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Jacob Lindley's Account, 1793

SW_JL1793_Page_141

their civility and kindness to us. There was a cap-tain much addicted to profane swearing in our com-pany, and who kept a squaw; upon being put in mindof the odiousness of such a course of life, and the dan-ger he stood in, replied, he thought no harm would ensue — that we might think it very strange, that he never lay down, drunk or sober, without saying his prayers. Which, strange as it was, he asserted was the case. 5th. The Detroit sloop left this place, loaded with skins and peltry, for Fort Erie. I spent some partof this day, on the margin of the river, and bay.Here once stood the town and garrison of Detroit. Multitudes of graves, and many foundations of build-ings are yet discoverable. We are told, about seven-ty years ago, the Indians rose, and in one night mas-sacred every person in the place, except the Ro-man priest, who was concealed by a squaw; and alsoburnt all the houses. After which, the garrison wasbuilt eighteen miles higher up the river, on the op-posite side, where it now stands. Since the Englishhave been in possession of Canada, some bold at-tempts of like nature, have been made: one by thenoted Indian, Pontiac, on the present Detroit; which,in all human probability, would have succeeded, butfor some intelligence from a squaw, communicatedthe evening preceding the intended bloody enter-prize, to the commander, who afterwards attempted to dislodge them from the suburbs. This broughton the fray, from whence bloody bridge took its name, where three officers and seventy soldiers arereported to have fallen, about a mile and a half aboveDetroit. When the veteran saw himself the con-queror, it inspired him with ambition to get upon