  an  Indian,  lay  down  to  sleep 
like  an  Indian,  thought,  felt  and  reasoned  like  an  Indian;  she 
had  no  longings  for  her  original  home,  or  the  society  of  her 
kindred;  she  eschewed  the  trammels  of  civilized  life,  and 
could  only  breathe  freely  in  the  great  unfenced  out-doors 
which  God  gave  to  the  Red  Man!"  And  yet,  after  her  long 
captivity,  what  other  condition  could  have  been  expected 
than  that  in  which  she  was  found?     Association,   influence 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  73 

and  daily  teaching  monld  the  mind,  warp  the  judgment,  and 
if  bad,  destroy  moral  sentiment  and  shape  the  destiny  of  the 
subject  for  evil. 

There  was  this,  however,  to  comfort  the  Slocums:  their 
sister  was  not  degraded  in  her  habits  or  her  character,  if  she 
had  been  so  long  under  Indian  influence  and  teaching;  there 
was  a  moral  dignity  in  her  manners  entirely  above  ordinary 
savage  life;  her  Anglo  Saxon  blood  had  not  been  tainted  by 
savage  touch,  but  bore  itself  gloriously  amid  the  long  series 
of  trials  through  which  it  had  passed.  She  was  the  widow 
of  a  deceased  chief;  she  was  rich;  all  that  abundance  and 
respectability  could  do  for  a  woman  in  savage  life  was  hers. 
Such  was  the  former  Frances  Slocum,  of  Wyoming,  now  Ma- 
con-a-qua,  the  queen  of  the  Miamis.  This  title,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  tribe,  means  a  female  lion,  and  it  was  doubtless 
bestowed  upon  her  on  account  of  her  strength  and  bravery. 

The  problem  of  discovery  and  identity  was  settled  beyond 
peradventure — the  veil  of  mystery  which  hung  over  the  his- 
tory and  fate  of  a  captive  child  for  nearly  sixty  years,  was 
now  finally  removed. 

In  due  time  Mr.  Slocum  returned  from  this  remarkable 
visit  to  his  home  at  Wilkes-Barre,  very  much  gratified  at 
what  he  had  seen  and  learned.  The  wonderful  story  he  had 
to  tell  was  listened  to  with  the  most  intense  interest  by  his 
family  and  friends.  All  his  acquaintances  came  to  see  him 
for  the  purpose  of  learning  the  truth  from  his  own  lips,  and 
they  plied  him  with  innumerable  questions  about  his  sister, 
which  he  was  always  ready  to  answer — in  fact  he  never  seemed 
to  weary  of  talking  on  the  subject,  and  took  pleasure  in  re- 
lating the  story  to  all  who  came  to  see  him. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

SPECULATIONS  RKGARDING  THE  WANDERINGS  OF  FRANCES 
WHILE  IN  CAPTIVITY — TWICE  MARRIED  AND  TO  WHOM — 
ROMANTIC  STORY  OF  HER  LAST  MARRIAGE — THE  GREAT 
MIAMI   CONFEDERACY. 

[g)F  the  account  of  her  wanderings  while  in  captivity 
for  more  than  half  a  century,  as  simply  related  by  her- 
self through  an  interpreter,  is  intensely  interesting, 
how  much  more  thrilling  would  it  be  if  we  could  have  the 
story  in  detail  ?     But  of  course  this  can  never  be. 

After  being  carried  away  on  that  fatal  November  day  in 
1778,  Frances  speaks  of  spending  the  first  night  in  a  cave, 
but  its  exact  location  has  never  been  positively  known,  and 
never  will  be.  When  the  marauders  left  the  Slocum  house 
with  their  prisoners  they  took  an  easterly  course.  The  only 
cave  known  to  exist  in  that  direction  to-day  is  found  in 
the  mountain  near  where  a  picnic  ground  called  Mountain 
Park  is  located,  between  Ashley  and  Laurel  Run,  on  the  Cen- 
tral Railroad  of  New  Jersey.  But  as  the  Indians  would  have 
been  compelled  to  bear  off  to  the  right  to  reach  it — and  this 
would  have  taken  them  much  out  of  their  way — it  is  not 
likely  this  is  the  one  in  which  they  took  refuge.  When  they 
started  it  is  believed  they  took  the  shortest  and  most  direct 
route  up  the  river  in  order  to  reach  Tioga  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible. It  is  reasonable  to  conclude,  therefore,  that  they  crossed 
the  Susquehanna  a  short  distance  east  of  the  Slocum  resi- 
dence, and  if  they  concealed  themselves  in  the  rocks  the  first 


THE    LOST  SISTER.  75 

night  it  must  have  been  in  or  about  Campbell's  Ledge.  At 
this  point  the  conditions  are  favorable.  The  escarpment  of 
the  mountain  is  rough  and  irregular,  and  shelving  rocks 
abound,  in  which  there  are  deep  recesses,  affording  excellent 
hiding  places.  Here  in  this  wild  retreat  they  could  have 
rested  in  comparative  security  for  the  first  night;  but  as  none 
of  the  early  writers  have  ventured  to  locate  the  cave,  what- 
ever theories  may  be  advanced  regarding  its  location  must 
be  accepted  as  mere  speculation. 

In  those  perilous  days  all  Indian  raiding  parties  came  down 
the  Susquehanna  River,  and  of  course  they  returned  by  the 
same  war  path.  The  first  important  stopping  place  men- 
tioned by  Frances,  was  probably  what  is  now  known  as 
Wyalusing,  Bradford  County,  Pa.,  twenty-one  miles  below 
Towanda.  It  was  a  favorite  place  with  the  aborigines  on 
account  of  the  game  which  abounded,  and  they  had  a  village 
there.  The  great  war  path  followed  the  eastern  bank  of  the 
river,  and  parties  were  passing  up  and  down  at  all  times. 
Wyalusing'^^  being  about  a  day's  journey  on  this  highway  from 
Tioga,  afforded  to  parties  a  convenient  stopping  place.  Its 
gravelly  plains  made  it  an  inviting  camping  ground,  the 
abundance  of  game  in  the  adjacent  forests  supplied  them 
with  venison,  and  its  lower  flats  were  well  adapted  to  the 
cultivation  of  corn.  These  advantages  made  Wyalusing  a 
place  of  note  among  the  Indians,  and  their  war  parties  gen- 
erally stopped  here  to  rest.  We  are  therefore  safe  in  con- 
cluding that  it  was  the  first  stopping  place  made  by  the  party 
having  Frances  and  the  Kingsley  boy  in  charge. 

After  resting  here  a  day  or  two  she  was  placed  on  a  horse, 
as  she  informs  us,  and  carried  to  another  village.  This  was 
undoubtedly  Tioga  Point,  (now  Athens,  Pa.,)  at  the  conflu- 

*  See  Craft's  Hist,  of  Wyalusing,  p.  40, 


76  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

ence  of  the  Susquehanna  and  Chemung  Rivers.  This  was 
the  famous  Diahoga  of  the  Indians — the  great  point  of  con- 
centration— and  its  history  dates  back  so  far  that  it  is  lost  in 
the  misty  past. 

Here  the  little  captive  was  probably  kept  for  some  time; 
and  it  was  here,  perhaps,  that  she  was  first  decked  out  in 
gaudy  Indian  costume,  as  a  means  of  distracting  her  thoughts 
as  soon  as  possible  from  her  home  and  those  she  had  left  be- 
hind. Soon  after  this  she  was  turned  over  to  Tuck  Horse 
and  his  wife,  and  adopted  as  his  daughter  to  supply  the  place 
of  one  of  similar  size  and  age  who  had  died.  It  is  much  re- 
gretted that  there  is  nothing  on  record  to  show  who  this  Indian 
was  who  bore  such  a  peculiar  name.  We  are  informed  that 
he  was  a  Delaware,  but  it  is  not  likely  that  he  was  an  Indian 
of  much  distinction,  or  we  would  have  heard  more  about  him. 

After  this  we  lose  all  trace  of  Frances  until  the  early  spring 
of  1780,  when  mention  is  made  of  her  at  Johnstown  by  Col- 
onels Fisher  and  Harper,  as  being  am.ong  a  lot  of  prisoners 
and  Tories  to  be  forwarded  to  Canada  for  safety.  That  she 
was  taken  there  is  conclusive,  for  her  cousin,  Isaac  Tripp, 
mentions  meeting  her  at  Fort  Niagara*  about  this  time,  x^nd 
it  is  possible  that  she  was  not  dressed  in  Indian  attire  until 

*  Fort  Niagara  stood  on  the  east  side  of  the  mouth  of  Niagara  River, 
wliere  it  empties  into  Lake  Ontario,  at  the  extreme  northwestern  corner  of 
the  State  of  New  York.  In  1669,  during  the  administration  of  Frontenac, 
a  French  officer  named  De  Salle  enclosed  a  small  spot  in  palisades  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river,  and  in  1725  the  French  erected  a  strong  fortification 
there.  It  grew  into  a  large  fort,  with  bastians,  ravelins,  ditches,  curtains, 
counterscarp,  drawbridge,  mess  house,  (the  latter  is  still  standing  within 
the  present  fort,)  covering  eighteen  acres.  It  was  captured  from  the  French 
by  Sir  AVilliam  Johnston  in  1759,  and  during  the  war  of  1812  (19  Dec.  1813) 
a  British  force  of  1,200  men  crossed  the  river  and  took  it  by  surprise.  "  Dur- 
ing the  American  Revolution,"  says  Devaux,  "it  M^as  the  headquarters  of 
all  that  was  barbarous,  unrelenting  and  cruel.  There  were  congregated  the 
leaders  and  chiefs  of  those  bands  of  murderers  and  miscreants  who  carried 
death  and  destruction  into  the  remote  American  settlements." 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  'j'] 

after  her  arrival  at  Niagara,  and  that  her  adoption  by  Tuck 
Horse  took  place  soon  afterwards.  She  speaks  of  living  on 
a  hill  not  far  from  a  river,  and  that  the  "Indians  were  fur- 
nished with  ammunition  and  provisions  by  the  British." 
We  think  it  is  safe  to  conclude,  therefore,  that  the  change  of 
dress  and  adoption  took  place  at  Niagara,  instead  of  at  Tioga. 

After  the  conclusion  of  peace  the  Indians  gradually  moved 
westward;  but  many  of  them  were  not  in  a  hurry  to  go,  as 
they  were  loth  to  leave  the  country  where  they  had  lived  all 
their  lives,  and  where  their  ancestors  had  dwelt  before  them. 
This  seems  to  have  been  the  case  with  Tuck  Horse  and  his 
family,  who  lingered  about  Niagara  Falls,  Buffalo  Creek,  on 
the  Genessee  and  the  head  waters  of  the  Allegheny,  in  the 
Seneca  country.  It  was  on  the  Allegheny  that  Colonel  Proc- 
tor met  her,  soon  after  the  interview  with  her  brother  Giles, 
in  April,  1791,  when  he  was  making  his  way  westward  to 
treat  with  the  Miamis  and  other  tribes. 

After  this  Tuck  Horse  and  family  slowly  moved  along 
Lake  Erie  to  Sandusky,  whence,  after  remaining  a  short  time, 
they  returned  to  Niagara.  Whether  Proctor*  saw  her  the 
first  or  last  time  she  was  going  west  we  have  no  means  of 
knowing,  as  her  statement  is  too  meagre  to  enable  us  to  judge. 
Her  foster  parents  led  a  nomadic  life  and  were  constantly  on 
the  move,  because  of  the  war  with  the  Indians  of  the  north- 
west, up  to  the  time  of  their  crushing  defeat  by  Wayne. 

During  the  period  of  greatest  disturbance  she  seems  to 
have  been  living  on  the  Detroit  River,  at  Brownsville,  Onta- 
rio.     Here  the  women  and  children  were  collected  in  large 

*  Another  circumstance  in  connection  witli  the  meeting  of  CUles  and 
Col.  Proctor  at  Painted  Post,  was  overlooked  in  the  proper  place.  Giles  had 
been  furnishing  supplies — cattle  perhaps— to  the  fort  at  Niagara,  and  was 
familiar  with  the  roads.  It  is  probable  that  he  did  not  remain  long  with 
Proctor. 


78  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

numbers  for  British  protection,  but  they  suffered  greatl)^  for 
provisions  and  shelter.  It  was  while  living  at  Brownsville, 
according  to  the  best  evidence  we  have,  that  she  married  a 
young  Delaware  Indian.  She  states  that  he  was  named  Little 
Turtle.  He  was  not  the  great  chief  of  that  name,  as  has  been 
shown  in  another  place.  Drake  says  there  was  another  Little 
Turtle,  a  Miami,  but  he  could  not  have  been  her  husband. 
He  is  mentioned  in  the  treaty  of  1818.  There  is  a  tradition 
still  extant  among  the  Miamis  that  her  Delaware  husband 
did  not  treat  her  well,  whereupon  her  foster  parents  drove 
him  off.  She  says  that  he  went  west  with  his  people,  but  she 
refused  to  accompany  him,  preferring  to  remain  with  the  old 
man  and  woman  who  had  adopted  and  raised  her.  The  tra- 
dition regarding  his  departure  is  believed  to  be  founded  on 
fact. 

About  this  time  the  Indians  learned  that  her  brothers  were 
seeking  her  at  Detroit,  when  the  family  with  which  she  lived, 
accompanied  by  another  family,  came  to  Fort  Wayne.  This 
was  evidently  for  the  purpose  of  throwing  her  brothers  off 
the  track.  As  things  were  in  an  unsettled  condition  at  Fort 
Wayne,  they  found  it  difficult  to  get  provisions,  and  were 
forced  to  subsist  on  wild  meat  and  whatever  they  could  pick 
up.  She  says  that  her  adopted  father  could  speak  English, 
and  so  could  she,  until  he  died,  when  she  lost  her  mother 
tongue  because  she  never  heard  it  spoken.  They  lived  on 
Eel  River,  three  miles  from  Fort  Wayne,  and  according  to  her 
story  they  were  there  at  the  time  of  Harmar's  defeat.  This 
was  in  1790,  one  year,  before  Proctor  met  her  on  the  Alle- 
gheny. She  thinks  they  lived  about  Fort  Wayne  for  thirty 
years.  During  this  time,  however,  her  family  made  frequent 
journeys  into  different  sections  of  the  country,  and  the  period 
also  included  their   residence   at    Detroit   and    Brownsville. 


THE    LOST  SISTER.  79 

When  and  where  her  foster  parents  died  she  does  not  say,  but 
it  must  have  been  near  Fort  Wayne,  and  about  the  time  of 
her  marriage  with  She-pan-can-ah,  afterwards  known  as  the 
Deaf  Man. 

The  Miamis,  of  Indiana,  have  a  romantic  tradition  as  to 
how  her  last  marriage  came  about.  It  is  to  the  effect  that 
somewhere  in  Central  Ohio,  while  her  parents  were  floating 
down  a  river  in  a  canoe,  and  she  was  riding  a  horse  on  the 
shore,  she  discovered  an  Indian  lying  in  the  jjath  and  suffer- 
ing from  a  wound  which  he  had  probably  received  in  some 
skirmish  with  the  whites.  She  dismounted  and  dressed  his 
wounds,  and  when  her  parents  came  up  they  took  him  in 
their  canoe  and  carried  him  to  the  point  of  their  destination. 
There  they  cared  for  him  until  his  wound  was  healed.  He 
remained  with  them  for  some  time  and  kept  them  well  sup- 
plied with  game,  as  he  was  a  good  hunter.  At  last,  thinking 
that  he  had  done  enough  to  "  pay  for  his  doctor  bill,"  as  the 
tradition  goes,  he  proposed  to  leave  them  and  pass  on.  They 
would  not  hear  to  his  departure,  but  insisted  on  his  remain- 
ing with  them,  proposing,  as  an  inducement,  that  they  would 
give  him  their  daughter  in  marriage.  He  did  so,  and  became 
the  husband  of  Frances.  That  this  union  proved  a  conge- 
nial and  happy  one  there  is  no  reason  to  doubt.  This  mar- 
riage, as  nearly  as  the  time  can  be  ascertained,  occurred  about 
1792  or  '93,  but  it  conflicts  with  some  of  the  dates  regarding 
their  previous  places  of  residence.  And  in  what  part  of 
Ohio  it  took  place  is  not  known  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 
Tradition  says  it  was  on  a  great  prairie  or  plains.  Possibly  it 
might  have  been  Picpia*  on  the  Miami  River,  where  there  is 
an  extensive  plateau.  There  was  a  large  settlement  of  Mi- 
ami Indians  here  under  the  chieftainship  of  0-san-diah.     He 

*Helm's  Hist,  of  Wabash  Co.,  Indiana,  p.  117. 


8o  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

was  succeeded  by  his  son,  A-taw-a-taw,  and  he  b)^  his  son, 
Met-a-cin-yah.  While  under  the  last  chief  the  band  returned 
to  Indiana,  making  the  region  now  composing  Wabash  and 
Grant  counties  their  headquarters. 

The  cruel  massacre  of  the  Christian  Indians  at  the  Mora- 
vian town  in  Ohio,  by  white  men,  March  8,  1782,  made  a 
profound  impression  on  the  mind  of  Frances  Slocum.  As 
these  converted  Indians  had  spent  some  time  at  Sandusky 
and  on  the  Detroit  River,  where  they  sought  protection  dur- 
ing the  troublous  times,  she  had  become  acquainted  with 
them.  The  report  of  the  butchery  on  their  return  to  their 
home  in  Ohio  affected  her  very  much  and  caused  her  to  dis- 
trust and  hate  the  whites.  That  affair  was  one  of  the  most 
cruel  and  bloody  on  record.  Ninety-six  persons,  composed 
of  men,  women  and  children,  were  bound  and  shut  up  in  two 
houses,  to  which  the  name  of  slaughter  houses  was  given, 
where  they  were  inhumanly  slain  by  having  their  heads  crush- 
ed by  heavy  wooden  mallets.  *  It  was  fitly  characterized  by 
Loskiel  as  the  most  infamous  act  in  the  border  war  of  that 
period.  Frances,  it  is  said,  afterwards  taught  her  children  to 
beware  of  the  teachings  of  white  missionaries,  reminding 
them  of  the  perfidy  of  the  whites  at  the  Moravian  town;  that 
they  would  murder  them.  But  it  is  gratifying  to  know  that 
in  the  later  years  of  her  life  her  mind  was  disabused  of  these 
opinions,  and  she  came  to  respect  the  teachings  of  Christian 
ministers. 

After  leaving  Piqua  they  evidently  returned  to  Fort 
Wayne,  for  Frances  informs  us  that  it  was  from  the  latter 
place  they  emigrated  to  the  Osage  village  on  the  Mississinewa, 
located  about  a  mile  above  its  mouth,  and  her  husband  be- 
came its  war  chief. 


*  For  a  full  account  of  this  bloody  affair  see  Allbach's  Western  Annals, 
375-6-7-8-9. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  8l 

She-pan-can-ah  is  described  as  a  heavy  set  man,  and  was 
a  great  warrior  until  he  lost  his  hearing.  As  a  hunter,  too, 
he  is  said  to  have  been  very  successful,  and  did  not  cease  the 
pursuit  of  game  until  he  became  too  old  to  longer  engage  in 
the  chase.  It  is  also  related  of  him  that  he  would  sometimes 
start  out  on  his  pony  to  look  for  game  without  removing  the 
bell,  and  being  unable  to  hear,  he  would  ride  through  the 
forest  and  wonder  why  the  game  so  suddenly  disappeared. 
It  was  frightened  away  by  the  tinkling  of  the  bell  on  his 
horse! 

When  he  became  too  old  to  perform  the  duties  of  war  chief, 
he  transferred  his  authority  to  Francis  Godfroy,  and  he  served 
in  that  capacity  until  his  death  in  1840.  No  successor  was 
appointed.  She-pan-can-ah,  after  retiring  from  the  chief- 
tainship, removed  four  miles  further  up  the  river  and  built  a 
log  house,  and  the  settlement  that  grew  up  around  it  was 
known  as  "The  Deaf  Man's  Village."  In  a  painting  by 
George  Winter,  and  now  owned  by  Mr.  George  Slocum  Ben- 
nett, of  Wilkes-Barre,  it  is  represented  as  a  typical  Indiana 
log  building  of  the  period,  covered  with  a  clapboard  roof.  It 
was  one  story  high,  with  a  door  in  the  centre,  and  a  window 
on  each  side,  with  a  chimney  at  the  end.  The  spaces  between 
the  logs  were  "chinked  "  with  blocks  of  wood  held  in  place 
with  mortar.  It  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  river,  and  nothing 
now  remains  to  mark  its  site  but  a  pile  of  stones.  Here 
"The  Deaf  Man"  died  about  1831  or  1832,  and  was  buried 
according  to  Indian  custom  in  a  little  cemetery  on  the  top  of 
a  hill,  only  a  few  hundred  yards  away.  His  age,  according 
to  Peter  Bondy,  was  very  great — probably  one  hundred  years. 
But  in  this  estimate  he  must  be  mistaken.  Indians  rarely 
lived  to  be  so  old.  He  might  have  reached  eighty  or  ninety 
years. 


82  FRANCES   SI.OCUM, 

On  marrying  this  Indian,  Frances  became  a  Miami,  and 
was  named  Ma-con-a-qua.  There  is  some  difference  of  opin- 
ion regarding  the  meaning  of  this  word.  The  Miamis  of 
to-day  say  it  means  "female  lion,"  probably  suggestive  of 
her  great  strength  and  activity.  Others  have  asserted  that  it 
meant  a  young  bear,  because  she  cried  so  when  first  captured. 
This  is  probably  incorrect.  It  might,  however,  have  been 
the  meaning  of  the  first  name  given  to  her  by  her  adopted 
father  and  mother,  which  she  gives  in  her  first  statement. 

The  Great  Miami*  tribe  was  the  oldest  and  most  powerful 
in  the  Northwest,  and  occupied  the  territory  now  embraced 
in  the  States  of  Ohio,  Indiana,  Illinois  and  Michigan.  There 
were  many  other  tribes  known  by  other  names  within  this 
territory,  yet  the  great  centre  or  leading  tribe  was  the  Miami; 
and  in  later  years,  for  the  purpose  of  repelling  the  invasions 
of  European  emigrants  from  the  territory,  all  the  leading 
tribes  within  its  limits  were  united  into  one  confederacy, 
known  as  the  "Great  Miami  Confederacy,"  with  headquar- 
ters at  Ke-Ki-ong-a,  where  Fort  Wayne  now  stands.  Next 
to  the  Delawares  they  are  entitled  to  be  recognized  as  the 
leading  branch  of  the  Algonquin  group.  As  a  tribe  they 
have  been  variously  designated  as  the  "Twa-twas,  Twe-twees, 
Twigh twees,  Omes,  Omamees,  Aumiamis,"  and  finally  the 
Miamis,  The  first  treaty  ever  held  with  the  Miamis  was  at 
Lancaster,  Pa.,  on  the  23d  of  July,  1748.  Three  of  their 
noted  chiefs  were  present  from  the  Wabash  country  and  met 
the  English  commissioners,  when  a  firm  treaty  of  alliance 
and  friendship  was  then  stipulated  and  agreed  to  between  the 
parties.  This  treaty  lasted  for  sixty-three  years.  At  the  end 
of  General  Harrison's  campaign  in  1813  the  power  of  the 
Miami  Confederacy  was  almost  crushed.      In  18 18  the  remain- 

*  See  Dillon's  Historical  Notes,  p.  294. 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  83 

ing  chiefs  asked  for  a  treaty  to  define  the  boundaries  of  their 
territories.  It  was  held  at  St.  Mary's,  in  Ohio.  Gen.  Lewis 
Cass  was  one  of  the  U.  S.  Commissioners.  By  this  treaty  a 
reservation*  for  the  Miamis  was  made  of  lands  on  the  Wa- 
bash, beginning  at  the  mouth  of  the  Salomie,  and  running 
down  to  the  mouth  of  Eel  River,  t  at  L/Ogansport.  A  line  on 
both  sides  of  the  rivers  was  run  so  as  to  include  a  territory  of 
about  930,000  acres.  The  United  States  also  agreed  to  build 
a  mill  at  any  point  they  might  select.  They  chose  a  site  on 
Mill  Creek,  four  miles  southwest  of  the  city  of  Wabash,  and 
there  it  was  erected. 

By  the  treaty  of  October  23,  1826,  held  at  Paradise  Springs, 
known  as  the  "  Old  Treaty  Ground,"  the  chiefs  and  warriors 
in  council  with  Lewis  Cass,  James  B.  Ray  and  John  Tipton, 
Commissioners  on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  ceded  to  the 
latter  power  "all  their  claim  to  lands  in  the  State  of  Indiana 
north  and  west  of  the  Wabash  and  Miami  Rivers,  and  of  the 
cession  made  by  the  said  tribe  to  the  United  States,  by  the 
treaty  concluded  at  St.  Mary's  October  6,  1818."  By  further 
provisions  of  the  same  treaty|  the  State  of  Indiana  was  author- 
ized to  lay  out  a  canal  or  road  through  any  of  the  reserva- 
tions, and  for  the  use  of  a  canal,  six  chains  in  width  along 
the  same,  was  appropriated.  In  payment  for  this  land  they 
received  $31,040.53  in  goods;  $31,040.53  in  cash.  The  fol- 
lowing year,  1827,  t^i^y  received  $61,259.47  in  addition,  and 
in  1828,  $30,000.  After  that  date  they  were  to  receive  a  per- 
manent annuity  of  $25,000. 

•■■•  U.  S.  Statutes,  Vol.  VII,,  p,  189,  Ed.  ISm. 

t  Eel  River  formed  a  natural  boundary  between  the  Miamis  and  Potta- 
watamies.  North  of  this  stream  the  Pottawatamies  held  undisputed  sway 
as  late  as  182G,  and  were  in  later  years  of  their  history  superior  to  the  Mi- 
amis in  numbers,  and  were  respected  accordingly.— Helm's  Hist.  Wabash 
Co.,  Ind.,  p.  lis. 

t  Helm's  Hist.  Wabash  Co.,  Ind.,  p.  24. 


84  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

Again,  in  1834,  the  Government  purchased  of  them  177,- 
000  acres,  inchiding  a  strip  seven  miles  wide  off  the  west  side 
of  the  reserve,  in  what  is  now  Cass,  Howard  and  Clinton 
counties,  which  was  transferred  to  the  State  of  Indiana  to  be 
used  for  the  completion  of  the  Wabash  and  Erie  Canal  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Tippecanoe  River.  A  strip  five  miles  wide 
along  the  Wabash  had  been  previously'  appropriated  to  the 
construction  of  the  canal  to  the  mouth  of  the  Tippecanoe. 
The  consideration  paid  for  this  was  $335,680. 

Thus  the  great  "  Thirty  Mile  Reservation,"  as  it  was 
known  in  those  days,  kept  gradually  melting  away.  As  they 
saw  their  possessions  diminishing,  dissatisfaction  arose  among 
a  large  portion  of  the  tribe,  because  their  hunting  grounds 
were  becoming  rapidly  reduced  and  white  settlers  were  en- 
croaching upon  them  on  all  sides,  and  they  proposed  to  sell 
the  remnant  of  their  reservation  and  move  further  west.  One 
portion  of  the  tribe  wished  to  remain  and  engage  in  agricul- 
ture like  the  white  people,  but  the  majority  prevailed,  and 
this  led,  after  an  occupancy  of  twenty  years,  to  the  important 
treaty  of  1838.  As  this  treaty  is  the  one  which  most  deeply 
interested  Frances  Slocum  and  her  descendants,  it  will  be 
given  in  full  in  another  chapter. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE  GREAT  TREATY  OF  1838  AND  ITS  PROVISIONS — MANY 
GRANTS  OF  LAND  TO  CHIEFS — A  SECTION  SET  APART  FOR 
THE  TWO  DAUGHTERS  OF  FRANCES  SLOCUM. 

N  ACCOUNT  of  coming  too  closely  in  contact  with 
the  whites,  the  once  powerful  tribe  of  Miami  In- 
dians soon  commenced  to  rapidly  decline.  All  the 
vices  and  destructive  agencies  of  civilization  had  been  intro- 
duced among  them;  the  Indian  trader  had  deceived  and 
cheated  them  in  the  sale  of  goods  at  enormous  prices,  and 
whisky,  the  bane  of  mankind,  was  doing  its  work  with  irre- 
sistible force.  To  the  older  and  wiser  chiefs  the  outlook  was 
discouraging.  They  clearly  saw  the  defenceless  condition  of 
the  tribe,  and  realizing  that  fate  was  against  them,  they  sor- 
rowfully shook  their  heads  and  began  preparations  to  once 
more  turn  their  faces  towards  the  setting  sun. 

The  proposition  to  hold  a  treaty  for  the  purpose  of  dispos- 
ing of  the  balance  of  their  reservation  having  been  accepted, 
Abel  C.  Pepper  was  appointed  a  Commissioner  on  the  part  of 
the  United  States,  to  meet  the  chiefs  and  head  men  of  the 
Miamis  for  that  purpose.  They  met  at  the  Forks  of  the 
Wabash  November  6,  1838.*  This  point,  so  widely  known  as 
the  famous  "Treaty  Ground"  of  the  Miamis,  is  located  at 
the  junction  of  the  Wabash  and  Little  Rivers.  A  meeting 
here  with  the  United  States  Commissioners  was  always  a  great 
occasion  among  the  Indians,  and  they  attended  in  large  num- 
bers. The  town  of  Huntington  is  situated  a  short  distance 
from  the  historic  spot.      It  is  twenty-four  miles  southwest  of 

*See  Public  Statutes  at  Large,  Vol.  VII.,  pp.  569—574. 
G 


86  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

Fort  Wayne,  and  forty-eight  east  by  north  of  Logansport,  on 
the  line  of  the  Wabash  Railroad.  Huntington  is  said  to  have 
been  laid  out  by  General  John  Tipton,  who  served  so  long  as 
an  Indian  Agent,  and  afterwards  as  one  of  the  first  United 
States  Senators  from  Indiana. 

That  the  reader  may  clearly  comprehend  the  importance 
of  this  noted  treaty,  it  is  herewith  printed  in  full.  Its  stipu- 
lations and  schedule  are  as  follows  : 

"Art.  I.  The  Miami  tribe  of  Indians  hereby  cede  to  the 
United  States  all  that  tract  of  land  lying  south  of  the  Wabash 
River  and  included  within  the  following  bounds,  to  wit:  Com- 
mencing at  a  point  on  said  river  where  the  western  boundary 
line  of  the  Miami  line  of  the  Miami  Reserve  intersects  the 
same,  near  the  mouth  of  Pipe  Creek;  thence  south  two  miles; 
thence  west  one  mile;  thence  south  along  said  boundary  line 
three  miles;  thence  east  to  the  Mississinewa  River;  thence  up 
said  river,  with  the  meanders  thereof,  to  the  eastern  boundary 
line  of  the  said  Miami  Reserve;  thence  north  along  said  east- 
ern boundary  line  to  the  Wabash  River;  thence  down  the 
said  last  named  river,  with  the  meanders  thereof,  to  the  place 
of  beginning. 

"The  said  Miami  tribe  of  Indians  do  also  hereby  cede  to 
the  United  States  the  three  following  reservations  of  land, 
made  for  the  use  of  the  Miami  nation  of  Indians  by  the  2d 
article  of  a  treaty  made  and  concluded  at  St.  Mary's,  in  the 
State  of  Ohio,  on  the  6th  of  October,  1818,  to  wit: 

"The  reservation  on  the  Wabash  River,  below  the  forks 
thereof. 

"  The  residue  of  the  reservation  opposite  the  mouth  of  the 
river  Abouette. 

"The  reservation  at  the  mouth  of  a  creek  called  Flat 
Rock,  where  the  road  to  the  White  River  crosses  the  same. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  87 

"Also,  one  other  reservation  of  land  made  for  the  use  of 
said  tribe  at  Seek's  Village,  on  Eel  River,  by  the  2d  article  of 
a  treaty  made  and  concluded  on  the  23d  of  October,  1826. 

"Art.  2.  From  the  cession  aforesaid,  the  Miami  tribe  re- 
serve for  the  band  of  Me-to-sin-in,  the  following  tract  of  land 
to  wit:  Beginning  on  the  eastern  boundary  line  of  the  Big 
Reserve,  where  the  Mississinewa  River  crosses  the  same  ; 
thence  down  said  river  with  the  meanders  thereof  to  the 
mouth  of  the  creek  called  Forked  Branch;  thence  north  two 
miles;  thence  in  a  direct  line  to  a  point  on  the  eastern  bound- 
ary line  two  miles  north  of  the  place  of  beginning;  thence 
south  to  the  place  of  beginning,  supposed  to  contain  ten 
square  miles. 

"Art.  3.  In  consideration  of  the  cession  aforesaid  the 
United  States  agree  to  pay  the  Miami  tribe  of  Indians  $335,- 
680 — $60,000  of  which  to  be  paid  immediately  after  the  rati- 
fication of  this  treaty  and  the  appropriation  to  carry  its 
provisions  into  effect;  and  the  residue  of  said  sum  after  the 
payment  of  claims  hereinafter  stipulated  to  be  paid,  in  ten 
yearly  instalments  of  $12,568  per  year. 

"Art.  4.  It  is  further  stipulated  that  the  sum  of  $6,800 
be  paid  John  B.  Richardville;  and  the  sum  of  $2,612  be  paid 
Francis  Godfroy;  which  said  sums  are  their  respective  claims 
against  said  tribe  prior  to  Oct.  23,  1834,  excluded  from  inves- 
tigation by  the  late  Commissioner  of  the  United  States,  by 
reason  of  their  being  Indians  of  said  tribe. 

"Art.  5.  The  said  Miami  tribe  of  Indians  being  anxious 
to  pay  all  their  just  debts,  at  their  request  it  is  stipulated,  that 
immediately  after  the  ratification  of  this  treaty,  the  United 
States  shall  appoint  a  commission  or  commissioners,  who 
shall  be  authorized  to  investigate  all  claims  against  said  tribe 
which  have  accrued  since  the  23d  of  October,  1834,  without 


88  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

regard  to  distinction  of  blood  in  the  claimants;  and  to  pay 
such  debts  as,  having  accrued  since  the  said  period,  shall  be 
proved  to  his  or  their  satisfaction  to  be  legal  and  just. 

"Art.  6.  It  is  further  stipulated  that  the  sum  of  $150,- 
000  out  of  the  amount  agreed  to  be  paid  said  tribe  in  the  3d 
article  of  this  treaty,  shall  be  set  apart  for  the  payment  of  the 
claims  under  the  provisions  of  the  4th  and  5th  articles  of  this 
treaty,  as  well  as  for  the  balance  ascertained  to  be  due  from 
said  tribe  by  the  investigations  under  the  provisions  of  the 
treaty  of  1834;  and  should  there  be  an  unexpended  balance 
in  the  hands  of  said  commission  or  commissioners  after  the 
payment  of  said  claims,  the  same  shall  be  paid  over  to  the 
said  tribe  at  the  payment  of  their  next  subsequent  annuity; 
but  should  the  said  sum  so  set  apart  for  the  purpose  aforesaid, 
be  found  insufficient  to  pay  the  same,  then  the  ascertained 
balance  due  on  said  claims  shall  be  paid  in  three  equal  instal- 
ments from  the  annuities  of  said  tribe. 

"  And  the  said  Miami  tribe  of  Indians,  through  this  public 
instrument,  proclaim  to  all  concerned  that  no  debt  or  debts 
that  any  Indian  or  Indians  of  said  tribe  may  contract  with 
any  person  or  persons,  shall  operate  as  a  lien  on  the  annuity 
or  annuities,  nor  on  the  land  of  the  said  tribe,  for  legal  en- 
forcement; nor  shall  any  person  or  persons  other  than  the 
members  of  said  Miami  tribe,  who  may  by  sufferance  live  on 
the  land  of,  or  intermarry  in,  said  tribe,  have  any  right  to  the 
land  or  any  interest  in  the  annuities  of  said  tribe,  until  such 
person  or  persons  shall  have  been  by  general  council  adopted 
into  their  tribe. 

"Art.  7.  And  it  is  further  stipulated,  that  the  United 
States  will  cause  the  buildings  and  improvements  on  the  land 
hereby  ceded,  to  be  appraised,  and  have  buildings  and  im- 
provements of  a  corresponding  value  made  at  such  place  as 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  89 

the  chiefs  of  said  tribe  may  designate;  and  the  Indians  of 
said  tribe  are  to  remain  in  the  peaceable  occupation  of  their 
present  improvements  until  the  United  States  shall  make  the 
said  corresponding  improvements. 

"Art.  8.  It  is  further  stipulated  that  the  United  States 
patent  to  Beaver  for  five  sections  of  land,  and  to  Chapine  for 
one  section  of  land,  reserved  to  them  respectively  in  the  2d 
article  of  the  treaty  made  A.  D.  1826,  is  continued  between 
the  parties  to  the  present  treaty. 

"Art.  9.  The  United  States  agree  to  cause  the  boundary 
lines  of  the  land  of  said  tribe  in  the  State  of  Indiana,  to  be 
surveyed  and  marked  within  the  period  of  one  year  after  the 
ratification  of  this  treaty. 

"Art.  10.  The  United  States  stipulate  to  possess  the 
Miami  tribe  of  Indians  of,  and  guaranty  to  them  forever,  a 
country  west  of  the  Mississippi  River,  to  remove  to  and  settle 
on,  when  the  said  tribe  may  be  disposed  to  emigrate  from  their 
present  country^  and  that  guaranty  is  hereby  pledged;  and  the 
said  country  shall  be  sufficient  in  extent,  and  suited  to  their 
wants  and  condition,  and  be  in  a  region  contiguous  to  that  in 
the  occupation  of  the  tribes  which  emigrated  from  the  States 
of  Ohio  and  Indiana.  And  when  the  said  tribe  shall  have 
emigrated,  the  United  States  shall  protect  the  said  tribe  and 
the  people  thereof,  in  their  rights  and  possessions,  against  the 
injuries,  encroachments  and  oppressions  of  any  person  or  per- 
sons, tribe  or  tribes  whatsoever. 

"Art.  II.  It  is  further  stipulated,  that  the  United  States 
will  defray  the  expenses  of  a  deputation  of  six  chiefs  or  head 
men,  to  explore  the  country  to  be  assigned  to  said  tribe  west 
of  the  Mississippi  River.  Said  deputation  to  be  selected  by 
said  tribe  in  oreneral  council. 


90  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

"Art.  12.  The  United  States  agree  by  patent  to  each  of 
the  Miami  Indians  named  in  the  schedule  hereunto  annexed, 
the  tracts  of  land  therein  respectively  designated. 

"And  the  said  tribe  in  general  council  request,  that  the 
patents  for  the  grants  in  said  schedule  contained,  shall  be 
transmitted  to  the  principal  chief  of  said  tribe,  to  be  by  him 
distributed  to  the  respective  grantees. 

"Art.  13.  And  it  is  further  stipulated,  that  should  this 
treaty  not  be  ratified  at  the  next  session  of  the  Congress  of 
the  United  States,  then  it  shall  be  null  and  void  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  between  the  parties. 

"Art.  14.  And  whereas,  John  B.  Richardville,  the  prin- 
cipal chief  of  said  tribe,  is  very  old  and  infirm,  and  not  well 
able  to  endure  the  fatigue  of  a  long  journey,  it  is  agreed  that 
the  United  States  will  pay  to  him  and  his  family  the  propor- 
tion of  the  annuity  of  said  tribe  which  their  number  shall 
indicate  to  be  due  to  them,  at  Fort  Wayne,  whenever  the  said 
tribe  shall  emigrate  to  the  country  to  be  assigned  them  west, 
as  a  future  residence. 

"  x\rt.  15.  It  is  further  stipulated  that  as  long  as  the 
Congress  of  the  United  States  shall  in  its  discretion  make  an 
appropriation  under  the  6th  article  of  the  treaty  made  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  said  tribe  in  the  year  1826,  for 
the  support  of  the  infirm  and  the  education  of  the  youth  of 
said  tribe,  one-half  of  the  amount  so  appropriated  shall  be 
paid  to  the  chiefs,  to  be  by  them  applied  to  the  support  of 
the  poor  and  infirm  of  said  tribe,  in  such  manner  as  shall  be 
most  beneficial. 

"  Art.  16.  This  treaty,  after  the  same  shall  be  ratified  by 
the  President  and  Senate  of  the  United  States,  shall  be  bind- 
ing on  the  contracting  parties. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  91 

"In  testimony  whereof  the  said  Abel  C.  Pepper,  Commis- 
sioner as  aforesaid,  and  the  chiefs,  head  men  and  warriors  of 
the  Miami  tribe  of  Indians,  have  hereunto  set  their  hands  at 
the  forks  of  the  Wabash  the  6th  of  November,  1838. 

"(Signed),         ABEL  C.   PEPPER,   Commissioner. 
J.   B.  RICHARDVILLE, 
MINJENICKEAW, 
PAW-LAWN-ZO-AW,  (Godfroy) 
NO-WE-LANG-GUANG-GAW,   (Big 
O-ZAN-DE-AH,  (Poplar  Tree)     [Leg) 
WA-PA-PIN-SHAW,  (Black  Raccoon) 
^  NAC-KAW-GUAUNG-GAW, 
^  KAH-TAH-MAUNG-GUAW, 
KAH-WAH-ZAY, 

TO-PE-YAW,  (Francis  La  Fountaine) 
PE-WAW-PE-YAW, 
ME-SHING-GO-ME-JAW, 
NAC-KON-ZAW, 
NE-KON-ZAW, 

WAW-PE-MAUNG-GUAW,   (White 
CHING-GUAW-KE-AW,  [Loon) 

AW-KOO-TE-AW, 
KIL-SO-AW, 
TAW-WE-KE-SE-AW, 
MAC-QUAW-KO-NAUNG, 
MAW-YAUC-QUE-YAW.  (Son  of 

[Richardville) 

"Signed  in  the  presence  of  John  T.  Douglass,  Sub-x\gent, 
Allen  Hamilton,  Secretary  to  Commissioner,  Daniel  D. 
Pratt,  Assistant  Secretary  to  Commissioner,  J.  B.  Duret, 
H.  Lasselle,  William  Hurlbert,  Indian  Agent." 


92  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

To  the  Indian  names  are  subjoined  marks,  or  totems,  which 
are  not  given  here,  because  they  would  have  to  be  engraved 
to  be  properly  represented. 

The  schedule  of  grants  referred  to  in  the  foregoing  treaty, 
article  I2th,  is  given  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  quantity 
of  land  awarded  to  the  principal  chiefs  and  their  friends  by 
the  United  States: 

"  To  John  B.  Richardville,  principal  chief: 

"  Two  sections  of  land,  to  include  and  command  the  prin- 
cipal falls  of  Pipe  Creek. 

"  Three  sections  of  land,  commencing  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Salamonie  River;  thence  running  three  miles  down  the  Wa- 
bash River  and  one  mile  up  the  Salamonie  River. 

"  Two  sections  of  land,  commencing  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississinewa  River;  thence  down  the  Wabash  River  two 
miles  and  up  the  Mississinewa  River  one  mile. 

"  One  and  one-half  section  of  land  on  the  Wabash  River 
at  the  mouth  of  Flat  Rock  (creek),  to  include  his  mills  and 
the  privileges  thereof 

"One  section  of  land  on  the  Wabash  River,  opposite  the 
town  of  Wabash. 

"All  of  which  said  tracts  of  land  are  to  be  surveyed  as 
directed  by  the  said  grantee. 

"  To  Francis  Godfrey,  a  chief,  one  section  of  land  opposite 
the  town  of  Peru  and  on  the  Wabash. 

"One  section  of  land  on  little  Pipe  Creek,  to  include  his 
mill  and  the  privileges  thereof 

"  Four  sections  of  land  where  he  now  lives. 

"All  which  said  tracts  of  land  are  to  be  surveyed  as  di- 
rected by  the  said  grantee. 

"To  Po-qua  Godfroy  one  section  of  land  to  run  one  mile 


THE    LOST  SISTER.  93 

on  the  Wabash  River,  and  to  include  the  improvements  where 
he  now  lives. 

"  To  Catharine  Godfroy,  daughter  of  Francis  Godfrey,  and 
her  children,  one  section  of  land  to  run  one  mile  on  the  Wa- 
bash River,  and  to  include  the  improvement  where  she  now 
lives,  , 

"  To  Kah-tah-mong-quah,  son  of  Susan  Richardville,  one- 
half  section  of  land  on  the  Wabash  River  below  and  adjoining 
the  three  sections  granted  to  John  B.  Richardville. 

"To  Mong-go-sah,  son  of  La  Blonde,  one-half  section  of 
land  on  the  Wabash  River  below  and  adjoining  the  half-sec- 
tion granted  to  Kah-tah-mong-quah. 

"To  Peter  Gouin,  one  section  of  land  on  the  Sixth  Mile 
Reserve,  commencing  where  the  northern  line  of  said  reserve 
intersects  the  Wabash  River;  thence  down  said  river  one  mile 
and  back  for  quantity. 

"To  Mais-shil-gouin-mi-zah,  one  section  of  land  to  include 
the  Deer  Lick,  alias  La  Saline,  on  the  creek  that  enters  the 
Wabash  River  nearly  opposite  the  town  of  Wabash. 

"  To  0-ZAH-SHiN-ouAH,  and  the  wife  of  Broiiillctte^  daugh- 
ters of  the  ''''Deaf  Majt^^^  as  tenants  in  com^non^  one  section  of 
land  on  the  Mississineiva  River ^  to  include  the  improvements 
where  they  noiv  live. 

"To  O-san-di-ah,  one  section  of  land  where  he  now  lives 
on  the  Mississinewa  River,  to  include  his  improvements. 

"To  Wah-pi-pin-cha,  one  section  of  land  on  the  Mississin- 
ewa River,  directly  opposite  the  section  granted  to  O-san- 
di-ah. 

"To  Mais-zi-quah,  one  section  of  land  on  the  Wabash 
River,  commencing  at  the  lower  part  of  the  improvement  of 
'Old  Sally,'  thence  up  said  river  one  mile  and  back  for 
quantity. 


94  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

"  To  Tah-ko-nong,  one  section  of  land  where  he  now  lives 
on  the  Mississinewa  River, 

"To  Cha-pine,  one  section  of  land  where  he  now  lives  on 
the  Ten  Mile  Reserve. 

"To  White  Loon,  one  section  of  land  at  the  crossing  of 
Langlois's  Creek,  on  the  Ten  Mile  Reserve,  to  run  np  said 
creek. 

"To  Francis  Godfroy,  one  section  of  land,  to  be  located 
where  he  shall  direct. 

"To  Neh-wah-ling-quah,  one  section  of  land  where  he  now 
lives  on  the  Ten  Mile  Reserve. 

"To  La  Fountain,  one  section  of  laud  south  of  the  section 
where  he  now  lives  on  and  adjoining  the  same,  on  the  Ten 
Mile  Reserve. 

"To  Seek,  one  section  of  land  south  of  the  section  of  land 
granted  to  Wa-pa-se-pah  by  the  treaty  of  1834,  on  the  Ten 
Mile  Reserve. 

"To  Black  Loon,  one  section  of  land  on  the  Six  Mile  Re- 
serve, commencing  at  a  line  which  will  divide  his  field  on 
the  Wabash  River,  thence  up  the  river  one  mile  and  back  for 
quantity. 

"  To  Duck,  one  section  of  land  on  the  Wabash  River  below 
and  adjoining  the  section  granted  to  Black  Loon,  and  one 
mile  down  said  river  and  back,  for  quantity. 

"To  Me-cha-ne-qua,  a  chief,  alias  Gros-mis,  one  section  of 
land  where  he  now  lives. 

"  One  section  to  include  his  field  on  the  Salamonie  River; 

"One  and  one-half  section  commencing  at  the  Wabash 
River  where  the  road  crosses  the  same  from  John  B.  Richard- 
ville,  Jr. 's;  thence  down  the  said  river  to  the  high  bank  on 
Mill  Creek;  thence  back  so  as  tp  include  a  part  of  the  prairie, 
to  be  surveyed  as  directed  by  said  chief. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  95 

"  To  Tow-wah-keo-shee,  wife  of  old  Pish-a-wa,  one  section 
of  land  on  the  Wabash  River  below  and  adjoining  the  half 
section  granted  to  Mon-go-sah. 

"To  Ko-was-see,  a  chief,  one  section  of  land  now  Seek's 
Reserve,  to  inclnde  his  orchard  and  improvements. 

"To  Black  Loon,  one  section  of  land  on  the  Six  Mile  Re- 
serve, and  on  the  Salamonie  River,  to  inclnde  his  improve- 
ments. 

"To  the  wife  of  Benjamin  Ah-mac-kon-zee-qnah,  one 
section  of  land  where  she  now  lives,  near  the  prairie,  and  to 
inclnde  her  improvements,  she  being  commonly  known  as 
Pichonx's  sister. 

"To  Pe-she-wah,  one  section  of  land  above  and  adjoining 
the  section  and  a  half  granted  to  John  B.  Richardville  on 
Flat  Rock  (creek)  and  to  rnn  one  mile  on  the  Wabash  River. 

"To  White  Raccoon,  one  section  of  land  on  the  Ten  Mile 
Reserve  where  he  may  wish  to  locate  the  same. 

"To  La  Blonde,  the  chief's  danghter,  one  section  of  land 
on  the  Wabash  River  below  and  adjoining  the  section  of  land 
granted  to  Francis  Godfroy,  to  be  surveyed  as  she  may  direct. 

"To  Ni-con-zah,  one  section  of  land  on  the  Mississinewa 
River,  a  little  above  the  section  of  land  granted  to  the  Deaf 
Man's  daughters,  and  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  to 
include  the  pine  or  evergreen  tree,  and  to  be  surveyed  as  he 
may  direct. 

"To  John  B.  Richardville,  one  section  of  land  to  include 
the  Osage  village  on  the  Mississinewa  River,  as  well  as  the 
burying  ground  of  his  family,  to  be  surveyed  as  he  may  direct. 

"To  Kee-ki-lash-e-we-ah,  alias  Godfroy,  one-half  section 
of  land  back  of  the  section  granted  to  the  principal  chief 
opposite  the  town  of  Wabash,  to  include  the  creek; 


96  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

"  One-half  section  of  land  commencing  at  the  lower  corner 
of  the  section  granted  to  Mais-zi-quah,  thence  half  a  mile 
down  the  Wabash  River. 

"  To  Al-lo-lah,  one  section  of  land  above  and  adjoining  the 
section  granted  to  Mais-she-gouin-mi-zah  and  on  the  same 
creek. 

"  To  John  B.  Richard ville,  Jr.,  one  section  of  land  on  Pipe 
Creek  above  and  adjoining  the  two  sections  of  land  granted  to 
the  principal  chief,   to  be  surveyed  as  he  may  direct. 

"To  John  B.  Richard  ville,  one  section  of  land  wherever 
he  may  choose  to  have  the  same  located. 

"  It  is  understood  that  all  the  foregoing  grants  are  to  be 
located  and  surveyed  so  as  to  correspond  with  the  public  sur- 
veys as  near  as  may  be  to  include  the  points  designated  in 
each  grant  respectively." 

It  will  be  noticed  that  Chief  Richardville,  whose  Indian 
name  was  Pe-che-wa,  was  granted  a  great  quantity  of  land; 
but  it  was  cheap  in  those  days,  when  compared  with  present 
prices.  Godfroy  came  next  as  a  recipient  of  the  bounty  of 
the  United  States.  Richardville  lived  south  of  Fort  Wayne, 
while  Godfroy  lived  on  the  Wabash,  about  one  mile  above 
where  the  Mississinewa  empties  into  it.  The  village  chiefs 
were  Chapine,  at  the  village  east  of  Roanoke;  White  Loon, 
in  the  same  vicinity;  Black  Loon,  east  of  Antioch;  Big  Ma- 
jenica,  near  Antioch;  La  Gros,  near  La  Gro;  Little  Charley, 
north  of  Wabash;  Al-lo-lah,  south  of  Wabash;  Cot-ti-cip- 
pin,  on  Treaty  Creek;  Joe  Russiaville,  Mississinewa,  and 
Me-shin-go-me-sia,  west  of  La  Fontaine.  There  were  other 
villages  of  minor  importance,  among  them  "  The  Deaf  Man's 
Village,"  the  home  of  the  "white  woman,"  or  Frances  Slo- 
cum.  These  villages  extended  from  near  the  present  city  of 
Fort  Wayne  to  La  Fayette,  and  in  a  strip  of  territory  extend- 


THE   LOST   SLSTER.  97 

ing  south  of  Eel  River  about  thirty  miles.  North  of  Eel 
River  the  Pottawatamies  had  their  home.  At  that  time  they 
were  the  larger  of  the  two  tribes,  and  numbered  about  2,500 
warriors,  the  Miamis  numbering  about  1,100,  which  proba- 
bly represented  a  membership  of  from  5,000  to  6,000  souls. 
Helm,  upon  whose  authority  this  statement  is  made,  says  the 
Miamis  were  much  the  more  intelligent  and  civilized  people, 
the  Pottawatamies  being  filthy  in  their  habits  and  low  in  their 
nature. 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  now  particularly  called  to 
another  important  point  in  the  life  of  Frances  Slocum.  His- 
torians in  referring  to  her  have  always  stated  that  she  was 
granted  a  section  of  land  by  the  government.  This  statement 
is  incorrect.  She  never  was  given  a  foot  of  land.  If  the 
reader  will  refer  to  the  paragraph  in  the  schedule  to  the  treaty 
of  1838,  printed  in  italic  letters,  he  will  see  that  the  land  was 
granted  to  "  0-zaw-shing-qua,"  the  youngest  daughter  of 
Frances  Slocum,  and  her  sister,  Ke-ke-se-qua,  the  wife  of 
Captain  Brouillette,  as  "tenants  in  common,"  and  the  title 
for  this  land  was  vested  in  the  youngest  daughter,  who  after- 
wards disposed  of  it  by  will  among  her  heirs,  as  will  be  shown 
at  the  proper  time.  Frances,  however,  resided  upon  this  tract 
of  land  during  the  balance  of  her  life,  was  the  recognized 
head  of  the  family,  managed  the  business  thereof,  acquired  a 
handsome  Indian  competence,  and  wjien  she  died  was  buried 
in  its  soil  by  the  side  of  her  husband  and  deceased  children. 
These  facts,  it  is  hoped,  will  remove  a  popular  historical  error 
and  keep  future  writers  within  the  range  of  truth. 

