St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-06-03
Mlistellar'p.
THE PERILs OF THE BORDER


of the frightful massacre of severa
white families by the Black-foot In,
. dians, we were reminded of thrilling
event which occurredsin the Wild
West" short time subsequent to the
Revolution, in which highly accom-,
plished young lady, the daughter of a
distinguished officer of the American
Army, played an important part. The
story being Of most thrilling nature,
and exhibiting in striking manner
the "Perils of the Border" we have
concluded to give an extract from it,
as originally published, as follows:
The angle on the right bank of the
Great kanawha, formed by its juno
ton with the Ohio, is called Point
Pleasant, and is a place of historical
note. Here, on the 10th of October,
l774, during what is known as Lord
Dunmore's War, was fought one of
the liercest and most desperate battles
that ever took place between the Vir-
ginians and their forest foes.
After the battle in question, in
which the Indians were defeated with
great loss, fort was here erected by
the victors, which became a post of
great Importance throughout the
sanguinary scenes of strife which al
most Immediately followed, and which
in this section Of the country were
continued for many years after that
establishment of peace which acknowl-
edged the United Colonies of America
a free and independent nation
At the landing of the fort, on the
day our story opens, was fastened a
flat-boat of the kind used by the early
uavigators of the Western rivers.
Upon the deck of this boat, at the
moment we present the scene to the
reader, stood five individuals, alike
engaged in watching a group of per-
sons, mostly females, who were slow.
ly approaching the landing. Of these
five, one was a stout, sleek negro, in
partial livery, and evidently house
or body servant three were boatmcn
and bordercrs, as indicated by their
. rough, bronzcd visages and coarse at
tire; but the fifth was a young man,
some Internationally years of age, of
fine commanding person, and a clear,
Intelligent countcnance and in the
lofty carriage of his head-in the
CLEAN of his large, hazel cye-there
was something which denoted one of
superior mind but as we shall have
occasion in the course of our nara
tive to fully set forth who and what
Eugene Fairfax was, we will leave
him for the present, and turn to the
approaching group, whom he seemed
to be regarding with lively interest.
OF this group, composed of a middle
aged man and four females, with a
black female servant following some
five or six PAGES in the rear, there was
one whom the most casual eye would
have singled ont and rested upon with
pleasure. The lady in question, was
apparently about twenty years of age,
of a slender and graceful figure, and
of that peculiar cast of feature, which,
besides being beautiful in every Inca
ment, rarely fails to affect the be-
holder with something like charm.
Her travelling costume-a fine
brown habit, high in the neck, button
ed closely over the bosom and coming
down to her small pretty feet, without
trailing on the ground-was both
neat and becoming; and with her
riding-cap and its waving ostrich
plume, set gayly above her flowing
curls, her appearance contrasted forci-
bly, with the rough, unpublished looks
of those of her sex beside her, with
their linsey bed-gowns, scarlet flannel
petticoats, and bleached linen caps.
"Oh, Blanche" said one of the
more venerable of her female com
panions, pursuing conversation
which had been maintained since quit
ting the open fort behind them, 81
cannot bear to let you go for it just
seems to me as if something were
going to happen to you, and when !
feel that way, something generally
does happen"
swell, aunt" returned Blanche,
with light laugh, 81 do not doubt in
the least that something will happen
for | expect one of these days to
reach my dear father and blessed
mother, and give them such an en-
brace as is due from dutiful daugh-
ter to her parcnts-and that will be
something that has not happened for
two long years at least"
But | don't mean that, Blanche"
returned the other, somewhat pctu-
lantly and you just laugh like a
gay and thouShtless girl, when you
ought to be serious. Because you
have come safe thus far, through "a
partially settled country, you think,
perhaps, your own pretty face will
ward off danger in the more perilous
wildcrncss-but ! warn you that a
fearful journey is before you! Scarce
ly boat descends the Ohio, that does
not encounter more or less peril from
the savages that prowl along either
shore; and some of them that go
down freighted with human life, are
heard OF no more, and none ever re-
turn to tell the tale"
But why repeat this to me, dear
aunt" returned Blanche, with a more
serious air, when you know it is my
destiny, either good or bad, to at
tempt the voyage? My parents have
sent for me to join them in their new
homo, and it is my duty to go to them,
be the peril what it may
You never did know what it was
10 tcar!p pursued the rood woman