Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-03-03
From the Winchester Republican.

~ years after, the IdtaW-
ba and Delaware tribes Of Indians wera =,
war, and many bloody battles were fongIt
between Them IN this section of country
Numerous signs Of their bloody conflicts are
yet to be seen. The author has had ,be a.,
poFtuaity of examining many places oC ~
dian burial, which abound on all aur vat,r
courses, but more particularly en- the t,yo
great branches of the Shenandoah river. n,o,o
winch II appears evident that those water
courses were once the lavourite residence of
the tribes lnhabiting this part Of the valley
Tradition informs US that the tribe OF In
oiahs once residing on the waters Of the She
nandcah nver, was called '.Seneca does a
great part of whom were externlinated In the
wars with the southern tribes. An aged In
dian informed Benjamin Allen, one of the
hrst settlers IN the neighberhood of Mennt
jackson, that the southern Indians had kill
Ell his Whole nation, with the exception Of
himself asd one other small boy, who made
Their esrape.| The massacre took rlace
When he (the informanD was small boy:f
ana has nation resided at the time on the lands
now the residence OF William Steenhsrqen.
Esq and the Hon Robert Allen, in the coun
~ of Shenandoah. Ii is probable. frsm the
best evidence attaIna5le, that this horrible af
iair toek place few years after the middle
oil the seventeenth century. There are strong
evidences OF the truth of this tradition now
discoyerable. A large mound on the lands
OF Mr., SteenbeFgen, Ihe remains OF which
are stlll TO be SEEM was thrown ND, ans
which, like all other Indian mounds, is lite
rally filled with human skeletons At every
fresh pieugbing, human bsnes are brought
TO the surface, and soon meulJer 10 dust, ad.
ded TO which, there are several Indian graves
IN IT'S immediate vicinity. The ancient n!,a.
bitants in the neighborhood with whom
have lately conyersed differ IN opinion as to
ITS original height Some say it was from 20
to % feet; others that it did not exceed ~
or 10; but agree thatit was very large, aud
capable Of covering a great many human be-
dies Bones Of all sizes were found. from that
OF The infant to The full grown NAN Nume-
roos implements Of war, and utensils for do.
nestle use, have been found from time to
time, such as arrow points, tomahawks, axes.
&c, made OF a hard lat stone. This mound
Is nearly ploughed down. and is covered ever
with fragments Of human bones; it does not
noW exceed five or six feet in height.
On the lands of Mir Noah Keyser, near the
seuth Of the Hawksbill creek which empties
into the south fork OF the Shenandoah river
on the cast side of Massinottn mountain, is
mound is located not more than one or two
miles below s!r Blackfsrd's iron works, and
Ike that on Mr. Steenbergcn's land, is con
slderably reduced by ploughing, and also
found TO be filled with hunan frames. This
was originally about 30 feet high, and Gs yds.
around at the base, and is yet from IL to | )
fact in height, IN and about which, many inn
plemeats Of war, pipes. SC. are found When
iirsl known by tie white settlers, both these
mounds were covered with forest trees, and
exhibited signs Of vast labor in thsir con
struction.
About or 8 miles above Mr. Kcyser's on
the west side Of the South river, are large
places Of burial, nearly ranged side by side,
Of from e. to 40 feet in length, from Is 10 10
teet'in width, and iros 6 10 feet in height
they appear never to have been disturbed,
and probably contain some hundreds of hu-
man skeletons. They are covered over with
pine trees, and have the appearance of very
ancient repositories Of thedead and are pro-
badly the work of ages. They differ in their
appearance and shape from all other Indian
graves have ever seen Their forn is nearly
al oblong square; whereas all others, whether
covered with earth or stone, are in perfect cir
cular form. Most 81 the Indian graves have
yet seen are covered with stone. There are
many 10 bt secH al snort distances from edch
other, on both branches of The Shenandoah,
fer many miles down to the fork. From the
fork downwards, they are not so numerous;
but are still to be seen quite down the Pote-
mac They are also to be faund, more or
less on all the branches Of the Shenandoah
asd Potomac--but seldom at any csnsidera-
bic distance from the water.
Il is said by our ancient citizens, that when
this country was first discovered, it was all
prairie, except Immediately about the rivers
and creeks; at least all the scope Of country
from Cedar Creek, between the Little North
Mountain and the Shenandoah river, down
20 the Potomac. The scope Of country en-
braces much the largest part Of Frederick,
all Jefferson, and large part OF Berkeley
counties Ii this tradition be correct, and
there is every reason to believe it true, it rsa-
div accounts for the Indian settlements being
confined to the water courses. The country
for large extent neither afforded them fuel,
nor the means Of building their wigwams-
This prairie country, however, abounded in
the largest kinds OF game. Buffalo, elk, deer,
bear, SC. were abundantly plenty, and Of
course it was the favouritc hunting ground
OF the Indians. This prairie country, like
the rich praires Of the west, produced the fl
nest possible pasturage for the wild animals.t
aMaJ A. Keyser informed the author that
an Indian once called at the house of his
grandfather, in Lancaster county, Pa. asking
FOR something to eat. He appeared much a
Il 4 f.n.Nsa .t.rlI