University of Virginia Library

[198] CHAPTER XII.

In North Western Virginia, the frequent inroads of
small parties of savages in 1778, led to greater preparations
for security, from renewed hostilities after the winter
should have passed away; and many settlements received
a considerable accession to their strength, from the number
of persons emigrating to them. In some neighborhoods,
the sufferings of the preceding season and the
inability of the inhabitants, from the paucity of their
numbers, to protect themselves from invasion, led to a
total abandonment of their homes. The settlement on
Hacker's creek was entirely broken up in the spring of
1779,—some of its inhabitants forsaking the country and
retiring east of the mountains; while the others went to
the fort on Buchannon, and to Nutter's fort, near Clarksburg,
to aid in resisting the foe and in maintaining possession
of the country. When the campaign of that year
opened, the whole frontier was better prepared to protect
itself from invasion and to shield its occupants from the
wrath of the savage enemy, than it had ever been, since it
became the abode of white men. There were forts in
every settlement, into which the people could retire when
danger threatened, and which were capable of withstanding
the assaults of savages, however furious they might
be, if having to depend for success, on the use of small
arms only. It was fortunate for the country, that this was
their dependence. A few well directed shots even from
small cannon, would have demolished [199] their strongest
fortress, and left them no hope from death, but captivity.

In the neighborhood of Pricket's fort, the inhabitants
were early alarmed, by circumstances which induced a belief
that the Indians were near, and they accordingly entered
that garrison. It was soon evident that their fears
were groundless, but as the season was fast approaching,
when the savages might be expected to commence depredations,

they determined on remaining in the fort, of a
night, and yet prosecute the business of their farms as
usual during the day. Among those who were at this
time in the fort, was David Morgan, (a relation of General
Daniel Morgan,) then upwards of sixty years of age.
Early in April, being himself unwell, he sent his two
children—Stephen, a youth of sixteen, and Sarah, a girl
of fourteen—to feed the cattle at his farm, about a mile
off. The children, thinking to remain all day and spend
the time in preparing ground for water melons, unknown
to their father took with them some bread and meat.
Having fed the stock, Stephen set himself to work, and
while he was engaged in grubbing, his sister would remove
the brush, and otherwise aid him in the labor of
clearing the ground; occasionally going to the house to
wet some linen which she had spread out to bleach. Morgan,
after the children had been gone some time, betook
himself to bed, and soon falling asleep, dreamed that he
saw Stephen and Sarah walking about the fort yard,
scalped. Aroused from slumber by the harrowing spectacle
presented to his sleeping view, he enquired if the
children had returned, and upon learning they had not, he
set out to see what detained them, taking with him his
gun. As he approached the house, still impressed with
the horrible fear that he should find his dream realized, he
ascended an eminence, from which he could distinctly see
over his plantation, and descrying from thence the objects
of his anxious solicitude, he proceeded directly to them,
and seated himself on an old log, near at hand. He had
been here but a few minutes, before he saw two Indians
come out from the house and make toward the children.
Fearing to alarm them too much, and thus deprive
them of the power of exerting themselves ably to make
an escape, he apprized them in a careless manner, of
their danger, and told them to run towards the fort—himself
still maintaining his seat on the log. The Indians
then raised a hideous yell and ran in pursuit; but the old
[200] gentleman shewing himself at that instant, caused
them to forbear the chase, and shelter themselves behind
trees. He then endeavored to effect an escape, by flight,
and the Indians followed after him. Age and consequent
infirmity, rendered him unable long to continue out of
their reach; and aware that they were gaining considerably
on him, he wheeled to shoot. Both instantly sprang
behind trees, and Morgan seeking shelter in the same
manner, got behind a sugar, which was so small as to
leave part of his body exposed. Looking round, he saw a
large oak about twenty yards farther, and he made to it.
Just as he reached it, the foremost Indian sought security
behind the sugar sapling, which he had found insufficient
for his protection. The Indian, sensible that it would not
shelter him, threw himself down by the side of a log
which lay at the root of the sapling. But this did not afford
him sufficient cover, and Morgan, seeing him exposed
to a shot, fired at him. The ball took effect, and the savage,
rolling over on his back, stabbed himself twice in the
breast.

