Show forgotten HEROES by ELMO SCOTT WATSON the hero of campbells Camp bella island OT all of the heroes of the war N NOT of 1812 made their bid for fame on the ba battlefields ittle fields of the east or in tile the naval fig fighting ahting which forms forma such a brilliant page in the history of that conflict out in what was then the west there were heroes too one of them was capt stephen rector hector in 1814 captains rector and with CO CC illinois rangers were ordered to accompany lieutenant campbell with a force of 42 regulars in three keel boats up the mississippi to reinforce the garrison at prairie du chien in wisconsin going through the dangerous rapids near rock flock island campbells barge was driven ashore on the small island which now bears his name here he prepared to spend the night but no sooner had he pitched his camp than he was attacked attached by a war party of sac indians under chief black and driven back to their boat rector and riggs hearing the firing tried to return to hla his aid but in the storm morn to tossed sed river riggs boat became unmanageable and was stranded in the rapids rector lector managed to bring his boat near enough to Camp bella bellR men hiding in tile the trees which fringed the edge of the island to fire upon the savages at long range suddenly rector was horrified horrific to see campbells barge burst into flames caught between tile the blazing boat and black ila hawks ks whooping braves the regulars faced annihilation rector made his decision instantly ordering the anchor to be raised and the barge to be lightened by casting overboard nearly all of his provisions he guided his boat down the raging stream into the teeth of the indian fire forcing it to the windward of the burning boat his boatmen leaped into the water and held their craft close to campbells barge indian bullets were crashing into the timbers of both boats but rector coolly went about the work of directing the rescue of campbells men while some of the rangers opened fire on tile the indians the others transferred the wounded and dying from the burning barge to their own finally the last wounded man had been transfer transferred then rector cast off and running a gantlet of renewed indian ore fire his boat swept down the river with its precious cargo of wounded men safely out of the range of the enemy guns he saved save pennsylvania N A hot summers night in 0 ON the rate fate of the colony of pennsylvania vania and perhaps of nil all the english col colonies onles rested in the hands of the commander of a little body of english troops camped on a barren hill about 20 miles from the present site of pittsburgh pa lie ile wits was col alenty bouquet a swiss soldier of fortune who was lending leading a mile army of less than GOO men composed of detachments of the sixtieth regiment of royal americans the seventy seventh regiment nigh landers the forty s second L 1 cond regiment of royal highlanders High landers the famous black watch and a few rangers from fort Li LIgon gonier ler to raise the siege of fort pitt pontiac Pont lac the great ottawa chieftain had united tile the tribes to wipe out the hated english every military post in western pennsylvania except pitt rind and Li LIgon gonier ler had been captured if ritt fell Li LIgon gonier ler fell and a storm of savage wrath would break over the towns of shippensburg burg carlisle and bedford into which hundreds hundred of terror stricken fugitives had crowded about noon on august 5 bouquets advance guard was attacked the black watch soon scattered them but almost immediately the savages came swarming back bach and within a short time the soldiers were surrounded and fighting for their lives behind n hastily constructed defense on top of edge hill all afternoon they beat off the lit tricks that night their case seemed hopeless when morning came the indians renewed their attacks bouquet saw that it was only a matter of time until the plunging fire of the enemy cut down his force until the few that were left could not withstand the charge that was sure to come deciding to wa wager er everything on one stroke he planned a darlng maneuver after explaining to his men exactly what they were to in do so that there would be no mistake and no panic when it got under nay way he suddenly withdrew the two companies of high landers from the line had them retreat across the hill and enter a small ravine seeing this the indians believed that a n general retreat was about to begin and came whooping into the open this was just what bouquet wanted As the mass of savages struck the weakened line the black watch came charging out of the ravine on the flank of the enemy too late the indians realized they had been trapped for bouquet again broke his line threw two companies of light infantry out of tile the circle on the other hank flank a and nd the savages were caught between two fires within a few ew minutes the english werely full possession of the field bouquet then pushed on to fort pitt and it death blow had been struck to the conspiracy of pontiac Pont lac va la lill 1981 western paper union |