pioneers of the old southwest-第11部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


r　which　the　Governor　was　making　（1759）　with　intent　to　overawe　the　savages。　When　this　expedition　reached　Prince　George；　on　the　upper　waters　of　the　Savannah；　the　Indian　hostages　were　confined　within　the　fort；　and　the　Governor；　satisfied　with　the　result　of　his　maneuver　departed　south　for　Charleston。　Then　followed　a　tragedy。　Some　Indian　friends　of　the　imprisoned　chiefs　attacked　the　fort；　and　the　commander；　a　popular　young　officer；　was　treacherously　killed　during　a　parley。　The　infuriated　frontiersmen　within　the　fort　fell　upon　the　hostages　and　slew　them　alltwenty…six　chiefsand　the　Indian　war　was　on。

If　all　were　to　be　told　of　the　struggle　which　followed　in　the　Back　Country；　the　story　could　not　be　contained　in　this　book。　Many　brave　and　resourceful　men　went　out　against　the　savages。　We　can　afford　only　a　passing　glance　at　one　of　them。　Hugh　Waddell　of　North　Carolina　was　the　most　brilliant　of　all　the　frontier　fighters　in　that　war。　He　was　a　young　Ulsterman　from　County　Down；　a　born　soldier；　with　a　special　genius　for　fighting　Indians；　although　he　did　not　grow　up　on　the　border；　for　he　arrived　in　North　Carolina　in　1753；　at　the　age　of　nineteen。　He　was　appointed　by　Governor　Dobbs　to　command　the　second　company　which　North　Carolina　had　raised　for　the　war；　a　force　of　450　rangers　to　protect　the　border　counties；　and　he　presently　became　the　most　conspicuous　military　figure　in　the　colony。　As　to　his　personality；　we　have　only　a　few　meager　details；　with　a　portrait　that　suggests　plainly　enough　those　qualities　of　boldness　and　craft　which　characterized　his　tactics。　Governor　Dobbs　appears　to　have　had　a　special　love　towards　Hugh；　whose　family　he　had　known　in　Ireland；　for　an　undercurrent　of　almost　fatherly　pride　is　to　be　found　in　the　old　Governor's　reports　to　the　Assembly　concerning　Waddell's　exploits。

The　terror　raged　for　nearly　three　years。　Cabins　and　fields　were　burned；　and　women　and　children　were　slaughtered　or　dragged　away　captives。　Not　only　did　immigration　cease　but　many　hardy　settlers　fled　from　the　country。　At　length；　after　horrors　indescribable　and　great　toll　of　life；　the　Cherokees　gave　up　the　struggle。　Their　towns　were　invaded　and　laid　waste　by　imperial　and　colonial　troops；　and　they　could　do　nothing　but　make　peace。　In　1761　they　signed　a　treaty　with　the　English　to　hold　〃while　rivers　flow　and　grasses　grow　and　sun　and　moon　endure。〃


In　the　previous　year　（1760）　the　imperial　war　had　run　its　course　in　America。　New　France　lay　prostrate；　and　the　English　were　supreme　not　only　on　the　Ohio　but　on　the　St。　Lawrence　and　the　Great　Lakes。　Louisbourg；　Quebec；　Montreal；　Oswego；　Niagara；　Duquesne；　Detroitall　were　in　English　hands。

Hugh　Waddell　and　his　rangers；　besides　serving　with　distinction　in　the　Indian　war；　had　taken　part　in　the　capture　of　Fort　Duquesne。　This　feat　had　been　accomplished　in　1758　by　an　expedition　under　General　Forbes。　The　troops　made　a　terrible　march　over　a　new　route；　cutting　a　road　as　they　went。　It　was　November　when　they　approached　their　objective。　The　wastes　of　snow　and　their　diminished　supplies　caused　such　depression　among　the　men　that　the　officers　called　a　halt　to　discuss　whether　or　not　to　proceed　toward　Fort　Duquesne；　where　they　believed　the　French　to　be　concentrated　in　force。　Extravagant　sums　in　guineas　were　named　as　suitable　reward　for　any　man　who　would　stalk　and　catch　a　French　Indian　and　learn　from　him　the　real　conditions　inside　the　fort。　The　honor；　if　not　the　guineas；　fell　to　John　Rogers；　one　of　Waddell's　rangers。　From　the　Indian　it　was　learned　that　the　French　had　already　gone；　leaving　behind　only　a　few　of　their　number。　As　the　English　drew　near；　they　found　that　the　garrison　had　blown　up　the　magazine；　set　fire　to　the　fort；　and　made　off。

