The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-02-01
which has since been known as Tygart's

passed near their dwellings, SOON determine
ed them to retrace their steps. Before they car
ried their determination into effect, the fam
| lily of Files became the victims OF savage
cruelty. Ats time when the family were
| in their cabin, except an elder son, they
were discovered by e party of Indians, sup
posed to be returning from the South
Branch, who inllumanly butched them all
Young Files not being far from the house,
hearing the uproar, approached until he saw
the deeds of death, and feeling the utter inn
possibility OF affording relief to his own, re-
solved, il he could, to effect the safety OF
Tygarts family. This was done and the
country abandoned by them.
Not long after this, DR.. Thomas Eckarty
and his two brothers came from Pcnnsylva-
| mia and camped at the mouth OF creek
emptying into the Monongahela. eight OF
ten miles below Morgan.own; they were
Dunkards, and from that circumstance, the
stream on which they fixed their residence
for while, has been called Dunkard' S
Creek While their camp continued at this
place, these men were engaged in exploring
the country, and ultimately settled on Cheat
river, at the Dunkard's bottom. Here they
erected q cabin for their home, and made
such improvements as enabled them to raise
crop Of corn sufficient for their use, and
some vegetables; their guns supplied them
with an abundance of meat Of a flavor rs de-
Flcous as modern epicurc could well wish.
| Their clothes were made chiefly of the skins
Of animals easily procured.
| Here they spent some years entirely I'M
| molested by the Indians, although a cestruc-
tive war was then raging, and prosecuted
with cruelty along the whole extend of the
| frontier. At length to obtain an additional
supply ct ammunition, salt, and shirting,
| DR.. Eckarly left Cheat, with a pack Of furs
and skins, to visit trading post on the
Shenandoah. On his return, he stopped at
Fort Pleasant, on the South Branch. and
having communicated to its inhabitants the
place of his resi- lence and the length of time
he had been living there, he was charged of
being in confederacy with the Indians, and
probably spy examining the condition of
the fort. In vain the Doctor protested his
innocence, and the fact he not ever seen an
Indian in the country; the suffering condi-
ton of the border settlements, rendered his
account, in their opinion, improbable, and
he was put in coniinemen mt.
The society of which DIR. Eckarly was Il
member, was rather obnoxious to majority
of the frontier Inhabitants. Their intimacy
with the Indians, although cultivated with
the most laudabie purpose, made them OBJ
jects Of distrust to many. Laboring under
this disadvantage, it was with difficulty that
the Doctor prevailed on the officer to release
him, and when this was done, he was only
permitted to 90 home under certain condi-
tions-he was to be escorted by q guard Of
armed men, who were ordered to bring him
back if any discovery were made against
him. Upon their arrival at Cheat, the truth
OF his statement was sawfully confirmed.
When the party came within sight of the
spot where his cabin had been, was a heap of
ashes. On approaching the ruins, the half
decayeol, and mutilated bodies OF the poor
Dunkarcls were seen in the yard; the hoops
on which their scalps were dried were there,
aud the ruthless hand of desolation had
waved over their little fields. Doctor Eek
AZ ly aided in burying the remains of his UNI
fortunate brothers, and returned to the fort
O the South Branch.
In the fall IF 175s, Thomas .Duker, anu
some others commenced settlement on the
Monongahela river, at the mouth Of what is
now called Duker's Creek. On the follow
ing spring it was entirely broken up by a
party of Delawares and Mingoes, and the
greater part Of its Inhabitants murdered.
One of the Duker's party escaped, and made
his way to Fort Redstone, and gave to its
commander the melancholy intelligence.
The garrison being too weak to admit OF
sending detachment in pursuit, Capt. Paul
despatched runner with the information to
Capt. Gibson, then settled at Fort Pitt
Leaving the fort under the command Of
Lieut.. Williamson, Capt. Gibson set ou1
with thirty men to intercept the Indians or
their return to their camping grounds.
In consequence of the distance which the
pursuers had to so, and the haste which thu
Indians had retreated, the expedition failed
in its object; they however accidentally cam'
on party of six or seven Mingoes, who hat
been providing about the river below For
Pitt, seeking all opportunity to commit de
predatioEs. AS Capt. Gibson passed thu
point of a small knoll, just after daybreak
he came unexpectedly upon them some o
them lying down, the others were sitting
round fire, making thongs OF green hides
Kiskepila, or Little Eagle, Mingo chief
| headed the party. AS he discovered Capt
Gibson, he raised the war whoop and fire
| his rifle. the bali passed through Gibson
hunting shirt and wounded soldier just be
hind him. Gibson sprang forward, ant
swinging his sword with great force, seyere'
the head of Little Eagle from his body; tw'
other Indians were shot down, and the re
mainder escaped to their camps on the Musk
ingum.
| When the captives, who were restored un
der the treaty Of 1763, came in, those VIII
were at the Mingo towns when the remnan
Of Kiskepila's party returned, stated tina
the Indians represented Gibson as havin
cut off the head of Little Eagle with lon
knife. Several OF the white prisoners wer
then sacrificed to revenge the death of Hi!
kepila, and war dance ensued, accompa
MED with terrific shouts aud bitter denuncis
tions against the 'sBig Knife Warrior" Th
name was soon after applied to the Virgiui
Militia generally, and for years afterwart
were known among the northwestern III
dams as tie ''Long Knives,' or ''Big Knil
Nation" Thus ended all attempts to etfe,
a settlement of North Western Virgins
prior to the close of the French war. IT
capture of Fort du Quense, and the erectio
and garrisoning of Fort Pitt, gave to tn
English an ascendency in that quarter, "
did not so far check the hostile movement
OF the Indians as to render Il residence
any means safe, consequently it was not a
tempted until some years after the restor
ton of peace in l765.
ITO be c0ntinued.A
CAN'T, pnocsrUyp EuTcA Mat, nOf