New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-12-21
AduantI,raz Of the whatzelg.

Irregular manner Oh me- ana LlOSe manly pursuits
from which barbarity takes its name, are highly
favorable to strength of mind unknown in polished
times In advanced society the characters of meT
are more uniform and disguised. The human passion.
lie III some degree confined behind forms and artiti
elal manners and the powers OF the soul without ar
opportunity of eSerting them lose their vgor.''
From our first acquaintance with the history o.
man to the present time the artof war has been hello
IN more veneration than any other profession. Were
the accounts of destroying lte by MURDERS by peTse
cations, by public and private wars hotted from
books, our libraries could be slowed away in small
bookcases, The history of man appears to be his
tory OF revolution, blood and carnage. We're it not
Tor wars, how many names, which now shine with
peculiar luster, would have been lost to oblivion
War has rendered conspicuous the names of Joshua,
David, Cyrus, Alexander, RomuOus, Marius, Cesar,
Scipio, Hannibal Constantine, Cromwell, Washing
ton and last, though not least, Napoleon WIN
host of others, all of whom are rendered lustfous
by marching boldly to the temple OF tame, througn
rivers of blood
1t is natural impulse of the human mind to be in
formed of the condition and doings OF man IN every
age circumstance and situation in which he appears
to have been placed by Providence, In no situation
can be appear interesting than IN the hrst set
Ting Of emDires1 Those phlanthropiss who have by
their stndes and labor either ia the retirement of the
closet the workshop, or in the cultivation of the
earth richly merited the gratitude Of mankind, have
been generally passed by as poddng grovelers I'M
worthy of distinction IL men are careless in com.
memorating the names of philosophers chemists and
mechanics, who have brought to such perfection the
arts and sciences by which the condition of in
all the walks of public and private life have been so
much improved, the warrior at least has no cause of
complaint as mankind appears anxious, as if by com
mon consent to place in the front pages of history
the fiery, impetuoHs soldier Then, as the whole
world cannot be supposed to be in error and TO the
military profession has been awarded the most digui.
fed station, will even let it be SO as disregard
TO custom, and longsetted public opinion always
betTays a stubborn, or weak, or an illregulated
mind While the historians who have gone before
cd anhip If tbpap nls
who have commanded the strength of empires in the
battlefield will endeavor to give true narrative Of
the brilliant exploits of some Of the old pioneers who
fought frequently singe.handed without pay the
prospect of emolument, but merely for the sake of
| fighting.
| AS the aborginals Of our country held peaceable
possession OF it from time immemorial it would al
most appear unjust to dispOssess them. But the
practice of the world from the earliest times appears
to have established the principle, that the most pow
erful have right to govern the right of conquest,
then, appears to bea legitimate right sanctioned by
/ the laws of God and man.
"Let the imagination of the reader pursue the
track of the adventurer into the solitary wilderness
bending his course towards the setting sun
dulang hills, under the shade of large forest trees
4 and Wading through rank weeds and grass which
covered the earth now viewing from the top Of hill
the winding course of a creek, he ascertained the
cardinal points Of north and south by the thickness
of the moss and bark on the north side of the ancient
/ trees; now descending into valley, aud perGeiving
his approach to river by seeing the large ash syca-
more; and sugar tree beautifully esoOned with grape
vines. Watchul as Argus his restless eye catches
everything around him. In an unknown region, and
surrounded with dangers he is the sennelO his
safety and relies on himself alone for protection.
The toilsome march of the day being ended, at the
fall of night be seeks for safety in some narrow,
/ questered hollow and by the side of log builds
fire, and after eating his coarse and scanty meal,
wraps himself up in his blanket, and lays him down
on his bed Of leaves, with his feet to the fire, for
pose.
n mi
names were Martin Lewis Jacob and John. Their
father was German, and was one of the first white
men who settled Wheeling, in Virginia. At
which station or fort he located himself cannot
reCollect although have often heard the story in my
youth. Old Mr. Whetzel, although it was the hottest
time in the Indian war was rash as to build cabin
some distance from the fort and move his family into
it, How long he lived there before his fatal tragedy
occurred, is not remembered One day in the midst
of summer, Martin, his eldest son, being out hunt.
