174 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



whole denoument of this tale was unravelled to him in a 

 dream, was, as he soon informed Scott, more dreadful 

 than his waking- thoughts. His first object after waking, 

 was to obtain pen, ink, and paper, and to indite a few 

 lines, of which the following is a literal copy, committed 

 to paper by the light of a burning brand : 



"In camp on the Tippecanoe River, Indiana Territory, 

 Aug. 23, 1811.— This is my last Will and Testament: 



"To my son, Fortune Atwater, I give all my property 

 in the state of Connecticut, and no other. To my wife, 

 Emily Atwater, I give all my property of every descrip- 

 tion in the states of Ohio and Virginia, or elsewhere, 

 during her natural life : — Provided, that if she have issue 

 of a son or daughter, then I give one-half of all said 

 propertey to such child at maturity, and the other half at 

 the death of my wife, and if she have no issue, then I 

 give the whole to my wife in fee simple forever. I ap- 

 point my said wife and my friend Daniel Scott, Execu- 

 tors to this my last Will." 



This instrument was duly signed, sealed and witnessed, 

 and thus safely deposited in a very common appendage 

 to a western traveller, "a pocket in a shirt." He then 

 wrote a farewell letter to his wife, in which he stated 

 the contents of the will, and gave that to Scott, with 

 a solemn injunction to him, should he fall during the 

 campaign, to take charge of his Will and see it faith- 

 fully executed. While they were still talking over the 

 matter, and Atwater had grown more cheerful and pleas- 

 ant, the astounding and unsuspected thrilling war whoop 

 of that dreadful night attack of the Indians, struck upon 

 their ears. A moment more, and Atwater was upon his 

 horse. "Farewell, Scott — a long farewell!" — and he 

 stooped forward and seized him by the hand, which he 

 wrung with an almost death grasp, while he repeated 

 "remember my wife — and as you would that God should 

 protect you, so protect my unborn child." "All of which, 

 I most solemnly promise" — repeated Scott; and that 

 faithful promise, registered in blood upon the battle-field 

 of Tippecanoe was faithfully kept. 