Thus；　while　New　France　was　already　tottering；　but　nearly　two　years　before　the　final　capitulation　at　Montreal；　the　English　again　became　masters　of　the　Ohio　Company's　landmasters　of　the　Forks　of　the　Ohio。　This　time　they　were　there　to　stay。　Where　the　walls　of　Fort　Duquesne　had　crumbled　in　the　fire　Fort　Pitt　was　to　rise；　proudly　bearing　the　name　of　England's　Great　Commoner　who　had　directed　English　arms　to　victory　on　three　continents。

With　France　expelled　and　the　Indians　deprived　of　their　white　allies；　the　westward　path　lay　open　to　the　pioneers；　even　though　the　red　man　himself　would　rise　again　and　again　in　vain　endeavor　to　bar　the　way。　So　a　new　era　begins；　the　era　of　exploration　for　definite　purpose；　the　era　of　commonwealth　building。　In　entering　on　it；　we　part　with　the　earliest　pioneerthe　trader；　who　first　opened　the　road　for　both　the　lone　home　seeker　and　the　great　land　company。　He　dwindles　now　to　the　mere　barterer　and　sosave　for　a　few　chance　glimpsesslips　out　of　sight；　for　his　brave　days　as　Imperial　Scout　are　done。



Chapter　V。　Boone；　The　Wanderer

What　thoughts　filled　Daniel　Boone's　mind　as　he　was　returning　from　Braddock's　disastrous　campaign　in　1755　we　may　only　conjecture。　Perhaps　he　was　planning　a　career　of　soldiering；　for　in　later　years　he　was　to　distinguish　himself　as　a　frontier　commander　in　both　defense　and　attack。　Or　it　may　be　that　his　heart　was　full　of　the　wondrous　tales　told　him　by　the　trader；　John　Findlay；　of　that　Hunter's　Canaan；　Kentucky；　where　buffalo　and　deer　roamed　in　thousands。　Perhaps　he　meant　to　set　out　ere　long　in　search　of　the　great　adventure　of　his　dreams；　despite　the　terrible　dangers　of　trail　making　across　the　zones　of　war　into　the　unknown。

However　that　may　be；　Boone　straightway　followed　neither　of　these　possible　plans　on　his　return　to　the　Yadkin　but　halted　for　a　different　adventure。　There；　a　rifle　shot's　distance　from　his　threshold；　was　offered　him　the　oldest　and　sweetest　of　all　hazards　to　the　daring。　He　was　twenty…two；　strong　and　comely　and　a　whole　man；　and　therefore　he　was　in　no　mind　to　refuse　what　life　held　out　to　him　in　the　person　of　Rebecca　Bryan。　Rebecca　was　the　daughter　of　Joseph　Bryan；　who　had　come　to　the　Yadkin　from　Pennsylvania　some　time　before　the　Boones；　and　she　was　in　her　seventeenth　year。

Writers　of　an　earlier　and　more　sentimental　period　than　ours　have　endeavored　to　supply；　from　the　saccharine　stores　of　their　fancy；　the　romantic　episodes　connected　with　Boone's　wooing　which　history　has　omitted　to　record。　Hence　the　tale　that　the　young　hunter；　walking　abroad　in　the　spring　gloaming；　saw　Mistress　Rebecca's　large　dark　eyes　shining　in　the　dusk　of　the　forest；　mistook　them　for　a　deer's　eyes　and　shothis　aim　on　this　occasion　fortunately　being　bad！　But　if　Boone's　rifle　was　missing　its　mark　at　ten　paces；　Cupid's　dart　was　speeding　home。　So　runs　the　story　concocted　a　hundred　years　later　by　some　gentle　scribe　ignorant　alike　of　game　seasons；　the　habits　of　hunters；　and　the　way　of　a　man　with　a　maid　in　a　primitive　world。

