The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1871-07-18
Death Of a Noble Hunter.


Joseph Worley, veteran, recently
died at Bridgeport, Pa, at the ad-
yanced age Of 102 years. Some time
in early life Worley and his brother
Jacob, who seems to have been as he
roic as the other, drifted toward Fort
Henry, OCCUPYING the point where
Wheeling now stands, and here they
became acquainted with the famous
Lewis Wetzel, one of the most noted
hunters of American pioneer history.
Worley,who was several years Wetzel's
junior, was his very intimate friend,
and his almost constant companion in
the woods. On one occasion, having
discovered fresh evidences of the pres.
ence of party of Indians in
the neighborhood of the settlements,
Wetzel and Worley undertook to aseer-
tain their whereabouts. They followed
their tracks for several miles, and be-
came so intent upon their prey, as to
scarcely become aware of the distances
they had wandered from the settle
ments, until they had gone II or II
miles south, and nearly opposite to the
point where the Baltimore and Ohio
r. r. now strikes the Ohio river. Here
they came upon a camp Of Indians,
who discovered the hunters about the
same time they were themselves dis
covered. Both parties took to the trees
aftel the custom of Indian fighting,
but the Indians greatly outnumbered
the others. Six or seven stalwart and
trained Indian warriors of the Huron
tribe were now pitted against two de-
termined hunters; and, as if to add to
the danger of their position, Wetzel
was recognized by the Indians as their
implacable enemy. Now began duel
"a running fight--a life-and-death
contest. No reinforcements could
reach the hunters until they had trav.
eled at least ten miles, and long before
that their willy foes could overpower
them in all probability. YetIthey de-
termined to sell their lives dearly.
Wetzel took command and Worley
obeyed implicitly.
A tall Huron warrior was the first
to fall. He rushed out from his covert
with a yell, thinking they were unpre-
pared for the 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 a
moment or SO afterwards the other In
dians were silent, apparently awe
struck, but in that interval Wetzel
had again loaded his gun. Several
shots were fred at him, but he was Sc
curely 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, land
the others became more cautious. Once
Wetzel put his cap on the ramrod, as
though peering round the tree, and
when the Indians shot bullet through
it, he let it drop to the ground. The
others rushed out, when two more fell.
The movements were now carried on,
on both sides, with the utmost caution.
The hunters worked their way grad
ually toward the fort; the threo re-
naming Indians becoming every mo-
ment more anxious. One of their
perhaps while carefully climb
ing a tree on the opposite side from
the hunters, with view of starting
them from their lurking place, uncon-
sciously exposed himself, and was
wounded by one of the hunters where
upon the Indians, having trusted so
long to the superiority of their num-
bers, and having a peculiar awe of
Wetzel, stole away into the depths of
the woods, leaving the hunters to re-
turn to the fort to recount what was
even then esteemed a marvelously he
roic feat.
One of the Law speakers in n Metho-