The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-08-30

from The Nashville Union and Dispatch, Jan 9t.l
A Daring ESplOlt--A Tenmcssec
McrOine--ThrilIlng Adventure
of a Young Girl with the
Regulators"
We have read and learned through ira.
ditiond legend and heroic verse, Of deeds oil
daring performed by the gentler sex under
the most trying and pressing emergencies
Our own country has boen prolific in exhi.
bitious OF female valor, aud fortitudo and
during the late war we have seen tllem illus.
trated in hundreds Of instances.
But nowhere have we seen recorded a
moro daring exploit or more thrilling ad
venture, under circumstances better calcu.
lated to nnstriug tile nerves Of woman OF
send the blood congealing aud chilling to
her heart, than the one we are about to re.
late. We relate II, too, not "a romance,
not as an attempt at fancy word -painting
but as truthful narration Of an atsolute
occurrence and event.
The tragedy occurred in Putnam County.
ten miles from Cookville, the couniy.seat,
and near Bloomington Academy. The facts
are about these: Mr. Larkin G@uter. his
wife and daughter, Marianne, aud a.grown
son, with several smaller children occu.
pied peaceful hume In Putnam County, at
the locality Indicated, before. the war.
When hostilities commenced aud tho whole
land was trembling to the tramp OF mar
shalcd thousands of warriors, Mr.. Gunter
and his sou ioiied the confederate army,
aud with that feeling Of patriotic fervor
animatiug the people of their section fought
right gallnutly under the "Bonnie Blue
Flag" Before the close of the war, the
old gentleman by leave, returned to his
home in Middle Tnnuessee, aud found him
self again with HIS family. The son fought
hravcly in the lost cause" till tho final
surrender When ho toe, returned 10 his
homo III Putnam County. Meantime baud
of men had organized themselves into n
sort of self constituted Regulators" These
men are not countcuauced by the people of
Putnam. They seemed to delight in the
persecution of Southern men, aud especially
returned Confederate soldiers,"
ra on tho night of the 20th Of April last,
three men went TO thu house OF Mr. Gun
ter, there bcihg no one at home but the old
gentleman, his daughter Marhnha, young
lady of nineteen, aud u younger brother
One of the men was left to hold the he!ses,
while the other two, b. +. Miller and Al.
vim Maxfeld, proceeded to the house and
went in. They asked il Mr.. Gunter lived
there and being answered III the affrma.
tive they then usked linn to 60 ont with
them, saying they wished to have a chat
Mr.. q. told them il they had anything to
say to talk it out where they were They
replied by saying that frieud Of Mr.. G's,
"a Mr. Fowler, had sent them there. Mil
Ter represented Fowler, who was well
known to Mr., Gunter, as being his tMiner'sl
uncle. Miller also said that Maxield, his
companion, was the son Of an old acqnan
tance of Mr., ,Gunter's. MIR. G. then said il
would be well to have their conversation
in the presence of friends, aud seat his son
a boy OF fourteen, for some Of his neigh
bors. Meantime, from the actions and
some words dropped from two of the men,
Mr.. Cutters 'sGsplcious became aroused,
AID l,e resolved to get away from them il
he could. Ia his attempt TO escape, tho
dtsperadocs eprapg toward him with
t eli wiimStols.. They caught him, aud
the children commenced to scream, the son
returning about tlls time without any OF
the neighbors. The rnfians let 90 their
hold, but kept their cooked pistols pre-
sented to Mr. G's head. Miller aud Max,
field again laid violent hands on Mr.. Gun.
ter aud forced him, to SO with them. AS
they started off Miss Marianna Gunter
seized her fathers chopping axe, deter
mined to defend her parent to the last ex-
.renily. The two men carried her father
up a lane, skirtea by some woods, to spot
about three hundred yards from the house,
he intrepid Marianne following with the
IKE, and watching every movethent. The
'uflians now halted and ordered Mr. Gun
er to pull offhis shirt. This he refused to
10, aud they commenced beating him |
,tl
leman became insensble. The daughter, !
IKE in hand, resolved to do or die. Pic. |
,y the moonbeams' misty light, and in the |
public road unprotected save by her 10.
repid soul and lofty courage, brandishing
rude woodman's axe, III The faces Of two |
talwart ruffiahs in defence of her father. |
} was met hy Miller, who or tered her to |
etire. She replied with blow from the I
IKE, that cut The collar bone in Two; blow
ollowed blow in quick succession, till the |
nan was FRUSTRATED to the ground covered
gi:h gashcs AfaxHeld was atthat.moment
q the act Of Shooting, her father She l.
praug towards Ehitn, sfiatched The, pistol, /
nd threw it aside. With energy ahd desr
eration, she seized Maxtield by Die hair,
nd with the aid of her young brother,
He'd him to the earth Again She applied |
he bloody axe, and three .frightiuI gashes
III tie blood oozlhg from where the skull
ad been split. The third man with The
orses came up, but the father recovering.
Q escaped, Mr.. Gunter, the brave daugh.
n and little son, returned 10 tho houde.
The two men who had felt the edge Of
Iarianna's fatal axe lay in the road welter-
X in their blood ill nornirg, when they
ere carried to house some distance
ON the bloody encounter. AZ this
Ouse they both died Of their wounds. Sill
+ fingered ia great agony for fourteen
ays and died; Maxfield died in four days
ter receiving his wounds. The old gen.
emau, with his daughter and son, left for
entncky, though they have since been !
lckto theirhorne, The father aud heroic
lughter are now, n this city. and are the !
tests Of Mr.. Bruce at the Rock City Inn.
ley bear, as we learn, an excelleht" char,
ter for integrity, honesty and veracity, "a
ID the foregoing statement is corrobol-
ed by many persons who are cognizant
the facts. History, romance and poetry !
ay be sought through in vain for a 1pfner /,
hibition of courage, or for display. or
eper parental deVotiop than was evinced
: this young girl Oh that terrible aud try
& April night.
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