Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-05-31

II
less successful In their predatory tneprsior
upon the cabin Of Edward Gather which
stood at the forks Of the creek, near. thI
spot where now standa the reatdsnce q
John Cane, Esq. With their aecpstomed
caution they approached tie cabin Ia ali
directions With an apparent Certainty d
/ again having an opportunity, Of carrying
into successful exe6dtidh fh6iE m1rderouI
and mArauding purposes. t'aln this In.
stance they were foilsd., D.. y ,,....,f t.,,
AT, the moment of the attack on. Peak
and hiO comrades, il being less than a, mile
| up the creek from the 2c0oauenGb of the
streams, and In hearing of the, guns the
Gather family Was about, to Do seated for
dinner when alarmed by the rapid firing
they immediately betook themselves 70 the
Miller blockholse,, q -iR 10 t1io ~, I'll 81
The Indians; however, did ample justice
TO the untouched and Still smok king sdibles
let on the, table which 70 them was an a0l
cePtable and bouuteous repast.g Aud hayL
ing pfilaged the house. Of such articles az
they wished to carry along with them set
tiEe to II and hastened with their plumber
to the tendeEyons on the ridge where th ey
were. 5000 Joined BY the Siher party and lie
pHi9onoros TllE-a is7spaiF !.5.5s hi.ss lsgi :
The fselings Of the SsthonsfS, !, lfGthsf,
HahRh seIssSets, btolRht thus 10
thotr dtqtroS8ing helplessness face to face
70 tne1deep and wild woods. under such
trying oircumstaneea,o of terror and appra.
hensiou, caulbe much more readily fmaRin.
ed than described. =
Some ofthe exultant sAVagss gave vent
to their feelings by grotesque contortions
OF countspenee aud ,gYrsti0ns of body
They Whooped and danced and suug-now
Ginning the warWbooPin concert add then
pltering yells OF, triumph, Whilst others,
gaua aSidsnee of ihstted and Amalignity = aof
purpose BY derisive looks and iestures and
BY twiehing Of the whiskers and Hair of
the prisoners. Hawkins and Burnett were
special sufferers from these demonstrations,
the former batiug red hair and !th9 3 fattet
having snperabundauce of hair about his
person, which characteristics are ,notori.
ously repulsive to savage taste.
ITheSR demonstrations were ,interpreted5
BY th6S priaoneraSs the precursors Of I'M.
told hoFrors yet 10 reservation. CONTRARY
70 savage custom as to the treatment of
the generality of prisoners in such an emer.
gency, though5bdihg faint aud feeble from
fright and sickness and unable to keen
pace NithS the Ipdians in their 5hpfried
nPrehs thes slajr, Miss HSWkins was ~ tkihad
prisoner and treated with the utmost in
diligence and decorum.. Such was her
feebleness and trepidatiou for the moment
that she fell from Rhe hofse oufRhich Ehs
Indians hsd sealed bel; /; bnt With tbein
characteristic indulgence and decorous for
bearance With which t'they are universally
seen to treat captive women" she was
kindly reseated upon the animal and bur-
ried forward far in the advance of the other
prisoners. ,-r-....- , .....--,... =. ;-,-55r-I,I
An Indian council was held. The scene
which quickly followed and which was the
eousumatiou Of the purposes Of the council
vas sufficient to chill the hearts blood Of
even savage bArbarity.
TIE Eve prisoners, firmly bound, sat side
BY side on the lsr9nk of t4lleu tree. They
we're approached from the "rear by five
lhrge and PoReEtpl Indians each With up.
itted tomahaW ksfn hspd. Three Of whom
dealt simultA ora ora nd Hawkins,
EsA1 app .llEs'
telterfpg ia their iitss, blood. Tlie ofheF
tWo savages seemed to tsceil from tie Il Sfk
Of attrociIy that had been assigned 10 them.
Bat each stood With upliFtedT foIha ahawk
ever the head Of his intended victim. In
this awful moment of suspense, Miller and
Link, fortunately for themselves, gave no
evidence OF terror or trepidGtion. At that
moment Warbling songster of,the wood
stuck up itg mournfuI song from the pen.
dant branches Of An ancient monarch ofthe
Forest, oVerhanging the scene Of this awful
tragedy. 80. 5-'iiT q : ~
The two intended exscutioners imuedi-
dtely covering back from their intrepid
and indomitably Courageous. prisoners
quickly returned their tomahaWks to their
belts. And the whole of the sayaRes, pal
pably overwhelmed with CONSERVATION and \
dismay, hastened 70 form into line With the |
Ind HsNE 4. L
the Ohio. Miller and Link, led by long
strips ofsFSW hide, had a place assigned
70 them Aboutthe middle of the file, 80
Thus, with light Bilent aud cal. like tread.
they advanced on their retreat ranidIy iii
they reached the banks OF big Wheeling
Creek Whens nightfall coming on halt
was made, q FIRE was kindled some dis.
tauce away from the place selected for an
eneampment, which was quickly extin-
guished as soon it had served the purpose
Of cooking their scanty evening meal.
Here. for the first time, since . few mo-
ments bsiore the enactment Of the tragic
scenes fret related, was Miss Hawkins
eheered with the sight Of any OF the other
PrisoneRs.IH agoniIing filiRI approximations
abe strained her eyes in anxious search
along the approaching file for sight Of her
father. But when she saw only Miller and
Link aheJ Immediately OWNED what hsd
happened. sdi q. Dos 1trsl esrz,5s 10 aaIriy z
Becoming more composed, reason and
judgment were measnIaSiy \, under 6ercou-
troll, and her familiarity With the Indian
character and peouliaEities admonished her
that she should not Sheirsy to the keen
perceptions. of the sGVGgo8 the real stats of
her feelings! With q resolute endurance
and . heroisni betting the occasion, she
succeeded in stiling the better feelings OF
her nature. sAnd.afecuug indifference to
what had trapspired within the lasa. few
hours she paFto0k, WithGp pPGtdSt Shs9 Hal
ness, of the parsimonious and frugal euteFIi
tainment, which the Indians served mn ID
her and the other pfiso Isrs. T'h sn - -, ~
From the pgIIShable r7tabberiuk
among. the iIndians, dc was evident they
were Arranging 70 get that sleep ofsi which
they had been SO leng deprived /. and to
make q judIoi0ua aad safe disposition of
the nPin0nAP1 f0F thu ni0hk A..I1..t. -