The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-06-15

of Io2 Years-A Compatrfot of Lewis
Wetzel-ThriIIing Adventure and Escape
fronti,e savages. go
j ICorrcspondence of Pittsburgh CommerciaIl
A few weeks ago most e1traordi-
nary character and venerable pioneer
died at Bridgeport, Immediately OPP
posite the city of Wheeling. / refer
to Joseph Morley, whose early history
and subsequent career have been so
Intimately connected with the frontier
annals.3IsIlfaIS3 as 9zlli a2.1
s Joseph w Worley was born in sl1G9,
just one hundred and two years ago.
His relatives say that his birthplace
was at West Liberty, in Ohio county,
now West Virginia, but tits certainly
true, that whether born there or not,
his early childhood was spent in that
locality, which is more than twelve
miles distant from the spot where he
died. At the time of his birth this
part of the West was an unbroken
Wilderness. 1t was yet thirteen years
before the first white man had fixed
his abode west of the Ohio river; a
few hunters held Kentucky against
the Indians north of the, river, and
sustained with that region the primi-
tive relations of horse-stealing and
sealping in Virginia 1.-THE. frail and
lonely settlements (of which West
Liberty was one) creeping westward,
made friends with the desert and pro-
dueed population nearly as well as
its elder children, and quite as fierce
and truculentJ ~. E.a .155 sjy3g -Ig-s
Into such a heritage was young
Worley born and from his earliest
childhood he discovered an aptitude
for frontier life, i lie was particularly
skilled in the use of the rifle, and all
his early thoughts and plannings had
reference to the savage foes that sur
rounded him. The numerous expedi-
tions for which he was, chosen showed
the conf 1ence his fellow-pioneers had
in him. Simon GirtY, the notorious
white renegade, was at this time with
the Indians on the Sandusky plains,
and frequently headed their marauding
raids upon the settlements. 1t was
the aim of the settlers to destroy this
most formidable foe, and Mr.. Wor-
ley, with others, undertook the task of
capturing him. In this work, Mr..
iGirty, at the head OF the Ottawa war;
riors, 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
enduring unparalleled priyation and
encountering perilous difficulties, but
always unsuccessful 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 Wheeling 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 years WetzePs Junior, was his
very intimate friend, and his almost
constant companion in the woods
On one occasion, having discovered
fresh evidences of the presence of In
dians in the .neighborhood of the set
tlement, Wetzel land Morley under
took to ascertain their Whereabouts
Theyefollow ed their tracks for several
miles, and became7so intent upon their
prey, as tolscarcely be aware of the
distance they had wandered from the
settlement, until they had gone eleven
or twelve miles south, and nearly op-
posite to the point where the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad now strikes
the Ohio river Here they came upon
a camp of the Indians, vino discovered
the hunters about the same time they
were themselves discovered. g Both
parties took to the trees, after the GUS
tom of Indian fighting, but the In
dams greatly outnumbered the Others.
Six or seven stalwart and trained
Indian warriors of the. Huron tribe
were now pitted against two deter
mined hunters, and, as if to add to the
danger of their position, Wetzel was
recognized by the Indians as their i'm
placable and lifelong enemy. Now
began duel-a running fght-a life
and death contest. No reinforcements
ceuld reach the hunters until they 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. WetzeI took command and
Morley obeyed him implicitly. In
recounting it oftentimes afterward
Mr.. Worley grew animated, and nobly
attributed to Wetzel the salvation of
his life. ga 4rs r- {s-..s s..e..
ie A tall Huron warrior was the first
to fall, He rushed out from his covert
with a demoniac yell, thinking that
they were unprepared for. a sudden
attack, or would readily; yield to the
force of superior numbers. But in
this he was mistaken, and his life paid
the penalty. For moment or two
afterWard the other Indians were ST.
lent and apparently awe-struck, but
in that instant Wetzel had again load
ed his gun. Several shots were fred
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,
in seeking stealthily to cut off their
retreat, was killed, and the others be-
came more, cautious Once Wetzel
put his cap on the ramrod, as though
he were reering around the tree, and
when the Indians shot a hole through
1.-THE, let it drop to the. ground. = The
Indians all rushed out, when two 9TH
ers fell. The movements were now
most caution. The hunters worked
the three remaining Indians becoming
their number, perhaps while carefully
from the hunters, with a view of
starting them from their lurking place |
unconscions1y exposed himself, and
was wounded by one of the hunters;
the other Indians, having
trusted so long to the superiority Of
their numbers, and having a apeculiar
awe of Wetzel, stole away into the |
depths of the woods, leaving the hunt
ers to return to the fort to recount |
what was even then esteemed mar
velously heroic feat. This circum-
stance was related to you correspond
ent years ago, when Joseph Worley
was even then called an old man.
For many years after cililization
had claimed and metam orphosed these
Western wilds, the Worley brothers
lived not farn from Bellaire, on the /
Ohio river, A numerous progeny
grew up around them, and their inter-
est never abated in the march of pro-
gress and in the surrounding improve
ments. Until a few weeks previous
to his death this interest In current
g.. o,,1 T., .