The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-02-03
Miscellaneous.
Capt. Benham's Extraordinary
Escape from the Indians.

EhGhllH tit lhuldAns
-----s-
IN tlouulumn Of l77D, two keel boats, lad.
on with military atnres, bound from New Or.
irin. 60 Pittsburgh, under Tho command of
Col Rodgers, were ascending the Ohio Riy-
~. mud Mlxn nenr the sand bar, above where
the ~ Of 'lnciunnli nowslauds, -Four, NJ lie
Bir,thcy N'~cp9crcd u number OF Indians on
rnflsHnd IN cRiroeg coming out Of Ile mutfiii
ofhe Lillln Mimi River, which strenm wns
Then vcn high, and shol us WATERS, together
- Wllli lle ludlan craft, nearly across ito river
Lul. Rogers iRlnGdiaiely bundled his honIs *
llc crew ln lhc number -al -elGs.lp- -al-
tnhced secretly through the woods aud will
lows that grew thiclly on the snnd hnr, which
1crc joined the kcntucby shore, expecting
10 Wlnck the Indians when they should land
by surpriso Before, however Rogers had
succeeded IN reaching the pout where he
presumed he would encounter the snvnges. !
be- found himself suddenly surrounded hv~-H
uioa OF Hiorc lhnn lrohlu his numbers. Tho
Indians Instantly poured IN close discharge
olrlles, aud then throwing down their guns
,lr. upon tho survivors with the tomnnwk
The puuir WIS complete. aud tlto slaughter
pJodlgluu-. Colonel Rogers, together with
iuriy i've 0l hls brave tilluwcrs, were almost
INSTANTLY destroyed The survivors mnte M,
ctod 10 regain the honts, but the five men
who h1d been lrii IN charge OF ticn, had
Immediately pm or from shore ia the hin
drrUn,i boat, niid the enemy had ulrrndy
gained possession Of The other. DisnrpOnl.
rd IN the attempt, they turned fiiriously upOn
.lo enemy, and niled hy the approach Of
'trsur--, errod their way through their
Wt'H ud win Tie los of several severely
nollrd nj length effected their cscuye Ia
Haudshurgl.
Among rho woundcd was Capt. Robert
Ia N. L.. a. Il. -.
Iie enemy line, he Wns shot through both
'Hps, nud The homes hring shattered, he IN
lAhty Tell to thG grouud. Fortunately, u
hdghlroe had recently fallen near the spui
Where lo lay and with grcnt puin lee dragged
WuNeli ihlo The iup aud lay concealed A.
u'nng tie urdirhcs. The lndnls enprr in
tre t"rS'nI ol others, pissed hirn without no
ace, aud lN midnight all wns quiet. On tlre
following dayIhc Indians returned 10 lgi,, lpi-
ile GROUND in orlrr tn slrii iGG dead aud taxa
care oIlhr boats, BgHhniu, although ia ,Ial,-
ger OF MuI.hing permitted lhcm to pass
without making known hi, condU,un, Nrr,
correctly surprising thnt hi- crippled lcg-
would only induce ihon 10 tunlalinwk Inn
'n lhe spgi "a order To avoid The trouble OF z
D c'fyiug lini 10 their town.
TIL Tag close heruturc, until The evening
rl Nae second day; Nhcu pcrcciying a raccoon
dT''rhdiog tree near lnm he shot H., hop .
Az 2 20 .!rAise Enmn tHo,,as of reeclkne il, /
When he could Aindlc n lire and mukeS moui =
Scarcely bad lus gun cracked, however. .
"uru Iir heard human cry, apparently not
norc lim ity yards OF. Surprising il 20 he
900 Indian, hn hastily re- loaded his gun, aud .
remained slrut, Tor the approach ornn enc
my Presently the same voirc was heard again
lai much bearer Sull Rruhau made no
'rply tut cooked his gun and sat rcudy ttI
Vice. ls soon rs the ollcc, appeared. A lhird :
nllul was heard, followed hy an cNcnmn.
non oiimp1iieucc mud distress, which con
Nrrl Bruium HAT the unknown must I've IL
N'hnrNinii. rs soon therefore hs Le heard
,ne expression, "Nhosncvcr you are, for
"'t' snkc answer me e. he replied with
trl-L,nc,s. and lhc pnrlies wese soon togelh.
!Ie@i'ain, as 'se laAe already observed, wns !,
,aoS 'h'olEH both legs. The innnL Mllu-unw
',V'l,rhirn csrnrcd from he sdnTc batriC with
""'h orus broken! Thus each wns euahlcd
10 SuFPy what ihe other wantcdS Bcnham
uhN"g perfect list of his utnis, cuuid load
ms gun ana I;Ili gumc with great readiness, ,
""Hf H's friend, having the Use OF, his legs,
,1"'H "''" We game to the spdt where BEN
gu SAT- who was thus enabled TO cook it,
Nhen no wood was near them His compun-
i9n won'0 ruzu up Irish with his feet, aud
gradually roll il within reach Of Renhu,i,'s 10
fanon, ind dressed his wounds az well ns
''is u'rti, tuuriug up both strir1E for TINT prr-
pose.
They found some difficulty in procuring
WATER at iirsii but Benham at length look lis
H'"n hat, nud placing the rim .hetwecn The I
pyu OF nus companion, directing him to
wade lnto the Licking river up to his neck,
'"u ulp 'he my INTO the water hy sinking his
p , memo; me man who could walk was /
hTI
teeth, which 'Benhum could nNer,yar,ls dis.
pose Of rs it was necessary. ,
In few days they had Killed all the b;,ds
and sqttirrels'withn reach, uiiji tho man WIN,
his broken arms was sent out To drive pnne ,
Mlllin guushot of the spot To which Bcnham
wus confined. Fortunately, wild turkeys
were abundant in those 'poods and his com
pahon would walk around and drive then,
towards Benham, who seldom failed to kill
'"o or rrec ofoach flock, ia this manner
hey Supported themselves for several Ncekset
UNIV their wounds had healed so MS to enn-
oo them TO travel. They rhgn shifted their 4.
TnHrtrrs, aud PuJ up snUll shed at The 1
mouth uttlie river Licking, where they en- !
'atr''Inttl- hate III November, anxioHsy eK-
'''T'Hg the arrival oI some boat which should F.
'",Gey them to the fails of the Ohio.
=, va the slttr November, they observed n /
~" hoa' moving leisurely down the river /;
p'unnn INSTANTLY hoisted his hat on stick; I
a Imlloed loudly for help The crew,
iIo"eHer, supposipg tIlen to he Jmlinus-4-ai ,
u,'sl suSp erting them Of au Intention to de- :
Wy. mem nshore-pnld no attention their
t""'s OF distress but Instantly Tut over Ihe :
Ypp"Siie SIDE oftho river, aud manning every 4
~" endcnvored to pass them as rapidly as
tu'''"ir. Beninm behrd them pass with 4
,Dusa''on bordering on despair, for the place 4
, n"o much irequcntedby indians, and the an H
ptoach ofwintcr threatcned rhem with dc. 4 !