Having thus succeeded in killing one of his pursuers,
Morgan again took to flight, and the remaining Indian
after him. It was now that trees could afford him no
security—His gun was unloaded, and his pursuer could
approach him safely.—The unequal race was continued
about sixty yards, when looking over his shoulder, he saw
the savage within a few paces of him, and with his gun
raised. Morgan sprang to one side, and the ball whizzed
harmlessly by him. The odds was now not great, and
both advanced to closer combat, sensible of the prize for
which they had to contend, and each determined, to deal
death to his adversary. Morgan aimed a blow with his
gun; but the Indian hurled a tomahawk at him, which
cutting the little finger of his left hand entirely off, and
injuring the one next it very much, knocked the gun out
of his grasp, and they closed. Being a good wrestler,
Morgan succeeded in throwing the Indian; but soon found
himself overturned, and the savage upon him, feeling for
his knife and sending forth a most horrifick yell, as is their
custom when they consider victory as secure. A woman's
apron, which he had taken from the house and fastened
round him above his knife, so hindered him in getting at
it quickly, that Morgan, getting one of his fingers in his

mouth, deprived him of the use of that hand, and disconcerted
him very much by continuing to grind it between
his teeth. At length the [201] Indian got hold of his
knife, but so far towards the blade, that Morgan too got a
small hold on the extremity of the handle; and as the Indian
drew it from the scabbard, Morgan, biting his finger
with all his might, and thus causing him somewhat to relax
his grasp, drew it through his hand, gashing it most
severely.

By this time both had gained their feet, and the Indian,
sensible of the great advantage gained over him,
endeavored to disengage himself; but Morgan held fast to
the finger, until he succeeded in giving him a fatal stab,
and felt the almost lifeless body sinking in his arms. He
then loosened his hold and departed for the fort.

On his way he met with his daughter, who not being
able to keep pace with her brother, had followed his footsteps
to the river bank where he had plunged in, and was
then making her way to the canoe. Assured thus far of
the safety of his children, he accompanied his daughter to
the fort, and then, in company with a party of the men,
returned to his farm, to see if there were any appearance
of other Indians being about there. On arriving at the
spot where the desperate struggle had been, the wounded
Indian was not to be seen; but trailing him by the blood
which flowed profusely from his side, they found him concealed
in the branches of a fallen tree.—He had taken the
knife from his body, bound up the wound with the apron,
and on their approaching him, accosted them familiarly,
with the salutation "How do do broder, how do broder."
Alas! poor fellow! their brotherhood extended no farther
than to the gratification of a vengeful feeling. He was
tomahawked and scalped; and, as if this would not fill
the measure of their vindictive passions, both he and his
companion were flayed, their skins tanned and converted
into saddle seats, shot pouches and belts—A striking instance
of the barbarities, which a revengeful spirit will
lead its possessors to perpetrate.[1]

The alarm which had caused the people in the neighborhood
of Pricket's fort, to move into it for safety, induced
two or three families on Dunkard creek to collect at
the house of Mr. Bozarth, thinking they would be more
exempt from danger when together, than if remaining at
their several homes. About the first of April, when only
Mr. Bozarth and two men were in the house, the children,
who had been out at play, came running into the yard, exclaiming
that there were [202] "ugly red men coming."
Upon hearing this, one of the two men in the house, going
to the door to see if Indians really were approaching, received
a glancing shot on his breast, which caused him to
fall back. The Indian who had shot him, sprang in immediately
after, and grappling with the other white man, was
quickly thrown on the bed. His antagonist having no
weapon with which to do him any injury called to Mrs.
Bozarth for a knife. Not finding one at hand, she siezed
an axe, and at one blow, let out the brains of the prostrate
savage. At that instant a second Indian entering the
door, shot dead the man engaged with his companion on
the bed. Mrs. Bozarth turned on him, and with a well
directed blow, let out his entrails and caused him to bawl
out for help. Upon this, others of his party, who had
been engaged with the children in the yard, came to his
relief. The first who thrust his head in at the door, had
it cleft by the axe of Mrs. Bozarth and fell lifeless on the
ground. Another, catching hold of his wounded, bawling
companion, drew him out of the house, when Mrs. Bozarth,
with the aid of the white man who had been first shot and
was then somewhat recovered, succeeded in closing and
making fast the door. The children in the yard were all
killed, but the heroism and exertions of Mrs. Bozarth and
the wounded white man, enabled them to resist the repeated

