Saturday, September 5, 2015

Running The Gauntlet



Source

On the return of his scouts, Major Cruger moved rapidly forward reaching the village just as one of the prisoners had run the gauntlet.

In his progress, he ran so close to one of the lines that he frequently knocked over men and women; this brought him so far from the opposite line that those in it could not strike him with their whips. And thus he passed through the army of whips without receiving the least injury. This trial, however, was not satisfactory to the Indians, and they were preparing him for another when they were surrounded by the American forces and the captives released.

One of the released prisoners, who had suffered much during his captivity, borrowed a hickory ramrod from one of the American soldiers, and walking up to a gigantic hostile chief...plied the weapon on the bare skin of the Indian with such force that great red ridges followed every blow.

On his return from this adventure, Major Cruger received intelligence that he had been placed in nomination by the Democrats of Allegany and Steuben [New York] as candidate for member of Assembly [autumn of 1813]. [Source]

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