The Illinois free trader. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1840-1841, 1841-04-16

defend themselves. The block house
which have described, was their place
of resort on any alarm; but the inconvc-
nience and difficulty of clustering so thick
ly, induced them to leave it as soon as
prudence would at all permit.
Nor had the hardy inhabitants forgot
ten, amidst their dangers, the duties Of
social life, nor their high obligations to
their Creator. The Sabbath shone, not
only upon the domestic circle, as gathered
round the Preside altar, but its hallowed
light was shed on groups collected in the
rustic edifces which the piety of the peo-
pie had erected for divine worship.
1t was on the Sabbath, the tenth of
July, 1914, that the painful occurrence
took place, which | now record. Reason
Reagan had gone to attend divine wor-
ship at the meeting house, some three
miles off, leaving his wife and two child
rem at the house Of Abel Moore, which
was on the way. About four o'clock in
the afternoon, Mrs. Reagan went over to
her own dwelling, to procure some little
articles of convenience. being accompa-
MED by six children, two of whom were
her own; two were children Of Abel
Moore, and two of William Moore. Not
far from, probably little after, the same
time, two men of the neighborhood pas
sed separately, believe, along the road,
in the opposite direction to that in which
Mrs. Reagan went; and one of them
heard at certain place, low call, as of
a boy, which he did not answer, and for
repetition of which he did not delay.
But he remembered and told it afterwards
When it began to grow dark the families
became uneasy at the protracted absence
of their respective members and VIM.
Moore came to Abel's, and not finding
them there, passed on towards Mr.. Rea-
gan's, to sec what had become of his
sister-ln-law and children; and nearly
about the same time. his wife went across
the angle directly towards the same place.
Mr.. Moore had not been long absent
from his brothers before he returned with
| tiic iIlloiHlatlOh Wat soii'c Oiie WIS hllleu
by the Indians. lie had discerned the
body of a person lying on the ground,
but wethcr man or woman, it was too
dark for him TO see without closer in
spection than was deemed safe. The
habits of the Indians were too well known
by these settlers, TO leave man in Mr..
Moore's situation, free from the appre-
hension Of all ambuscade still near.
The first thought that occurred, was 10
flee to the bock-house. Mr.. Moore de-
sired his brothers. family to go 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 10 accompa-
ny William Moore, though the distance
was nearly doubled by the measure.
The feelings of the group as they gro
ped their way through the dark woods,
may be moore 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 near them, while they were de-
MED the privilege of seeing and preparing
them for sepuliure.
f Silently they passed on till they came
f to the dwelling of William Moore ant
, when they approached the entrance, he
exclaimed, as if relieved from some dread
full apprehension, thank God, Polly i.
7 not killed 'How do you know nqui
2 red one. Because, here is the horse
! she rode My informant then first learn
G ed that his brother-in-law had feared, un
G til that moment, that his wife was tn,
f victim that he had discovered.
f As they let down the bars, Mrs. VIM
# Moore came running out, exclaiming
n they are all killed by the Indians, ex
i ct.'-'Ehe mourning friends went in 70
l. a short time-but hastily departed for tn
e block-house, whittier by daybreak, all o
y nearly all the neighbors, having bee
$ warned by signals, repaired to sympa
n thisc and tremble.
IT have mentioned that Mrs. William
If Moore went, as well as her husband, j
search of her sister and children. Pas
l. sing by different routes, they did nc
m meet on the way, nor at the place {