Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1837-01-25

yards OF me, back Of the kitchen. |
ran for the light house, and called out
to tho old negro man who was with
me TO run, for the Indians were near.
At that moment they discharged a VOL
ley of rifle balls, which cut my clothes
and hat, and perforated the door in ma /.
ny places. We got in, and as | was
turning the key, the savages had hold
of the door. ! stationed the negro at
the door, with orders TO let me know il
they attempted to break in: | then
took my three muskets, which were
loaded with ball and buck shot, and
went to the second window !; seeing a
large body ofthem opposite the dwell .
ing house, | discharged my muskets in
succession amongst them, which put
them in some confusion they then,
for the second time, began their horrid
yells, and in a minute no sash or glass
was left in hat window, for they vent.
ed their rage at the spot. | fired at
them from some of the other windows,
and from the top of the house /; in fact
! fired whenever | could get an Indian
for a mark. ! kept them from the
house until dark.
They then poured in a heavy fire at
all the windows and lantern. That
was the time they set fire 10 the door
and window even with the ground
The window was boarded up with
plank, and filled up with stones inside !;
but the flames spread fast, being fed
with yellow pine wood. Their balls
had perforated the tin tanks of oil, con.
sisting Of two hundred and twenty-five
gallons. My bedding, clothing, and
in fact, every thing ! had, was soaked
in oil. stopped at the door until dri.
ven away by the flames. then took
a keg of gun powder, my balls, and
one musket, and assembled to the top of
the house then went below, and be-
gan to cut away the stairs about half
way up from the bottom. | had diff
Guilty in getting the old negro man up
the space had already cut but the
flames now drove me from my labor,
and | retreated to the top ofthe house.
| covered ove the scuttle that leads 10
the lantern, which kept the fire from
me for some time. AT last the awful
moment arrived the cracking flames
burst around me, the savages al the
same time began their hellish yells !;
my poor old negro looked up to me
with tears in his eyes, but could not
speak. We went out of the lantern
and laid down on the edge of the plat
form, two feet wide the lantern was
now full of flame, the lamps and glass.
es bursting and flying in all directions,
my clothes on fire, and to move from
the place where | was would be instant
death from their rifles. My flesh was
roasting, and to put an end to my hor.
rlble suffering, got up, and threw
the key of gunpowder down the scuttle
instantly it exploded, and shook the
tower from the tor to the bottom. 1t
had not the desired effect of blowing
me to eternity, but it threw down the
stairs, and all the wooden work near
the top of. the house it damped the
fire for a moment, but it soon blazed
as fierce as ever. The negro mar
said he was wounded, which was the
last word he spoke.
By this time | had received some
wounds myself, and finding no chance
for my life, for | was roasting alive, |
took the determination to jump off. |
got up, went outside the iron railing,
recommending my soul to God, and
was on the point of going head. fore
most on the rocks below, when some
thing dictated to me to return and lay
down again A.; | did so, and in two min
utss the fire fell to the bottom of the
house. 1t is n remarkable circum.
stance that not one ball struck me when
! stood up outside of the railing, al
though they were flying all aroud me
like hail stones. | found the old negro
man dead, being shot in several places
and literally roasted. A few minutes
after the fire fell, a stiff breeze sprung
up from the southwark, which was a
great blessing to me. ] had to lay
where | was, for | could not walk, ha-
wing received six rifle balls, three i'll
each foot. The Indians, thinking me
dead, left the light house, and set fire
to the dwelling house, kitchen, and
other out houses, and began to carry
their plumber to the beach they took
all the empty barrels, the drawers of
the bureaus, and in fact every thing
that would act as a vessel to hold any
thing. My provisions were in the light
house, except a barrel of flour, which
they carried off. The next morning
they hauled out Of the light house, by
mean of a pole, the tin that composed
the oil-tanKs, no doubt TO make CRATES
to manufacture the coonty root into
what we call arrow root. After load
ing my little sloop, about ten or twelve
went into her. the rest took fO the