The  last  treaty  with  the  Miamis  was  held  at  the  old  treaty 
grounds  Nov.  28,  1840.  "Old  Metosina,"  as  he  was  called, 
having  lived  for  four-score  years  at  his  village  near  the  mouth 
of  Josina  Creek,  requested  that  a  reservation  be  made  to  him 


98  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

at  that  place,  so  that  he  could  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days 
in  peace.  His  request  was  granted,  as  may  be  seen  by  refer- 
ring to  the  VII.  volume  U.  S.  Statutes,  page  569,  and  four- 
teen sections  of  land  were  given  him,  which  made  him  one 
of  the  most  extensive  Indian  land  owners  of  his  time.  He 
was  a  remarkable  man  and  possessed  of  many  good  qualities. 
According  to  tradition  he  lost  the  chieftainship  of  his  tribe 
on  account  of  prolonged  absence  on  a  hunting  expedition. 
His  people  fearing  that  he  had  been  killed,  and  having  no 
leader,  went  to  work  and  made  Pe-che-wa  (John  Baptiste  Rich- 
ardville)  their  civil  chief  When  Metosina  returned  he  found 
another  acting  in  his  place.  He  accepted  the  situation  with 
good  grace,  evidently  pleased  at  being  relieved  from  the  cares 
of  office,  and  spent  the  balance  of  his  life  in  ease  and  con- 
tentment. His  descendants  still  reside  in  that  section  of  the 
country,  but  they  have  greatly  degenerated.  This  story  of 
his  early  life,  showing  how  he  came  to  be  deposed,  is  a  very 
pretty  one,  but  we  have  no  positive  evidence  of  its  truth. 

The  Indians  now  being  desirous  of  disposing  of  all  their 
lands,  so  that  they  could  emigrate,  the  government  appointed 
Samuel  Milroy  and  Allen  Hamilton  to  meet  them  as  commis- 
sioners. By  this  treaty  the  Miamis  ceded  to  the  United  States 
all  that  tract  of  land  on  the  south  side  of  the  Wabash  River  not 
heretofore  ceded,  and  commonly  known  as  the  residue  of  the 
Big  Reserve.  It  was  also  agreed  that  the  time  for  removing  the 
Indians  to  the  West  should  be  extended  five  years  from  that 
date,  in  order  to  give  them  time  to  select  a  location.  In  the 
meantime  the  old  Chief  Metosina  having  died,  and  his  son 
Me-shin-go-me-sia  inaugurated  in  his  stead,  it  was  deemed 
best  by  the  commissioners  to  vest  the  title  of  the  lands,  re- 
served to  the  oldest  chief  at  the  last  treaty,  in  his  son,  which 
was  done.      Me-shin-go-me-sia  continued  to  occupy  his  reser- 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  99 

vation  until  his  death,  which  occurred  Dec.  23,  1879,  ^^  the 
age  of  98  years,  since  which  time  the  lands  have  been  parti- 
tioned among  the  Indians,  giving  to  each  a  legal  title  to  the 
same. 

It  was  also  stipulated  that  the  sura  of  $25,000  he  paid  to 
John  B.  Richardville,  and  the  sum  of  $15,000  to  the  acting 
executor  of  Francis  Godfroy,  deceased — being  the  amount  of 
their  respective  claims  against  the  tribe — out  of  the  money 
set  apart  for  the  payment  of  their  debts.  The  fifth  article 
reads: 

And  whereas,  the  late  war  chief — Francis  Godfroy — bequeath- 
ed to  his  children  a  large  estate,  to  remain  unsold  until  the  young- 
est of  said  children  shall  arrive  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
it  is  therefore  stipulated  that  the  United  States  shall  pay  to  the 
family  of  said  deceased  chief  their  just  proportion  of  the  annuities 
of  said  tribe  at  Fort  Wayne,  from  and  after  the  time  the  tribe  shall 
emigrate  to  the  country  assigned  them  west  of  the  Mississippi. 

This  closed  the  work  of  treaty  making  with  the  remnant 
of  the  once  powerful  Miami  nation  on  the  Wabash,  and  the 
only  future  action  on  the  part  of  congress  concerning  them, 
will  be  found  in  the  passage  of  a  couple  of  joint  resolutions 
about  the  time  of  the  great  hegira  in  1846,  which  relate  to 
Frances  Slocum  and  her  descendants,  and  a  few  other  Indian 
families,  who  prayed  to  be  allowed  to  remain  in  possession  of 
their  old  homes. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

JOSEPH  SLOCUM  AND  HIS  OLDEST  AND  YOUNGEST  DAUGHTERS 
VISIT  FRANCES  IN  1839 — MRS.  BENNETT  KEEPS  A  JOURNAL, 
WHICH   IS  PRINTED   IN   FULL  FOR  THE  FIRST  TIME. 


W 


^WO  YEARS  had  now  passed  since  Joseph  and  Isaac 
Slocum,  accompanied  by  their  sister,  Mrs.  Towne, 
had  made  their  memorable  visit  to  the  Wabash  for 
the  purpose  of  meeting  and  identifying  their  lost  sister  in  her 
Indian  dwelling.  The  recollections  of  that  visit  were  still 
fresh  in  their  minds^  and  they  felt  it  their  duty  to  look  after 
the  welfare  of  their  aged  relative  in  her  far  western  home. 
Mrs.  Mary  Towne,  who  had  nearly  reached  the  age  of  72,  was 
too  old  to  make  another  journey  to  the  Wabash.  Isaac,  who 
lived  in  northwestern  Ohio,  had  recently  lost  his  wife  and  was 
unable  to  visit  his  sister  at  this  time.  Joseph,  however, 
yearned  to  make  another  journey  to  the  reservation  for  the  pur- 
pose of  meeting  her  again.  Accordingly,  early  in  September, 
1839,  he  commenced  preparations  for  the  journey,  and  it  was 
decided  that  his  two  daughters,  Hannah  and  Harriet,  should 
accompany  him.  The  former  was  the  oldest  of  his  seven 
children,  and  the  latter  the  youngest.  Hannah  was  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Ziba  Bennett,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  whom  she  had  married 
in  1825.  She  was  noted  for  her  high  Christian  character,  and 
took  a  deep  interest  in  the  welfare  of  her  aunt.  Harriet  E., 
who  was  single,  was  about  twenty  years  old  at  that  time.  She 
soon  afterwards  married  Charles  Drake,  and  on  his  death  sev- 
eral years  afterwards  married  Mr.  Lewis,  and  now  resides  at 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  lOI 

Madison,  New  York.  Mrs.  Bennett,  who  was  a  methodical 
woman,  kept  a  diary  in  which  she  noted  the  daily  incidents  of 
the  journey.  The  original  is  now  in  the  hands  of  her  son, 
Mr.  George  Slocum  Bennett,  of  Wilkes-Barre.  It  is  an  inter- 
esting record  of  that  toilsome  journey,  and  as  it  has  never 
been  printed  in  full,  it  is,  with  the  permission  of  the  owner, 
given  herewith  without  abridgment,  because  it  forms  an  im- 
portant part  of  this  narrative.  The  start  was  made  from 
Wilkes-Barre  September  loth,  1839,  where  the  journal  begins. 
It  is  as  follows: 

Wilkes-Barre,  September  loth,  1839. 
Left  home  at  8  o'clock  in  the  morning  in  a  very  poor  four 
horse  coach,  loaded  with  passengers  and  baggage.  Mr.  Chas. 
Saylor,  Mr.  Courtright,  Jonathan  and  Harriet  Slocum,  and 
Nancy  Bird,  were  our  company  to  Niagara  Falls.  We  found 
the  roads  bad,  many  of  the  bridges  down.  Arrived  at  Tunk- 
hannock  at  5  o'clock  to  dine;  called  to  see  Frances  Oster- 
hout,  who  is  in  the  last  stage  of  consumption;  she  is  since 
dead.  We  reached  Montrose  at  11  o'clock  at  night  tired  and 
weary;  found  father  who  had  been  waiting  for  some  time. 
He  came  another  road  in  his  own  conveyance.  We  stopped 
at  Dr.  Warner's,  who  keeps  a  temperance  house.  The  stages 
do  not  run  daily  to  Owego.  We  here  left  my  brother,  and 
father  was  our  company.  The  proprietor  sent  us  in  a  four 
horse  coach  to  Binghamton  to  accommodate  us.  We  had  a 
colored  man  in  the  coach,  which  some  of  the  company  did  not 
like;  we  let  the  poor  fellow  ride  and  he  was  very  civil.  We 
arrived  at  Binghamton  at  11  o'clock  to  breakfast,  which  was 
good  and  very  refreshing,  as  we  had  not  eaten  since  5  o'clock 
the  day  before.  The  roads  were  bad,  our  load  heavy,  which 
kept  us  so  late.  Called  to  see  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stocking,  who 
received  me  very  cordially;  walked  around  the  town;  found  it 

H 


I02  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

much  larger  than  I  expected.  It  has  two  banks,  six  churches, 
and  is  very  flourishing,  and  is  built  on  both  sides  of  the 
river.  At  3  o'clock  left  for  Owego  and  arrived  at  8  in  the 
evening.  After  supper  at  Mr.  Mannings,  we  called  at  Mr. 
Wright's;  they  kindly  invited  us  to  stay  all  night,  which  we 
did  with  pleasure,  as  I  dislike  tavern  beds  when  I  can  avoid 
them.  In  the  morning  called  at  Mr.  Ransom's  and  Mr.  Lan- 
ning's;  walked  around  town,  which  is  a  very  thriving  village. 
At  2  o'clock  we  took  our  seats  in  what  ought  to  have  been  a 
comfortable  railroad  car,  but  proved  to  be  an  old  worn  out 
stage  body,  loaded  with  passengers  and  baggage,  almost  at 
the  risk  of  our  lives.  I  was  fearful  we  would  be  crushed. 
The  horses  were  lame  and  broken  down.  I  thought  to  my- 
self, is  this  proud,  high-spirited  New  York  ?  Such  railroads, 
horses  and  cars  I  never  saw  in  Pennsylvania. 

The  country  from  Owego  to  Ithaca  is  poor;  in  some  parts 
low  and  marshy,  in  others  broken  and  rough;  I  was  disap- 
pointed. It  may  not  be  the  best  part  where  the  r.ailroad 
passes.  As  you  come  in  sight  of  the  lake  the  prospect  is  very 
fine  from  a  high  hill,  where  the  railroad  terminates.  The 
lake  and  country  around  presents  a  beautiful  prospect  as  the 
sun's  last  rays  tint  the  horizon,  as  it  sets  in  the  west.  We 
here  took  stage  and  found  entertainment  at  Mr.  Hall's,  who 
keeps  the  Clinton  House;  it  was  dusk.  By  the  time  we  had 
taken  our  suppers  it  was  dark,  it  being  cloudy.  We  went  out 
but  were  not  able  to  see  much,  and  returned  not  much  wiser 
for  our  walk,  as  the  town  was  not  well  lighted.  At  6  o'clock 
in  the  morning  we  went  on  board  the  steamboat  DeWitt 
Clinton.  The  name  is  worthy  of  a  better  boat;  she  tows  many 
freight  boats,  therefore  her  progress  is  slow.  Captain  Van 
Order  was  pleasant  and  very  accommodating.  They  were 
soon  to  have  a  new  boat  for  passengers  connected  with  a  loco- 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  I03 

motive  on  the  railroad.  Cayuga  Lake  is  a  very  pretty  sheet 
of  water.  We  left  the  steamboat  about  4  o'clock  at  Bridge- 
town; there  is  here  a  very  long  bridge;  we  went  on  board  a 
small  boat  which  took  us  to  Montezuma;  we  here  passed  the 
outlet  of  Seneca  Lake,  entered  the  Great  Western  Canal  and 
went  on  board  a  line  boat  for  Rochester,  as  there  was  no 
packet  there.  The  boat  already  was  well  supplied  with  pas- 
sengers before  we  went  on  board;  six  of  us  added  to  the  crowd 
did  not  increase  our  comfort.  Some  parts  of  the  country  were 
beautiful  as  we  passed  along,  while  others  were  broken  and 
uneven.  The  fare  on  the  line  boat  was  poor;  the  first  meals 
I  ate  were  very  light,  and  much  of  the  company  would  rank 
with  the  fare.  We  were  glad  when  we  arrived  at  Rochester; 
it  was  half-past  9  on  Saturday  evening.  On  Sabbath  morn- 
ing we  took  a  short  walk  to  see  Genessee  Falls,  which  are 
grand,  but  much  injured  by  the  improvements.  There  are 
several  mills  and  manufactories  erected  on  the  river,  which 
prevent  more  than  half  the  water,  which  once  formed  the 
river,  in  spending  its  fury  in  dashing  over  these  stupendous 
rocks.      So  nature  must  give  way  to  art. 

Rochester  is  a  large  flourishing  place.  There  are  several 
fine  looking  churches  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  The  Genes- 
see  Conference  was  sitting;  it  afforded  us  an  opportunity  of 
both  hearing  and  seeing  the  preachers.  I  recognized  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Shipman,  who  seemed  glad. to  see  us.  Bishop  Hedding 
preached  in  the  morning  from  this  text:  Ephesians  iii.,  8,  and 
ordained  fifteen  deacons.  Dr.  Lucky  preached  an  hour  and  a 
half  in  the  afternoon,  from  Acts  xvi.,  part  of  17th  verse,  and 
the  bishop  ordained  twenty  elders.  Mr.  Mason  was  to  preach 
in  the  evening. 

We  thought  it  best  to  take  passage  in  the  packet  for  Lock- 
port;  it  was  to  leave  at  seven,  but  did  not  till  ten.     We  were 


I04  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

deprived  of  the  pleasure  of  hearing  him,  and  spent  the  even- 
ing in  the  packet.  The  Methodist  church  is  very  large,  and 
neatly  finished,  but  is  much  in  debt.  Our  boat  was  crowded, 
but  much  more  pleasant  than  the  line  boats,  both  as  to  com- 
pany and  fare.  There  was  an  attempt  in  the  night,  by  one 
of  the  passengers,  to  rob  father;  he  lodged  under  him,  and 
he  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket,  which  awakened  father,  and 
therefore  he  did  not  succeed.  He  was  a  poor,  worthless  fel- 
low. The  canal  lies  on  very  high  ground;  it  is  a  ridge  formed 
by  nature,  but  looks  as  though  it  might  have  been  by  art. 
The  views  of  the  locks  and  excavations  are  splendid,  as  you 
come  in  sight  of  Lockport;  we  landed  our  trunks  in  the  lower 
town,  rode  up  to  the  locks  and  walked  up  them.  The  Capt. 
invited  us  into  a  small  building,  where  there  were  shown  us 
some  petrified  stones,  excavated  out  of  the  solid  rock,  in 
the  form  of  some  small  animals  or  bugs,  which  were  curious. 
There  are  several  mills  and  manufactories  here. 

After  dining  at  Lockport  I  wrote  a  letter  to  Mr.  Bennett. 
We  left  in  the  cars  for  Niagara  at  5  o'clock,  and  arrived  at  7 
in  the  evening  amid  the  rush  and  roar  of  mighty  waters. 
Before  the  cars  stopped  we  were  assailed  with  a  host  of  ser- 
vants applying  for  passengers  and  baggage.  The  cars  stop 
half  way  between  the  two  hotels;  it  is  difficult  to  make  a 
choice;  we  went  to  the  Eagle.  In  the  morning  after  break- 
fast we  crossed  from  the  main  land  over  to  Goat  Island,  on  a 
bridge  not  long  since  erected.  I  find  that  no  painter's  pencil, 
nor  the  pen  of  the  most  gifted,  has  been  able  to  describe  the 
grandeur  of  the  scene  that  is  presented  before  the  visitor  as 
one  stands  on  the  bridge  which  connects  the  American  side 
with  Goat  Island.  As  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  the  water 
comes  tumbling  and  foaming  over  the  rocks  in  such  rapidity 
that  before  it  reaches  the  falls  it  is  wrought  into  a  fury;  it  is 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  105 

in  a  complete  foam  before  it  dashes  over  the  precipice,  and  is 
lost  in  the  awfully  sublime  chasm  below.  We  went  to  the 
tower,  which  is  built  of  stone  150  feet  high,  to  take  a  view  of 
the  British  side,  which  is  a  very  good  one.  The  tower  is 
built  on  the  rocks  some  distance  from  the  shore;  we  returned, 
went  down  Biddle  staircase  about  300  feet,  went  as  near  the 
falls  as  we  could  on  either  side;  on  account  of  the  spray  it  is 
dangerous,  and  not  a  very  pleasant  walk.  The  rocks  over- 
head are  constantly  dripping,  which  makes  it  rough  and 
slippery,  with  the  bed  of  the  river  just  below.  We  ventured 
and  took  every  possible  view,  clambering  over  rocks  and  down 
staircases.  The  morning  was  delightful  and  the  rainbow  over 
the  falls  was  to  be  seen.  I  like  the  appearance  of  our  falls 
the  best,  although  there  is  not  such  a  quantity  of  water  pours 
over  them;  perhaps  one  cause  is  we  could  get  nearer  them 
than  the  other. 

After  dinner  Mr.  Saylor  and  Mr.  Courtright,  with  Nancy, 
left  for  Erie.  We  staid,  crossed  over  the  river  a  few  rods  be- 
low the  falls,  expecting  to  see  the  Queen's  troops,  as  they 
were  on  parade,  to  visit  the  Table  Rock  and  the  Burning 
Spring,  but  were  disappointed.  Before  we  reached  the  Brit- 
ish shore  it  began  to  rain;  we  at  first  thought  it  was  spray 
falling,  but  were  soon  convinced  to  the  contrary;  to  our  sor- 
row it  rained  incessantly.  After  landing  on  her  Majesty's 
shores  we  were  obliged  to  return  wet  enough,  without  grati- 
fying our  curiosity  ;  we  took  shelter  in  some  miserable  gro- 
ceries. The  Queen  keeps  a  guard  stationed  at  the  landing. 
We  had  company — there  were  others  that  returned  in  the 
same  predicament.  There  are  a  great  many  visitors  con- 
stantly coming  and  going. 

We  left  the  Eagle  House  at  half  past  six  on  Wednesday 
morning  in  the  railroad  cars  for  Buffalo;  reached  there  just  in 


I06  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

time  to  eat  our  breakfast  and  take  passage  on  board  the  steam- 
boat Columbus,  under  the  command  of  Capt.  Dobbins.  The 
wind  was  high  when  we  left  the  harbor  and  continued  to  in- 
crease. After  going  20  miles  we  were  beaten  back  and  an- 
chored on  Point  Albino,  on  the  Canada  shore,  where  we  lay 
for  36  hours,  and  we  experienced  all  the  delights  of  sea- 
sickness; the  boat  w'as  kept  in  constant  motion  by  the  beating 
of  the  waves.  The  first  dinner  the  captain  ate  by  himself, 
although  there  were  many  passengers  aboard;  I  suffered  very 
little  in  comparison  with  many;  father  and  Harriet  were  both 
worse  than  I.  As  soon  as  we  put  out  again  we  began  to  get 
better.  Thursday  about  12  o'clock  at  night  we  weighed  an- 
chor and  started;  we  touched  at  various  ports  along  the  lake; 
we  lay  three  hours  at  Cleveland,  having  much  freight  on 
board  for  that  place,  but  it  being  in  the  night  we  were  de- 
prived of  the  privilege  of  seeing  the  town.  Father  went  out 
to  see  the  great  and  rapid  improvements  of  the  place. 

We  landed  at  Sandusky  City  9  o'clock  on  Saturday  morn- 
ing. We  here  found  Mr.  Savior,  who  had  preceded  us,  and 
came  down  to  the  boat  to  take  passage  to  Maumee;  he  had 
concluded  we  had  gone  there  without  stopping  at  Sandusky. 
The  cars  were  ready  in  a  few  minutes,  and  we  took  our  pas- 
sage to  Bellevue  without  any  delay.  At  12  o'clock  we  found 
ourselves  at  Uncle  Isaac's;*  he  lives  a  mile  from  where  the 
cars  stop.  We  found  him  in  deep  affliction;  he  buried  his  wife 
last  Tuesday,  17th  September.  She  started  with  one  of  her 
sons,  a  young  man  grown,  to  go  to  the  weavers;  he  had  some 
business  by  the  way,  and  before  he  left  the  wagon  he  pro- 
posed tying  the  horses.  The  mother  said  it  was  not  worth 
while,  she  could  hold  them,   and  to  hand  her  the  lines,   as 

*  Isaac  Slocum,  -who  witli  his  brother  Joseph  and  sister  Mrs.  Towne,  vis- 
ited Frances  in  1837. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  107 

they  were  old  team  horses,  and  always  perfectly  gentle.  He 
had  not  left  them  five  minutes  before  they  started  and  ran 
a  short  distance  and  struck  a  tree.  She  was  thrown  out 
against  the  tree,  striking  her  head,  which  instantly  killed  her. 
The  horses  were  soon  caught,  but  did  not  appear  frightened. 
The  call  is  a  loud  one  to  uncle  and  to  us  all.  Be  ye  also 
ready. 

We  left  uncle's  at  2  o'clock  on  Sunday  to  take  our  passage 
in  the  cars  for  Sandusky  City.  It  is  ver}-  much  against  my 
principles  to  travel  on  Sunday;  we  did  not  like  to  detain  our 
company;  we  might  have  kept  the  Sabbath  for  we  were  com- 
pelled to  stay  at  Sandusky  until  Tuesday  morning,  no  boat 
coming  into  the  harbor,  and  we  might  have  spent  our  time 
much  more  pleasantly  with  our  cousins  than  at  a  public 
house. 

The  Star  came  into  harbor  on  Tuesday  morning,  and  at 
4  o'clock  we  left  Sandusky.  The  harbor  is  very  large;  they 
take  a  circuitous  route  to  get  in;  it  is  five  miles  where  they 
pass  the  point  until  they  reach  the  wharf.  I  spent  most  of 
Monday  with  my  eyes  stretched  across  this  bay  to  welcome 
the  first  appearance  of  a  boat,  but  it  was  in  vain.  It  was  a 
delightful  day  and  there  was  nothing  to  interest  us  much  at 
Sandusky;  we  were  anxious  to  be  off.  The  Exchange  is  a 
very  good  house.  The  Star  was  the  most  unpleasant  boat  we 
were  on  board;  the  accommodations  were  miserable;  I  could 
eat  but  little  breakfast. 

It  brought  us  safe  to  Mau.mee  Bay  on  Tuesday  afternoon ; 
we  passed  Manhattan  and  Toledo;  the  latter  is  four  miles  in 
length;  ten  miles  up  the  river  we  found  Maumee  City;  it  is 
two  miles  long;  the  buildings  scattered  so  as  to  sound  large 
abroad.  We  walked  a  mile  and  a  half  to  reach  the  stage 
house,   part  of  the  way  on  a  board  walk.     There  is    much 


I08  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

sickness  at  this  place;  the  whole  country  is  very  unhealthy, 
fever  and  ague,  congestive  fevers  or  Maumee  fevers,  prevail. 
There  were  several  very  ill  in  the  house  where  we  lodged. 
We  had  not  been  at  this  place  ver}-  long  before  there  were 
five  more  passengers  arrived  for  Fort  Wayne;  they  were  mov- 
ing from  Maine,  which  made  ten  passengers. 

In  the  morning  it  rained;  our  fellow  travelers,  Mr.  Mac- 
Collough,  wife  and  child,  Mr.  Spafiford  and  grandson,  seemed 
to  hesitate  whether  to  start  in  the  rain  or  not.  We  had  con- 
cluded to  prosecute  our  journey  rain  or  shine;  they  took 
courage  from  us,  and  we  put  out  after  borrowing  a  couple  of 
umbrellas,  through  rain  and  mud,  over  hill  and  dale,  almost 
at  the  risk  of  our  lives.  We  arrived  in  safety  at  Fort  Defi- 
ance at  8  o'clock  in  the  evening.  It  was  too  late  to  see  the 
fortifications. 

We  started  at  2  o'clock  in  the  morning;  stopped  at  New 
Rochester  for  breakfast,  and  miserable  was  the  fare;  we  could 
scarcely  make  out  a  breakfast;  the  roads  were  bad  and  it  was 
very  dangerous  traveling.  We  dined  at  a  house  on  the  line 
between  Ohio  and  Indiana  at  half  past  three  o'clock.  From 
this  place  we  had  a  good  driver  and  team,  but  came  very 
near  an  upset  in  the  canal .  We  reached  Fort  Wayne  between 
10  and  II,  and  found  very  good  entertainment.  The  Court 
was  then  sitting  and  the  house  was  pretty  full.  In  the  morn- 
ing we  walked  round  the  town  to  see  the  fortifications,  which 
still  remain,  and  the  block  houses.  Fort  Wayne,  on  the  Mau- 
mee, is  pleasantly  situated  on  rising  ground;  has  a  command- 
ing prospect,  and  bids  fair  to  be  a  flourishing  town. 

From  this  place  to  Logansport  the  canal  is  in  operation; 
we  took  passage  on  board  the  packet  at  10  o'clock  for  Peru. 
Capt.  Mahon  was  very  accommodating.  We  left  Nancy 
Bird  at  her  brother's;  it  was  rainy  and  unpleasant.      It  is  so 


THK    LOST  SISTER.  IO9 

unhealthy  up  the  Maumee  that  at  many  places  where  settle- 
ments were  commenced,  and  improvements  made,  they  are 
entirely  vacated. 

We  arrived  at  Peru  at  3  o'clock  on  Saturday  morning, 
September  28th,  1839.  We  found  comfortable  lodgings  at 
Mr.  Burnett's,  a  temperance  house;  this  place  has  only  been 
settled  four  years;  the  country  is  rich  but  unhealthy.  Mr. 
Miller,*  the  interpreter,  called  to  see  us,  and  is  very  kind; 
we  passed  the  Sabbath  here;  there  was  a  two  days'  meeting 
held,  which  we  attended;  it  was  a  very  good  one.  On  Mon- 
day morning  father  procured  a  two  horse  wagon  and  driver  to 
take  us  to  the  Deaf  Man's  village. 

We  set  out  about  9  o'clock  in  company  with  Mr.  Miller, 
Mr.  Saylor  and  Mr.  Fulwiler.  Our  charioteer  likes  a  dram, 
and  to  be  sure  to  have  a  supply,  he  carried  a  bottle  in  his 
pocket;  if  he  had  spent  the  money  in  getting  his  harness 
mended  it  would  have  been  better  for  us.  We  met  Capt. 
Brouillette  within  a  short  distance  of  their  lodgef  coming 
down  to  see  us;  he  dismounted,  shook  hands  with  us  very 
cordially,  then  mounted  and  rode  on  home  like  a  streak 
through  the  woods.  The  whole  family  appeared  glad  to  see 
us,  and  made  us  as  welcome  as  they  knew  how.  The  Capt. 
speaks  broken  English.  They  are  much  more  cleanly  about 
their  housekeeping  and  cookery  than  I  expected  to  find  them. 
We  stayed  with  them  till  Tuesday  noon.  They  provided 
horses  and  saddles  for  us,  and  in  company  with  our  aunt  and 
her  eldest  daughter,  were  turned  to  Peru;  they  rode  astride, 
all  in  Indian  file;  we  passed  through  several  Indian  villages, 
by  Godfrey's,  who  lives  in  quite  a  large  house  and  very  well 

■■'James  T.Miller  was  a  noted  Indian  interpreter, and  was  widely  known. 
He  was  raised  by  the  Ewings  and  was  greatly  esteemed  ])y  them.  He  lived 
.to  a  good  age  and  only  died  a  few  years  ago. 

t  The  residence  of  Frances  Slocum  and  her  daughters. 


no  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

furnished,  with  a  store,  &c.  It  was  3  o'clock  when  we 
reached  Peru;t  the  Capt.  came  afterwards,  but  returned  in 
the  evening.  My  aunt  and  cousin  stayed  till  the  next  after- 
noon, when  the  Capt.  returned  and  went  home  with  them. 
They  parted  very  friendly,  expecting  to  see  us  again. 

September  30th,  1839.  This  day  I  visited  my  aunt;  found 
her  living  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississinewa  River,  Indiana, 
in  what  is  called  a  double  hut.  She  is  of  small  stature,  not 
very  much  bent,  had  her  hair  clubbed  behind  in  calico,  tied 
with  worsted  ferret;  her  hair  is  somewhat  gray;  her  eyes  a 
bright  chestnut,  clear  and  sprightly  for  one  of  her  age;  her 
face  is  very  much  wrinkled  and  weatherbeaten.  She  has  a 
scar  on  her  left  cheek  received  at  an  Indian  dance;  her  skin 
is  not  as  dark  as  you  would  expect  from  her  age  and  constant 
exposure;  her  teeth  are  remarkably  good.  Her  dress  was  a 
blue  calico  short  gown,  a  white  Mackinaw  blanket,  somewhat 
soiled  by  constant  wear;  a  fold  of  blue  broadcloth  lapped 
around  her,  red  cloth  leggins  and  buckskin  moccasins.  The 
interior  of  her  hut  seemed  well  supplied  with  all  the  necessa- 
ries, if  not  with  luxuries.  They  had  six  beds,  principally 
composed  of  blankets  and  other  goods  folded  together;  one 
room  contained  the  cooking  utensils,  the  other  the  table  and 
dishes;  they  spread  a  cloth  on  their  table  and  gave  us  a  very 
comfortable  meal  of  fried  venison,  tea  and  short  cake.  Her 
oldest  daughter  is  large  and  fleshy;  I  should  think  would 
weigh  near  200  pounds;  is  smart,  active  and  intelligent;  is 
very  observing.  She  is  34  years  of  age.  The  youngest  is 
smaller,  is  quiet  and  very  retiring;  is  24  years  of  age.  The 
mother's  name  is  Ma-con-a-qua,  a  Young  Bear.  The  eldest 
daughter's  name,   Kich-ke-ne-che-qua,  or  Cut  Finger.     The 

t  Peru,  the  capital  of  Miami  County,  a  pretty  little  city  of  about  (),000 
inhabitants,  is  situated  on  the  AVabash  River.  Its  main  street  is  noted  for' 
the  width  and  beauty  of  its  stone  sidewalks. 


THE    LOST  SISTER.  Ill 

youngest,  O-saw-slie-quah,  Yellow  Leaf.  The  grandchil- 
dren's names,  Kip-pe-no-quah,  Corn  Tassel;  Wap-pa-no-se-a, 
Blue  Corn;  Kim-on-tak-quah,  Young  Panther.  They  have  a 
looking  glass  and  several  splint  bottom  chairs.  A  great  many 
trinkets  hang  about  the  house,  beads  and  chains  of  silver  and 
polished  steel.  Some  of  their  dresses  are  richly  embroidered 
with  silver  broaches;  seven  and  eight  rows  of  broaches  as 
closely  as  they  can  be  put  together.  They  have  many  silver 
earrings.  My  aunt  had  seven  pairs  in  her  ears;  her  daughters 
perhaps  a  dozen  apiece.  They  have  saddles  and  bridles  of 
the  most  costly  kind;  six  men  saddles  and  one  side  saddle. 
They  have  between  fifty  and  sixty  horses,  one  hundred  hogs, 
.seventeen  head  of  cattle,  also  geese  and  chickens.  Their 
house  is  enclosed  with  a  common  worm  fence,  with  some 
outhouses,  principally  built  of  logs.  A  never-failing  spring 
of  excellent  water  is  near  the  door,  with  a  house  over  it. 
They  have  a  section  of  land  (which  is  640  acres)  given  to  her 
two  daughters.  The  treaty  was  ratified  by  government  this 
spring.  The  land  which  is  owned  by  government  is  now  set- 
tling, which  is  not  so  pleasant  for  them,  as  intruders  fre- 
quently help  themselves  to  horses,  hogs  and  cattle. 

Captain  Brouillette,  her  son-in-law,  is  now  with  her,  pro- 
viding for  the  family  by  killing  game,  as  he  is  a  noted  hunter. 
He  provides  the  wood,  which  is  rather  unusual  for  an  Indian, 
and  lays  up  corn  and  hay  for  the  winter.  The  husband  of 
the  youngest  daughter  and  he  did  not  agree  very  well,  as  he 
was  a  lazy,  indolent  Indian;  would  not  provide,  but  was  read)^ 
to  spend  and  eat  what  was  provided.  Brouillette  left,  was 
absent  seven  months,  during  which  time  the  other  died,  in 
April.  In  June  she  married  a  second;  he  was  killed  by  a 
Wea*  in  August.     There  is  a  dispute  between  the  IMiamis 

*  The  Weas  had  a  coiumou  origin  with  the  Miamis,  were  once  a  power- 


112  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

and  Weas  respecting  their  annnity.  The  Miamis  disclaim  all 
connection  with  the  Weas;  they  had  a  dispute,  and  it  ended 
in  his  death.  Three  years  ago  the  eldest  grand-daughter  died ; 
supposed  she  was  poisoned  by  Godfroys.  His  son  wanted  to 
marry  her;  her  parents  would  not  consent,  as  he  was  a  drunk- 
en, worthless  Indian,  and  as  they  always  seek  revenge,  it 
ended  in  her  death.  Her  parents  mourn  yet  for  her.  At 
present  they  appear  to  live  happy  and  comfortable.  My 
aunt's  husband  has  been  dead  six  years.  She  says  she  was 
taken  by  an  Indian  chief  whose  name  was  Tuckhorse,  adopted 
by  him  and  his  wife  in  the  place  of  a  daughter  they  had  lost 
a  short  time  before.  If  there  was  anything  to  eat  she  always 
had  it.  They  lived  one  year  at  Niagara,  where  she  recollects 
seeing  a  machine  by  which  they  raised  goods  from  below  the 
falls,  and  let  them  down;  and  also  of  Indians  being  afraid  to 
cross  above  the  falls  on  account  of  the  rapidity  of  the  cur- 
rent. She  lived  three  years  near  Detroit.  She  says  the  old 
man  made  chairs,  which  he  sold;  he  also  played  on  the  violin; 
he  frequently  went  to  the  frontiers  and  played,  for  which  they 
paid  him.  The  old  squaw  made  baskets  and  brooms,  which 
they  sold.  The  British  made  them  presents  of  ammunition 
and  food,  which  they  had  to  go  after  under  the  cover  of  night. 
As  to  her  religion,  she  is  well  apprised  of  a  heaven  and  a 
hell,  the  necessity  of  living  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life;  if  she 
is  such  she  will  be  happy  when  she  dies;  this  was  taught  her 
by  her  adopted  parents.  She  says  she  is  able  to  have  a  better 
house,  but  fears  to  do  it  on  account  of  the  jealousy  of  the 
Indians.      She  has  money,  some  that  has  been  saved  since  the 

fill  tribe,  and  lived  on  the  lower  Wabash.  In  1816  the  AVeas  and  the  Kit-k- 
apoos  entered  into  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  United  States  and  sold  their 
lands  on  the  west  side  of  the  Wabash.  Two  years  later  they  disposed  of  all 
their  lands  in  Ohio,  Indiana  and  Illinois,  except  a  few  special  reservations. 
In  1820  they  made  a  final  cession  of  all  their  lands  and  agreed  to  leave  the 
Waljasli,  but  many  of  them  remained. 


THE   LOST   SLSTER.  II3 

treaty  of  St.  Mary's  eighteen  years  ago;  she  has  lent  $300  at 
a  time.  They  moved  from  Detroit  to  Fort  Wayne;  after  the 
victory  they  lived  on  Eel  River,  three  miles  from  Fort  Wayne, 
where  they  had  planted  corn  and  made  preparations  in  case 
of  a  defeat.  They  lived  there  about  twenty  years.  She  mar- 
ried a  Delaware  Indian  by  the  name  of  Little  Turtle;  when 
the  Delawares  removed  west  she  refused  to  go  with  them, 
and  chose  to  stay  with  her  adopted  mother;  as  the  Miamis 
had  treated  her  kindly  she  would  not  go.  She  then  married 
a  Miami,  She-pan-can-ah.  They  came  to  this  reserve  about 
twenty-four  years  since.  Her  adopted  father  could  talk  good 
English;  she  could  speak  it  while  she  lived  with  him;  he  was 
very  careful  to  publish  that  she  was  dead,  and  the  Indians 
generally  promised  to  do  the  same.  The  chief's  names  are 
Richardville  and  Ma-jin-i-cah. 

Thursday  night  at  10  o'clock,  Oct.  3,  we  left  Peru  on  our 
return  home;  we  reached  Logansport*  at  4  in  the  morning. 
The  public  house  was  not  very  neat;  the  females  were  all  sick 
with  the  fever  that  prevails  in  that  country.  The  location 
is  pleasant  and  good;  it  has  grown  up  rapidly;  is  now  rather 
at  a  stand;  the  country  is  now  suffering  from  drought;  it  is  now 
eighteen  months  since  they  have  had  a  heavy  rain;  we  spent 

*  At  this  point  the  Wabash  and  Eel  Rivers  unite.  The  town  was  founded 
in  1828,  and  in  1829  the  county  was  organized  and  named  Cass,  in  honor  of 
(Ten.  Lewis  Cass,  who  was  the  principal  commissioner  in  negotiating  ti-eaties 
with  the  Miamis  and  Pottawatamies  in  1826.  It  was  made  the  county  seat, 
and  the  seal  represents  Gen.  Cass  and  Au-bee-naub-bee,  a  Pottawatamie 
chief,  shaking  hands.  The  chief  some  years  afterwards  was  killed  by  his 
son  in  a  drunken  brawl,  and  his  skull  and  the  knife  with  which  he  was 
slain,  are  now  in  the  possession  of  Maj.  S.  L.  McFadin,  of  Logansport.  The 
name,  in  honor  of  Capt.  Logan,  a  Shawanee  chief,  who  lost  his  life  while 
attesting  his  fidelity  to  the  whites  in  November,  1812,  in  Ohio,  was  decided 
by  a  shooting  match,  and  "port"  was  added  to  indicate  its  commercial  im- 
portance. It  now  (1890)  contains  about  15,000  inhabitants.— Helm's  Hist. 
Cass  Co.,  p.  33. 


114  FRANCES   SI.OCUM, 

Friday  here;  here  we  left  Mr.  Saylor,  who  has  been  very 
kind  and  pleasant  on  our  journey. 

On  Saturday  morning  we  left  in  the  stage  for  Indianapolis. 
Capt.  Mahon  accompanied  us.  The  road  is  very  straight,  a 
great  part  of  the  way  through  a  dense  forest;  trees  of  im- 
mense size  were  constantly  greeting  us;  the  country  is  low 
and  marshy;  for  the  want  of  stones  and  earth,  they  are  under 
the  necessity  of  making  their  roads  and  bridges  of  split  tim- 
ber and  poles,  which  makes  traveling  rough  and  unpleasant. 
The  accommodations  were  tolerable  for  a  new  country. 

We  reached  Indianapolis  at  8  o'clock  in  the  evening; 
stopped  at  Washington  Hall,  kept  by  E.  Browning;  a  very 
good  house  and  well  kept.  On  Sunday  morning  there  was  a 
fire  in  the  upper  part  of  the  town;  one  building  was  con- 
sumed without  injuring  any  others.  We  went  to  the  Metho- 
dist Church;  heard  an  excellent  sermon  from  the  preacher  in 
charge.  Father  left  for  Danville.  Harriet  and  I  went  to 
Sabbath  School,  which  is  a  very  good  one ;  in  the  afternoon 
the  ordinances  of  Baptism  and  Sacrament  were  administered. 
On  Monday  morning  we  walked  all  round  the  town  or  city; 
it  is  the  capital  of  Indiana.  The  public  buildings  are  here; 
they  look  very  well. 

We  left  Indianapolis  at  3  o'clock  in  the  morning  for  Cin- 
cinnati. The  tavern  at  which  we  were  to  dine  was  so  much 
of  a  grog  shop  we  concluded  to  fast  for  the  present.  They 
here  changed  teams  for  one  that  had  run  away  a  short  time 
before;  there  were  plenty  of  loungers  to  see  the  fun;  we, 
however,  escaped  unhurt.  We  found  a  comfortable  place  to 
dine  at  Greensburg.  We  lodged  at  Napoleon;  the  dust  made 
the  traveling  very  unpleasant;  it  rose  sometimes  in  clouds  so 
much  so  as  to  intercept  our  view.  We  struck  the  Ohio  River 
at  Lawrenceburg,  quite  a  pleasant  town,  and  reached  Cincin- 


THE    LOST   SIvSTER.  II5 

nati  before  dark;  stopped  at  the  Gait  House.  In  the  morn- 
ing we,  Harriet  and  I,  walked  all  over  the  city,  which  is  very 
pleasant  and  clean,  very  similar  to  Philadelphia,  more  so  than 
any  one  I  was  ever  in. 

When  we  returned,  father  had  engaged  our  passage  up 
the  Ohio  on  board  the  boat  Royal;  went  on  board  not  expect- 
ing the  boat  to  start  before  afternoon  or  evening,  but  it  started 
at  II  o'clock  and  we  had  not  the  opportunity  of  seeing  any 
more  of  the  city.  We  saw  no  more  of  Capt.  Mahon  and  Mr. 
Bickford.  We  did  not  find  any  we  knew  at  Cincinnati.  The 
Ohio  is  very  low;  it  is  difficult  for  small  boats  to  run.  The 
weather  very  warm  and  dry;  our  boat  was  rather  small  and 
contracted  for  so  many  passengers;  we  found  the  company 
pleasant  and  agreeable. 

October  11,  we  passed  Maysville  in  the  night;  we  passed 
Portsmouth  at  2  o'clock;  left  some  passengers  and  took  some 
more;  we  ran  aground  several  times.  We  reached  Guyan- 
dotte  on  Saturday  afternoon  and  several  passengers  went  on 
shore.  We  laid  here  all  night  fast  on  a  bar,  from  which  they 
could  not  extricate  us.  The  Captain  and  most  of  the  crew 
and  passengers  engaged  in  playing  cards  and  drinking,  which 
made  me  quite  sick,  not  being  accustomed  to  anything  of  the 
kind.  On  Sunday  morning  the  Forrest  passed,  a  still  lighter 
boat;  they  stopped  a  mile  above  us  and  sent  a  flat  boat  to 
take  our  baggage.  Part  of  the  passengers  went  on  board, 
the  others  walked  after,  having  landed  with  a  good  deal  of 
difficulty.  The  Captain  extorted  from  us  the  exorbitant 
price  of  $15.00  apiece,  after  having  paid  $7.50  to  Guyandotte. 
So  goes  the  world.  We  still  met  with  difficulties  in  getting 
frequently  on  sand  bars.  Sometimes  all  the  passengers  except 
the  ladies  were  on  shore.  Sometimes  on  the  deck  boat  for 
hours  toofether.     We  were  much  fris^htened.     The  steamboat 


Il6  FRANCKS   SI.OCUM, 

swung  against  the  keelboat,  which  struck  a  log;  with  the 
great  weight  upon  it  it  broke  in;  we  were  afraid  some  of  the 
passengers  were  hurt,  but  it  proved  better  than  our  fears, 
although  some  of  the  deck  passengers  were  cooking  under  the 
deck;  when  it  fell  they  put  out  the  fire,  and  we  were  soon  all 
quiet. 

When  we  came  in  sight  of  Wheeling  the  boat  struck  a 
rock  and  stove  a  hole  in  her  bottom.  The  Captain  turned 
her  towards  the  shore,  ordered  her  fires  out,  and  she  soon 
filled  with  water,  but  there  was  not  much  danger  of  drown- 
ing. We  rode  in  a  baggage  cart  up  to  the  Virginia  Hotel, 
where  we  found  a  house  full.  We  had  our  lodging  and  break- 
fast; parted  with  our  fellow^  passengers,  who  had  become  quite 
like  old  friends,  being  on  board  the  boat  a  week  together. 
We  hired  a  hack,  and  in  company  with  Mr.  Evans,  from  Phil- 
adelphia, set  out  for  Cadiz;  we  found  the  country  very  hilly 
and  broken,  yet  rich  and  yielding  abundant  crops.  We  stop- 
ped to  feed;  I  there  missed  my  traveling  bag;  it  was  left  at 
Wheeling;  I  wrote  a  note  back  and  received  it  the  next  day. 
We  reached  Cadiz  at  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  and  found  our 
friends  all  well  and  happy  to  see  us;  we  stopped  at  Willis 
Bennett's.  Cadiz  is  a  flourishing  town  with  a  fine  country 
around  it;  the  town  is  on  several  hills,  which  does  not  make 
it  so  pleasant.  I  dislike  the  bituminous  coal  very  much;  it 
is  so  dirty;  this  country  abounds  in  it;  the  hills  are  full.  We 
talked  of  returning  on  Saturday;  our  friends  would  not  con- 
sent, and  we  spent  the  Sabbath  very  pleasantly;  we  attended 
the  Methodist  Church.  On  Monday  they  sent  us  in  a  carriage 
to  Steubenville.  I  was  disappointed  at  not  finding  P.  B.  Pat- 
terson there;  his  health  is  poor  and  he  has  gone  south;  we 
passed  him  on  the  Ohio  river. 

On  Tuesday  we  took  stage  for  Pittsburg;  we  were   here 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  II7 

again  disappointed,  as  we  expected  to  meet  J.  P.  Dennis, 
They  had  arrived  at  Cincinnati  after  we  left.  Pittsbnrg  is  a 
rich  manufacturing  town,  but  not  pleasant  to  live  in  on  ac- 
count of  the  dense  smoke  that  is  constantly  settling  over  it. 
We  here  spent  a  day,  and  met  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dunlap. 
We  were  in  the  glass  factory  and  museum.  The  sight  of  the 
museum  is  not  worth  much;  I  was  disappointed. 

October  23d,  went  on  board  the  packet  for  Hollidaysburg; 
the  canal  passes  through  the  Kiskiminetas  salt  works,  which 
are  on  both  sides  of  the  river  and  canal;  they  were  quite  a 
curiosity  to  me.  The  hills,  which  in  some  places  were  almost 
perpendicular,  afford  coal;  on  the  margin  of  the  river  they 
sink  their  shafts  70  or  90  feet  deep  and  the  coal  is  raised  by 
steam.  We  reached  the  tunnel  about  2  o'clock;  it  is  a  most 
stupendous  piece  of  work;  it  is  907  feet  through,  and  about 
one-half  the  distance  it  is  arched.  We  reached  Johnstown 
about  2  o'clock  in  the  morning.  We  left  in  the  cars  at  5 
o'clock  in  the  morning;  we  came  to  the  first  inclined  plane,* 
then  through  the  tunnel,  which  is  similar  to  the  other,  901 
feet  through;  the  inclined  planes  are  five  up  and  five  down; 
we  breakfasted  on  the  Allegheny  mountain;  we  reached  Hol- 
lidaysburg at  11  o'clock;  went  on  board  the  Juniata  packet, 
which  started  immediately  for  Harrisburg.  In  38  miles  there 
were  53  locks,  which  makes  slow  traveling.  Capt.  Vogle- 
song  was  very  kind  and  accommodating;  he  ran  a  mile  to 
hail  the  Susquehanna  boat  that  we  might  not  be  detained 
over  Sunday,  for  which  we  shall  ever  hold  him  in  grateful 
remembrance. 

Mr,  Wickes,  a  gentleman  from  Ohio,   was  our  company. 

*  They  traveled  by  the  State  Canal  and  crossed  the  Allegheny  mountain 
on  the  Portage  Railroad.  By  means  of  powerful  stationary  engines  and 
cables  the  cars  and  boats  were  hauled  up  one  plane  and  let  down  the  other. 
The  road  was  long  since  abandoned. 


Il8  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

The  boat  in  which  we  came  to  Northumberland  went  up  the 
West  Branch ;  we  came  up  the  North  Branch ;  stopped  a  few 
minutes  at  Danville;  saw  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shoales.  We  reached 
Wilkes-Barre  about  8  o'clock  on  Monday  morning,  Oct.  28th, 
having  been  absent  seven  weeks,  with  the  exception  of  one 
day;  traveled  about  2000  miles;  had  uninterrupted  good 
health;  no  accident  befell  us;  the  weather  was  unusually 
pleasant  and  we  found  our  friends  all  well  at  home,  and  had 
been  so  during  our  absence,  for  which  I  shall  ever  feel  grate- 
ful   to    Him    whom    the   winds  and  seas  obey.     It  cost   us 

Hannah  Fell  Bennett.* 

Concerning  this  memorable  visit,  Harriet,  now  Mrs.  Lewis, 
of  Madison,  N.  Y.,  added  her  recollections  as  follows  : 

"On  reaching  the  house  we  found  our  aunt  seated  in  a 
chair,  looking  very  much  as  represented  in  the  water  color 
portrait  now  in  possession  of  Judge  Bennett,  with  her  two 
daughters  standing  by  her." 

Her  father,  Mr.  Joseph  Slocum,  after  the  accustomed  sal- 
utations, told  his  sister  that  he  had  brought  his  oldest  and 
youngest  children  to  see  her.  The  coldness  and  reserve  of 
the  former  visit  were  now  entirely  gone,  and  Frances  ex- 
pressed great  joy  upon  the  occasion  of  again  seeing  her 
brother,  and  particularly  that  he  had  brought  his  daughters 
so  far  to  see  her.  The  mother  and  daughters  immediately 
commenced  an  animated  conversation  upon  the  subject  of  the 
family  resemblances,  which  were  observable.  The  old  lady 
looking  at  her  nieces  earnestly,  passed  her  hand  down  her 
cheeks,  stopping  the  motion  at  the  posterior  point  of  her 
lower  jaw.     There  is  an  unusual  fullness  and  prominence  at 


*Mrs.  Hannah  Fell  Bennett,  author  of  this  journal,  died  at  Wilkes-Barre, 
Pa.,  Feb.  5,  1855,  in  the  53d  year  of  her  age. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  II9 

that  point  of  the  Slocum  face.  Continuing,  Mrs.  Lewis  said: 
"The  preparations  for  dinner  were  soon  commenced.  They 
spread  the  table  with  a  white  cotton  cloth,  and  wiped  the 
dishes,  as  they  took  them  from  the  cupboard,  with  a  clean 
cloth.  They  prepared  an  excellent  dinner  of  fried  venison, 
potatoes,  shortcake,  and  coffee.  Their  cups  and  saucers  were 
small,  and  they  put  three  or  four  tablespoonfuls  of  maple  su- 
gar in  a  cup.  They  were  told  our  way  is  not  to  use  so  much 
sugar.  They  seemed  very  anxious  to  please,  and  would  often 
ask,  'is  that  right?'  The  eldest  daughter  waited  on  the 
table,  while  her  mother  sat  at  the  table  and  ate  with  her  white 
relations.  After  dinner  they  washed  the  dishes  and  replaced 
them  upon  the  shelves,  and  then  swept  the  floor.  We  were 
surprised  at  these  evidences  of  civilization,  and  on  asking  our 
aunt  why  they  did  these  things,  she  made  answer  that  her 
mother  used  to  do  so,  and  she  had  always  done  it,  and  taught 
it  to  her  daughters.  It  was,  therefore,  a  uniform  rule  in  her 
house  to  wipe  the  dust  from  the  dishes  when  they  were  put 
upon  the  table,  and  when  the  meal  was  concluded  to  wash 
and  return  them  to  the  cupboard,  and  then  to  sweep  the 
room. 

