Shortly after our arrival at these encampments, I was adopted into a Pottowatomie family that had lost a son in the battle at the River Raisin.
I was presented to this family by an Indian whose name was Ke-wi-ex-kim. He introduced me to my father and mother, brothers and sisters, and instructed me to call them by these respective appellations. My father’s name was Asa Chipsaw, after whom they call me; they asked me if I had a squaw; I answered in the negative, at which they appeared well pleased, and brought me a squaw, urging me to marry her. I refused, and told them when I got well I would accede to the proposals; this they took as a great offence. After having made themselves acquainted with the situation of my wound, they made a tea of sassafras and cherry-tree barks, which was the only drink I was permitted to take for fifteen days.
They frequently took me to Detroit, for the purpose of helping them to pack provisions from thence to their encampment. But they would not suffer me to talk to the inhabitants of that place. Fifteen loaves of bread, weighing three pounds each, ten pounds of pork or beef, and a peck of corn, was what they drew for six days. This would not last more than half that time; the remaining part they lived upon fragments of dog or horse meat. They appeared indifferent whether they had killed the animal that day themselves, or whether it had died by some accidental cause seven or eight days prior to their eating it.
They appointed me cook. I then had to undergo much fatigue in getting wood, &c., for they lent no assistance. Their customary way of cooking is to boil the meat and make soup, which they immediately devour without salt.
They have drunken frolics, whenever they can get any kind of spirits to drink. When these frolics take place the squaws hid me, to prevent them from murdering me. Once I was hid in some brush and deprived of food for four days, during which time there was a continual uproar in the camp, as though they had been killing each other.
The squaws, who frequently visited me, and to whom I as often applied for something to eat, informed me that there could be nothing had until the men got sober, who would then either kill provisions, or draw from Detroit. On the fourth day, when I had given up to perish, they brought me a piece of a dog cooked without salt, and although you may feel squeamish when I mention it, yet it was to me the sweetest morsel that I ever recollect to have eaten.
During my stay with them I saw them take a number of scalps to Malden, for which they said they received from four to six dollars each, either in whiskey or store goods. They said they got thirty-seven scalps at the battle of the 18th, and upwards of four hundred at that of the 22d January. I replied, that there were only ten scalped on the 18th. They said “Yankee d—d lie;� and they further stated, that they had only two killed on the 18th. I replied, Indian d—d lie, for I saw myself twelve dead on the field. I asked them how many British and Indians were at the River Raisin, on the 22d January; they replied, that there were two thousand five hundred Indians, and one thousand British.
They would frequently make motions imitating the Americans when they were scalping them, by turning, twisting, mourning, &c.; this was done to aggravate me.
They once gave me a jug of whiskey, requesting me to drink. I drank what satisfied me, and offered them the jug again—they insisted on me to drink more; I put the jug to my head, but did not drink; they discovered the cheat, and cried out “Yankee no good man, d—d lie;� they then made me drink until they could hear it gurgle in my throat.
About three weeks before the battle at the Rapids, the squaws and boys were employed in dressing deer-skins, which were to equip the warriors for their march thither. During this time, the warriors were collecting and dancing the war-dance. They informed me that they were going to Quo-by-ghaw, which I learned from the French, was the Rapids. I further learned that the British had promised them the possession of Fort Meigs, as well as the disposal of Gen. Harrison. They then calculated on Fort Meigs as their chief place of deposit, from which they could make incursions into the State of Ohio, kill a vast number of the inhabitants, and satisfy themselves with plunder. They calculated on having a three days’ frolic in the burning of Gen. Harrison.