ing, and John having been some errand to the
4 tortl numerous party Of Indians surrounded the
house, rushedin, aud killed. t0mahawked and scalped
old Mr.. Whelzel, his wife and all his small children
\ Lewis and Jacob, being smart, active boys, were
| spared, and made prisoners. When the pirates gave
Caesar his liberty for a small ransom, they little knew
tue value of their prisoner Could the Indians have
had prescienoe Of the sad hayock these two youths
would have made on their race, instead OF carrying
them off prisoners, they WOULD have carried their
sCalps to their towns 1t is happy for US, that God
i has yelled from US the future.
The following account of the escape of the Whet
/ zels from captivity is from Dodrdge's Notes.
When about thirteen years OF age Lewis was taken
prisoner by the Indians, together with his brother
Jacob, about eleven years old. Before he was taken
he received slight wound in the chest, from bullet
which carried off small piece of the breastbOne.
The second night after they taken, the Indians
/ encamped at the Big Lick, twenty miles from the
river, on the waters OF McMahon'S creek. The bows
were not confined, After the Indianshad fallen asleep
Lewis whispered to his brother jacob that he must
i get up and go back home with him. When they had
j got about one hundred yards from the camp, they
sat down on a log. Well said Lewis we can't 90
meecaatns for each of US, and accordingly did so,
! aud returned. After sitting little longer, Now,
i said he, l will go back and get father gun, and
1 then we will start This was effected. They had
not Travelled far on the trail By which they be-
fore they heard the Indians after them. 1t was
/ moonlight night. When the Indians came pretty
nigh them, they stepped aside into the bushes and
let them pass then fell into the rear and Travelled on
i On the return of the Indians they did the same
They were then pursued by two Indians on horseback
/ whom they lodged in the same way. They next day
4 they reached Wheeling in safety, crossing the river
1 on raft of their own making BY this time Lewis
4 had become almost spent from his wound
After their return from captivity and these lads
began to grow TO be men, (aud the boys the from
tier at very early age at least as they could
handle gun, considered themselves mem they took
a solemn oath that they would never make peace nor
truce with the Indians, whilst they had strength to
/ WELD tOmahawk, or sight to draw bead and they
were as true 10 their OathS the uStriOus and
taf,tamed hero of Carthage. These warriors es.
teemed the duty OF revenge the most precious and
sacred portion of their inheritance The blood of
] their murdered and mangled PARENTS and infant
brothers and sisters, was always present to their
minds, and strung their sineWs to activity aud whet
ted their souls to the highest pitch of resolution to
battle tier hands in the blood of their enemies.
The following narrative goes to show how much
may be effected, by the skill, bravery and physical
activity of single individual, in the partzan warfare
carried on against the Indians, the western from
tier Lewis Whetzels education like that of his CO.
tempoTares was that of the hunter and warrior.
When boy, he adopted the practice Of loading and
firing his rifle as he ran. This was Il means OF max
ing him so destructive to the Indians afterwards"
f." In the year 1888, after Grawt0rd's defeat Lewis
Whetzel went with Thomas Mills. who had been in
the campaign to get horse, which he had left near
the place where st. Clairsye now stands. At the
Indian Spring, two miles above st, CaiTsye on the
Wheeling road they were met by about forty Indians
who were in pursuit OF the straggers from the cam
paign. The Indians and the white men discovered
4 each other about the same time. Lewis fired first
Y and killed an Indian; the fire from the Indians
wounded Mr.. Mills, and he was soon uvertaken and
killed. -Four OF the Indians then singled out, dropped
their guns and pursued Whet2el Whetzel loaded his
rifle he ran. After running about half mile, one
OF the Indians having got within eight ten steps
i him, Whetzel wheeled around and shot him down
ran on, and loaded as before. After going abOn
three quarters of a mile further second Indian
came close to him. that when he turned to fire. th(
Indian caught the mu2ze of the gun, and, as he eX
pressed it, he aud the Indian had severe wranginl
for it he succeeded however, in bringing the muzz
4lsa rF,l. i hill. Il A.,