Larry A. Smail's Blog

Blanket Hill battle on the right

  Locals in the Armstrong County, Pennsylvania area have heard of Blanket Hill. In 1756, Colonel John Armstrong ordered 13 men to wait until daybreak and attack the 3-4 Indians located by the fire. Scouts spotted their fire earlier that evening. Armstrong feared these Indians could alarm the main village at Kit-Han-Ne. (Present-day Kittanning)

However, the hand full of natives turned out to be many more than the four and the 13 soldiers were either killed, wounded or deserted. The actual site of the battle was about one and a half miles from where the community of Blanket Hill is presently. The hill where the battle originated is a small strip of woodlands corrupted with multiflora rose brambles. The top is field and the bottom is a reclaimed strip job. 

Used to be where we hunted!

  The plan was simple. the three of us, Cousin Donnie; step-father Bob  and myself, after a morning stand hunt, would  meet and hunt that strip around 9:00.  The early hours were very chilly somewhere in the low teens or, possibly colder. I saw 9 deer prior to 9:00. (Six were bedded and spotted while driving  to the hunt site.)  Donnie saw two turkeys.

     We organized and I placed Bob along the top of the ridge and Donnie walked the bottom and set up. I circled around seeing 4 deer. I continued circling the woods edge and began a slow drive towards the two. I didn’t go very far and could see a couple of laying deer and a few more feeding. I allowed my presence known and the deer moved slowly and stopped before moving on. I waited for a shot.                                      

Half-rack Buck

I began moving towards them and could see deer walking ahead of me and shortly a resounding “boom.” I moved in to see Donnie having bagged a deer. Bob saw some of these deer, but couldn’t get a good shot. Donnie’s 37 yard shot connected very well allowing the deer to go about 12 yards. Bob exited as planned to a right of way. I continued the push seeing a couple of the deer. One laying deer was a half-rack 4-point. I actually did get a photo of the deer laying before moving them out. (Donnie shot another flintlock deer last Saturday.)

Donnie with his doe

     I helped Donnie drag the deer before Bob and I went to another site.  I spotted a deer laying but Bob couldn’t see it until it jumped up to run. Later I spotted another deer feeding and we maneuvered and the deer walked rather close but didn’t afford a shot. I tried to push the deer back and spotted another deer in its bed. Nothing past Bob!!

Ring neck track

    I was almost to Bob and could see a feeding deer far out. We positioned and the deer eventually walked to about 50 yards. The wind wasn’t the best, but when I felt the draft change I told Bob the deer would wind us. She did and the escape was certain!

I saw two more deer before we quit as the rain started.

I saw a groundhog out today in January!  The temperatures eased rapidly into the forty degree mark. The snow melted just as fast. I, also, saw a couple of hawks.   

Donnie dragging

 I find walking the area where the Blanket Hill skirmish traditionally began to be an exciting adventure. To get a deer  where native Delaware warriors and early Pennsylvania  soldiers may have walked is just as much of thrill to me. This is “hallowed ground.”