Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1867-04-19
SCENES OF EARLY LIFE.
A Desperate Fight with Indians
Attempt to Deooy a Small
.alAAa'a Party of whites.

David Messeck, an old pioneer Of Ken.
tucky and Indiana, called at our office
on Monday last, nd gave us a short mar
rative Of his life and that Of his father
He says:
IL was born in 1884, in Essex county,
Delaware. Ny father emigrated to Ken
lucky in 1871. There were my father,
mother, four Of us children, and q man
by the name of williamson rather a
small force to venture among the hostile
savages, but men we're used to danger
those times We took boat at Red
Stone. Here another man chained his
boat to ours. We were warned here of
the danger of the Indians decoying US to
shore by some Of their clever deceptions
But both Williamson and my father we're
awake TO the danger, and we moved down
the river for two or three days unmo-
lested One day a white man came to
the bank of the river and held up tur-
key, and halloed to us to come and get
it, as he did not want it But our boat
did not change her course. After we
had got past, my father and Williamson
saw some Indians rise up out of the
grass, where they had been hid.
That night, while Williamson was
standing sentinel, he thought he heard
the dip of an oar. Speaking to father in
low tone he bid him come and listen,
and, both hearing the oars, it was de-
cided that the Indians were after us. The
two men began to fix for action. They
had two guns, and were good marksmen
when they could see target. They
could see nothing, but they could hear
the dip of the oar on the canoes nearing
our boat Williamson fred by the dip of
the oar, and continued to FIRE, father
loading the two guns for him. Nearly
every time he fred they could hear an
Indian plunge into the water. The ca
noes gained on cur boat, and gained
fast after Williamson began to fire.
Their object was to board our boat and
use the tomahawk. r
Our friend in the chained boat could
not be prevailed on to come out and help
to fight the red skins. He never showed
himself until the next morning. Father
and Williamson would yell to the Iadians
to come on, and they did come. The
two men threw down their guns and with
HOOu blOub bIith WOOu dDlcCC DtRhu
to knock the Indians, who had by this
time got to the side Of our boat, and be-
gan to climb up, but were knocked off
faster than they could climb up. IA
Never did two men do better execu
ton They yelled, the Indians yelled,
we children kept clsse to our mother.
At last the Indians gave a terrific yell
and left the boats
This happened somewhere north of
where Cincinnati now stands. A boat
overlook us the next morning, and asked
five had battle last night, for they said
they had seen two canoes tied to the bank
and dead Indian in each one, and that
the canoes were bloody all over Will
hanson told them that we had a small
fight r-
The Indians never disturbed US any
more, and we landed safe at Newport,
the mouth of the Licking, r.,
r We then moved up the Licking some
forty miles, and remained there two
years among the savages. After moving
one hundred miles, when reaching Har
rodsburg station, we were informed by the |
post commander that we would reach a |
white settlement, or rather our uncle. |
We were compelled to travel through this
forest by night
We were furnished with guides at the
post, who piloted, JUS through. During the
night the pilot gave the alarm of Indians,
and we children and all were taken from
our paek-horses and stored behind logs,
and bid to keep perfectly silent. But the |
alarm proved false, and we passed with
out molestation,
/ remained in Kentucky until came
to this State-some forty years ago.
Williamson, the associate of my father,
fought the Indians during the Indian
war; also fought through the British
war of 1872, and afterward settled in
Illinois. He (WiIiamson) was a brave
and noble comrade
1t will be seen from the short history
of our old friend, that the early settlers
of our country endured many dangers
aud hardships. pa