The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-03-26

| Not long after the close OF DoStlllIles
between the whites and the Indians,
there was a gathering of the people in
what was called the Little Levels OF Po.
oshontas county, then apart of Randolph
county. The neighbors had met at what
was called "log-rolling." A man who
was q stranger came into the neighbor.
hood at that time and joined himself TO
tho company. AS was the custom Of that
day, they had plenty of strong drink,an
the stranger imbibed freely, and soon be.
gan TO tell of his having been with the
Indians; and in boastlng way to relate
some OF his exploits. One of the men
present was near relative oi
family which Girty, with the In
dians, had carried into captivity from
Tyghart's Valley, IN Randol ph county.
| The suspicious of the men were soon ex-
cited, and they gathered around the
stranger, and pressing the question home
upon him, soon ascertslned that he was
Simon Girty. At once they laid hands
on him, bound him, and opened large
log heap which they had made, put him
down in the middle of it, SCI fire to it,
and burned him up. The two men who
told this to Mr.. Wood, were brothers, by
the name Of Hsnnsh-men of versCity.
They were youths at the time, and
were present and took part in the trans
action.
Girty had lived in Tyghsrt's Valley
before he went to the Indians, and was
well known there, but it would seem he
was afraid to venture at first into his
old neighborhood, but came as near
it rs he thought safe. One of the
Hannshs who told the matter to Mr..
Wood became local Methodist preach
er, and was esteemed useful and good
man.
The matter came to me in such way
that l then believed it to be true, and |
prepared the account to which you refer.
| still see no reason to doubt its truth.
1t was known that for some cause, Girty
became unpopular with the Indians, and
left them about that time. My mother,
Mary Moore and her brother, who had
been captured by the Indians, and finally
taken by them and sold near Detroit,
Mich, had seen Girty near that place.
In preparing a history of my mother
| had tried to learn what was the
fate OF man so notorious, but in vain;
and when l learned the history as related
above thought it right to publish 1t, as
it filed gap in our history, before un-
certain. | see from DeHass's History of
the Indian Wars (page 263) that there
were two Girtys, brothers, each OF them
with the Indians, and both notorious for
their savage cruelty. George, the other
brother, commanded the Indians at the
siege OF Fort Henry in 1882. And it &C.
ours to me that possibly he may be the one
who settled in Canada. Or it may posi-
bly, be that he was the one who was
burned to death in Virginia. But am
told that the defendants of the Hsnnahs
now living in Pocshontss county say that
it was Simon Girty who WAS burned
tbera
Yours most respectfully,
SAMUEL BRowN.
For the account OF N ary Moore's cap.
tiyity sec Foote's Sketches OF Virginia"
This very interesting letter FROM her son,
| enclosed to the Hon. Lyman &. Dra-
per, LII. D., secretary of the Wisconsin
Historical Society, and leading author.
ity on all matters pertaining to our early
border history. In his reply to my let
ter Of inquiry DR.. Draper says that the
tradition of Mr.. Brown is certainly with
out foundation SO far as Simon
Girty or brothers are concerned.
He says: al have been at Simon
Glrty's grave, near Maiden, Canada;
have seen one daughter and several
grandchildren OF his, and several In
Canada who lived his neighbors, and all
agree that he died, near Maiden, a natur-
al death. An older brother, whose son L
saw, lived and died near Pittsburgh;
another brother died in Canada not very
far from Smon's; and still another IN the
Manner. l feel confident none OF the
Grtss ever resided in Tyghsrts Valley.
DR.. Draper has given much time and
research to this matter, and has IN hand
considerable material concerning the
origin and history Of the Glrtys."
In subsequent letter Rev. Mr.. Brown
accepts the testimony of DR.. Draper as
perfectly satisfactory, and adds: 81 now
give l, up. 1t could not have been
Simon Girty who was burned in Pocs-
hontas county, Virginia; but l have not
the least doubt that some one was put TO
death as described, under the belief that
It was Girty, and that it was some one
who had been in league with the hostile
Indians. But the real name Will, IN all
probability, remain a mystery"
Ii not one of the Glrtys, who was he!
IL is possible that under the Influence Of
LIQUOR the person who was thus burned
alive, having no conception OF the result
which would follow, and hoping to gain
q cheap notorlety thereby, passed himself
of as Simon Girty; and while IN q
drunken stupor, unable to prove his
identity, or to disprove his assumed
character, the terrible death above de-
scribed was visited upon him. No
record Of any such event occurs IN Dod-
bridge, Withers, or any other writer OF
border histsry. In that early day on the
| frontier such an event would not neces-
sar,ly be extensively known. And II 1t
had been known beyond the region in
which it occurred, so severely had the
early settlers suffered from Indian cru
| city, ana especIauy itV'h s"0 N' 9 40
public opinion would have UNANIMOUSLY
| sustained the citizens OF Pocahontss In
their action. Doubtless those engaged II
the burning realized, after the excite
ment OF revenge had subsided, the enor-
nifty OF the crime they had committed
(which equslled any act OF cruelty ST.
| tribu,ed 10 the Girtys), and determined
70 keep the matter secret until the per-
pe,rstors had mostly passed away.
Public opinion largely sustained the
P.1on men in their murder OF the Cones
togs Indians 81 Lancaster, as It did
! Colonel willlamson's command in thst
most heartless, cold-blooded murder OF
the Christian Morsvisn Indians st
Guaden h after in 1882, when % Indian
men, women and children, unsrmed,
were knocked in the head with msllet
| =, tho hands Of white men Ii msy be