attempts of the Indians, to force open the door,
and to maintain possession of the house, until they were
relieved by a party from the neighboring settlement.—
The time occupied in this bloody affair, from the first
alarm by the children to the shutting of the door, did not
exceed three minutes. And in this brief space, Mrs. Bozarth,
with infinite self possession, coolness and intrepidity,
succeeded in killing three Indians.

On the eleventh of the same month, five Indians came
to a house on Snowy creek, (in the, now, county of Preston,)
in which lived James Brain and Richard Powell, and
remained in ambush during the night, close around it. In
the morning early, the appearance of some ten or twelve
men, issuing from the house with guns, for the purpose of
amusing themselves in shooting at a mark, deterred the Indians
from making their meditated attack. The men seen
by them, were travellers, who had associated for mutual
security, and who, after partaking of a morning's repast,
resumed their journey, unknown to the savages; when
Mr. Brain and the sons of Mr. Powell [203] went to their
day's work. Being engaged in carrying clap-boards for
covering a cabin, at some distance from the house, they
were soon heard by the Indians, who, despairing of succeeding
in an attack on the house, changed their position,
& concealed themselves by the side of the path, along
which those engaged at work had to go. Mr. Brain and
one of his sons being at a little distance in front of them,
they fired and Brain fell. He was then tomahawked and
scalped, while another of the party followed and caught
the son as he was attempting to escape by flight.

Three other boys were then some distance behind and
out of sight, and hearing the report of the gun which
killed Brain, for an instant supposed that it proceeded
from the rifle of some hunter in quest of deer. They were
soon satisfied that this supposition was unfounded. Three
Indians came running towards them, bearing their guns in
one hand, and tomahawks in the other. One of the boys
stupefied by terror,—and unable to stir from the spot, was
immediately made prisoner. Another, the son of Powell,
was also soon caught; but the third, finding himself out

of sight of his pursuer, ran to one side and concealed himself
in a bunch of alders, where he remained until the Indian
passed the spot where he lay, when he arose, and
taking a different direction, ran with all his speed, and effected
an escape. The little prisoners were then brought
together; and one of Mr. Powell's sons, being discovered
to have but one eye, was stripped naked, had a tomahawk
sunk into his head, a spear ran through his body, and the
scalp then removed from from his bleeding head.

The little Powell who had escaped from the savages,
being forced to go a direction opposite to the house, proceeded
to a station about eight miles off, & communicated
intelligence of what had been done at Brain's. A party
of men equipped themselves and went immediately to the
scene of action; but the Indians had hastened homeward,
as soon as they perpetrated their horrid cruelties. One
of their little captives, (Benjamin Brain) being asked by
them, "how many men were at the house," replied
"twelve." To the question, "how far from thence was
the nearest fort," he answered "two miles." Yet he well
knew that there was no fort, nearer than eight miles, and
that there was not a man at the house,—Mr. Powell being
from home, and the twelve travellers having departed, before
his father and he had gone out to [204] work. His
object was to save his mother and the other women and
children, from captivity or death, by inducing them to
believe that it would be extremely dangerous to venture
near the house. He succeeded in the attainment of his
object. Deterred by the prospect of being discovered, and
perhaps defeated by the superior force of the white men,
represented to be at Mr. Brain's, they departed in the
greatest hurry, taking with them their two little prisoners,
Benjamin and Isaac Brain.

