FOREWORD Conditions and Terms of Use In the United States of North America there have been Copyright © Heritage History 2010 several great battle-fields, each much larger than the battle- Some rights reserved field of France. The first was that of the Ohio River country— This text was produced and distributed by Heritage History, an the Valley of the Beautiful River which drains Ohio, organization dedicated to the preservation of classical juvenile history Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania. books, and to the promotion of the works of traditional history authors. Another, yet larger, was that of the plains and mountains West, The books which Heritage History republishes are in the public extending from Mexico to California, and from the Mississippi domain and are no longer protected by the original copyright. They may to the Rockies. therefore be reproduced within the United States without paying a royalty to the author. In the Ohio Valley the Shawnees, the Miamis, teh War The text and pictures used to produce this version of the work, Delawares, the Mingo Iroquois, the Wyandots fought hard to however, are the property of Heritage History and are subject to certain keep the white man out. In the Far West and Southwest the restrictions. These restrictions are imposed for the purpose of protecting the Blackfeet, the Sioux, the Cheyennes, the Kiowas, the integrity of the work, for preventing plagiarism, and for helping to assure Comanches, and teh Apaches fought equally hard for the same that compromised versions of the work are not widely disseminated. purpose. Boys' Book of Indian Warriors and Boys' Book of In order to preserve information regarding the origin of this text, a Frontier Fighters have told of these and other combats when copyright by the author, and a Heritage History distribution date are the red Americans tried to stand off the white Americans. included at the foot of every page of text. We require all electronic and printed versions of this text include these markings and that users adhere to But both battle-fields saw wars of white and white as the following restrictions. well as wars of white and red. In the Ohio Valley, the American colonists helped their mother country, England, 1. You may reproduce this text for personal or educational purposes as against the French—and the French lost that region. And in the long as the copyright and Heritage History version are included. Southwest the United States fought Mexico. 2. You may not alter this text or try to pass off all or any part of it as your Boys' Book of Border Battles is therefore white and own work. red. The two other books described mainly the adventures of 3. You may not distribute copies of this text for commercial purposes. chiefs, warriors, pioneers and scouts. This third book is more an American soldier book, of organized fighting on American 4. This text is intended to be a faithful and complete copy of the original soil by militia, volunteers, and the regulars of the "old document. However, typos, omissions, and other errors may have army"—the army in blue instead of khaki and olive drab, occurred during preparation, and Heritage History does not guarantee a perfectly reliable reproduction. which bore the flag from east to west, and broadened the trails of peace. Permission to use Heritage History documents or images for commercial purposes, or more information about our collection of traditional history resources can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected] Original Copyright 1920 by Edwin L. Sabin 2 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS GEORGE WASHINGTON STANDS FAST (1754) ................... 4 ON BRADDOCK'S BLOODY FIELD (1755) ......................... 10 THE BATTLE OF THE BLUE LICKS (1782) ........................ 20 TIPPECANOE (1811) .......................................................... 26 OLD FORT MIMS THE FOOLISH (1813) ............................ 33 Come Peace, not like a mourner bowed SEEKING THE SEMINOLES IN FLORIDA (1835) ................ 37 For honor lost and dear ones wasted, BRAVE HEARTS IN THE ALAMO (1836) ............................ 43 But proud, to meet a people proud, With eyes that tell of triumph tasted. VICTORY AT SAN JACINTO (1836) ................................... 52 Come while our Country feels the lift Of a great instinct shouting Forwards, FACE TO FACE WITH MEXICO (1846) .............................. 62 And knows that Freedom's not a gift That tarries long in hands of cowards. WITH "OLD ZACH" AT PALO ALTO (1846) .................... 70 JAMES RUSSEL LOWELL. RESACA DE LA PALMA (1846) .......................................... 77 THE BATTLE OF ADOBE WALLS (1864) ........................... 84 ON THE TRAIL OF THE DOG SOLDIERS (1868) ................ 92 DIGGING IN ON BEECHER'S ISLAND (1868) ..................... 99 TO BLACK KETTLE'S VILLAGE WITH CUSTER (1868) .. 107 WHITE AGAINST RED AT THE ROSEBUD (1876) ............ 