Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-08-07

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lies became uneasy at the protIacted alb
sence of their respective members, and
William Moore came to Abel's, and not
finding them there, passed on towards Mr..
Reagan's, to discover what had become Of
his sisterin-law and children; and nearly
about the same time his wife went across
'Nangle directly towards the same place.
Mr.. Moore had not been long absent from
his brothers before he returned with the
Information that some one was killed by
the Indians. He had discovered a dead
body of person lying on the ground, but
whether man or woman it was too dark
for him to see without closer inspection
than was deemed safe. The habits of
the Indians was too well known by these
settlers, to leave man in Moore's situa-
ton, free from the apprehension of an
ambuscade still near.
The first thought that occurred, was to
flee to the block house. Mr.. Moore de-
sired his brothers family to 90 directly to
the fort, while he should pass by his own
house to take his family with him. But
the night was now dark, and the heavy
forest was at that time scarcely opened
here and there by little farm, while the
narrow road wound through among the
tall trees, from the farm OF Abel Moore,
to that of his brother George Moore,
where the fort was erected. The women
and children, therefore, chose to accom-
pany William Moore, though the distance
was nearly double by the measure.
The feelings of the group, as they gro
ped their way through the dark woods,
may be more easily imagined than de-
scribed. Sorrow for the supposed loss Of
relatives and children, was mingled with
horror at the manner of their death, fear
for their own safety, and pain at the
dreadful idea, that the remains of their
dearest friends lay mangled on the cold
ground neat them, while they were deni-
ed the privilege of seeing and preparing
them for the sepulchle.
Silently they passed on until they came
to the dwelling of William Moore; and
when they approached the entrance, he
exclaimed, as if relieved from some dread
full apprehension, 'thank God Polly is not
killed. 'How do you know? enquired
one. because here is the horse she rode.
My informant then first learned that his
arotherin-law had feared, until that mo-
ment, that his wife was the victim that
he had discovered.
As they let down the bars, Mrs. Will
lam Moore came running out, exclaimng,
they are all killed by the ldians, ex-
pect.' The mourning friends went in for
a short time-but hastily departed for the
block house, whittier by day break, all or
nearly all the ncighbors, having been
warned by signals, repaired to sympathise
and tremble.
| have mentioned that Mrs. William
Moore went, as well as her husband, in
search of her sister and children. Pass
ing by different routes, they did not meet
on the way, nor at the place of death.
She jumped on Il horse, and hastily went
In the nearest direction, and as she went,
carefully noted every discernable object,
until at length she saw a human figure
lying near a burning log. There was not
sufficient light for her to discern the size,
sex, or condition Of the person, and she
called the name of one and another Of
her children, again and again, supposing
it to be one of them asleep. At length
she alighted, ard approached to examine
more closely. What must have been her
sensations on placing her hand upon the
back OF naked corpse, and feeling, by
further scrutiny, the quivering flesh from
which the scalp had been torn! In the
gloom of night, she could just discern
something like "a little child, sitting SO
near the body as to lean its head first one
side, and then the other, on the nsensible
and mangled body. She saw no farther,
but thrilling with horror and alarm, re-
mounted her horse and fastened home;
and when she arrived, quickly put large
Kettle Of water over the fire, intending
to defend herself with scalding water, in
case Of an attack.
There was little rest or refreshment, as
may well be supposed, at the fort that
night. The women and children of the
vicinity, together with the few men who
were at home, were crowded together, not
knowing but that a large body of the saw
age foe might he prowling round, ready
TO pour deadly fire upon them at any
moment. A neighbor and six Of the chill
dren of the settlement, were probably ly-
ling in the woods within a mile or two,
dead and mangled by that dreadful enc