Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-05-20

THE aoRsE-rIrrEr.s REVENGE.
from the Abingdon virglnian.


THE HORSE-TJIIEF's REVENGE.
ff .--- Ill
From the Abingdon virginian.
A few weeks ago, ms some OF oul
READERS may remember, we gave a
truthful narrative of the addiction NJ
Katy Sage OF Grayson county, in
1892, little girl of five years of age,
of her recognition by her brothers
more than sixty years after among
the Shawnee Indians, and the re-
markable prediction OF an old For
ttsne-teler concerning her, the cir
cumstances Of which, taken altogeth-
er, were more like romance than re-
atty. As the narrative has been
copied into several journals, and as
we have recently been put in possess
sion Of the facts by. a nephew of hers
Indicating the incentive to her alb
duction. we deem II proper to give
them, showing that it was Horse
thie's Revenge.
James Sage, the father OF Katy,
was u native of Maryland, and u SOL
der of the Revolution. He belonged
to the Brigade of Gen, Enoch Poor,
and was I'm the battles of Brandy
wine, Monmouth and Germantown,
endured the sutierings and privations
of that terrible winter at Valley
Forge, and was an eyewitness of the
last act in the great drama the sur
render of Lord CORVALLIS at York
town. He married at Fredericktown,
Maryland, In 1850, and after the close
Of the war, removed with his young
family to the "Back WoWls,n and
settled ON Cripple creek, In Wythe
county, Va. He remained here some
ten years, and then removed to Elk
Creek, in what Is now Grayson coun-
ty, where lie resided when his daugh-
ter was stolen, the old homestead
being still in the possession of his
descendants.
Owning several fine horses, and
more than he Eee.!oa for his then
small farming operations, MS did also
two of his neigh5ors, by the names of
Delp and Cornut-names still famil-
lar In that c0unty--they concluded
to turn them Into the range, which,
at that early day, was very fine, and
sufficient to Keep them, even in win
ter, I'm good condition, without addi-
tipnal food. Ibis was early in the
Spring of 1902, and the horses had
been out but few weeks when Mr..
Cornut, on going out to salt them,
discovered that three of the most
valuable were missing. The three
neighbors without unnecessary delay,
packed up provisions for the Journey,
shouldered their rifles, and started In
pursuit. They soon found the trail,
which led them along the bank and
towards the source of that crooked
and turbulent stream, now known by
the name of Helton, to the base of
White Top. Here the trail divided,
one of the horses keeping along the
side of the mountain, the Others
slightly diverging from the regular
trace. ~
This was doubtless done for the
purpose of battling pursuit, aud made
1t apparent that there were twOl
thieves. Mr.. Sage followed the track
Of the single horse, and his c0mpan-
ions followed those of the two.-l
When the former reached the sum-
init of that part of White Top known
at this day by the name Of Elk Gar
den, the long swag connecting the
latter with Balsam Mountain, even
yet the IN st luxuriant and nutritious
pasturage in all that vast range, lie |
came upon all three of the horses |
hobbled and quietly grazing, but the
thieves, who were doubtless enjoy
ing themselves in the cabin of one
Of the few squatters of that wild and
almost inaccessible region, deluded
their search. He soon called up his |
companions, and mounting the hors |
es, which Wee already battered, they |
made their way back to the settle
ment.
Suspicion had been directed to "a |
man by the name of Talbert as the
principal thief, who had been dodg-
ing about from settlement to settle
ment without apparent business or
visible means of support, and who
had been seen on Elk Greek u day or
two before the disappearance OF Katy
Sage. He was never seen there af-
forwards, and II was the opinion of
the community that lie had stolen
Katy, and that the motive was re-
venge for the loss of the horses he
had stolen from the father.
Katy, after her recovery, informed
her brothers, through an interpreter,
that she had been abducted by q
white man, who picked her up i'm his
arms, muffied her head and face i'm a
handkerchief, and Threatened to kill
her IL she gave any alarm. He car
ried her with considerable speed UNI
til he thought himself safe from pur-
suit, made his way to the Cherokec1
Nation, disposed of her there, disap-
peared, and she never saw or heard Of
him afterwards. Katy's subsequent
history was given in the Virginian
OF the Sid OF March, and we give the
facts to illustrate how slight
a motive may sometimes govern n
bad man In committing most in
human crime. The child could be of
no benefit to him, father than the
triflle the Indians might give for her
with the hope Of securing ransom,
hut the distress of the father In the
loss of the little one, far more bitter
than II she had died In his arms was
hn III aa In hxr Ia. al hi