The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1850-09-23
PORTsMOUTH, O, MONDAY sEyENING, sEPTEABER % 1850

their own hands, like sensible young people,
as they were, and in spite of the old ladies',
they had come to q perfect understanding,
and formed an intimacy which nothing but
death could sunder, -
| "At the time Of which Inow speak, this
matter had long been, settled, and all the
Unnecessary arrangements made for the we'd
ding of the 'liyeliest couple in the settle
ment,' as the old ladies said, " hich was to
take place on the annual thanksgiving.
T Thanksgiving, according to the procla-
nation Of the worthy governor of the pro-
vince came, and young and old gathered to.
gether at the capacious (for those times)
house OF Capt. S., to celebrate the nup-
tials of John and Mary; and ample were
the preparations for the feast. .Bnght.eyed
damsels with blushing checks and gallant
hardy young men, were they. The worthy
parson from the next settlement was there
also and by his side sat another parsonage
lin these fastidious times, it would be
I EAeemed sacrilege to associate him with the
Imam Of God)--l mean the fiddler. All was
Ijpy, all was gaiety. All, little did those
gathered there dream Of the awful fate that
awaited them. ..3l1i.set
4" | was then just twenty-five, and having
married my worthy wife--peace to her
Wondering ashes---only few months be-
fore, was unprepared togo with my brother
and sister, at the outset, but was intending
to follow them as soon as my affairs, could
be arranged. / had been out for a week or
two, trapping sable, and knowing what was
to come off, made it in my way to be pres
ent. The gaiety of the party was at its
height. The ceremony was just being per-
formed. The minister had pronounced the
solemn words, whom God hath joined to-
gether let no man put assunder,' the kiss
was exchanged, and all were crowding round
the happy pair with congratulat atious, when a
lyell, wild and hideous rent the air--the
\ deadly war-hoop Of the Indians. Terrible
was the CONSERVATION of all and faces, a
moment before radiant with happiness, were
turned in agony Of horror to heaven. In an
instant the doors were burst open, and
(savage after savage, with glittering knife
and tomahawk, rushed in to the slaughter.
The hideous yells Of the savages, the shrieks
and groans OF the dying, they ring In my
ears to the present day! j saw the bloody
tomahawk cleave the skull of poor Jack, as
nhe vainly endeavored to protect his bride.
heard her wild Shrek as the deadly knife
pierced the bosom of the lovely Mary.
saw my sister fall dead at my feet. | saw
the sayage'sa arm uplifted; ! felt a. stunning
I, blow and knew no more. .r-.. ...- Ia,
y Chow long Iremained insensible, ! have
y no means of knowing: / awoke as from &
y fearful dream l was nearly crushed, and GOV
cred entirely with dead bodies, to which cir
! tcumstance probably owed my life, Witt
B a struggle l extricated myself from the deaf
oIupon and around me, and stood upon M
), feet. Tee sun was shining high in tn
\ Heavens. oh, horrors, what sight met m
tteyes There, in their blood, lay every on
that had formed the bridal party; not sou
had escaped! How was it that was alive
lnseluninrily put my hand 10 my head. an
felt for my scalp; found the fracture.
had been struck with the back OF a toma
hawk, and only stunned, and being covere
by my friends, the Indians had neg elected t
scalp me,
E "0ne by one Iexamined the bodies q
e all to see if life was remaining in any.
!. found two or three whom the savages ha
= neglected to scalp, but no one alive. Tn
n sight wss too horrid for human vision. M
e brain reeled, and fell to the earth. Com
J. ing again to my senses, hurried from tn
d dreadful spot, stepping over the mangle
corpses of my sister and brother, and tn
e bridegroom in the embrace of death. / pas
o sed 10 the next house. An aged lady an
a four children lay dead in their beds. pas
r sed TO the next death had been there toe
,s The smoking of others told but too plainl
IS the tragic story there was not living BE-
l. ing besides me in the settlement
le "When think Of that awful night, Of th
g. horrors Of the morning, as Iawoke to ser
sibility, my blood curdles in my veins, an
+ my head swims. From that time swoI
lie vengeance on the red skins. 1t has Ion
;e since been accomplished. Not one of h
n tribe lives TO tell the story .lI o. ,
as On my way home that night / thought
rs saw the Indians in every brush. And whe
IS, at lastI slept, saw the cold glare of Il
Il Ieyes Of the murdered men and women upo
Ut me; | was pressed down by the weight
lg dead bodies. The incidents of that tng
IS wedding, as heard them from the old mar
II lips, for a long while moved before me as
It. panorama, so deep was the impression mat
to upon me by the old mans story.