University of Virginia Library

CAPTIVITY OF TWO BOYS.

In the spring of this year, the Indians early re-appeared
in the neighborhood of Wheeling. One of their first acts on
Wheeling creek, was the captivity of two boys, John Wetzel,

Jr., and Frederick Erlewyne, the former about sixteen years
of age, and the latter a year or two younger. The boys had
gone from the fort at Shepherd's, for the purpose of catching
horses. One of the stray animals was a mare, with a
young colt, belonging to Wetzel's sister, and she had offered
the foal to John, says the account which we follow, as a
reward for finding the mare. While on this service, they
were captured by a party of four Indians, who, having come
across the horses, had seized and secured them in a thicket,
expecting the bells would attract the notice of their owners,
as they could kill them. The horse was ever a favorite object
of plunder with the savages; as not only facilitating his own
escape from pursuit, but also assisting him in carrying off the
spoil. The boys, hearing the well-known tinkle of the bells,
approached the spot where the Indians lay concealed, congratulating
themselves on their good luck in so readily finding
the strays, when they were immediately seized by the savages.
John, in attempting to escape, was shot through the wrist.
His companion hesitating to go with the Indians, and beginning
to cry, they dispatched him with the tomahawk. John,
who had once before been taken prisoner and escaped, made
light of it, and went along cheerfully with his wounded arm.

The party struck the Ohio river early the following morning,
at a point near the mouth of Grave creek, and just below
the clearing of Mr. Tomlinson.[36] Here they found some hogs,
and killing one of them, put it into a canoe they had stolen.
Three of the Indians took possession of the canoe with
their prisoner, while the other was busied in swimming the
horses across the river. It so happened that Isaac Williams,[37]
Hambleton Kerr, and Jacob, a Dutchman, had come
down that morning from Wheeling, to look after the cattle,
etc., left at the deserted settlement. When near the mouth

of Little Grave creek, a mile above, they heard the report of
a rifle. "Dod rot 'em," exclaimed Mr. Williams, "a Kentuck
boat has landed at the creck, and they are shooting my
hogs." Quickening their pace, in a few minutes they were
within a short distance of the creek, when they heard the loud
snort of a horse. Kerr being in the prime of life, and younger
than Mr. Williams, was several rods ahead, and reached the
bank first. As he looked into the creek, he saw three Indians
standing in a canoe; one was in the stern, one in the bow,
and the other in the middle. At the feet of the latter, lay
four rifles and a dead hog; while a fourth Indian was swimming
a horse, a few rods from shore. The one in the stern
had his paddle in the edge of the water in the act of turning
and shoving the canoe from the mouth of the creek into the
river. Before they were aware of his presence, Kerr drew up
and shot the Indian in the stern, who instantly fell into the
water. The crack of his rifle had scarcely ceased, when Mr.
Williams came up and shot the one in the bow, who also fell
overboard. Kerr dropped his own rifle, and seizing that of
the Dutchman, shot the remaining Indian. He fell over into
the water, but still held on to the side of the canoe with one
hand. So amazed was the last Indian at the fall of his companions,
that he never offered to lift one of the rifles which
lay at his feet in self-defence, but acted like one bereft of his
senses. By this time the canoe, impelled by the impetus
given to it by the first Indian, had reached the current of the
river, and was some rods below the mouth of the creek. Kerr
instantly reloaded his gun, and seeing another man lying in
the bottom of the canoe, raised it to his face as in the act of
firing, when he cried out, "Don't shoot, I am a white man!"
Kerr told him to knock loose the Indian's hand from the side
of the canoe, and paddle to the shore. In reply he said his
arm was broken and he could not. The current, however,
set it near some rocks not far from land, on which he jumped
and waded out. Kerr now aimed his rifle at the Indian on horseback,
who by this time had reached the middle of the river.
The shot struck near him, splashing the water on his naked
skin. The Indian seeing the fate of his companions, with the
utmost bravery, slipped from the horse, and swam for the
canoe, in which were the rifles of the four warriors. This
was an act of necessity, as well of daring, for he well knew
he could not reach home without the means of killing game.
He soon gained possession of the canoe, unmolested, crossed
with the arms to his own side of the Ohio, mounted the captive
horse, which had swam to the Indian shore, and with a
yell of defiance escaped into the woods. The canoe was
turned adrift to spite his enemies, and was taken up near
Maysville with the dead hog still in it, the cause of all their
misfortunes.