116 THE YELLOW HAIR'S LAST FIGHT (1876) .................... 126 WHEN THE GHOST SHIRTS FAILED (1890) .................... 137 Original Copyright 1920 by Edwin L. Sabin 3 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 CHAPTER I descending along the River Ohio, burying leaden plates at the mouths of the streams, tacking the arms of France to the trees, and warning English traders to leave at once, they sent GEORGE WASHINGTON STANDS FAST (1754) messages to the governors of Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia. THE AFFAIR OF THE GREAT MEADOWS "The French mean to steal the country from us. We ask our brothers the English for protection." Now in the middle of the century which opened with the year 1700 the vast red-man territory stretching from the At this time there were no white settlements west of Allegheny Mountains of Virginia and Pennsylvania to the the Allegheny Mountains, but the province of Virginia was Mississippi River was claimed by three peoples: the English, supposed to extend westward even to the Mississippi. At least, the French, and the Indians. And the arguments were these: it reached to the Ohio River and included southwestern Pennsylvania. In reply to the Indians, Governor James England had planted colonies on the Atlantic coast; she Hamilton of Pennsylvania dispatched Trader George Croghan, said that by a treaty the Iroquois or Six Nations of New York with presents and treaty talk. To spy out a tract for settlement had sold all the country west of the Alleghenies to her near the Ohio and to encourage the Indians with friendship provinces of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland. "This," the words, the Ohio Company of Virginia dispatched the pioneer Six Nations had asserted, "is our empire. We have conquered surveyor Christopher Gist of the Yadkin River, North it. The other Indians living there do so because we permit Carolina. them." The Ohio Company had been formed by Lawrence and France said that when her Marquette and LaSalle Augustine Washington (George Washington's elder brothers), explored the Mississippi River and claimed it for France, they several other Virginia and Maryland planters, and Merchant included the whole country watered by all the rivers flowing John Hanbury of London, to settle five hundred thousand acres into the Mississippi from the east and from the west. This was of land granted them by the king of England, at the Ohio River another large bargain. west of the mountains. The Indians said that the Iroquois had lied; they had Trader Croghan and Surveyor Gist left, the one from not owned the lands of the Ohio Valley. These belonged to the the north, the other from the south, in the same month, tribes living upon them. Let the French stay in Canada; let the October, 1750. English stay east of the mountains; the Indians would keep the Ohio Country. They traveled, sometimes meeting, clear into western Ohio. The Indians received them well indeed; there were The French were more popular, but the English councils and feasts; the Miamis of Pickawillanee town in appeared to be the stronger—and it is Indian policy to side western Ohio refused some French whiskey and tobacco, and with the stronger party, so as to get the spoils of war. sent four French Ottawas home weeping with sorrow. All the Therefore when in the summer of 1749 the Wyandots, the tribes promised to attend a great council to be held at Shawnees, the Delawares, the Mingos (who were roving bands Logstown, beside the Ohio River fourteen miles below the of Iroquois), saw a large detachment of French soldiers Original Copyright 1920 by Edwin L. Sabin 4 Distributed by Heritage History 2010 "forks" where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers join to The French descended into the Ohio Country. They form the Ohio. destroyed Pickawillanee town of the Miami league; its head Logstown was the town of old Half-King chief, a Piankasha, was killed and eaten by the Ottawas. Tanacharison, chief of the Mingo Senecas. He was called the Twelve hundred French from Montreal marched south to half-king because the people whom he ruled were subjects of occupy the Valley of the Ohio. A chain of sixty forts was to be the head chief of the Six Nations. built, that should extend from Montreal to New Orleans. The treaty council was held with the Ohio Country The Indians were aroused in earnest. The English Indians at Logstown. The Six Nations themselves did not seemed their only help. Wampum speech-belts and other come. They haughtily announced: messages flowed in to the governors of New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. "It is not our custom to meet to treat of business in the woods and weeds. If the governor of Virginia wishes to speak I am left a poor lonely woman, with one son," appealed with us, we will meet him at Albany." the widow of the Piankasha chief of the Miami league—the chief who had been eaten by the Ottawas of the French.