"In  the  afternoon  all  left  but  Mr.  Slocum,  his  daughters 
and  Miller;  the  last  remained  till  near  night,  when  he  re- 
turned. We  strolled  over  the  premises,  and  visited  the  bury- 
ing ground.  They  raise  a  pole  over  the  grave  fifteen  or 
twenty  feet  high,  with  a  white  cloth  at  the  top,  which  re- 
mains until  destroyed  by  time.  The  premises  showed  great 
skill  and  industry  for  savage  life,  and  no  little  order  and 
attention  to  comfort  in  its  arrangements.  The  house  was  a 
double  hut.  A  neighboring  squaw  came  in  to  help  do  the 
work,  and  the  Indian  daughters  kept  close  to  their  white 
cousins,  and  talked  with  them  incessantly.     They  supposed 


I20  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

candles  would  be  wanted,  and  to  meet  the  emergency,  the 
squaw  melted  some  tallow,  twisted  wicking  on  a  stick,  and 
with  a  spoon  poured  the  tallow  down  the  wicks  until  quite  a 
respectable  candle  was  produced. 

"  For  supper  they  had  the  breast  of  a  wild  turkey  stewed 
with  onions,  quite  a  delicate  dish.  When  they  came  to  re- 
tire, the  pillow,  all  there  was  in  the  house,  was  assigned  to 
Mr.  Slocum  by  his  Indian  sister.  They  pay  great  respect  to 
age.  They  had  six  beds,  principally  composed  of  blankets 
and  other  goods  folded  together.  They  were  made  of  almost 
everything.  We  slept  sweetly,  and  after  taking  a  comfortable 
breakfast,  commenced  making  preparations  to  return  to  Peru, 

"After  breakfast  a  white  man  came  to  purchase  a  steer, 
and  brought  with  him  a  colored  man  as  an  interpreter.  He 
could  not  trade  for  the  want  of  the  money,  as  he  might  move 
away,  and  that  would  be  the  last  of  it.  No  business  transac- 
tion takes  place  in  the  family  without  the  consent  of  Frances. 
She  usually  makes  the  bargains  herself. 

"The  colored  man  served  so  well  in  the  capacity  of  an 
interpreter  that  my  father  retained  him  for  the  purpose.  My 
aunt  was  more  free  in  her  communications  through  him  than 
she  had  been  through  Mr.  Miller,  and  gave  many  circum- 
stances in  her  history  and  recollections  which  she  had  not 
previously  given. 

"They  seemed  anxious  to  tell  their  white  relations  as 
much  as  possible  about  themselves,  and  to  make  as  favorable 
an  impression  as  possible.  They  had  made  in  the  spring 
eleven  barrels  of  sugar." 

The  eldest  daughter  took  a  fancy  to  Miss  Harriet  Slocum, 
dressed  her  in  Indian  costume,  and  said  she  looked  like  her 
daughter  who  had  been  poisoned. 

' '  Would  I  not  make  a  nice  squaw  ?' '  asked  Harriet. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  121 

"Yes,  beautiful  squaw,"  replied  her  cousin,  "  will  you  be 
in  the  place  of  ni}^  daughter,  and  live  with  me?" 

On  being  told  that  her  friends  could  not  spare  her,  she  was 
satisfied.  She  seemed  sensible  that  she  was  asking  too  much ; 
but  could  the  boon  have  been  granted  it  would  have  been 
most  grateful  to  her  heart. 

The  brothers  an'd  sister  had  prevailed  on  Frances  to  have 
her  portrait  painted  by  George  Winter,  an  artist  then  living  at 
Logansport.  It  was  executed  in  due  time.  Subsequently 
another  was  painted,  and  both  are  now  in  the  possession  of 
friends  at  Wilkes-Barre. 

Before  leaving  Frances  made  an  effort  to  prevail  upon  her 
brother  Joseph  to  come  and  live  with  her;  and  not  to  be  out- 
done by  her  brothers,  who  had  made  such  liberal  offers  if  she 
would  come  and  live  with  them,  she  told  Mr.  Slocum  that, 
if  he  would  come  to  her  village  and  live,  she  would  give  him 
half  of  her  land,  and  this  would  have  been  no  mean  present. 
Her  sincerity  and  earnestness  in  this  proposition  were  affect- 
ing. No  arrangement,  however,  could  be  made  by  which  the 
brother  and  sister — so  long  separated,  and  to  each  other  as 
dead,  and  now  so  mysteriously  brought  together  and  united 
in  affection — could  spend  their  remnants  of  life  in  the  same 
neighborhood.  They  both  bowed  submissively  to  what  was 
evidently  the  order  of  Providence,  and  tried  to  adjust  their 
feelings  to  the  separation. 

The  time  for  parting  finally  came,  and  as  Frances,  her 
daughters  and  Capt.  Brouillette  shook  their  relatives  warmly 
by  the  hand,  they  gave  them  the  most  ample  assurances  of 
their  high  gratification  with  the  visit,  and  the  affection  they 
had  manifested  for  them  in  coming  so  far  to  see  them.  Capt. 
Brouillette  gave  Mr.  Slocum  the  most  ample  assurances  that 
he  would  take  good  care  of  his  mother-in-law  while  she  lived, 
and  so  far  as  known  he  sacredly  carried  out  his  promise. 


122  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

This  was  the  last  time  Mr.  Joseph  Slocum  saw  his  sister, 
although  he  frequently  heard  from  her  down  to  the  close  of 
her  life.  His  brother  Isaac,  however,  who  lived  within  a 
short  distance  of  her  home,  took  an  active  part  in  looking 
after  her  welfare,  and  visited  her  a  number  of  times  before 
she  died. 

The  section  of  country  where  Frances  lived  at  this  time 
was  in  Miami  County,  which  was  erected  March  i,  1834.  It 
contains  an  area  of  384  square  miles,  and  as  its  soil  is  rich, 
and  the  land  lies  well,  it  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  one  of 
the  finest  agricultural  counties  in  Indiana.  Peru,  the  seat  of 
justice,  was  a  rough,  uninviting  settlement  at  the  time  of  the 
visit.  At  first  it  was  known  as  Miamisport,  and  was  started 
when  the  canal  was  being  constructed.  When  the  name  was 
changed  the  place  began  to  grow  slowly,  but  it  was  a  long 
time  before  it  gave  promise  of  amounting  to  much.  It  is 
now  a  prosperous  little  city,  has  a  number  of  manufacturing 
industries,  and  contains  many  beautiful  homes.  There  were 
no  public  roads  at  the  time  Judge  Slocum  and  his  daughters 
were  there,  excepting  Indian  paths,  which  in  some  places  had 
been  sufficiently  widened  to  admit  of  the  driving  of  wagons 
over  them.  To-day  the  country  is  noted  for  its  fine  roads 
and  turnpikes,  and  the  one  running  up  the  river  and  passing 
where  the  Indian  villages  stood,  is  especially  fine,  and  affords 
a  charming  drive. 

The  Slocum  homestead  is  now  in  Wabash  County,  being 
situated  just  across  the  Miami  County  line.  Wabash  County 
was  organized  in  1852,  and  the  city  of  Wabash,  now  the  seat 
of  justice,  was  founded  in  1849. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

FRANCES  PETITIONS  CONGRESS  TO  BE  PERMITTED  TO  REMAIN 
AT  HER  OLD  HOME — ELOQUENT  SPEECH  OF  MR.  BIDLACK — 
CONGRESS  GRANTS  HER  PRAYER — INDIANS  DEPART. 

S  IT  was  stipulated  in  the  treaty  of  1840  that  the 
.„  ,  ,.  Miamis  should  abandon  their  homes  on  the  Wabash 
^  ^^^  in  five  years  from  the  time  of  its  ratification,  there 
began  to  be  much  uneasiness  manifested  among  many  of  the 
older  members  of  the  tribe  as  the  time  drew  near  for  taking 
their  departure.  From  a  once  powerful  nation  they  had  be- 
come weak  and  defenceless;  they  had  disposed  of  their  lands 
from  time  to  time  until  they  had  nothing  left;  the  records 
show  that  by  their  several  treaties  they  had  ceded  an  aggre- 
gate of  6,853,020  acres  of  land  to  the  United  States,  and  re- 
ceived in  return  in  money  and  goods  $1,261,707.  They  had 
been  given  in  exchange  44,040  acres,*  the  aggregate  value  of 
which  was  $55,800,  on  which  a  few  of  their  chiefs  and  head 
men  lived.  The  remnant  of  the  great  tribe — the  stragglers 
of  a  nation — must  now  prepare  to  move  to  their  new  reserve 
west  of  the  Missouri  in  Kansas.  They  dreaded  the  day  of 
departure.  From  time  immemorial  their  people  had  dwelt 
in  the  valley  of  the  Wabash.  The  graves  of  their  ancestors 
were  there,  the  endearing  associations  which  cluster  around 
once  happy  homes  made  it  more  difficult  for  them  to  sever 
the  tie  which  had  so  long  bound  them  to  this  section,  and 
turn  their  faces  westward.      The    hand  of   fate  was  against 


Hist,  of  the  Ujiper  Maumee  Valley,  Vol.  1,  p.  42. 


124  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

them,  and  however  cruel  it  might  seem,  they  must  go.  The 
aged  and  infirm,  unable  to  endure  the  fatigues  of  travel,  must 
die  on  the  route  and  be  buried  by  the  wayside.  Such  reflec- 
tions as  these  agitated  their  minds  as  the  time  for  departure 
drew  near,  and  kept  them  in  a  constant  state  of  excitement. 
Many  lingered  about  the  graves  of  their  fathers,  mothers  and 
children,  and  wept  bitter  tears  over  their  hard  lot. 

"  And  they  painted  on  the  grave-posts 
Of  the  graves  3^et  unforgotten, 
Each  his  own  ancestral  totem, 
Each  the  symbol  of  his  household — 
Figures  of  the  bear  and  reindeer, 
Of  the  turtle,  crane,  and  beaver."  * 

Among  those  who  mourned  over  the  coming  departure  of 
the  tribe  was  Frances  Slocum.  She  could  not  endure  the 
thought  of  making  the  journey,  neither  did  she  want  her 
children  and  grandchildren  torn  from  her  and  hurried  beyond 
the  great  rivers.  She  was  now  over  72  years  of  age,  and  felt 
that  the  end  was  near.  She  had  been  a  wanderer  nearly  all 
her  life,  and  had  endured  great  privations  and  sufferings  in 
the  wilderness  and  on  the  plains.  She  prayed  that  this  last 
bitter  cup  might  not  be  pressed  to  her  lips.  It  was  her  earn- 
est desire  to  be  permitted  to  remain  in  her  happy  home  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississinewa,  and  when  she  died — which  must 
be  soon — be  buried  by  the  side  of  her  chieftain  husband  and 
children,  on  the  beautiful  knoll  within  sight  of  her  humble 
cabin.  She  appealed  to  her  brothers  Isaac  and  Joseph  for 
advice  and  assistance — all  the  others  were  dead.  Her  faith- 
ful sister  Mary  had  just  been  laid  in  the  tomb,  and  could  no 
longer  sympathize  with  her  in  her  distress.  Frances  was  the 
last  one  of  the  three  sisters.  Her  surviving  brothers  were 
old  men,  but  they  were  not  unmindful  of  their  unhappy  sis- 
ter, and  aided  her  all  they  could. 

*  Longfellow's  Hiawatha. 


THE    LOST  SISTER.  125 

It  was  finally  decided  to  have  her  appeal  to  Congress  and 
ask  if  she  could  not  be  exempted  from  the  terms  of  the  treaty, 
and,  with  her  descendants,  be  allowed  to  remain  on  the  res- 
ervation in  Indiana  which  had  been  granted  to  her  daughters. 
A  petition  was  therefore  drawn  and  signed  by  her  children 
and  grandchildren,  and  as  it  forms  one  of  the  most  interesting 
features  of  this  sad  narrative,  it  is  given  herewith  in  full: 

' '  To  the  honorable  the  Senate  and  Hottse  of  Representatives  of 
the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled : 

"Your  memorialist,  Frances  Slocum,  a  resident  of  Wabash  county, 
in  the  State  of  Indiana,  would  to  your  honorable  bod}'  most 
respectfully  represent : 

"That  at  the  age  of  six  years,  about  the  close  of  the  revolu- 
tionary war,  she  was  taken  captive  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  by 
the  Indians,  and  has  ever  since  lived  among  them,  and  is  now,  and 
for  the  last  thirty  years  has  been,  recognized  as  a  member  of  the 
Miami  tribe.  That,  from  the  time  she  was  taken  captive  as  afore- 
said, she  heard  nothing  of  her  white  relatives  and  friends  (the 
greater  portion  of  whom  reside  at  the  place  where  she  was  taken, 
in  the  said  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  others  in  the  State  of  Ohio, 
and  the  said  State  of  Indiana)  until  about  seven  years  since.  That 
she  has  entirely  lost  her  mother  tongue,  and  can  only  enjoy  the 
society  of  her  adopted  people,  with  whom  she  intermarried,  and 
became  the  mother  of  a  family,  and  with  whose  manners  and  cus- 
toms she  has  assimilated.  That  she  is  informed  that  the  greater 
portion  of  the  Miamies  will  be  obliged  to  emigrate  to  the  home 
assigned  them  west  of  the  Mississippi  in  the  course  of  one  or  two 
years,  where  their  annuities  will  thereafter  be  paid  them.  That 
she  is  too  old  to  endure  the  fatigue  of  removing;  and  that,  under  any 
circumstances,  she  would  deplore  the  necessity  of  being  placed 
beyond  the  reach  of  her  white  relatives,  who  visit  her  frequently, 
and  have  extended  their  kindness  towards  her  since  she  was  dis- 
covered by  them.  That  her  children  are  the  owners  of  a  section 
of  land  granted  to  them  by  the  treaty  between  the  United  States 
and  said  tribe  of  Indians  of  the  sixth  of  November,  A.  D.  1838, 
who  now  reside  upon  and  cultivate  the  same,  and  with  whom  your 
memorialist  now  lives ;  and  that  it  is  the  wish  and  design  of  her 


126  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

children  and  their  families,  if  it  be  the  pleasure  of  the  Govern- 
ment, to  continue  to  reside  upon  and  cultivate  the  same. 

"Your  memorialist  further  shows,  that  a  portion  of  the  annuities 
of  said  tribe,  in  pursuance  of  the  14th  article  of  said  treatj^  is  to 
be  paid  at  Fort  Wa3aie,  after  said  tribe  shall  emigrate  to  the  coun- 
try assigned  them  west  of  the  Mississippi ;  and  that  the  payment 
of  the  annuities  due  your  memorialist  and  her  family  at  Fort 
Wayne  or  Peru,  in  said  vState,  would  not  increase  the  expense  or 
add  any  inconvenience  to  the  Government  of  the  United  States. 

"Your  memorialist  therefore  prays  that  Congress  may  by  law 
direct  that  the  following  persons,  to  wit : 

1.  Ke-ke-na-kush-wa,*  12.  No-ac-co-mo-qua, 

2.  We-saw-she-no-qua,  13.  Coch-e-no-qua, 

3.  Te-quoc-yaw,  14.  Po-con-du-maw, 

4.  Ki-po-ki-na-mo-qua,  15.  Tah-ki-qua, 

5.  Wa-pu-noc-she-no-qua,  16.  Ki-ki-o-qua, 

6.  Ki-no-suck-qua,  17.  Te-quoc-yaw%  Jr., 

7.  Ching-Shing-gwaw,  18.  Soc-o-chu-qua, 

8.  Pe-tu-loc-a-te-qua,  19.  Peem-y-o-ty-maw, 

9.  Sho-quang-gwaw,  20.  So-eel-en-ji-sah,  Jr., 

10.  Waw-pop-e-tah,  21.     Pun-ge-she-no-qua, 

1 1 .  So-eel-en-ji-sah, 

children  and  grandchildren  of  your  memorialist,  as  also  j^our  me- 
morialist, and  such  children  as  they  may  hereafter  have,  shall 
hereafter  receive  their  annuities  at  Fort  Wayne,  or  at  Peru,  Indi- 
ana, as  to  your  honorable  body  may  seem  most  expedient  and 
proper.  And,  as  in  duty  bound,  your  memorialist  will  ever 
pray,  &c. 

FRANCES  SIvOCUM. 
January  17,  1845." 

"1,  Eldest  daughter  of  Frances  Slocum;  2,  her  j^oungest  daughter,  3, 
Cajit.  Brouillette,  husband  of  No.  1;  4,  eldest  daughter  of  Louis  Godfroy ; 
5,  his  second  daughter ;  6,  wife  of  Gabriel  Godfroy ;  7,  one  of  the  husbands 
of  Frances'  second  daughter;  8,  brother  to  No.  7,  and  afterwards  the  hus- 
band of  his  widow;  9,  boy  raised  by  Frances;  10,  Peter  Bondy  ;  11,  Samuel 
Bondy,  nephew  of  Peter ;  12,  cousin  to  Frances'  daughter's  children,  and  a 
woman;  13,  daughter  of  No.  12;  14,  daughter  of  No.  12;  15,  daughter  of 
No.  12;  16,  daughter  of  No.  14;  17,  son  of  No.  13;  18,  sister  to  No.  17;  19, 
husband  of  No.  14;  20,  son  of  No.  14 ;  21,  daughter  of  No.  14.  Very  few  of 
the  foregoing  signers  are  now  living.  The  names  are  given  as  spelled  in 
the  petition. 


the  lost  sister.  127 

"House  of  Representatives, 

January  30,  1845. 

"  Dear  Sir  :  I  have  just  received  your  note  in  relation  to  the 
Slocum  resohition.  I  thought  of  the  objection  mentioned  by  Gen- 
eral Milroy,  but  the  peculiarity  of  the  application  overcame  with 
me  that  objection.  I  will  not  here  relate  what  she  has  set  forth 
in  her  petition,  which  you  will  see  when  you  examine  the  case. 
The  fact  that  the  Government  has  given  her  children  a  reserve  of  a 
section  of  land  implies  a  right  in  them  to  live  on  and  enjoy  it. 
Of  this  I  entertain  no  doubt:  they  are  by  that  act  united  with 
the  soil,  and  this  boon  is  giving  them  nothing  more  than  other 
Miamies  enjoy  by  the  treat5^  I  will  send  you  Mr.  Cole's  letter. 
Mr.  Cole  is  known  to  me,  and  is  a  gentleman  of  high  standing  at 
Peru. 

Yours,  &c., 

S.  C.  SAMPLE.* 

Hon.  a.  S.  White."  t 

"  Peru,  January  16,  1845. 
"Dear  Sir  :  I  take  the  liberty  of  sending  you  the  enclosed 
memorial,  in  the  hope  that  you  wall  give  the  matter  your  attention. 
It  is  a  small  matter,  it  is  true,  but  it  is  one  in  which  the  subject  of 
it  feels  a  deep  interest.  You  may  have  heard  something  of  this 
Frances  Slocum,  whose  history  is  briefly  noticed  in  her  memorial, 
as  it  attracted  some  attention  at  the  time  she  was  discovered  by 
her  friends;  and  a  little  volume  of  her  life  has  appeared  in  print. 
She  was  taken,  as  she  states,  I  think,  by  the  Shawnee  Indians,  at 
the  age  of  about  six  years,  somewhere  near  Wyoming.  Her 
friends  made  fruitless  search  for  her  for  a  great  number  of  years, 
and  she  likewise  for  many  years  made  every  endeavor  to  return  to 
them,  but  without  effect.  In  the  progress  of  time,  she  was  sold  to 
and  became  the  wife  of  one  of  the  head  men  of  the  Miamies, 
known  as  the  deaf  man,  with  whom  she  removed  to  the  Missis- 
sinewa,  where  she  has  continued  to  reside  for  the  last  forty  years. 
Her  relatives  still  reside  at  or  near  the  place  where  she  was  cap- 
tured, and  are  among  the  most  respectable  families  in  that  part  of 

*Hon.  Samuel  C.  Sample  represented  the  district  in  Congress,  where  the 
memorialists  resided,  from  1843  to  1845. 

fHon.  Albert  S.  White  was  a  member  of  Congress  from  Indiana  from 
1837  to  1839,  and  a  U.  S.  Senator  from  1839  to  1845.  He  filled  several  other 
high  positions,  and  died  in  1864. 


128  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

the  country.  They  discovered  her  through  the  instrumentalitj^  of 
Colonel  Ewing,  to  whom  she  related  what  little  she  recollected  of 
her  early  history.  They  visit  her  quite  frequently,  and  it  is  upon 
this  account,  more  than  any  other,  that  she  does  not  wish  to  remove 
beyond  the  great  river,  where  she  feels  confident  she  would  never 
again  see  them.  She  says  she  has  lived  a  life  of  hardships,  and  is 
now  quite  old,  and  wishes  to  spend  the  remainder  of  her  days 
among  her  children,  on  their  lands  here ;  and  she  does  not  see  why 
her  great  white  father  should  not  grant  them  the  same  privilege 
to  remain  here  upon  their  lands,  and  receive  their  annuities  here, 
as  have  been  granted  to  some  other  families. 

"  I  am  well  acquainted  with  the  old  lady,  and  all  of  her  con- 
nexions which  she  alludes  to,  and  feel  authorized  to  say  that  they 
are  respectable,  honest,  and,  for  Indians,  uncommonly  industrious 
people,  and,  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  good  orderly  citizens. 

' '  For  my  own  part,  I  can  see  no  reason  why  any  person  should 
object  to  granting  the  prayer  of  her  memorial.  Certain  families 
are  required  to  be  paid  here  by  treaty,  and  it  cannot  increase  the 
expense  to  the  Government,  or  add  any  inconvenience,  to  pay  her 
and  her  connexions  at  the  same  time  and  place.  It  is  a  matter  of 
no  consequence  to  the  Government,  but  is  everything  to  her,  I 
have  no  doubt  she  would  more  willinglj^  meet  death,  than  either 
to  be  obliged  to  remove  west  of  the  Mississippi,  beyond  the  reach 
of  her  white  relatives,  or  to  be  left  here  alone  by  her  Indian  rela- 
tives. You  will  more  readily  perceive,  from  the  memorial  and 
what  I  have  already  written,  what  is  required  to  be  done,  than  I 
can  tell  you.  We  wish  the  bill  to  provide  for  the  payment  of  the 
annuities  due  her,  and  those  persons  named  in  the  memorial,  and 
any  children  they  may  have,  at  this  place  or  at  Fort  Wayne,  for- 
ever hereafter,  or  at  least  until  they  or  any  of  them  see  proper  to 
emigrate  to  their  possessions  west.  It  is  desired,  in  order  that 
no  misunderstanding  may  occur,  that  the  bill  contain  all  of  the 
names. 

' '  Please  let  me  know  what  the  prospect  is,  as  soon  as  3'our  con- 
venience will  permit  after  you  receive  this. 

Most  truly  yours,  &c., 

ALPHONSO  A.  COI.E.=^ 
Hon.  S.  C.  SampIvE." 

*Mr.  Cole  was  a  well  known  member  of  the  Miami  County  Bar,  and 
probably  drew  the  petition  at  the  request  of  the  brothers  of  Frances. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 29 

On  the  28th  of  January,  1845,  Mr.  Cave  Johnson,  (Ten- 
nessee) from  the  Committee  on  Indian  Affairs,  reported  a  joint 
resolution*  for  the  benefit  of  Frances  Slocum,  her  children 
and  grandchildren,  of  the  Miami  tribe  of  Indians,  and  it  was 
read  a  first  and  second  time. 

Hon.  Benjamin  A.  Bidlack,  of  Pennsylvania,  who  repre- 
sented the  Wyoming  district  in  Congress  at  that  time,  said 
he  hoped  "  no  motion  or  resolution  would  intervene  to  pre- 
vent the  passage  of  this  resolution.  The  memorialist  was 
taken  prisoner  in  the  Valley  of  Wyoming  at  an  early  age, 
during  the  trials  and  difficulties  to  which  the  early  settlers 
were  subjected. 

"  Her  relatives  are  among  the  most  worthy  and  merito- 
rious of  my  coustituents — they  are  my  neighbors  and  friends; 
they  searched  after  the  captive  with  zealous  and  praiseworthy 
efforts  and  diligence,  from  the  time  of  her  capture  until  within 
a  few  years,  and  they  have  found  her  in  the  condition  set  forth 
in  the  memorial  and  report.  The  incidents  set  forth  and 
connected  with  her  eventful  history  would  afford  a  beautiful 
theme  for  elucidation  and  remark. 

"  But  as  debate  is  not  now  in  order,  I  will  not  trespass  on 
the  indulgence  and  courtesy  of  the  House.  What  I  desire 
is  not  to  make  a  speech,  but  to  ask  the  unanimous  consent 
of  the  members  for  the  immediate  passage  of  the  resolution. 

"  If  the  resolution  is  sent  to  the  committee  of  the  whole  I 
fear  it  will  never  be  reached,  and  this  earnest  request  of  the 
memorialist  will  never  be  reached  and  granted. 

"  The  proposition  is  intended  to  extend  to  her  as  the  wid- 
ow of  an  Indian  chief,  the  same  privileges  in  relation  to  the 
payment  of  annuities  due  her  and  her  family,  and  are  pro- 

*  Cong.  Globe,  Vol.  XIV.,  Sec.  Ses.  28th  Cong.,  p.  208. 


130  FRANCEvS   SI<OCUM, 

vided  for  by  treaty  stipulation  in  regard  to  certain  of  the 
Miami  chiefs. 

"Frances  Slocum  was  taken  from  her  white  friends  when 
a  child.  She  is  now  desirous  of  dying  among  her  red  friends 
where  she  has  lived  for  half  a  century,  without  being  com- 
pelled to  remove  west  of  the  Mississippi.  Let  her  first  and 
last  request  be  granted. 

"The  resolution  then  passed." 

This  is  the  eloquent  address  which  modern  writers  have 
been  in  the  habit  of  attributing  to  Hon.  John  Quincy  Adams. 
But  the  most  thorough  search  of  the  records  of  Congress  fail 
to  show  that  the  venerable  and  distinguished  ex-President 
ever  made  a  remark  relating  to  the  petition  of  Frances  Slo- 
cum. He  was  old  and  feeble  at  that  time,  and  three  years 
after  the  introduction  of  the  joint  resolution  he  was  stricken 
down  and  died  in  the  House  of  Representatives. 

It  is  unaccountable  how  the  credit  of  making  the  address 
came  to  be  given  to  Mr.  Adams,  when  it  is  readily  seen  that 
the  proper  person  to  speak  to  the  joint  resolution  was  the 
representative  of  the  district  in  which  Frances  lived  when 
she  was  captured,  where  her  parents  were  buried,  and  where 
many  of  her  most  deeply  interested  relations  still  lived.  The 
remarks  of  Mr.  Bidlack,  *  who  also  came  of  a  historic  and  dis- 
tinguished family,  while  not  elaborate  or  diffusive,  were  elo- 
quent, impressive  and  appropriate,  and  aroused  such  a  strong 
feeling  of  sympathy  for  the  memorialist  that  no  one  inter- 
posed an  objection,  and  the  resolution  passed  unanimously. 

We  next  hear  of  the  joint  resolution  in  the  Senate,  when 

*Hon.  Benjamin  A.  Bidlack  was  born  at  Wilkes-Barre ;  was  elected  a 
representative  to  the  27th  Congress  as  a  Democrat,  and  was  re-elected  to  the 
28th  Congress,  receiving  5,007  votes  against  2,716  votes  for  Willits,  Whig, 
serving  from  May  31,  1841  to  March  3,  1845,  when  he  was  appointed  Charge 
d'  Affaires  to  Columbia,  May  14,  1845,  and  died  in  office  at  Bogota,  Feb.  29, 
1849. 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  131 

Mr.  White,  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Indian  affairs, 
to  whom  it  had  been  referred,  made  the  following  report  un- 
der date  of  Feb.  21,  1845  • 

"That  the  joint  resolution  provides  for  the  payment  in  Indiana 
of  the  annuities  due  this  family,  instead  of  requiring  them  to  re- 
ceive payment  with  the  nation  in  the  emigrant  territory  west  of 
the  Mississippi  River.  The  reasons  assigned  are  that  former 
treaties  have  made  similar  provisions  in  favor  of  other  families  of 
this  nation  ;  that  lands  have  been  by  treaty  reserved  to  them  in 
Indiana,  to  the  personal  enjoyment  of  which  they  have  a  right 
that  cannot  be  embarrassed  by  requiring  them  to  go  west  of  the 
Mississippi  for  their  annuities  ;  and,  thirdly,  that  the  petitioner  is 
by  birth  a  white  woman,  who  more  than  forty  years  ago,  in  her 
infancy,  was  captured  by  the  Indians,  transferred  to  their  country, 
lost  her  mother  tongue,  affiliated  and  intermarried  with  the  Miam- 
ies,  has  by  this  marriage  reared  a  large  family  of  children,  (who 
are  named  in  the  joint  resolution,)  but  some  seven  years  ago  was 
for  the  first  time  discovered  by  her  white  relations,  (who  reside  in 
Pennsylvania,)  whom  she  has  refused  to  accompany,  because  her 
whole  nature  has  been  changed  by  her  strange  destiny ;  and  life 
out  of  the  woods,  and  away  from  her  husband  and  children,  would 
have  no  charms.  Yet  these  white  relatives  do  frequently  visit  her, 
and  minister  to  her  wants,  which  they  could  not  do  if  she  were 
removed  six  hundred  miles  to  the  west. 

"The  committee  cannot  resist  the  force  of  these  reasons,  al- 
though in  a  conversation  with  General  Milroy,  the  late  intelligent 
agent  of  the  Miamies,  he  expressed  a  fear  that  the  adoption  of  the 
joint  resolution  might  disincline  other  Miamies  to  remove  to  their 
new  homes. 

"This  case  has  such  a  thrilling  interest,  that  the  committee  beg 
leave  to  append  to  their  report  the  petition  itself,  with  the  letter  of 
Mr.  Cole  that  accompanied  it. 

' '  They  recommend  that  the  resolution  be  adopted. ' ' 
On  the  3d  of  March,  1845,  the  joint  resolution  passed  in 
the  following  form  : 

"  A  joint  resolution'"'  for  the  benefit  of  Frances  Slocuni  and  her  chil- 
dren and  grandchildren  of  the  Miami  tribe  of  Indians. 
"  Be  it  resolved,  &c.    That  the  portion  or  shares  of  the  annuities 
*  Stat,  at  Large,  Vol.  VI.,  p.  942. 


132  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

or  other  moneys,  which  are  now  or  may  hereafter  become  payable 
to  the  Miami  tribe  of  Indians,  shall  be  hereafter  and  forever  pay- 
able to  them  and  their  descendants  at  Fort  Wayne  or  Peru,  or 
such  other  place  in  the  State  of  Indiana  as  the  Secretary  of  War 
shall  direct,  viz :  [The  name  of  Frances  Slocum  and  all  the  others 
attached  to  her  memorial  of  January  17,  1845,  are  then  recited.] 

"And  further  resolved.  That  if  any  of  the  aforesaid  Indians 
shall  hereafter  remove  to  the  reservation  of  the  Miamis  west  of  the 
Mississippi,  no  portion  or  share  of  such  annuities  shall  be  paid  to 
such  person  so  removing. ' ' 

The  prompt  action  of  Congress  in  granting  the  prayer  of 
Frances  Slocum  pleased  her  greatly,  and  removed  a  load  of 
anxiety  from  her  mind,  which  was  weighing  her  down  in  her 
old  age.  She  and  her  descendants  were  now  free  to  remain  at 
their  Indiana  homes,  whilst  those  not  exempted  were  com- 
pelled to  depart.  The  great  flight  commenced  in  1846,  and 
the  sad  scenes  and  incidents  of  the  removal  are  vividly  re- 
called by  many  witnesses  yet  living  in  that  part  of  Indiana. 
Under  guides  and  a  military  escort  the  long  Indian  train 
moved  across  the  country,  over  the  plains  of  Illinois  and  Iowa 
to  the  new  reservation  provided  for  them  in  Kansas.  As  they 
left  their  cabins  and  favorite  places  of  resort  on  the  Wabash 
and  Mississinewa,  they  cast  long,  lingering  looks  behind,  and 
sorrowfully  bade  adieu  to  the  scenes  of  their  childhood  for- 
ever. 

Their  deserted  cabins  stood  for  many  years  as  relics  of 
a  race  now  in  rapid  decline,  and  finally  tumbled  into  ruin. 
On  departing  they  left  hundreds  of  dogs  behind,  because  they 
were  unable  to  care  for  them,  and  they  remained  about  the  de- 
serted cabins  until  starvation  drove  them  forth,  and  for  a  long 
time  the  white  settlers  were  greatly  pestered  by  the  hordes  of 
hungry  curs  which  overran  the  country  like  ravenous  wolves. 
In  course  of  time  the  surviving  Miamis  drifted  down  to  the 
Indian  Territory,  and  there  a  remnant  still  lives.     They  have 


I 


THE   LOST  SIvSTER.  1 33 

preserved  the  traditions  of  their  ancestors,  and  occasionally 
those  who  are  able,  make  pilgrimages  to  the  Wabash  to  visit 
the  graves  of  their  fathers  and  relatives,  and  linger  for  a  short 
time  among  their  friends  who  were  permitted  to  remain  be- 
hind, when  they  return  and  try  to  forget  the  sad  days  of  the 
past. 

Residents  of  Peru  and  Logansport,  who  occasionally  visit 
the  Indian  Territory,  say  that  they  often  meet  descendants  of 
the  Miamis,  and  they  always  anxiously  inquire  after  their 
friends  on  the  Wabash.  It  is  a  marked  trait  of  the  Indian 
character  for  them  to  hanker  after  the  scenes  of  their  child- 
hood, and  whenever  they  can  do  so,  they  return  and  visit 
those  places.  And  in  this  respect  they  do  not  differ  from 
their  white  brethren,  for  where  is  the  man  or  woman,  in  the 
language  of  the  poet,  "with  soul  so  dead,"  who  does  not 
love  the  land  of  his  or  her  birth. 

One  thing  that  caused  such  a  bitter  feeling  among  the 
Miamis  who  were  compelled  by  the  terms  of  the  treaty  to 
depart,  was  that  certain  favored  members  of  the  tribe  were 
permitted  to  remain.  The  ignorant  never  could  understand 
why  this  was  so,  and  they  looked  upon  them  with  feelings  of 
envy. 

The  descendants  of  Frances  Slocum  and  the  other  favored 
families  probably  do  not  number  two  hundred  souls  to-day; 
and  through  intermarriages  and  admixture  with  the  whites 
they  are  rapidly  disappearing.  It  is  noticed,  however,  that 
where  the  French  blood  predominates  there  are  evidences  of 
more  stamina  and  thrift  in  the  race;  but  outside  of  this  the 
tendency  is  downward.  In  a  few  years  it  will  be  impossible 
to  find  a  Miami  of  pure  blood  on  the  Wabash .  Among  the 
Indians  nothing  seems  to  cause  their  degeneration  quicker 
than  contact  with  civilization,  and  from  this  cause  they  are 
rapidly  disappearing.     Extinction  seems  to  be  their  destiny. 

J 


CHAPTER   X. 

DEATH  OF  FRANCES — THE  CLOSING  SCENE — CHRISTIAN  RITES 
AT  THE  GRAVE — PLACE  OF  BURIAL — DEATH  OF  DAUGHTER 
— A  CURIOUS  INDIAN  CUSTOM — MORE  ABOUT  HER  CAPTURE. 


^Y^J?FHEN  FRANCES  was  fully  convinced  that  she 


fe 


) I       would  be  permitted  to  remain  at  her  old  home, 


m 

^^•jIL.  where  she  had  lived  so  long,  and  where  she 
wished  to  die,  her  mind  became  more  tranquil.  The  sorrow- 
ful scenes  incident  to  the  departure  of  many  of  her  Indian 
friends  and  acquaintances,  however,  had  a  depressing  effect 
on  her  mind,  and  it  was  some  time  before  she  fully  recovered 
her  equanimity.  She  was  now  about  seventy-three  years  of 
age,  but  on  account  of  the  hardships  and  exposures  of  nearly 
sixty  years,  she  had  the  appearance  of  being  over  eighty. 
Her  constitution,  originally  rugged  and  strong,  was  so  badly 
shattered  that  when  she  began  to  decline,  she  lost  her  vitality 
rapidly  and  became  quite  feeble. 

During  the  thirty  or  more  years  she  had  lived  on  the  Mis- 
sissinewa,  she  had,  through  good  management,  economy  and 
frugality,  accumulated  much  personal  property,  and  was  re- 
puted rich  by  those  who  knew  her  circumstances.  Her  son- 
in-law,  Peter  Bondy,  says  that  at  one  time  she  owned  300 
Indian  ponies,  and  had  cattle,  hogs  and  chickens  in  large 
numbers.  The  desire  to  accumulate  was  inherited  from  her 
parents.  It  was  an  Anglo  Saxon  trait  which  did  not  belong 
to  the  Indians,  though  she  had  through  training  and  associa- 
tion acquired  their  manners  and  customs. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 35 

After  the  departure  of  the  Miamis^  there  was  a  rush  of 
speculators  to  acquire  their  lands,  and  new  settlers  soon  be- 
gan to  arrive  and  make  improvements  all  around  the  Slocum 
reservation  of  686  acres.  And  as  the  country  rapidly  filled 
up,  extra  vigilance  was  required  to  guard  her  stock  and  pre- 
vent encroachments  on  her  premises.  Many  of  her  ponies 
were  stolen  from  time  to  time,  as  horse  thieves  abounded  in 
those  days,  and  there  were  plenty  of  adventurers  who  did  not 
consider  it  a  crime  to  appropriate  the  property  of  the  "  white 
woman,"  whom  they  regarded  as  possessing  such  an  abun- 
dance of  ponies  that  she  did  not  need  all  of  them,  and  there- 
fore would  not  miss  a  few  head. 

The  presence  of  this  class  of  neighbors  was  not  calculated 
to  promote  the  comfort  and  quiet  of  her  latter  days.  Peck 
informs  us  that  she  was,  in  fact,  still  suspicious  that  she  and 
her  family  might  at  last  be  robbed  of  the  home  which  the 
government  had  just  granted  them  by  the  terms  of  the  treaty, 
as  the  patent  for  the  land  had  not  yet  been  issued.  With 
these  fears  on  her  mind  she  communicated  with  her  brothers 
and  begged  Joseph  to  come  and  protect  her  from  the  frauds 
which  she  apprehended  were  likely  to  be  practiced  upon  her. 
Owing  to  his  age  he  could  not  leave  his  home  at  Wilkes- 
Barre  and  take  up  his  residence  in  a  new  country.  She  then 
sent  for  her  brother  Isaac,  who  resided  at  Bellevue,  Ohio,  to 
come  to  her.  He  promptly  obeyed  the  summons,  when  she 
informed  him  that  she  wanted  his  son  George  to  come  and 
live  with  her.  The  arrangements  were  made,  and  he  came 
at  her  request  and  looked  after  her  affairs. 

With  the  departure  of  the  majority  of  her  associates  a  new 
order  of  things  was  established;  and  despairing  of  the  return 
of  the  scenes  of  the  past,  she  sighed  for  release  from  the  asso- 
ciations and  vices  of  civilization  which  she  witnessed  around 


136  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

her.  Contrasting  the  freedom  and  the  romance  of  savage 
life  with  the  thirst  for  gain  and  the  overreaching  policy  of  a 
white  frontier  settlement,  she  thought  she  had  truly  fallen 
upon  evil  times,  and  was  really  weary  of  life.  The  prestige 
of  her  character  and  her  name  had  departed  with  her  tribe, 
and  she  was  looked  upon  simply  as  a  favored  old  Indian  wo- 
man, whose  claims  to  equal  rights  with  her  white  neighbors 
were  entitled  to  very  little  respect. 

In  her  younger  days,  says  Mr.  Bondy,  Frances  was  ex- 
tremely active  and  strong.  She  could  handle  the  lariat  with 
great  expertness,  and  it  was  no  trouble  for  her  to  lasso  a  pony 
and  bring  him  to  bay.  She  was  also  fleet  of  foot,  and  to  use 
his  own  words,  "could  run  as  swiftly  as  a  man."  Her  phys- 
ical strength  and  powers  of  endurance  were  great,  which  were 
largely  acquired  by  her  long  and  active  outdoor  life.  Her 
health  was  generally  good,  and  it  was  only  the  weight  of 
years  that  bore  her  down. 

Soon  after  the  last  visits  of  her  eastern  friends  she  had  a 
new  log  house  built  on  the  hill  a  few  hundred  yards  in  rear 
of  the  old  residence,  which  stood  on  the  brink  of  the  river. 
The  former,  according  to  a  painting  by  George  Winter,  was 
a  low  log  building  with  clapboard  roof.  The  door  was  cut  in 
the  centre,  and  there  was  a  window  on  each  side  of  it.  The 
half  story  contained  a  loft,  which  was  used  for  the  storage  of 
goods,  and  probably  for  sleeping  purposes.  A  short  distance 
to  the  right,  and  near  where  the  great  spring  of  pure  water 
bubbles  from  underneath  the  hill,  stood  another  log  building. 
These,  with  a  few  outhouses,  and  several  cabins  on  the  other 
side  of  the  river,  constituted  the  "Deaf  Man's  Village." 
On  the  opposite  side  of  the  river  from  the  house  is  a  high 
rocky  bluff  which  shuts  off  the  wind  and  storms.  It  is  still 
covered  with  timber.     At  the  time  of  the  visits  of  her  broth- 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 37 

ers  the  Indian  path  leading  from  Godfroy's  trading  post  came 
up  to  the  river  just  below  the  bluff,  where  there  was  a  ford. 
It  is  not  in  use  now,  but  it  is  easily  pointed  out.  A  fine 
modern  road  now  runs  along  the  hillside  near  where  her  last 
residence  stood,  and  is  much  traveled.  Nothing  now  remains 
to  mark  the  site  of  the  original  log  cabin  but  a  small  pile  of 
stones,  which  belonged  to  the  chimney.  When  the  author 
visited  the  place  last,  in  June,  1890,  the  ground  was  covered 
with  a  luxuriant  growth  of  weeds. 

The  new  residence  stood  in  a  commanding  position  on 
the  hill,  and  afforded  a  lovely  view  up  and  down  the  river. 
Frances  had  only  moved  into  this  house,  and  was  fairly  set- 
tled when  she  was  taken  with  her  last  illness.  In  her  declin- 
ing years  she  was  blessed  with  the  presence  of  both  her 
daughters,  their  husbands,  and  her  devoted  nephew,  Rev. 
George  Remington  Slocum,  all  of  whom  looked  after  her 
kindly  and  administered  to  her  wants.  Her  last  illness  was 
not  of  long  duration,  but  she  declined  rapidly  and  became 
very  feeble.  She  realized  that  the  end  was  near,  was  re- 
signed and  happy,  and  welcomed  the  approach  of  death. 
She  refused  all  medical  aid,  declaring  that  as  her  people  were 
gone  she  wished  to  live  no  longer.  The  end  finally  came  on 
the  9th  of  March,  1847,  ^^^  ^^^^  spirit  of  the  weary  wanderer 
was  at  rest.  In  describing  the  last  moments  of  her  life,  Peter 
Bondy  informed  the  author  that  she  died  peacefully  and 
calmly  with  her  head  resting  on  his  arm,  in  the  presence  of 
her  daughters  and  friends.  Such  was  the  closing  scene  in 
the  life  of  this  remarkable  woman;  the  sweet  murmur  of  the 
waves  of  the  river  gently  blended  with  the  music  of  the 
angelic  choir  which  waited  to  bear  her  weary  spirit  to  the 
Happy  Land. 

"  Now  bloom  the  hedge  and  prairie  flow'rs, 
And  sunlight  falls  in  golden  show'rs, 


138  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

Where  Ma-con- a-qua's  sandl'd  feet, 

In  autumn  chill  and  summer's  heat, 
Trod  lithsome  through  the  forest  glades. 

And  while  Miami's  hordes  reside 

Beyond  the  Mississippi's  tide  ; 
Her  line,  with  nobler  blood  alli'd 
In  onward  tread  of  Time's  decades, 

By  mystic  enterweaving  strains 
Will  know  no  more  distinctive' s  grades. 

But  kinsmen  all  with  kindred  veins. 
As  under  Eden's  blissful  shades, 
The  patriarch  of  Israel's  flock 

Asenath's  Nile-born  sons  caress' d; 
He  grafted  them  on  Judah's  stock, 

And  with  adopting  blessing  bless'd. 
And  He,  exalted  pow'r  Supreme, 
Who  mingled  in  one  common  stream  ■ 
The  blood  of  Jordan  and  the  Nile, 
Shall  in  His  providence  erewhile 
With  Saxon  warp  and  woof  entwine 
The  threads  of  Ma-con-a-qua's  line. 

' '  Down  where  the  meadow  lark  sings. 
And  the  climbing  jasmine  clings ; 
Where  the  daisies  grow, 
And  hyacinths  blow. 
And  the  air  is  perfume 
With  the  red  clover's  bloom. 
Hid  by  the  prairie's  soft  mantle  of  green 
Peacefully  sleeps  the  Miami  queen. 
Above  her  are  sweet  symphonies — 
The  bird  song  and  hum  of  the  bees. 
The  sheen  of  the  sun  on  the  plain. 
And  zephyr's  enchanting  refrain, 
A  murmuring  hymn  in  the  trees. 

"  lyong,  long  may  the  dew  of  the  morn, 
(Bright  pearls  of  the  beautiful  Giver), 

The  green  mound  with  spangles  adorn 
Above  the  lost  one  by  the  river. 

And  she,  of  the  grief-burden 'd  breast 


t 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  139 

Whose  blossom  was  blown  from  the  stem, 

In  the  home  of  the  blest, 

The  glad  haven  of  rest. 

At  last  shall  regain 

And  forever  retain 
Her  Frances,  her  darling,  a  beautiful  gem."* 

The  tenacity  with  which  she  clung  to  the  spot  where  she 
died,  and  her  obstinate  refusal  to  leave  it  for  the  associations 
of  civil  society,  is  one  of  the  prominent  facts  in  her  wonder- 
ful story,  and  shows  how  deeply  the  Indian  character  had 
been  grounded  in  her  mind.  Her  ancesters  for  a  hundred 
years  before  her  birth  had  been  reared  in  the  Quaker  faith, 
and  her  father  was  taught  the  same  doctrine  and  belief,  but 
through  long  years  of  captivity  with  a  savage  tribe,  all  trace 
of  the  faith  of  her  people  was  efFectully  eradicated,  and  she 
acquired  all  the  tastes,  habits  and  desires  of  the  Indian,  and 
died  reverencing  the  name  of  her  adopted  people. 

Her  age,  as  nearly  as  can  be  ascertained,  was  74  years.  It 
might  have  been  a  few  days  less  or  a  few  days  more.  This 
cannot  be  accurately  determined,  because  the  day  in  March, 
1773,  when  she  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  has  been  lost. 
And  as  she  was  carried  away  when  about  four  years  and  seven 
months  old,  she  had  been  a  captive  and  dwelt  with  the  sav- 
ges  for  a  little  more  than  sixty-nine  years!  But  as  she  had 
been  discovered  ten  years  before  her  death,  she  had  enjoyed 
the  civilizing  influences  of  Christianity  for  a  short  time. 
Through  the  ministrations  of  her  nephew.  Rev.  George  R. 
Slocum,  who  had  lived  near  her  for  several  months,  much  of 
the  darkness  of  barbarism,  which  had  clouded  her  mind  so 
long,  was  dispelled,  and  she  came  to  partly  realize  and  expe- 
rience the  beneficent  influences  of  Christianity. 

She  received  a  Christian  burial,  a  prayer  being  made  at 

*  Caleb  Earl  Wright's  Frances  Sloeum. 


140  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

the  house  and  her  remains  conducted  to  the  grave  by  a  Bap- 
tist clergyman  and  her  nephew.  The  name  of  the  clergyman 
has  not  been  positively  ascertained,  but  it  is  believed  Rev. 
James  Babcock  was  the  man.  According  to  Helm's  History 
of  Wabash  County,  he  was  the  first  minister  of  that  denomi- 
nation to  begin  preaching  in  that  section  of  the  country.  A 
Baptist  Society  was  organized  several  years  before  1859,  when 
the  first  church*  was  built.  Mr.  Slocum  may  have  been  in- 
strumental in  founding  the  society,  as  he  came  there  in  1846. 

The  remains  of  Frances  Slocum  were  laid  at  rest  in  the 
Indian  burial  ground  a  few  yards  from  the  house  where  she 
died,  by  the  side  of  her  husband  and  two  infant  boys.  At 
the  request  of  her  brother  Isaac,  her  funeral  sermon  was 
preached  in  the  Baptist  Church  at  Bellevue,  Ohio,  by  Elder 
Eaton,  from  the  text  found  in  Psalms  Ixix.,  8:  "I  am  be- 
come a  stranger  unto  my  brethren,  and  an  alien  unto  my 
mother's  children."  No  more  appropriate  words  could  have 
been  selected  for  the  occasion,  and  the  lesson  was  as  beauti- 
ful and  impressive  as  the  sermon  was  able  and  pathetic. 

The  cemetery  where  her  ashes  repose  is  located  on  the 
crowning  summit  of  a  beautiful  knoll,  at  the  edge  of  a  clump 
of  heavy  timber,  and  commands  a  fine  view.  It  contains  half 
an  acre  of  ground,  and  there  the  ashes  of  a  large  number  of 
Indians  now  mingle  with  the  soil.  A  substantial  fence  en- 
closes the  sacred  premises,  and  by  the  terms  of  the  will  of 
O-zah-wah-shing-qua,  the  youngest  daughter,  it  must  be  kept 
forever  as  a  burial  place  for  the  descendants  of  the  family. 
There  are  a  number  of  marble  headstones  erected  to  mark 
the  burial  places  of  those  who  have  since  died,  but  the  ma- 

*  Among  the  first  members  of  the  Antioch  Missionary  Church  were : 
George  R.  Slocum,  Capt.  Brouillette,  Peter  Bondy  and  wife  and  William 
Godfroy.  Peter  Bondy  appears  as  a  trustee.— Helm's  Hist.  Wabash  County, 
pp.  476-7. 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  141 

jority  of  the  graves  are  unmarked  by  stick  or  stone.  When 
the  writer  first  visited  the  place  in  the  autumn  of  1889,  a 
grandson  (Judson  C.  Bondy)  pointed  out  the  spot  where  the 
remains  of  Frances  were  laid.  After  searching  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  carefully  noting  the  headstone  of  his  mother's 
grave,  he  selected  a  depressed  spot,  and  brushing  away  the 
tangled  mass  of  grass  and  brambles,  sorrowfully  said:  "  Here 
is  grandmother's  grave!"  Although  she  had  been  dead  for 
more  than  forty  years,  and  her  history  conceded  to  stand 
alone  in  strangeness  of  circumstance  and  detail,  not  a  memo- 
rial stone,  however  plain  or  humble,  has  been  reared  to  mark 
her  quiet  resting  place!  * 

Frances  Slocum  was  a  remarkable  woman.  The  strongly 
marked  features  of  her  face,  as  shown  in  her  portraits,  indi- 
cate firmness.  Her  intellectual  faculties  were  well  developed, 
and  had  it  been  her  fortune  to  have  been  permitted  to  remain 
among  her  kindred  and  receive  an  education,  she  would  have 
risen  above  mediocrity  and  made  her  mark  in  civilized  society. 
That  she  possessed  a  logical  mind  is  shown  by  the  reasons  she 
advanced  why  she  could  not  return  to  civilized  life,  when  her 
brothers  insisted  on  her  doing  so.  She  was  noted  for  firmness 
and  decision  of  character,  and  she  always  commanded  the  re- 
spect and  admiration  of  the  rude  people  among  whom  her  lot 
was  cast.  They  not  only  deferred  to  her  in  matters  of  busi- 
ness, but  honored  her  as  a  superior  person.  According  to  her 
testimony  they  always  treated  her  well,  which  had  so  won 
her  love  and  esteem  that  she  was  contented  and  happy  in  her 
Indian  life,  and  had  no  desire  to  leave  them.  Her  fine  growth 
of  chestnut  brown  hair  was  a  novelty  among  the  Indians,  and 

*  It  was  recently  decided  by  the  descendants,  children  and  grandchil- 
dren, of  Hon.  Joseph  Slocum,  brother  of  Frances,  to  erect  a  suitable  monu- 
ment over  her  grave.  This  will  be  done  in  the  spring  of  18!)l,and  the  long 
delayed  tribute  to  her  memory  will  be  an  accomplished  fact. 


