Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-09-21
SELECT VARIETY.
A Thrilling Narrative.

A Thrilling Narrative.
James Morgan was native of Maryland, mar
ried at an early age, and soon after settled near
Bryan's station in the wds of Kentucky. Like
most pioneers of the West, he had cut down the
| cane, built cabin, deadened the timber, enclosed
| a field with worm fence, and planted some corn.
| 1t was on the nth of August, 1882. The sun had
descended a pleasant breeze was playing through
the surrounding wood the cane bowed under its
influence, and the broad leaves of the corn waved
| in the air.
Morgan had seated himself in the door of his
cabin, with his infant on his knee. His young and
happy wife had laid aside her spinning wheel and
was busily engaged in preparing the frugal meal.
That afternoon he accidentally found bundle of
letters which he had finished reading to his wife
before he had taken his seat in the door. ltwaSa
correspondence in which they acknowledged an
early and ardent attachment for each other, and the
perusal left evident traces of Joy in the faces of
both; the little infant, too seemed partake of its
kind parents feelings, by its cheerful smiles, play
full humor, and intantile caresses: While thus
agreeably employed, the report of rifle was heard,
another followed in quick succession. Morgan
sprang to his feet, his wife ran to the door, and
| they simultaneously exclaimed" lndiansP'
The door Immediately barred, and the next
instant their fears were realized by bold and Spr
| tied attack of small party of Indians.
The cabin could not be successfully defended,
and time was precious. Morgan, cool, brave, and
prompt, soon decided. While he was i'll the act of
concealing his wife under the floor, mothers feel
| ings overcame her-she arose, seized the infant,
but afraid that its cries would beray her place
of conceament. She hesitated-gazed silently
upon it-a momentary struggle between duty and
| affection took place. She once more pressed her
child to her agitated BOSOM, and again and again
kissed it with impassionate tenderness. The in
FAINT alarmed at the profuson of tears that fell upon
its check, looked up in its mothIrs face, threw its
little arms around her neck, and wept aloud. g In
the name of Heaven, Eliza, release the child or be
los,'' said the distracted husband, in soft mplo-
Ering tone, as he forced the infant from his wife,
hastily took up his gun, knife and hatchet, ran up
the ladder that led to the chamber, and drew it af
ter him. In moment the door was burst open and
| the SavageS entered. .-.-..rs#
| BY this time Morgan had secured his child in a
bag, and lashed it to his back, then throwing off
some clapboards from the cabins roof, he resolute
lily lcaped to the ground. He was assailed by two
| Indians. As the first approached, he knocked him
down with the butt end of the gun. The other
advanced with uplifted tomahawk; Morgan let
| fall his gun and closed in. gsgsg. tE5ge
| The savage made a blow, missed, but severed the
cord that bound the infant to his back, and it fell
The contest over the Child, now became warm and
| fierce, and was carried on with knives only. The
robust and athletic Morgan length got the ascen-
dancy both were badly cut and bled freely, but
the stabs of the white man were better and deeper,
and the save soon fell to the earth in death. Nor
gan hastily took up his child and hurried of.
The Indians in the house, busily engaged in
drinking and plundering, were not apprised of the
contest in the yard until the one that had been
knocked down gave signs of returning life and
called them to the scene of action.
Morgan was discovered, Immediately pursued
and dog put upon his trail. Operated upon by
lall the feelings of husband and father, he NOV
Ted with all the speed of hunted stag, and soon
outstrpped the Indians, but the dog kept in close
pursuit. Finding it impossible to outrun or elude
the cunning animal trained to hunts of this kind,
he halted and waited till it came within few yards
of him, fired and brought him to the ground. In
a short time he reached the house of his brother,
who resided near Brayan's station, at Lexington,
where he left the child, and the two brothers set
out for the dwelling. AS they approached, light
broke upon his view-his steps quckened, his fears
Increased, and the most agonizing npprehensions
lcrowded upon his mind. Emerging from the cane
brake, he beheld his house in flames and almost
burnt to the ground, Z" My wife !" he exclaimed,
as he pressed hand to his forehead and grasped
the fence with the other, to support his tottering
frame. He gazed on the ruin and desolation be-
fore him, advanced few PAGES and fell exhausted
to the earth.
Morning came, and the luminary of heaven arose,
and still found him seated near the almost expir-
ing embers. In his right hand he held small
stick, with which he was tracing the name of Eli
za on the ground, and his left hand lay on his fa-
vorite dog, that lay by his side. Looking first on
the ruins, and then on his master with evident
signs of grief. Morgan arose. The two broth
ers now made search, and found some bones burnt
to ashes, which they carfuly gathered and silent
confined to the mother earth, beneath the high
spreading branches of n venerable oak, consecra-
ted blythe purest and holiest recollections ga
Several days after this, Morgan was engaged in a
desperate battle atthe lower Blue Licks. The
Indians came off victoriousy, and the surviving
whites returned across the Licking pursued by the
enemy for distance ofsix and thirty miles II ~
James Morgan was among the last who crossed
the river, and WASH the until the hill was de-
scended. As he beheld the Indians reappear on
the ridge, he felt and saw his wrongs, and recol-
lected the lovely object ofhs affections. He ur-
ged his horse, and pressed to the 'front.'. While in
the act of leaping from his saddle, he received q
rifle ball in his thigh, and fell ;and Indian sprang
upon him, siezed him by the hair and applied the
scalping- knife. Atthis moment Morgan cast up
his eyes and recognized the handkerchief, shat
bound the head of the savage, and which he knew
to be his wife'sse This added removed strength to
his body, and increased his activity to fury. He
quickly threw his left arm around the Indian, and
with deathlike grasp, hugged him to his bosom,
plunged his knife into his side and he expired in
his AIMS. Releasing himself from the savage,
Morgan crawled under small oak, on an eleva-
ted piece of ground, ashort distance from him; the
scene of action shifted and he remained undiscov:
cred and unscalped, an anxious spectator of the
battle. raq tiait ~ iis.eftq. 80 noe . -
nrThe Norfolk Herald states that at this I'll time
the number of free born and emancpated negroe.
preparing TO emigrate from that port to Liberia il
1.-The fall expeditions ofthe Colonization Society i
lt,,,e f,a, ,f,,c,