MURDER OF THE CLENDENIN FAMILY.
Shortly after Mrs. Dennis had gone from Clendenin's, a party of
Shawnees penetrated into the Greenbrier country, led on by the distinguished
warrior Cornstalk, and in two short days suceeeded in destroying
every settlement in that section of the State. After having murdered
the inhabitants at Muddy creek, they passed over into the Levels and
attacked the house of Archibald Clendenin, in which from fifty to one
hundred persons had taken refuge. Of the whole number of men at
Clendenin's but one escaped. He, being at some distance from the
house, heard the screams of the women and children, and fled to Jackson's
river, where he gave the alarm in time to save the settlers from
destruction. The scene in and about the house was one that beggars
description; men, women and children lying in a confused mass, weltering
in each other's blood, while the shrieks and groans of the dying rent
the air. One colored woman, who was endeavoring to escape, killed her
own child, which was following her, crying, lest her whereabouts might
be discovered by its cries. Stuart says in his Memoir that Mrs. Clendenin
did not fail to abuse the Indians with terms of reproach, calling
them cowards, etc., although the tomahawk was drawn over her head,
accompanied with threats of instant death, and the scalp of her murdered
husband was lashed about her face. The prisoners were all taken to
Muddy creek, and a party of Indians retained them there until the return
of others from Carr's creek, when the whole were started off together
to spend a hopeless captivity beyond the Ohio.
On the day they started from the foot of Keeney's Knob, going over
the mountain, Mrs. Clendenin gave her infant child to a woman, who
was also a prisoner, to carry, and as the prisoners were marching in the
center and the Indians in front and rear, she stepped aside into a thicket
until all had passed by. The cries of the child soon made the Indians
inquire for the mother, who was missing, and one of them said he
would soon bring the cow to the calf, and taking the child from the
woman he dashed its brains out against a tree, and then threw the body
down in the path, where it was trampled to pieces by the horses. Mrs.
Clendenin remained until nightfall, and then returned to her own house,
a distance of more than ten miles, where she found the mangled remains
of her husband lying in the yard, which she covered over with
rails, after which she went into a corn-field and remained until morning,
when she resumed her flight, and, after many toils and privations,
reached the settlements on Jackson's river. It has been supposed that
the Indians perpetrating these dreadful outrages were in pursuit of Mrs.
Dennis, and, if it be true, how dearly were others made to pay the price
of her deliverance!
