The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-01-30
SURROUNDED BY DANGERS.

The Lewis family were among the
first settlers of Augusta, in Virginia.
The father, John Lewis, and his wife.
were natives of Ireland, from whence
they emigrated. Three of their sons,
Thomas, William and Andrew, were nj
SO born in the old country-the fourth,
Charles, the hero of the following sketch
was the youngest, and claimed Virginia
as the place of his nativity. He was
even in early youth, distinguished fol
those qualifications which have render.
ed the class to which he belonged-the
Indian fghter-so remarkable among
men. Although but STRIPPING, when
the Indians commenced their attack up
on the settlement of Western Virginia,
he entered the contest with zeal sand
courage which outstripped many of his
older and more boastful oompeers: His
astonishing selfposession and presence
of mind carried him safely through
many gallant exploit. which has rem
dered his name as familiar, and his fame
as dear to the memories of the decend-
ants of the early settlers, as household
words. Cool, calm, and collected in the
face of danger; and quick-witted where
others would be apt to be excited and
tremulous, he was able to grasp on the
instant the propitious moment for action,
and render subservient to his own ad-
vantage the most trifing incident.
He was so unfortunate on one occasion
as to be taken prisoner by party of
Indians while on hunting excursion.
Separated from his companions, he was
surprised and surrounded before he was
aware of his danger, and when he did
become aware of his critical situation, he
found how fatal it was to contend, and
/ how reckless and fatal it must be to
himself, should he kill one of his antag-
onists. He knew full well that the blood
of his enemy would be washed out in his
own, and that, too, at the stake, whereas,
if he surrendered peaceably, he stood a
chance of being adopted BY the Indians
as one of themselves. Revolving these
things in his mind, he quietly delivered
up his rife to his enemies, and vas led
away by his captors, who rejoiced ex-
ceedingly over their prisoner. Bare
headed, with his arms bound tightly be-
hind him, without coat and bare-footed
he was driven forward some two hundred
miles towards the Indian towns, his in
human captors urging him on, when he
Jagged, with their knives, and taunting-
ly reminding him of the trials which
awaited him at the end of the journey.
Nothing daunted, however, by their
threats and menaces, he marched on in
the weary path which led him further
and further from his friends, perfectly
tractable SO far as his body was concern.
ed, but constantly busy in his mind
with schemes of escape. He bided his
time, and at length the wished-for mo-
ment camo. As the distance from the
white settlements increased, the vigi.
lance of the Indians relaxed, and his
hopes increased. As the party passed
along the edge of a precipice some TWEEN
ty feet high, at the foot of which ran a
mountain torrent, he by powerful efort
broke the cords which bound his arms
and made the leap. The Indians, whose
aim was to take him alive, followed him
and then commenced race for life anG
liberty, which was rendered the NOR
exciting by the fact that his pursuer
were close upon him, and could at an.
moment have dispatched him. Blu
such was not their desire, and on, on b
sped, now buoyed up by hope, as his re
cent captors were lost to sight, anon de
spairing of success as he crossed a
open space which showed them almost a
his heels.
At length, taking advantage of
thicket, through which he passed an
which hid him from their sight for
moment, he darted aside and essayed t
leap fallen tree which lay across hi
path. The tangled underbrush ant
reeds which grew thickly around an
almost covered the decaying trunk, trip
ped him as he leaped, and he fell wit
considerable force on the other side
For an instant he was so stunned b
the fall as to lose his consciousness, bu
soon recovered it to find that the Indi
ans we're actively searching every noel
in his immediate vicinity, and that b
had fallen almost directly upon larg
rattlesnake which had thrown itself int
the deadly coil so near his face that hi
fangs were within a few inches Of hi
nose. Is it possible for the most vivi'
imagination to conceive of more horri
BILE and terrifying situation ? The pur
suit of his now highly exasperated an
savage enemies, who thirsted for his re
capture that they might wreak upon hir
a fearful revenge, which of itself was
, fearful danger, calculated to thrill th
nerves Of the stoutest system, had no
become secondary fear, for death j
one of IT'D most terrifying and soul-siel
ening forms was vibrating on the tongr
and dartipp from the ewes of the fearfI