So stilly had the whole affair been conducted (the report
of a gun being too commonly heard to excite any suspicion
of what was doing,) and so expeditiously had the
little boy who escaped, and the men who accompanied
him back, moved in their course, that the first intimation
given Mrs. Brain of the fate of her husband, was given by
the men who came in pursuit.

Soon after the happening of this affair, a party of Indians
came into the Buchannon settlement, and made
prisoner Leonard Schoolcraft, a youth of about sixteen,
who had been sent from the fort on some business.—When
arrived at their towns and arrangements being made for
his running the gauntlet, he was told that he might defend
himself against the blows of the young Indians who were
to pursue him to the council house. Being active and
athletic, he availed himself of this privilege, so as to save
himself from the beating which he would otherwise have
received, and laying about him with well timed blows, frequently
knocked down those who came near to him—
much to the amusement of the warriors, according to the
account given by others, who were then prisoners and
present. This was the last certain information which was
ever had concerning him. He was believed however, to
have been afterwards in his old neighborhood in the capacity
of guide to the Indians, and aiding them, by his
knowledge of the country, in making successful incursions
into it.

In the month of June, at Martin's fort on Crooked
Run, another murderous scene was exhibited by the savages.
The greater part of the men having gone forth
early to their farms, and those who remained, being unapprehensive
of immediate danger, and consequently supine
and careless, the fort was necessarily, easily accessible, and
the vigilance of the savages who were lying hid around
it, discovering its exposed and [205] weakened situation,
seized the favorable moment to attack those who were
without. The women were engaged in milking the cows
outside the gate, and the men who had been left behind
were loitering around. The Indians rushed forward, and
killed and made prisoners of ten of them. James Stuart,
James Smally and Peter Crouse, were the only persons
who fell, and John Shiver and his wife, two sons of Stuart,
two sons of Smally and a son of Crouse, were carried
into captivity. According to their statement upon their
return, there were thirteen Indians in the party which
surprised them, and emboldened by success, instead of retreating
with their prisoners, remained at a little distance

from the fort 'till night, when they put the captives in a
waste house near, under custody of two of the savages,
while the remaining eleven, went to see if they could not
succeed in forcing an entrance at the gate. But the disaster
of the morning had taught the inhabitants the necessity
of greater watchfulness. The dogs were shut out
at night, and the approach of the Indians exciting them
to bark freely, gave notice of impending danger, in time
for them to avert it. The attempt to take the fort being
thus frustrated, the savages returned to the house in which
the prisoners were confined, and moved off with them to
their towns.

In August, two daughters of Captain David Scott
living at the mouth of Pike run, going to the meadow with
dinner for the mowers, were taken by some Indians who
were watching the path. The younger was killed on the
spot; but the latter being taken some distance farther, and
every search for her proving unavailing, her father fondly
hoped that she had been carried into captivity, and that
he might redeem her. For this purpose he visited Pittsburg
and engaged the service of a friendly Indian to ascertain
where she was and endeavour to prevail on them
to ransom her. Before his return from Fort Pitt, some
of his neighbors directed to the spot by the buzzards hovering
over it, found her half eaten and mutilated body.

In September, Nathaniel Davisson and his brother,
being on a hunting expedition up Ten Mile, left their camp
early on the morning of the day on which they intended
to return home; and naming an hour at which they would
be back, proceeded through the woods in different directions.
At the appointed time, Josiah went to the camp,
and after waiting there in vain for the arrival of his
brother, and becoming uneasy lest [206] some unlucky
accident had befallen him, he set out in search of him.
Unable to see or hear anything of him he returned home,
and prevailed on several of his neighbors to aid in endeavouring
to ascertain his fate. Their search was likewise
unavailing; but in the following March, he was found
by John Read, while hunting in that neighborhood. He
had been shot and scalped; and notwithstanding he had

lain out nearly six months, yet he was but little torn by
wild beasts, and was easily recognized.

