The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1854-06-20
The Escape.
A HIsToRICAL FACT.

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large buck, and returned home for horse, IN
order TO bring it. During his absence party
Of FIVE Indians, In one of their skulking expe.
ditions, accidentally stumbled on the body OF
the deer, and perceving that it had been re
Gently killed, they naturally supposed that the
hunter would soon return TO secure the hesh.
Three of them, therefore, took their stations
within close rife shot Of the deer, while the
other two followed the trail of the hunter, and
waylaid the path by which he was expected to
return.
Mcconnell, thinking not of danger, rode care
lessly along the path which the scouts were
watching, until he had come within view of the
deer, when he was fired on by the whole party,
and his hurse killed. While laboring to extri-
cate himself from the dying animal, he was
seized by his enemies, overpowered and borne
off prisoner. His captors however, seemed
a merry, good natured sort of fellows, and per.
mitted him to accompany them unbound- and
what was rather extraordinary, allowed him to
retain his gun and hunting accoutrements.-
He accompanied them with great apparent
eheerfuluess through the day, and displaye his
dexterty by shooting deer for the use OF the
company, until they began to regard him with
great partiality. Having travelled with him
in this manner for several days, they at length
reached the bahk of the Ohio river.
Heretofore the Indians had taken the pre-
caution to bind him at night, although not very
securely. but on that evening he demonstrated
with them on the subject and complained SO
strongly of the pain which the cord gave him,
that they merely wrapped the buffalo rug about
his wrists, and having tied it in an easy knot
and then attached the extremities of the rope
to their bodies, in order to prevent his moving
without awakening them, they very composed
ly went to sleep, leaving the prisoner to follow
their example or not as he pleased.
Mcconnell determined to effect his escape
that night il possible, as on the following morn.
ing they would cross the river, which would
render it more difficult. lie therefore lay qu-
etly rumina,ing on the best means of efectng
his escape. Accdently casting his eyes in the
direction Of his feet, they fell upon the glitter
ing blade of a knife, which had escaped from
its sheath, and was now lying near the feet Of
one Of the Indians
To reach it Mi ith his hands. without disturb.
ing the two Indians to whom he was fastened,
was impossible, and it was very hazardous to
attempt to draw it up with his feet
This however he attempted. With much
difficulty he gra>ped the blade between his toes,
and after repeated and long continued efforts.
succeeded at length in bringing it within reach
Of his hands. To cut the cord was but the
work nf moment, and gradually and silently
extricating himself he walked to the fire and sat
down. liz felt that his work was but half done.
That it he should attempt to return home with
out destroying his enemies, he would he rur.
sued and probably overtaken, when his fate
would be certain. On the other hand it SEEM
ed almost impossible for single individual 10
succeed in conflict with five Indians even
though unarmed and asleep. He could not
hope to deal a blow with kufe so silent y and
fatally as to destroy each of his enemies in turn,
without awakening the rest. Their sumbers
were proverbialIy light and restless-and if he
failed with single one, he must inevitably be
overpowered by the survivors. The knife was
therefore out of the question. After anxious
reflection for few moments he formed his
plan.
The guns of the Indians were stacked near
the fire. Their knives and tomalawks were
sheathed by their sides. The latter he dare
not touch for fear OF arousing their owners, but
the former he carefully removed with the ex.
cepton of two, and hid them In the woods,
while the Indians were still sleeping, perfectly
ignorant of the fate preparing for them, and to-
king one in each hand and resting the muzzies
on log, within six feet Of his victims, aud hav.
ing taken deliberate aim at the head of one and
the heart of another he pulled both triggers at
the same moment. Both shots were fatal.
At the report of the guns the others sprang
to their feet glancing wildly about them. Nc
Connell, who had run to the spot where the
other rifles were hid, hastily seized one ofthem
and fired at two of his enemies whv happened
to be standing in line with each other The
nearest fell dead, being shot through the centre
Of the body; the sec"nd fell also, believing
loudly, but soon recovering limped off as fast
as possble. The fifth, the only one that re-
mained unhurt, darted IF like deer, with a
yell that announced equal terror and astonish-
ment. Mcconnell not wishing to fight any
mure such battles, selected his own rifle from
the stock, and made the best of his way to Lex
ington, where he arrived in two days.
A short time afterwards, Mrs. Dnnlay, efFa
ette, who had been several months prisoner
among the Indians on Mad river, made her es.
cape and returned to Lexington. She reported
that the survivor returned to his tribe with
amentabIe tale. He stated that they had ia.
ken fine young hunter near Lexington, and
brought him as far as the Ohio; that while en-
camped on the bank of the river, a party of
white men had fallen upon them in the nj ght,
and killed his companions, together with the
poor defenceless prisoner, who lay bound hand
and foot, unable either to escape or resist
The Fighting Preacher.
The Western itinerauts (who were the Ieo;s