142  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

they  admired  it  almost  to  the  point  of  worship.  Peter  Bondy 
says  there  was  a  peculiar  spot  on  the  side  of  her  head  in 
which  the  hair  was  redder  than  at  any  other  part,  and  it  was 
the  first  to  turn  gray.  She  was  affectionate  and  took  a  deep 
interest  in  her  children  and  grandchildren,  and  prayed  that 
they  might  never  be  called  on  to  endure  the  trials  and  hard- 
ships she  had  undergone.  Her  long  captivity  caused  her  to 
lose  her  mother  tongue,  and  she  died  without  fully  recover- 
ing the  language  of  her  childhood. 

The  eldest  daughter,  Ke-ke-se-qua,*  wife  of  Capt.  Brouil- 
lette,  who  was  ill  at  the  time  of  the  death  of  her  mother,  was 
so  prostrated  by  the  sad  occurrence,  that  she  died  March  13, 
1847,  f'^'^^  <^^^ys  later,  and  joined  her  in  the  Spirit  Land. 
She  was  forty-seven  years  old,  having  been  born  about  1800. 
These  two  deaths  occurring  so  closely  together,  caused  much 
sorrow  among  the  relatives  of  the  deceased,  and  they  mourned 
deeply  over  their  loss. 

Ke-ke-se-qua,  or  Cut  Finger,  was  married  twice,  but  the 
name  of  her  first  husband  is  unknown.  He  was  a  Miami  In- 
dian, and  probably  died  soon  after  marriage.  He  left  one 
daughter,  who  lived  to  the  age  of  seventeen  or  eighteen  years, 
when,  it  is  alleged,  she  was  poisoned  by  the  friends  of  a 
lover,  because  her  mother  would  not  consent  to  her  marrying 
him,  on  account  of  his  being  a  lazy,  worthless  fellow.  And 
it  was  for  this  daughter  that  the  mother  and  grandmother 
were  mourning  when  their  eastern  friends  first  visited  them. 
How  long  she  remained  a  widow  is  not  known,  but  it  must 
have  been  for  several  years. 


*  There  is  a  great  dissimilarity  among  writers  in  sjielling  Indian  names, 
the  ditficnlty  being  in  expressing  the  proper  sound.  By  some  her  name  is 
spelled  Ke-ke-na-kush-wa,  by  others  kick-e-se-qua.  It  can  readily  be  seen 
how  easily  it  is  to  express  the  same  meaning  by  the  word  Ke-ke-se-qua,  and 
the  latter  method  has  been  followed  in  this  work. 


I 


E-KE-^E-QUM-'-NMNCY  BEOUILLETTE. 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  143 

She  next  married  Captain  Jean  Baptiste  Brouillette,  a  half- 
breed  Frenchman.  This  union,  which  was  without  issue, 
seems  to  have  been  a  happy  one.  The  Captain  was  attentive 
and  devoted  to  his  wife,  and  looked  carefully  after  the  wants 
of  his  mother-in-law,  for  whom  he  appears  to  have  had  great 
respect.  When  Ke-ke-se-qua  died  she  had  been  married  to 
Brouillette  about  thirteen  years.  Little  is  known  of  her  his- 
tory and  character.  She  was  either  born  at  Fort  Wayne,  or 
in  the  Osage  village,  of  which  her  father,' the  Deaf  Man,  was 
war  chief  That  she  was  warmly  attached  to  her  mother  there 
seems  to  be  no  doubt,  for  we  find  her  in  her  company  all  the 
time.  She  was  present  at  the  interviews  which  took  place 
with  her  eastern  friends,  and  was  foremost  in  interposing  ob- 
jections to  her  mother's  going  to  Wilkes-Barre  to  visit  her 
brother.  It  is  believed  that  she  inherited  much  of  the  ability 
and  sagacity  of  her  mother,  and  died  a  thorough  Indian. 
Born  and  raised  among  the  Miamis,  and  taught  their  lan- 
guage, manners  and  customs,  she  could  not  have  been  any- 
thing else.  She  did  not  live  long  enough  to  become  suffi- 
ciently acquainted  with  her  white  relatives  to  entirely  change 
her  views  regarding  the  white  people,  or  to  embrace  their 
religious  beliefs  and  habits  of  life.  She  only  spoke  the  Mi- 
ami language,  and  had  little  opportunity  of  learning  much 
about  the  country  and  the  customs  of  the  people,  as  she  ap- 
pears to  have  been  so  closely  attached  to  her  home  on  the 
Mississinewa  that  she  traveled  little.  She  was  buried  by  the 
side  of  her  chieftain  father  and  beloved  mother,  and  like  them 
her  grave  is  unmarked  by  stone  or  tablet. 

Soon  after  the  death  of  Frances  Slocum  and  her  daughter, 
a  number  of  prominent  members  of  the  Miami  tribe,  who  still 
lingered  in  the  valley  of  the  Wabash,  petitioned  Congress  for 
authority  to  remain  on  the  lands  which  had  been  granted  them 


144  FRANCES  vSLOCUM, 

at  the  treaty  of  1838.  Their  petition  was  favorably  enter- 
tained, for  on  the  ist  of  May,  1850,  Congress  passed  the  fol- 
lowing resolntion:  * 

"A  resolution  to  extend  the  provisions  of  a  joint  resolution  for  the 
benefit  of  Frances  Slocum  and  her  children  and  grandchildren 
of  the  Miami  tribe  of  Indians,  approved  March  3,  1845. 

' '  Resolved,  by  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  of  the 
United  States  of  America  in  Congress  assembled,  That  the  pro- 
visions of  the  above  mentioned  joint  resolution  be  and  the  same 
are  hereby  extended  to  the  following  persons  and  their  families 
and  descendants,  to  wit: 

Me-zo-quah,  Ko-as-see, 

Pe-che-wah,  (John  B.  Rich-  Ah-mac-con-ze-quah, 

O-san-diah,  [ardville.)  Wah-kit-e-mung-quah, 

Al-lo-lah,  (Black  Raccoon,)  Young  Revoir,  alias Shap-pe- 

Waw-pe-mun-waw,  ( Joe  Peter  lyanglois,         [ne-maw. 

Seek,  [Richardville,)  Elizabeth  lyanglois. 

who  are  residents  of  the  State  of  Indiana." 

After  the  death  of  Frances  and  her  daughter,  Cajotain 
Brouillette  continued  to  reside  at  the  old  homestead,  as  he 
inherited  a  share  in  the  estate  of  his  wife,  who  was  a  tenant 
in  common  with  her  sister,  in  whom  the  title  for  the  land 
was  vested.  He  was  active,  industrious  and  kind-hearted, 
and  so  far  as  known,  was  free  from  bad  habits  in  the  latter 
part  of  his  life.  He  still  gave  some  attention  to  agriculture, 
and  tilled  his  fields  of  corn  in  an  advanced  method  to- that 
usually  followed  by  Indians.  Laying  some  claim  to  the  prac- 
tice of  the  healing  art,  he  did  much  towards  alleviating  the 
distress  of  the  sick,  and  made  himself  useful  in  the  settle- 
ment. 

The  history  of  the  nephew,  Rev.  George  Remington  Slo- 
cum, who  came  to  live  with  his  aunt,  at  her  request,  and  did 
such  good  missionary  work  among  her  people,  is  best  told  in 

*  Stat,  at  Large,  Vol.  IX.,  p.  806. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 45 

an  obituary  notice  which  appeared  in  The  Witness^  a  Baptist 
paper  published  at  Indianapolis,  under  date  of  February  21, 
1861.      It  says: 

''George  was  the  youngest  son  of  Isaac  Slocum,  and  was 
only  two  years  old  when  his  father  settled  at  Bellevue,  Ohio. 
While  the  father  strove  with  many  difficulties  common  to  a 
new  country,  the  mother,  who  was  a  Christian  woman  be- 
longing to  the  Baptist  denomination,  sought  the  spiritual 
interests  of  her  children.  Her  Godly  conversation  and  spir- 
itual hymns  were  not  forgotten.  George  always  remembered 
his  mother's  teaching.  Her  voice  seemed  the  sweetest  to 
him  of  any  he  ever  heard.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he  lost  his 
mother.*  This  made  a  deep  impression  on  his  mind,  and  her 
teachings  resulted  in  his  joining  the  Baptist  church.  An- 
terior to  this  his  aunt,  Frances  Slocum,  was  found  living  on 
the  Indian  Reserve  near  Peru. 

"In  1845,  ^s  George,  in  pursuit  of  his  business,  was  to 
pass  through  Peru,  he  decided  to  stop  and  visit  his  aunt. 
She  received  him  very  kindly,  and  requested  him  to  come 
again;  but  he  found  her  and  her  Indian  associates  in  perfect 
heathenism.  They  knew  not  that  there  was  a  Sabbath,  or 
God  of  the  Sabbath.  His  religious  feelings  were  interested 
for  their  spiritual  welfare,  and  he  resolved  to  visit  them 
again.  In  the  autumn  of  the  same  year  he  spent  a  week  with 
them,  during  which  he  tried  to  teach  them  the  importance  of 
industry  and  frugality.  The  red  men  laughed  at  the  idea  of 
an  'Indian  workino-.     The  business  of  Indians  was  to  hunt.' 


*  She  died  September  16,  1839,  from  injuries  received  by  being  thrown 
from  the  wagon  against  a  stump  by  frightened  horses.  Her  name  was 
Elizabeth,  and  she  was  a  daughter  of  Abel  and  Elizabeth  (Hurlbut)  Patrick, 
of  Kingston,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  and  formerly  of  Norwalk,  Connecticut, 
where  she  was  born  April  2(),  1780.  She  left  twelve  children— eight  sons 
and  four  daughters— and  George  Eemington  was  the  youngestof  the  family. 
— Slocums  in  America,  p.  224. 


146  FRANCES   SI,OCUM, 

'Oh  but  you  must  work,'  said  he.  'Do  you  not  see  that  your 
hunting  ground  is  being  settled  by  the  white  men?  Soon 
there  will  be  no  game.  Come,  I  will  go  with  you  to-day  and 
we  will  see  how  much  corn  we  can  gather.'  Thus,  by  ex- 
ample as  well  as  precept,  he  won  them  along  from  their 
indolence  and  moral  darkness,  to  habits  of  industry  and  a 
knowledge  of  Christianity. 

"  Early  in  the  spring  of  1846  his  aunt  sent  for  her  brother 
Isaac  to  come  and  see  her,  as  she  had  important  business 
with  him.  On  his  arrival  at  her  house,  he  found  her  busi- 
ness with  him  was  to  have  him  give  George  to  her,  to  be  her 
son,  as  she  termed  it.  She  said:  'Many  of  my  white  rela- 
tives have  visited  me,  but  I  like  George  best!'  Her  brother 
said:  "My  other  sons  have  left  me;  George  is  the  youngest 
and  last;  I  need  him  with  me  on  my  farm;  but  this  my  most 
cherished  plan  I  give  up.     George  may  come  if  he  is  willing!' 

"With  much  joy  beaming  from  her  features  she  said, 
'Thank  you,  my  brother;  you  shall  have  my  best  horse,  sad- 
dle and  bridle.     Go  tell  him  to  come,  for  I  need  him  so  much. ' 

"  Isaac  went  home  and  told  the  story.  The  result  was  that 
in  November,  1846,  George  took  his  wife  and  two  young 
daughters  and  removed  to  the  Miami  Indian  reserve,  then  a 
wilderness.  George  and  his  wife  had  been  baptized  one 
month,  and  to  leave  their  pastor,  church  and  relatives  was  no 
small  trial.  Having  been  used  to  refined  society,  too,  they 
often  looked  back  to  their  loved  home  with  longing.  But 
here  was  work.  Great  things  were  to  be  achieved.  A  rem- 
nant of  a  once  powerful  nation  of  people  was  to  be  brought 
into  the  ranks  of  civilization — to  be  taught  agriculture,  and 
to  learn  the  ways  of  life.  The  aunt  died  March  9,  1847,  leav- 
ing them  only  her  blessing. 

"  Mr.  Slocum  seemed  not  to  let  an  opportunity  slip  of  im- 
proving the  minds  of  the  Indians.      Six  years  passed  away 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  147 

before  he  saw  any  practical  impression  that  his  labors  for  their 
spiritual  improvement  had  made.  Then  Brouillette,  a  son- 
in-law  of  his  aunt,  came  to  him  asking  to  sign  the  temperance 
pledge  for  one  year.  One  year  elapsed  and  he  had  been  faith- 
ful to  the  pledge;  but  at  the  end  of  the  time  he  was  induced 
to  drink,  and  got  very  drunk  !  He  came  home  in  the  night 
from  Peru,  crossed  the  river  three  times,  banks  full  and  ice 
floating  down;  lost  his  riding  whip  and  cap,  got  home  at 
length,  but  almost  perished  with  cold.  In  the  morning,  af- 
ter having  slept  off  the  effects  of  the  liquor,  he  went  to  see 
his  counsellor  and  friend,  and  addressed  him  as  follows  : 
'George,  my  friend,  I  want  you  to  write  another  pledge. 
Make  it  strong  for  ten  years.  I  think  I  shall  not  live  longer 
than  that,  considering  my  present  age  !'  He  wrote  a  pledge, 
and  as  Brouillette  signed  it,  standing  up,  he  raised  his  hand 
and  said :  '  Now  call  God  to  witness  that  I  no  more  get  drunk!' 
George  administered  the  oath,  and  the  once  drunken  Indian 
warrior  ever  kept  his  pledge.  It  was  two  \'ears  after  this  be- 
fore he  joined  the  church,  but  he  always  dated  his  conviction 
back  to  that  time,  when  George  read  to  him  from  the  Bible 
and  portrayed  to  him  the  dangers  he  had  passed  through,  and 
the  goodness  of  the  Lord  towards  him  in  not  suffering  him  to 
be  drowned  in  the  raging  stream.  It  made  a  lasting  impres- 
sion on  his  mind.  Peter  Bondy,  also  another  son-in-law  of 
Frances,  dates  his  conviction  of  sin  to  a  reproof  in  a  conver- 
sation with  George.  Thus  he  led  them  along  from  year  to 
year.  He  was  greatly  rejoiced  when  he  saw  the  work  of  grace 
in  their  hearts,  and  thanked  the  Lord  for  what  he  had  accom- 
plished. 

"  During  his  last  illness  in  1859,  Brouillette  went  to  see 
him.  The  stamp  of  death  was  already  upon  his  brow.  He 
went  to  his  bedside,  took  George's  hand  in  both  of  his  own 


148  FRANCES   SIvOCUM, 

and  said,  while  tears  fell  fast,  '  O  my  brother!  my  brother! 
must  we  part?  must  we  part?'  George  turned  his  eyes 
calmly  upon  him  and  said:  '  My  dear  brother  Brouillette,  it 
is  the  Lord's  will;  it  must  be  so.  His  will  be  done!'  Then 
he  began  to  talk  to  him  in  Miami,  and  told  him  above 
all  things  to  be  faithful  in  his  ministry.  'O,'  said  he,  'my 
brother  in  the  Lord,  be  not  again  shaken,  but  be  firm  and 
strong  in  the  doctrines  of  your  Divine  Master.  Follow  the 
teachings  of  the  Holy  Spirit  and  strive  to  meet  me  in  heaven.' 
Then  his  strength  failed  him,  and  he  could  say  no  more  for 
a  time.  Brouillette  sat  down,  and  after  a  little  while  kneeled 
down  and  prayed  most  earnestly  for  the  Lord  to  restore  his 
dear  friend  and  helper  in  the  Lord.  But  the  time  seemed  to 
have  come  and  the  decree  to  have  gone  forth  that  he  must  be 
gathered  to  his  fathers,  and  prayer  could  not  prevail.  The 
most  earnest  petition  of  his  wife  was  only  answered  by  a 
calm,  resigned  feeling  to  God's  holy  will.  A  short  time  be- 
fore his  spirit's  departure,  as  he  was  reclining  his  head  on  his 
wife's  shoulder,  she  said:  '  My  dear  husband,  it  is  very  hard 
to  part  with  you;  I  would  that  I  could  go  with  you!'  He 
turned  his  face  towards  her,  and  impressing  a  kiss  upon  her 
cheek,  said:  'It  cannot  be;  the  Lord  has  willed  it  other- 
wise.' His  lips  were  then  cold  as  the  marble  that  now 
stands  over  his  grave.  Soon  after  he  turned  to  a  friend  who 
stood  near  and  whispered:  '  You  understand  my  business  bet- 
ter than  any  other  man;  help  my  wife  to  settle  my  business, 
and  treat  her  as  a  sister.'  They  then  laid  him  down  and 
with  a  sweet  smile  on  his  features,  the  impress  of  heavenly 
peace,  the  spirit  immediately  took  its  flight.  He  died  Jan- 
uary 28,  i860.  This  friend  of  the  red  man  is  gone,  but  his 
name  and  his  work  still  live." 

"  His  epitaph  is  graven  well  on  stone, 
But  better,  the  savage  hearts  he  won." 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 49 

Dr.  Charles  E.  Slocum,  the  genealogist,  in  a  letter  to  the 
anthor,  says: 

"  He  must  have  been  a  strong  man  in  his  religions  char- 
acter, and  persevering  withal.  He  resided  in  Rochester,  N. 
Y. ,  for  a  time  after  marriage,  and  there  he  and  his  wife  joined 
the  Washingtonian  Temperance  Society;  and  probably  it  was 
largely  through  his  successful  efforts  to  check  the  intemper- 
ate tendencies  of  the  Indians,  that  he  won  their  confidence. 
They  soon  recognized  his  honesty  of  purpose  and  looked 
upon  him  as  a  strong  tower  of  refuge  in  time  of  trouble.  It 
was  so  with  Frances.  When  the  Indians  returned  from  the 
trading  post  intoxicated  and  boisterous,  she  would  pass  the 
night  at  his  house. 

"George  arrived  at  Reserve  with  his  family  November 
20,  1846,  and  at  first  occupied  a  cabin  near  the  river.  Con- 
tinued rains  raised  the  river  about  the  cabin,  and  Frances 
took  the  family  to  her  house,  and  would  not  permit  them  to 
return  until  everything  was  well  dried  and  renovated. 

"There  was  practical  missionary  work.  He  taught  by 
example  as  well  as  by  precept.  He  was  self-sustaining.  He 
cleared  land  and  cultivated  it,  and  induced  some  of  the  In- 
dians to  do  likewise." 

Mary  Cordelia  Slocum,  a  daughter  of  the  deceased  mis- 
sionary— now  Mrs.  L.  G.  Murphy,  of  Xenia,  Indiana — thus 
writes  concerning  herself  and  her  curious  experience  with 
Frances  Slocum  and  her  descendants: 

"I  was  born  at  Bellevue,  Huron  County,  Ohio,  February 
7,  1846,  and  was  married  January  i,  1872,  at  our  farm  at  Sea- 
ton  Ford,  Waltz*  Township,  Wabash  County,  Indiana.  My 
husband  built  a  house  at  the  little  village  of  Peoria,  near 
where  Frances  lived,  and  there  we  resided  for  some  time. 

*  So  named  in  memory  of  Lieut.  Frederick  Waltz,  who  was  killed  at  the 
battle  of  the  Mississinewa  December  12,  1812.     Hist.  Wabash  Co.,  p.  405. 


150  F'RANCES  SLOCUM, 

"There  is  one  peculiarity  about  my  hair — it  is  like  that 
of  my  great  grandfather,  a  dark  auburn.  Frances  Slocum's 
hair  was  the  same  shade.  Like  her  I  have  a  light  brown 
spot  on  the  back  of  my  head.  This  was  one  of  the  peculiar 
marks  by  which  her  brothers  and  sister  identified  her.  She 
thought  I  resembled  her  very  much,  and  just  before  she  died 
she  gave  me  her  name,  '  Mah-cones-quah.'  And  after  her 
death  her  children  and  grandchildren,  sons-in-law,  and  all  of 
the  relatives,  looked  on  me  the  same  as  if  I  was  her.  Indi- 
ans never  allow  their  relatives  to  die.  They  will  have  some 
one  to  take  the  place  of  the  deceased,  who  they  think  looks 
like  them.  I  was  only  nine  months  old  when  her  daughter 
(Mrs.  Bondy)  commenced  calling  me  mother,  or  Mingiah, 
(Miami  for  mother,)  and  Ma-co-mah,  grandmother,  as  long  as 
I  can  remember.  Gray-haired  sons-in-law  of  Mrs.  Bondy 
call  me  Ma-co-mah.  They  always  held  her  memory  in  such 
reverence.  There  was  a  captive  woman  married  to  White 
Wolf,  adopted  in  Frances'  place.  She  was  near  her  age,  and 
lived  a  number  of  years  afterwards.  They  called  her  Min- 
giah, because  they  wanted  some  one  to  be  her,  so  that  she 
would  never  die.  That  was  why  I  was  chosen.  My  parents 
never  liked  it,  and  tried  to  discourage  them,  but  they  were 
unmovable,  and  now  call  me  Mingiah." 

In  this  statement  we  have  further  evidence  of  one  of  the 
reasons  why  the  Indians  were  so  anxious  to  retain  Frances 
Slocum,  and  therefore  guarded  her  with  such  vigilance  and 
care.  It  was  on  account  of  her  peculiar  and  luxuriant  hair. 
And  that  this  peculiarity  should  have  already  run  through 
three  generations  is  a  question  for  the  consideration  of  eth- 
nologists. The  superstitious  custom  of  having  the  dead 
represented  by  some  living  person  who  bears  the  strongest 
resemblance  to  the  deceased,  is  one  of  the  strange  beliefs  of 
these  people;  but  as  it  is  of  pagan  origin,  it  will  have  little 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  151 

weight  with  the  enlightened  of  to-day.  The  information 
conveyed  by  Mrs.  Murphy,  however,  is  of  very  great  impor- 
tance and  adds  materially  to  the  interest  of  the  narrative,  by 
describing  a  strange  custom  still  so  religiously  adhered  to  by 
a  race  now  nearly  extinct. 

Mrs.  Eliza  O.  Slocum,  mother  of  Mrs.  Murphy,  who  now 
resides  at  Magnolia,  Iowa,  in  a  letter  received  too  late  to  be 
incorporated  in  the  chapter  on  speculations  concerning  the 
wanderings  of  Frances  after  her  capture — and  who,  from  asso- 
ciation with  her,  had  ample  opportunities  of  learning  much 
of  her  history  from  her  own  lips — gives  several  facts  which 
are  of  such  great  value  that  they  cannot  be  omitted.  They 
are,  therefore,  condensed  and  inserted  here: 

Mrs.  Slocum  says  that  the  three  Delaware  Indians  who 
invaded  Wyoming  Valley  in  November,  1778,  "came  for  the 
purpose  of  stealing  a  child  for  their  chief  (?)  who  had  lost  by 
death  a  loved  daughter.  Then,  as  now,  the  Indians  recog- 
nized the  superiority  of  the  white  race,  therefore  they  sought 
a  white  girl  for  their  captive."  When  the  attack  was  made 
on  the  Kingsley  boys,  and  Mrs.  Slocum  was  attracted  to  the 
door  by  the  sound  of  the  gun,  and  began  interceding  for  her 
son,  whom  an  Indian  was  in  the  act  of  dragging  away,  "  little 
Frances  came  and  stood  by  her  mother  in  the  door,  and  when 
the  Indian  saw  her  he  pushed  the  boy  toward  his  mother, 
caught  up  Frances  and  fled  to  a  cave."  From  this  place  of 
concealment  Frances  informed  her  that  some  time  during  the 
day  she  "saw  her  father  and  eight  soldiers  hunting  them." 
That  the  pursuing  party  were  close  upon  the  Indians  and  their 
prisoners  is  evident,  for,  continues  Frances,  "a  big  Indian 
stood  over  me  with  drawn  knife  and  said,  '  me  kill,  me  kill!'  " 
This  terrible  threat  was  made  to  prevent  her  from  giving  any 
alarm.     Think  of  the  situation!     Her  father  in  sieht,   and 


152  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

yet  she  was  deterred  from  crying  out  to  him  by  fear  of  death, 
which  would  no  doubt  have  been  her  fate  at  the  hands  of  the 
savage  if  she  had  uttered  a  cry.  How  the  terrified  child  re- 
strained herself  under  the  circumstances  is  a  question  hard  to 
decide. 

"When  it  was  dark,"  she  continues,  "they  started,  wad- 
ing in  the  water  [possibly  this  was  when  they  crossed  the 
river]  until  they  came  to  a  thicket  of  woods  where  their 
horses  were  tied,  and  mounting  them  they  rode  all  night  and 
came  to  an  Indian  village,  [Wyalusing].  They  left  all  there 
but  the  three  Indians,  who  continued  with  Frances." 

She  was  rapidly  carried  north,  and  in  course  of  time 
reached  Canada.  According  to  the  statement  of  Frances, 
"the  old  Indian  trail  crossed  under  the  sheet  of  water  close 
by  the  high  rocky  wall  of  the  great  Niagara  Falls.  She  re- 
membered the  boom  and  roar  of  the  Falls.  When  they  got 
to  their  home  they  dressed  her  in  fine,  showy  clothes,  and 
took  her  to  their  chief  (?)  who  adopted  her  as  his  own  child." 

"In  after  years,"  she  continues,  "when  she  was  twenty- 
two  years  old,  and  her  brothers  were  seeking  her,  they  offered 
the  French  traders  $500  to  tell  them  where  to  find  her;  but 
they  said  the  Indians  would  kill  them  if  they  did."  This 
was  probably  when  the  Indians  were  congregated  in  large 
numbers  at  Detroit  and  Brownsville,  Canada. 

"When  the  chief  (?)  heard,"  continues  the  narrative,  "that 
her  brothers  were  searching  for  her,  he  took  her  and  his  wife 
and  went  to  the  north  part  of  Indiana  to  the  Miami  tribe,  and 
gave  her  to  be  the  wife  of  a  chief  of  that  tribe,  and  after  a 
number  of  years  they  moved  to  Miami  county  and  the  tribe 
centered  at  Osage  village,  three  miles  from  Peru.  She  did 
not  like  to  be  with  so  many  Indians,  so,  one  day,  she  started 
to  find  a  pleasanter  home.      She  found  the  beautiful  spring 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  1 53 

and  good  land  surrounding-  it.  She  returned  and  told  her 
husband  what  she  had  found,  and  the  next  day  he  went  with 
her  to  the  place.  They  built  a  house  and  moved  there,  and 
it  was  there  that  her  brothers  and  sister  found  her." 

"When  near  the  closing  years  of  her  life,"  continues  Mrs. 
Slocum,  "she  told  James  T.  Miller,  the  interpreter,  to  write 
to  her  brother,  Isaac  Slocum,  in  Huron  County,  Ohio,  to 
come  and  see  her  immediately,  as  she  had  important  business 
with  him.  He  came,  according  to  her  request,  when  she  told 
him  to  give  her  his  son  George  to  be  her  son,  for  she  had  no 
son  living  to  take  care  of  her  property,  and  if  he  would  give 
him  to  her  to  be  her  son  she  would  make  him  an  equal  heir 
with  her  two  daughters.  It  was  a  hard  request  to  grant,  as 
her  brother  had  chosen  that  particular  son  to  live  with  him, 
he  being  the  youngest  of  his  family.  By  a  special  act  of  Con- 
gress, through  the  influence  of  her  white  relatives,  one  sec- 
tion* of  land  had  been  set  off  for  her.  She  had  a  hundred 
ponies,  some  of  which  were  very  beautiful,  and  the  whites 
were  stealing  them  and  other  personal  property.  She  plead 
her  long  captivity  with  the  Indians  and  the  great  need  of  her 
white  relatives  to  help  her.  At  the  end  of  her  appeal  she 
said,  '  now  give  me  George!'  The  brother  arose  in  great  agi- 
tation, while  the  tears  coursed  down  his  furrowed  cheek,  and 
said,  '  I  will,  if  he  is  willing  to  come.'  " 

That  he  consented  and  came  to  the  assistance  of  his  aunt 
has  already  been  stated.      Mrs.  Slocum  then  continued: 

"She  then,"  when  he  came,  "went  through  the  form  of 
adoption  according  to  the  tribal  laws,  as  she  understood  no 
other,  and  she  kept  her  contract  of  adoption  as  long  as  she 
lived.     George  moved  in  November,  1846,  and  she  died  the 

*The  title  to  this  land,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  vested  in  the  youngest 
daughter,  and  she  and  her  sister  occupied  it  as  "tenants  in  common." 


154  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

6th*  of  March,  1847.  Her  estate  has  never  yet  been  settled 
according  to  law.  Her  oldest  daughter  died  four  days  after 
her  mother.  She  took  after  her  in  principle  and  ability  for 
business;  the  youngest  after  her  Indian  father  in  treachery, 
and  in  thwarting  her  mother's  will  and  wishes." 

A  tinge  of  sadness  runs  all  through  this  narrative  which 
the  reader  will  not  fail  to  notice.  The  statements  of  Frances 
seem  to  convey  the  impression  that  she  was  not  always  satis- 
fied with  her  captivity,  notwithstanding  her  declarations  to 
the  contrary.  But  being  kept  in  ignorance  of  the  efforts  that 
were  being  made  to  recover  her,  and  having  grown  up  and 
acquired  the  manners  and  customs  of  the  Indians,  she  grad- 
ually lost  all  desire  to  return  to  her  friends,  and  became  rec- 
onciled to  her  condition.  And  when  she  married  and  had 
children  she  apparently  banished  all  thoughts  of  ever  chang- 
ing her  life,  and  resolved  to  stay  with  those  among  whom  she 
had  fallen.  It  is  likely  that  if  she  could  have  escaped  while 
yet  a  young  woman,  she  soon  would  have  returned  to  the 
habits  of  her  own  people;  but  after  passing  the  meridian  of 
life,  her  tastes,  feelings  and  ideas  were  so  firmly  fixed  that  she 
could  not  have  comfortably  adapted  herself  to  a  new  condi- 
tion, however  hard  she  might  have  tried. 

*  All  other  accounts  ai^ree  in  fixing  the  time  of  her  death  on  the  !)th  of 
March.     Mrs.  Slocum  is  probably  mistaken  in  the  date. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

RELICS  AND  MEMENTOS  OF  FRANCES  SLOCUM  PRESERVED  BY 
HER  RELATIVES  AND  FRIENDS — PORTRAITS,  CEREMONIAL 
DRESSES  AND  SILVER  ORNAMENTS — AN  OLD  COIN. 

ANY  RELICS  and  mementos  of  Frances  have 
been  preserved  by  her  relatives  and  descendants, 
and  they  are  all  highly  prized;  not  so  mnch 
on  account  of  their  intrinsic  value,  but  on  account  of  the  as- 
sociations which  cluster  around  them.  The  most  precious  as 
well  as  cherished,  perhaps,  may  be  found  in  the  possession  of 
Rev.  Peter  Bondy  and  Mr.  Gabriel  Godfroy,  residents  of  Mi- 
ami and  Wabash  Counties,  Indiana.  The  former,  it  will  be 
remembered,  was  the  last  husband  of  0-zah-wah-shing-qua, 
the  youngest  daughter,  resided  with  the  family,  and  was 
present  when  his  mother-in-law  died.  He  still  survives  at 
the  age  of  nearly  74,  and  informed  the  writer  in  June,  1890, 
that  among  the  keepsakes  in  his  possession  is  a  set  of  silver 
hair  pins  which  were  used  by  Frances  for  many  years  in  dress- 
ing her  hair,  which  was  always  such  an  object  of  admiration 
by  her  adopted  people.  He  also  has  many  little  trinkets 
which  he  prizes  highly.  When  her  house  was  destroyed  by 
fire  in  1882  many  Indian  relics  of  curious  and  exquisite  work- 
manship, besides  numerous  ornaments  used  on  ceremonial 
occasions,  perished.  Their  loss  is  deeply  regretted,  and  when 
speaking  of  them  he  heaved  a  deep  sigh  of  sorrow  over  their 
loss,  for  there  is  nothing  that  an  Indian  prizes  more  highly 
than  keepsakes  of  a  venerated  friend  who  has  departed. 


156  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

But  the  finest  collection  known  to  be  in  existence  is  found 
in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Gabriel  Godfroy,  who  married  her  favor- 
ite granddaughter.  She  was  made  the  custodian  of  her 
aunt's  most  valued  costumes,  silver  ornaments,  rings  and 
keepsakes,  which  she  had  accumulated  during  her  long  resi- 
dence among  the  Miamis.  And  as  she  was  so  highly  esteemed 
and  respected  by  her  Indian  friends,  many  of  these  articles 
were  presents  from  them,  which,  on  account  of  their  associa- 
tions made  them  doubly  valuable  to  them. 

In  Mr.  Godfroy' s  collection  is  a  brown  cloth  mantle  or 
blanket  ornamented  with  embroidery,  two  shawls,  a  French 
calico  waist,  profusely  ornamented  with  silver  broaches  set  in 
rows  across  the  breast;  a  pair  of  scarlet  flannel  leggins  of  ex- 
quisite workmanship,  and  a  fine  pair  of  buckskin  moccasins, 
neatly  ornamented  with  bead  work.  The  fold  of  fine  Macki- 
naw cloth  was  worn  wrapped  around  the  body  and  held  in 
place  by  a  sash.  The  bottom  is  handsomely  adorned  with 
bead  and  lace  work,  showing  great  skill  on  the  part  of  the 
maker.  The  needle  work  on  these  garments  is  extremely 
neat  and  artistic,  the  stitches  being  as  fine  and  regular  as  if 
they  had  been  executed  on  one  of  our  best  modern  sewing 
machines.  These  articles,  which  once  belonged  to  the  ward- 
robe of  the  Indian  queen,  are  greatly  admired  by  all  ladies 
who  examine  them,  on  account  of  the  fine  stitching  and  taste 
displayed  in  the  workmanship. 

While  these  articles  of  dress  undoubtedly  once  belonged 
to  Frances,  it  is  not  positively  known  whether  she  manufac- 
tured them  with  her  own  hands,  although  we  are  assured  that 
she  did.  But  as  she  was  known  to  be  an  excellent  wigwam 
keeper,  on  account  of  having  inherited  much  of  the  tastes 
and  ideas  of  her  ancestors,  we  readily  conclude  that  she  also 
possessed  taste  and  genius  in  the  execution  of  needle  work. 


THE   LOST   SISTER. 


■57 


and  considering  her  opportunities,  certainly  excelled  in  its 
production.  We  doubt  not,  therefore,  that  these  articles  are 
genuine  specimens  of  her  handiwork;  and  although  the  deft 
fingers  that  fashioned  them  have  long  since  mouldered  to  dust, 
we  accept  them  as  evidences  of  wdiat  she  did  in  her  humble 
capacity  and  with  her  limited  means  in  the  smoky  wigwam 
of  the  red  man,  and  admire  the  love  and  veneration  shown  by 
those  who  treasure  them  as  sacred  souvenirs  of  a  dearly  be- 
loved and  departed  friend. 

In  the  same  collection  is  a  magnificent  silver  cross,  evi- 
dently of  French  manufacture,  which  measures  io>^  inches 
in  height  by  7^  in  width.  The 
cut  is  an  exact  counterpart,  only 
that  it  is  reduced  in  size  from  the 
original.  There  is  little  orna- 
mental work  on  it,  the  design 
having  been,  no  doubt,  to  make 
it  simple  and  plain.  It  is  of  suf- 
ficient thickness  to  give  it  neces- 
sary strength.  It  was  evidently 
fashioned  after  the  style  of  those 
worn  by  the  Jesuit  Fathers  of  the 
last,  and  the  beginning  of  the 
present,  century,  and  was  very 
likely  obtained  from  them  when  the  Indians  resided  in  and 
about  Detroit,  or  in  Canada.  Catholicism  was  the  only  re- 
ligion taught  the  Indians  at  that  time,  and  that  many  of  them 
should  become  converts  is  natural.  The  French  traders,  too, 
might  have  introduced  these  emblems  for  ornamental  pur- 
poses, knowing  the  tastes  and  inclinations  of  the  Indians  for 
such  things.  But  it  is  believed  they  were  only  used  in  relig- 
ious ceremonies,  or  on  stated  occasions.      At  the  upper  end  of 


Frances  Slocum's  Cross. 


158  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

the  cross  is  a  ring,  b}'  which  it  was  attached  to  a  string  or 
ribbon,  which  encircled  the  neck,  and  the  emblem  was  worn 
by  being  snspended  on  the  back  between  the  shonlders,  after 
the  style  of  the  monks  of  old,  Mr.  Bondy,  on  being  asked 
regarding  it,  said  that  Frances  wore  it  on  stated  occasions, 
and  she  had  it  on  her  body  at  the  time  of  her  death.  But 
there  is  no  evidence  to  show  that  she  ever  became  a  devout 
Catholic,  although  it  is  probable  she  was  under  the  influence 
and  teachings  of  the  Fathers,  who  labored  so  earnestly  and 
zealously  among  the  Indians  during  the  earlier  years  of  her 
captivity.  That  they  had  great  control  over  them  during  the 
French  occupancy  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  and  the  lake  re- 
gion, is  well  authenticated  by  history;  and  once  the  French 
won  the  confidence  of  the  Indians  they  never  lost  it,  and  to 
this  day  they  are  respected  by  them. 

But  it  is  not  strange  that  the  captive  should  have  possessed 
this  emblem  and  revered  it.  French  and  Indian  blood  had 
become  intermingled,  and  close  relationships  established 
through  the  ties  of  consanguinity,  which  will  not  be  severed 
for  generations  to  come.  Francis  Godfroy,  the  last  war  chief 
of  the  Miami  tribe,  was  a  half  breed  Frenchman;  both  Brouil- 
lette  and  Bondy,  her  last  two  sons-in-law,  were  of  the  same 
origin,  and  the  blood  of  the  two  races  courses  through  the 
veins  of  her  descendants  down  to  the  present  time.  J.  B. 
Richardville,  the  \2,?>'i  great  civil  chief  of  the  tribe,  was  also 
half  French,  and  when  he  died  was  buried  with  Catholic  rites 
in  the  cemetery  of  that  church  at  Fort  Wayne.  Through 
such  associations  and  ties  of  relationship  it  is  natural  that 
Frances  should  have  come  under  the  teachings  and  influence 
of  the  Jesuits — whether  she  became  a  convert  to  their  doc- 
trines or  not — and  adopted  some  of  the  emblems  used  in  their 
pious  devotions. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 59 

Her  brothers  and  sister  when  they  first  visited  her  obtained 
many  relics  which  have  been  carefully  preserved  by  their  de- 
scendants. The  portraits  painted  by  George  Winter  are  still 
in  excellent  condition.  The  first,  a  full  length  painting  in 
oil,  is  owned  by  Mr.  George  Slocuni  Bennett,*  of  Wilkes- 
Barre,  and  bears  this  inscription  on  the  back:  "  Frances  Slo- 
cum,  the  Lost  Sister,  Mon-o-con-a-qua,  wife  of  She-buck-o- 
nah,  the  Deaf  Chief.  The  original  sketch  made  A.  D.  1839, 
at  the  Deaf  Man's  Village,  by  George  Winter."  In  a  post- 
script Mr.  Winter  added:  "This  is  the  first  full  length  portrait 
in  oil  of  the  Lost  Sister."  A  copy  of  this  painting  forms  the 
frontispiece  of  this  work,  A  copy  was  also  made  from  it  for 
Dr.  Peck's  History  of  Wyoming. 

Mr.  Bennett  also  owns  a  painting  of  the  Deaf  Man's  Vil- 
lage, by  the  same  artist,  bearing  this  inscription  on  the  back: 
"  The  Deaf  Man's  Village  on  the  river  Mississinewa,  Indiana, 
the  home  of  the  Lost  Sister,  Sketched  A.  D.  1839,  and 
painted  by  George  Winter."  The  log  cabin  where  they  lived 
is  shown  conspicuously  in  the  foreground.  The  surrounding 
scenery  is  also  given,  with  one  or  two  other  cabins  to  the  right 
and  rear.  Mr.  Bennett  purchased  these  paintings  from  Mr. 
Winter  during  a  visit  to  his  home  at  La  Fayette,  Indiana,  in 
1871,  only  four  years  before  he  died. 

*  Mr.  Bennett  gives  his  recollections  of  the  artist  as  follows:  "I  met 
George  Winter,  the  artist,  in  October,  1871,  at  La  Fayette,  Indiana,  where  he 
resided.  He  was  an  Englishman,  of  medium  height,  of  fidl  habit  and  of  a 
ruddy  complexion.  He  was  about  65  or  70  years  old,  and  appeared  to  be  a 
man  of  culture  and  of  artistic  tastes.  I  understand  he  came  to  the  United 
States  at  an  early  day,  went  out  on  the  then  western  frontier  and  Indian 
ccnmtry,  and  became  interested  in  the  study  of  the  Indian  character.  He 
painted  portraits  of  many  of  their  chiefs,  and  made  sketches  of  their  vil- 
lages. He  made  several  paintings  of  Frances  Slocum  and  the  different 
members  of  her  family,  and  also  of  her  home  at  the  Deaf  Man's  Village. 
He  kept  records  of  his  early  experience  among  the  Indians,  and  I  believe 
they  are  still  unpublished." 


l6o  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing,  Mr,  Bennett  owns  a  pair  of 
buckskin  moccasins  which  were  once  worn  by  Frances,  and 
a  small  piece  of  calico  taken  from  a  garment  used  by  her. 
This  garment  was  splendidly  ornamented  with  circular  buck- 
les made  out  of  a  white  metal  resembling  silver,  and  a  num- 
ber of  them  are  attached  to  this  remnant. 

He  also  possesses  the  original  copy  of  the  journal  kept  by 
his  mother,  Mrs.  Hannah  Fell  Bennett,  when  she  visited  her 
aunt  in  the  autumn  of  1839,  in  company  with  her  father, 
Judge  Joseph  Slocum,  and  sister  Harriet,  now  the  wife  of  Hon. 
Henry  Lewis  of  Madison,  N.  Y.  This  record  of  the  journey 
is  printed  in  full  in  this  work  for  the  first  time,  and  the 
original  is  sacredly  preserved  as  a  precious  souvenir  of  his 
departed  mother. 

Mrs.  Martha  Bennett  Phelps,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  is  the  owner 
of  a  small  water  color  picture  of  Frances,  painted  by  George 
Winter  from  his  large  oil  painting;  also  a  full  length  paint- 
ing in  oil,  by  Mr.  Winter,  of  Ke-ke-se-qua,  (Cut  Finger,) 
daughter  of  Frances,  from  a  sketch  made  of  her  in  1839.  She 
is  represented  in  full  Indian  costume.  Mrs.  Phelps  also  owns 
a  full  length  painting  in  oil  of  Captain  Brouillette,  husband 
of  Ke-ke-se-qua,  painted  from  a  sketch  made  by  Winter  in 
1837.  It  represents  him  clad  in  a  semi-civilized  costume  of 
gaudy  colors. 

And  last  of  all,  Mrs.  Phelps  owns  a  pair  of  silver  earrings, 
once  worn  by  Frances.  These  relics,  though  small,  are  highly 
prized,  not  on  account  of  their  intrinsic  value,  but  for  their 
associations,  and  the  memories  they  recall  of  her  great  aunt. 

Mrs.  Mary  Slocum  Butler  Ayres,  of  Audenried,  Pa.,  owns 
a  large  oil  painting  of  Frances,*  made  for  Hon.  Joseph  Slo- 

*  Benson  J.  Lossing  made  a  copy  of  this  portrait,  whicli  was  used  in  his 
Field  Book  of  the  Revolution. 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  l6l 

cum,  by  George  Winter.  It  hangs  in  the  parlor  of  Mrs.  Ruth 
Ross  Butler  Hilliard,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  and  has  been  exam- 
ined by  many  persons  interested  in  the  wonderful  history  of 
the  subject.  Mrs.  Hilliard  also  possesses  two  pairs  of  mocca- 
sins and  one  pair  of  earrings,  which  once  belonged  to  and 
were  worn  by  the  captive. 

No  painting  was  ever  made  of  0-zah-wah-shing-qua,  the 
younger  daughter,  but  as  she  lived  until  1877  she  had  photo- 
graphs taken,  and  her  likeness  is  preserved.  She  adopted  an 
English  dress,  and  made  a  very  good  appearance,  although 
she  retained  to  the  last  many  of  the  customs  of  the  Indians. 

There  are  doubtless  other  trinkets  owned  by  relatives,  the 
whereabouts  of  which  have  not  transpired,  and  therefore 
they  are  not  enumerated.  Mrs.  Harriet  E.  Lewis,  of  Madi- 
son, New  York,  who  accompanied  her  father  on  a  visit  to  her 
aunt  in  1837,  was  also  the  possessor  of  a  few  mementos,  but 
gave  them  to  her  relatives. 

The  widow  and  children  of  Rev.  George  R.  Slocum,  on 
account  of  their  long  residence  near  where  Frances  lived  and 
died,  were  enabled  to  acquire  many  trinkets  and  other  things 
which  once  belonged  to,  or  were  associated  with,  their  fa- 
mous relative. 

Among  the  extremely  rare  mementos  of  Frances,  is  one 
now  in  the  possession  of  the  author,  which  he  values  highly 
on  account  of  its  remarkable  historical  associations,  which 
are  far  greater  than  its  intrinsic  worth.  It  is  a  Belgian  coin 
of  the  mintage  of  1794,  and  was  once  the  property  of  the  cap- 
tive. The  history  of  this  silver  dollar  is  as  follows:  During 
the  Revolution  of  1794  there  was  no  coinage  in  France.  Eu- 
rope was  convulsed  and  business  deranged.  At  that  time  the 
Austrian  monarch,  Francis  II.,  who  ruled  what  is  now  the 
Empire  of  Austria,  was  the  titular  Emperor  of  Germany,  and 


l62  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

his  dominions  comprised  the  Archduchy  of  Austria  and  its 
dependent  provinces,  the  Kingdom  of  Hungary,  the  Duchy  of 
Milan  or  Lombardy,  and  the  Low  Countries,  now  known  as 
Belgium.  For  each  of  these  four  regions  there  was  a  distinct 
coinage.  The  Brabantine,  or  Belgian,  was  designated  by  an 
X  shaped  cross,  profusely  ornamented,  and  bearing  three 
crowns.  * 

These  coins  found  their  way  across  the  ocean  in  the  hands 
of  French  adventurers,  and  through  the  English,  who  occu- 
pied Canada,  and  were  largely  in  use  along  the  lakes  in  the 
early  part  of  this  century.  French  traders,  who  abounded 
among  the  northwestern  Indians,  also  gave  circulation  to  this 
money,  and  it  soon  found  a  lodgment  in  the  hands  of  the  In- 
dians. Frances  Slocum,  who  undoubtedly  possessed  a  large 
amount  of  Anglo  Saxon  acquisitiveness,  secured  many  of 
these  dollars  and  carefully  hoarded  them.  When  Gabriel 
Godfroy  married  Kin-o-zach-wa,  (Elizabeth,)  her  favorite 
niece,  the  old  lady  presented  her  with  about  thirty  of  these 
Belgian  dollars.  Mr.  Godfroy  says  he  was  not  aware  that  his 
wife  had  this  money  until  some  time  after  their  marriage. 
One  day  he  was  going  to  Peru,  when  she  handed  him  two  of 
these  dollars,  and  requested  him  to  make  some  small  purchases 
for  her.  Noticing  the  peculiarity  of  the  money,  he  asked 
her  where  she  had  obtained  it.  She  immediately  replied: 
"Grandmother  gave  it  to  me;  she  had  about  thirty  of  these 
dollars."  Mr.  Godfroy  states  that  he  saved  the  coins  and 
used  other  money  in  their  place.  On  the  occasion  of  the  au- 
thor's last  visit  to  his  house  in  June,  1890,  and  when  he  was 
just  ready  to  stej)  into  a  carriage  to  proceed  to  the  railroad 
station,  Mr.  Godfroy  approached  him  and  said:  "I  wish  to 
present  you  with  something  that  once  belonged  to  Frances 

*See  Memorial  of  Gold  and  Silver  Coins,  Ed.  1851,  p.  21. 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  1 63 

Slociim.  Here  is  a  silver  dollar  that  was  given  to  my  deceased 
wife  by  her  grandmother,  which  I  think  yon  will  prize  as 
something  rare  and  valnable.  There  is  no  donbt  of  it  once 
having  belonged  to  the  old  lady.  And  ont  of  the  number  that 
belonged  to  my  wife,  the  whereabouts  of  only  two  are  now 
known.  I  have  one  and  you  have  the  other.  Keep  it  as  a 
memorial  of  her  in  whose  history  you  are  interested." 

The  recipient  of  the  old  coin  was  as  greatly  surprised  as 
he  was  gratified  at  receiving  such  a  testimonial,  and  felt  that 
he  was  highly  honored  by  having  such  confidence  reposed  in 
him  by  one  whom  he  had  only  met  for  the  second  or  third 
time.  The  coin  is  prized  as  more  valuable  than  something 
that  might  have  cost  hundreds  of  dollars,  on  account  of  its 
peculiar  history  and  the  thrilling  events  with  which  it  was 
identified  nearly  a  hundred  years  ago. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

DKATH  OF  CAPT.  BROUILLETTE — HIS  PERSONAL  APPEARANCE 
AND  PECULIAR  DRESS — PLACE  OF  BIRTH — GLOWING  TRIB- 
UTE TO  HIS  LIFE  AND  CHARACTER  BY  GEORGE  WINTER. 

BEATH  again  invaded  this  Indian  household.  The 
next  member  of  the  family  tp  pass  away  was  Cap- 
tain Brouillette,  who,  after  a  short  illness,  died  at 
the  old  home  on  the  17th  of  June,  1867,  aged  71  years.  He 
had  exceeded  the  time  assigned  by  the  Psalmist  for  man  to 
live  by  one  year.  His  wife*  had  preceded  him  by  just  twenty 
years.  During  the  greater  portion  of  the  time  he  outlived 
her  he  had  been  engaged  in  the  work  of  a  missionary  among 
the  remnant  of  his  tribe,  having  been  converted  as  early  as 
1854.  This  change  in  his  life  was  owing  to  the  faithful  la- 
bors of  Rev.  George  R.  Slocum,  his  newphew  by  marriage, 
and  who  had  attended  the  funerals  of  both  his  mother-in-law 
and  wife.  He  became  very  devout  in  his  new  calling,  and 
threw  all  the  energies  of  his  life  into  the  work  he  had  taken 
up,  and  there  is  reason  for  believing  that  he  accomplished 
much  good  and  died  in  the  full  belief  of  a  new  life  beyond 
the  grave.  It  is  unknown  what  minister  officiated  at  his 
burial,  for  his  faithful  nephew  had  died  nearly  eight  years 

*  According  to  accounts  he  married  as  his  second  wife,  Eliza  (.Todfroy, 
who  was  a  daughter  of  his  sister-in-law,  0-zah-wah-shing-qua,  by  her  first 
husband,  and  therefore  his  niece-in-law.  By  her  he  had  one  daughter, 
named  Frances,  and  she  married  William  Pe-cong-a.  Little  is  said  about 
this  marriage.  Brouillette  claimed  that  he  entered  into  this  relation  "while 
he  was  in  the  dark"— after  "he  became  a  Christian  he  was  in  the  light." 


lavt.  JEMN  BRPTISTE  BROUILLETTE. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 65 

before.     His  remains  were  laid  at  rest  by  the  side  of  his  wife, 
and  a  marble  headstone  bears  this  inscription: 

Rev.  J.  B.  Brouillette, 

Converted  to  the  Christian  Religion,  June,  1854; 

Died 

June  17,  1867,  Aged  71  Years. 

He  was  born  in  the  dark  and  stormy  days  of  1796  on  the 
Wea  Plains,  of  French  and  Indian  parentage,  was  brought  up 
a  Miami  Indian  and  died  a  minister  of  the  Christian  Church. 
He  came  into  this  world  amidst  the  storms  of  war  and  the 
clangor  of  arms  on  the  western  frontier,  and  went  out  of  it 
soon  after  the  close  of  the  mighty  rebellion  which  shook  the 
republic  to  its  foundations.  During  the  course  of  his  long 
life  he  witnessed  the  gradual  change  of  many  of  his  people 
from  barbarism  to  civilization,  and  died  in  the  belief  that 
they  would  all  come  into  the  fold  of  the  Redeemer.  With 
his  death  the  name  of  Brouillette  perished,  for  he  left  no  son 
to  perpetuate  it. 

