Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-12-09
yntmtsttnp Storg.
a ESCAPE.

~ w S4T 141NG jill 0Od T..
The following trac narrative is taken
from the Note. Book of the late CAPTAIN
Robert Benson, who was a prominent ac.
tor p all she principal battles of the Ca.
madam frontiers, whes the English and
French cSlonists were at war, in the lat
ter part of the last century. The nara.
tive has now just been published, for the
hrst time, by the nephew of the deceased
adyenturer.
Ii was liz the autumn of 1879, that a
party Of Us left the Falls Of the Ohio. in
keel boats, under the command of Major
Rodgers, for the purpose of making an
attack upon the Indians. at the town of
CAilleothe. On our way up the river.
we met With no remarkable adventure.
till We approached the mouth of the Lick,
lng-Shich we did about sunset of a de-,
lightfui day. We observed a few Indi.
ans standing upon a projecting sand bar,
at a peint where the two streams unite.
apparently watching some companions in
6 canee, Who were crossing to them from
tas opposite bank of the smaller stream.
II they saw US, there was nothing in their
manner to indicate the fact and think
ing 1t possible to take them by surprise.
MAJOR Rodgers ordered the boats to be
run up under some bushes along the shore.
and all the men save 6ve-some seventy
In humber-to advance cautiously thro'
the wood, and completely surround the
spot where the savages were.
We all set off in fine spirits, thinking
only of the surprise we should give the
enemy. Quietly, stealthily, we pushed
onward, spreading out as we advanced,
till at length we reached and fairly en-
clreled the fated spot when just as the
order was being given to rush in upon
the Toe, We were startled and thrown into
the greatest confusion by the uprising on
every SIDE of US Of several hundred veil.
ing Indians.
We had been drawn into a complete
amouscade-had been taken by our enc.
mics In the very trap we had set for them.
Instantly they poured in a destructive
IRE, and then fell upoh us with knife and
~tomahawk when the panic on our part
became fearful, and the slaughter tremen.
dous. Jake frightened sheep we hud
DIED together and then, finding ourselves
hemmed in by Jul foes, who hewed US
down as fast as they reached US, we turn
ed at bay, and poured back a volley from
cur side. Then, with yells as wild and
savage as their own, we broke through
their lines, and rushed for our boats
But the Indians. comprehending our de.
sign, reached them before Us, and made
a capture OF all save one. in which the
men lett In charge had made their escape
Our only chance now was to break their
lines again, and start through the forest
to the station at Harrodsburgh. Favored
by the gathering shades of night. some
twenty of our whole party had ESCAPED
though hotly pursued by our blood thirsty
foes.
But L was not one of that fortunate
few for as | was in the act of cleaning
some live or six of the enemy, who barred
my way to a dense thicket, and Just as |
had cut Down a couple of the nearest, II
ball passed through my hips, SCATTERING
the bones. AT once | fell, but luckily
among some thick bushes which for the
moment concealed me and the others,
probably thinking me dead or escaped,
Immediately darted off in pursuit of nv
lying friends. | bad my rife still in nv
hands and wounded and suffering as /
was. l proceeded to load it as | Law on
the ~ground-my only hope row being
that [ should succeed in killing one or
more Of the wretehes before a ter.,ipus
should be put to my own existence.
As minute after minute went by, how
ever, and the yells of the savages grew
more and more distant, and night began
fast to envelope me in her welcome pail
OF darkness, a new hope sprung up in ny
breast, that | might possibly so secrete
myself as to escape the observation of
the enemy altogether. Slowly dragging
myself through the bushes to a fallen tree
which lay within a few feet of me. I. with
the most ezcruciating pain, crept up un
der the branches, which l disposed above
my person in the best manner | could.
Here for hours | lay, suffering aoonies
OF body and mind which no language has
power to describe. | dared not stir
again, scarcely to breathe. heard tho
Indians return, and | conld tell bv the
sounds that they were going over the
ground and ~butchering all the wounded
they could find. About midnight, as
near as | could judge, they once more
drew off and lit their camp fires, the glim.
mering OF which | could family perceive
through the thick foliage which surround
ed me
Let me pass oser that night of horror.
If any one would have the faintest ;dao
OF what l suffered, he must imagine him.
self in my situation-there in the branches
of that tree-with both hips shattered
surrounded by my dead friends-and.
worse still, my living foes | dared not
change my position, nor give vent to a
single expression Of pain, in spite of nv
utmost will. O, it was a horrible night