Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1850-09-21
Adventures of Lewis Wetzel.

hardships while yet in boyhood, and familiar
with all the varieties Of forest adventure, from
that of hunting the beaver and bear, to that of
the willy Indian, he became one of the most
celebrated marksmen of@the day. His form
was erect, and of that height best adapted to
activity-being very muscular and possessed
of great bodily strength. From constant exer-
else he could, without fatigue, bear prolonged
and violent exertion, especially that of running
and walking; and he had, by practice, acquired
the art of loading his rifle when running at full
speed through the forest, and wheeling on the
instant, he could discharge it with unerrng
aim, at the distance of eighty or one hundred
yards, into mark not larger than dollar.
This art he has been known to practice more
than once upon his savage foes with fatal sue
cess.
A marksman of superior skill was in those
| days estimated by the other borderers much in
the same way that knight templar, or knight
Of the cross, who exceled in the tournament
or the charge, was valued by his cotemporaries
in the days of chivalry. Challenges of skill
often took place, and marksmen who lived at
other, frequently met by appointment to try the
Bile amount Wetzels fame had spread far and
the day. 1t chanced that young man, few
years younger than himself, who lived on Dank
ards Creek, a tributary of the Monongahela riv-
er, which waters one Of the earliest settlements
of that region, heard of his fame, and as he was
also an expert woodsman, and first-rate shot,
the best in the settlement, he became very de-
sirous of an opportunity for a trial of his skill.
So great was his desire that he one day shoul-
dered his rife, and whistling his faithful dog to
his side, started for the neighborhood Of Wet
eel, who at that time lived on Wheeling creek.
When about halfway his journey, fine
buck sprung up just before him. He leveled
his gun with his usual precision, but the deer,
though badly wounded, did not fall dead in his
tracks. His faithful dog soon seized him and
brought him to the ground, but while in the
act Of doing this, another dog sprang from the
forest upon the same deer, and his master ma
| king his appearance at the same time from be-
hind tree, with loud voice claimed the pro-
perty, because he had been wounded by his
shot, and seized by his dog. It SO happened
| chat they both fired at once at this deer, q
thing which may very easily happen where Two
men are hunting on the same ground. although
one may fire at the distance of fifty yards,
and the other at one hundred. The dogs felt
the same spirit of rivalry and quitting the deer
which was already dead, fell to worrying and
tearing each other In separating the dogs, the
strange hunter happened TO strike that Of the
young man. The old adage s'strike my dog,
strike me-" arose in full force, and without fur
ther ceremony, except few hearty curses,
he fell upon the hunter and hurled him to the
ground. This was no sooner done than he
found himself turned, an1nnder his strong and
more powerful Antagonist.
| Discovering he was no match at this play,
the young man appealed to trial by rifles, say
ing il was too much like dogs for men and
hunters to fight in this way. The stranger as
sentea to the trial, but told his antagonist that
before he put it fairly to the test, he had better
witness what he was able to do with the rifle,
SAYING he was as much his superior, he thought
with that WEAPON as he was in bodily strength.
He bade him place the mark the size of shil-
ling on the side of a huge popular that stood
| beside them, from which he would start with
his rife; unloaded, and running hundred yards
| at full speed, he would load it as he ran, and
| wheeling would discharge it instantly into the
centre Of the mark. The feat was no sooner
| proposed than perfol med; the ball entered the
centre of the diminutive target. Astonished
| at his activity and skill, his antagonist in
stantly inquired his name. Lewis Wetzel,
at your service" answered the stranger. The
young man seized him by the hand with all the
ardor of youthful admiration, and at once ac-
knowledged his own inferiority. So charmed
was he with Wetzers frankness, skill and fine
personal appearance, that he insisted upon his
returning with him to the settlement on Dan
kard's creek, that he might exhibit his talents to
his own family, and to the hardy backwooas-
men to his neighbors. 'ts
Nothing 10th to such an exhibition, and
pleased with the energy Of his new acquaint-
ance, Wetzel consented to accompany him,
shortening the way with their mutual tales Of
hunting excursions, and hazardous contests
with the common enemies Of their country.
Among other things, Wetzel stated his man
ner of Distinguishing the footsteps Of q; white
man from those of an Indian, although covered
with mocossins, and intermixed with the tracks
Of sayages. He had acquired this tact from
closely examining the manner Of placing the
feet; the Indian stepping with his feet in pa
rallel lines, and first bringing The toe 10 the
ground, while the white man almost invaria-
bly places his feet in an angle with the line of
march. An opportunity they little expected
soon gave room TO put his skill to the trial
On reaching the young mans home, which they
did that day, they found the dwelling smoking
ruin, and all the family, lying murdered and
scalped, except a young woman who had been
brought up in the family, and to whom the
young man was ardently attached. She had
been taken away alive, as was aseertained by
examing the trail Of the sayages. Wetzel dis
covered that the parties consisted Of three In
dams, q renegade white man, a fact not uncom-
mon in those early days, when for crime orthe
love Of revenge, the white outlaw fed 10 the
savages, and was adopted, ON trial, into their