During this year too, Tygarts Valley, which had escaped
being visited by the Indians in 1778 again heard
their harrowing yells; and although but little mischief was
done by them while there, yet its inhabitants were awhile,
kept in fearful apprehension that greater ills would betide
them. In October of this year, a party of them lying in
ambush near the road, fired several shots at Lieut. John
White, riding by, but with no other effect than by wounding
the horse to cause him to throw his rider. This was
fatal to White. Being left on foot and on open ground, he
was soon shot, tomahawked and scalped.

As soon as this event was made known, Capt. Benjamin
Wilson, with his wonted promptitude and energy,
raised a company of volunteers, and proceeding by forced
marches to the Indian crossing at the mouth of the Sandy
fork of Little Kenhawa, he remained there nearly three
days with a view to intercept the retreat of the savages.
They however, returned by another way and his scheme,
of cutting them off while crossing the river, consequently
failed.

Some time after this several families in the Buchannon
settlement, left the fort and returned to their homes,
under the belief that the season had advanced too far, for
the Indians again to come among them. But they were
sorely disappointed. The men being all assembled at the
fort for the purpose of electing a Captain, some Indians
fell upon the family of John Schoolcraft, and killed the
women and eight children,—two little boys only were
taken prisoners. A small girl, who had been scalped and
tomahawked 'till a portion of her brains was forced from
her head, was found the next day yet alive, and continued
to live for several days, the brains still oozing from the
fracture of her skull.

The last mischief that was done this fall, was perpetrated
at the house of Samuel Cottrail near to the present
town of Clarksburg.—During the night considerable fear
was excited, both at Cottrial's and at Sotha Hickman's on
the opposite side of Elk creek, by the continued barking

of the dogs, that Indians were lurking near, and in consequence
of this apprehension Cottrial, on going to bed, secured
well the doors and directed that no one should stir
out in the morning until it was ascertained that there was
no danger threatening. A while before day, Cottrial being
fast asleep, Moses Coleman, who lived with him, got
up, shelled some corn, and giving a few ears to Cottrial's
nephew with directions to feed the pigs around [207] the
yard, went to the hand mill in an out house, and commenced
grinding. The little boy, being squatted down
shelling the corn to the pigs, found himself suddenly
drawn on his back and an Indian standing over him, ordering
him to lie there. The savage then turned toward the
house in which Coleman was, fired, and as Coleman fell
ran up to scalp him. Thinking this a favorable time for
him to reach the dwelling house, the little boy sprang to
his feet, and running to the door, it was opened and he
admitted. Scarcely was it closed after him, when one of
the Indians with his tomahawk endeavored to break it
open. Cottrail fired through the door at him, and he went
off. In order to see if others were about, and to have a
better opportunity of shooting with effect, Cottrail ascended
the loft, and looking through a crevice saw them
hastening away through the field and at too great distance
for him to shoot with the expectation of injuring them.
Yet he continued to fire and halloo; to give notice of
danger to those who lived near him.

The severity of the following winter put a momentary
stop to savage inroad, and gave to the inhabitants on the
frontier an interval of quiet and repose extremely desirable
to them, after the dangers and confinement of the
preceding season. Hostilities were however, resumed upon
the first appearance of spring, and acts of murder and devastation,
which had, of necessity, been suspended for a
time, were begun to be committed, with a firm determination
on the part of the savages, utterly to exterminate the
inhabitants of the western country. To effect this object,
an expedition was concerted between the British commandant
at Detroit and the Indian Chiefs north west of
the Ohio to be carried on by their united forces against

Kentucky, while an Indian army alone, was to penetrate
North Western Virginia, and spread desolation over its
surface. No means which could avail to ensure success
and which lay within their reach, were left unemployed.
The army destined to operate against Kentucky, was to
consist of six hundred Indians and Canadians, to be commanded
by Col. Byrd (a British officer) and furnished with
every implement of destruction, from the war club of the
savages, to the cannon of their allies.[2] Happily for North
Western Virginia, its situation exempted its inhabitants
from having to contend against these instruments of war;
the want of roads prevented the transportation of cannon
through the intermediate forests, and the difficulty and
labor of propelling them up the Ohio river, forbade the
attempt in that way.

