THE BEVANS' MURDER.
Clark's block-house[41]
was, in July of this year, the scene
of a painful occurrence. Of those who had resorted there,
was a family by the name of Bevans, embracing six members
in all, two sons and two daughters. Not apprehending danger,
these four visited, on the occasion referred to, their farm,
which was within a mile of the fort, for the purpose of pulling
flax. Reaching the field, they all seated themselves upon the
fence and were looking at the flax, when the Indians fired
upon them. John, one of the sons, received a ball through his
body, but not so as to disable him from running for the blockhouse.
An Indian followed close in pursuit, but the unfortunate
young man kept ahead until within sight of the blockhouse,
when he sunk down dead. The Indian had just given
up the chase, as he saw him fall. Cornelius, the other brother,
ran a different direction, with an Indian after him, tomahawk
in hand. The little fellow ran down a steep hill, leaping over
a large prostrate tree, in the top of which he hid himself. The
two girls were tomahawked and scalped, and both found lying
together. They were buried on the spot and in the same grave.
Clark told Rodefer that he saw John Bevans fall over the
fence a short distance below the fort. One of the daughters
was married, and an additional account says, that her husband,
James Anderson, was with her and was killed.
