Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1824-02-26

severai tunes sent messengers 10 tne SET
tiers that they had no hostile designs a
gainst them, and the treacherous Butler
himself declared that he should not mo
lest them the present season. The IN
habitants, however, had reason to dist'ust
there profession, ahd those capable OF
bearing arms were Immediately EN-
bodied under the command Of col.
Zebuloa Butler, cousin TO the .comman-
Ter 10 the syages. The women and
children were directed to make refuge
in tie forts. The enemy approached,
and pretending they were DESTROYS OF a
party, pro posed that col. Il. Butler should
meet them at some distance from the
fort for that purpose He complied, but
for safety, took with him four hundred
armed men. This proved to be fata'
stratagem, he soon found himself sur
rounded and attacked on everv side; he
and his little party defended themselves
with great Grmness and bravery, and the
commander with about twenty OF his
men. finally made their escape. The
enemy rushed on aud invested the fort,
which thew cannonaded most of the day;
and horrld to relate, when they sent in d
demand for the surrender, It was accom-
panied by 1876 bloody scalps taken from
those who had been just slain. Col. Dem
pison, on whom the command OF the
fort had devolyed, defended himselftil
most ofhis men had fallen by his side
when he went out with flag to enquire
what terms would be granted him On sur
rende ring the garrison? lie received from
the feroclous Boter reply in t1o words,
,.the Ratchet" Col. Dennison was fl
nally obliged to surrender at discretions
still retaining hope of mercy. But h,
was wofully mistaken--the threat Oh
Butler was vigorously executed; after Sc
lectlug few prisoners, the remainder OF
the people, including women and chill.
dren, were enclosed in the houses and
barracks, which were immediately set
on fire and the whole construed together
fort was at hand, IN which
were seventy continental soldiers; on sur
without conditions, these were
to a man, butchered in a most harbarous
when the RENAL 'er OF the men
women and children were shut up in the
houses, and the demons of hell .glutted
their vengeance in beholdlng their des
truction in one general conhagration
this tragical scene being finished, the
author of it spread fire and
sword throughout, the settlement, spar
ing, however, the houses and tarmes Of
the tories; they extended there cruel
hands to the cattle in the field, shooting
some, and cutting out the the tongues OF
others, leaving them alive. The add
.ional particulars, from their unparaliel
I'd enormity would not be recited here
we're it not that they have been already |
from authentic sources
)ne of the prisoners, captain Badlock.
vas committed to torture, by having his
,ody stuck full Of splinters of pine
Knots; and a FIRE of dry wood made
round him, whenshis two companions,
capts. Ransom and Durkee, were thrown
into the same fire and held down with
pitchforks till consumed.-one Partial
Terry, the son ola man Of respectable
having Joined the Indian par
~. several times sent his father word
that he hoped to wash his hards in his
harris blood; the monster with his own
hands murdered his father, mother, bro
theirs and sisters, stripped off their scalps
and cut off his fathers head -! Thomas
Terry, with his own hands butchered his
own mother, his father-in law, his sisters
and their iufant children, and extermi
mated the whole family! A few indl-
siduals, mostly woman and children,
made their escape during the carnage OF
the day, aud dispersed themselves
in the woods destitute OF
provision or covering shuddering with
terror and distress; their suferngs must
be extreme, and their fate uncertain,
1t is only in the Internal regions that we
can look for parallel instance ofunnat
ural wickedness. The cries of widows
and orphans call for the avenging hand
of heaven. The name of col. John But.
led ought to be consigned to eternal infa
my, for the base treachery with which he
BETRAYED his kinsman Col. Zebulon But
Ter, respectable American officer,
while under the sanction Of flag"
,4mistake-A gentleman meeting one
of his friends who was irsolvent, ex-
pressed great concern for his embar-
rassment you are mistaken, my
i J al 4 so