Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1882-09-17

assaults ON the night ct the first day, yet
they did not wholly suspend their efforts.
Col. Zane had arranged and posted the force
in his house to the best advantage, and Is
the Indians made their desperate assault
Cd the pickets during that night, he open.
cd ON them with q well directed fire,
which contributed 10 their repulse
In no small degree. Heuce
il became an important matter with them
to get rid Of this outpost, and accordingly
after their vain assaults agai INST the fort
they held consultation, which resulted in
q determination 10 make the attempt under
ISassss 8 sE tas : Ekd 4: . sss 10
:' fSS eo sa f 4 lau.t q -
ducsd tS 4fSk1S lhftff 4 fnttf}8l when
silence ha8 settled down up9a thl sdsnel
and it Wa presumed that d. whites hg4'
N some degree RELAXED theif caution,
savage with a burning brand in his hand
crawled to the vicinity of the kitchen OF the
house, and raising from the ground, waved
the brand TO and fro and then blowing his
breath upon it TO rekmdle il, proceeded 70
apply it TO pile of brush and wood ne had
placed sgaiust the logs Of the building,
when suddenly shot rang out in the dark
ness and silence, and
Howling with Rage and Pain,
the would he incendiary, with slow and
hobbling gait, sought the deep cover Of the
The vigilant eye of watchful
sam" the faithful negro, had detected
him Just in time to upset his we'll consid-
cred but poorly executed plans.
On the evening of the eleventh, not long
after the appearance of the Indians, before
the fort perogue loaded with canon balls,
on its way from Fort Pitt to the falls of tue
Ohio. containing three men, was floating
leisurely along with the current short
distance above the settlement when their
attention was attraced by the sound OF
firing in the direction of the Fort. Daniel
Sullivan, who was in command of the
boat sent the other two men along
the shore of the river, telling them to in
form the inmates OF the Fort that he was
with load Of canon balls, and to
be ON the lookout for him. The men ar
rived safely and entered the postern gate
unobserved by the savages. In short
time Sullivan arrived with his boat bui
unfortunately he did not escape Direction,
for he was perceived by the In iiaps lust as
he landed and was compelled % abs Hdon.tt
and scrambls mp the blur to'feith the
same Eats lhf0agh which his coaipantgps
he'd successfully psss d uut . hrisf ume ~,
iSre.s % But be iwHs not 30 fortunateses they
in escspIag unhart; fof, ~ he @.s about On.
teriug the gtse he rScsivsd : sltsnt wound
which was painful, ilthoush TWAS not So
rious. saail 'r"i5'
Omit the afternoon of the sec.
ond day Q2th) after the feat
performed by Elizabeth Zane,
the Indians arrived al the resolution
that they would put these cannon balls
which had SO OPPORTUNITY fallen into their
hands TO use, by employing them in
The Demolition OF tho Fortress.
The suggestion no sooner revealed itself to
them than they commenced TO carry II into
execution. Obtaining u log, which they
as being adapted to the purpose,
they followed il out, and binding II with
iron chains, which they obtained from Z
blacksmith shop in the vicinity, tney
charged il heavily with powder and ram,
med home few Of the captured balls, and
placing it in position. pointing in the di-
rection of the Fort, nothing doubling but
what il would carry dismay aud death in
its course, las it did, made all things
ready. A big Indian with lighted
match, advanced through Z crowd
Of his companions, gathered to in
spect this new engine OF destruction, and
to witness the effects OF it's discharge. A
dreadful explosion folloved-its pieces
flew in all directions, and instead OF being
the cause of ruin TO the fort, was the source
Of injury on,y TO themselves; several were
killed, many wounded, and all were terror
stricken for the time, by the unlocked Tor
result. Thus were they hoisted on their
petard
But the finale OF this episode served only
TO exakperate them and TO render them
more furious, and so when the curtain of
night WIS drawn around the world they re-
solved, in the energy Of their desperation,
10 make a final effort for the reduction of
the fort.
Filled with that frenzy produced by de-
feat, about ten o'clock on tho night OF the
18th, they made another attempt To storm,
but the inmates Of the house and the
fort were at their posts, and the loud
and ringing voice OF one Of the women.
Betsey Wheat-was heard above the d Ia Of
the conflict urging the men to heroic deeds
and cheering and encouraging them under
the pressure Of fatigue and exhaustion.
The Attack Proved Abertive,
and sullenly and slowly the Indians with
drew their forces nor did they attempt 70
storm again.
On the morning OF the third day (l3th),
all hope Of etiecting their de-
signs, they resolved on raising the siege.
This resolution was announced To the In.
mates of the house and fort by q series Of
terrific yells and deafening whoops which
gave expression 70 their disgust at the de-
feat which they had met. Turning thsir
backs upon the fort, they took their de-
parture and crossed the river in the neigh
borhood OF what was formerly known n,
Beymer's landing, except a party OF about
one hundred warriors, who remained on
the Virginia side Of the river for the pur.
pose OF plundering and laying waste
the settlements and the country
in the vicinity in Western Virginia ani
On leaving they drove
away all the stock and carried off The porl.
able property Of the settlers and cut down
and destroyed their crops.
During the siege their lose must have
been serious, as the men whd manned the
house and fort were not In the habit oi
throwing away their shots but always.tri. d
10 make each one effective. during tn
siege the whites lost none. and but one vas
wounded and he slightly. The persistence
and courage displayed by the men and
women both In the house and fort on this
occasion was simply grand and heroic.
We are able to give the names OF many
OF those who were in the fort on this occa-
sion and whose memories as well AZ names
are worthy OF perpetuation To the last cyl.
liable OF recorded time. They are Slas
Zane, who was in command, his brothers.
Andrew and Jonathan. Daniel Sullivan.
Jacob Reikart and his brother George,
James Smith and his two sons Henry aud
Thomas, Conrad Stoop. John TAFT, Samuel
Mills. Edward Mills, Thomas Mills, Hamil.
ton Kerr. Alexander Mcdowell. Henry
Clark, James Saltar, James Clark. Csspar
French, Conrad Wheat and four sons,
James Boggs, Martis and George Kerr,
Peter Neiswanger, - Wright ADD the two.
men who accompanied Daniel Sullivan.
OF the women there were Lydia Boggs,
Elizabeth Zane, Betsy Wheat aud Miss
Mary -, subsequently Mrs Mary Bur
kilt
Daring the Siege
two white men, who had been taken pris-
oners many years before by the Indians,
and who had commands in their forces, de.
serted from them. They were arrested and
taken prisoners by Colonel sSearingen,
who with force Of hundred men. was
marching TO the relief Of the fort. Prom
these men he learned Of the intention OF
the Indians TO abandon the siege on the
morning following their desertion, and
that their purpose was to detsch portion
of their forces 70 operate IN Oh ijscsnt
country. Hs at oncD dispatched runnen