Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-05-04
Ggt storp GeIltr,
THE MOTHERS DEFENCE.
A TALE OF THE FRONTIER WAR.

There is no exaggeration in the following
sketch, the instance narrated having actually
occurred during the border war of Kentucky.
The seeming incredible feat (for woman es-
Pecially) Of biting in two a musket ball, is
there vouched for. This narrative was writ
ten for the Sunday Times =
A more beautiful and quiet scene than the
clearing on the Elkhorn, which smiled and
Spafkled in the light of cloudless sunrise on
the 9th of April, 1893, could not have been
found between the Kentucky river and the
mountains. A rude, but strongly built log
cabin, half dwelling, half fortress, was the
most conspicuous object in the foreground
A stream, the Elkhorn, too large to be called
a creek, yet scarcely broad enough, except
sloping banks clothed in the verdure of early
spring, spread with rapid current, within
half rifle shot of the front of the cabin.
The entire clearing consisted of about forty
acres, girdled on every side by the dense for
est, excepting on the east. where a broad
opening appeared, and the blazed outlines of
a road we're visible for rod or two, leading
apparently to some djacent settlement. The
location was only three miles from Frankfort,
then small river about two miles from the
nearest point on the Kentucky river, of which
the Elkhorn is tributary. Within the clear
ed arena labor had done much The axe
IL Iaea Al r
the wilderness, had been promptly followed
by the plow. The barn and corn-cribs were
filled to overfowing, and the green blades
glistening with dew, that covered the south
ern slopes, gave promise of another abundant
harvest.
The cabin was of double size, for it con-
Sained two families. It's occupants were two
brothers, Hosea and Jesse Cook, their wives
and children, and youth of seventeen named
McAndre, who assisted in the farm work.
The two brothers were originally from Connec-
ticut, but had emigrated to Kentucky some
years before this narrative opens. Nearly
four years had elapsed since they had re-
moved and settled on the Elkhorn, and during
the whole of that time they had seen but one
Indian.
HOsea's household consisted of his wife,
Miriam, like himself native of New England
"a woman of commanding stature and perso-
nal strength, and their daughter Alice, gol-
den-haired beauty, with face that smiled all
over, then in her seventeenth year.
Al e
comeIy daughter Of Virginia, younger than
her sister-in-law, with two boys of six and
three years old at her apron string. Young
McAndre was fine, handsome young hunts
man, whose father had been killed in an en-
counter with a party of Wyandotts, near the
Blue Licks, in that memorable era of the
West, in the year 1882.
Just as the suns red disk became visible
above the upper line of the forest to the east,
the door of the cabin opened and the brothers
passed out The scene before them was one
of perfect repose. The morning mist had al
ready lifted from the stream, and was slowly
sailing upwards. while not breath stirred
the surface of the swiftly gliding water But
the Cooks were not the men to look upon the
landscape with the simple observation that it
was fine growing morning. The elder, HO-
sea, shouldered his axe, and, followed by his
brother, walked to pile of chestnut timber a
few rods west of the house, where they had
been engaged in splitting out fence rails.
They were both unarmed, and would have
laughed at the idea of carrying weapons to
protect themselves against the Indians, so con-
fdent had their long exemption from any at
tack or molestation rendered them. But their
dream of security was destined to be suddenly
broken. They had not struck twenty blows
with their axes, when dozen rifles,
"Too nearly, deadly aimed, to err
cracked from clump of naples about forty
yards in advance of the nearest point of woods,
and Hosea Cook, who was in the act of chop
ping, sprang in the air, and Strengthened as he
descended, fell with his face upwards quite
dead.
Jesse, although struck by three bullets, and
mortaly wounded, started in staggering run
for the cabin, and fell few feet from the door
at the very moment that thirteen Wyandotts,
painted and Plumed for war, leaped over the
cover with whOop of demoniac exultation
For one moment the inmates of the cabin were
panic stricken, but the next the youth rushed
out for the purpose of bringing in the body of
the wounded man. He seized him by the
shoulders, and was in the act of dragging him
toward the threshold, when an old Indian, who
had reserved his discharge when the voley
was fired, took deliberate aim at the Young
man, and shot him through the brain. He
fell dead across the body of Jesse Cook.
Had the savages rushed upon the cabin at
that moment they would have encountered no
resistance The door was open, and the wo-
men completely unnerved by the unspeakable
horror of the scene. But the savages stopped
when they reached the body of Hosea Cook. to
scalp him. They knew that all the males of
the household had fallen, and that it was ut
terly impossible for the women and children
to escape. AS to any attempt at defence, they
had no dream of it.
The three females, who with arms out
stretched towards the bleeding bodies of their
i.