The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-03-03
a sketch of Early Times IN Indiana.

In the spring of 1892 my father, with three
other families, emigrated from Pennsylvania
TO the Northwest territory, as, what Is now
Indiana, was then called. They landed at the
falls of the Ohio river with view offorming
a settlement somewhere near that vicinity,
but finding the country full of marauding
bands of savages they concluded the risk
would be too great, so they took their fami-
lies back TO place called Limestone (now
Maysville), Kentucky, where they all re-
manned through the summer, and, in he fall,
the four men, leaving their families there,
came back to the territory to pass the winter
in hunting and trapping. They landed, as
before, at the falls and struck out for the in
terror.
The men were we'll armed, with each n
good rifle, tomahawk and butcher knife, be-
sides two of them had each horse-pistol.
They had with them also four strong, we'll
trained dogs and plenty of ammunition.
They located on Blue river, in what is now
Washington or Harrison county, and built
their shanty within 30 steps of n small cave
in the hill side, the mouth of which. they
walled up with rock, leaving an aperture
barely sufficient TO admit man. Thew ar
ranged the door of the shanty, which was
built of stout poles, so they could bring their
guns to bear upon il from the mouth of the
cave.
Having finished their work, they now ar
ranged that two men and two dogs should
be constantly on the hunt, while the other
two should be all the time az the camp. and
one man and one dog should be all the time
OH guard day and night, alternately; and in
case of an alarm all should repair to the
cave. The party had very good success, and
nothing unusual happened till about the
middle of January there had fallen.quite II
snOw), when one morning about o'clock
the guard discovered an Indian skulking
from tree to tree toward the shanty. Step
ping in he aroused his companions, and all
hands, including the dogs, repaired to the
cave.
The night was quite light under the iniiu-
ence of nearly full moon and the snow.
they supposed the Indians had tracked the
hunters in. 1t was not long till eight stall
wart Indian warriors stood before the door
of the shanty knocking for admission; for
the men on leaving had fastened it by AN
inside bolt, operated from without by a stiff
wire. The men had evidently gained the
cave unperceived by the Indians, by keeping
the shanty between them while going.
INetelNlD3 ITO RESPONSE 70 IuclF k0Otkh. TIE
Indians soon began to hew down the door
with their tomahawks At this stage CT the
proceedings the men concluded TO fire on
them from the cave. Each man selecting
his mark the four men fired simultaneously
Two Indians fell dead. The third sprang
into the air, gave jump or two, and also
fell while the fourth limped off after his I'M
hurt comrades, IA best he could, evidently
severely wounded The men re-
manned in the cave until some
time after daylight, and seeing
no more Indians came out. They then held
a council and concluded that although they
could defend themselves against a superior
force, yet they might be attacked by over
whelm;ng numbers and be destroyed, it
would be the safest plan to break up camp
and leave. They accordingly repaired to
the Blue River, which, fortunately, was in q
good stage, built raft, put aboard their
meats and skins, got aboard themselves
and foated down to the Ohio, where they
procured canoes and returned home without
the loss of man or dog; and in the spring
of 1900 returned with their families and the
families of Others, formed settlement on
what is now called Fourteen-mile creek
where they lived to good old age.
Many of their descendants still occupy
their old homes-among whom are the Co
verts, Pettits, Plaskets, Henthorns Works
Jacksons and Others, G.
Jonesville, Feb. IL, 1880.