58 Fort Lawrence. 



as well as in many other scenes on the frontiers, I have copied the 

 following historical facts. " When the main army left the fort to re- 

 turn to Fort Pitt, Capt. Clark remained behind with a small de- 

 tachment of U. S. troops, for the purpose of marching in the inva- 

 lids and artificers who had tarried to finish the fort, or were too un- 

 well to march with the main army. He endeavored to take the 

 advantage of very cold weather, and had marched three or four 

 miles, (for 1 travelled over the ground three or four times soon af- 

 ter,) when he was fired upon by a small party of Indians very close 

 at hand, I think twenty or thirty paces. This discharge wounded 

 two of his men slightly. Knowing as he did that his men were unfit 

 to fight Indians in their own fashion, he ordered them to reserve 

 their fire, and to charge bayonet, which being promptly executed, 

 put the Indians to flight, and, after pursuing a short distance, he 

 called off his men and retreated to the fort, bringing in the wound- 

 ed." In other accounts 1 have read of this affair, it is stated that 

 ten of Capt. Clarke's men were killed. " During the cold weather, 

 while the Indians were lying about the fort, although none had been 

 seen for a few days, a party of seventeen men went out for the pur- 

 pose of carrying in firewood, which the army had cut before they 

 left the place, about forty or fifty rods from the fort. Near the bank 

 of the river was an ancient mound, behind which lay a quantity of 

 wood. A party had been out for several preceding mornings and 

 brought in wood, supposing the Indians would not be watching the 

 fort in such very cold weather. But on that fatal morning the In- 

 dians had concealed themselves behind the mound, and as the sol-" 

 diers passed round on one side of the mound, a part of the Indians 

 came round on the other, and enclosed the wood party, so that not 

 one escaped. I was personally acquainted with some of the men 

 who were killed." The published statements of this affair say that 

 the Indians enticed the men out in search of horses, by taking off 

 their bells and tinkling them ; but it is certain that no horses were 

 left at the fort, as they must either starve or be stolen by the In- 

 dians ; so that Mr. Jolly's version of the incident must be correct. 

 During the siege, which continued until the last of February, the 

 garrison were very short of provisions. The Indians suspected 

 this to be the fact, but were also nearly starving, themselves. In 

 this predicament, they proposed to the garrison, that if they would 

 give them a barrel of flour and some meat, they would raise the 

 siege, concluding if they had not this quantity they must surrender 