George  Winter,  the  English  artist,  who  at  one  time  lived 
at  Logansport,  and  died  at  La  Fayette,  knew  him  well,  aud 
in  the  La  Fayette  Courier  of  July,  1867,  paid  a  glowing  trib- 
ute to  his  life  and  character: 

"Jean  Baptiste  Brouillette,"  says  Mr.  Winter,  "needs  not 
the  flattering  touch  of  the  artist's  pencil  or  the  poet's  fanciful 
recitals  to  make  him  attractive  to  the  public  attention  sepa- 
rately from  his  innate  qualities  as  a  man.  I  remember  dis- 
tinctly when  I  first  saw  Brouillette.  He  was  on  a  visit  to 
Logansport  in  the  fall  of  the  year  of  payment.  The  Potta- 
watomie Indians  were  at  that  time  very  commonly  seen  in 
Logansport.  Ewing's  establishment  was  a  means  of  attract- 
ing the  Indians  to  that  point.  It  was  headquarters,  too,  for 
the  receiving  of  peltries,  brought  in  large  quantities.     There 

i< 


1 66  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

they  were  properly  packed  and  shipped  to  the  east.  It  was 
not  unfrequently  that  some  of  the  Indians  came  to  Logans- 
port  to  bny  goods  at  Ewing's  trading  post,  which  stood  diago- 
nally to  Washington  Hall,  then  kept  by  our  old  friend  Capt  C. 
Vigns.  The  Miamis  were  frequent  visitors  to  the  vicinity  of 
Logansport  for  the  purpose  of  paying  a  reverential  tribute  to 
the  memory  of  the  dead,  as  there  was,  but  a  few  rods  distant 
from  the  south  section  of  the  bridge  which  immediately  led  to 
the  National  Reservation,  an  extensive  Indian  burial  ground, 
which  was  an  attraction  to  the  curious  traveler  as  he  was  pass- 
ing through  this  new  and  undeveloped  country. 

"Captain  Brouillette  was  a  French  half  breed,  of  elegant 
appearance,  very  straight  and  slim.  In  personal  appearance 
he  had  a  decidedly  commanding  mien.  In  height  he  stood 
six  feet  two  inches.  His  tout  ensemble  was  unique,*  as  his 
aboriginal  costume  was  expensive  and  showy.  He  wore  round 
his  head  a  rich  figured  crimson  shawl  a  la  turban,  with  long 
and  flowing  ends  gracefully  falling  over  the  shoulders;  silver 
ornaments,  or  clusters  of  earbobs,  testified  their  weight  by  a 
partial  elongation  of  the  ears.  His  hair  was  jetty  black  and 
ornamental  to  a  face  by  no  means  handsome;  forehead  not 
expansive,  and  his  visage  as  a  whole  was  meagre,  but  withal 
his  face  was  certainly  thoughtful,  and  expressive  of  great 
power.  He  wore  a  fine  frock  coat  of  the  latest  fashion. 
When  the  Indian  assumes  the  white  man's  garb,  he  always 
chooses  a  frock  coat.  It  is  an  object  of  beauty  to  his  eye. 
His  'pesmoker,'  or  shirt,  was  white,  spotted  with  small  red 
figures,  overhanging  very  handsome  blue  leggings,  'winged' 
with  very  rich  silk  ribbons  of  prismatic  hues,  exhibiting  the 


*  Mrs.  Bennett  thus  describes  him  in  her  journal :  "  His  head  was  covered 
with  a  handkercliief  something  like  a  turban,  with  nearly  a  yard  of  red  cal- 
ico hanging  down  behind.  As  he  ran  his  horse  through  the  woods  with  his 
red  streamer  flying  after  him,  he  made  a  grotesque  appearance!" 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  167 

squaw's  skillful  needle  work.  A  handsome  red  silk  sash  was 
thrown  gracefully  over  his  left  shoulder,  and  passing  over  his 
breast  and  under  the  right  arm,  with  clusters  of  knots,  and 
fringed  masses,  gave  point  and  style  to  Brouillette's  tall  and 
majestic  figure.  Intellectually,  the  Miami  soared  far  above 
mediocrity.  His  mind  was  clear  and  strong.  He  had  great 
comprehension  and  scope  of  thought.  Brouillette  had  a  fine 
reputation  as  an  orator,  possessing  great  volubility  of  lan- 
guage. He  was  a  very  peaceable  man,  and  a  great  friend  of 
the  whites,  among  whom  he  claimed  many  friendships.  He 
was  a  great  '  Medicine  Man,'  (though  not  a  juggler,)  profess- 
ing a  knowledge  of  the  healing  art.  I  well  remember  some 
time  in  the  summer  of  1842,  when  in  Berthelot's  trading 
establishment  at  Peru,  word  was  brought  that  Pee-waw-pe-o 
had  stabbed  his  squaw  in  revenge  for  some  family  grievance, 
and  that  she  had  been  taken  up  to  '  Deaf  Man's  Village,'  on 
the  Mississinewa,  where  Brouillette  resided  with  his  mother- 
in-law,  Frances  Slocum,  known  as  the  '  Lost  Sister. '  Under 
Brouillette's  care  the  Indian  woman  recovered  from  her 
wounds. 

"Captain  Brouillette,  for  he  was  proverbially  known  among 
the  whites  by  that  sobriquet,  was  the  first  Miami  Indian  that 
cultivated  corn  with  the  plow. 

"He  often  visited  La  Fayette.  In  the  year  1851  I  met 
him.  He  was  then  on  his  way  to  the  Wea  Plains,*  a  spot 
identified  with  his  early  childhood.  The  purpose  of  his  visit 
there  was  to  obtain  certain  roots  possessing  medicinal  proper- 
ties. At  that  time  the  noble  looking  Indian,  though  still  re- 
taining his  erect  bearing,  yet  the  unmistakable  marks  of  in- 
creasing years  were  shown  in  the  deepening  lines  of  the  face, 

*The  famous  old  Wea  town — the  Oiiiatenon  (Wah-wee-a-tennu)  of  the 
French— stood  on  a  tract  six  miles  square  on  the  Ouabache  (Wabash)  liiver, 
near  what  is  now  I^a  Fayette.     See  Dillon's  Indiana,  p.  396. 


1 68  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

and  the  former  jet  black  hair  being  impinged  with  Time's 
frosty  touch. 

"More  recently,  perhaps  in  1863,  Brouillette,  with  some 
other  Miamis,  were  on  a  visit  to  Peter  Langlois',  in  the 
vicinity  of  La  Fayette.  These  red  men  were  attracted  to  the 
artesian  well,  and  were  observed  testing  the  qualities  of  the 
water,  when  I  approached  the  group  and  found  among  them 
'Jim'  Godfrey,  son  of  the  old  war  chief,  Francis  Godfroy. 
Captain  Brouillette  and  'Jim'  gave  a  friendly  recognition, 
and  a  little  pow-wow  followed  relating  to  the  time  when  I  had 
made  sketches  of  them  '  long  years  ago. ' 

"  Bronillette's  birthplace  was  on  the  Wea  Plains.  The 
period  of  his  birth  [1796]  was  a  time  of  fearful  strife,  and 
when  '  grim  visaged  war '  disturbed  the  peace  of  this  remote 
region.  The  famous  village  of  Quiatenon  was  a  stronghold 
of  the  Miami  Indians,  and  to  destroy  this  ancient  village  was 
regarded  of  such  importance  by  the  United  States  Govern- 
ment that  an  expedition,  in  the  year  1791,  was  sent  out  from 
Kentucky,  800  strong,  commanded  by  Brigadier  General 
Scott.  Dillon,  in  his  historical  notes,  in  reference  to  this 
valley,  states  that  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Ouiatenon  were 
French,  and  lived  in  a  state  of  civilization.  By  the  books, 
letters,  and  other  documents  found  there,  it  is  evident  that 
that  place  was  in  connection  with  and  dependent  on  Detroit. 
A  large  quantity  of  corn,  a  variety  of  household  goods,  peltry, 
and  other  articles,  were  burned  with  the  village  which  con- 
sisted of  seventy  houses,  and  many  of  them  were  well  fur- 
nished. 

"  The  citizens  of  to-day  can  hardly  realize  that  but  a  few 
miles  distant  from  La  Fayette  there  existed  such  an  extensive 
community  of  mixed,  civilized  and  savage  people  at  so  early 
a  period  as  1790,  yet  an  earlier  period  of  historic  existence 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 69 

precedes  it.  An  Indian  once  very  beautifully  and  touchingly 
expressed  himself  in  reference  to  the  strife  that  grew  out  of 
the  pale  face's  invasion  of  their  country.  "Know  ye,  that 
the  village  of  Ouiatenon  is  the  sepulchre  of  our  ancestors  !" 

"  Brouillette  was  a  half  breed.  His  father*  was  a  French- 
man, and  was  made  a  captive  when  a  youth.  By  a  remarka- 
ble coincidence.  Captain  Brouillette' s  wife's  mother  was  also 
a  captive,  whose  discovery  in  her  old  age,  after  a  captivity  of 
sixty  years,  (in  the  year  1837)  on  the  Mississinewa  River, 
awakened  an  intense  interest.  *         *         *  *         =^ 

"H.  T.  Sample  has  known  this  locality  over  forty-five  years 
and  was  acquainted  with  the  Deaf  Man,  Brouillette  and  the 
captive.  I  visited  the  village  in  the  fall  of  1839  and  made  a 
sketch  of  the  captive,  a  valuable  subject  for  the  pencil.  She 
died  some  sixteen  years  since.  Captain  Brouillette  died  at 
the  village  on  the  7th  ult.  There  are  but  few  of  his  tribe 
remaining  in  the  old  forest  home  to  hold  him  in  remembrance. 
But  while  a  Miami  lives  Brouillette  will  ever  have  a  place  in 
the  mind  and  heart.  He  became  a  convert  to  Christianity 
through  the  missionary  labors  of  Rev.  George  R.  Slocum,  a 
nephew  of  the  captive,  who  settled  among  the  Miamis  after 
the  discovery  of  his  aunt.  Brouillette  attached  himself  to 
the  Baptist  denomination.  He  entered  into  his  religious  pro- 
fession with  an  earnest  zeal,  so  much  so  that  he  became  a 
missionary  among  the  few  of  the  tribe  that  yet  remained  in 
the  State  of  Indiana,  along  the  Mississinewa  River,  Pipe 
Creek,  and  other  old  cherished  localities  of  the  Miami  peo- 
ple." 

That  Brouillette  was  a  strange  character,   in    which   the 

*In  a  petition  to  the  American  commander  of  the  post,  regarding  the 
cultivation  of  land, signed  by  a  number  of  French  settlers,  in  May,  1789,  ap- 
pears the  name  of  Francois  Brouillette.  He  afterwards  became  the  father 
of  the  subject  of  this  notice.— Dillon's  Indiana,  p.  407. 


170  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

traits  of  the  Indian  and  French  were  peculiarly  blended,  we 
have  abundant  testimony.  And  although  wayward  in  his 
youth,  his  strength  of  mind  was  sufificient,  when  brought 
under  proper  influence,  to  overcome  what  was  evil,  and  he 
died  a  pious,  honored  and  respected  teacher  of  the  rude  peo- 
ple with  whom  he  claimed  allegiance,  and  with  whom  he  had 
always  been  associated. 

The  deep  sorrow  he  expressed  at  the  deathbed  of  his  pious 
friend,  Rev.  George  R.  Slocum — spoken  of  in  a  previous 
chapter — shows  the  sympathetic  nature  and  character  of  the 
man,  and  the  grateful  feelings  he  entertained  for  his  dying 
friend.  His  earnest  and  solemn  prayer  on  that  occasion  is 
further  evidence  of  the  high  respect  he  entertained  for  his 
benefactor. 

It  will  be  remembered  how  Brouillette,  after  a  night  of 
dissipation,  and  his  mind  racked  with  remorse  over  his  bad 
conduct,  went  to  Mr.  Slocum  and  desired  him  to  draw  up 
another  pledge,  make  it  binding  and  strong,  and  of  a  suffi- 
cient period  to  cover  the  balance  of  his  life,  which  he  took 
with  uplifted  hand,  calling  God  to  witness  that  he  would  not 
indulge  in  drink  again.  And  it  was  this  affair  to  which  the 
dying  man  referred  when  he  besought  him  to  always  remain 
firm  and  not  give  way  to  temptation  again.  That  deathbed 
scene  was  a  memorable  one,  and  it  is  believed  that  Brouillette 
never  violated  his  pledge,  but  remained  firm  in  the  faith  to 
the  close  of  his  life. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

A  WOMAN  WITH  FIVE  HUSBANDS — DEATH  AND  BURIAL  OF 
O-ZAH-WAH-SHING-QUA — THE  FULL  TEXT  OF  HER  WILL 
— NAMES  OF  THE  DESCENDANTS  OF  FRANCES  SLOCUM — 
YOUNGEST   GREAT   GRANDCHILD. 

<^^^  TRANGE,  indeed,  were  the  marital  relations  of  0-zah- 
•^    wah-shing-qua,  the  second  daughter  of  Frances  Slo- 


cum.  She  was  bom  about  i8i6,-  on  the  Mississinewa, 
lived  much  longer,  and  had  a  more  eventful  life  than  her' 
elder  sister.  According  to  the  best  information  that  can  be 
gatliered  from  the  remnant  of  the  Miamis  now  living  in  Indi- 
ana, she  was  married  five  times.  Her  husbands  may  be  enu- 
merated as  follows: 

I.  Louis  Godfroy,  a  nephew  of  Francis  Godfrey,  the  last 
v/ar  chief  of  the  Miamis.  The  date  of  this  marriage  is  un- 
known, but  she  must  have  been  quite  young  when  it  took 
place.  This  marriage  did  not  prove  a  congenial  one,  although 
she  bore  her  husband  two  daughters.  He  maltreated  and 
abused  her  greatly,  and  often  threatened  to  kill  her.  This 
caused  her  mother  much  trouble,  and  finally,  when  his  treat- 
ment became  unbearable,  and  the  daughter  was  in  daily  dread 
of  her  life,  her  mother  appealed  to  Gen.  Tipton,  who  was 
then  Indian  agent  at  Fort  Wayne.  In  her  distress  she  re- 
vealed to  him  the  secret  of  her  life,  and  declared  that  if 
matters  grew  worse  she  would  appeal  to  the  government  for 
protection,  as  she  was  a  ivhite  woman!  This,  it  is  claimed 
by  her  people  now  living  in  Indiana,  was  the  first  time  she 
spoke,  of  her  origin  and  captivity  to  a  white  man,  and  that 


172  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

Colonel  Ewing  was  not  the  first  man  who  knew  her  secret, 
although  he  acted  promptly  in  her  behalf,  and  as  his  sympa- 
thies were  aroused  to  the  point  of  action,  he  succeeded  in 
imparting  the  information  he  had  gained  to  her  friends  on 
the  Susquehanna,  and  she  was  discovered  and  identified. 
Tipton,  it  appears,  took  little  notice  of  the  complaint,  and 
nothing  came  of  it.  Perhaps  he  considered  it  a  trifling  mat- 
ter among  Indians,  and  was  not  sufficiently  interested  or 
moved  by  sympathy,  to  exert  himself  Money  getting  and 
land  speculations  were  paramount  to  all  other  considerations 
at  that  time,  and  may  have  had  something  to  do  with  his 
lack  of  interest  in  the  case  of  the  "white  woman's"  daugh- 
ter. However,  it  seems  that  her  husband  was  either  killed 
or  left  her,  and  she  became  a  free  woman  again. 

II.  Wap-shing-qua,  in  course  of  time,  became  her  second 
husband,  and  by  him  she  had  one  daughter.  He  suddenly 
died  a  violent  death.  This  daughter,  who  was  born  Sept.  25, 
1836,  was  named  Kin-o-zach-wa,  or  Elizabeth  in  English. 
She  grew  to  womanhood  and  married  Gabriel  Godfroy,  a  son 
of  the  famous  chief  of  that  name.  vShe  was  a  lady  of  rare 
accomplishments,  considering  the  time  in  which  she  lived, 
and  the  union  was  a  happy  one.  She  died  October  28,  1879, 
aged  43,  and  a  handsome  marble  stone  marks  her  grave  in 
the  Godfroy  cemetery.  She  left  four  sons,  Peter,  Joseph, 
Frank  and  Judson,  and  one  daughter,  Sarah  Joanna.  All  are 
deceased  but  Peter  and  Frank.  Kin-o-zack-wa  was  the  favor- 
ite granddaughter  of  Frances  Slocum^  and  she  left  her  several 
of  her  finest  dresses  and  many  trinkets  and  keepsakes  when 
she  died.  These  are  now  in  the  possession  of  Gabriel  God- 
froy, and  he  preserves  them  with  scrupulous  care  as  tender 
mementos  of  "grandmother,"  as  he  reverently  terms  her. 

III.  Tac-co-nah  was  her  third  husband.      By  him  she  had 


THE    LOST  SISTER.  1 73 

one  son,  but  he  died  in  infancy.      Her  husband  was  killed  by 
a  quarrelsome  Indian,  and  she  was  a  widow  again. 

IV.  She  then  married  a  brother  of  Tac-co-nah,  named  Ma- 
ma-mundra.  By  this  union  there  was  one  daughter.  She 
was  named  Chan-shing-qua,  or  Lavinia,  and  is  still  living. 
Her  father  did  not  live  long. 

V.  Her  fifth  and  last  husband  was  Wah-pah-pe-tah,  or  Pe- 
ter Bondy,  who  is  still  living.  They  had  seven  children,  four 
sons  and  three  daughters,  but  only  two  sons  and  two  daugh- 
ters are  living.  One  of  these  sons,  Judson  C.  Bondy,  married 
Sarah  Joanna,  the  only  daughter  of  Gabriel  Godfrey,  by  his 
second  wife,  Kin-o-zack-wah,  whose  mother  was  the  youngest 
daughter  of  Frances  Slocum,  and  married  for  her  second  hus- 
band, Wap-shing-qua.  This  is  a  curious  comminggling  of 
French-Indian-x^merican  blood  through  the  Godfroys  and 
Slocums,  and  the  question  of  relationship  is  a  tough  one  for 
genealogists  to  solve. 

Judson  C.  Bondy 's  wife  died  a  few  years  ago,  leaving  two 
sons,  Peter  and  Joseph,  and  two  daughters,  Josephine  and 
Mabel  Ray.  The  latter,  now  (1890)  about  three  years  old,  is 
the  youngest  female  descendant  of  Frances  Slocum,  and  like 
her  great  grandmother,  she  has  a  luxuriant  head  of  chestnut 
brown  hair. 

The  children  of  Judson  Bandy,  as  well  as  those  of  Gabriel 
Godfroy,  by  his  wife  Kin-o-zack-wa,  are  all  great  grandchil- 
dren of  Frances  Slocum.  A  more  complicated  relationship, 
through  intermarriages,  is  rarely  met  with,  and  the  problem 
of  establishing  the  true  relationship  which  one  family  bears 
to  the  other  will  afford  a  study  for  those  who  take  delight  in 
unraveling  such  knotty  questions. 

0-zah-wah-shing-qua  died  January  25,  1877,  aged  67  years, 
just  thirty  years  after  her  sister,  Mrs.  Brouillette.      Her  ill- 


174  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

ness  was  not  long,  and  her  death  took  place  in  the  house 
built  by  her  mother  on  the  hill  near  the  Indian  graveyard. 
Burial  services  were  conducted  according  to  the  usages  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  her  remains  were  laid  by  the  side  of  her 
kindred  in  the  family  cemetery.  Her  grave,  unlike  those  of 
her  mother  and  sister,  is  marked  by  a  plain  marble  tomb- 
stone, which  bears  this  inscription: 

O-SAW-SHE-OUAH, 

Wife  of 

Peter  Bondy, 

Died  January  25,  1877, 

Aged  67  years. 

The  marble  cutter  evidently  spelled  the  name  to  suit 
himself,  as  it  differs  from  the  way  it  is  usually  expressed  by 
Miamis  and  spelled  by  modern  writers.  Her  English  name 
was  Jane  Bondy,  and  she  was  better  known  by  this  title  to- 
wards the  close  of  her  life  than  by  the  one  given  her  by  her 
parents. 

According  to  the  account  already  given,  she  was  married 
five  times  and  was  the  mother  of  twelve  children,  four  sons 
and  eight  daughters.  But  of  this  number  only  two  sons  and 
three  daughters  are  living.  As  a  woman  she  was  much  more 
rugged  and  strong  than  her  sister,  else  she  could  not  have 
endured  the  hardships  and  troubles  she  did  and  lived  to  the 
mature  age  of  67.  She  lived  long  enough  to  see  great  changes 
wrought  among  her  people  through  civilizing  influences,  and 
witnessed  the  land  of  her  birth  changed  into  a  populous, 
happy  and  prosperous  country.  Indian  habits  and  supersti- 
tious notions  were  largely  banished  from  her  mind,  and  under 
the  pious  teachings  of  her  nephew,  and  husband,*  she  expe- 

*  In  a  letter  to  tlie  author,  Mr.  George  Slucum  Bennett,  who  visited  the 
Mississinewa  nineteen  years  ago,  relates  his  recollections  of  the  family  as 


THE    LO.ST   SISTER.  1 75 

rienced  the  blessings  which  flow  from  a  more  clear  under- 
standing of  the  duties  of  life,  and  the  happiness  in  store  for 
those  who  turn  away  from  darkness. 

In  her  habits  and  manners  she  was  a  thorough  Indian,  and 
never  learned  to  speak  the  English  language.  Mrs.  Lewis, 
when  she  visited  the  family  in  1839,  with  her  father  and  sis- 
ter, Mrs.  Bennett,  speaks  of  her  as  being  reserved  and  of  a 
retiring  disposition.  But,  like  her  mother,  she  was  indus- 
trious and  desirous  of  accumulating  property.  Mrs.  Lewis 
says  that  "they  had  clothes  and  calicoes  enough  to  fill  a 
country  store. "  The  daughters  were  anxious  to  learn  from 
their  cousins  how  to  make  garments,  and  the  art  of  knitting 
was  especially  curious  to  them,  and  they  took  lessons  until 
they  had  learned  "  the  stitch."  It  was  hard  at  first  to  adapt 
themselves  to  the  usages  of  civilized  life.  When  they  spent 
a  night  with  their  friends  at  the  hotel  in  Peru,  they  could  not 
be  induced  to  occupy  a  bed,  but  wrapping  their  blankets 
around  them,  reposed  on  the  floor  and  slept  soundly.  The 
industrious  and  methodical  habits  of  O-zah-wah-shing-qua 
were  shown  in  the  business-like  manner  in  which  she  dis- 
posed of  her  real  and  personal  property  before  she  died. 

follows  :  "  Mrs.  Bondy  appeared  to  be  about  seventy  years  old  when  I  saw 
her  at  her  home  near  Peru,  Indiana,  in  October,  1871.  I  was  accompanied 
on  the  visit  by  Mrs.  Miller,  wife  of  James  T.  Miller,  who  was  the  interpreter 
for  my  grandfather,  Joseph  Slocum,  my  aunt  and  my  mother,  on  the  occa- 
sion of  their  visit  to  Frances  Slocum  in  1839.  Mrs.  Miller  knew  the  family 
well  and  introduced  us — my  wife  and  myself — to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bondy  and 
their  children.  Mrs.  Bondy  was  rather  tall,  her  hair  was  somewhat  gray, 
and  she  seemed  shy  of  strangers.  At  first  she  was  reserved.  She  did  not 
speak  in  English,  and  I  could  hold  no  conversation  with  her.  The  children 
and  Mr.  Bondy  were  the  interpreters.  I  read  to  the  family  from  my  moth- 
er's journal  the  account  of  her  visit  in  1839.  When  Mrs.  Bondy  learned 
who  I  was,  and  of  the  relationship  existing  between  us,  and  heard  me  read 
the  Indian  names  of  all  of  the  family,  her  reserve  passed  away  and  she 
became  very  friendly.  She  seemed  to  be  a  woman  of  character,  and  pos- 
sessed deep  religious  convictions." 


176  FRANCEvS   SLOCUM, 

As  she  owned  a  large  body  of  land,  and  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  heirs,  she  very  wisely  made  a  will  apportioning  it 
among  them.  And  in  order  to  fully  complete  the  record  of 
her  life,  the  patent  from  the  government,  and  the  will,  are 
given  in  full,  so  that  the  reader  may  have  easy  access  to  these 
documents.      Following  is  the  patent: 

"The  United  States  of  America. — -To  whom  these  pres- 
ents shall  come,  greeting:  Whereas,  by  the  twelfth  article  of  the 
Treaty,  between  the  United  States  of  America  and  the  Miami 
Tribe  of  Indians,  made  and  concluded  at  the  Forks  of  the  Wa- 
bash, in  the  State  of  Indiana,  on  the  sixth  day  of  November,  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-eight,  as  ratified  on  the  eighth 
day  of  February,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-nine,  the 
United  States  agreed  to  grant  to  0-zah-shin-qua,  and  the  wife  of 
Brouillette,  daughter  of  the  Deaf  Man,  as  tenants  in  common,  one 
section  of  land  on  the  Mississinewa  River,  to  include  the  improve- 
ments where  they  now  live,  which  Reserve  has  been  surveyed  and 
designated  as  number  twenty-five,  containing  six  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  in  township  twenty-six,  north  of  range  five,  east  of 
the  Second  Meridian,  Indiana,  and  according  to  a  return  of  survey, 
with  diagram,  as  certified  on  the  fourth  day  of  September,  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty-nine,  b}^  the  Surveyor  General 
at  Detroit,  Michigan,  is  bounded  and  described  as  follows,  to  wit: 

"  Beginning  at  the  northwest  corner  at  a  post,  (marked  A)  on 
diagram,  from  which  a  Burr  Oak,  fifteen  inches  in  diameter,  bears 
south  sixty-two  degrees  east,  distant  thirty-nine  links,  and  a  Hick- 
ory, ten  inches  in  diameter,  bears  south  twenty-one  degrees  west, 
distant  forty-three  links;  thence  along  the  left  bank  of  the  Missis- 
sinewa River  up  stream,  north  eighty  degrees  east  two  chains  and 
twenty  links,  north  seventy-seven  degrees  east  six  chains,  south 
eighty-seven  degrees,  east  nine  chains  and  fifty  links,  north  eighty- 
seven  degrees  east  nine  chains,  south  eighty-six  degrees,  thirty 
minutes,  east  nine  chains  and  fifty  links,  north  eighty-eight  de- 
grees east  six  chains  and  fifty  links,  north  eighty-one  degrees 
east,  nine  chains  and  fifty  links,  south  eighty-nine  degrees  east 
five  chains,  south  fifty  degrees  east  six  chains,  south  thirty-three 
degrees  east  eight  chains,  south  twenty-one  degrees  thirty  min- 
utes east  ten  chains,  south  fourteen  degrees  thirty  minutes  east 


THE   LOST   SISTER.  1 77 

thirteen  chains  and  fifty  links,  south  seventeen  degrees  east  five 
chains,  south  twenty-seven  degrees  east  three  chains  and  fifty 
links,  south  forty-three  degrees  east  eight  chains  and  fifty  links, 
south  twelve  degrees  thirty  minutes  east  four  chains,  south  three 
degrees  east  three  chains  and  fifty  links,  south  seventeen  degrees 
west  ten  chains  and  fifty  links,  south  six  degrees  east  three  chains 
to  a  post  at  the  northeast  corner,  (marked  B,)  from  which  a  Hick- 
ory twelve  inches  in  diameter,  bears  north  two  degrees  east,  dis- 
tant twenty-two  links,  and  a  Hickory  ten  inches  in  diameter,  bears 
north  sixty-eight  degrees  east,  distant  three  links;  thence  south 
along  the  east  boundary  nineteen  chains  and  fifty  links  and  a  half 
to  a  post  at  the  southeast  corner,  (marked  C,)  from  which  a  Beech, 
twelve  inches  in  diameter,  bears  north  thirtj^-nine  degrees  west, 
distant  fifty-three  links,  and  a  Buckeye  twenty  inches  in  diameter, 
bears  south  eighty  degrees  west,  distant  twenty-one  links;  thence 
west  along  the  south  boundary  eighty  chains  and  fifteen  links  to 
the  southwest  corner,  (marked  D,)  from  which  a  Sugar,  twenty- 
four  inches  in  diameter,  bears  north  thirty-five  degrees  west,  dis- 
tant twentj^-seven  links,  and  a  Sugar,  fourteen  inches  in  diameter, 
bears  south  thirty-five  degrees  east,  distant  fifteen  links;  thence 
north  along  the  west  boundary  eighty-four  chains,  twenty-three 
links  and  a  half  link  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

"  Now  know  ye,  That  there  is  therefore  granted  by  the  United 
States  unto  the  said  0-zah-shin-qua  and  the  wife  of  Brouillette, 
daughter  of  the  Deaf  Man,  as  tenants  in  common,  and  to  their 
heirs,  the  tract  of  land  above  described. 

"To  have  and  to  hold,  the  said  tract  with  the  appurtenances 
unto  the  said  0-zah-shin-qua  and  the  wife  of  Brouillette,  daugh- 
ter of  the  Deaf  Man,  as  tenants  in  common  and  to  their  heirs  and 
assigns  forever. 

"In  testimony  whereof,  I,  Zachary  Taylor,  President  of  the 
United  States,  have  caused  these  letters  to  be  made  patent  and  the 
seal  of  the  General  Land  Office  to  be  hereunto  affixed.  Given 
under  my  hand,  at  the  City  of  Washington,  the  twenty-sixth  day 
of  September,  in  the  year  of  our  I^ord  one  thousand  eight  hundred 
and  forty-nine,  and  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States,  the 
seventy-fourth. 

"  By  the  President. 

"[Seal.]  Z.  TAYI.OR. 

"Thomas  Ewing,  Jr.,  Sec'y. 


178  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

"Jos.  S.  WiivSON,  Acting  Recorder  of  the  General  Tyand  Office, 
ad  interim. 

"General  Land  Office. — I,  John  Wilson,  Commissioner  of  the 
General  Land  Office,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  of  pages 
I  and  2  is  a  true  copy  from  the  record,  Vol.  IL,  pages  19,  20  and 
21,  of  this  office. 

' '  In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  subscribed  my  name 
and  caused  the  seal  of  this  office  to  be  affixed,  at  the  City  of  Wash- 
ington, this  seventh  day  of  August,  1854. 

"JOHN  WILSON,  Commissioner. 

"  Wabash  County  Recorder's  office, — Received  and  recorded 
Nov.  29th,  1854,  in  Book  P,  pages  567,  56S  and  569,  at  2  o'clock 
P.  M.  ^  W.  STEELE,  R.  W.  C. 

By  J.  R.  POLK,  Deputy. 

"  Re-recorded  this  6th  day  of  December,  1877,  at  2  o'clock  P. 
M.,  pages  127,  128,  129  of  Vol.  No.  25  of  Deeds  Records  of  Wa- 
bash County,  Ind.  JOHN  H.  DICKEN,  R.  W.  C. 

[By  cjuit  claim  deed,  and  in  consideration  of  one  hundred 
dollars,  Nancy  Broiiillette  (Ke-ke-se-qua)  had  conveyed  her 
interest  in  the  estate  "  as  a  tenant  in  common,"  to  the  testa- 
trix, and  it  was  recorded  at  Wabash  March  i,  1872.] 

"  I,  0-zah-shin-quah,  or  Jane  Bondy,  of  Wabash  County,  and 
State  of  Indiana,  do  make  and  publish  this  my  last  will  and  testa- 
ment: 

"  Item  I. — I  direct  that  all  my  just  debts  be  paid,  and  should  I 
not  leave  sufficient  money  or  money  demands  to  pay  the  same,  I 
direct  that  such  indebtedness  shall  be  made  a  charge  on  the  re- 
spective lands  as  herein  devised,  in  equal  portions  on  the  lands  of 
my  children  and  grandchild.  If  the  proportional  amount  of  such 
indebtedness  and  expense  of  administration  is  paid  to  my  execu- 
tor by  any  legatee,  such  share  shall  be  released  from  such  charge, 
Init  in  case  the  same  is  not  so  paid  within  three  months  from  my 
death,  my  executor  shall  take  possession  of  such  share  and  lease 
the  same  for  such  time  as  the  rents  thereof  will  pay  the  same,  and 
additional  expenses  of  leasing,  and  interest  and  charges  accruing 
l)y  such  failure  to  pay. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  1 79 

"Item  2. — For  the  purpose  of  making  a  division  of  my  real 
estate  and  designating  the  respective  shares  devised,  I  include  in 
one  body  Reserve  number  twenty-five,  in  township  twenty -six,  north 
of  range  five  east,  situate  in  Miami  and  Wabash  Counties,  in  the 
State  of  Indiana,  granted  to  me  and  my  sister  Ke-ke-na-ke-shua 
by  the  United  States,  also  lot  number  four  (4)  in  section  number 
fifteen,  in  Miami  County,  and  lots  numbered  six  (6)  and  seven  (7) 
in  section  number  fourteen,  in  Wabash  County,  in  the  township 
and  range  aforesaid.  Said  lots  lying  immediately  south  of  said 
Reserve,  and  with  it  making  a  total  of  six  hundred  and  eighty-six 
acres,  more  or  less.  This  body  of  land  to  be  divided  by  an  east 
and  west  line  parallel  to  the  southern  boundary,  and  twenty-nine 
chains  and  seventy-five  and  (1-2)  links  north  of  the  southern  boun- 
dary of  said  Reserve,  for  the  purpose  of  making  the  subdivision 
granted  to  the  several  legatees  as  hereinafter  specified.  A  plat 
or  map  of  which  body  of  land,  with  such  subdivisions  indicated 
thereon,  being  hereto  attached  for  the  purpose  of  readily  showing 
the  same.     [Plat  omitted]. 

"  Item  3. — I  wdll  and  devise  to  my  daughter  Pe-me-sack-quah, 
or  Rose  Ann  Bondy,  in  fee  simple,  one  hundred  and  six  (106) 
acres  in  the  southwest  corner  of  said  body  of  land  as  specified  in 
item  2,  and  shown  on  the  plat,  being  a  part  of  said  Reserve  num- 
ber twenty-five  and  lot  No.  7  in  section  No.  14,  in  Miami  and  Wa- 
bash Counties,  described  as  follows:  Bounded  on  the  south  by  the 
south  line  of  said  lot  No.  4  and  part  of  lot  No.  7;  on  the  west  by 
the  west  line  of  said  Reserve  No.  25,  and  the  west  line  of  lot  No. 
4;  on  the  north  by  said  division  line  running  east  and  west,  and 
35.68  chains  north  of  the  south  boundary  of  said  lots,  and  on  the 
east  by  a  line  parallel  with  the  western  boundary  and  29.70  chains 
east  therefrom. 

"  Item  4. — I  will  and  devise  to  my  daughter  Sack-cat-queah,  or 
Hannah  Mon-o-sah,  in  fee  simple,  sixt}^  acres  of  said  body  of  land 
in  Wabash  County,  Indiana,  as  specified  in  Item  2,  and  shown  on 
the  plat,  described  as  follows:  Bounded  on  the  south  by  the  south 
line  of  said  lot  No.  7,  in  section  14;  on  the  west  by  the  lands  of 
Pe-me-sack-quah  as  specified  in  Item  3;  on  the  north  by  said  east 
and  west  line  35.68  chains  north  of  the  south  boundary  of  lot  No. 
7,  and  on  the  east  by  a  line  parallel  with  the  western  boundary 
and  16.81  and  1-2  chains  east  therefrom. 

"Items. — I  will  and  devise  to  my  daughter  Wah-pah-nock- 


l8o  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

shin-quah,  or  Frances  Wilson,  in  fee  simple,  sixty  acres  of  said 
body  of  land  as  specified  in  Item  2,  and  shown  on  the  plat,  being 
part  of  said  Reserve  No.  25,  and  part  of  said  lot  No.  7,  in  Wa- 
bash County,  Indiana,  and  described  as  follows:  Bounded  on  the 
south  by  the  south  line  of  said  lot  No.  7;  on  the  west  by  the  east 
line  of  the  lands  herein  described,  to  Sack-cot-quah-tah  as  speci- 
fied in  Item  4;  on  the  north  by  said  east  and  west  division  line 
35.68  chains  north  of  the  south  boundary  of  lot  No.  7;  on  the  east 
by  a  line  running  parallel  with  the  western  boundary  thereof,  and 
16.81  and  1-2  chains  east  therefrom. 

"  Item  6. — I  will  and  devise  to  my  granddaughter  O-zah-nock- 
ke-sun-quah,  or  Nancy  Mon-go-sah,  in  fee  simple,  sixty  acres  of 
said  body  of  land  as  specified  in  Item  2,  and  shown  on  the  plat, 
being  a  part  of  said  Reserve  No.  25,  part  of  lot  No.  7  and  said  lot 
No.  6,  in  Wabash  County,  Indiana,  described  as  follows:  Bounded 
on  the  south  by  the  south  line  of  said  lots  6  and  7;  on  the  west  by 
the  east  line  of  the  lands  described  herein  to  Wa-pah-nock-shin- 
quah,  as  specified  in  Item  5;  on  the  north  by  said  east  and  west 
line,  35.68  chains  north  of  the  south  boundary  of  lots  6  and  7;  on 
the  east  by  the  Mississinewa  River;  the  east  line  of  said  Reserve 
No.  25  and  the  east  line  of  said  lot  No.  6  being  16.81  and  1-2 
chains  wide  on  the  southern  boundary.  This  devise  to  said  0-zah- 
nock-ke-sun-quah  is  made  subject  to  a  life  estate  or  charge  of  one- 
half  of  the  proceeds  or  rents  thereof  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  Ke- 
pa-ke-min-quah,  or  Eliza  Brouillette,'''  during  her  life. 

Item  7. — I  will  and  devise  to  my  daughter  Ke-no-zah-quah,  or 
Elizabeth  Godfroy,t  in  fee  simple,  sixty  acres  of  land  in  the  north- 
west part  of  said'  Reserve  No.  25,  in  Miami  County,  Indiana,  as 
specified  in  Item  2,  and  shown  on  the  plat,  bounded  as  follows:  on 
the  south  by  the  east  and  west  division  line,  29.75  and  1-2  chains 
north  of  the  south  boundary  of  said  Reser^^e,  on  the  west  by  the 
west  line  of  said  Reserve,  on  the  north  by  the  Mississinewa  River, 
and  on  the  east  by  a  line  parallel  with  the  western  boundary,  and 
10.70  chains  east  therefrom. 

"  Item  8. — I  will  and  devise  to  my  son  Ke-pah-ke-cop-wah,  or 
Judsou  C.  Bondy,  in  fee  simple,  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 

*  Her  daughter  by  first  marriage,  who  became  the  second  wife  of  Capt. 
Pironillette,  referred  to  in  the  note  on  page  164. 

t  She  married  Gabriel  Godfroy  and  died  Oct.  28,  1879,  in  her  forty-tliird 
year.     She  was  a  great  favorite  with  her  grandmother,  Frances  Slocum. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  l8l 

land  in  said  Reserve  No.  25,  in  Miami  and  Wabash  Counties,  In- 
diana, as  specified  in  Item  2,  and  shown  on  the  plat,  and  bounded 
as  follows:  on  the  south  by  said  east  and  west  division  line,  29.755 
chains  north  of  the  south  boundary  of  said  Reserve;  on  the  west 
by  the  east  line  of  the  lands  herein  devised  to  Ke-no-zah-quah  as 
specified  in  Item  7;  on  the  north  by  the  Mississinewa  River;  on 
the  east  by  a  line  running  parallel  to  the  western  boundary  of  the 
same,  and  24.98  chains  distant  therefrom:  provided  said  east  line 
includes  the  barn  on  the  east  side  of  the  same  near  the  river,  but 
in  case  such  east  line  would  strike  said  barn  or  run  west  of  the 
same,  then  said  east  line  shall  start  at  the  river  and  run  south  so 
as  to  run  one  chain  east  of  said  barn,  and  to  a  point  one  chain 
south;  thence  west  to  such  point  that  a  line  running  south  and 
parallel  with  the  west  bound ar}'  shall  cut  off  from  such  tract  and 
amount  of  land  equal  to  the  extra  amount  included  by  moving 
such  line  east  so  as  to  include  said  barn.  The  tract  of  land  here- 
by devised  includes  a  private  burial  ground;*  for  which  one-half 
acre  is  reserved  for  burial  purposes  for  the  use  of  members  of  my 
family. 

"  I  also  will  and  devise,  in  fee  simple,  to  my  said  son  a  part  of 
the  Ta-ko-nong  Reserve,  in  township  No.  26,  north  of  range  No.  5 
east,  in  Miami  County,  Indiana,  and  described  as  follows:  The 
south  half  of  that  part  of  said  Reserve  lying  between  a  tract  of 
forty  acres  conveyed  by  me  and  my  husband  to  Ke-no-zah-quah, 
or  Elizabeth  Godfroy,  on  the  west,  and  the  part  of  said  Reserve 
now  in  possession  of  James  T.  Miller  on  the  east,  the  south  boun- 
dary line  of  the  south  boundary  of  said  Reserve;  and  bounded  on 
the  north  by  the  Mississinewa  River  and  the  road  known  as  the 
river  road  from  Peru  to  Peoria.  Said  tract  hereby  devised  contain- 
ing forty-two  acres,  more  or  less. 

' '  I  also  will  and  devise  to  my  said  son  one-half  of  all  the  per- 
sonal property  of  which  I  may  die  possessed. 

"  Item  9. — I  will  and  devise  to  my  husband,  Wah-pah-pe-tah, 
or  Peter  Bondy,  in  fee  simple,  in  lieu  of  his  interest  in  my  lands, 
sixty  acres  of  said  Reserv^e  No.  25,  in  \Vaba.sh  County,  Indiana, 
bounded  and  described  as  follows:  On  the  south  by  said  east  and 
west  division  line  29.755  chains  north  of  the  south  boundary  of 


*  This  is  the  ground  in  which   Frances  Slocuni  and   her  children    are 
buried. 


l82  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

said  Reserve;  on  the  west  by  the  east  line  of  the  lands  devised  to 
Ke-pah-ke-cop-wah,  as  specified  in  Item  8,  and  shown  on  the  plat; 
on  the  north  by  the  Mississinewa  River,  and  on  the  east  by  a  line 
parallel  with  the  western  boundary;  such  western  line  being  sub- 
ject to  changes  specified  in  said  Item  8.  If  no  changes  are  made 
in  said  west  line,  the  eastern  boundary  to  be  10.70  chains  distant 
therefrom. 

"Item  10. — I  will  and  devise  to  my  son  Tak-quah-ke-uh,  or 
Camillus  Bondy,  in  fee  simple,  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
land  in  the  northeast  part  of  said  Reserve  No,  25,  in  Wabash 
County,  Indiana,  as  specified  in  Item  2,  and  shown  on  the  plat, 
and  bounded  as  follows:  On  the  south  by  said  east  and  west  line 
29.755  chains  north  of  the  south  line  of  said  Reserve;  on  the  west 
b}^  the  east  line  of  the  tract  of  land  devised  to  Wa-pah-pe-tah  in 
Item  9,  and  the  north  and  east  by  the  Mississinewa  River. 

"  I  also  will  and  devise  to  my  said  son,  in  fee  simple,  the  south 
half  of  said  portion  of  the  Ta-ke-nong  Reserve  in  Miami  County, 
Indiana,  as  described  in  Item  8,  of  which  my  son  Judson  C.  Bondy 
was  the  other  half.  Said  tract  hereby  devised  containing  forty- 
two  acres,  more  or  less. 

"  I  also  will  and  devise  to  my  said  son  Camillus  Bondy  the  one- 
half  of  all  the  personal  property  of  which  I  may  die  seized. 

"Item  II. — I  will  and  devise,  in  fee  simple,  to  my  daughter 
Chan-shin-gan,  wife  of  Nelson  Taw-a-taw,  all  that  part  of  the  Ta- 
ko-nong  Reserve,  in  township  No.  26,  north  of  range  5  east,  in 
Miami  County,  Indiana,  which  is  bounded  as  follows:  On  the 
north  and  west  by  Mississinewa  River;  on  the  east  by  the  part  of 
said  Reserve  in  possession  of  James  T.  Miller,  and  on  the  south 
by  the  road  leading  from  Peru  to  Peoria,  known  as  the  river  road. 
Said  tract  of  land  hereby  devised  containing  thirtj^-five  acres,  more 
or  less. 

"  Item  12. — -I  hereby  nominate  and  appoint  my  husband,  Peter 
Bondy,  executor  of  this  my  last  will  and  testament,  and  I  do 
hereb}^  direct  that  he  shall  not  be  required  to  give  bond  as  such 
executor. 

"  Item  13. — I  hereby  revoke  all  former  wills  by  me  made.  In 
testimony  hereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal  this  tenth 
day  of  July,  in  the  year  1873. 

"  0-ZAH-SHIN-  (her  X  mark)  QUAH.     [Seal.] 

"Attest,  J.  M.  Brown. 

"T.  F.  Richardville. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  183 

"Signed  and  acknowledged  by  said  O-zah-shin-quali,  or  Jane 
Bondy,  as  her  last  will  and  testament  in  our  presence,  and  signed 
bv  us  in  her  presence. 

"JAS.  M.  BROWN. 

"T.  F.  RICHARDVII.LK. 

"  (See  Will  Record  '  B,'  page  220). 

"  Plat  of  Reserve  No.  twenty-five,  in  township  26  N.  range  5 
east,  and  lot  N.  4  in  section  15,  and  lots  6  and  7  in  section  14, 
with  subdivisions  as  made  by  will  of  0-zah-shin-quah,  wife  of 
Peter  Bondy,  omitted. 

"State  of  Indiana,  Wabash  County: 

"I,  James  P.  Ross,  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  of  Wabash 
County,  Indiana,  do  hereby  certify  that  the  within  annexed  last 
will  and  testament  of  0-zah-shin-quah,  or  Jane  Bondy,  has  been 
duly  admitted  to  probate  and  duly  proved  by  the  testimony  of  Jas. 
M.  Brown,  one  of  the  subscribing  witnesses  thereto;  that  a  complete 
record  of  said  will  and  the  testimony  of  said  0-zah-shin-quah,  or 
Jane  Bondy,  in  proof  thereof  has  been  by  me  duly  made  and  re- 
corded in  Book  '  B,'  at  page  220  of  the  Record  of  Wills  of  said 
Cotmty. 

"  In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  subscribed  my  name 
and  affixed  the  seal  of  said  Court,  at  Wabash,  -this  15th  day  of 
February,  1877. 

"JAMES  P.  ROSS, 
"  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court. 

"Recorded  April  13,  1878,  in  Deed  Record  No.  23,  at  pages 
566  to  570.  of  the  Deed  Records  of  Wabash  County,  Indiana." 

Much  of  the  land  embraced  in  this  tract,  and  which  she 
took  such  pains  to  apportion  among  her  heirs,  is  hilly  and 
broken,  and  the  soil  is  thin.  That  portion  lying  along  the 
Mississinewa  River,  however,  is  very  good,  and  produces  fine 
crops  of  corn.  Several  of  the  heirs  have  sold  their  shares, 
and  others  still  live  there.  There  are  houses  and  outbuild- 
ings on  several  of  the  divisions,  and  they  are  occupied  by  the 
descendants  of  the  devisor,  or  tenants. 

Near  the  great  spring  where  the  "white  woman"  first 
settled,  a  good,  modern  two  story  frame  dwelling  house  was 


184  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

erected  a  few  years  ago.  It  belongs  to  Judson  C.  Bondy,  who 
inherited  the  ground  upon  which  it  stands  from  his  mother, 
and  it  was  occupied  by  him  until  the  death  of  his  wife  by 
consumption  a  few  years  ago. 

The  house  on  the  hill  which  Frances  Slocum  occupied 
when  she  died,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  iP'^2,  and  a  large 
number  of  Indian  relics  and  antiquities  that  belonged  to  her 
perished.  The  loss,  which  was  irreparable,  was  greatly  de- 
plored. Many  things  were  saved,  but  some  of  the  most  val- 
uable and  curious  trinkets,  the  accumulations  of  a  long  life 
among  the  people  with  whom  her  destiny  was  cast,  were 
lost  forever.  The  site  of  this  dwelling,  like  the  one  where 
she  first  lived,  is  now  marked  by  a  pile  of  stones,  and  the 
vegetation  around  the  spot  in  summer  time  is  rank  and  luxu- 
riant. How  appropriate  it  would  be,  on  account  of  her 
strange  and  eventful  life,  to  erect  a  tablet  on  the  spot  to  tell 
visitors  who  come  and  go  every  spring,  summer  and  autumn, 
that  here  is  where  she  breathed  her  last,  and  in  yonder  ceme- 
tery her  ashes  repose  ! 

That  the  reader  may  have  a  better  understanding  of  the 
line  and  the  number  of  descendants  of  Frances  Slocum,  and 
their  names,  the  following  table  is  inserted.  It  was  prepared 
by  a  member  of  the  family  of  Rev.  George  R.  Slocum,  who, 
from  long  residence  in  the  Miami  settlement,  had  ample  op- 
portunities to  become  well  acquainted  with  the  descendants, 
and  therefore  give  their  names  and  line  of  descent  correctly. 
It  is  as  follows: 


KIX-O-ZACH-gUA. 
(Mrs.  Gabriel  Gjdfroy  ) 


WAH-PAH-NACH-SHING-QUA. 
(Half  Sister  to  Kino  zach-qua.) 


REV.  PETER  BONDY. 
(Wah  pah-pe  tab.) 


mabe:    r        i     \    i 

(Youngest  Descendant.) 


THE   LOST  SISTER. 


185 


^ 

in 

l-t 

fo 

? 

H 

^ 

n 

^ 

> 

fa 

3 

C/2 

n 

^ 

^ 

fl3 

s 

n 

P 

3 

p- 

0 

?^ 

H^ 

"    ^    n 
w  §.  ^ 

CIj     rr" 


w  ^ 


o     ^ 


w  g  ^  w  :ii  w 


s.  ^ 


o 

3 
a. 


'^  a 

o  ;:? 

CIi  o 

lip  v: 

o 


;^  o 

rO      in 

.5^      o 


^   O   W   ^  W 
^    5    2    a    S 


ii.    a     :::!'■'"     o 


to 


to    ja 


3      O 


3      P 

Q  Q 


1 86  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

Mabel  Ray  Bondy,  now  about  three  years  old,  is  claimed 
by  her  grandfather,  Gabriel  Godfrey,  to  be  the  youngest 
female  descendant  of  Frances  Slocum.  And  like  her,  he 
says,  "she  is  red  headed!''  Mabel  is  a  very  pretty  child,  and 
greatly  beloved  by  her  grandfather.  Her  hair,  like  that  of 
her  great  grandmother,  is  luxuriant  in  growth  and  falls  in 
graceful  ringlets  over  her  shoulders.  It  is  difficult  to  dis- 
cover a  trace  of  Indian  blood  in  her  countenance — the  French 
and  American  predominating. 

Nancy  Brouillette,  who  married  James  Mongosa,  is  reported 
to  be  the  mother  of  a  son  named  Julius,  and  it  is  possible  that 
there  are  others  who  may  have  had  children  in  this  line  since 
the  foregoing  information  was  obtained.  Julius  Mongosa  is 
the  only  known  great  great  grandchild.  But  that  Mabel  Ray 
Bondy  is  the  youngest  descendant  in  the  female  line  there 
seems  to  be  no  doubt,  and  her  relatives  attach  great  import- 
ance to  this  fact. 

Judson  C.  Bondy,  who  inherited  140  acres  of  land  from 
his  mother,  lives  at  the  old  homestead  in  accordance  with  her 
expressed  wish  before  she  died.  These  people  have  a  super- 
stitious veneration  for  their  deceased  relatives,  and  they  cher- 
ish the  memory  of  their  great  grandmother  (Frances)  as 
something  sacred,  and  are  governed  by  the  expression  of  the 
Great  Spirit  in  Job  v.,  23:  "  For  thou  shalt  be  in  league  with 
the  stones  of  the  field;  and  the  beasts  of  the  field  shall  be  at 
peace  with  thee." 

The  great  Miami  Confederacy,  once  so  powerful,  has  long 
since  ceased  to  exist,  and  its  wide  domain,  now  cut  up  into 
four  or  five'of  our  most  thrifty  and  populous  Western  States, 
over  which  great  chieftains  ruled  with  regal  sway,  is  now 
controlled  by  another  race — the  race  which  seems  to  have 
been  selected  by  the  hand  of  destiny  to  drive  the  red  man 
from  his  home  and  possessions  in  the  Western  World. 


THE    LOST  SISTER.  187 

When  the  remnant  of  the  tribe  left  the  Wabash  and  emi- 
grated to  their  reservation  in  Kansas,  in  1846,  they  only  re- 
mained there  about  eight  years,  when  they  were  called  upon 
to  meet  in  treaty  again.  This  was  in  1854,  when  they  ceded 
500,000  acres,  which  had  been  set  off  to  them  by  act  of  Con- 
gress, February  25,  1841,  on  condition  that  they  were  to 
each  take  200  acres,  and  near  their  reserves  to  have  70,000 
acres  in  a  body  in  common,  and  a  section  for  school  purposes. 
There  are  accounts  of  lengthy  settlements  of  previous  trans- 
actions; the  $25,000  annuity  ceased  in  1855,  and  an  annuity 
of  $7,500  was  to  be  paid  for  twenty  years,  and  $50,000  in- 
vested for  the  tribe. 

