Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1855-06-06
FALO PUTNAM COUNTY, VIRGINIA. WEDNESDAY, JUNE g. 1855

/
Bradford's hopes Of success soon RI
! pened into reality, and through him,
Wetzel onceImore enjoyed hislibcrty.
|. "ln those days story was current
concerning the manner in which
Bradford effected therelease of Wet
eel, that savored strongly of theimar-
velous. The Governor, it is said,
through fear Of his sovereign, refused
to exercise the pardoning power, al
though he very much desired that
Wetzcl should be discharged from
Imprisonment; and to supply the
want of unbia sed power, resort was
had to strategcm. The plan was
briefly this: :Wetzel was to feign
himself sick; p report was to be put
in circulation that. he had died.
coffin maker land undertaken was to
be called on. Ills body was coli lined
and carried out Of the prison, and
! delivered to his friends, amongst
whom was Bf adEorI, and by them
carried out Of the city where the dcad
man was takelr alive out of the cot.
fin, and it suali in the Mississippi
Wctzcl was conveyed to Natchez,
and was taken into the family of n
relative of his, who was q wealthy
planter near that place. Whether
this story wa4Itrue or not, could make
but little difference to the untortu-
nate victim Of CIRCUMSTANCES. but
the facts, about which there is no
dispute, give 1t the color of proba-
bility. Certain it was that Wttzel
was tai zen FROM prison to Nate ez,
where lie lived for a number .otyehrs
in the family dfa Mr.. Sticks a cous-
Yin of Wetzcl4. His long contine-
Nncnt in the damp and unhealthy
: prison had undermined his cohSti-
tuition and rendered him unfit for hi.
fofmcr vocation of<irontier service.
FROM long. inactivity his limbs had
grown still and cIumsey;his stalwart
arms had lost their strength, and his
whole system lacked the physical
power, to quaffy for the woods.
i lie was kindly treated and. cared for
by his f.icnd$, working whcn.it suit:
cd him, a nd PLYING when he pleased.
/ "Alterthc purchase of Louisiana
by the Fnited States, Sticks removed
on to the Rra4os, in Texas, taking
Wctzcl with him. He remained a
.. member of tlle family Of his. friend
for a numbcrI of years, gradually
yielding to tho cncroachmcnts Of dis.
. ease, until hisNpowcrful form could
resist no longer, when he died, On
the banks Of thd Brazos, in the far
distant. Wilderness, sleeps, without
mark or monument, the ashes Of the
intrepid scout the fearless and gal
Iant spy. WHO can listen to/the
winds rs they moan among the
branches that overriding his grave,
and reflect upon his services, perse-
cution, and sutlcrings(or the fearless
!. spirit that once animated the en-
tombcd remains without shedding a
tear Of sympathy for, the mar ne Of
LEWIS WETzEL? Al !,
"Wchel never could forgat .the
wrongs he had. suffered from his own
country and cbuntrymen, Piatt, i'm
particular, he denounced as atviIlain.
Inasmuch as Tie (PiatD is one of the
prominent characters mentioned i'm
this letter, a brief notice of his career
and cnd might, by the curiouA be
desirable. + + '\t
"Aflcr the conviction of: Wctzel,
Piatt was arrekted for killing an IT,
dian on Red River, was tried, con-
yictcd, and placed in the ca aboost
at New Orleans, where he remained
nine Yeas, and was then taken out
and hung. - ~.~- l.. .
Il have thus given you all the facts
within my knowledge not already
before the public: regret my ina :
I bilty to fix dates, but | have given
certain historical events, about the
l.! dates ofwhich there is no dispute.
from which to infer the date Of the
events mentioned in the letter.
Yours truly. &c, LII
"E. K. ECkLY."