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Show : E3EK46ES ELMO SCOTT WATSON i ."''.'''Tl'''.-''''!''.''.. 'Vi ".''' 'Jr A Tough Old Pioneer IT IS a far cry from Gritiin3 Wharf 1 in the Boston of colonial days to the "Gold Coast" of Chicago, but there is a link between the two. For some of the "JOO" of the midwest metropolis, as they serve afternoon tea in their luxurious apartments and penthouses, can look down into Lincoln park and can see there a reminder of the historic his-toric "tea pouring" which took place in Massachusetts 15S years ago.' It is a simple granite boulder, bearing a bronze tablet whereon you may read "In memory of David Kennison, the last survivor of the 'Boston Tea Party,' who died in Chicago February 24, 1S52, aged one hundred and Hfteen, years, three months, seventeen days, and Is buried near this spot." Yet the Boston Tea Party was only one incident in one of the most remarkable re-markable careers in all American history. his-tory. Kennison was born in New Hampshire In 1730 and was one of the first to enlist at the outbreak of the Revolution. He was a minute man at Lexington and Concord and with his father and two brothers he fought at Bunker Hill. He served in the Continental Con-tinental army, as a soldier and scout, vas captured by the Mohawk Indians , and held as a prisoner for several ' years. After the war he enlisted In the regular army and was a member of the garrison of the first Fort Dearborn. Dear-born. Although past seventy, he re-enlisted re-enlisted in 1S08 for a term of five years and was a survivor of the Fort Dearborn massacre. He is said to have fought at Sackett's Harbor in the War of 1812 and to have been wounded In the army by a grapeshot at Williamsburg. Williams-burg. Next he settled in New lork and met with far more disasters than ever he had during his service in two wars. A falling tre fractured his skull and broke his collar bone and two ribs; at a military review the discharge of a cannon broke both of his legs; and the kick of a horse left a scar on his forehead fore-head which he carried till his death. Kennison was married four times and was the father of twenty-two children. chil-dren. Late in life he became separated separat-ed from his children and went to Chicago Chi-cago to live in 1S45. Finding that his Revolutionary war pension of $3 was not enough for his living expenses, he tool; up manual labor again and continued con-tinued until 1848. Then at the age of one hundred and twelve he decided he had earned a rest, but having no other means of support he entered the Chicago Chi-cago museum as an exhibit. For the last twenty months of his life he was bedridden but his sight and hearing, which had failed him for a time, became be-came perfect again and be retained those faculties until his death in 1852. The Defense of Fort Jefferson YOU will Look in vain on the Revolutionary Revo-lutionary war maps for Fort Jefferson. Jef-ferson. It probably was never placed on any of them, for its existence was n short one. But during that brief time it was the scene of one of the most heroic defenses in the history of the American frontier. It was built In 1781 upon orders from Gov. Thomas Jefferson of Virginia by Col. George Rogers Clark near Mayfield's creek in Kentucky, about five miles below the mouth of the Ohio river. Clark then returned to Louisville, leaving In command Capt. James Pig-gvtt, Pig-gvtt, a veteran of Washington's army and of Clark's expedition into the IUi-( nois country. Angered by this intrusion in-trusion upon their lands the Choctaws and Chickasaws under their half-breed Chief Calbert marched against Fort Jefferson and laid seige to it. A messenger mes-senger was hastily dispatched to Clark but it was doubtful if reinforcements could arrive in time. The situation in the fort soon became be-came desperate. Their provisions were almost exhausted, the water supply sup-ply wa failing, ammunition was run-I run-I ning low and as a final horror, sickness sick-ness swept the little garrison. One of the defenders who was captured Dy the Indians was forced to tell the true state of affairs in the stockade, and upon learning this. Calbert, under a i flag of truce, demanded the surrender of the fort, promising to spare the I lives of the settlers, but declaring that if there was further resistance he might not he able to control his warriors war-riors if they once swept over the walls. Captain Piggott made a counter proposal. pro-posal. If the Indians would raise the siege, the settlers would abandon the fort and leave the country. Calbert agreed to submit this proposal to a council of the warriors. While the council was in progress reinforcements from Louisville arrived and preparations prepara-tions were made to defend the fort to the last. The Indians Immediately attacked, Dut the small cannon which the Louisville Louis-ville party had brought and which had been mounted on the wa4ls mowed them down by the score. I!ut despile this the battle raged fiercely for hours before Calbert gave up the attempt to tarry the fort by storm and retired from the field. The settlers, too, had hat' enough. They prepared to evacuate evacu-ate the fori, some to go to Louisville and others to their former homes in Kaskaskia. III. With their departure the fort fell inlo ruins and within it short time the wilderness had again reclaimed the spot where Fort Jefferson Jeffer-son had stood. tfc). 1331 Western Newspaper Union.) |