The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1826-12-07
NOTES ON KENTUCKY.

NOTES ON KENTUCKY.
From the eleventh number of the series
ofinteresting papers under the title of Notes
on kentucky, illustrative of the early histo-
ry of that State, and now publishing in the
Lexington Gazette, we make the following
extract:-
Early one morning in the year 1881, Mr..
Alexander M'Connell,* who resided in the
neighborhood of Lexington, wandered into
the woods OH foot in pursuit of game. Hav-
ing succeeded in killing deer At distance
from home, he found it necessary to return
for horse on which to carry it off. While
he was gone five Indians came to the spot
where the deer lay. and naturally concluded
that some one would soon return thither for
it. Three of them remained to watch 1t.
and two placed themselves in ambuscade
near the path along which they rightly sup
posed the huntman would pass. As he rode,
therefore, near the place Of concealmcnt,
they shot at him, killed the horse under him.
and consequently took him prisoner For
several days he travelled quietly with them,
and as he had good rife, and was an ex-
celIent marksman, they required him. to
shoot deer, buffaloc, &c. for them. At
night, however, they used the precaution of
having him tightly bound by each arm, and
the rope attached thereto, carefully passed
under their bodies as they lay on each side
of him. For some time he quietly submits
ted to this treatment, but at length ventured
to complain that he was bound too tight, and
to beg that the cords might be tied about
him more loosely. The confidence of the
savages increasing, and their apprehension
of his escape diminishing, they yielded to his
request, but still continued to bind him ae
night in the same manner, though not 50
closely as at first.
One night when the party had reached the
Ohio, and when he thought it necessary. If
possible, to make his escape, he observed a
knife lying near his feet as he was fixed in
his position for the night. With considera-
Bile difficulty and the imminent hazard Of a.
wakening the savages who were snoring a.
round him, and who were connected to the
rope BY which he was bound, he at length
succeeded in drawing the knife with his
feet until he could reach it with his hand,
when he cut the cord that confined him, and
was enabled to rise. His first thought then
was to run off, and leave the Indians asleep;
but upon reflection he conceived that it
would be impossible for him to escape in this
way, as they would probably soon awake,
and rapidly pursue him. He therefore came
to the heroic and almost desperate resolu-
ton, to cndeavor to kill the fve Indians Ct
as many of them as he could. With the ut-
most GOODNESS he proceeded to examine their
guns, which he perceived lying together,
primed them and put them in good order for
service. He then disguised himself by put
ting on a coat belonging to the Indians and
fixing tomahawk and scalpng knife in his
belt, and placed his own rifle at distance off
where the savages would not be likely to OBJ
serve it, but where he himself could instant.
ly find 1t. All these preparations were made
in moment, when five Indians were
sleeping by him, and when the waking OF
either Of them would have been to him in-
slant death.
All things being ready, he proceeded to
make the assault. He took two guns, one in
each hand, and he placed their muzzles on
the breasts of two Indians who were lying
on each side Of the spot where he had been,
and shot them both at once. The others.
as he expected, being awakened by the
noise, sprang up and stared in amazemcnt.---
With third gun he instantly shot at two OF
them, who were close together, killed one
as he afterwards had reason to believe, and
mortally wounded the other. The fifth In
dian, seeing his companions lying dead about
him, and not knowing where to find his arms.
and probably, in the confusion Of the scene.
uncertain by how many he was assailed.
precipitately fed. Mr.. Mcconnell, therefore,
was left in quiet possession of the field. Not
feeling inclined, however, to fight any more
such battles, he took his rifle and proceeded
expeditiously towards home. where, after u
tedious and painful journey. he safely ar
rived, to the great joy of his friends, who
had begun to despair of ever seeing him "a
gain.
Some little time afterwards, Mrs. Dunlap,
lady of respectability, who had been taken
bv the Indians, and retained a prisoner a.
monp them, on Mad River, in the State of
Ohio, made her escape and returned home
to the neighborhood Of Lexington. She stat
ed that shortly after the time when Mr.
Mcconnell made his successful and desper
ate assault, one Indian, out of five who had
made journey towards Lexington, return
ed with an account that they had taken a
white man prisoner, and had brought him as
far as the Ohio river, when, in the night,
while they we're asleep, they were suddenly
attacked by party Of whites, who killed an
his companions, and likewise the poor de-
fenceless prisoner. who was laying on his
back tightly bound with cords.
"This account of the very extraordinary cS.
plot of A. Mcconnell, may be seen in the West.
ern Review, for April, 1920, and was furnished
b. himself.