Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1871-1872, 1871-07-17
ATHRILLING sCENEIN TIE PITTS.
BURG COUNTRY In 1872.
The Capture Of Massey Horbison-
Murder Of her children and her
Escape from the indians In 17o2.
Concluded

Concluded.
when l came to the forks where another
branch emptiss into the creek, where was a
hunters camp, where the two men, whose
tracks had before discovered and followed
had been, and kindled FIRE and break,
tasted, and had left the fire burning. had
become more alarmed and came to the CON.
olusion TO leave the spot l then assembled a
hill and crossed q ridge towards SquAw run
and Dame upon trail or path. Here
stopped and meditated what to do; and
while l was .thus musing,I saw three deer
coming towards me in full speed. They
torned to look at their pursuer; / looked
too, with all attention, and saw the flash OF
q gun, and heard the report. As soon Is the
gun was fired, saw some dogs start after
them, and began TO look about for shelter,
and Immediately made for q large log, and
hid myself behind il; butmost providentislly
did not 60 clear to the log; for had done
so, l might have lost my life by the bites of
rAttlssnAkes, for as | put to the ground, to
raise myself up that ] might ses what was
become of the hunters, and who they were,
saw . large heap Of rAttlesuskes, and the
top one WAS very large, and cooled up very
near my face, and quite ready 20 bite me, this
then compelled me to leave this situation,
let the consequences be what they might. In
consequence ofths occurrence, | again left
my course, bearing to the left, and came
upon the head waters of Squaw Run, and
kept the Run the remainder of the day
Daring the day 1t rsined, and l was in g
deplorable situation, so cold and shivering
were my limbs, that frequently in opposi-
tion to all my struggles, | gave an involun
tary groSn. | suffered intensely this day,
from hunger, though my Jaws were so far
recovered from the injury they sustained
from the blows Of the Indians, that whore.
could, | procured grape Vi ,d
them for ht!!!o susrsnapcs.
In the evening go ,v;,h;n ma ,n;la or
oF :, River though | was ignorant
,rs The time; and here ct the foot of q
-, through u most tremendous nights
cain, took up my fifth nights lodging; ana
in order 10 shelter my infant as much as
possible, placed him in my lap, and placed
my head against the tree, and thus let the
rain fall upon me. On the sixth Chat was
Sabbath morning from my captivity
found myself unable for very considerable
time, to raise myself from the ground; and
when l had once more, BY hard struggling,
got myself upon my feet, and started upon
the sixth days encounter, nothing was SO
nearly exhausted, and my spirits were SO
completely depressed, that my progress was
amazingly slow and discoursging. In tais
almost helpless condition, had not gone
far, before came to a path where there had
been cattle travelling; ] took the path under
the impression that 1t would lead me to the
abode of some white people, and by travel
ing it about one mile, | came TO an uninhAb
tied cabin; and though was 10 q river bot
tom, yet knew not where ! was, nor ye
what river bank had come 70. Here
was seized with feelings of despair anc
under those feelings | went to the threshold
of tine uninhsbited cabin and concluded tina
/ would enter and lie down and die. 81
death would have bees TO me an angel o
mercy in such u situation, and would have
removed ne from al my misery. Suct
were my feelings at this distressing momen
and had il not been for the recollection o
those sutferings which my infant would
endure, who would survive me for some time
after l was dead, l should have carried nv
determination into execution. Here too,
heard the sound of g COW bell, which i'm
ported a CLEAN OF hope to my despondinG
heart. followed the sound of the bell till
came opposite the fort at the six mile island
when ] came there, saw three men on ID,
opposite bank Of the river. My feelings 81
the sight Of them, were better felt than de-
scribed
called to the men, but they seemed IN
willing to risk the danger Of coming after
me, and requested 20 know who ! was
replied that | WAS one who had been taken
prisoner by the Indians on the Aleghauy
river, on last Tuesday morning, and hnd
made my escape from them. They request
ed me to walk up the bank of the river for
q while, that they might see II the Indian
were making decoy OF noe, or not but
replied to them that my feet wsre so sore
that | could not walk. Then one of them
James Closieg, got into q canoe to fetch NE
over, and the other two stood on the bank
with their rifles cooked, ready to FIRE on thu
Indians provided they were using me a de
coy. When Mr.. Closier came neart to the shors
and saw my hsggard face and detected sit
nation, be exclaimed, "Who in the name O
God are your This man was one of ny
nearest neig hbors before ! was taken yet il
six days | was so much altered that he die
not know me, either BY my voice or ooun
tensnce. When landed on the inhabited
side OF the river, the people from the fort
came running out to see me. They took the
child from me, and now felt safe from al
danger. ] found myself unable to move OF
to assist myself in any degree whereupor
ths people took me and carried me out oil
the canoe to the house of Mr.. Oortus.
Here when felt ! was secure from tbs
ssvAges, and cruelties of the savsges, for the
first time since my captivity, my feelings re
turned with all their poignanoy. When
was dragged from my bed and from ms
home, prisoner with the ssvsges wheI
the inhuman butchers dashed the brains o
one of my dear children out on the door sill
and afterwards scslped him before my eyes
when they took and tomAhawked, scaIpec
and stabbed another of them beyond me on
the ISLAND and when with still more bar
barous feelings, they made hoop, and
stretched his scalp on it; nor yet when
endured hunger, cold, and nearly nekedness
and at the same time my infant sucking my
very blood to support it, ] never wept No.
it was too much for nature.
tear would have been too great lux
ury. And ii is possible, yes, more than
probable, that tears at these times of dis
tress, would have been fatal 10 their conse
quences Tor the savages despise a tear.
But now that my danger was removed, and
was delivered from the psngs of the saw
ages, the tears flowed freely, and impaired
happiness, beyond what ever experienced
before, or ever expect to experience in this
world. When l was taken into the house.
having been so long from FIRE, and having
endured so much from hunger, for long
period, the heat of The FIRE and tho smell Of
she provisions, which the kin, ness of the
people Immediately Undue ed them to provide
Tor me, caused me ~ faint. Some of th'
psoPIe @'emp'A| to restore me, and som'
'90m Pu' some clothes upon me. But TN
~ui. a of these friends would IN all prof
a. .lity have killed me, had it not been 10
the providential arrival from down the rive
of Maj. MoCully, who then commanded VI
line along the river. When he came 40 au
! IL. Vi wei