Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-10-17
BEN NEWLAN'S LEAP.
BY an Old Man of Kaunwha.

Virginia readers know that in the yeal
l774, Governor Duumore made an expe-
ditiou against the North western Indians.
He led in person, one body of troops by
the way of Cumberland to Pittsburg. He
ordered General Lewis with the troops
volunteers and militia) of the southwes.
tern frontier to march directly through
the wilderness. to Point Pleasant, at The
mouth Of the Great Kanawha, and there
wait his arrival from Pittsburgh.
Dunmore's march was by military
road to Pittsburg Lewis was through
an unbroken and almost unexplored, viii
dcrness Of $50 miles from Greenbrier
then a new and feeble settlement. Yet
when he reached Point Pleasant, he had
to wait long, before he even heard
from the Governor. This delay gave
Cornstalk, the Shawnee chief. the oppor,
tunity of attacking this division of the
Virginians with the whole force Of the
hostile Indians, and we'll did this savage
commander know how to profit by the
opportunity. From sunrise to sunset, the
battle ragged with equal valor on both
sides. AT last we'll planned maneuvre
of Gen. Lewis gained him decisive, but
dearly bought victory. Peace was made
soon afterwards and the army returned
home, leaving fort and small garrison
at Point Pleasant.
A few months afterwards, the Revolu.
tionary war began. British influence,
operating upon the old grudge of the Iu'
dians against the colonists, soon prevailed
upon them to renew rheir hostile excur-
sions into the frontier settlements Of Vir.
ginia. Nor did they cease for years after
the Revolutionary war. Hence the fort
at Point Pleasant had to be kept up, and
another to be built 60 miles above on the
Kanawha. TO protect the new settlements
in the valley of the river. Co.. .,...-
1t was sometime during this state OF
Indian hostilities alter THO Revolution, ,the
incident took place, which | Hm about tc
relate from an nperfect, and perhaps in.
acuratelygremembe ira dition, heard ir
my boyhood. The chief incident is how,
ever, substantially true. .
Ben NeYlan, n man Of Point Pleasan:,
perhaps one OF the garrison. crossed the
kanawha in a canoe, and ranged seVe'a
miles over the forest covered mountains
on the opposite side. of tue river, in pur.
suit of game. When he fired his gun al
some animal, two Indians happened to be
near the spot.
One of them shot at him from a dis
tance Of more than one hundred yards
but missed. The whistling of the bal
started him, and caused the other Indian
who had taken deliberate aim, to miss
him likewise. Now the Indians threw
their guns down. and with,a yell s'artec
after Newlan, armed with tomahawks anC
knives. tits useless to say that Newlar
threw down his empty gun and rsu for
his life, even before tie sound Of the
tomahawk had reached his ears. He spec
home as fast as his legs would carry him
He had about three miles to run, up hill
and down hill. through brakes, over fall
en- trees, and over rocks both great and
small, both fast aud loose.
The race began Newlan was about
hundred yards before his pursuers. The
hiss Of balls, the crack Of guns, and thu
yells Of savages, all had a stimulating ef
feot upon his nerves, and he ran fsstel
than he ever run before. Nor did he re
lax his efforts, nor take time to look be
hind him for although the Indians ceas
ed to yell. that they might save thei
wind. yet,the cracking of dry brush, th'
rustling of leaves under their feet, ant
the rolling of displaced stones down tn,
steep hill sides, kept him fully advised
that his enemies were in hot pursuit.
On reaching the top of the mountain.
mile from the starting point, he cast
look behind him. and was rather discour
aged to see that. the, foremost pursuer.
tall, athletic savage, had gained thirty o
forty yards upon him, and the other abou
half as many. ~ - gr.s.a.lfs .n.- -
Newlan was a stout aud experienced
mouutain,climhef. and in pursuit of bear
had run for milesioyer the rough ups an
downs of a forest country but untortu
nately he, had to contend with two vii
men of the woods, who could beat him
q race for his life.