Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-01-19
TIE CAPE
/, THRILLING HISTORICAL NARRATIVE


Earlv in the Spring Of 1870, Mr.. Alexander
Mcconnell, of lexington Ky. went INTO the
woods on foot to hunt deer. lie soon Killed n
larr. bnck. and returned home for horse in or
der to bring IT,. During his absence a party Of
five Indians in one of their skulkng expeditions,
accidentally stumbled on the body OF the deer,
aud percciying that it had been recently killed,
they naturally supposed TINT the hunter would
soon return to secure the iiesh. Three ct them
therefore took their stations within close rifle
shot of the deer while the other two followed the
trail Of the hunter, and waylaid the pain by
which he was expected to return
Mcdonnell thinking not of danger, rode care
lessly along the path, which the scouts were
Watching until lac had come within view OF the
deer. when he was fired ON by the whole party
and his horse killed. While laboring to extrl-
cate himself from tho dying animal, he was SCI
zed by his enemies oyerpowered and borne oil ii
prisoner. His captors, however, seemed nief-
ry good natured sort of fellows, and permitted
him to accompany them unbound-and what
was rather extraordinary, allowed him to retain
his gun and hunting Announcements. He accom-
panied them with great apparent eheerfulness
through the day, and displayed his dexterlty by
shooting deer for the of the company, until
they begun To regard him with great Partially
Having travelled with him in this manner for
yeral days they at length reached the bank of the
Ohio river.
Heretofore the Indians had taken the precau
ton to bind him at night, although not very
enrely, but that evening he demonstrated with
them and complained so strongly OF the
pain viii tie cord gave him. that they merely
wrapped the buffalo tug about his wrists, and
having tied ii in an easy knot and then attached
the exremities of the rope to their bodies, in or
der to prevent his moving without awaken
ing them, then very composedly went to sleep
leaving the prisoner to follow their example
not as he pleased.
Mcconnell determined to effect his escape that
night it possible, on the following morning
they would cross the river which would render
il more difficult. He therefore lay quietly until
midnight, anxiousIy Eliminating on the best
means of effeeting his escape. Accidentally
casting his eyes in the direction of his feet, they
fell upon the glittering blade of knife, which
had escaped from its sheath, and was now lying
near the feet of one of the Indians
To reach it with his hands without disturbing
the two Indians to whom he was fastened, was
impossible, and il was very hazardous to attempt
to draw it up with his feet. This however he
attempted. With much difficulty he grasped the
blade between his toes, and after repeated and
long continued efforts, succeeded at length III
bringing it within reach of his hands. To cut the
cord was but the work of moment, and gradu-
ally and silently extricating himself he walked to
the fire and sat down He felt that his work wa
turn home without destroying his enemies, he
would be pursued and probably oyeraken, when
his fate would be certain. On the other hand, it
seemed almost impossible for Il single individual
to succeed in conflict with five Indians, even
though unarmed and asleep. He could not hope
to deal a blow with knife so silently and fatally
IA to destroy each of his enemies in turn, with
out awakening the rest. Their slumbers were
proycrbialy light and restless--a and if he failed
with single one, he must inevitably be overpow-
cred by the survivors. The knife was therefore
out of the question. After anxious reflections
for few minutes, he formed his plan
The guns of the Indians were stacked near the
fire. Their knives and tomahawks were sheath
ed by their sides, The latter he dare not touch
for fear of arousing their owners, but the former
he carefully removed with the exception of two,
| and hid them in the woods, where he knew the
Indians were still sleeping, perfectly ignorant of
the fate preparing for them, and taking i'll
each hand and restii & the muzzles on log, with
in six feet of his victims, and having taken de
lib rate aim at the head of one and the heart of
another, he pulled both triggers at the mo-
ment. Both shots were fatal
AT the report of the guns, the others sprang to
their feet CHANGING wildly about them. McCon-
! nell who had run to the spot where the other
rifles were hid hastily seized of them and
fired at two of his enemies who happened to be
standing in line with each other. The nearest
| zen uthu' btllS SHbl through lnt centre III inc
body the second fell also, bellowng loudly, but
soon recovering lmped off as fast possible The
fifth, the only one that remained unhurt, dart
ed off like deer, with yell that announced
equal terror and astonishment. Mcconnell not
wishing to fight any more such battles, selected
his rifle from the stock, and made the best of
his way to Lexington, where he arrived in two
days.
\ short time afterwards, Mrs. Dunlap, of
! Fayette, who had been several months prison
among the Indians ON Mad River, made her es-
cape and returned to Lexington. She reported
that the survivor returned to his tribe with Ia
mentable tale. lie stated that they had taken u
| fine young hunter near Lexington. and brought
| him far the Ohio; and while encamped on
the bank of the river, large body of white men
had fallen upon them in the night, and killed his
companions, together with the poor defenccless
prisoner, who lay bound hand and foot, unable TO
! escape or resist.
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