Finally,  in  1868,*  the  unfortunate  Miamis,  in  spite  of  all 
the  "  forevers "  and  "pledges"  theretofore  made,  were  re- 
quired to  make  a  treaty  by  which  they  were  removed  to  the 
Indian  Territory,  and  confederated  with  the  Peorias,  Kaskas- 
kias,  Weas  and  Piankeshaws,  and  from  this  last  refuge,  if  any 
of  them  remain,  no  one  can  say  how  soon  they  will  be  called 
on  to  depart.     But,  in  that  event,  whither  will  they  go  ? 

We  have  now  traced  the  history  of  Frances  Slocum  from 
her  birth  in  Rhode  Island,  in  March,  1773,  down  to  her  death 
in  Indiana,  in  1847,  and  noted  everything  relating  to  her 
wonderful  career  that  could  be  obtained  through  persistent 
and  careful  research  and  by  interviews  with  her  Indian 
friends.  If  an  exhaustive  record  of  her  life  and  wanderings, 
from  capture  to  discovery,  could  be  given,  it  would  form 
one  of  the  most  interesting,  as  well  as  startling  and  pathetic, 
chapters  in  American  annals.  And  looking  at  it  in  this  light, 
we  cannot  refrain  from  regretting  that  greater  efforts  were 
not  made  when  she  was  alive  to  gather  from  her  lips  a  fuller 
account  of  her  life  with  the  savages.     What  strange  scenes 


*See  History  of  the  Valley  of  the  Upper  Maumee,  p.  198, 


l88  FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

and  ceremonies  she  must  have  witnessed  in  the  days  of  war 
along  the  lakes  and  in  Canada;  what  acts  of  cruelty,  torture 
and  death  must  have  come  under  her  observation  when  liv- 
ing at  Detroit,  Ke-ki-ong-a,  the  interior  of  Ohio,  and  other 
points,  until  the  shattered  remnants  of  her  powerful  tribe 
drifted  down  the  Wabash,  and  she  finally  settled  on  the 
banks  of  the  little  river  where  she  died!  The  sorrows,  hopes 
and  fears  of  a  life  of  captivity  for  nearly  sixty  years — from 
prattling  childhood  to  mature  old  age — came  within  the  scope 
of  her  mental  vision  and  rose  up  like  a  spectre  to  haunt  her 
mind  whether  in  the  forest,  on  the  plain  or  the  river.  What 
if  everything  occurring  in  her  long  and  sad  career  could  be 
written  in  a  book!  . 

One  hundred  and  twelve  years — over  eleven  decades — have 
rolled  away  and  disappeared  in  the  misty  past  since  that  un- 
lucky day  when  she  was  rudely  snatched  from  her  mother's 
arms  by  a  stalwart  savage  and  borne  into  the  forest,  to  be  lost 
to  parents,  relatives,  friends  and  civilization  for  over  half  a 
century.  And  now,  although  we  are  in  the  decimal  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  the  country  has  grown  rich  and  pros- 
perous, and  great  wars  have  come  and  gone,  the  pathetic  story 
of  her  captivity  and  recovery  has  not  been  forgotten,  but  pos- 
sesses as  deep  an  interest,  excites  as  much  sympathy  in  the 
minds  of  those  familiar  with  it,  and  causes  as  many  tears  to 
be  shed  as  if  it  had  occurred  but  yesterday.  The  story  of 
Frances  Slocum  will  never  be  forgotten  as  long  as  we  have  a 
language  and  a  history,  and  in  the  distant  future  it  will  be  as 
eagerly  read  and  wept  over  as  it  is  to-day  by  young  and  old. 

The  Slocum  family  is  an  illustrious  one.  It  has  prospered, 
multiplied,  and  spread  all  over  the  land;  it  has  produced  many 
men  of  eminence — men  who  have  attained  to  high  distinction 
in  the  civil  and  military  professions — men  who  have  brought 


THE    LOST   SIvSTER.  1 89 

great  honor  to  their  country,  and  transmitted  unsullied  names 
to  their  posterity.  The  ancestry  of  this  family  is  traced  back 
more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  and  to-day  its  mem- 
bership will  reach  nearly  two  thousand  in  America.  What  a 
line  of  descent.  The  family  name,  so  far  as  known,  has  been 
free  from  tarnish.  And  among  all  the  distinguished  men  and 
women  who  have  borne  the  surname,  it  is  believed  there  is 
not  one,  notwithstanding  the  opportunities  of  education,  en- 
lightenment, culture,  and  the  refining  influences  of  society 
which  they  have  enjoyed,  who  has  shown  a  higher  degree  of 
native  intellect,  a  greater  breadth  of  inborn  genius,  and  ex- 
ecutive ability,  than  the  Lost  Sister,  whose  lot,  by  a  strange 
decree  of  fate,  was  cast  among  barbarians,  and  for  the  period 
of  a  long  life  denied  every  opportunity  which  we  consider 
essential  to  intellectual  development  and  moral  power.  And 
there  are  few  among  the  great  number  bearing  this  name  who 
have  passed  away,  who  were  more  respected,  than  she  whose 
ashes  commingle  with  the  soil  of  one  of  our  great  Western 
States,  or  whose  memories  are  more  fondly  cherished  by  their 
descendants.  Deprived  of  the  comforts  of  civilized  life,  of 
education  and  general  knowledge,  the  child  of  sorrow  and 
suffering;  yet  her  untutored  mind  towered  above  all  and  com- 
manded the  love,  respect  and  admiration  of  her  tribe.  Verily, 
as  in  this  case,  truth  is  stranger  than  fiction;  and  in  the  ways 
of  Providence  there  are  many  mysterious  things,  and  in  this 
affair  we  have  one  of  the  most  mysterious  of  all. 


APPEN  DIX 


MY  RECOLLECTIONS  OF  FRANCES  SLOCUM,  CHIEFS  GODFROY 
AND  RICHARDVILLE,  GEO.  WINTER,  AN  ENGLISH  ARTIST, 
AND  COL.  GEO.  W.  EWING — PREPARED  AT  THE  REQUEST 
OF    MY    FRIEND  JOHN    F.   MEGINNESS. 

BY    HORACE    P.    BIDDLE.  * 

In  May,  1836,  George  Peters,  Retrom  Harrison  Peters,  and 
myself,  left  the  State  of  Ohio,  on  our  horses,  for  a  journey 
through  the  West,  without  any  particular  objective  point. 
We  passed  through  Dayton  and  Greenville,  into  the  State  of 
Indiana  at  Winchester,  thence  to  Muncie,  thence  northward 
to  the  Mississinewa  River,  at  the  point  where  Jonesborough, 
in  Grant  County,  now  stands.     The   road  to  this  point,  in 

*  From  a  very  full  biographical  sketch,  by  Mrs.  Eva  Peters  Reynolds,  it 
is  learned  that  Hon.  Horace  P.  Biddle,  the  eminent  retired  jurist,  was  born 
in  Fairlield  County,  Ohio,  March  24,  1811;  studied  lavi^  under  the  direction 
of  H.  H.  Plunter,  of  Lancaster,  Ohio,  upon  the  recommendation  of  Hon. 
Thomas  H.  Pawing,  and  was  admitted  by  the  Supreme  Court  at  Cincinnati 
in  1839.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  located  at  Logansport,  Ind.,  and  opened 
an  office.  He  soon  had  a  lucrative  practice,  rose  to  the  first  rank  in  the  pro- 
fession, and  received  the  highest  judicial  honors  of  the  State.  He  served  as 
president  judge  from  1846  to  1852,  and  again  from  1860  to  1872.  In  1874  he 
was  cliosen  to  the  Supreme  bench.  In  1881,  at  the  age  of  seventy,  he  re- 
tired from  active  life  and  devotes  his  time  to  the  study  of  literature  and 
music.  He  lives  in  a  plain  brick  house,  on  an  island  in  the  Wabash  River, 
at  Logansport.  His  library,  the  largest  private  collection  in  Indiana,  com- 
prises over  7,000  volumes.  He  is  the  author  of  seven  or  eight  books,  princi- 
l)ally  poetry,  and  a  valuable  work  entitled  the  "  Musical  Scale."  Judge 
Biddle  has  invented  two  musical  instruments— one  a  viol,  which  he  has 
named  "Tetrachord,"  the  other  a  harp,  which  he  calls  "  Eureka."  He  is  well 
read  in  law,  literature,  science  and  art,  is  a  delightful  companion,  a  charm- 
ing conversationalist,  and  his  company  is  much  sought  after. — The  Author. 


192  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

the  State  of  Indiana,  was  one  gore  of  deep  black  mud.  From 
Jonesborough  down  the  river  to  Marion,  the  county  seat,  the 
road  was  good.  At  Marion,  finding  Oliver  Goldthwait,  an 
old  friend  of  mine  from  Ohio,  who  was  our  landlord  at  the 
hotel,  we  tarried  several  days.  Court  was  in  session  at  the 
time.  I  was  then  a  law  student;  the  proceedings  were  very 
interesting  and  instructive  to  me,  as  I  then  had  an  eye  to  a 
location  in  the  West.  We  then  started  for  Peru,  Indiana, 
through  the  Miami  Indian  Reserve — a  distance  of  thirty 
miles — without  any  laid  out  road,  but  plenty  of  Indian  trails, 
and  blazed  lines,  along,  about,  across,  and  around  which  we 
wandered  as  in  a  maze,  and  in  something  of  an  amazement, 
too.  We  occasionally  questioned  the  Indians  as  we  met 
them  or  passed  them,  about  the  road  to  Peru,  but  they  would 
neither  look  at  us  nor  talk;  but  after  a  solemn  pause  they 
would  wave  a  hand  slowly  in  the  general  direction  toward 
Peru,  when  there  would  be  two  or  three  forks  in  the  trails  in 
sight,  which  did  not  much  relieve  our  perplexity.  Thus  we 
wandered  until  in  the  afternoon  James  T.  Miller  overtook  us, 
and  informed  us  that  he  was  going  directly  to  Peru,  and  re- 
quested us  to  follow  him.  Mr.  Miller  understood  and  spoke 
the  Miami  language,  also  the  Pottawatamie.  On  the  way  he 
told  us  the  story  of  the  finding  of  Frances  Slocum  by  George 
W.  Ewing — that  she  had  been  stolen  by  the  Indians  soon 
after  the  Wyoming  massacre  in  Pennsylvania.  She  had  been 
discovered  the  summer  before.  We  passed  near  her  wigwam, 
but  did  not  see  her.  We  also  passed  the  residence  of  Chief 
Godfrey — a  very  comfortable  house.  We  saw  the  chief  who — 
half  his  blood  being  French — politely  recognized  Mr.  Miller, 
spoke  a  few  words  with  him  in  the  Miami  language,  as  Mr. 
Miller  informed  us,  and  we  passed  on.  In  a  short  time  we 
came  to  the  Wabash  River,  opposite  Peru,  ferried  it  over — 
man  and  horse,  and  soon  found  ourselves  in  comfortable  quar- 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  193 

ters  in  a  long  barracky  hotel,  kept,  if  I  remember  right,  by 
James  B.  Fulwiler,  whom  I  have  favorably  known  ever  since. 
It  may  be  said,  though  not  directly  in  the  line  of  our  sub- 
ject, that  we  continued  our  journey  down  the  Wabash  River 
to  Logansport,  where  we  found  friends  and  acquaintances, 
and  tarried  several  days.  This  place  was  then  the  residence 
of  Col.  Ewing.  After  our  enjoyment  we  continued  our  way 
to  La  Fayette — pausing  at  the  then  celebrated  battle-ground 
of  Tippecanoe,  where  General  William  Henry  Harrison  won 
his  fame.  He  was  then  a  candidate  for  the  presidency.  From 
La  Fayette  we  took  a  northwestern  direction  over  the  prairies, 
crossing  the  Illinois  River  at  Peoria,  and  reaching  the  Missis- 
sippi at  New  Boston,  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Iowa  River. 
There  we  crossed  the  Mississippi  and  went  up  the  Iowa  near 
where  Iowa  City  now  stands,  and  saw  the  celebrated  Indian 
chief  Black  Hawk — called  in  Indian  Me-she-ki-ah-ka-guah — 
in  his  tent.  This  was  soon  after  the  Black  Hawk  war,  which 
gave  peace  to  the  territory  out  of  which  Iowa,  and  other 
States  west  of  the  Mississippi,  have  been  formed.  The  old 
chief  had  been  deposed,  and  seemed  much  humiliated.  He 
would  not  look  towards  us,  but  turned  his  head  away,  and 
would  not  answer  any  questions.  We  then  wandered  north- 
ward, turning  eastward  till  we  returned  to  the  Mississippi 
River  at  Rock  Island.  Just  before  we  arrived  there  we  met 
about  two  hundred  Saux  and  Fox  Indians,  in  their  war  paint, 
riding  two  and  two.  They  neither  turned  nor  looked  to  the 
right  nor  the  left.  What  is  now  the  city  of  Davenport  had 
then  just  been  laid  out.  There  we  saw  Davenport,  the  inter- 
preter, and  Ke-o-kuk,  the  half-breed  chief  who  had  succeeded 
Black  Hawk.  He  was  partially  dressed  in  citizen's  clothes, 
and  seemed  to  be  a  very  mild  kind  of  man.  There  were  also 
a  great  number  of  Indians  present,  I  think  of  various  tribes, 
some  in  their  war  paint.      Crossing  the  Mississippi  there  we 


194  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

came  on  eastward  to  where  the  city  of  Chicago  now  stands. 
After  we  came  in  sight  we  had  to  cross  a  big  wet  prairie  a 
half-a-day's  ride  in  width.  The  only  dry  place  was  around 
the  mouth  of  the  Chicago  River,  where  there  were  something 
like  a  fort,  a  few  Indians,  a  squad  of  troops,  and  perhaps  three 
hundred  white  people.  Now  it  is  one  of  the  leading  cities  of 
the  world!  From  there  we  came  home  through  northern  In- 
diana to  Ohio.      But  enough  of  episode. 

After  we  returned  home,  I  still  pursued  my  legal  studies 
at  Lancaster,  and  was  admitted  to  practice  in  the  State  and 
Federal  Courts  at  Cincinnati  in.  April,  1839.  I  traveled  the 
circuit  that  year  with  the  old  lawyers — very  much  to  my  ad- 
vantage— tried  several  cases,  and,  armed  with  my  credentials, 
in  October  removed  to  Logansport,  Indiana,  where  I  have 
ever  since  resided.  Col.  Ewing  was  still  a  citizen  of  Logans- 
port,  with  whom  I  became  acquainted;  but  he  soon  removed 
— I  think  within  a  year — to  Peru.  Afterwards  I  saw  him  less 
frequently;  but  in  a  year  or  two  from  that  time  I  became  very 
closely  and  intimately  acquainted  with  him.  He  was  indict- 
ed, I  think  it  was  in  the  year  1843,  ^^  ^^^  Miami  Circuit  Court, 
for  an  assault  committed  on  the  Hon.  Daniel  R.  Bearss,  by 
shooting  at  him  with  two  pistols — there  were  no  revolvers 
then — with  intent  to  commit  murder.  In  person  Ewing  was 
a  little  over  six  feet  in  height,  slim,  and  as  straight  as  an  In- 
dian's arrow.  His  temperament  was  the  nervous-sanguine, 
the  nervous  prevailing.  A  lively  grey  eye  in  his  head,  with 
one  of  the  keenest,  clearest,  quickest  minds  that  was  ever 
given  to  brains.  But  his  education  was  limited,  and  some- 
what defective.  His  step  was  cat-like  and  elastic,  and  his 
manners  princely.  Bearss  was  a  heavier  man,  more  muscular, 
and  known  to  be  aggressive  in  personal  conflicts — an  over 
match  for  Ewing,  and  had  threatened  to  whip  him. 


THE    LOST   SISTER.  I95 

Their  difficulty  had  grown  out  of  some  Indian  affairs,  not 
necessary  to  state.  They  were  both  Indian  traders.  Under 
these  circumstances  Ewing  had  armed  himself  with  a  pair  of 
pistols,  which  he  had  frequently  shown  in  public,  declaring 
that  he  would  kill  Bearss  if  he  ever  attempted  an  attack  upon 
him.  They  met.  Bearss  made  some  demonstrations,  but  no 
imminent  attack.  Ewiug  drew  his  pistols,  fired  them  both 
at  him.  Neither  took  effect.  Bystanders  interfered;  the  af- 
fray was  squelched.  This  was  the  case.  Ewing  came  down 
from  Peru  to  Logansport  to  employ  me  as  his  attorney  and 
counsellor — arriving  after  9  o'clock  in  the  evening.  He  had 
a  way  of  leaving  and  returning  home  without  being  missed 
by  his  neighbors.  He  remained  closeted  with  me  till  after 
midnight.  During  his  statement  of  his  troubles,  his  keen 
mind,  incisive  words,  and  his  flashing,  basiliskal  eye,  several 
times  led  my  mind  away  from  the  subject-matter,  so  that  I 
had  to  ask  him  to  repeat  certain  parts  of  his  statement.  But 
I  got  the  matter  well  in  hand  before  he  left.  In  a  few  days 
afterwards  I  received  a  letter  from  him  containing  twelve 
sheets — I  remember  it  well — of  foolscap  paper  closely  written. 
He  had  gone  to  the  records  of  the  court  and  obtained  the 
names  of  the  jurors  for  the  term,  who  would  necessarily  have 
to  try  his  case,  and  had  given  me  a  searching  biography  and 
character  of  each  juror,  which  concluded  with  some  prompt, 
vigorous  words — such  as  :  "This  man  is  my  peer,  I  am  will- 
ing to  be  tried  by  him;"  or,  "  this  man  is  dull  and  ignorant; 
and  do  not  want  him;"  or  "  this  man  is  my  enemy,  we  must 
get  rid  of  him."  It  was  a  complete  analysis  of  the  character 
of  each  juror.  He  also  gave  me  a  similar  account  of  each  of 
the  witnesses  against  him,  as  to  which  one  was  fair  or  preju- 
diced, intelligent  or  ignorant;  and  what  points  to  press,  or 
pass  over  tenderly,  or  to  exclude  if  possible.  Everything  that 
could  strengthen  or  weaken  his  defence  was  laid  before  me. 


196  FRANCES   SLOCUM, 

The  trial  came  on.  The  Colonel  sat  by  me,  apparently  indif- 
ferent, but  his  nerves  were  strung  up  to  the  highest  pitch.  I 
had  been  so  well  posted  that  we  had  no  occasion  to  consult 
together  during  the  trial,  and  we  had  no  difficulty  in  acquit- 
ting him.  He  was  indeed  not  guilty  of  the  intent  charged 
against  him;  and  if  he  had  been  the  question  would  have 
arisen  whether  he  was  not  justifiable.  The  professional 
friendship  he  had  for  me  became  personal,  and  he  was  always 
confidential  with  me  afterwards.  He  died  at  Fort  Wayne,  in 
the  year  1866,  in  the  63d  year  of  his  age. 

I  heard  but  little  of  Frances  Slocum  for  several  years  after 
I  settled  in  Logansport.  Her  case  was  the  subject  of  conver- 
sation occasionally  as  very  wonderful.  Col.  Ewing  had  writ- 
ten a  letter  to  Pennsylvania,  to  what  address  I  do  not  know, 
giving  an  account  of  the  discovery  of  Frances;  but  to  this  let- 
ter there  never  was  any  response  that  I  know  of ;  at  least  I 
never  heard  anything  additional  about  Frances  until  her 
friends  came  to  the  West  in  search  of  her.  The  subject  was 
then  very  much  talked  about,  and  I  remember  distinctly  what 
was  related  as  one  of  her  remarks.  When  her  friends  urged 
her  to  return  with  them  to  Pennsylvania  she  answered:  "No; 
I  have  been  a  long  time  with  the  Indians;  they  have  been  good 
to  me;  I  have  children.  It  is  very  easy  to  make  an  Indian 
out  of  a  white  man,  but  you  cannot  make  a  white  man  out 
of  an  Indian," — which  latter  remark  is  profoundly  true.  I 
recollect  very  well  when  Mr.  Winter  painted  the  portrait  of 
Frances  Slocum;  I  think  that  it  was  at  the  request  of  Ben- 
son J.  Lossing,*  the  author  and  publisher  of  many  valuable 
books  on  American  subjects.  It  was  after  this  when  Mr. 
Winter  went  to  paint  the  portrait  of  Chief  Godfroy  that  the 

*It  was  painted  at  the  request  of  her  brother,  Hon.  Joseph  Slocum. — Au- 
thor. 


THE   LOST  SISTER.  I97 

Indians  fell  down  on  their  faces,  and  hid  them  in  various 
ways  to  prevent  him  from  taking  theirs  also.  This  anecdote 
I  believe  I  related  to  Mr.  Meginness  verbally.  Mr.  Winter 
was  an  English  artist  who  came  to  Logansport  at  a  very 
early  date.  xA.bont  1850  he  removed  to  La  Fayette,  Indiana; 
visited  California  and  the  Pacific  coast  about  a  year;  re- 
turned home  to  La  Fayette,  where  he  died  suddenly  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1876. 

Chief  Godfrey  was  the  war  chief  of  the  braves;  Chief 
Richardville — pronounced  Roosheville — was  the  civil  chief  of 
the  tribe.  He  was  a  Frenchman,  older  than  Chief  Godfroy, 
and  more  astute  in  diplomacy.  This  anecdote  is  told  of 
him  as  occurring  at  the  treaty  of  1826,  held  at  Wabashtown. 
After  the  articles  of  the  treaty  were  all  agreed  upon,  and  the 
chiefs  were  about  to  "touch  the  quill,"  which  means  signing 
the  treaty,  Richardville  addressed  General  Lewis  Cass,  who 
was  one  of  the  Commissioners  on  the  part  of  the  United 
States:  "General,  you  forgot  one  little  ting."  "What  is  that, 
Chief?"  said  the  General.  "  Eighteen  tousand  dollar  for  de 
Chief,  Roosheville."  He  would  not  "touch  the  quill"  till 
that  article  was  inserted  in  the  treaty.  And  in  the  treaty  it 
was  perforce  inserted. 

Another  anecdote  of  Chief  Richardville:  William  G.  Ew- 
ing — a  brother  of  Col.  George  W.  Ewing — had  some  diffi- 
culty with  Mr.  Berthelette,  a  Frenchman,  another  Indian 
trader,  who  was  an  intimate  friend  of  Chief  Richardville. 
Berthelette  became  very  much  incensed,  and  went  to  see  the 
chief  about  his  difficulty  with  William  G.  Ewing.  His  first 
salutation  was:  "Chief,  I  want  your  pistols."  "  Oui  oui,  si; 
what  for  you  want  my  pistol,  Mr.  Bar-te-lette. "  "I  want 
to  kill   Bill  Ewing."     Ah,   oui,   you  shall    have  my  pistol, 


198  FRANCES  SLOCUM. 

Mr.  Bar-te-lette;  but  come  in  and  eat  some  dinner  with  me." 
The  chief's  hospitality  to  his  friends  was  famous.  Mr.  Ber- 
thelette  dined  with  the  chief.  After  dinner  was  over  Berthe- 
lette  became  very  restless.  The  chief  said  nothing  more 
about  the  pistols.  Berthelette  addressed  him:  "Chief,  now 
for  the  pistols."  "Ah,  oui;  I  get  you  dem  pistol."  The 
chief  retired  a  few  minutes,  and  came  back  with  two  bottles 
of  wine.  "  Here,  Mr.  Bar-te-lette,  my  pistol" — handing  him 
the  two  bottles  of  wine — "but  take  care,  now,  you  shoot 
yoursef "  So  the  blood  was  turned  to  wine,  instead  of  the 
wine  to  blood. 

The  following  anecdote  was  told  of  Chief  Godfroy :  When 
the  time  arrived  for  the  removal  of  the  Indians  west,  accord- 
ing to  the  terms  of  the  treaty,  the  Government  sent  Captain 
Jndson,  of  the  regular  army,  with  a  single  company  of  troops, 
to  conduct  the  removal  of  about  eight  hundred  Indians.  Cap- 
tain Judson  was  a  guest  of  the  "  Bearss  Hotel,"  the  principal 
public  house  at  that  time  in  Peru.  The  chief  met  the  Cap- 
tain there  frequently,  and  they  became  very  friendly.  But 
after  some  time  the  chief  became  very  cool  towards  the  Cap- 
tain. It  was  rumored  that  the  traders  had  put  up  the  chief 
to  be  ugly,  and  oppose  the  removal.  Finally  the  chief  ad- 
dressed the  Captain:  "Captain  Judson,  me  not  go;  Indians 
fight."  The  Captain  touched  the  hilt  of  his  sword  at  his 
side:  "  Chief,  that  is  my  profession;  that  is  what  I  came  for." 
There  were  no  more  objections  to  the  removal.  The  re- 
moval was  made;  but  it  was  pitiful.  The  great  majority  of 
the  Indians  knew  nothing  of  the  treaty  understandingly,  and 
were  reluctant  to  leave  their  homes — the  many  more  so  be- 
cause the  few  were  excepted  in  the  treaty,  and  allowed  to 
remain  on  their  lands — among  them  Frances  Slocum  and 
her  family.      And    their  dogs  could  not    "bear   them  com- 


APPENDIX.  199 

pany."  They  left  them  in  hundreds,  tied,  to  howl  to  the 
wilderness  and  starve.  And  this  was  the  last  of  the  Miamis 
as  a  tribe. 


JEAN  BAPTISTE  RICHARDVILLE. 

Remarkable,  indeed,  was  this  French-Indian.  He  was  the 
last  great  civil  ruler  and  lawgiver  of  the  Miamis,  and  so  dis- 
tinguished for  bravery  and  executive  ability  as  to  deserve  more 
than  an  ordinary  notice  in  this  connection. 

His  Indian  name  was  Pe-che-wa  (Wild  Cat),  but  he  was 
more  generally  known  as  John  B.  Richardville,  (pronounced 
Roosheville)  and  so  signed  the  treaty  of  1838.  According  to 
the  best  authority  he  was  the  son  of  Joseph  Drouet  de  Rich- 
ardville,* who  was  of  noble  lineage,  and  was  probably  en- 
gaged as  an  officer  in  the  French  service  in  Canada,  before 
being  lured  into  the  western  wilds  by  the  prospect  of  amass- 
ing wealth  in  the  fur  trade.  He  appears  to  have  been  a  trader 
at  Ke-ki-ong-a  (Fort  Wayne)  before  the  ill-timed  expedition 
of  La  Balm,  in  1780,  to  capture  that  place.  The  mother  of 
young  Richardville  was  Taw-cum-wah,  a  daughter  of  Aque- 
nock-que,t  principal  chief  of  the  Miamis,  and  a  sister  of  Little 
Turtle.  He  was  born,  as  tradition  has  it,  and  as  he  himself 
often  stated,  near  the  "Old  Apple  Tree,"  in  the  midst  of  the 
Miami  village  at  the  junction  of  the  St.  Joseph's  with  the 
Maumee,  about  the  year  1761.  A  brother  of  his  father  was  a 
trader  at  "  Post  St.  Vincents,"  or  Vincennes,  and  descendants 
of  his  still  reside  at  that  place,  who  possess  valuable  French 
documents  brought  into  the  wilderness  by  the  adventurous 

*  See  Hist.  Upper  Maumee  Valley,  p.  .■).']. 

t  He  signed  the  first  treat)'  with  the  Miamis  at  Lancaster,  Pa.,  July  28, 
1748. 


200  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

sons  of  France  nearly  170  years  ago,  which  trace  their  ances- 
try back  to  1 162. 

Hehn,  in  his  History  of  Wabash  County,  says  that  the  asso- 
ciations clustering  around  the  old  apple  tree  where  the  chief 
was  born,  and  where  he  spent  his  childhood  days,  ever  after- 
ward gave  him  a  profound  regard,  approaching  almost  to 
reverence,  for  its  continued  renewal  of  the  joyous  scenes  so 
intimately  blended  with  the  recollections  of  his  early  life; 
hence  he  was  instrumental  in  its  preservation  as  one  of  the 
early  relics  of  the  past.  This  old  tree  was  regarded  with 
such  favor  that  an  illustration  of  it  was  given  in  Brice's  His- 
tory of  Fort  Wayne.  But  like  the  famous  chief  who  was 
born  under  its  boughs  in  the  days  of  barbarism,  it  has  long 
since  disappeared. 

Lieutenant  Governor  Robertson,  in  the  History  of  the  Val- 
ley of  the  Upper  Maumee,  states  that  among  the  many  thrill- 
ing and  interesting  incidents  and  narrations,  as  frequently 
recited  by  the  chief  to  Allen  Hamilton,  he  gave  an  account 
of  his  ascent  to  the  chieftainship  of  his  tribe.  The  occasion 
was  not  only  thrilling  and  heroic,  but,  on  the  part  of  his 
famous  mother  and  himself,  will  ever  stand  in  history  as  one 
of  the  noblest  and  most  humane  acts  known  to  any  people, 
and  would  serve  as  a  theme,  both  grand  and  eloquent,  for  the 
most  gifted  poet  or  dramatist  of  any  land. 

It  was  in  a  wild  and  barbarous  age.  Ke-ki-ong-a  still  oc- 
casionally echoed  with  the  shrieks  and  groans  of  captive  men; 
and  the  young  warriors  of  the  region  still  rejoiced  in  the  bar- 
baric custom  of  burning  prisoners  at  the  stake.  A  white  man 
had  been  captured  and  brought  in  by  the  warriors.  A  coun- 
cil had  been  convened,  in  which  the  question  of  his  fate  arose 
in  debate  and  was  soon  settled.  He  was  to  be  burned  at  the 
stake,  and  the  braves  and  villagers  generally  were  soon  gath- 


APPENDIX.  20I 

ered  about  the  scene  of  torture,  making  the  air  resound  with 
their  triumphant  shouts  of  pleasure  at  the  prospect  of  soon 
enjoying  another  hour  of  fiendish  merriment  at  the  expense 
of  a  miserable  victim  of  torture.  Already  the  man  was  lashed 
to  the  stake,  and  the  torch  that  was  to  ignite  the  combusti- 
ble material  placed  about  the  same  was  in  the  hands  of  the 
brave  appointed.  But  rescue  was  at  hand.  The  man  was 
destined  to  be  saved  from  the  terrible  fate  that  surrounded 
him.  Young  Richardville  had  for  some  time  been  singled 
out  as  the  future  chief  of  the  tribe,  and  his  heroic  mother 
saw  in  this  a  propitious  and  glorious  moment  for  the  assertion 
of  his  chieftainship,  by  an  act  of  great  daring  and  bravery — 
the  rescue  of  the  prisoner  at  the  stake.  Young  Richardville 
and  his  mother  were  at  some  distance,  but  sufficiently  near 
to  see  the  movements  of  the  actors  in  the  tragedy  about  to 
be  enacted,  and  could  plainly  hear  the  coarse  ejaculations  and 
shouts  of  triumph  of  the  crowd.  At  that  moment,  just  as 
the  torch  was  about  to  be  applied  to  the  bark,  as  if  touched 
by  some  angelic  impulse  of  love  and  pity  for  the  poor  cap- 
tive, the  mother  of  young  Richardville  placed  a  knife  in  her 
son's  hands,  and  bade  him  assert  his  chieftainship  by  the 
rescue  of  the  prisoner.  The  magnetic  force  of  the  mother 
seemed  instantly  to  have  inspired  the  young  warrior,  and  he 
quickly  bounded  to  the  scene,  broke  through  the  wild  crowd, 
cut  the  cords  that  bound  the  man,  and  bid  him  be  free  !  All 
was  astonishment  and  surprise;  and  though  by  no  means 
pleased  at  the  loss  of  their  prize,  yet  the  young  man,  their 
favorite,  for  his  daring  conduct,  was  at  once  esteemed  as  a 
god  by  the  crowd,  and  then  became  a  chief  of  the  first  dis- 
tinction and  honor  in  the  tribe.  The  mother  of  Richardville 
now  took  the  man  in  charge,  and  soon  quietly  placing  him 
in  a  canoe  and  covering  him  with  hides,  in  charge  of  some 


202  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

friendly  Indians  he  was  soon  gliding  down  the  placid  cur- 
rent of  the  Maumee,  beyond  the  reach  of  the  turbulent  war- 
riors. 

At  a  later  period  in  the  life  of  the  chief,  being  on  his  way 
to  Washington,  he  came  to  a  town  in  Ohio,  where,  stopping 
for  a  little  while,  a  man  came  up  to  him,  and  suddenly  recog- 
nized in  the  stranger  the  countenance  of  his  benefactor  and 
deliverer  of  years  before,  threw  his  arms  about  the  chief's 
neck,  and  embraced  him  with  all  the  warmth  of  filial  affec- 
tion. He  was  indeed  the  rescued  prisoner;  and  the  meeting 
between  the  two  was  one  of  mingled  pleasure  and  surprise, 
and  was  the  occasion  of  many  joyous  recurrences  to  the  sin- 
gular meeting  and  equally  singular  recognition. 

Pe-che-wah  was  present  and  participated  in  the  defeat  of 
Harmar,  in  October,  1790,  but  was  not  characteristically  war- 
like, being  more  disposed  to  exert  his  executive  ability  in 
other  directions,  better  calculated  to  result  in  the  improve- 
ment of  his  opportunities  in  after  life. 

At  the  treaty  of  St.  Mary's  on  the  6th  of  October,  1818, 
he  was  there  in  behalf  of  his  people  as  the  leading  chief  and 
representative  of  his  tribe,  and  as  such  signed  the  treaty  for 
the  cession  of  certain  territory  to  the  United  States.  Twen- 
ty-three years  prior  to  that  time,  however,  he  appeared  also 
as  the  representative  of  his  tribe  and  signed  the  treaty  of 
Greenville,  concluded  on  the  3d  of  August  1795.  The  same 
act  he  performed,  on  the  part  of  his  people,  at  the  treaty  of 
Fort  Wayne,  in  June,  1803,  and  at  Vincennes  in  1805. 

"About  the  year  1827,"  ^^Y^  ^^-  Dawson  in  his  notes, 
"$500  were  appropriated  by  Congress  to  each  chief  to  build 
a  residence.  Richardville  appropriated  more,  and  built  a 
substantial  house  five  miles  from  Fort  Wayne,  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  St.  Mary's,  on  one  of  his  reservations." 


APPENDIX.  203 

For  many  years  he  kept  an  extensive  trading  house  in 
Fort  Wayne,  and  in  person  lived  there  most  of  the  time;  but 
about  1836  he  moved  his  store  to  Wabash  and  continued  busi- 
ness there  for  many  years — his  wife  and  younger  members  of 
his  family  at  all  times  remaining,  till  her  death,  at  the  home 
on  the  St.  Mary's.  His  housekeeper  at  the  forks  of  the  Wa- 
bash was  Madame  Margaret  La  Folio,  a  French  woman,  in 
person  graceful  and  prepossessing. 

In  stature  Richardville  was  about  five  feet  ten  inches,  with 
broad  shoulders,  and  weighed  about  180  pounds.  His  per- 
sonal appearance  was  attractive,  and  he  was  graceful  in  car- 
riage and  manner.  Exempt  from  any  expression  of  levity — 
he  is  said  to  have  "preserved  his  dignity  under  all  circum- 
stances." His  nose  was  Roman,  his  eyes  were  of  a  lightish 
blue,  and  slightly  protruding,  "his  upper  lip  firmly  pressed 
upon  his  teeth,  and  the  under  one  slightly  projecting."  That 
he  was  an  Indian  half-breed,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  His 
own  statements  and  unvarying  traditions  conclusively  prove 
that  he  inherited  his  position  through  his  mother,  by  the 
laws  of  Indian  descent,  and  contradict  the  theory  that  he  was 
a  Frenchman  who  obtained  the  chieftainship  by  trickery  or 
purchase.  In  appearance  he  was  remarkable  in  this — he  was 
neither  red  nor  white,  but  combined  both  colors  in  his  skin, 
which  was  mottled  or  spotted  red  and  white.  His  mother 
was  a  most  remarkable  Indian  woman.  Chief  Richardville 
was  an  only  son,  and  much  beloved  by  her.  Her  reign  con- 
tinued for  a  period  of  some  thirty  years  prior  to  the  war  of 
1812,  during  which  time,  according  to  the  traditions  of  the 
Indians,  "she  ruled  the  tribe  with  a  sway,  power,  and  success 
as  woman  never  ruled  before."  After  her  reign,  "she  retired 
and  passed  the  mace  of  power  to  her  son." 

Richardville  was  taciturn,  and  was  dignified  in  manner,  a 
habit  almost  assuming  the  form  of  extreme  indifference;  yet 


204  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

such  was  far  from  his  nature,  for  he  ever  exercised  the  warm- 
est and  most  attentive  regard  for  all  of  his  people  and  man- 
kind in  general;  and  "jihey  never  called  in  vain;  his  kind  and 
charitable  hand  was  never  withheld  from  the  distressed  of  his 
own  people  or  from  the  stranger."  So  wisely  did  he  manage 
the  affairs  of  his  tribe,  with  such  wisdom  and  moderation  did 
he  adjust  and  settle  all  matters  relating  to  his  people,  that  he 
was  not  only  held  in  the  highest  estimation  by  the  Indians 
generally  throughout  the  Northwest,  but  honored  and  trusted 
as  their  lawgiver  with  the  most  unsuspecting  confidence  and 
implicit  obedience,  always  adjusting  affairs  between  his  own 
people  as  well  as  all  inter-tribal  relations,  without  resort  to 
bloodshed.  A  patient  and  attentive  listener,  prudent  and 
deliberate  in  his  action,  when  once  his  conclusions  were 
formed  he  rarely  had  occasion  to  change  them.  Averse  to 
bloodshed,  except  against  armed  resistance,  he  was  ever  the 
strong  and  consistent  friend  of  peace  and  good  will. 

He  died  at  his  family  residence  on  the  St.  Mary's  iVugust 
13,  1841,  aged  about  81  years.  He  was  buried  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  after  services  by  Rev.  Mr.  Clark,  Irish  Catholic 
priest,  of  Peru,  held  at  the  Church  of  St.  Augustine,  at  Fort 
Wayne.  His  body  was  first  interred  on  the  site  of  the  Cathe- 
dral in  that  city,  subsequently  erected.  Afterward,  however, 
when  it  became  necessary  to  make  room  for  the  building,  the 
remains  were  removed,  and  now  rest  in  the  Catholic  burying 
ground  south  of  the  city.  A  fine  marble  monument  marks 
the  spot,  which  was  erected  by  his  three  daughters.  La  Blonde, 
Sarah  and  Catharine,  on  which  is  the  following  inscription: 

East  side — "  Here  rest  the  remains  of  Chief  Richard ville, 
principal  chief  of  the  Miami  tribe  of  Indians.  He  was  born 
at  Fort  Wayne,  about  the  year  1760.  Died  August,  A.  D. 
1841." 


APPENDIX.  205 

West  side — "This  monument  has  been  erected  by  La 
Blonde,  Sarah  and  Catharine,  daughters  of  the  deceased." 

Comparatively  little  is  known  of  the  three  faithful  daugh- 
ters. La  Blonde  was  the  mother  of  a  daughter  named  Mont- 
o-so-qua.  vShe  married  James  Godfroy,  a  son  of  the  celebrated 
chief,  Francis  Godfroy,  who  served  as  war  chief  under  Ricli- 
ardville.  They  had  twelve  children.  She  was  born  near 
Fort  Wayne,  in  1835,  and  died  in  March,  1885.  Mr.  Godfroy, 
who  was  born  in  1810,  still  survives.  His  family  has  dwin- 
dled to  three  members.  George  L.  Godfroy,  the  youngest 
son,  who  was  born  October  2,  1850,  received  a  good  educa- 
tion, and  resides  on  the  reservation.  He  is  engaged  in  farm- 
ing, and  is  a  citizen  of  good  standing.  He  is  said  to  be  one 
of  the  very  few  Indians  in  Indiana,  or  the  country,  who  are 
members  of  secret  societies,  and  is  the  highest  in  Masonry  of 
any  Indian  in  Indiana  and  the  world. 

Catharine,  whose  Indian  name  was  Po-con-go-qua,  married 
Francis  La  Fontaine  (To-pe-ah),  who  succeeded  her  father  as 
civil  chief.      Of  Sarah  we  know  nothing. 

The  only  son,  Joseph,  (Wah-pe-mun-waw),  was  a  quarrel- 
some, fighting  fellow.  He  was  educated  at  Detroit,  and  had 
the  accomplishment  of  violin  and  flute  playing.  But  not- 
withstanding his  education,  he  was  a  drunken  and  worthless 
character,  and  his  reputation  was  in  bad  odor.  In  view  of 
"Joe's"  degeneracy,  his  father  ever  after  opposed  the  educa- 
tion of  the  Indian  as  of  no  value. 

Allen  Hamilton,  of  Fort  Wayne,  the  well  known  Indian 
agent  and  intimate  acquaintance  of  Richardville,  relates  this 
anecdote:  One  day  Mr.  Hamilton  was  riding  a  very  spirited 
horse  through  the  streets  of  Fort  Wayne,  and  on  passing  the 
chief's  trading  house  the  latter  noticed  him.  In  accordance 
with  quite  a  prevalent  custom  among  the  Indians  of  the  time, 


2o6  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

when  they  saw  anything  that  pleased  them  very  much,  and 
taking  a  fancy  to  the  animal,  he  cried  out:  "  I  strike  on  that 
horse,  Mr.  Hamilton."  Seeing  the  chief  had  the  advantage 
of  him  in  the  "strike,"  Mr.  Hamilton  at  once  alighted  and 
handed  the  horse  over  to  the  future  care  and  keeping  of  the 
chief,  who,  according  to  the  custom,  at  once  became  the  bona 
fide  owner  of  the  horse.  The  next  "strike"  necessarily  fell 
to  Mr.  Hamilton,  and  he  was  not  long  indifferent  to  the  right 
now  in  his  possession.  So,  some  time  subsequent  to  this 
"strike"  of  the  chief,  he  and  Mr.  Hamilton  were  riding  to- 
gether along  the  Wabash,  where  the  chief  had  several  very 
fine  reserves  of  land,  one  of  which,  particularly,  drew  the 
attention  of  Mr.  Hamilton,  and  he  at  once  exclaimed  to  Rich- 
ardville:  "Chief,  I  strike  on  this  section."  "Well,"  said 
the  chief,  "  I  make  you  a  deed  for  it,  but  we'll  not  strike  any 
more!"  Mr.  Hamilton  got  the  land;  and  though  the  chief 
had  the  first  "strike,"  yet  the  former  certainly  had  the 
largest.      But  the  matter  ended  in  the  greatest  good  feeling, 

Richardville,  who  had  been  granted  nine  sections  of  land 
by  the  government — nearly  six  thousand  acres — became  the 
richest  Indian,  so  far  as  known,  in  this  country.  He  was  a 
shrewd  trader  and  accumulated  largely  in  this  line  of  busi- 
ness. It  is  said  of  him  that  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was 
possessed  of  about  $200,000  in  money.  And  in  order  to  keep 
it  secure  from  thieves  he  used  to  bury  it  in  boxes.  After  his 
death  it  was  found  that  much  of  his  silver  had  been  buried  so 
long  that  the  boxes  had  commenced  to  decay,  and  the  silver 
was  very  much  discolored  by  being  in  the  ground  so  long. 

The  life  and  character  of  this  Indian  statesman  has  afforded 
a  theme  for  many  writers,  and  poets,  too,  have  invoked  the 
aid  of  the  muse  to  portray  in  glowing  verse  his  shining  qual- 
ities.     Less  than  a  year  ago  Mr.  Frank  C.  Riehl,   of  Alton, 


APPENDIX.  207 

Illinois,  paid  this  handsome  poetic  tribute  to  the  old  chief, 
which  was  published  in  the  Sentinel-Democrat^  of  that  city, 
August  28,  1890: 

"  Beside  St.  Mary's  silver  stream, 
Whose  laughing  waters,  all  agleam, 
Flow  past  the  city  of  Fort  Wayne, 
Through  Indiana's  fertile  plain. 
There  stands  within  a  churchyard  gray — 
IvOng  since  surrendered  to  decay — 
A  weather-beaten  shaft  of  stone. 
With  moss  and  lichens  overgrown, 
Upon  whose  surface  may  be  traced 
These  words,  by  time  almost  effaced: 

"  '  Here  rest  the  bones  of  Richardville, 
Great  chief  of  the  Miami  tribe. 
An  Indian  statesman  of  great  skill, 
Who  never  gave  or  took  a  bribe.' 

"The  story  of  this  warrrior's  name. 
Although,  perchance,  unknown  to  fame, 
Is  still  remembered  and  revered 
Upon  the  plains  where  he  was  reared, 
And  honored  as  among  the  few 
Red  men  who  were  upright  and  true. 
Though  now  his  race  has  passed  away, 
And  scarcely,  in  this  latter  day, 
Do  we  take  trouble  to  recall 
The  hated  people  from  whose  fall 
We  date  our  own  prosperity; 
Yet  in  this  chieftain's  life  we  see 
Enough  of  nobleness  to  prove 
That  he,  at  least,  could  feel  and  love. 

"  A  hundred  years  ago  or  more. 
While  yet  on  Miami's  wooded  shore 
The  swarthy  Indian  proudly  stood 
Supreme  as  monarch  of  the  wood; 
When  first  the  white  man  dared  to  brave 
The  wilds  beyond  Ohio's  wave. 
And  many  a  hero  lost  his  life 


2o8  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

Upon  the  stake  or  by  the  knife, 

Beside  the  peaceful  river's  wave 

The  tribe  was  met  in  council  grave: 

Some,  boasting,  showed  their  battle  scars, 

While  others  plotted  future  wars. 

But  this  was  not  the  business  j^et 

For  which  the  tribe  that  day  was  met; 

'T  was  matter  of  a  darker  feather 

That  brought  these  forest  seers  together. 

' '  From  wigwams  swaying  in  the  breeze 
Blue  smoke  curled,  upward  through  the  trees; 
Within  the  dusky  squaws  were  bent, 
Each  at  some  toilsome  task  intent. 
While  on  the  stream,  to  instinct  true, 
The  urchin  plied  his  fleet  canoe. 
Or  launched  into  a  tree  the  dart 
That  should  have  pierced  a  foeman's  heart; 
Thus  grouped  the  savage  host,  serene. 
Encamped  upon  the  peaceful  scene. 

"  But  slightly  from  the  throng  away 
There  stood  a  squaw,  with  locks  of  gray, 
And  at  her  side  a  slender  youth, 
Whose  eye  betrayed  a  heart  of  truth, 
A  soul  with  wild  ambition  fired, 
A  mind  with  lofty  thoughts  inspired. 
His  every  look  and  move  confessed 
A  nobler  lineage  than  the  rest 
Gathered  within  the  camp  that  day 
To  while  the  loitering  hours  away. 
The  woman  was  the  widowed  dame 
Of  him,  now  gone,  whose  peerless  name 
Honored  by  all  the  tribe  had  stood. 
Supreme,  the  monarch  of  the  wood. 
Her  fondest  wish  and  single  prayer 

Was  that  she  might  outlive  the  hour 
To  see  the  lad  beside  her  there 

Invested  with  his  father's  power. 

' '  But  valor  was  the  only  rod 

By  which  these  warriors  would  be  ruled; 


APPENDIX.  209 

In  danger's  front  had  they  been  schooled, 

And  they  would  brook  no  other  god. 

Thus,  though  they  owned  the  prince's  blood. 

Those  heroes  of  a  hundred  wars, — 

Deep  seamed  with  honored  battle  scars, — 

Would  never  bow  beneath  his  will 

Until,  b)^  some  brave  act  of  skill, 

Or  master  deed,  he  should  evince 

The  prowess  of  an  Indian  prince. 

Hence  was  the  tribe  together  come, 

To  choose  from  out  their  number  one 

To  lead  their  wars  and  councils  sage, 

'Till  their  young  prince  should  be  of  age. 

"  But  hark!  above  the  lazy  breeze 

That  whispers  soft  among  the  trees 

Is  heard  the  sound  of  many  feet. 

As  through  the  forest's  still  retreat 

A  party  comes  with  hurried  tramp. 

Dragging  a  prisoner  to  camp. 

With  hands  and  feet  securely  bound. 

The  captive  sank  upon  the  ground — 

A  son  of  that  despised  race ! 

Reflected  on  his  handsome  face 

The  resignation  of  despair; 

For  well  he  knew  no  friends  were  there 

To  save  him  from  his  awful  fate 

The  savage  zeal  to  satiate. 

Past  was  the  time  of  lethargy; 

All  danced  about  in  savage  glee, 

Anticipating  soon  to  see 

Their  victim  writhing  at  the  stake, 

Which  awful  rite  alone  could  slake 

The  vengeance  of  the  savage  heart. 

Shortly  the  chiefs  communed  apart. 

Not  long,  for  in  each  heart,  fore-doomed, 

The  verdict  was:   "To  be  consumed 

By  torture  at  the  burning  stake." 

So  spake  they  all;  none  there  to  take 

The  pale-face  part.     The  dread  decree. 

Announced,  was  hailed  with  wildest  glee. 


FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

"Some  hastened  to  prepare  the  tree, 
While  others  for  the  fagots  went 
In  frenzied  zeal;  each  soul  was  bent 
On  hastening  the  fearful  rite. 
The  prisoner,  lying  pale  and  white,' 
Heroically  endured  the  taunts, 
The  cruel  blows  and  savage  vaunts 
Cast  upon  him  from  every  side. 
At  last  he  stood,  securely  tied; 
All  was  prepared;  the  lighted  brand 
Blazed  in  the  iron  warrior's  hand. 

"  '  Now  go,  my  son,  and  do  thy  part,' 
Cried  she  who  all  the  while  apart 
Beside  the  youth  in  silence  stood; 
'  Now  go,  and  prove  thy  sire's  blood 
Runs  not  for  nothing  in  thy  veins! 
Quick!  or  too  late  will  be  thy  pains!' 
Then,  suddenly,  the  flames  leaped  out. 
As  round  the  pile,  with  savage  shout. 
The  awful  dance  of  death  began. 
When  lo!  athwart  the  circle  ran, — 
Resistless  as  a  thunder  storm, — 
With  lightning  speed,  a  slender  form; 
Scattered  like  reeds  the  burning  brands, 
Released  the  prisoner's  feet  and  hands. 
And  placing  in  his  grasp  the  knife. 
Bade  him  begone  and  fly  for  life, 
Then  turning  to  the  astonished  band. 
He  shouted,  with  uplifted  hand: 

"  '  If  you  must  kill,  then  murder  me, 
But  let  this  luckless  man  go  free! 
My  father's  blood  is  in  these  veins, 
And  well  ye  know  his  soul  disdained 
Thus  cowardly  to  take  the  life 
Of  one  with  whom  he  had  no  strife!' 

"  Half  stupefied,  the  warriors  gazed 
Upon  the  youth,  and  saw,  amazed. 
Him  who  had  dared  this  brave  relief — 
The  son  of  their  departed  chief. 


APPENDIX.  211 

The  flash  of  anger  in  their  eyes 
Gave  place  to  looks  of  deep  surprise. 
Then  admiration  for  his  deed 
Secured  for  him  the  highest  meed 
Which  ai.  brave  warrior  could  receive. 
Thus,  what  began  an  awful  rite, 
Ended  a  feast  of  proud  delight: 
Each  warrior  in  that  savage  band 
Advanced  to  kiss  the  stripling's  hand. 
And  owned  him  ruler  of  the  land. 

"  Long  lived  the  youth,  a  warrior  brave, 

Beside  St.  Mary's  peaceful  wave; 

He  drew  his  bow  in  many  a  fight. 

But  ever  in  the  cause  of  right, 

And  through  his  life,  until  the  end, 

He  still  remained  the  white  man's  friend; 

In  battle  brave,  in  council  skilled, 

He  won  the  name  of  Richardviile, 

And  over  Indiana's  plains. 

Where  erst  this  noble  savage  reigned, 

That  name  is  known  and  honored  still. 

In  after  years,  when  wars  had  ceased. 
While  signing  documents  of  peace. 
He  met  the  man  whose  life  was  saved 
When  first  his  people's  wrath  he  braved; 
'Tis  said  the  men  became  fast  friends. 
And  so  remained  until  the  end. 
The  debt  of  life  was  well  repaid; 
And  when  the  warrior's  bones  were  laid 
To  rest  beside  their  native  stream, 
The  friend,  in  token  of  esteem, 
Raised  o'er  his  dust  this  shaft  of  stone. 
And  carved  the  lines  you  see  thereon: 
'  Pilgrim,  when  idly  passing  here. 

Tread  lightly  o'er  this  sacred  mound. 
And  moist  it  with  a  passing  tear, 

For  know,  you  tread  on  sainted  ground.'  " 

In  his  death  the  Miamis  lost  the  greatest  chief  who  ever 
ruled  over  them,  and  since  that  time  their  decline  has  been 


212  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

marked  and  rapid.  It  is  fitting,  therefore,  that  his  name  and 
fame  should  be  perpetuated  by  a  marble  shaft  reared  near  the 
place  of  his  birth  by  the  hands  of  those  who  loved  him  best 
in  life. 