While the troops were collecting for these expeditions,
and other preparations were making for carrying them on,
the settlements of North Western Virginia were not free
from invasion. Small parties of Indians would enter them
at unguarded moments, and kill and plunder, whenever
opportunities occurred of their being done with impunity,
and then retreat to their villages. Early in March (1780)
Thomas Lackey discovered some mocason tracks near the
upper extremity of Tygarts Valley, and thought he heard
a voice saying in [208] an under tone, "let him alone, he will
go and bring more." Alarmed by these circumstances, he
proceeded to Hadden's fort and told there what he had
seen, and what he believed, he had heard. Being so early
in the season and the weather yet far from mild, none
heeded his tale, and but few believed it. On the next day
however, as Jacob Warwick, William Warwick and some
others from Greenbrier were about leaving the fort on
their return home, it was agreed that a company of men
should accompany them some distance on the road. Unapprehensive
of danger, in spite of the warning of Lackey,
they were proceeding carelessly on their way, when they
were suddenly attacked by some Indians lying in ambush,

near to the place, where the mocason tracks had been seen
on the preceding day. The men on horse back, all got
safely off; but those on foot were less fortunate. The Indians
having occupied the pass both above and below, the
footmen had no chance of escape but in crossing the river
and ascending a steep bluff, on its opposite side. In attempting
this several lost their lives. John McLain was
killed about thirty yards from the brow of the hill.—
James Ralston, when a little farther up it, and James
Crouch was wounded after having nearly reached its summit,
yet he got safely off and returned to the fort on the
next day. John Nelson, after crossing over, endeavored
to escape down the river; but being there met by a stout
warrior, he too was killed, after a severe struggle. His
shattered gun breech, the uptorn earth, and the locks of
Indian hair in his yet clenched hands, showed that the
victory over him had not been easily won.

Soon after this, the family of John Gibson were surprised
at their sugar camp, on a branch of the Valley
river, and made prisoners. Mrs. Gibson, being incapable
of supporting the fatigue of walking so far and fast, was
tomahawked and scalped in the presence of her children.

West's fort on Hacker's creek, was also visited by the
savages, early in this year.[3] The frequent incursions of

the Indians into this settlement, in the year 1778, had
caused the inhabitants to desert their homes the next
year, and shelter themselves in places of greater security;
but being unwilling to give up the improvements which
they had already made and commence anew in the woods,
some few families returned to it during the winter, & on
the approach of spring, moved into the fort. They had
not been long here, before the savages made their appearance,
and continued to invest the fort for some time. Too
weak to sally out and give them battle, and not knowing
when to expect relief, the inhabitants were almost reduced
to despair, when Jesse Hughs resolved at his own hazard,
to try to obtain assistance to drive off the enemy. Leaving
the fort at night, he broke by their sentinels and ran
with speed to the Buchannon fort. Here he prevailed on a
party of the men to accompany him to West's, and relieve
those who had been so long confined there. They arrived
before day, and it was thought advisable to abandon the
place once more, and remove to Buchannon. On their
way, the [209] Indians used every artifice to separate the
party, so as to gain an advantageous opportunity of attacking
them; but in vain. They exercised so much caution,
and kept so well together, that every stratagem was frustrated,
and they all reached the fort in safety.

