The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-09-02

assisted by the heroic women, who
reloaded the emptied rifles and passed
water to their fighting husbands and
friends. Some Of these women were
excellent Shots. One Of them, Mollie
Scott, took her station at looPhole ana
performed excellent service. They
knew their fate if captured. Death BY
the mos. cruel torture was all they
could hope for at Girty's hands, so they
kent up q fire 90 deadly as to prevent
their foes making near approach.
Their rifles became 30 hot that they
were obliged to have recourse TO q dozen
|muskets furnished by the State As arm
ament for the fort.
The firing became 30 hot that Girty
withdrew his forces about noon to the
foot of the hill, at large spring for re-
freshment. They had replenished their
stock of provisions, consisting of jerked
venison and psrched corn, with the
beet, pigs, and fowls Of the settlers. and
with, the melons and vegetables, plenty
at this season OF the year. We may
reasonably suppose that the indomita-
BILE garrison took advantage OF the bret
respite given by the foe to take dinner,
which would consist of corn pone aud
hog and hominy, washed down by q
little elixir of corn" if they had 1t In
the fort, taken out of q jug with corn
cob stopper, and drank from gourd.
Grty had resolved to attempt cary
ing the place by storm. Previous to
renewing the direful conflict, however
he, in the benevolence OF his heart, con:
cluded to try the effects Of q little moral
suasion on the unconquered and mis-
guided Zanesburgers, representing 10
them the folly Of resistance and the ad-
vantages to be gained by surrender. 10
accomplish this he demanded q truce
and parley with the commander OF the
fort This was granted, for they were
old acquaintance, and then the former
spy and Indian trail hunter, Girty, APP
pesred in the full uniform of British
Colonel gorgeous in brilliant scarlet
coat and sash, cooked hat respondent
with gold lace and epaulettes. The CONF
mander of the garrison failed, however,
to appreciate bis inducements. The
interview was brought to q sudden and
abrupt termination by the discharge Of
a gun in the hands of an unruly boy,
who fired at Colonel Girty or something
else, much to the modification OF
Colonel Zane, who was high-toned
man OF honor. Girty instantly vanished
and the attack was ordered. A Com
mittee on Rails" each man armed with
a fence rail, which had been organized
for the purpose of forcing the gate, ad-
vanced to their work, but they were
quickly sent to the happy hunting
grounds bv the bullets Of the heroic de-
tenders. During the combat, which
was waged until dark, small cannon
was occasionally used with great effect
Just after shutdown company OF
fifteen men arrived from up the river.
They are supposed to have been q por-
ton OF Capt Foremans company OF
Hampshire county volunteers. During
the night Major Sam McColloch' 8 com
mand OF forty mounted men arrived to
the relief of the garrison, and the fort
was safe.
The next morning the Indians had
entirely disappeared, and as it was ne>
cessary to ascertain the direction they
had taken, Foreman's company OF if
teen men, guided by Louis Whetzel,
went in pursuit They found the enemv
nine miles below the town at the head
of the Narrows, and ten of the fifteen
were killed.
Girty is supposed to have lost sixty
men out OF his force OF five hundred.
He was resisted and defeated by an sg-
gregate force Of 50 men, 43 in the COM
panes of Captains Mason, Ogle and
Foremen, and the II men in the tort
OF these % were slain and 10 or IL
wounded A boy wounded slightly in
the foot was the only person hurt in
the stockade. Lieutenant Duke, COM
missary OF the Ohio county militia, was
killed up the river and was the first man
killed outside Of the fort.
Those who have written histories OF
this memorable battle strangely enough
locate this action at the fort at the
mouth Of Wheeling creek, which was
not built until 1870 by the United
States Government. No fighting ever
occurred there. The block-house was
built in l774 and remained until 1929,
when it was torn down by Noah Zane
much to the indignation of the citizens,
and the materials, still showing the
marks of the bullets Of the savage foe,
were built into a kitchen for house on
the island, now occupied by the family
OF the late Jacob Berger. Some of
these relics might still be preserved.