Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-01-18
uopGrasGIarksharQ Raliatrr
From the American Pioneer,
nUGHs, THE INDIAN-FIGHnR.

NCIS Ol-luS MOlOuSuuSl'I IlNSI1 Ill Tie VII |
lnge of Clarksburg. He was alght built,
spare man, and remarkably active on foot,
and from his constant practice Of hunting,
he bccs81e one' Of the best woodsmen and
Indian hunters of his day.
The following circumstance he related |
to NE himself, and it has been fully cora
who was in the expedition with him. The
precise date of the transaction | do not
recollect, but l think it was near 1890. |
The Indians, about that time, seldom did |
any mischief in the neighborhood but
steal horses. The Indians. generally, |
crossed the Ohio river above Marietta, and
i: was dense forest from the Ohio to
CIarksburg. a distance of sixty or seventy
miles The settlemt Mt had been a conSid-
cradle time without on Indian alarm. All
q were quiet on their farms. 1t happened.
one night, man heardotke fence OF Il
small lot. he had horse in, fall he jumped
up and ran out and saw an Indian spring
on the horse and dnsh Off The whole
settlement was alarmed in an hour or two
and they hada company of twenty-five
or thirty men paraded, ready to start
next morning. They took circle round
0 outside of the settlement, and soon found
the trail Of apparently, eight or ten hor-
SEES, and, they supposed, about that many
Indians The captain called halt. and
held q council to determine in what man
3 ner to pursue them. The captain and
a majority Of the company were for pursu
ing them on their trail 'Mr HuyhS was
D opposed to it, he said he could pilot them
to the spot where the Indians would cross
the Ohio. by shorter way than the Indians
q, could 90, and if they could get there be-
fore the Indians. they would intercept them
at the river and be sure OF success. Bat
the commander insisted on pursuing the
trail. Mr.. Hughes then tried another ar
gument ne pointed out the danger in
trailing the Indians. He insisted that the
Indians would way lay their traH in order
to know if they were pursued. and would
chose a situation where they could shoot
two or three Of them, and set them at dc
tfance. and then alarm the others; and
the Indians, when alarmed. would out
travel them and make their escape. The
commander found that Hughs was likely
TO get a majority for his plan and APP
Peared to be jealous that if lIughs' plan
was followed. he would lose the honor Of
planning the expedition. Hughs. by some.
was considered too wild for the command,
and it was nothing but jealousy kept him
sions, Hughs got the honor Of the best
plan, or did the best act that was per
formed. The commander then broke
up the council by calling aloud 'IoI-
how me and let the towards 20 home"
and dashed off at full speed, and
the men all followed him. Hushs knew
the captains remarks were intended for
him, and felt the insult in the III CHEST de-
gree, but he followed on with the rest.
They had not pursued many miles until
the trail went down a drain, where the
ridge on one side was very steep. with IA
ledge of rocks for q considerable distance.
On top Of the cliff two Indians lay in am
bush, and when the company got OpPo.
site to them they made noise Of some
Kind, Shat caused the men to stop that
instant two of the company were shot and
MORALLY wounded. They now found
Hughs' predictions fully verified, for they
had to ride SO far round before they could
get up the cliff. that the Indians made
their esCSpe with ease.
They then all agreed that Hughs' plan
vas the best and urged him to pilot them
10 the Ohio river where the Indsans would
% cross. He agreed to do it but was afraid
it was too late. for the Indians knew they
we're Pursed and would make desperate
push. After leaving some of the COM
pany to take in the wounded men, they
put out for the Ohio river, the nearest
way they could go and got there the
next day, about an hour after the Indians
had crossed it. Tho water was yet muddy
in the horses trails, and the RATS that
they had crossed on were floating down
The opposite shore. The company now
vas unanimous for returning home and
giving up the pursuit. Hughs now got
some satisfaction for the insult the captain
gave him. He said he wanted to know
who the towards we've. He said that if
any of them would go with him he would
cross the river and scalp some Of the In
dams. They all refused TO go with him.
He said if one man would go with him,
he would undertake it ; but he could not
get one to consent. He tlrcn said he
would 90 by himself, and take one of their
scalps, or leave his own with them.
The company now started for home,
and Hughs went up the river three or four
miles. keeping out Of sight Oft. for lie cx-
- .Pected the Indians were watching them to
see if they would cross. He there made
Aratt and crossed the river, and camped
for the night. The next dav he found
their trail. and pursued it very cautiously,
and about ten mics from the river he
found their camp. There was but one
Indian IN it, the rest were all out hunt
ing. The Indian was left to keep camp !;
IN order to pass away time lie got - play
ing the iddle-On some bones tncy Auve
for the purpose. llo' was S. ;ci in his
camp, singing and playing. hugns rrept
up and shot him. He then took his SCALP
and made the best of his way home.