New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-01-23
An Old Border settler.

From story of early border life we take the
following:
extraordinary strength and activity with the
most daring courage, and a thorough knowledge If
lie IN the woods, won for Joshua Fleehart a high
reputation among the first settlers Of Western Viz
glnla and Ohio. When the Ohio Company founded
Its settlement at Marietta, in April 1f7s, Fleehart
was employed as scout and hunter In this
service he had no superior north of the Ohio. AT
periods OF the greatest danger, when the Indians
were known to be much incensad against the
whites. lie would start from the settlement with no
companion but his dog, and ranging within about
twenty miles of an Indian town, would build Ills
CABIN and trap and hunt during nearly the whole
season. On one occasion this reckless contempt of
danger almost cost the hunter his life Having be.
come tired Of the sameness of garrison life. and
painting for that freedom among the woods and
hills to which he had always been accustomed late
IN the fall OF iI9a he took his canoe, rifle, traps and
blanket, with no one to accompany him leaving
even his faithful dog in the garrison with Ills family
for he was going into dangerous neighborhood.
aud he was fearful lest his bark might betray him.
Win daring and intrepidity, he pushed his canoe
up the sciota river distance Of fifteen OF twenty
miles, into the Indian country, amidst their best
hunting grounds for the bear and the beaver,
where no white man had dared to venture There
too were the main objects Of his pursuit, as the
hills OF Brush creek were said to abound in bear
and the small streams that fell into the Sciota
were well suited to the haunts of tic beaver The
spot chosen for his winters residence was within
tWenty-iiv or thirty miles of the Indian town Of
Chilieothe, but as they seldom go far to hunt in
the winter, he had little to fear from their in
terrupton- For ten or twelve weeks he trapped
and hunted in this solitary region unmalested
His success had equalled his most sanguine ex-
pectatlons, and the winter passed away SO quietly
and so pleasantly, that he was hardly aware Of
its progress.
About the middle of February, he began to
make up the peltry he had captured into packages,
and to load his canoe with the proceeds of his
winters hunt, which for safety had been secreted
IN the WILLOWS, few miles below the little bark
hut in which he had lived. The day before that
which he had fixed On for his departure as he was
returning to his camp just at evening. Fleehart's
acute ear caught the report of rifle in the drec-
tlon OF the Indian town, but at so remote dis
lance. that none than backwoodsman could have
distinguished the sound. This fastened his pre-
para1ons ior decamping. Nevertheless he slept
quietly, but rose the following morning before the
dawn; cooked and ate his last meal in the little
nut to which he had become quite attached. The
sun mad just risen, aud he sitting on the trunk
OF tree, examining the printing and lock Of his
gun; casually casting look up the river bank, lie
saw an indian slowly approaching, with his eyes
lntcntlY fixed on the ground, carefully inspecting
the track OF his moccasins left in the soft earth as
he returned to his hut the evening before. He in.
stantly cooked his gun, stepped behind tree, and
waited till the Indian came within the sure range
OF his shot. He then fired and the Indian fell
flushing from the cover on his PROSTATE foe lie
was about to spring the scalping knife but seeing
arms, he fell to cutting them loose, and tucking
them into the bosom Of his hunting shirt. While
busily occupied in securing the spois, the sharp
crack of rifle and the passage of bali through
the bnetponeh Mt his side, caused him to look up,
when he saw three Indians within hundred yards
OF him. They being too numerous for him to en-
counter, he seized his rifle and took to flight The
other two as he fired at him without effect The
chase was continued for several miles by two OF
the Indians, who were the swiftest runners. He
often stopped and freed, hoping to get shot
and Kill or disable one of them, and then overcome
the other at his leisure. His pursners also ..treed 4
and by fankng TO the right and left forced him to
uncover or stand the chance of a shot
He finally concluded to leave the level grounds
on which the contest had been held, and take to
the high hills which lie back Of tile bottnms. Nil
strong muscular limbs here gave him the advan
tage, as he could ascend the steep hillsides more
rapidly than its pursuers. The Indians seeing the,
could not overtake him. as last Eeffort stopped
and fired; one OF the balls cut away the handle O
his hunting knife, jerked it violently against his
side that for a moment he thought he was wounded
He Immediately returned the fire, and with vel
OF vexation they gave up the chase. Fleehar
made circuit among the hills, and Just at darl
came on to the river, near where the canoe La,
hid. springing on board he padded down stream
Being greatly fatigued with the effort Of the day, HI
lay down in the canoe, and when he woke in tn
morning the boat was just entering the Ohio river
Crossing over to the Southern shore, he in few
days days pushed his canoe up to Farmers Castle
without further adventure, where he showed til
rich packages of peltry as the proceeds of tn
winters hunt, and displayed the brilliant silye
ornaments as the trophies of his victory to tn
envy and admiration of his less venturous com