Two days after this, as Jeremiah Curl, Henry Fink
and Edmund West, who were old men, and Alexander
West,[4] Peter Cutright, and Simon Schoolcraft, were
returning to the fort with some of their neighbor's
property, they were fired at by the Indians who were

lying concealed along a run bank. Curl was slightly
wounded under the chin, but disdaining to fly without
making a stand he called to his companions, "stand your
ground, for we are able to whip them." At this instant a
lusty warrior drew a tomahawk from his belt and rushed
towards him. Nothing daunted by the danger which
seemed to threaten him, Curl raised his gun; but the powder
being damped by the blood from his wound, it did not
fire. He instantly picked up West's gun (which he had
been carrying to relieve West of part of his burden) and
discharging it at his assailant, brought him to the ground.

The whites being by this time rid of their encumbrances,
the Indians retreated in two parties and pursued
different routes, not however without being pursued.
Alexander West being swift of foot, soon came near
enough to fire, and brought down a second, but having
only wounded him, and seeing the Indians spring behind
trees, he could not advance to finish him; nor could
he again shoot at him, the flint having fallen out when he
first fired. Jackson (who was hunting sheep not far off)
hearing the report of the guns, ran towards the spot, and
being in sight of the Indian when West shot, saw him
fall and afterwards recover and hobble off. Simon Schoolcraft,
following after West, came to him just after Jackson,
with his gun cocked; and asking where the Indians
were, was advised by Jackson to get behind a tree, or
they would soon let him know where they were. Instantly
the report of a gun was heard, and Schoolcraft let
fall his arm. The ball had passed through it, and striking
a steel tobacco box in his waistcoat pocket, did him no
farther injury. Cutright, when West fired at one of the
Indians, saw another of them drop behind a log, and
changing his position, espied him, where the log was a
little raised from the earth. With steady nerves, he drew
upon him. The moaning cry of the savage, as he sprang
from the ground and moved haltingly away, convinced
them that the shot had taken effect. The rest of the Indians
continued behind trees, until they observed a reinforcement
coming up to the aid of the whites, and they

fled with the utmost precipitancy. Night soon coming
on, those who followed them, had to give over the pursuit.

A company of fifteen men went early next morning to
the battle ground, and taking the trail of the Indians and
pursuing it some distance, came to where they had some
horses (which they had stolen after the skirmish) hobbled
out on a fork of Hacker's creek. They [210] then found
the plunder which the savages had taken from neighboring
houses, and supposing that their wounded warriors
were near, the whites commenced looking for them, when
a gun was fired at them by an Indian concealed in a laurel
thicket, which wounded John Cutright.[5] The whites then
caught the stolen horses and returned with them and the
plunder to the fort.

For some time after this, there was nothing occurring
to indicate the presence of Indians in the Buchannon settlement,
and some of those who were in the fort, hoping
that they should not be again visited by them this season,
determined on returning to their homes. Austin Schoolcraft
was one of these, and being engaged in removing
some of his property from the fort, as he and his niece
were passing through a swamp in their way to his house,
they were shot at by some Indians. Mr. Schoolcraft was
killed and his niece taken prisoner.

In June, John Owens, John Juggins and Owen Owens,
were attacked by some Indians, as they were going to their
cornfield on Booth's creek; and the two former were killed
and scalped. Owen Owens being some distance behind
them, made his escape to the fort. John Owens the
younger, who had been to the pasture field for the plough
horses, heard the guns, but not suspecting any danger to
be near, rode forward towards the cornfield. As he was
proceeding along the path by a fence side, riding one and
leading another horse, he was fired at by several Indians,
some of whom afterwards rushed forward and caught at
the bridle reins; yet he escaped unhurt from them all.

The savages likewise visited Cheat river, during the
spring, and coming to the house of John Sims, were discovered
by a negro woman, who ran immediately to the
door and alarmed the family.—Bernard Sims (just recovering
from the small pox) taking down his gun, and going
to the door, was shot. The Indians, perceiving that he
was affected with a disease, of all others the most terrifying
to them, not only did not perform the accustomed
operation of scalping, but retreated with as much rapidity,
as if they had been pursued by an overwhelming force of
armed men,—exclaiming as they ran "small pox, small
pox."

