Union County star and Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1859-1864, 1860-09-07
An Incident Of Border Life.

/, aye 1ilslpil Has ItCOluCu iiiilE itIpl
deeds and melancholy privations, but on,
Of the most thrilling and mysterious Incl
dents in his evcntful life has never me
our eyes until We found it in Finley's Au
tobiography: and as many of our reader
may never have seen it, We will give
short account of it.
Christopher Miller, and his brother
Henry, Were taken prisoners by the lndi
ans when they were quite young, and re-
NAMED with them until they had learned
many of the customs Of those wild inhabi,
tants of the forest. They were expert
hunters and learned 10 love the savage
freedom Of their cartors. They were
adopted into an Indian family, and il
seemed they were much attached to then
mode Of living, hunting and fishing being
their chief and almost only employment.
Finally, Harry began, when about twenty
four to think Of returning to the white set
Elements, and he mentioned his thought 10
Christopher but he would not think of re-
turning with him, SO Henry set out alone,
and after much suffering and privation he
reached Kentucky, where he lived for
several years. When i'll l795, the Indi-
ans becoming troublesome. an expedition
wa> gotten up under Gen. Wayne to chas-
| ti,e them, Henry joined this expedition
and set out with it. On the march, Gen
Wayne, in order TO avoid the possibility
of an ambuscade, ordered Capt. Wells to
select four rangers to keep in advance and
reconnoitrc the country.
The keen judgment of Capt Wells did
not fail to detect in Henry Miller the
very man for such an expedition, and he
Was accordingly selected. During the
march, Henry found little 10 do, no lndi-
ans being found on the route On reach
ing Greenville, General Wayne, having
no intimations of the subtle foe, dctermin-
ed to send out Capt Wells and his daring
comrades to capture an Indian, in order
that through him the plans OF the Indi-
ans might be discovered. They accord
inEly set out across the country, crossing
the st. Marys and proceeding TO the Au-
claizc, they turned up the river for sever
al miles, when the eyes Of the rangers dis
covered i smoke. Ilitchng their horses.
the gallant little band left two Of their
party to guard them while the other three
Henry Miller being one of thcm-crept
along in the direction Of the smoke, which
they found to be on an elevated piece of
open ground, surrounded by three Indi-
an, engaged i'll roasting vcnison over the
fire
They were now far out of gun>hot, and
our gallant rangers discovering fallen
tree behind which they thought they
could approach within gunshot of the In
dians undiscovered, rctraccd their steps,
and going around got TO the fallen tree
the top of which was covered with leaves
between them and the enemy.
They then stole along as lightly and
noisclessly as panthers, until they reached
the point desired. Here their plan was
quickly arranged that Miller and one of
his comrades should shoot each his man,
leaving the third, who was swifer than an
Indian on foot, to give chase to and cap
ure the remaining Indian. Miller was
o shoot the one on the right, and his
.omrade the one on the left.
The sharp piercing crack of two rifles
vas heard, and the tated red men lay
itcless on the ground.
Before the smoke had cleared away,
he reserve, one NJ M'Clelland, WAS far in the
direction of the Indian who was doomed
o be captured The Indian observed
lin as he came bounding toward him
With the swiftness of a roebuck and he let
if at the top Of his speed. MClelland
vas rapidly coming up with the retreating |
indian, when coming to bend in the riv-
r, the latter saw he must soon be Overta-
EN- and leaped off the bank into the river,
distance of twenty feet, where he sank 7
p to his middle in the mud. MClelland
ladc a leap on to him, and sunk down in
Ike manner, when the Indian drew his /
nife and M'Clelland his tomahawk. {
y parlcy ensued, and the Indian threw ;
own his knife. In the meantime Henry I
I'D his companion came up, the two were u
,scued from the mud, and the prisoner y =
'und securely. He appeared sullcn, and I /
fused to answer any question asked him w
lie was then washed, to rid him of his
lating Of mud, when it was discovered F
lat they had taken a white man instead Il
an Indian. al
The party returned to their horses, and IL
gan at once 10 retrace their steps to- Ia
ard the camp at Greenyillc. On the "
urney, the prisoner continued moody ~ =,
d silent, until Henry, recollectiug that -
had brother with the Indians, and ~,
linking that this might possibly be him, tr
I 1 L