New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-11
AN OLD PIONEER.

Death of a Noted Indian Hunter MT the
Age of One Hundred and Tive Years
A Compatri0t of Lewis WetzeI-ThriII-
ing Adventure and Escape frsm the
savaaes.
From the Pittsburg Commercial
TO- A few weeks ago most extraordinary
character and venerable pioneer died at
Bridgeport, Immediately opposite the city
of Wheeling. l refer to Joseph Morley
whose early history and subsequent career
have been so intimately connected with the
frontier annals.
Joseph Worley was born in 1859, Just l02
wears ago. His relatives say that his birth
place was at West Liberty, in Ohio county
now West Virginia but it is certainly true
that, whether boz n there or not, his early
childhood was spent in that locality, which
is no more than twelve miles distant from the
spot where he died. At the time of his
birth this part of the West was an I'M
broken wilderness. 1t was yet thirteen
wears before the first white man had fixed
his abode west of the Ohio river: few
hunters held Kentucky against the Indians
north of the river and sustained with that
region the primitive relations of horse
stealing and scalping, IN Virginia the trail
and lonely settlements GOT which West Lib
erty was one), creeping westward. made
friends with the desert, and produced
population nearly as wild as its elder chill
dren, and quite as fierce and truculent.
Into such q heritage was young WOrley
horn. and from his earliest childhood he
d;splayed an aptitude for frontier life He
was particularly skilled in the use of the
rifle, and all his early thoughts and plan
nings had reference to the savage foes that
surrounded him. The numerous expeditions
for which he was chosen showed the conf
dence his fellow pioneers had In him. Simon
Girty, the notorious white renegade, was at
this time with the Indians on the Sanduskv
plains, and frequently headed their maraud-
ing raids upon the settlements. 1t was the
aim of the settlers to vanquish this most
formidable foe, and Mr.. Worley, with
others. undertook the task of capturing him.
In this work, Girty, at the head of the OF
tawa warriors. was pursued across the Ohio
at Meigs' Island, up the waters of Cross
creek. and far into the interior of what is
now the State of Ohio, his pursuers endur
ing unparalleled privatiOn and encounter
ing perilous difficulties, but always unsuc
cessful in his capture.
Some time early in life Morley and his
brother Jacob, who seems to have been as
heroic as the other drifted toward Fort
Henry, occupying the point where Wheel
ing now stands, and here they became
acquainted with the famous Wetzel, one OF
the most noted Indian hunters of American
pioneer history. Morley. who was several
wears Wetzers junior, was his very intimate
friend and his almost constant companion
in the woods. On one occasion, having dis
covered fresh evidences of the presence of
Indians in the neighborhood of the settle
ment. Wetzel and Morley undertook to
ascertain their whereabouts. They followed
their tracks for several miles, and became
so intent ON therpr as to scarcely become
aware of the distance they had wandered
from the settlements, until they had gone
eleven or twelve miles south. and nearly OPP
posite to the point where the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad now strikes the Ohio
river.
Here they came upon a camp of Indians.
who discovered the hunters about the same
time they were themselves discovered.
Both parties took to the trees, after the Gus
tom of Indian fighting. but the Indians
greatly outnumbered the others. Six or
seven were now pitted against two resOlute
hunters. and, as if to add to the danger of
their position. Wetzel was recognized by
the Indians as their implacable and lifelong
enemy. Now begins duel; a running
tight: lite and death contest No rein
forcements could reach the hunters until
thew had travelled at least ten miles, and
long before that their willy foes would over
power them in all probability. Yet they
determined to sell their lives dearly. Wet
eel took command, and Morley Obeyed him
implicitly. In recOnntlng it Oftenumes
afterward Mr. WOrlev grew animated, and
nobly attributed to Wetzel the salvation of
his life.
A tall Huron warrior was the first to fall
He rushed from his covert with demoniac
yell, thinking that they were unprepared
for sudden attack or would readily yield
=. =, So Nhap Rttr in,
this he was mistaken, and his life paid the
penalty For moment or so afterward the
other Indians we're silent and apparently
awe struck, but in that instant Wetzel had
again loaded his gun. Several shots were
fired at him. but he was securely shielded
by tree And so from tree to tree for four
exciting miles the hunters lodged and
crept. Another warrior, i'll seeking stealthlly
to cut off their retreat, was killed, and the
others became more cautious. Once Wetzel
put his cap on the ramrod, as though he
was peeping round the tree, and when the
Indian shot bullet through it, he let it
drop to the ground The Indians all rushed
out when two others fell. The movements
were now carried on, on both sides, with
the utmost caution. The hunters gradually
worked their wav toward the fort, the three
remaining Indians becoming every moment
more anxious.
One OF their NUMBER, perhaps. Wnlle care
fully climbing tree on the opposite side
from the hunters, with view of starting
them from their lurking place, uneOnsciOusly
exposed himself, and was wounded by one
of the hunters, whereupon the other Indians.
having trusted so long to the superiority of
their numbers and having peculiar awe of
Wetzel, stole away into the depths of the
woods. leaving the hunters to return to the
fort to recount what was even then esteemed
marvelousiy heroic feat. This circum-
stance was related to your correspondent
years ago, when Joseph WOrley was even
then called an old man.
For many years after civilization had
claimed and metamorphosed these Western
wilds, the Morley brothers lived not far
from Bellaire, on the Ohio river. A nu-
merous progeny grew up around them, and
their interest never abated in the march OF
progress and in the surrounding improve
ments. Until a few weeks previous to his
death his interest in current events con-
tinued very lively, and his memory and
strength were remarkable. His death took
place at the house of William II. Robinson,
with whom he had lived several years pre-
viously.