Daniel　and　Rebecca　were　married　in　the　spring　of　1756。　Squire　Boone；　in　his　capacity　as　justice　of　the　peace；　tied　the　knot；　and　in　a　small　cabin　built　upon　his　spacious　lands　the　young　couple　set　up　housekeeping。　Here　Daniel's　first　two　sons　were　born。　In　the　third　year　of　his　marriage；　when　the　second　child　was　a　babe　in　arms；　Daniel　removed　with　his　wife　and　their　young　and　precious　family　to　Culpeper　County　in　eastern　Virginia；　for　the　border　was　going　through　its　darkest　days　of　the　French　and　Indian　War。　During　the　next　two　or　three　years　we　find　him　in　Virginia　engaged　as　a　wagoner；　hauling　tobacco　in　season；　but　back　on　the　border　with　his　rifle；　after　the　harvest；　aiding　in　defense　against　the　Indians。　In　1759　he　purchased　from　his　father　a　lot　on　Sugar　Tree　Creek；　a　tributary　of　Dutchman's　Creek　（Davie　County；　North　Carolina）　and　built　thereon　a　cabin　for　himself。　The　date　when　he　brought　his　wife　and　children　to　live　in　their　new　abode　on　the　border　is　not　recorded。　It　was　probably　some　time　after　the　close　of　the　Indian　War。　Of　Boone　himself　during　these　years　we　have　but　scant　information。　We　hear　of　him　again　in　Virginia　and　also　as　a　member　of　the　pack…horse　caravan　which　brought　into　the　Back　Country　the　various　necessaries　for　the　settlers。　We　know；　too；　that　in　the　fall　of　1760　he　was　on　a　lone　hunting　trip　in　the　mountains　west　of　the　Yadkin；　for　until　a　few　years　ago　there　might　be　seen；　still　standing　on　the　banks　of　Boone's　Creek　（a　small　tributary　of　the　Watauga）　in　eastern　Tennessee；　a　tree　bearing　the　legend；　〃D　Boon　cilled　A　BAR　on　this　tree　1760。〃　Boone　was　always　fond　of　carving　his　exploits　on　trees；　and　his　wanderings　have　been　traced　largely　by　his　arboreal　publications。　In　the　next　year　（1761）　he　went　with　Waddell's　rangers　when　they　marched　with　the　army　to　the　final　subjugation　of　the　Cherokee。

That　Boone　and　his　family　were　back　on　the　border　in　the　new　cabin　shortly　after　the　end　of　the　war；　we　gather　from　the　fact　that　in　1764　he　took　his　little　son　James；　aged　seven；　on　one　of　his　long　hunting　excursions。　From　this　time　dates　the　intimate　comradeship　of　father　and　son　through　all　the　perils　of　the　wilderness；　a　comradeship　to　come　to　its　tragic　end　ten　years　later　when；　as　we　shall　see；　the　seventeen…year…old　lad　fell　under　the　red　man's　tomahawk　as　his　father　was　leading　the　first　settlers　towards　Kentucky。　In　the　cold　nights　of　the　open　camp；　as　Daniel　and　James　lay　under　the　frosty　stars；　the　father　kept　the　boy　warm　snuggled　to　his　breast　under　the　broad　flap　of　his　hunting　shirt。　Sometimes　the　two　were　away　from　home　for　months　together；　and　Daniel　declared　little　James　to　be　as　good　a　woodsman　as　his　father。

Meanwhile　fascinating　accounts　of　the　new　land　of　Florida；　ceded　to　Britain　by　the　Treaty　of　Paris　in　1763；　had　leaked　into　the　Back　Country；　and　in　the　winter　of　1765　Boone　set　off　southward　on　horseback　with；　seven　companions。　Colonel　James　Grant；　with　whose　army　Boone　had　fought　in　1761；　had　been　appointed　Governor　of　the　new　colony　and　was　offering　generous　inducements　to　settlers。　The　party　traveled　along　the　borders　of　South　Carolina　and　Georgia。　No　doubt　they　made　the　greater　part　of　their　way　over　the　old　Traders'　Trace；　the　〃whitened〃　warpath；　and　they　suffered　severe　hardships。　Game　became　scarcer　as　they　proceeded。　Once　they　were　nigh　to　perishing　of　starvation　and　were　saved　from　that　fate　only　through　chance　meeting　with　a　band　of　Indians　who；　seeing　their　plight；　made　camp　and　shared　their　food　with　themaccording　to　the　Indian　code　in　time　of　peace。

Boone's　party　explored　Florida　from　St。　Augusti