CHIEF  FRANCIS  GODFROY. 

Pa-lonz-wa,  or  Francis  Godfroy,  the  last  war  chief  of  the 
Miamis,  and  whose  name  is  closely  associated  with  the  history 
of  Frances  Slocum,  because  he  succeeded  her  husband,  She- 
pan-can-ah,  when  he  retired  from  the  chieftainship,  was  the 
son  of  Jacques,  or  James  Godfroy,  a  French  trader  among  the 
Indians,  and  was  born  in  March,  1788,  near  Fort  Wayne.  He 
and  his  brother  Louis  were  distinguished  men  among  the  Mi- 
amis  from  early  manhood,  and  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Fort 
Wayne,  as  well  as  several  other  engagements.  When  the 
Miamis  settled  on  the  Wabash,  Francis,  following  the  incli- 
nations of  his  father,  established  a  trading  post  about  four 
miles  above  Peru,  which  became  a  noted  point.  Being  a  rep- 
resentative man  in  his  tribe,  he  naturally  wielded  great  influ- 
ence and  commanded  much  respect.  His  mother  was  a  Miami 
woman,  but  the  French  largely  predominated  in  his  char- 
acter. 

.  His  trading  post,  which  was  named  Mount  Pleasant,  be- 
came a  place  of  much  resort  and  was  visited  by  many  eminent 
men  of  the  period.  His  business  was  heavy  and  profitable, 
as  he  supplied  the  Indians  with  large  quantities  of  goods. 
He  was  a  large  and  handsome  man,  standing  about  six  feet 
in  height  and  weighing  over  300  pounds.  He  was  genial, 
generous  and  dignified;  sincere  in  his  friendship,  paternal  in 
his  rule  and  princely  in  his  hospitality. 

About  1822  he  brought  a  carpenter  from  Fort  Wayne,  who 


APPENDIX.  213 

built  him  a  house  of  hewn  logs.  It  was  regarded  as  a  won- 
derful improvement  at  that  time,  and  was  a  great  attraction 
among  the  Indians. 

The  first  wife  of  Francis  Godfroy,  and  her  sister,  the  wife 
of  White  Wolf,  were  daughters  of  a  white  man  named  Cole, 
who,  when  a  child,  was  captured  by  the  Indians  in  Kentucky, 
and  grew  up  with  them.  He  then  married  a  Miami  woman 
and  raised  several  children.  Godfroy' s  wife  was  named  Sac- 
a-qua-tah,  and  she  died  February  28,  1869,  aged  74  years,  and 
is  buried  by  his  side.  Her  sister,  Elizabeth,  who  married 
White  Wolf,  died  December  7,  1871,  aged  85  years.  Gabriel 
Godfroy,  one  of  the  sons  of  Sac-a-qua-tah,  has  tried  to  trace 
the  ancestry  of  his  mother's  father,  but  without  success.  It 
is  a  singular  circumstance  that  his  maternal  grandfather  was 
a  white  man,  and  that  he  (Godfroy)  should  marry  a  grand- 
daughter of  Frances  Slocum,  a  white  woman.  Here  is  an- 
other singular  instance  of  the  peculiar  blending  of  American 
French-Indian  blood. 

The  eldest  son,  James  R.  Godfroy,  lives  near  Fort  Wayne, 
and  is  a  farmer.  He  married  Mon-to-so-qua,  daughter  of  La- 
Blonde,  the  daughter  of  John  Baptiste  Richardville,  (Pe-che- 
wah,)  the  famous  civil  chief  of  the  Miamis,  who  was  the  leader 
at  the  treaty  of  1838.  She  was  born  near  Fort  Wayne  in 
1835,  and  died  in  March,  1885,  leaving  twelve  children. 

Francis  Godfroy,  by  virtue  of  his  standing  and  influence 
among  the  Miamis,  was  granted  some  six  sections  of  land  at 
the  treaty  of  1838,  and  he  acquired  one  or  two  more  by  pur- 
chase. This  princely  estate  was  sufficient  to  have  made  all 
his  heirs  very  wealthy,  if  it  had  been  fairly  administered. 
One  section  is  embraced  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city  of 
Peru,  and  is  composed  of  the  rich  alluvial  soil  found  along 
the  Wabash.      "Out  of  that  fine  tract  of  land,"  said  one  of 

O 


2 14  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

his  sons  to  the  writer,  "  my  mother  and  her  children  only  re- 
alized one  thousand  dollars!"  It  is  worth  more  than  half  a 
million  to-day. 

There  were  five  sons  and  four  daughters  in  the  family  of 
Francis  Godfroy,  viz:  James  R. ,  William,  George  Washing- 
ton, Thomas,  Gabriel',  Louisa,  Sarah,  Frances  and  Clemence. 
He  died  May,  1840,  in  the  53d  year  of  his  age,  and  was  buried 
in  the  cemetery  situated  on  the  hillside  a  few  hundred  yards 
in  front  of  his  residence.  His  death  was  greatly  deplored  by 
his  numerous  relatives  and  friends,  and  there  was  much  sor- 
row and  mourning  over  his  loss.  His  funeral  was  one  of  the 
notable  events  of  the  day,  and  was  attended  by  hundreds  of 
Indians  and  whites,  who  came  to  testify  their  respect  for  the 
deceased.  The  principal  address  was  delivered  by  Wa-pa- 
pin-sha,  a  noted  Indian  orator  of  that  tribe.  Translated,  it 
is  as  follows: 

"  Brothers,  the  Great  Spirit  has  taken  to  Himself  another 
of  our  once  powerful  and  happy,  but  now  declining,  nation. 
The  time  has  been  when  these  forests  were  densely  populated 
by  the  red  men,  but  the  same  hand  whose  blighting  touch 
withered  the  majestic  frame  before  us,  and  caused  the  noble 
spirit  by  which  it  was  animated  to  seek  another  home,  has 
dealt  in  a  like  manner  with  his  and  our  fathers;  in  like  man- 
ner will  he  deal  with  us.  Death,  of  late,  has  been  common 
among  us.  So  much  so  that  a  recurrence  of  it  scarcely  elicits 
our  notice.  But  when  the  brave,  the  generous  and  patriotic 
are  blasted  by  it,  then  it  is  the  tears  of  sorrow  freely  flow. 
Such  is  now  the  case. 

"Our  brother,  who  has  just  left  us,  was  brave,  generous  and 
patriotic,  and  as  a  tribute  to  his  merit  and  reward  for  his 
goodness  the  tears,  not  only  of  his  own  people,  but  of  many 
white  men,  who  are  here  assembled  to  witness  his   funeral 


APPENDIX.  215 

rites,  freely  flow.  At  this  scene  the  poor  of  his  people  weep' 
because  at  his  table  they  were  wont  to  feast  and  rejoice.  The 
weak  mourn  his  death  because  his  authority  was  ever  directed 
to  their  protection.  But  he  has  left  the  earth — the  place  of 
vexation  and  contention — and  is  now  participating  with  Po- 
cahontas and  Logan  in  those  joys  prepared  by  the  Great  Spirit 
for  such  as  well  and  faithfully  discharge  their  duties  here. 
Brothers,  let  us  emulate  his  example  and  practice  his  vir- 
tues." 

In  after  years  his  sons  erected  a  handsome  marble  monu- 
ment as  a  testimonial  of  respect  for  their  father,  and  it  looms 
up  conspicuously  on  the  hillside  to-day.  On  one  of  the  pan- 
els appears  this  inscription: 

Chief  Francis  Godfroy, 
'  Natus,  March,  1788. 

Obit,  May  i,  1840. 

On  the  other  side  is  the  following,  deeply  chiseled  in  the 
white  marble: 

"Late  Principal  Chief  of  the  Miami  Nation  of  Indians. 
Distinguished  for  courage,  humanity,  benevolence  and  honor, 
he  lived  in  his  native  forests  an  illustration  of  the  nobleness 
of  his  race,  enjoying  the  confidence  of  his  tribe  and  beloved 
by  his  American  neighbors.  He  died  as  he  lived — without 
fear  or  reproach." 

Chief  Godfroy,  inasmuch  as  he  had  acquired  a  large 
amount  of  personal  property,  and  was  the  owner  of  several 
thousands  of  acres  of  land,  was  thoughtful  enough  to  make 
a  will  for  its  distribution  among  his  heirs,  and  as  it  is  a  curi- 
ous document,  as  well  as  appropriate  to  the  pages  of  this  his- 
tory, it  is  given  herewith  in  full: 

"  I,  Francis  Godfroy,  a  Miami  Indian,  of  the  County  of  Miami, 
Indiana,  being  desirous  to  settle  and  dispose  of  my  worldly  affairs. 


2l6  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

while  in  a  sound  mind,  memory  and  understanding,  do  publish 
and  declare  this  as  my  last  will  and  testament: 

"  First:  I  desire  my  body  to  be  decently  interred  at  the  discre- 
tion of  my  executors  hereinafter  named. 

"  Secondly:  It  is  my  will  and  I  hereby  bequeath  to  my  beloved 
son  James  R.  Godfroy,  one  section  of  land,  to  include  my  mill  on 
the  creek  below  Peru,  commonly  called  Little  Pipe  Creek. 

"  Thirdly:  I  will  and  bequeath  to  my  beloved  son  William  God- 
froy, one  section  of  land  lying  on  the  Mississinewa  River,  being 
the  section  of  land  granted  to  0-san-di-ah,  at  the  treaty  between 
the  United  States  and  the  Miami  Indians  of  1838,  which  I  pur- 
chased of  the  said  O-san-di-ah. 

"Fourthly:  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  beloved  son  George 
Washington,  the  section  of  land  lying  opposite  the  town  of  Peru 
on  the  Wabash,  being  the  same  on  which  Peter  Gibanet  now 
lives. 

"Fifthly:  I  will  and  bequeath  to  my  dearly  beloved  sons 
Thomas  Godfroy  and  Gabriel  Godfroy,  as  tenants  in  common, 
three-fourths  of  the  section  lying  above  and  adjoining  the  town  of 
Peru,  which  three-fourths  of  a  section  so  bequeathed  as  aforesaid, 
is  a  part  of  the  section  granted  to  me  adjoining  the  town  of  Peru, 
at  the  treaty  between  the  United  States  and  the  Miami  Indians, 
of  October  of  1834. 

"  Sixthly:  For  purposes  of  educating  my  son  Gabriel,  I  hereby 
will  and  bequeath  to  him  in  addition  to  my  former  bequest,  the 
one-quarter  section  of  land  lying  opposite  my  house,  being  the 
same  purchased  of  John  B.  Richardville. 

"Seventhly:  I  will  and  bequeath  unto  my  two  wives,  or  the 
mothers  of  my  children,  Sack-a-che-qua  and  Sac-kah-qua-tah,  and 
my  beloved  children,  my  eldest  unmarried  daughter  Louisa,  to  my 
daughter  Sally,  to  mj^  daughter  Frances,  to  my  daughter  Clem- 
ence,  the  four  sections  of  land  and  improvements  where  I  now 
live,  during  the  lifetime  of  my  said  wives,  to  be  decided  in  case  of 
dispute  by  my  executors,  during  the  lives  of  my  wives,  then  two 
of  the  four  sections  of  land,  aforesaid,  to  include  the  houses  and 
improvements,  I  will  and  bequeath  to  ray  said  daughters,  Louisa, 
Sally,  Frances  and  Clemence,  as  tenants  in  common,  and  to  their 
heirs  lorever. 

"  The  remaining  two  of  the  four  sections  aforesaid  I  will  and 


APPENDIX.  217 

bequeath  to  all  my  children  and  their  heirs  or  assigns,  as  well  as 
those  who  are  devisees  to  this  will,  as  also,  Poqua,  and  the  wife  of 
Gudboo,  to  be  equally  divided  among  them  all. 

"  Eighthly:  It  is  my  will,  that  after  the  personal  property  which 
I  may  be  possessed  of  at  the  time  of  my  death,  should  be  ex- 
hausted, that  my  executors  or  the  survivor  of  them,  or  the  person 
who  may  administer  on  my  estate,  shall  sell  so  much  of  my  real 
estate  as  he  or  they  may  deem  necessary  for  the  payment  of  my 
debts,  the  same  to  be  sold  for  prices  as  he  or  they  may  deem  rea- 
sonable, such  real  estate  to  be  sold,  to  be  such  as  is  not  devised  in- 
dividually to  any  member  of  my  family. 

"  Ninthly:  I  will  and  bequeath  such  property  as  I  may  die  pos- 
sessed of,  both  real  and  personal,  not  heretofore  disposed  of,  after 
my  debts  are  paid,  to  be  equally  divided  among  all  my  children, 
share  and  share  alike. 

"Tenthly:  All  the  property  devised  to  all  the  devisees  in  this 
my  last  will  is  hereby  bequeathed  to  them,  their  heirs  and  as- 
signs forever. 

"  lyastly:  I  hereby  constitute  and  appoint  Allen  Hamilton  and 
John  B.  Richardville,  of  the  County  of  Allen,  to  be  the  sole  exec- 
utors of  this  my  last  will  and  testament.  In  case  of  the  death  of 
either  of  them,  the  other  to  be  sole  executor,  or  in  case  one  fails 
to  serve,  then  the  other  to  be  the  executor.  In  testimony  whereof, 
I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal,  the  twenty-sixth  day  of 
February,  eighteen  hundred  and  forty. 

"  FRANCIS  (his  X  mark)  GODFROY.  [Seal.] 

"Signed,  sealed,  published,  declared,  by  the  testator,  as  and 
for  his  last  will  and  testament,  executed  in  the  presence  of  the 
undersigned,  who  signed  the  same  as  witnesses,  in  the  presence  of 
each  other,  and  in  the  presence  of  the  testator,  subscribed  their 
names  as  such  witnesses  at  the  request  of  said  testator,  26tli  Feb- 
ruary, 1840. 

"  EDWARD  A.  GODFROY. 

"  PETER  (HIS  X  MARK)  ANDRE. 

"B.  H.  SCOTT, 

"  F.  S.  CORNWALL. 

Codicil  to  This  My  last  Will  and  Testament.— It  is  my  further  will  and 
desire  and  I  hereby  order  and  direct,  that  in  the  event  of  the  titles  being 
contested  to  the  several  tracts  of  land  purchased  by  me  of  Wa-pa-pin-che- 


2l8  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

ail,  Squirrel  and  0-san-de-ah,  or  either  of  them,  that  the  executors  acting 
under  my  will,  or  my  administrator,  employ  James  Raridon,  Esq.,  to  advo- 
cate my  claims  thereto,  and  that  for  his  services,  if  successful  in  establishing 
said  claims,  that  my  executors  or  administrators  allow  him  for  such  services 
one-half  section  of  the  said  lands,  to  be  surveyed  from  either  of  said  sec- 
tions which  the  said  Raridon  may  designate.  It  is  my  further  will  and 
desire,  and  I  hereby  order  and  direct,  that  my  executors  or  administrators 
do  immediately  after  my  decease,  give  to  my  wife  Sack-kah-qua-te,  the  sum 
of  one  thousand  dollars  in  specie,  the  remainder  in  her  possession  to  be  ex- 
pended under  her  direction  for  the  maintenance  and  support  of  my  infant 
children.  I  do  further  will  and  direct  that  my  executor  or  administrator  lay 
off  within  three  months  after  my  decease,  on  the  quarter  section  of  land 
immediately  joining  the  town  of  Peru,  town  lots  and  streets  in  continuation 
and  corresponding  in  size  and  width  with  the  lots  and  streets  in  Peru,  ex- 
cepting only  that  portion  of  said  quarter  section  near  the  sand  hill,  suitable 
for  tannery  sites,  for  which  purpose  I  desire  that  it  should  be  laid  off  in  lots 
of  two  acres  each  ;  that  every  fourth  of  the  town  lots  and  tannery  sites  be 
reserved  and  titles  for  the  same  forthwith  executed  to  my  son  James  God- 
frey, and  the  remaining  three-fourths  of  each  description  of  said  lots  to  be 
sold  at  public  auction,  to  the  highest  bidder,  on  the  following  conditions,  to 
wit :  One-third  of  the  purchase  money  to  be  paid  at  the  expiration  of  six 
months  from  the  day  of  sale,  the  remainder  in  two  equal  payments,  at  the 
expiration  of  twelve  and  eighteen  months  from  the  day  of  sale  ;  and  I  here- 
by authorize  and  empower  my  said  executor  or  administrator,  when  full 
payment  is  made  by  the  purchasers,  to  make,  seal  and  deliver  deeds  for  the 
conveyance  of  said  lots  to  the  purchasers,  their  heirs  or  assigns,  hereby 
vesting  him  with  full  power  and  authority  to  act  in  the  premises  as  fully  to 
every  intent  and  purpose  as  I  myself  could  do  if  living.  The  proceeds  of 
the  sales  of  the  aforesaid  lots  I  hereby  direct  my  said  executor  or  adminis- 
trator to  apply  to  the  discharge  of  my  just  debts,  and  in  the  event  of  there 
being  thereafter  a  surplus,  that  the  same  be  by  my  said  executors  invested 
in  bank  stock,  and  the  annual  interest  thereon  be  applied  to  the  discharge 
of  the  taxes  on  my  estate.  FRANCIS  (his  X  mark)  GODFROY. 

"It  is  my  further  will  and  desire  and  I  hereby  give  and  be- 
queath to  my  son  James  R.  Godfroy,  my  two  yoke  of  work  cattle 
and  wagon;  the  remainder  of  my  horses  and  cattle  of  everj^  de- 
scription, I  desire  should  be  divided  equally  among  my  several 
children  under  the  direction  of  my  executor. 

"  It  is  my  further  will  and  desire  and  I  hereby  order  and  direct, 
that  my  executor  or  administrator  continue  my  cousin,  Edward  A. 
Godfroy,  in  his  employ  to  aid  in  settling  my  estate,  and  to  collect 
the  debts  due  to  my  trading  establishment,  near  the  present  resi- 
dence of  my  family  on  the  Wabash  River.  That  he  be  permitted 
to  dispose  of  my  stock  of  merchandise  at  private  sale,  on  terms 


APPENDIX.  219 

most  favorable  to  the  interest  of  my  heirs,  and  to  furnish  from 
time  to  time  to  my  family,  from  said  stock,  such  articles  as  their 
necessities  may  require,  rendering  an  account  thereof  to  my  exec- 
utor, to  be  allowed  him  on  the  final  settlement  of  my  estate;  and 
it  is  my  will  and  desire  and  I  hereby  order  and  direct,  that  my  ex- 
ecutor, or  administrator,  pay  to  said  Edward  A.  Godfrey,  at  the 
rate  of  eight  hundred  dollars  per  annum  for  his  services,  payable 
quarterh'  from  the  date  of  his  first  employment  in  my  service,  to 
wit:  from  the  sixth  day  of  September,  one  thousand  eight  hun- 
dred and  thirty-nine. 

"  I  further  desire  and  direct  that  my  executors,  or  administra- 
tors, do  at  the  next  treaty,  use  all  proper  influence  to  obtain  for 
my  family  from  the  government  of  the  United  States,  one  section 
of  land  for  each  of  my  children;  and  the  same  privileges  in  regard 
to  the  payment  of  their  annuities,  and  those  of  my  w4fe,  as  are 
now  granted  to  Chief  Richardville. 

"  In  testimony  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal 
to  this  codicil,  to  wit:  my  hand  to  the  bottom  of  the  first  side  of 
this  sheet,  and  my  hand  and  seal  to  this  the  last  side  of  this  sheet, 
this  first  day  of  May,  in  the  3'ear  of  our  I^ord,  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  fort}- . 

"  FRANCIS  (his  X  mark)  GODFROY.   [Seal.] 

"Signed,  sealed,  published  and  declared  by  the  testator,  Fran- 
cis Godfro5%  as  a  codicil  to  his  last  will  and  testament,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  us,  who  have  subscribed  our  names  as  witnesses  in  the 
presence  of  the  said  testator,  and  in  the  presence  of  each  other. 

"EDWARD  A.  GODFROY. 

"BENJAMIN  H.  SCOTT. 

"  DANIEE  TAGGART. 

"I,  Benjamin  H.  Scott,  Clerk  of  the  Probate  Court  of  the 
County  of  Miami,  in  the  State  of  Indiana,  do  certify  the  annexed 
to  be  a  true  copy  of  the  last  will  and  testament  of  Francis  God- 
frey, late  of  the  said  County,  deceased,  and  that  Allen  Hamilton, 
one  of  the  executors  therein  named,  has  duly  proved  the  same  ac- 
cording to  law,  and  is  duly  authorized  to  take  upon  himself  the 
administration  of  the  estate  of  the  said  testator  according  to  the 
said  will. 

"  Witness  my  hand  and  the  adopted  seal  of  the  said  court,  the 


220  FRANCES  SLOCUM. 

sixteenth  day  of  May,    in  the  year  of  our  Lord,  one  thousand 
eight  hundred  and  forty. 

"[Seal.]  B.  H.  SCOTT,  Clerk. 

"Transcript  of  will,  recorded  April  8th,  1854,  i^  Deed  Record 
'  G,'  on  pages  687,  688,  etc. 

"Probate  Court,  Miami  County,  Indiana,  May  i8th,  1844. 
Probate  Order  Book  '  A,'  page  43." 

Many  anecdotes  are  related  of  Francis  Godfrey,  one  in 
particular  of  which  is  worth  recording,  as  it  shows  the  liberal- 
ity of  the  man.  He  was  reckless  and  careless  of  money,  and 
having  more  land  than  he  knew  what  to  do  wnth,  he  scattered 
his  favors  with  a  prodigal  hand.  It  is  told  of  him  that  being 
on  one  occasion  at  La  Fayette  when  a  steamboat  arrived  there 
from  the  Ohio,  he  offered  the  captain  a  half  section  of  land 
if  he  would  convey  him  and  his  party  to  their  homes,  some 
three  miles  above  where  Peru  now  stands.  The  offer  was  ac- 
cepted and  the  trip  made,  but  the  steamer  was  lost  on  its  re- 
turn to  La  Fayette.  Godfrey  made  a  deed  of  the  promised 
half  section  of  land,  and  sent  it  to  the  captain  of  the  boat. 
It  was  difficult  to  navigate  the  Wabash  so  far  up,  and  it  was 
only  the  smallest  class  of  boats  that  could  ascend  that  distance 
at  the  highest  stage  of  Avater.  And  the  loss  of  the  steamer 
on  its  return  shows  the  peril  of  making  such  a  voyage. 

Butler  was  the  name  of  the  township  in  which  Chief  God- 
frey lived  and  died.  His  trading  post  was  a  famous  place  in 
early  times  and  it  is  one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  township 
to-day.  One  of  the  log  buildings  is  still  standing  and  is  now 
occupied  as  a  dwelling  by  one  of  the  sons  of  Gabriel  Godfrey, 
who  is  the  owner.  The  Chief  lived  in  the  style  of  a  baron 
of  feudal  times,  and  kept  a  large  retinue  of  his  people  con- 
stantly around  him. 

A  very  pretty  legend  showing  how  he  came  to  be  selected 
as  war  chief  is  still  preserved.     There  was  a  very  bad  Indian 


APPENDIX.  221 

in  the  tribe  known  as  Ma-jen-i-ca.  He  was  a  drinking,  quar- 
relsome man,  and  frequently  killed  those  who  displeased  him. 
Being  the  chief  of  a  village  he  was  greatly  feared.  Once 
upon  a  time,  as  the  story  runs,  he  was  in  a  boisterous  condi- 
tion at  a  council,  which  was  being  held  on  the  hill  just  above 
where  the  Godfroy  cemetery  is  now  located.  Francis  God- 
froy,  then  a  young  man,  was  present.  From  some  remark  he 
incurred  the  displeasure  of  Ma-jen-i-ca,  who  commanded  him 
to  sit  down,  telling  him  that  he  was  no  man.  Young  God- 
froy resented  the  insult  and  told  him  he  was  no  man — that  he 
was  a  coward — that  he  should  desist  from  stabbing  and  killing 
his  own  people  for  trivial  causes.  These  remarks  greatly  ex- 
cited Ma-jen-i-ca,  and  drawing  his  knife  he  rushed  on  God- 
froy. The  latter  being  brave  and  powerful,  quickly  seized 
his  assailant  by  the  wrist  and  held  his  arm  firmly.  Then  he 
drew  his  own  knife  and  told  him  the  braver  way  would  be  to 
fight  him  a  duel.  Still  holding  him  by  the  arm  he  com- 
manded him  to  look  upon  yonder  sun  for  the  last  time  if  he 
proposed  to  fight.  If  not  intending  to  fight,  and  if  he  was  a 
brave  man,  he  would  drop  his  knife.  Godfroy  stood  firm  and 
ready  to  fight,  and  being  a  giant  in  strength,  caused  his  assail- 
ant, through  his  determined  look,  to  quail.  Finally  the  big 
chief  dropped  his  knife  and  yielded  to  the  superior  will  power 
of  Godfroy.  This  act  of  bravery  resulted  in  the  latter  being 
made  war  chief  when  She-pan-can-ah,  the  husband  of  Fran- 
ces Slocum,  resigned  his  position. 

William,  one  of  the  sons  of  Francis,  lives  on  a  farm  which 
he  inherited  from  his  father.  George  Washington,  when  only 
fourteen  years  of  age,  was  killed  by  lightning  in  May,  1841, 
while  sitting  on  his  horse,  with  several  others,  in  the  road  in 
front  of  the  trading  post.  There  was  scarcely  a  cloud  in  the 
sky  when  the  bolt  descended.      His  death  caused  a  profound 


222  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

sensation  at  the  time,  and  was  regarded  with  superstitious  awe 
by  the  Miamis.  A  large  boulder,  now  lying  on  the  roadside, 
is  pointed  out  to  show  near  where  he  sat  when  death  came  so 
suddenly  from  the  sky. 

Gabriel  Godfroy,  now  in  his  57th  year,  resides  on  a  splen- 
did farm  containing  220  acres,  lying  in  the  forks  of  the  Wa- 
bash and  Mississinewa  Rivers.  It  is  looked  upon  as  one  of 
the  best  farms  in  the  State,  on  account  of  its  beautiful  location 
and  richness  of  the  soil.  There  is  really  not  a  foot  of  land  in 
the  whole  220  acres  which  is  not  tillable.  Mr.  Godfroy's  res- 
idence, a  modern  two  story  brick  house,  with  a  fine  lawn, 
faces  the  Mississinewa.  His  barns  and  outbuildings  are  am- 
ple, and  he  carries  on  farming  on  a  large  scale,  as  he  owns 
other  lands  not  embraced  in  this  tract.  Mr.  Godfroy  has  been 
married  three  times.  His  present  wife,  whose  name  was 
Martha  Jane  Logan,  claims  a  distant  relationship  with  the 
late  General  Logan,  of  civil  war  fame.  Gabriel  Godfroy  is 
very  popular  among  his  acquaintances,  and  is  noted  for  his 
liberal  and  princely  hospitality.  He  is  widely  known,  and  is 
visited  by  many  strangers,  on  account  of  being  the  son  of  the 
last  war  chief  of  the  Miamis,  and  the  husband  of  a  grand- 
daughter of  Frances  Slocum.  As  shown  in  Chapter  XL,  he 
owns  many  relics  which  once  belonged  to  Frances  Slocum, 
the  "white  woman,"  and  his  distinguished  father.  Among 
the  latter  are  a  coat  and  war  bonnet,  a  fine  ceremonial  toma- 
hawk, with  a  pipe  in  the  poll,  and  the  handle  ornamented 
with  inlaid  silver  bands  and  designs,  and  a  number  of  silver 
medals.  One  of  the  medals  is  oval  shaped,  measuring  six 
inches  by  five.  On  one  side  are  the  words  "George  Wash- 
ington, President,  1793,"  and  a  medallion  representing  an 
Indian  holding  the  pipe  of  peace  to  a  colonist,  while  a  toma- 
hawk is  carelessly  thrown  aside.      In  the  background  is  seen 


APPENDIX.  223 

a  pioneer  at  the  plow.  On  the  reverse  is  seen  the  coat  of  arms 
of  the  United  States.  This  medal  was  presented  to  the  Wy- 
andotte tribe  by  Washington,  and  afterwards  by  the  Wyan- 
dotte chieftain  to  William  Pe-cong-a,  a  Miami.  An  offer  of 
$500  has  been  refused  for  this  rare  medal. 

There  are  three  other  silver  medals  in  the  collection,  circu- 
lar in  form,  and  two  and  one-half  inches  in  diameter.  On  the 
obverse  side  they  bear  a  pipe  and  tomahawk  crossed ;  on  the 
reverse,  two  hands  clasped,  with  the  motto:  "Peace  and 
Friendship.  A.  Jackson,  President,  1829."  These  medals 
were  given  Francis  Godfroy  and  two  minor  chiefs  by  Presi- 
dent Jackson  in  1829,  ^^^^  o^^^  of  them  bears  the  portrait  of 
"Old  Hickory"  in  relief  They  are  rare  and  valued  relics, 
and  Mr.  Godfroy  sets  great  store  by  them. 

The  vast  landed  estate  left  by  Chief  Godfroy  has  dwindled 
away  until  comparatively  little  of  it  remains.  Many  of  the 
heirs  having  long  since  disposed  of  their  shares,  the  lands 
are  now  in  the  hands  of  strangers. 

REV.   PETER  BONDY. 

Rev.  Peter  Bondy,  who  was  the  last  husband  of  O-zah- 
wah-shing-qna,  still  survives.  He  spends  a  portion  of  the 
time  with  his  children  on  the  old  homestead,  and  the  balance 
with  relatives  in  Grant  County.  He  remained  single  several 
years  after  the  death  of  O-zah-wah-shing-qua,  when  he  took 
for  his  second  wife  a  sister  of  Gabriel  Godfroy.  There  has 
been  no  issue  by  this  marriage. 

Mr.  Bondy  is  of  French-Indian  origin.  His  father,  An- 
toine  Bondie,  was  a  French  trader,  holding  forth  near  Fort 
Wayne.  He  had  lived  among  the  Indians  since  he  was  twelve 
years  of  age,  and  was  recognized  by  the  Miamis  as  one  of  their 


224  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

tribe.  He  is  said  to  have  been  an  extraordinary  character. 
At  one  time  he  would  appear  to  be  brave  and  generous,  at 
another  meanly  selfish.  About  the  time  the  siege  of  Fort 
Wayne  was  contemplated  by  the  Indians  and  British,  Bon- 
die,*  who  was  at  his  trading  post,  was  secretly  informed  of 
what  was  proposed,  and  advised  to  leave.  He  straightway 
communicated  his  information  to  the  commanding  officer, 
but  the  latter  discredited  him.  He  moved  into  the  fort  with 
his  family,  when  the  siege  was  soon  after  commenced,  but 
ultimately  failed. 

Peter  Bondy  was  born  on  Eel  River,  a  few  miles  north  of 
Fort  Wayne,  July,  1817.  His  mother,  he  says,  was  a  Mo- 
hican woman.  He  grew  to  manhood  among  the  Indians  of 
that  section,  and  about  1840  was  adopted  by  the  Miamis. 
According  to  the  custom  of  the  tribe,  upon  the  death  or  loss 
of  children,  another  was  adopted  to  supply  the  place  made 
vacant  by  what  means  soever.  The  circumstances  giving 
rise  to  the  ceremony  about  to  be  described,  says  Helm  in  his 
history  of  Wabash  County,  were  in  substance  as  follows: 
"  Al-lo-lah,  the  Black  Raccoon,  without  a  child  or  children 
of  his  own,  married  a  squaw,  who  was  the  mother  of  a  son, 
the  issue  of  a  former  marriage.  According  to  the  usage  of 
the  tribe,  a  man  marrying  an  Indian  woman  with  a  child  or 
children,  accepted  and  recognized  the  latter  as  his  own,  and 
they  became  members  of  his  family,  entitled  to  all  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  his  own  offspring.  In  the  course  of  time 
this  son  and  heir  came  to  his  death  by  violence,  leaving  him 
childless.  A  proper  time  having  elapsed  after  the  happen- 
ing of  that  event,  a  selection  was  made  for  a  substitute,  who, 
when  he  had  passed  through  the  prescribed  formula,  should 
supply  the  place  of  the  dead  one.      Peter  Bondie,  or  as  he 

*See  Valley  of  the  Upper  Maumee,  Vol.  1,  p.  134. 


BONDY'S  ADOPTION   DANCE. 


APPENDIX.  225 

was  known  and  called  by  the  Indians,  Gradeway  Bundy,  was 
the  person  so  selected  and  upon  whom  the  mantle  of  sonship 
was  to  fall,  as  the  custom  authorized  and  prescribed. 

"When  it  had  been  determined  by  the  chief  to  consum- 
mate the  selection,  he  gave  notice  of  his  purpose  to  the  head 
men  of  the  tribe  in  the  vicinity,  declaring  the  time  when  the 
ceremony  would  take  place.  Having  done  so,  preparations 
began  to  be  made  on  an  extensive  scale.  A  beef  from  the 
woods  was  killed,  weighing  1,800  pounds.  After  being  dress- 
ed, the  meat  was  cut  into  large  pieces,  then  put  into  great 
kettles  and  thoroughly  boiled.  Afterward,  the  meat  was  cut 
into  small  pieces  and  piled  on  blankets  spread  upon  the 
ground  for  the  purpose,  preparatory  to  the  coming  feast. 

"At  the  appointed  hour,  a  distant  rumbling  noise  was  heard 
in  every  direction,  as  of  many  horses  in  rapid  flight,  and  not 
unlike  the  mutterings  of  far  off  thunder.  The  sounds  grew 
nearer  and  nearer,  becoming  momentarily  more  distinct.  Fi- 
nally about  the  hour  of  10  o'clock  at  night  a  fierce  yell  re- 
sounded from  every  point  of  the  compass,  when,  as  if  they 
had  come  by  previous  concert,  Indians  on  horseback  dashed 
in,  meeting  at  a  designated  spot. 

"  Soon  after  these  arrivals  were  announced,  a  suitable  pla- 
teau was  selected  and  the  festival  inaugurated  by  the  com- 
mencement of  a  grand  dance,  at  a  late  hour  in  the  evening. 
First  two  young  squaws  entered  the  ring  caparisoned  for  the 
dance.  Then  came  two  young  braves  who  at  once  joined  in 
the  movement,  when  two  other  squaws  came  forward,  dancing 
after  their  style.  The  dance  was  continued,  the  number  of 
participants  increasing  from  time  to  time,  by  two  squaws  join- 
ing in  followed  by  two  braves,  as  in  the  beginning,  during 
the  night.  Meanwhile,  a  council  of  the  head  men  of  the 
tribe  was  in  progress  in  the  wigwam  of  the  chief,   Al-lo-lah, 


226  FRANCEvS   SLOCUM. 

and  at  short  intervals  messengers  were  sent  to  inform  the 
dancers  of  the  progress  made  in  the  proceedings.  These  an- 
nouncements were  usually  accompanied  by  an  eloquent  speech 
from  the  bearer  of  the  tidings,  greeted  by  acclamations  of 
satisfaction  and  approval.  At  length,  the  final  announcement 
was  made,  declaring  as  the  decision  of  the  council,  upon  ma- 
ture deliberation,  that  the  proposed  adoption  had  been  satis- 
factorily consummated.  This  announcement,  especially,  was 
made  with  a  solemn  flourish,  and  received  with  extraordinary 
demonstrations  of  joyous  satisfaction  by  two  of  the  festive 
throng.  While  these  things  were  in  progress,  and  whenever 
the  demands  of  appetite  made  it  necessary,  the  enhungered 
ones  repaired  to  the  commissariat  where  the  bounteous  supply 
of  pieces  of  beef  had  been  piled  away  on  the  blankets,  and 
partook  to  their  satisfaction  of  the  luscious  viands. 

"  The  adoption  ceremonies  being  completed,  the  company 
filed  off  and  departed  for  their  several  homes,  well  satisfied 
with  what  had  taken  place.  And  ever  afterwards  Peter  Bondy 
was  acknowledged  as  the  son  and  heir  of  the  chief  Al-lo- 
lah." 

This  strange  Indian  ceremony  is  said  to  have  taken  place 
in  1840,  and  a  prominent  white  settler  named  Jacob  D.  Cas- 
satt,  first  sheriff"  of  the  county,  and  afterwards  a  member  of 
the  Legislature,  weighed  the  beef  when  it  was  killed. 

Under  the  pious  ministrations  of  Rev.  George  R.  Slocum 
Mr.  Bondy  became  a  convert  to  the  doctrines  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  for  many  years  he  has  been  a  consistent  and  ac- 
tive member.  He  informed  the  writer  that  for  twenty-six 
years  he  had  labored  as  a  missionary  among  his  people,  and, 
notwithstanding  there  was  much  evil  to  combat,  he  felt  that 
his  labors  had  not  been  in  vain.  His  name  appears  as  a 
trustee  of  the  Antioch  Missionary  Baptist  Church,  of  Waltz 


APPENDIX.  227 

Township,  Wabash  County.  He  is  pions  and  devout,  and  in 
his  intercourse  with  his  people,  sets  them  a  good  example. 
He  speaks  broken  English  with  a  strong  French  accent,  and 
upon  important  topics  he  prefers  to  converse  through  an  in- 
terpreter. At  table,  before  partaking,  he  asks  a  blessing  in 
the  Miami  tongue,  which,  judging  from  the  softness  and 
beauty  of  the  language,  and  the  intonation  of  the  words,  is 
eloquent  and  impressive. 

In  personal  appearance,  Mr.  Bondy  is  dignified  and  com- 
manding. He  stands  nearly  six  feet  in  height,  and  weighs 
240  pounds.  His  countenance  is  indicative  of  mildness  and 
benignity;  his  intellectual  powers  are  good,  and  he  is  a  pleas- 
ant companion.  In  his  actions  and  conversation  it  is  evident 
that  the  Indian  character  predominates,  notwithstanding  his 
long  association  with  the  whites.  Like  his  brother-in-law, 
Gabriel  Godfrov,  he  can  neither  read  nor  write. 


FRANCIS  La  FONTAINE. 

It  is  learned  from  the  history  of  Wabash  County  that 
Francis  La  Fontaine,  whose  Indian  name  was  To-pe-ah,  was 
the  immediate  successor  of  Richardville  as  the  principal  chief 
of  the  Miamis.  He  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  the  family  of 
this  name  who  figured  so  conspicuously  in  the  political  affairs 
of  Canada  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century.  His 
father  was  of  French  extraction,  and  was  at  one  time  a  resi- 
dent of  Detroit,  and  his  mother  was  a  Miami  woman.  He 
was  born  near  Fort  Wayne  in  1820,  and  spent  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  In  his  younger 
days  he  was  noted  for  his  great  strength  and  activity,  and 
was  considered  the  most  fleet  of  foot  of  any  man  in  his  tribe. 

At  the  age  of  about  twenty-one  Francis  La  Fontaine  mar- 


228  FRANCES   SI.OCUM. 

ried  Catharine,  ( Pa-con-go-quah )  the  second  daughter  of 
Richardville.  For  some  time  after  his  marriage  his  residence 
was  on  the  prairie,  between  Huntington  and  Fort  Wayne,  on 
lands  granted  to  him  at  the  treaty  of  1838.  Manifesting 
great  interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  tribe,  he  became  very  pop- 
ular, and,  after  the  death  of  Chief  Richardville,  he  was  se- 
lected principal  chief  of  the  Miamis. 

When  the  Miamis  moved  west  in  1846  he  accompanied 
them  to  their  new  reservation  and  spent  the  first  winter  with 
them.  The  following  spring  he  started  homeward.  At  that 
time  the  route  of  travel  was  from  Kansas  Landing  (now  Kan- 
sas City)  down  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Ohio,  then  up  the  latter  to  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash, 
and  thence  up  that  river  to  La  Fayette — all  the  way  by 
steamboat.  At  St.  Louis  he  was  taken  sick,  and  his  disease 
had  made  such  progress  that  upon  his  arrival  at  La  Fayette 
he  was  unable  to  proceed  further,  and  died  there  on  the  13th 
of  April,  1847,  3.t  the  age  of  thirty-seven  years. 

He  was  embalmed  at  La  Fayette,  and  his  remains  were 
brought  to  Huntington,  where  he  was  buried  in  the  grounds 
now  occupied  by  the  Catholic  Church.  His  body  was  subse- 
quently removed  to  the  new  cemetery. 

.  Francis  La  Fontaine  is  described  as  a  tall,  robust  and  cor- 
pulent man,  weighing  usually  350  pounds,  and  generally 
dressed  in  Indian  costume.  There  are  two  oil  paintings  of 
him  in  existence.  He  left  seven  children.  Less  than  two 
years  after  his  death  his  widow  married  F.  D.  Lasselle,  of  Fort 
Wayne,  but  lived  only  a  short  time. 

John  La  Fontaine,  the  last  son  of  this  historic  family,  and 
a  grandson  of  the  chief,  died  at  Huntington  in  December, 
1889.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  about  five  years  old, 
and  he  was  placed  in  the  care  of  Col.  I.  N.  Milligan,  but  be- 


APPENDIX.  229 

ing  deeply  imbued  with  the  traditions  of  his  race,  a  roving 
disposition  seized  him,  and  he  joined  the  remnant  of  his  tribe 
in  Kansas.  He  soon  tired  of  their  romantic  life  and  returned 
to  Huntington.  His  ancestors  at  one  time  owned  all  the 
land  in  that  section,  but  he  died  a  poor  man.  So  ends  the 
name  of  La  Fontaine. 


GEORGE  WINTER,  THE  ARTIST. 

As  the  name  of  George  Winter  frequently  occurs  in  this 
work  in  connection  with  Indian  paintings,  a  short  sketch  of 
his  life  is  not  out  of  place.  Hon.  Horace  P.  Biddle,  of  Lo- 
gansport,  who  knew  him  well,  writes: 

"George  Winter  was  born  on  the  island  of  Portsea,  in 
the  town  of  Portsea,  in  the  county  of  Hants,  in  England,  in 
the  year  1810.  He  was  sent  to  school  when  quite  a  child, 
and  received  a  general  course  of  English  education  under 
English  teachers.  It  does  not  appear  that  he  was  ever  a 
graduate  of  any  university  or  college.  He  early  exhibited  a 
taste  for  the  fine  arts;  was  encouraged  and  instructed  by  local 
artists;  went  to  London  where  he  was  entered  a  student  in 
the  Royal  Academy,  and  where  he  remained'  during  four 
years.  He  also  had  the  entry  to  the  National  Gallery  and 
other  public  institutions.  In  1830  he  came  to  America.  In 
New  York  he  became  a  student  in  the  Academy  of  Design, 
where  he  remained  several  years.  From  there  he  went  to. 
Cincinnati,  where  he  sojourned  but  a  short  time.  In  the  year 
1837  he  came  to  Logansport,  Indiana,  where  he  resided  until 
1850,  when  he  removed  to  La  Fayette,  Indiana.  In  1873  ^'^^ 
1874,  Mr.  Winter  visited  California  and  the  Pacific  Slope, 
where  he  executed  many  valuable  paintings.      He  returned 


230  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

to  La  Fayette,  which  place  remained  his  home  until  he  died, 
February  i,  1876. 

"  Mr.  Winter  was  an  English  gentleman  of  a  higher  type 
than  those  who  merely  repose  on  the  virtues  of  their  ances- 
tors. x'Vs  a  man,  he  possessed  a  nice  sense  of  honor  and  integ- 
rity, and  made  these  principles  practical  throughout  his  life. 
Socially  he  stood  very  high  with  all  who  knew  him.  He  was 
a  gentleman  under  all  circumstances,  with  a  ready  and  agree- 
able wit,  a  genial  and  engaging  humor,  and  an  equable  and 
chastened  temper.  As  an  artist  Mr.  Winter  ranked  high — 
particularly  in  landscape  and  Indian  pieces.  In  water  color 
sketches  and  miniature  he  also  excelled.  His  portrait  of  Chief 
Godfroy  seemed  to  be  Godfroy  himself;  and  that  of  the  young 
Chief  Aub-e-naw-be  was  an  admirable  specimen  of  art  in 
portraiture.  He  also  painted,  besides  the  excellent  portrait  of 
Frances  Slocum,  several  young  Indian  maidens  who  were 
very  beautiful.  Indeed,  he  painted  before  he  left  England  a 
battle  piece  which  became  very  celebrated.  In  America,  par- 
ticularly in  the  great  Northwest,  Mr.  Winter  became  widely 
known  as  an  artist  of  high  repute.  Many  of  his  paintings 
were  engraved  for  the  magazines  of  the  time. 

"In  1840  Mr.  Winter  married  Mary  Squiers,  the  daughter 
of  Timothy  Squiers,  the  proprietor  of  a  line  of  coaches  from 
Dayton,  Ohio,  westward.  They  were  blessed  with  an  only 
son  and  an  only  daughter,  both  of  whom,  with  the  mother, 
survive  the  husband  and  father.  The  son — George  Winter, 
resides  in  California;  the  daughter — Mrs.  Nettie  W.  Ball,  and 
the  mother,  still  have  their  homes  in  La  Fayette,  where  they 
enjoy  the  respect  of  a  large  circle  of  friends." 

As  Judge  Biddle  has  referred  to  the  success  of  Mr.  Winter 
in  painting  Indian  portraits,  and  a  battle  piece  in  England, 
it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  speak  of  his  views  of  the  battle 


APPENDIX.  231 

ground  of  Tippecanoe,  and  for  this  purpose  his  own  words 
are  used.  In  an  autograph  letter*  to  Mr.  E.  Campbell,  editor 
of  The  Spirit  of  the  Thnes^  Cincinnati,  under  date  of  Logans- 
port,  January  i,  1841,  Mr.  Winter  says: 

"The  paintings  that  I  have  nearly  completed  are  six  in 
number.  Two  of  them  measure  152  square  feet  each,  and 
the  other  four  comprehend  an  equal  surface.  I  chose  such 
views  that  would  best  convey  an  idea  of  the  ground  and  sur- 
rounding romantic  country.  One  view  is  taken  from  the  La- 
Fayette  road,  which  represents  the  point  near  Barnet's  Creek 
where  the  subtle  savage  tomahawked  the  sentinel.  I  then 
followed  the  road  (which  passes  through  the  whole  of  the 
ground  upon  which  the  remarkable  battle  was  fought)  and 
took  my  station  about  60  feet  from  the  fence,  or  southwestern 
gateway  of  the  enclosure,  and  known  as  Spencer's  line. 
From  this  point  you  get  nearly  in  perspective  with  the  whole 
surface  upon  which  the  gallant  army  encamped. 

"You  now  stand  upon  an  elevation  of  seventeen  feet  from 
the  surface  of  the  prairie  on  either  side.  The  prairie  to  the 
right  is  called  the  marsh — it  extends  before  you  as  far  nearly 
as  the  eye  can  see;  it  is  skirted  by  oak  openings,  and  at  a 
point  projecting,  as  it  were,  upon  the  prairie  the  wily  Prophet 
sat  during  the  conflict  of  battle  chanting  and  propitiating  the 
power  of  the  Great  Spirit. 

"Another  view  I  took  from  the  Log  Cabin  which  was 
erected  at  the  convention  in  May  [1840]  last.  This  compre- 
hends a  view  of  the  interior  of  the  enclosure,   (about  forty 

*  Through  the  courtesy  of  Dr..Lyman  C.  Draper,  of  the  Wisconsin  His- 
torical Society,  the  author  was  placed  in  possession  of  this  letter,  as  well 
as  another  bearing  date,  "  Logansport,  Ind.,  September  21, 1888."  Both  are 
written  in  a  neat,  compact,  plain  hand,  and  each  one  covers  four  pages  of 
foolscap,  barely  leaving  room  enough  for  the  address,  when  folded,  as  no 
envelopes  were  in  use  in  those  days.  The  latter  is  principally  devoted  to 
literary  topics  and  is  of  no  interest  to  the  public. 


232  FRANCES   SLOCUM. 

acres.)  It  assumes  a  park-like  appearance — the  timber'  not 
being  crowded.  The  sun  now  and  then  throws  in  his  bright 
rays,  which  give  a  cheerful  and  pleasing  effect,  and  the  mind 
being  enraptured  with  so  lovely  a  spot,  is  robbed  almost  of 
the  belief  that  it  is  associated  with  human  blood. 

"  I  have  not  space  to  enter  into  a  detail  now  of  the  scenes 
I  have  spoken  of;  and  the  others  I  can  merely  say  are  views 
of  the  graves  of  those  who  slumber  on  the  field  of  Tippeca- 
noe, and  some  trees  from  which  Davis  was  trying  to  dislodge 
some  Indians  when  he  fell.  I  have  a  view,  too,  of  Prophet's 
Town. 

"Although  I  have  been  defeated  in  getting  these  views 
before  the  public  eye  at  the  time  when  political  excitement 
ran  high,  yet  I  have  often  indulged  in  the  consoling  hopes 
that  Harrison  would  be  elected,  and  that  an  interest  would 
still  be  felt  for  a  peep  at  the  ground  on  which  such  conflict- 
ing opinions  have  been  expressed.  I  think  if  I  could  get 
these  pictures  to  Cincinnati  some  time  before  the  General  sets 
out  for  the  White  House,  that  the  feelings  of  '  fellow  citi- 
zens '  will  be  warmed  up  again,  and  it  would  be  a  favorable 
time  to  exhibit  them.  I  have  also  thought  that  it  would  be 
a  propitious  time,  too,  either  at  the  inauguration,  or  during 
the  spring,  to  exhibit  them  at  Washington." 

It  is  not  known  whether  Mr.  Winter  succeeded  in  his 
plans,  or  what  disposition  was  finally  made  of  these  paint- 
ings. 

AN  INDIAN  BURIAL  GROUND. 

George  Winter,  the  artist,  devoted  much  attention  to  lit- 
erature as  a  pastime,  and  he  contributed  many  sketches  of 
the  country,  and  Indian  character,  to  the  press  while  he  lived 
at  Logansport.      It  is  understood  that  he  left  voluminous  un- 


APPENDIX.  233 

published  notes,  which  are  supposed  to  be  in  the  hands  of  his 
widow  at  La  Fayette.  In  a  description  of  an  Indian  burial 
ground  near  Logansport,  he  says: 

"No  doubt  but  what  this  depository  of  the  aboriginal 
dead  was  mostly  confined  to  the  Indians  who  died  at  the  vil- 
lage of  Ke-na-pa-cum-qua,  which  stood  on  the  north  bank 
of  Eel  River,  some  six  miles  above  the  confluence  with  the 
Wabash.  'Charley's  Reserve'  is  known  as  being  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  this  old  village.  Many  of  the  older  citizens  are  famil- 
iar with  the  beautiful  view  that  could  be  seen  from  Reed's 
old  log  cabin  on  the  northern  bank,  near  the  Peru  road.  The 
scene  that  thus  presented  itself  to  the  eye  included  the  old 
site  of  the  village  of  Ke-na-pa-cum-qua.  The  Miami  burial 
ground  near  Logansport,  contained  the  remains  of  the  re- 
nowned chief  and  warrior,  No-ka-me-nah,  or  as  he  was  more 
familiarly  called.  Captain  Flowers.  The  graves  were  gener- 
ally covered  with  bark.  The  chief's  loomed  up  above  all 
others  of  lesser  consequence.  It  was  rudely  constructed  of 
logs,  within  which  was  placed  a  pine  box,  or  che-pe-em-kak, 
protecting  the  remains.  The  chief's  rifle,  tin  cup,  powder 
horn,  and  other  relics  were  deposited  so  that  the  spirit  might 
carry  along  with  it  in  its  flight  the  chosen  earthly  objects  to 
the  beautiful  world  of  the  future  hunting  grounds.  There 
are  no  signs  now  to  indicate  the  burial  ground.  I  remember 
well  when  the  same  spot  yielded  to  the  ploughshare.  It 
proved  a  rich  soil,  but  it  seemed  strange  to  see  the  beautiful 
tassel  of  the  corn  thrown  out  where,  but  a  few  years  ago, 
there  was  a  breathing  of  sanctity  upon  the  lowly  graves. 
When  the  ploughshare  ran  deep  into  the  graves  the — 

"  Brown  skulls,  in  spite  of  ugly  death, 

On  the  grasss  grinned  merrily. 
You  could  hear  men's  rotting  and  crumbling  bones 

Rattle  together  with  unctuous  glee. 


234  FRANCES   SI.OCUM. 

For  they  mocked  the  sighs  and  scoffed  at  the  moans 
Of  silly  and  frail  humanity." 

