Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1851-12-24

those holy ties with which these children
of the wild wood were Grmly bound to.
gether.)
Whilst have looked upon the Spring
that bears an imperishable name, near to
which once stood the cabin Of the celeb
, ted Logan, and have repeated to myself
his simple and sublime appeal to the white
man or when the sound Of mighty oak
ir the stiffness Of the wood has recalled to
mind the mournfuily beautiful words Of
the dying Pushmata-how have | regret
ted that so few anecdotes of these noblemen
of nature have been preserved, and that
many of the most interesting events OF
border life, which tradition had imper-
fectly handed down to the last generation,
are destined to fade away from that which
is to follow
The ensuing narrative, in which | give
the substance of wha. l heard narrated,
deserves to be recorded a. rare instance
of disinteres;ed love and chivairous gener-
osity, in one of . people we are taught to
.ook upon, more II jhe light Of savage
peas;s shau rational beings endowed ike
ourselves with the image aud feelings Of
humanity. Mr.. john Hall, a Revolution
airy soldier, and one of the early settlers Of
Huntington county, frequently related
the incidents, as having occurred within
his own knowledge, and connected with
the captivity and escape of a girl by the
name Of Brotherton, who had been taken
prisoner by predatory band Of Seneca
Indians, and carried to their settlements
on the Northern frontier.
Two trappers on the Mushsnnon were
nrlven from their camp, near the present
town Of fhiiipsburg, by the advancing
war party, and flying to the nearest settle
ment on the .Iunista, forevarnei the in
habi,ants of the ImpenGing danger The
fearful tidings were carried by runners
from house to houee, and all save Brother
ton and his daughter soug ght the protection
of the Blockhouse At Standing Ston !, ..
(now called Huntipgdon.) The fa ier
being absent at the time, the heroic girl,
resisting every entreaty, resolutely refused
to leave the house until his return, which
was every moment expected. The rest Of
the family, consisting of the mother and
several small children, with the most
gloomy forebodings we're reluctantly COM
PEELED to leave her behind. Brotherton
did not return that night, and early the
next morning the barking of the dog ap-
prising her that some one was near, she
opened the door, when, conceive of her
horror and dismay, to find the smile of
welcome with which she had thought to
have greeted her father, was met by the
scowling visage of savage fee II was
some time before she recovered from the
shock of the overwhelming calamity that
had befsilen her, believing as she did, that
. violent death or fate still more horrible
waited her; and it was not until they had
held short conference among themselves,
that she was somewhat reassured, by one
of the party who gave her to understand,
in broken English and by significant ges-
lures, that she had fallen to the lot of one
who would protect her, and that, unless she
made an attempt to escape, no one should
harm her. Already suspecting that their
approach had been discovered, from the
circumstance that several cabins they had
visited bore certain evidences of the hsstv
flight of their late occupants, and loading
themselves with the plunder thus acquired,
they made precipitate retreat through
the mountains.
Tney were Immediately pursued by all
the disposable force at Standing Stone,
which Brotherton arrived in time to Join.
The party was headed by an old hunter,
who, following the trail with the instinct
Of blood hound, came upon the place of
their first night encampment among the
laurels of Tussey mountain On the fol-
lowing day, IN tracing their footsteps over
some boggy ground, they remarked with
pleasure that the slight shoes of Miss
Brotherton, worn through the preceding
days march, were now replaced by sub
stantial pair of moccasins. After this
discovery, the leader of the party, man
experienced in the warfare and customs of
the Indians, proposed consultatidh, and
addressing himself to Brotherton, the one
Of the party most deeply interested, ,advised
him, as the most prudent course, on his
daughters account to gave up the pursuit.
a. it Was now evident they meant 10 treat
her kindly, and that if overtaken and find |
ing themselves encountered with the pri.
soner, they would most probably put her |
to death, rather than that she should fall |
into their hands. This prudent counsel
happily prevaiied, and they returned to
the settlement. E