Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-07-31
A KENTUCKY ROMANCE.
HOW three young Girls were
Captured and Rescued %
Years Ago.

1t was Sunday, July Il, 1776-
just ninety-nine years ago to-day,
and the rudely constructed fort at
Boonsboro' lay in drowsy sti 'lness
on the bank of the Kentucky riv-
er. Daniel Boone and his friend
and associate, Richard Galloway,
had been absent since early in the
morning; and the good wives,
sharers ia the toll of the early pi-
oneer days, were enjoying the rest
that the Sabbath brought even to
the unbroken wilderness. In the
grateful shade of tree in one cor
ner of the Enclosure, sat three
young girls, giving an unwonted
charm to the rough evidences of
civilization which had but recent
ly forced themselves upon the
primitive harmony Of the surroun-
ding scenery.
The oldest Of these maidens was
Elizabeth Galloway. The expert
ences of life rather than the OBJ
servance of nature seem to have
given turn to the thoughts and
| tastes Of the early settlers, so, while
the euphonious name of Bessie
might have harmonized well with
the murmuring river and the soft
and languid aspect of nature in her
summer garb, the hard, everyday
life of the adventurous jewellers in
the dark and bloody ground SEEM
ed to comport best with the harsh
er name OF Betsy So Elizabeth
was known simply as Betsy Gala
way-not a name suggestive or ro-
mantle, yet she was withal gen.
tie and loving girl, and had maid
en- fancies that gave the deep color
of romance to one of the incidents
of her life in the wilderness. She
was just turned to sixteen. The
other girls, younger by two years,
were Fanny Galloway, fairer than
her sister Betsy, and Jemima
Boone.
Tho but fourteen years counted
the lives of the two girls, each had
lover who was hardy pioneer.
AS evening drew near, one of the
girls proposed that they should go
short distance below the tort to
where canoe was lying, and drift
out upon the river to catch the ris-
ing GOODNESS of the evening.
Hardly were they seated and
prepared to push from the shore,
when they detected slight rustic
in the @ruah. and in a moment
more i've '~'w d hideously-
painted Indians leaped to the side
of the canoe. What girl of sixteen
could be equal to such an eMerg-
ency? Betsy Galloway, without a
moments hesitation, determined
to defend the honor and the lives
of herself and her young compan-
ions, and wrote her name In the
annals of Kentucky. Standing
! erect in the canoe, she seized the
paddle, and at single blow laid
open to the bone the head of the
foremost savage. The other In
dams pressed on, but, still undaun-
ted, the brave girl fought them.-
Finally exhausted, she sank to the
bottom of the canoe, and with her
trembling sister and friend was
dragged ashore and hurried off to
meet whatever fate might be in
store for iinem.
The CONSERVATION al the fort
can well be imagined. The fathers
of the girls soon returned, and be-
fore the night closed in, Daniel
Boone, at the head of party on
foot, and Richard Galloway, at the
head of party on horseback, were
| off in pursuit. In Boone's party
were Samuel Henderson, John
Holder and Flanders Galloway.
AS Henderson strobe along he
was thinking of the olive, checked
heroine, Betsy Galloway; and
Holder clenched his hands and
ground his teeth when he thought
of poor, little, frightened Fanny !;
and Flanders Galloway almost for
got his kith and kin when think
ing of his captured Jemima Boone.
We can easily smile over it now,
but let any man put himself in the
place of these young men, and ask
himself how he would feel in such
pursuit.
When the Indians started with
the girls they made the younger
ones take off their shoes and put
on moccasins, but Betsy refused to
take off her shoes, and as she
walked along she ground her heel
into the soil to leave q trail. No
ticing this, the Indians made the
whole party walk apart and devil
ate from the course, so as to wade
through the water and destroy the
trail. Then the undaunted Betsy
broke off twigs and dropped them
along the road and when the saw
ages threatened her with uplifted
tomahawk if she persisted in this,
she secretly tore off portions of her
dress and dropped them on the