"  It  was  a  painfnl  fact,  of  which  no  doubt  existed,  that  the 
body  of  No-ka-me-nah  did  not  rest  long  after  burial,  in  peace- 
ful repose.  It  was  a  good  rifle  they  consigned  to  the  grave 
with  the  chief,  but  the  enterprising  Christian  man  had  soon 
possession  of  it,  and  many  a  deer  has  fallen  since  at  its  sharp 
crack,  and  the  venison  sold  for  fifty  cents  per  saddle,  proving 
satisfactorily  that  the  violations  of  a  red  man's  grave  was  a 
pecuniary  gain! 

"  But  why  should  we  underrate  moral  acts  ?  Stealing  from 
an  Indian  grave  is,  after  all,  but  a  white  man's  'smart  trick' 
of  trade!" 


ERRATA. 


Page  loo,  first  line  in  Chapter  heading,  for  "oldest" 
daughter  read  eldest. 

Page  159,  last  line  of  text,  for  "four"  years  read  five. 

Page  162,  eighteenth  line,  for  "niece"  read  granddaugh- 
ter. 

Page  162,  foot  note,  for  "Memorial"  read  Manual. 

Page  164,  eleventh  line,  for  "  newphew  "  read  nephew. 


BIBLIOGRAPHV. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  authorities  consulted  in  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  Biography  of  Frances  Slocum: 

London''  s  hidiaii  Narratives. 

Two  Volumes.  By  Archibald  Loudon.  Carlisle,  from  the  Press  of  A. 
Loudon,  1808. 

A  Sketch  of  the  History  of  Wyoming . 

To  which  is  added  an  Appendix  containinji  a  Statistical  Account  of  the 
Valley  and  Adjacent  Country,  by  a  Gentleman  of  Wilkes-Barre.  By 
Isaac  A.  Chapman.     Wilkes-Barre,  Sharp  D.  Lewis,  1830. 

The  Poetry  and  History  of  Wyoming.^ 

Containing  Campbell's  Gertrude,  w-ith  a  Biographical  Sketch  of  tlie 
Author  by  Washington  Irving,  and  the  History  of  Wyoming  by  Wm. 
L.  Stone.     New  York  and  London,  Wiley  &  Putnam,  1841. 

The  Lost  Sister  of  Wyoming. 

An  Authentic  Narrative.  By  Rev.  John  Todd.  Northampton,  Pa.,  J. 
H.  Butler,  1842. 

History  of  Wyoming^ 

In  a  series  of  letters  from  Charles  Miner,  to  His  Son,  William  Penn 
Miner,  Esq.     Philadelphia,  published  by  J.  Crissy,  1845. 

The  Pictorial  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution. 

Two  Volume.?.  By  Benson  J.  Lo.ssing,  LL.  D.  New  York,  Harper  & 
Brothers,  1859. 

Annals  of  Luzerne. 

A  Record  of  Events,  Traditions  and  Anecdotes,  from  the  First  Settle- 
ment of  Wyoming  to  1860.  By  Stewart  Pearce.  Philadelphia,  J.  B. 
Ltppincott  &  Comjjany,  1860. 

Wyoming  : 

Its  History,  Stirring  Incidents  and  Romantic  Adventures.  By  George 
Peck,  D.  D.     New  York,  Harper  &  Brothers,  1860. 

The  Valley  of  Wyotning  ; 

The  Romance  of  its  History  and  its  Poetry.  By  a  native  of  the  Valley. 
New  York,  Robert  H.  Johnston  &  Co.,  186(). 

History  of  the  Lackawanna  Valley. 

By  H.  Hollister,  M.  D.,  Scranton.  PhiUidelphia,  J.  B.  Lippincott  k  Com- 
pany, 1855. 


236  BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

The  Wyoming  Valley\  Upper  Waters  of  the  Susquehanna^  and 
the  Lackawanna  Coal  Region. 
By  J.  A.  Clark,  Scranton,  Pa.,  iuiblished  by  the  author,  1875. 

Wyoming  Me?noriaL 

A  Record  of  the  One  Hundredth  Year  Commemorative  Observance  of 
the  Battle  and  Massacre.  Edited  by  Wesley  Johnson,  Esq.,  Secretary 
of  the  Association.     Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.,  Beardslee  &  Co.,  1882. 

Frances  Slocum^  the  Lost  Sister. 

A  Poem.  By  Caleb  Earl  Wright.  Robert  Baur  &  Son,  Wilkes-Barre, 
Pa.,  1889. 

Historical  Sketches  0/ Plymouth.,  Luzerne  County.,  Pa. 

By  Hendrick  B.  Wright.     Philadelphia,  T.  B.  Peterson  &  Brother,  1873. 
Brief  of  a    Title  in  Seventeen   Toivnships  in  the   County  of 

Luserne. 

A  Syllabus  of  the  Controversy  Betvi'een  Connecticut  and  Pennsylvania. 

Read  before  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania.     By  Gov.  Henry 

M.  Hoyt.     Harrisburg,  Lane  S.  Hart,  1879. 

Historical  Collections  of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania. 

Its  History  and  Antiquities.  By  Sherman  Day.  Philadelphia,  George 
W.  Gorton,  1843. 

Early  Times  on  the  Susquehanna. 

By  Mrs.  George  A.  Perkins.     Binghumton,  Malette  &  Reed,  1870. 
An  Lllustrated  History  of  Pennsylvania. 

Civil,  Political  and  Military,  including  Historical  Descriptions  of  each 

County   in   the  State.     By  William  H.  Egle,  M.  D.,  State   Librarian. 

Harrisburg,  De  Witt  C.  Goodrich  &  Co.,  1876. 

The  Aboriginal  Races  of  North  America. 

Origin,  Antiquities,  Manners  and  Customs.  By  Samuel  G.  Drake. 
New  York,  Hurst  &  Co.,  1880. 

Magazine  of  American  History. 

New  York.     Edited  by  Mrs.  Martha  J.  Lamb,  July,  1890. 

Harpers''  Monthly  Magazine. 

New  York,  Harper  &  Brothers,  August,  1858. 

History  of  Cass  County^  Lndiana. 

By  Thomas  B.  Helm.     Chicago,  Kingman  Brothers,  1878. 

History  of  Fort  Wayne., 

From  the  Earliest  Known  Accounts.  By  Wallace  A.  Brice.  Fort  Wayne, 
Indiana,  D.  W.  Jones  &  Son,  1868. 

History  of  Wabash  County.,  Lndiana. 

By  Thomas  B.  Helm.     Chicago,  John  Morris,  1884. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY,  237 

Valley  of  the  Upper  Maumee  River^ 

With  Historical  Accounts  of  Allen  County  and  the  City  of  Fort  Wayne, 
Indiana.  The  Story  of  its  Profrress  from  Sarairery  to  Civilization.  Two 
Volumes.     Madi.son,  Wis.,  Brant  &  Fuller,  188!). 

History  of  Miami  County^  Indiana. 

Its  Early  Settlement  and  Progress.     Chicago,  1888. 

History  of  Lancaster  County.^  Pennsylvania.^ 

With  Biographical  Sketches  of  Many  of  its  Pioneers  and  Prominent 
Men.     By  Ellis  &  Evans.     Philadelphia,  Everts  &  Peck,  1883. 

A  History  of  Indiana., 

From  its  Earliest  Exploration  by  Europeans  to  18o().  By  John  B.  Dil- 
lon.    Indianapolis,  Bingham  &  Dougherty,  1859. 

Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  BiograpJiy. 

No.  1,  Vol.  III.     Edited  by  John  AV.  Jordan.     Philadelphia,  1879. 

History  of  the  Slociims.,  Slociimbs  and  Slocombs  of  America. 
Genealogical  and  Biographical.   By  Charles  Elihu  Slocum,  M.  D.,  Ph.  D., 
Defiance,  Ohio.     Published  by  the  author,  1882. 

Wyalusiitg. 

Its  Hi.story  from  the  First  Settlement  until  1779.  By  Rev.  David  Craft. 
Towanda,  1870. 

History  of  Bradford  County.,  Pennsylvania. 

By  Rev.  David  Craft.     L.  H.  Everts  &  Co.,  Philadelphia,  1878. 

General  Sullivan''  s  Expedition  Against  the  Six  Nations  0/ 
India7is  in  lyjg. 

By  Frederick  Cook,  Secretary  of  State,  N.  Y.  Auburn,  Knap,  Peck  & 
Thompson,  1887. 

Frances  Slocum.,  the  Indiaii  Captive. 

Pamphlet  by  James  Slocum.     Brownsville,  Pa.,  1878. 

Histojy  of  the  Girtys^ 

Thomas,  Simon,  James  and  George.  By  Consul  Willshire  Butterfield. 
Cincinnati,  Robert  Clarke  &  Co.,  1890. 

Historical  Record. 

A  Monthly  Publication  Devoted  Principally  to  the  Early  History  of 
Wyoming  and  Contiguous  Territory.  Edited  by  F.  C.  John.son,  M.  D. 
Three  Volumes.     Wilkes-Barre  Record,  1886  to  188i». 

Journal  of  Captain  William  Trent., 

From  Logstown  to  Pickawillany,  A.  1).  ll'Yl,  with  an  Historical  Sketch 
of  the  Miami  Ctmfederacy.  Edited  by  Alfred  T.  Goodman.  Cincinuati, 
Robert  Clarke  &  Company,  1871. 


238  BIBLIOGRAPHY. 

Beautiful  Wyoming. 

A  Poem  for  the  Celebration  of  the  Hundredth  Anniversary  of  the  Bat- 
tle, Massacre  and  Flight;  1778,  July  3, 1878.  By  Henry  Coppee.  Phila- 
delphia, Claxton,  Remsen  &  Hatiellinger,  1878. 

Annals  of  the  West. 

A  Concise  Account  of  Principal  Events  which  have  Occurred  in  the 
Western  States  and  Territories  to  the  year  1856.  By  James  R.  Albach. 
Pittsburgh,  W.  S.  Haven,  1857. 

History  of  Luzerne.^   Lackaivanna    and   Wyoming   Counties^ 

Pennsylvania. 

With  Illustrations  and  Biographical  Sketches.    New  York,  W.  W.  Mun- 

sell  &  Co.,  1880. 
Families  of  the  Wyomirtg  Valley. 

Biographical,  Genealogical  and  Historical.     Sketches  of  the  Bench  and 

Bar  of  Luzerne  County,  Pa.     By  George  B.  Kulp.     In  three  Volumes. 

Wilkes-Barre,  1885— '89-'90., 

A  Manual  of  Gold  and  Silver  Coins  of  All  Nations., 

Struck  Within  the  past  Century.  By  Jacob  R.  Eckfeldt  &  William  E. 
DuBois.     Philadelijhia,  1851. 


INDKX. 


Ashley,  near  Wilkes-Barre,  74. 

Athens,  Pa.,  75. 

A-taw-a-taw,  80. 

Annals,  Western,  quoted,  80. 

Algonquin,  82. 

Abouette,  river  of,  86. 

Adams,  Hon.  John  Quincy,  130. 

Avres,  Mrs.  Marv  S.,  painting  owned 
by,  160. 

Appendix,  beginning  of,  191. 

Aquenockque,  Chief,  199. 
B 

Battle  of  Wyoming,  7,  8. 

Butler,  Col.,  8. 

Bowman,  Rev.  Samuel,  sketch  of,  42. 

Brouillette,  J.  B.,  as  a  Farmer,  56; 
where  born,  70,  72;  his  promise,  121; 
his  residence,  144 ;  grief  of,  147 ;  his 
second  marriage,  141 ;  death  of,  164 ; 
his  history,  164;  tombstone  record, 
165 ;  tribute  to  his  character  by  Win- 
ter, 165, 16«),  167, 168, 169;  his  father, 
note,  169;  the  Slocum  deatlibed 
scene,  170. 

Brownsville,  Canada,  77,  78. 

Bennett,  Geo.  S.,  81;  paintings  owned 
by,  159 ;  recollections  of  the  artist, 
note,  159.  160. 

Bennett,  Ziha,  100. 

Bennett,  Mrs.  Hannah,, Tournal  of,  101 ; 
at  Rocliester,  103 ;  Niagara  Falls,  104 ; 
arrival  at  Sandusky,  106;  Maumee 
Bay,  107;  at  Peru,  109;  meets  her 
aunt,  109,  110;  description  of  her, 
110;  the  return;  113;  at  Indianapo- 
lis, 114 ;  impressions  of  Cincinnati, 
115;  extortionate  boat  fares,  115; 
reaches  Wheeling,  116;  visit  to  Ca- 
diz, 116;  ofl'  for  Pittsburg,  116;  arri- 
val at  Hollidaysburg,  117;  over  the 
Portage  Railroad,  117;  reaches  home, 
118;  her  death,  118. 

Bidlack,  Hon.  Benjamin  A.,  speech  of, 
129 ;  note,  129. 


Bondy,  Peter,  what  he  says  of  Frances, 
136;  relics,  155  ;  sketch  of,  223;  place 
of  birth,  224;  strange  Indian  dance, 
225 ;  personal  appearance,  227. 

Belgian  coin,  by  whom  owned,  161, 
162. 

Bondv,  Judson  C,  173. 

Bondy,  Jane,  174;  her  will,  177,  178, 
179;  180,  181,  182. 

Brouillette,  Eliza,  180. 

Bondy,  Mabel  Ray,  youngest  descend- 
ant" of  Frances,  I80,  186. 

Brouillette,  Nancy,  186. 

Bondy,  Judson  C,  186. 

Biddle,  Hon.  Horace  P.,  his  recollec- 
tions, 191 ;  sketch  of,  note,  191 ;  set- 
tles at  Logansport,  194. 

Black  Hawk,  193. 

Bearss,  Hon.  Daniel  R.,  194 ;  ditticulty 
with  Ewing,  195. 

Burial  Ground,  Indian,  232. 
O 

Campbell's  Ledge,  7. 

Craft,  Rev.,  quoted,  75. 

Chemung  River,  76. 

Christian  Indians,  massacre  of,  80. 

Cass,  Lewis,  83. 

Canal,  Erie,  84. 

Cole,  Alphonso  A.,  letter  of,  127,  128. 

Congress,  promjjt  action  of,  132. 

Cross  once  owned  by  Frances,  157. 

Coin,  Belgian,  description  of,  161, 162; 
by  whom  once  owned,  162. 

Curious  family  relation,  173. 

Court,  Miami  Circuit,  194. 

Chicago  in  183(),  194. 

Cincinnati,  Biddle  admitted,  194. 
D 

Dioga,  where  located,  25. 

Dickson,  Mrs.  Mary,  41,  42. 

Deaf  Man's  Village,  50;   married  to 

him,  67. 
j  Detroit  River,  when  living  there,  66. 

Dillon,  quoted,  82. 
I  Douglass,  John  T.,  sub-agent,  91. 


Duret,  J.  B.,  91. 

Descendants,  table  of,  185. 
E 

Ewing,  Col.  George,  discovers  Frances, 
36;  his  letter,  39;  reply  to  Jon.  J. 
Slocam,  44,  45;  what  he  told  Col. 
Wright,  58, 59 ;  character  of,  194, 195. 

Evans  &  Ellis,  quoted,  42;  sketch  of 
postmasters,  note,  41.  j 

Eel  River,  encamped  on,  68,  83 ;  unites 
with  the  Wabash,  113.  j 

F 

Forney,  John  W.  42. 

Fulwiler,  James  B.,  visits  Frances,  49; 
sketch  of,  note,  49;  grief  of  the  Slo-  | 
cums,  52  ;  location  of  hotel,  note,  62.  '• 

Falls,  Niagara,  77 ;  Indian  path,  152.     ! 

Fontaine,  Francis  La,  sketch  of,  227 ; 

death  of,  228 ;  last  of  the  family,  228. 

G  I 

Godfrey,  Francis,  chief,  50;  his  ap- 1 
pearance,  50;  advice  to  Frances,  54,  I 
81 ;  land  grants,  92 ;  money  paid  to, 
99  ;  relics  of  Frances,  156 ;  painting 
of,  196;  anecdote  of,  19S;  sketch  of, 
212;  his  wife  and  family,  213,  214; 
address  at  his  funeial,  '214;  monu- 
ment, 215 ;  his  will,  216,  217,  218,  219  ; 
anecdote  of,  220;  how  he  won  the 
chieftainship,  221. 

Geiu'ssec,  77. 

Godf'ioy,  ( Jaliricl,  222;  his  medals  and 
relics,  22_' ;   his  tine  farm,  222. 

Gddfroy,  Geo.  Washington,  killed  by 
lightning,  221. 

H 

Harmar,  defeat  of,  67. 

Harrison,  Fort,  70. 

Harrison,  General,  82. 

Huntington,  where  situated,  85;  by 
whom  laid  out,  86. 

Hamilton,  Allen,  secretarv,  91, 98  ;  an- 
ecdote, 206. 

House  on  the  hill,  184. 

Hawk,  Black,  193. 
I 

Intelligencer,  Lancaster.  41,  42. 

Indianapolis,  arrival  at,  114. 
J 

Johnson,  Hon.  Cave,  presents  Slocum 
resolution,  129. 

Johnstown,  N.  Y.,  76. 

Judson,  Captain,  anecdote  of,  198. 
K 

Kingsley,  Nathan,  killed,  13. 

Kingsley,  Wareham,  note,  14. 


Kingsley,  Nathan,  note,  13. 

Ke-ki-onga,  returns  to,  67,  82. 

Ke-ke-se-qua,  71 ;  granted  land,  97 ; 
death  of,  142  ;  spelling  of  her  name, 
note,  142 ;  her  marriages,  142, 143. 

Kin-o-zach-wa,  162. 

Keokuk,  Chief,  193. 
L 

Latitude  of  Wilkes-Barre,  note,  6. 

Lackawanna,  valley  of,  7. 

Ledge,  Campbell's,  7,  75. 

Lancaster,  postmasters  of,  41. 

Little  Turtle,  Chief,  note,  67. 

Laurel  Run,  74. 

Logansport,  83,  where  located,  113; 
Biddle  arrives  at,  195. 

Lasselle,  H.,  91. 

Lewis,  Mrs.  Harriet  E.,  100  ;  accompa- 
nies her  sister  west,  101 ;  recollec- 
tions of  the  visit,  118,  119,  120. 

Lossing,  Benson  J.,  196. 

La  Fontaine,  Francis,  205. 
M 

Miller,  James  T.,  Interpreter,  47,  55, 
5(),  109. 

:Mississinewa,  49,  50,  80,  153. 

.Met-a-cin-vah,  80. 

INIa-con-a-qua,  82. 

Miami  tribe,  82;  names  of,  82;  No. 
of,  97  ;  last  treaty  with,  97  ;  remnant 
of,  123  ;  flight  of,  132 ;  more  exemp- 
tions, 144;  confederacy  of,  186,  187. 

Metosina,  old,  97;  history  of  98. 

:\Iih(.y,  Suiiiu(4,  98. 

jMiauii  Couutv,  when  formed,  122. 

]\IiaiMispoit,  122. 

Mingia,  what  it  means,  150. 

Maconuili,  meaning  of,  150. 

]\Iuri)hy,  I\Irs.  L.  G.,  149. 
N 

Niagara,  note,  66, 

Niagara,  Fort,  wliere  located,  76. 


0-zah-wah-shing-qua,  71;  land  grant,  93; 
no  painting  of,  161 ;  number  of  hus- 
bands and  children,  171,  172,  173; 
death  of  177;  touibstone  record,  174; 
her  aiipcarance, note,  174, 175;  hal»its 
and  uuiiiners,  175;  jiatent  for  land, 
176;  her  will,  178  to  183. 

0-san-diah,  79,  93. 

Osage  village,  80. 

P 

Prospect  Rock,  6. 

Proctor,  Col.  Thomas,  25 ;  his  mission, 
26;    meets  Giles  Slocum,  26;  also 


meets  Frances,  27;  sketch  of  Proc- 
tor, note,  28,  77. 

Peru,  citizens  of  63;  city  of  110;  first 
name,  122,  192. 

Piqua,  Plains  of,  70,  80. 

Pepper,  Abel  ('.,  Commissioner,  85. 

Pratt,  Daniel  D.,  Secretary,  91. 

Pottawatamies,  home  of  the,  97. 

Pe-che-wa,  96;  sketch  of,  199. 

Phelps,  Mrs.  M.  B.,  paintings  owned 
by, 160. 

Pocongoqua,  205. 

R 

Rock,  Prospect,  6. 

River,  Eel,  78. 

River,  Miami,  79. 

Ray,  James  B.,  Commissioner,  83. 

Reservation,  Great,  84;  ceded,  86. 

Richardville,  John  B.,  mentioned  in  | 
treaty  of  1838,  90 ;  land  grants,  92,  I 
95,  96,  97  ;  how  he  became  chief,  98 ; 
money  paid  to.  99;  anecdotes  of,  197; 
sketch  of,  199,  200,  201,  202,  203,  204, 
205,  206;  poetic  tribute  to,  207,  208, 
209,  210,  211.  I 

Relics,  collection  of,  155.  i 

S 

Susquehanna,  7. 

Slocum,  Jonathan,  place  of  birtli,  9 ; 
settles  at  AVyoming,  9;  death  of,  19; 
place  (if  linrial,  .'!1. 

Slocum,  Ruth,  -rief  of,  15,  16,  17;  vis- 
its Tio-a,  24;  death  of,  24. 

Slocum,  family,  10,  11,  12,  183,  189. 

Slocum,  Giles,  escape  of,  12;  meets  Col. 
Proctor,  26 ;  visits  Niagara,  29. 

Slocum,  Mary,  saves  Joseph,  13. 

Slocum,  Ebenezer,  released,  15. 

Slocum,  William,  wounded,  20;  visits 
Niagara,  29.  | 

Slocum,  Isaac,  journey  through  Can- 
ada, 29 ;  offers  a  reward  for  Frances, 
30 ;  what  Indian  agents  said,  30 ; 
starts  for  Peru  47 ;  meets  Frances, 
48 ;  mention  of,  100 ;  loss  of  his  wife, 
106 ;  surrenders  his  son  to  Frances, 
146;  sends  his  son  to  Frances,  15:',. 

Slocum,  Joseph,  visits  the  Wvandot 
Mission,  34;  receives Ewing's  letter, 
43 ;  starts  for  Ohio,  47 ;  arrives  at  Pe- 
ru, 49 ;  meets  Frances,  51 ;  what  she  , 
said,  52 ;  return  from,  73 ;  last  visit,  I 
100;  bids  his  sister  farewell,  121. 

Salomie  River,  84. 

Slocum,  Frances,  date  of  birtli,  11 ;  cap- 
ture, 13 ;  seen  at  Niagara,  note,  20 ; 
recorded  at  Johnstown  as  Hookam 
child,"  23;  discovered  byEwing,  39, 


40;  meets  her  brothers  and  sister, 
51,  52 ;  identitied,  52 ;  remembers 
her  name  on  liearing  it,  53;  consults 
Godfroy,  54;  visits  Peru,  62;  pledge 
of  friendship,  62;  remarkable  meet- 
ing, 63,  64,  65;  stor}-  of  capture,  64 ; 
meets  Tuck  Horse,  65  ;  her  wander- 
ings, 66,  67,  68;  first  Indian  name, 
66;  how  she  looked,  72;  romantic 
incident,  79;  massacre  of  Cliristian 
Indians,  80;  becomes  a  Miami,  82; 
important  notice  of,  97;  wants  Jo- 
seph to  live  with  her,  121 ;  petitions 
Congress,  125;  names  of  her  de- 
scendants, 126 ;  pleased  over  action 
of  Congress,  132;  pestered  by  bad 
neight)Mi>,  l.">5;  her  new  house,  136; 
her  (leatli,  l.'w;  burial,  139;  funeral 
sermon,  140;  the  cemetery,  140;  her 
character,  141  ;  2)eculiarity  of  her 
hair,  142  ;  monument  to  be  built,  141; 
death  of  her  daughter,  142;  sees  her 
father  searching  for  her,  151,  152; 
sends  for  her  nephew,  153;  adopts 
him,  153;  her  cross,  illustrated,  157; 
painting  of,  159;  what  slie  tdld  Gen. 
Tipton,  171 ;  table  of  descendants, 
185  ;  youngest  descendant,  185;  close 
of  her  history,  186,  187,  189;  her 
case  alluded  to,  196;  what  she  said, 
196;  Indians  and  white  men,  196. 

Slocum  House,  where  it  stood,  note,  39. 

Sentiment,  expression  of,  57,  184. 

Slocum,  Jon.  J.,  letter  of,  44. 

Spe-pan-can-ah,  67,  79  ;  described,  81 ; 
his  village,  81. 

Sandusky,  visit  to,  66,  77. 

Schermerhorn,  Mrs.  E.  L.,  poem,  69. 

Slocum,  Harriet,  accompanies  father 
and  sister  on  a  visit  to  Frances,  101 ; 
her  recollections,  118,  119,  120. 

Slocum,  residence,  where  located  in 
Indiana,  122. 

Sample  Hon.S.  C,  letter  of,  127  ;  knew 
Brouillette,  169. 

Slocum,  Rev.  Geo.  R.,  145 ;  his  death 
and  obituary,  145,  146,  147,  148 ;  at 
Reserve,  149. 

Slocum,  Elizabeth,  death  of,  note,  145. 

Slocum,  Charles  E.,  149. 

Slocum,  Eliza  O.,  lier  account  of  Fran- ' 
ces,  150. 

Slocum,  Mary  Cordelia, place  of  birth, 
149;   what  Frances  told   her,    150; 
what  she  is  called,  150. 
T 

Tripi),  Isaac,  10,  death  of  19;  his  his- 
tory, 19. 


Tripp,  Isaac,  Jr.,  captured,  note,  20. 
Tioga,  where  it  is  located,  24  ;  original 

name  of,  25,  74,  75. 
Towne,  Mrs.  Mary,  47  ;  visits  Peru,  49; 

meets  Frances,  52  ;  meets  her  again, 

56 :  the  last  visit,  100. 
Tippecanoe,  battle  of,  68,  84 ;  paint- 
ings of,  231. 
Terre  Haute,  70. 
Towanda,  75. 
Tuck  Horse,  77. 
Turtle,  Little,  78. 
Tribe,  Miami,  82,  186,  187. 
Treaty,  first  held,  82;  at  St.  Mary's,  83; 

at  Paradise  Springs,  83;  pavments, 

83 ;  last  treaty,  186,  187. 
Tipton,  John,  Commissioner,  83. 
Tippecanoe  River,  84. 
Treaty   of  1838,  85;  where  held,  85; 

money  paid,  86 ;  last  of,  99  ;  of  1840, 

123. 
Territory,  The  Indian,  133. 
Taylor,  Z.,  President,  signs  patent,  177. 

V 
Valley,  Wyoming,  location  of  the,  6. 
Villages,  Indian,  96. 
W 
Wyoming,  meaning  of,  5. 


Wilkes-Barre,  latitude  of,  note,  6. 
Wyoming  Monument,  note,  8. 
White  Woman,  37,  63,  96,  171. 
Wright,  Col.Hendrick  B.,  letter  of,  57. 
White  Rose  of  Miami,  poem,  69. 
Wyalusing,  75. 

Wayne,  Fort,  Indian  name  of,  67 ;  ar- 
rival at,  78. 
Wabash  River,  83;  receives  Eel  River, 

113. 
Weas,  history  of  the,  note.  111,  112. 
Wheeling,  arrival  at,  116. 
Winter,  George,  121 ;  paintings  bv,  159, 

160,  161 ;  sketch  of,  229. 
Wabash  County,  when  formed,  122. 
White,  Hon.  A.  S.,  note,  127  ;  presents 

report  in  the  Senate,  131 ;  resolution 

passes,  132. 
AV right,  Caleb  Earl,  poem,  138. 
Waltz  Township,  after  wliom  named, 

149. 
Wilson,  John,   Land    Commissioner, 

178. 
Wabash,  deed  recorded  at,  178. 


Youngest  descendant  of  Frances  Slo- 
cum.  185,  186. 


SUPPLEMENTAL. 


In  some  respects  there  has  been  ahnost  as  much  difficulty 
encountered  in  gathering  information  relating  to  the  history 
of  Frances  Slocum  as  was  experienced  by  her  brothers  who 
sought  to  find  her  after  her  capture,  with  the  difference,  how- 
ever, that  their  search  was  continued  through  many  long  and 
weary  years.  This  seems  to  be  a  part  of  the  mystery  which 
has  always  surrounded  her  case.  In  collecting  data  for  this 
work  it  was  believed  that  if  Mrs.  Eliza  O.  Slocum,  the  widow 
of  George  R. ,  could  be  found,  she  would  be  able  to  furnish  val- 
uable information,  on  account  of  her  association  with  the  old 
lady  and  her  daughters.  x\fter  a  long  search  she  was  located 
at  Sioux  City,  Iowa,  where  she  was  living  with  a  daughter, 
Mrs.  Eliza  J.  Ford,  and  a  series  of  questions  were  prepared 
by  Dr.  Charles  E.  Slocum,  of  Defiance,  Ohio,  and  forwarded 
to  her.  Not  hearing  from  her  for  a  long  time,  the  matter 
was  finally  dropped,  the  book  closed,  the  printing  completed 
and  the  sheets  sent  to  the  binder.  But,  fortunately,  before 
fifty  copies  were  bound,  she  was  heard  from.  She  had  been 
severely  ill  for  some  time,  but  realizing  the  importance  of 
the  interrogations,  she  dictated  the  following  information  to 
her  daughter,  which  is  deemed  of  sufficient  importance  to 
be  printed  in  supplemental  form  and  added  to  those  copies 
which  have  not  been  bound: 

CAPTURE    OF    FRANCES    AS   TOLD    BY   HERSELF. 

"My  father  was  at  the  fort.  [Wilkes-Barre].  I  heard  a 
gun  go  off  and  I  ran  and  hid  under  the  stairs.  Three  big  In- 
dians came  to  the  door  and  took  up  my  brother  Ebenezer. 
His  foot  was  lame;  a  cart  had  run  over  it.  My  mother  went 
to  the  door  to  tell  them  he  was  lame;  took  up  both  his  feet 
and  showed  them.  I  was  afraid  my  mother  was  going  away, 
so  I  came  out  and  ran  to  my  mother.  The  Indians  saw  me, 
and  pushing  my  brother  toward  mother,  took  me.      My  hair 


2  SUPPLEMENTAL. 

fell  over  m.y  face.  I  took  my  hand  and  brushed  it  away,  and 
saw  my  mother  for  the  last  time.  They  took  me  down  a  deep 
ravine  a  long  way,  when  we  came  to  a  cave  and  went  in.  I 
saw  my  father  through  a  little  hole  hunting  me.  I  was  go- 
ing to  scream,  when  an  Indian  held  a  big  knife  over  me  and 
looking  cross,  said,  'me  kill,  me  kill.'  That  was  the  last 
time  I  saw  my  father. 

"At  night  the  Indians  waded  in  the  water  down  the  creek 
a  long  distance,  when  they  came  to  their  horses.  We  rode 
all  night  and  came  to  an  Indian  camp.  A  little  boy  and  I 
were  given  to  two  Indians,  and  we  started  one  way — the  rest 
of  the  Indians  went  another  way.  They  had  nine  captives 
with  them.  We  went  north  and  crossed  under  the  big  water. 
[Niagara  Falls].  The  big  water  went  boom,  boom,  x^fter  a 
while  we  came  to  an  Indian  camp.  I  don't  know  anything 
about  the  boy — don't  know  what  became  of  hinh  They  took 
me  to  an  old  man  and  his  wife,  and  they  always  took  care  of 
me.  One  day,  when  I  was  twenty-one  years  old,  there  was 
a  big  stir  in  camp;  the  old  man  and  his  wife  took  me  and  got 
in  a  boat  in  a  great  hurry,  and  we  went  a  long  way,  when  we 
came  to  another  camp.  The  old  man  then  gave  me  to  the 
chief,   and  then  I  took  care  of  my  own  wigwam." 

"When  Frances  gave  this  account  of  her  capture,"  says 
Mrs.  Slocum,  "her  daughters  were  present  and  interpreted 
for  her." 

MARRIAGES    OF    FRANCES. 

"At  one  time  I  was  at  their  house,  when  0-zah-wah-shing- 
qua,  or  Mrs.  Bondy,  as  we  called  her,  and  we  were  alone,  I 
asked  her  to  tell  me  of  her  mother's  marriages,  as  I  had  heard 
she  was  married  twice.  She  said:  'The  first  time  she  was 
married  she  was  not  happy.'  I  asked  her  how  they  got  mar- 
ried. She  replied:  'Frances'  father  said  to  him,  [first  hus- 
band], 'You  love  him  squaw?'  He  said,  'Yes.'  The  father 
replied,  'Well,  take  him,  and  no  'buse  him.'  Mrs.  Bondy 
continued,  '  After  a  while  he  'buse  him,  and  he  [she]  came 
home,  but  her  husband  came  and  made  good  promises  to  treat 
her  well.     She  tried  again,  but  he  was  abusive.     She  left  him 


SUPPLEMENTAL.  3 

again,  came  back,  and  they  drove  him  away,  and  she  never 
saw  him  again.' 

"The  second  marriage,'  said  Mrs.  Bondy,  'came  about  as 
follows:  Frances,  her  father  and  mother,  started  down  the 
river.  Before  they  reached  Fort  Wayne  they  passed  an  In- 
dian battle  ground.  The  dead  were  lying  oh  every  side. 
They  heard  groans,  when  they  stopped,  and  in  the  brush  they 
found  a  chief  of  the  Miamis  wounded.  They  took  him  in 
their  boat  and  went  about  twelve  miles  below  Fort  Wayne. 
It  was  late  in  the  fall.  They  nursed  him  until  he  recovered 
from  his  wound,  but  he  was  lame.  At  one  time  they  were 
out  of  food,  when  the  young  chief  walked  to  Fort  Wayne  to 
obtain  something.  He  was  gone  four  days,  when  they  saw 
him  afar  off  returning.  Frances  went  out  and  met  him.  He 
was  much  wearied  and  quite  sick.  Through  gratitude  for 
what  he  had  done  for  them,  Frances'  Indian  father  gave  her 
to  him  in  the  early  spring.  They  then  went  down  the  Wa- 
bash River  and  joined  his  tribe  at  the  Osage  village.  This 
was  She-pah-can-a,  or  the  Deaf  Man.' 

"  Mrs.  Bondy  once  dressed  me  in  Frances'  best  dress,  with 
beaded  moccasins  and  leggins,  a  fine  felt  blanket  wrapped 
around  me  as  a  shirt,  which  was  so  completely  covered  with 
scarlet  and  green  silk  ribbon  an  inch  wide,  and  sewed  to- 
gether so  closely  you  could  see  no  felt  on  the  right  side;  a 
short  gown  of  navy  blue,  with  extra  cape  covered  all  over 
with  silver  bangles,  a  sash  of  scarlet  four  yards  long  with 
white  tasssels  at  the  ends.  My  head  was  crowned  with  a 
wreath  of  black  ostrich  feathers  with  silver  broaches  on  the 
front.      The  back  feathers  were  very  long. 

"Mrs.   E.  O.  SLOCUM." 

valuable  information. 

Following  are  the  answers  of  Mrs.  E.  O.  Slocuni  to  ques- 
tions submitted  to  her  by  Dr.  Charles  E.  Slocum: 

"What  was  the  duration  of  Frances'  last  sickness?" 
"  Less  than  a  week." 


4  vSUPPLEMENTAL. 

"  What  doctor  did  she  have,  and  would  she  take  his  med- 
icine ?" 

"  She  died  forty-two  3'ears  ago  the  6th*  of  next  March. 
[1891.]  There  was  no  white  doctor  on  the  Reserve  at  that 
time.  The  Indians  used  their  system  or  treatment.  She 
would  not  have  taken  white  folks'  medicine  if  there  had  been 
a  doctor." 

"What  was  her  sickness,  and  the  cause  of  her  death?" 

"  Pneumonia.  The  Indians  had  been  having  a  thankofifer- 
ing.  They  cooked  a  deer  whole  for  the  Great  Spirit  and  put 
it  on  a  table.  They  sat  around  it  and  sang,  but  did  not  eat. 
They  sang  all  night  and  she  caught  cold." 

"What  minister  preached  her  funeral  sermon?" 

"Joseph  Davis,  an  exhorter.  There  was  no  minister  with- 
in reach  at  the  time.  It  was  not  the  custom  for  the  Indians 
to  bury  their  dead  in  a. coffin  at  that  time;  but  they  were 
given  to  understand  that  she  was  a  white  woman  and  should 
be  buried  according  to  the  custom  of  white  people.  A  coffin 
was  then  obtained,  but  it  was  found  to  be  one  foot  too  long. 
They  then  put  a  little  brass  kettle,  a  cream  pitcher  and  other 
things  in  the  vacant  space  at  her  feet." 

"  Did  you  see  her  every  day  ?" 

"Yes;  we  lived  near." 

"  Did  you  spend  much  time  in  visiting  her?" 

"Yes;  either  myself  or  husband  were  there  most  of  the 
time." 

"Were  you  very  intimate  with  her?" 

"Yes;  she  thought  a  great  deal  of  us.  Of  course,  we 
spoke  different  languages." 

"Did  she  retain  any  of  her  mother's  teachings?  If  so, 
give  examples." 

"I  think  so.  vShe  kept  her  house  very  much  better  than 
the  native  Indians.  And  her  lessons  of  cleanliness  to  her 
girls  were  souiething  to  wonder  at.  Both  she  aud  her  daugh- 
ters were  very  neat  with  their  needles.  In  neatness  and  order 
she  and  family  were  far  above  the  native  Indians." 

*  All  other  accounts  agree  in  fixing  the  date  of  her  death  on  March  9th. 


SUPPLEMENTAL.  5 

"  Did  she  use  any  English  words  ?     If  so,  to  what  extent  ?" 

"  Yes;  she  and  I  were  sitting  alone  one  evening,  and  I  be- 
came anxions  about  Mr.  Slocum's  return  from  payment  [an- 
nuity] when  she  said:  'Pretty  soon  George  come;  moon 
shine."  These  are  the  only  words  I  ever  heard  her  say;  but 
I  think  she  could  understand." 

"  Did  she  show  much  interest  in  her  white  relatives?" 

"Yes;  for  those  whom  she  knew  she  seemed  to  think  a 
great  deal  of." 

"  Did  she  at  any  time  show  any  of  the  Indian's  distrust  of 
the  white  man  in  her  intercourse  with  her  wliite  relatives? 
If  so,  give  examples." 

"No;  she  had  her  interpreter  write  two  letters  to  her 
brother  Isaac  to  come  out  on  business.  He  came,  when  she 
said  her  business  with  him  was  to  ask  him  to  give  his  son 
George  to  her  to  care  for  her  property,  and  be  her  son.  She 
said  she  would  make  him  an  equal  heir  with  her  two  girls. 

"  Isaac  said,  '  George  is  my  youngest  son,  the  one  I  have 
picked  out  to  live  with  me  and  care  for  my  interest  in  mv  old 
age.'  Frances  replied,  'You  know  I  was  taken  away  when 
I  was  little,  and  had  no  care  from  my  people,  while  you  had 
a  father  and  mother's  care,  and  all  the  property.  And  you 
have  other  sons  to  care  for  you,  and  I  have  no  sons  and  a  large 
property  to  look  after.  Now,  give  me  George  to  be  my  son 
and  I  will  make  him  equal  heir  with  my  two  girls.' 

"Isaac  said,  'George  is  married  and  has  a  family,  and  I 
don't  know  whether  he  will  be  willing  to  come;  but  if  he  is 
willing  I  will  give  my  consent.' 

"  When  Isaac  started  home  she  gave  him  a  very  nice  pony, 
saddle  and  bridle,  a  pair  of  new  moccasins  nicely  beaded,  and 
a  lot  of  dried  venison.  That  was  in  June.  When  he  reached 
home  he  did  not  tell  George,  but  advised  him  to  go  in  the 
fall  to  attend  the  land  sales. 

"Frances  told  him  of  the  adoption  and  had  him  stay  till 
after  the  annuities  were  paid,  when  she  divided  the  money 
equally  between  her  girls  and  George.  When  he  started  for 
home  she  gave  him  some  kind  of  presents  as  she  gave  his 


6  SUPPLEMENTAL. 

father,  which  made  the  adoption  legal  according  to  the  tribal 
laws — she  knew  no  other  law. 

"George  finally  decided  to  come  and  look  after  her  affairs. 
He  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  in  January,  and  moved  his 
family  out  in  November  following.  He  gathered  her  ponies 
together — about  lOO  head — and  disposed  of  them  for  her,  and 
attended  the  payment  to  receive  her  annuity.  Frances  died 
the  6th  of  March,  1847.  George  staid  on  his  farm,  two  miles 
away,  and  cared  for  their  interest  until  his  death  [January, 
i860,]  without  any  further  recompense." 

"  Did  she  show  much  interest  in  your  children  ?  If  so,  in 
what  manner?" 

"Yes;  she  used  to  love  to  hold  the  baby,  [now  Mrs.  L. 
G.  Murphy  of  Xenia,  Indiana,]  and  wished  it  given  her  In- 
dian and  white  name — Frances — Ma-con-a-qua.  But  she  was 
already  named  Mary  Cordelia.  Frances'  daughter  [0-zah- 
wah-shing-qua]  always  called  her  mother,  and  the  grand- 
children call  her  grandmother  to  this  day." 

"  Did  she  have  the  Indian's  love  for  bright  colors?" 

"No;  I  never  saw  anything  bright  or  gay,  either  in  her 
clothing  or  house." 

"  Was  she  at  times  very  talkative  and  sociable?" 

"Yes;  she  at  one  time  told  me  about  her  captivity,  but 
she  was  not  unusually  sociable." 

"  Was  she  easily  offended  ?" 

"No." 

"  Did  she  hold  offense  long,  or  was  she  quick  to  forgive 
and  make  up  friends?" 

"I  never  saw  an  exhibition  of  temper.  She  was  always 
pleasant. ' ' 

"Was  she  revengeful?     If  so,  give  examples." 

"No." 

"  Was  she  ever  violent  in  her  temper  ?" 

"No." 

"  Was  she  ever  sulky  and  morose  ?  If  so,  did  these  moods 
last  long?" 

"No." 

"  Did  she  use  tobacco?     If  so,  in  what  way  ?" 


SUPPLEMENTAL.  7 

"No,  no,  no!" 

"Did  she  use  whiskey?  If  so,  to  what  extent  and  regu- 
larity?" 

"No,  indeed;  never!" 

"  Did  she  ever  show  any  desire  to  follow  the  ways  of  white 
women?     If  so,  give  examples." 

"  I  was  the  only  white  woman  there  at  that  time.  Fran- 
ces used  to  come  to  my  house  and  watch  me  work.  Her 
daughter  and  she  used  to  admire  my  quilts  and  other  things 
about  the  house." 

"Did  she  get  any  idea  of  the  teachings  of  Christianity? 
If  so,  to  what  extent?" 

"George  used  to  read  the  Bible  to  her  and  talk  with  her. 
She  paid  strict  attention  to  all  he  said.  I  cannot  tell  how 
much  she  understood  his  teachings  She  did  not  live  long 
after  we  moved  there." 

"  Did  she  show  much  lasting  interest  in  the  efforts  of  her 
white  friends  to  improve  her  mental  and  moral  condition  ? 
If  so,  give  examples." 

"Yes;  it  seemed  so,  at  least  to  all  appearance." 

"Was  your  husband  a  Missionary,  appointed  by  the  Bap- 
tist church  ?" 

"  No;  he  was  only  a  good,  honest  minded  Christian  man; 
a  member  of  the  Missionary  Baptist  Church — a  deacon." 

"Did  he  teach  them  to  read  and  write?" 

"Yes." 

"  Did  he  learn  their  language?" 

"Yes." 

"Did  he  speak  to  them  in  their  language,  or  through  an 
interpreter?" 

"First  through  an  interpreter;  soon  in  their  own  lan- 
guage." 

"  Did  Frances  attend  his  meetings?" 

"  He  went  to  their  house  to  teach  them;  Frances  was 
there." 

"  Did  your  husband  receive  his  support  froih  the  church  ?" 

"  No,  never." 


8  SUPPLEMENTAL. 

"  Did  Prances  make  a  will  before  her  death  at  any  time?" 

"Yes;  I  was  there  at  the  time  her  eldest  daughter  was 
sick.  Frances  was  talking  to  the  younger  one,  [0-zali-wah- 
shing-qua].  I  understood  the  names — 'a  saddle,'  'horses,' 
'hogs,'  'land,'  &c.  She  was  talking  of  them,  and  she  men-' 
tioned  George's  name — my  husband.  I  went  home  and  told 
George  that  he  had  better  go  and  see  what  his  aunt  wished  to 
tell  him.  He  went,  but  she  seemed  too  tired  to  talk.  He 
asked  0-zah-wah-shing-quaif  he  should  not  get  an  interpreter. 
She  an.swered,  'No,  she  has  told  me  all,  and  I  will  tell  you.' 
That  was  4  o'clock  p.  m.,  and  she  died  at  11  o'clock  that 
night.  O-zah-wah-shing-qiia  proved  treacherous  to  her  moth- 
er's trust,  and  never  told  what  was  imparted  to  her,  thereby 
showing  her  Indian  nature;  consequently  none  of  us  ever  re- 
ceived any  recompense  for  our  }ears  of  labor  and  self-sacrifice 
in  their  behalf." 

"Did  she  express  any  feelings  abont  death,  or  have  any 
theory  concerning  it?" 

"No;  none  at  all;  her  mind  seemed  calm,  which  showed 
that  she  was  prepared  for  the  change." 

E.  O.  S. 
Sioux  City,  Iowa,  Dec.  i,  1790. 

NOTE. 

The  careful  reader  will  note  on  page  11  that  the  time  of 
her  death  is  given  as  occurring  in  1849,  instead  of  1847.  This 
was  caused  by  confounding  the  proper  date  with  that  given 
by  Mrs.  Eliza  O.  Slocum.  In  two  or  three  other  places  her 
age  is  inadvertently  given  at  the  time  of  capture  as  four  years 
and  seven  months,  when  it  should  be  five  years  and  seven 
months.  She  was  born  in  Rhode  Island,  March,  1773,  and 
carried  into  captivity  Nov.  2,  1778,  and  died  March  9,  1847. 

Dr.  Slocum,  the  genealogist,  truly  says  that  her  case  is 
"the  most  remarkable  and  interesting  of  individual  captivi- 
ties. Her  considerate  treatment  through  a  long  life  is  one  of 
the  brightest  and  most  creditable  paragraphs  in  the  story  of 
the  North  American  Indians." 


PUBLICATIONS   BY   THE    AUTHOR. 


OTZINACHSON  : 

A  HISTORY  OF  THE  WEST  BRANCH  VALLEY  OF 
THE  SUSQUEHANNA. 

This  revised  standard  work  makes  a  heavy  volume  of  702  i^aiies,  not  in- 
cluding the  index,  and  brings  the  history  of  tlie  Valley  down  from  the  first 
appearance  of  the  whites  at  Shamokin,  in  1728,  to  the  close  of  1799,  and 
the  beginning  of  1800.  Copies  of  the  Indian  deeds,  conveying  the  Susque- 
hanna lands  to  the  Penns,  are  given,  together  with  full  accounts  of  the  in- 
vasions and  thrilling  massacres  that  afterwards  occurred.  The  startling 
scenes  of  the  Big  Runaway  in  1778  are  portrayed,  and  accounts  given  of 
many  prisoners  in  captivity.  The  building  of  Fort  Augusta,  in  1756,  by 
Colonel  Clapham,is  described,  and  the  famous  daily  journal  of  Colonel  Burd, 
while  stationed  there  for  nearly  a  year,  is  given.  The  charming  journal  of 
Rev.  Fithian,  who  made  a  visit  to  the  valley  in  the  summer  of  1775,  is 
printed  in  full.  A  full  description  of  the  famous  Fair  Play  System  is  printed, 
together  with  a  more  exhaustive  history  of  the  celebrated  Brady  family 
than  ever  before  given.  The  work  has  been  entirely  re-written  and  a  large 
amount  of  new  material  introduced,  making  it  practically  a  new  book,  and 
double  the  value  of  the  original  work  of  18.56.  There  are  fifty  illustrations 
of  Indian  antiquities,  plans  of  manors,  forts,  old  buildings,  &c.,  together 
with  three  maps — one  of  the  Valley,  showing  the  course  of  the  river,  the 
streams  emptying  into  it,  the  islands,  and  the  places  where  the  forts  were 
located  and  where  many  of  the  pioneers  settled.  There  are  also  fine  por- 
traits of  Covenhoven  and  Van  Campen,  the  celebrated  scouts  and  Indian 
killers,  together  with  the  war  implements  they  carried  at  that  time.  The 
annotations  and  citations  of  authorities  are  copious,  and  form  a  valuable 
feature  of  the  work. 

Only  a  few  copies  of  the  limited  edition  on  hand.  Price,  elegantly  bound 
in  half  morocco,  $5 ;  cloth,  $.3.50.  No  agents  employed  and  no  books  on  sale 
in  stores.     For  copies  apply  to  the  author.    Address, 

JOHN  F.  MEGINNESS, 

Willi AMSPORT,  Pa. 


The  Historical  Journal. 

A  VALUABLE   HISTORICAL,  STATISTICAL  AND 
BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 

The  Historical  Journal,  originally  published  in  magazine  form,  is  a  com- 
pact volume  of  400  pages,  illustrated,  and  contains  a  great  variety  of  local 
articles.  The  private  journal  of  Samuel  Maclay,  kept  while  engaged  with 
Timothy  Matlack  and  John  Adlum  in  surveying  the  West  Branch  of  the 


PUBLICATIONS    BY   THE    AUTHOR. 

Susquehanna,  Sinneniahoning,  Allegheny  and  other  streams,  in  1790,  with 
the  view  of  establishing  water  communication  with  Lake  Erie,  is  printed  in 
full  for  the  first  time.  It  is  a  curious  and  interesting  document.  A  full  bi- 
ography of  Rev.  John  Bryson,  pastor  of  Warrior  Run  Church  for  fifty  years, 
together  with  a  history  of  the  Presbytery  of  Northumberland,  are  given 
for  the  first  time.  These  articles  are  exceedingly  interesting  and  of  great 
value.  Price,  handsomely  bound  in  half  morocco,  §3;  cloth,  $2.25.  No 
agents  employed.     Address, 

JOHN  F.  MEGINNESS, 

WiLLIAMSPORT,    Pa. 


FRANCES  SLOCUM, 

THE    EOST    SISTER    OF    WYOMING. 

This  is  the  first  exhaustive  history  of  the  captivity,  life,  sufferings  and 
death  of  Frances  Slocum  ever  published.  Captured  by  Indians  Nov.  2, 1778, 
from  her  father's  house,  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Wilkes- 
Barre,  she  was  lost  to  her  parents,  brothers  and  sisters  for  fifty  years,  not- 
withstanding they  kept  up  a  vigilant  search  for  her  almost  to  the  period  of 
her  discovery,  when  she  was  found,  in  1837,  living  in  a  cabin  on  the  Missis- 
sinewa  River,  Indiana,  as  the  widow  of  a  Miami  Indian  chief. 

The  book  contains  250  royal  octavo  pages,  is  printed  on  fine  heavy  paper, 
illustrated  with  beautifully  executed  portraits  of  the  captive,  her  eldest 
daughter,  two  sons-in-law, and  youngest  living  descendant,  and  several  other 
members  of  her  family.  Among  the  official  documents  given  in  full  are  a 
copy  of  the  treaty  of  1838  with  the  Miamis,  the  famous  petition  of  Frances 
to  Congress  in  1845,  the  eloquent  speech  of  Mr.  Bidlack  in  her  behalf,  and 
the  elaborate  will  of  her  youngest  daughter  in  1873,  disposing  of  her  large 
estate  of  686  acres. 

Hon.  Horace  P.  Biddle,  the  eminent  retired  jurist  of  Logansport,  Ind., 
contributes  a  chaiJter  of  recollections  of  Frances  Slocum  and  prominent 
early  settlers.  And  in  the  appendix  are  found  very  full  biographical 
sketches  of  the  famous  chiefs  w^ho  ruled  the  Miamis  for  fifty  years,  includ- 
ing one  of  George  Winter,  who  painted  her  portrait  in  1837. 

Inpathos,  strangeness  of  detail  and  mystery,  the  story  of  Frances  Slocum 
stands  alone  in  Indian  history. 

A  limited  edition  of  only  500  copies  printed.  Price,  elegantly  bound  in 
half  morocco  and  superbly  ornamented,  $5;  cloth,  $3.  No  agents  employed. 
For  co])ies  address 

JOHN  F.  MEGINNESS, 

WiLLIAMSPORT,    PA. 
Sent  by  mail  to  any  address.    To  any  one  ordering  the  three  books  at 
once,  they  will  be  furnished,  in  half  morocco,  for  ten  dollars,  a  reduction  of 
three  dollars  from  the  schedule  price.  J.  F.  M.