AFFAIR AT MARTIN'S FORT.
In June of this year, the humble structure known as Martin's
fort, which stood on Crooked run, was the scene of a
painful and bloody affair.
On the morning of the attack, most of the men went, as
usual, to their respective improvements in the neighborhood.
Those who remained, not apprehending an attack, were
leisurely engaged outside of the fort, while the women were
occupied in milking the cows. A party of Shawanese, who
had lain in wait, embraced the favorable opportunity, and
rushing upon the whites, killed three men, and made prisoners
of seven others. Peter Croase, James Stuart, and James
Smalley were the men killed.
Soon after this occurrence, a small party of Indians appeared
on Pike run, a tributary to the Monongahela, below Brownsville,
and surprised two daughters of Capt. David Scott, who
were carrying dinner to some men mowing a meadow, not far
from their father's house. The younger, an interesting and
beautiful girl, was killed on the spot, as she made some
resistance, but her sister was carried into captivity. The
murdered sister was not found for several days, and when
discovered, presented a most horrible spectacle. Voracious
birds had so preyed upon her that she was but with difficulty
recognized.
About the last of September, Nathaniel Davisson and his
younger brother, living in the vicinity of Clarksburgh, started
upon a hunting expedition on the waters of Ten-mile. Hunting
separately, as was the custom, Josiah returned to camp
at an hour designated for meeting there, but not finding his
brother, and after waiting some time, feeling uneasy about
his safety, determined to search for him. Unable to see or
hear any thing, the other returned home, and prevailed upon
several of his neighbors to aid in endeavoring to ascertain
his fate. Their search was alike unavailing. In the following
March, his remains were found by John Read, while hunting.
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 easily recognized.
Tygart's Valley settlement, which had escaped a savage
visitation in 1778, was not to be so exempt during the present
year. In October, a party of Indians lying in ambush near the
road, fired at Lieut. John White, who was riding by, but with
no other effect than wounding his horse, and causing him to
throw his rider. This was fatal to White, as the ground was
open, and he was soon shot, tomahawked and scalped.
So soon as this event was made known, Capt. Benjamin
Wilson raised a company, and proceeding by forced marches
to the Indian crossing at the mouth of the Sandy fork of
Little Kanhawa, he remained there nearly three days with a
view to intercept the retreat of the savages. They, however,
returned by another rout, and thus his scheme of cutting them
off failed.
Some time after this, several families in the Buchanan
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 in this they were
deceived. 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, a portion of her
brains coming from her head, was found the next day alive.
The last mischief done this fall, was perpetrated at the
house of Samuel Cottrial, near the present town of Clarksburgh.
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 dogs. 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 no danger threatened. Just before day, Cottrial being
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 the yard, went himself
to an adjoining building and commenced grinding. A single
Indian, one of a party who had lain secreted during the night,
made his appearance, and first catching the boy, fired and
killed Coleman. Running to scalp his victim, the little fellow
made good his escape. The other Indians went off without
doing further injury.
The above, for which we are indebted to the interesting
local history of that region, was followed by numerous other
cases of savage cruelty, occurring towards the close of the
season of 1779. We regret that our want of room will not
allow more copious extracts at the present time.
