Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1855-01-17

the ridges to "Neil's Station" on the
Little Kanawha, where they took prison
er a colored boy of Mr.. Neil's, about Il
years old, as he was out looking after the
horses early in the morning. 1t was ac
complished without alarming the garri-
Ison, and they quietly pursued their route
doing no other mischief. II was com.
mon practise with war parties, in going
out, not TO alarm the borderers until they
had reached their destination and struck
the blow they meditated. The route from
Kanawha to the West Fork was well
known to the Indians and all the old hum
tels, and though the country was a con
tinued wilderness, their main war paths
were as familiar to them as our modern
turnpkes are TO travellers. On this oc-
casion they passed up the Kanawha to
the mouth of Hughes river, and follow
ing it to the north fork, soon fell on to
the trail from Clarksburg to Marietta
This took them about three days, during
which time the weather was very dry and
they killed no game for food. They, how
ever, one day, found turtle or terrapin
which was divided among them, and the
black boy, Frank. received an equal share
with the rest, although they we're all
nearly starving. Frank by this time had
become quite exhausted with hunger and
! fatigue, when the Indians to encourage
him, promised that he should have horse
to ride on their return.
Soon after leaving the north fork Of
Hughes river, they come upon the trail
Of Mr.. Carpenters drove, and thinking
them a caravan of new settlers on their
way to the Ohio, they held short coun-
Gil. Giving up any farther progress east,
they turned with great energy and high
spirits, on the fresh, large trail, which
| they saw had been made only the day be-
fore. So broad was the track made by
! the drove of cattle and six or seven hor-
ses, that they followed it without Difficult
ty, at rapid pace all night, and came
upon the camp FIRE a little before day
light. Previous to commencing the at
tack, they took the prccaution OF securing
| Frank with thongs to a stout saplin9, on
an adjacent ridge. The tramplng and
noise OF the ca;tle gave the Indians all
the opportunity they cesired in making
their approach, as their own movements
would be blended with those of the ami
mails, in the ears Of the sentjncls had there
been any, but this prccauuion had not
been taken, as they considered themselves
in no danger. Tecumseh, with the cum
ming which ever after distinguished him,
placed his men behind the trunk Of
large fallen tree, only few yards from
the camp, where they could watch the
movements of their enemies and not be
seen themselves.
At the first daw& OF day, Carpenter
reused his men. saving it was time to be
moving, and that they would begin the
day with their accustomed acts Of devo,
ton. As the men sat round the Ere, he
commenced reading hymn from the old
"Wes.- End Baptist Collection" and had
reached the following line Of the third
verse
"AwaLe and run the heavenly race
when the Indians all fired, following the
discharge with terrific veil, aud Instant
Iy rushed upon their astouished and un-
prepared victims, with the tomahawk.-
The fire OF the Indians was not very well
directed, as it killed only one man, Ellis
from Greenbrier, and wounded John Paul
through the hand. Ellis Immediately fell
cxclaiming. o Lord, am killed." The
rest sprauc to their feet. but before the Y
could ges their rifles which were leaning
against tree, the Indians were anon :
them. Hughes, who had been an old
hunter, in his confusion seized on two RI
hes, his own and Mr.. Carpenters, and
pushed into the woods with two Indians
at his heels. He discharged one of them
but whether with effect is not known, and
threw the other down. Not having com
plclely dressed himself before the attack
his long leaLhern leggins were only fas
tened to the belt around his waist, anC
hanging loscly below, got round his legs,
greatly impeding his flight. Finding he
should be soon Overtaken unless he could
rid himself of this cncumbrance, he stop
ped, and placing his foot on the lower
ends, tore them loose from the belt, lea
wing his legs naked from the hips down
wards. This delay, although the work
f of moment, nearly cost him his life, fol
his pursuer, then within few feet of him
threw his tomahawk so accurately as K
Craze his head. Freed from this impedi
ment, he soon left his foe far behind
Ny informant, son of Mr.. Carpenter
f now living in Marietta, but then a very lit
tie boy, says he we'll remembers seeing
, the bullet holes in Hughes hunting shirt
, so narrow was his escape. In the race
the competitors passed near the spo
where Frank was concealed, who desert
it as one of the swiftest he had ever seen
John Paul, who had before been enga
ged in contests with the Indians, unde
u Crawford was saved by his activity il
running. George Legit was pushed fo
nearly four miles, overtaken and killed.
Burns, a stout athletic man, but not swif
on foot, was slain near the camp, after
desperate resistance. When found, few
! days after, his stout jack knife was still
clasped in his hand, with which he ha,
lnn nh1less Inflicted some wounds on h;