Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-08-06

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of gunpowder, which was probably
small, and, holding her precious load
with both arms close to her breast,
darted out again, and ran with it in the
direction of the fort. AS she ran the
Indians saw her and understood what
she had come for. Uttering a wild yell
they levelled their guns and sent a
shower Of bullets at her, but all flew
wide of the mark ; they whistled to the
right and left, but did not strike her ;
and, with the keg still hugged close to
her bosom, she reached the fort, and the
gate closed as the bullets Of the Indians
buried themselves in the thick panels
behind her.
A weak girl had thus savel dozen
men and their wives and children. 1t
was brave act, and Americans should
never forget to honor the name of
Elizabeth Zane.
1 must not finish my story without
telling you what took place next, and
how the siege ended, as well as how a
brave man made wonderful leap on
horseback, ard. saved his life in the
most remarkable manner.
Soon after Elizabeth's return with the
powder the Indians once more rushed
from all sides against the fort, and the
fighting became more obstinate and
bloody than before. But the whites
kept cool. Every one continued to pick
out his man and take sure aim at him,
and the ground was soon strewed with
dead Indians on every side. Toward
evening about eighteen or twenty saw
ages made a rush from the house which
Elizabeth had visited in the morning,
toward the gate of the fort. They were
armed with heavy rails and logs, and
tried to force in the gate. In this they
failed. The whites shot down five or
six of them and the rest then ran
away.
About nightfall they made one more
attempt to force their way in. They
had found an old maple log, which was
hollow, and in one end Of this they drove
a plug of wood, so as 10 close it tightly,
they then wrapped around it some
heavy chains which they had found in a
blacksmith's shop in the town, and
loaded it with a full charge of gun
powder, on which they rammed stone
slugs and pieces of broken iron' until it
was full to the muzzle. This strange
sort of cannon was then lugged forward
to within about sixty yards of the fort
and then pointed at it. As the touch
hole had been made the maple-log
cannon was then fired, and went OF
with a tremendous explosion, in the
midst Of loud yells. These yells, how
ever, were not shouts Of triumph. The
old log had broken into a hundred
pieces, and the splinters and broken
iron killed many of the Indians who
were standing around. This so much
discouraged them that they fell back to
the woods, and the whites had a short
time to breathe after long days work.
They had fought steadily from daylight
to dark; and we are told that their
rides became SO hot from such constant
firing that they were forced to lay them
aside to allow them to cool.
By this time the news had reached
other settlements near Wheeling, that
the Indians were attacking the place.
The hunters, therefore seized their rlflss
and fastened to help their friends.
Some were shot as they arrived but
others fought their way IN; and about
daybreak next morning Major Samuel
McCullock, from a place called Short
Creek. arrived with forty men to assist
the whites.
As soon as the people in the fort saw
them, the gate was opened and the men
fastened in. The Indians had seen
them and rushing after them had fired
upon them bat all of them succeeded
in entering the fort except Major
McCullock himself. Like good soldier,
be was behind facing the enemy, aud
he determined to be last man to enter
the gate. All were safely in now, and
McCullock spurred his spirited horse
after them. But the Indians rushed
between and he found himself COM
pletely cut of.
He looked around him and saw that
he could never force his way to the
gate. He tried to do 80 more than
once, but swarm of Indians were in
front. and he knew that his only hope
was to escape some other way. He
therefore struck the spurs into his fine
horse and set off at full speed IN the
direction Of Wheeling hill, pursued by
the Indians. They could easily have
killed him, but did not wish to do so.
He was a famous Indian fighter and
they knew him at once. As they hated
him bitterly they did not wish him 10
die by a death so easy as shooting.
What they desired was to take him
prisoner, and burn him to death, stick
ing splinters full blaze into his naked
body while he was burning, in order to
glut their revenge upon him for killing
many of their warriors.
McCullock knew this, and he resolved
to die rather than be taken prisoner
There seemed no hope at all for him.
He had reached Wheeling hill, beneath
which ran the creek, and the Indians
had hemmed him in on every side.
Before him was precipice Of about one