The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1876-07-25
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BILL HA RRIS;
The Pioneers Revenge.
BY E. WENTWORTH.

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George lies a fertile valley well known
to the surrounding region as Harris
Hollow. Here, at the close Of the strug.
gle for independence, resided the hardy
backwoodsman from whom this delight
full seclusion took its name. He had
been severe sufferer by the war both in
person and property, and had brought
out of it settled hatred for the authors
of his calamities. Though he had sig
nalized himself for daring, in every part
of the protracted contest, and haG shed
much blood, his revenge was not yet
complete He had vowed eternal hatred.
reward the eutitssrsce of Tefies ar In
dians, and nothing but their utter extir-
patton could absolve him from the oath.
The circumstances which laid the foun-
dation for this permanent bitterness had
occurred in the early part Of the strife,
and were briefly these: A scouting par.
ty, of which Harris was one, vas sur,
prised in the night by company OF To-
ries and Indians, and cut off to q man.
Struck to the ground in the fray, Harris
rose upon his knees on discovering a To
ry neighbor among the assailants, and
implored him, by their former friendship,
to spare his life Cursing him for an in.
corrigible rebel, the other raised the butt
of his rife to beat out the brains Of bis
prostrate victim: s'For Gods sake,
Parks, don't kill mel" The stock of the
weapon descended upon his head with
stunning violence, the Indians tore the
scalp from his fractured skull, and he
was left for dead with his murdered COM
panions. Mangled as he was, he revived
soon after the departure Of the enemy,
and, having crawled as far as he was able
| from the scene OF the conflict, concealed
himself under a log, covering himself
with branches and leaves. At daybreak
the party returned to the spot to secure
the remaining booty and dispatch survi
vors. He was missed from among the
slain, and was fortunate to escape the
diligent but hasty search made for him
| by the murderous Parks, who more than
once stumbled over the very place of his
concealment. For tue four days follow
ling the wounded man crept upon bis
hands and knees before he reached set
tlement. 1t was hot weather, and his
wounds were in horrible state; but by
speedy dressing and constant attention
his life was preserved, and he slowly re-
covered, to become a dreaded scourge to
the wily foes that infested the frontiers
and to those bittere- internal enemies ol
the State, the Tories of the. Revolution
The declaration Of peace brought bu'
q partial cessation Of frontier hostilities
and many dark deed was perpetrated
even after the contending nations had
ceased to shed each others blood. Har
ris held it as lawful to shoot an Indian
or Tory as to kill wildcat, and there
was not wanting opportunities to put bis
theory into practice. The first OF these
was as follows: a a
An Indian doctor, in his periodical pc
regrinatiors, was passing Harris house
on his way to neighhoring swamp te
gather herbs and roots for his simple
materia medica. Harris children, who
Inherited all their sire's antipathy for th'
aborigines, insulted the man OF medicine
4 with missives and blsckguard. until b.
lost all patience and threatened TO toma
hawk them. This menace, though inten
ded only to frighten the troublesome ur
chins, was sufficient for Harris. Seizin,
his rife he followed the unsuspectin,
and unoffending disciple Of Esculapiu
to the woods, and, if tradition may b
credited, shot him through the head AM
t sunk the body in deep, sluggish brook
which found its way through the middl
Although no one at that time knew
certainly what had become Of the India
i doctor, the report, darkly limited, tha
! "Harris had done his business for him,
amply confirmed by his well.known an
: tipathy to the red race, reached the tribe
and, according to their invariahle custom
powerful warrior was deputed to retal
late the injury by the death Of the mur
derer. Ere this avenger Of blood arriv
, ed, Harris had sacrificed another victim
, to his unquenched thirst for revenge
, This was no less than the savage Park
n himself. The latter had returned fror
], Canada. the general refuge of the Torie
, at the close Of the war Of the Revolu
ton, on visit to his brother, still resid
ling in that immediate neiyhborhood :