Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Captain Blake Killed Megish


Source

From Pioneer Collections (recollections of Aura P. Stewart of St. Clair County, Michigan):


"At the breaking out of the war there resided a family of Indians on the Big Bear Creek, on the Canada side, who were known as the Sha-na-wa family; in this family there were five brothers, all warriors.  One of them...Me-gish, who followed the British army, and was at the Battle of Lundy's Lane, where he was killed.  I [Aura P. Stewart] got the particulars of his death from his mother and sister, who have often repeated the story of Me-gish's death in my hearing while a boy.  They say that he got between two armies as they were approaching, and a little before the battle commenced he was fired on and killed by the Americans.  This circumstance would not be worth relating were it not for the statement of Capt. Chesley Blake, one of the old pioneer captains of our lakes."

"In 1840 Capt. Blake came to Harsen's Island...and during his stay lodged with my brother, Capt. John H. Stewart.  My father called to see the captain one evening to have a chat, and the conversation turned on the late war with England, and the part each had taken.  Blake here stated that he was at the Battle of Lundy's Lane; that as the two armies were approaching, and a little while before the action, an Indian attempted to pass between the armies, running for dear life."

Blake was the American who killed Me-gish.






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