After the attack on Donnelly's fort in May 1778, the
Indians made no attempt to effect farther mischiefs in the
Greenbrier country, until this year. The fort at Point
Pleasant guarded the principal pass to the settlements on
the Kenhawa, in the Levels, and on Greenbrier river, and
the reception with which they had met at Col. Donnelly's,
convinced them that not much was to be gained by incursions
into that section of the frontiers. But as they were
now making great preparations for effectual operations
against the whole border country, a party of them was
despatched to this portion of it, at once for the purpose
of rapine and murder, and to ascertain the state of the
country and its capacity to resist invasion.

The party then sent into Greenbrier consisted of
twenty-two [211] warriors, and committed their first act
of atrocity near the house of Lawrence Drinnan, a few
miles above the Little Levels. Henry Baker and Richard
Hill, who were then staying there, going early in the
morning to the river to wash, were shot at by them:
Baker was killed, but Hill escaped back to the house.
When the Indians fired at Baker, he was near a fence between
the river and Drinnan's and within gunshot of the
latter place. Fearing to cross the fence for the purpose of
scalping him, they prized it up, and with a pole fastening
a noose around his neck, drew him down the river bank
& scalped and left him there.

Apprehensive of an attack on the house, Mr. Drinnan
made such preparations as were in his power to repel

them, and despatched a servant to the Little Levels, with
the intelligence and to procure assistance. He presently
returned with twenty men, who remained there during the
night, but in the morning, seeing nothing to contradict
the belief that the Indians had departed, they buried
Baker, and set out on their return to the Levels, taking
with them all who were at Drinnan's and the most of his
property. Arrived at the fork of the road, a question
arose whether they should take the main route, leading
through a gap which was deemed a favorable situation for
an ambuscade, or continue on the farther but more open
and secure way. A majority preferred the latter; but two
young men, by the name of Bridger, separated from the
others, and travelling on the nearer path, were both killed
at the place, where it was feared danger might be lurking.

The Indians next proceeded to the house of Hugh
McIver, where they succeeded in killing its owner, and in
making prisoner his wife; and in going from thence, met
with John Prior, who with his wife and infant were on
their way to the country on the south side of the Big
Kenawha. Prior was shot through the breast, but anxious
for the fate of his wife and child, stood still, 'till one of
the Indians came up and laid hold on him. Notwithstanding
the severe wound which he had received, Prior
proved too strong for his opponent, and the other Indians
not interfering, forced him at length to disengage himself
from the struggle. Prior, then seeing that no violence
was offered to Mrs. Prior or the infant, walked off without
any attempt being made to stop, or otherwise molest him:
the Indians no doubt suffering him to depart under the
expectation that he would obtain assistance and endeavor
to regain his wife and child, and that an opportunity of
waylaying any party coming with this view, would be
[212] then afforded them. Prior returned to the settlement,
related the above incidents and died that night.
His wife and child were never after heard of, and it is
highly probable they were murdered on their way, as
being unable to travel as expeditiously as the Indians
wished.

They next went to a house, occupied by Thomas

Drinnon and a Mr. Smith with their families, where they
made prisoners of Mrs. Smith, Mrs. Drinnon and a child;
and going then towards their towns, killed, on their way,
an old gentleman by the name of Monday and his wife.
This was the last outrage committed by the Indians in the
Greenbrier settlements. And although the war was carried
on by them against the frontier settlements, with energy
for years after, yet did they not again attempt an
incursion into it. Its earlier days had been days of tribulation
and wo, and those who were foremost in occupying
and forming settlements in it, had to endure all that savage
fury could inflict. Their term of probation, was indeed
of comparatively short duration, but their sufferings
for a time, were many and great. The scenes of murder
and blood, exhibited on Muddy creek and the Big Levels
in 1776, will not soon be effaced from the memory; and
the lively interest excited in the bosoms of many, for the
fate of those who there treacherously perished, unabated
by time, still gleams in the countenance, when tradition
recounts the tale of their unhappy lot.