Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-08-12

( tomahawks AMI scalping knives---My hus-
ibahd met them ~ the door ana In their own
tongue asked them what tiiss wanted the
scains of your family = N@s their answer.
s My husband intrea ed them 70 have COM
pass on on me and his innocent children,
ibut his intreat!es awaited nothing we were
dragged naked out of the house, and tied
isevcra'ly with cords BY order Of ono,
WHO appeaeed tobe the chief, about 20 cftlie
Indians tonk charge of as, wac were order
ed to conduct US with alt possible dispatch
10 their settlement (abeut 200 miles dis
tant) While the remainder were let to pil-
iage ana fire the house We commenced
our journey about midnight, through an UNI
cultivated wilderness at the rate or nearly
| four miles an hour. Ii either of Us thro' IA
!tlgne Si&ckened oGr pace, we were most
inhnmaniy beat and threatened with instant
death.
After tedious travel az more than 10
miles, the s,vages halted IN a swamp
here TOR thc first time from The me OF our
dcpar uTc we were permitled to lay down
the indians kiniled fire on which they
brolied snmc bears aesh, of which they al
! lowed us 5ur small portion.
! Astcr ,hey had refreshed themselves and
lextlnsuished their fires, we were again
comrei!ed IN pursue our journey. We ira
velled until sunset when the Indians again
halted, and began to prepare covering
{ for themselves for the night NY poor
children complained much OF their feet be-
ing swollen, but l was not permitted to
( give them any relief, nor was their father
allowed to discourse with them As night
approached we shook each other b. the
hand, expecting never again to witness the
rising sun. Contrary to cur expectations,
however, we had to!erabie nights rest,
and on the succeeding day, though naked
and half starved, travelled witRhsiich more
ease than on the proceeding one. The In
! dams occasionally allowed us little raw
food sufficient only TO keep us alive--wc
this day travelled according to the reCk-
oning CT the Indians, nearly 40 miles, and
were about sunset jO,ned Dy the remaining.
lsavages who were left behind they were
loaded with the spoils ofny husbands pro-
Iperty, among Others they found a key of
spirits ot which they drank pientifuiy as
they became intoxicated, they exercised
the more cruelty towards us--they bcal my
poor children 20 numerically that they
were unable TO stand on their feet the en-
SUNG morning-the Indians attributed their
inability 20 wi!fulness and again renewed
i the acts of barbarity, beating them with
clubs, cutting and Gushing illein with theiT
knives, and scorebmg their naked bodies
with brands of ire. Finding that their
heilish plans had no other effect shan TO
render tue poor unhappy sufferers less en-
abled % travel, they came to he resolution
TO butcher them on the spot
! SIX holes we're dug in the earth Of a
bout i've feet IN depth, around each of which
some dried branches of hees were placed
My husband 1T this moment filled with
horror at what he expected was about 10
take place, broke the rope with which he
was bound, and attempted to escape from
the hands of the unmerci nj cannibais he
was, however, closely persued, soon over
taken and brought baCk-as he passed me
I lac cast his eyes towards me aud tainted
in this situation ne was placed erect in one
Of the holes The woods row res0unded
with the heart piercing cries of my poor
lchl.drcn.--F Spare, o spare my father !"
WIS their cry--"htVe mercy upon my poor
children % was the cry Of their father
it availcd nothing-my dear children were
all placed in situation similar To that Of
their father--the Youngest Comfy 9ycars
old) broke from them and run up to me,
crying Z" don't nanny, pray don't let them
XII me !'
Alas, . heavens what could do In vain
did ] beg Of them to let me take my dear
chi'd's place by force it was torn from
ne in an hour when could afford it no
protection.
Having placed the poor unfortunate VIC
TINS in the manner above described they
secured them in a standing position by re-
Ipiacing tie earth, which buried them
nearly TO their uccks!
The inhuman wrctchcs now began their
hideous powows, dancing to and fro around
the victims Of their torturrs, which they
continued about half an hour, when they
communicated fire TO the fatal piles Hea-
ven only knows what my feelings were at
this moment As ihe flames increased the
shrieks and dying groans ofmy poor FAM
iy were heightened thank Heaven their
ISuifsrings were Of short duration in less
than a quar.cr Of an hour from the time
the FIRE was first communicated, their cries
ceased and they sunk into the arms of their
kind dcliycrer.
The callous hearted wretches having
sufficiently toasted their eyes with the
agonies Of the unfortunate sufferers, retired
90 re gale themselves with what liquors re-
mained--they drank freely ana soon be-
came stupid and senstless; with one OF thC
ltomahawks l might with eise have dis
patched them AL, but my only desire was
to lee from them as quick as possible
succeeded with difficulty in Ibcrating uiy-
al II