Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-12-25

George Stockton and Isabella his
sister. Charles Porteriield, II youth
about 20 years of age, heard the
firing from his fathers residence,
about one mile from the fort, armed
himself and set of with all speed
TO the fort, but on his way was
killed. TO-
Among the prisoners were man
by the name of Cohoon, his wife,
and some of his children. Mrs.
Cohoon was in astate Of pregnancy,
and not being able to travel fast
enough to please her savage cap
tors, they forced her husband
| forward, while crossing the North
mountain, and cruelty murdered
her: her husband distantly heard
her screams. COhOon, however,
that night made his escape, and got
safely back to his friends. George
Stockton and his sister Isabella,
who were also among the prisoners,
we're taken to the Indian tOwns.-
Isabella was eight or nine years OF
age, and her story is as remarkable
~ =.
as it is interesting. Shewas detain'
ed and grew up among the savages'
Being a beautiful and interesting
girl, they sold her to a Canadian
in Canada, where young French
man, named Plata, soon became
acquainted with her, and made her
q tender of his hand in matrimony.
! (c) This she declined unless her
narents' consent could be obtained,
"a strong proof of her fllial ailec-
ton and good sense. The French
man Immediately proposed to con-
duct her home, readily believing
that his generous devotion and
great attention to the daughter
would lay the parents under such
high obligations to him, that they
would willingly consent to the
union Rnt such we're the strong
preiudices existing at the time
against everything French, that
her parents and friends peremptori'
" objected. The Frenchman then
prevailed on Isabella to elope with
him; to effect which they secured
two of her fathers horses and
pushed off. They were, however,
pursued by two of her brothers,
overtaken, at Hnnterstown, Penn
sylvania, and Isabella forcibly torn
from her protector and devoted
lover, and brought back to her
parents, while the poor French
man was warned that if he ever
made any farther attempt TO take
her off, his life should pay the
forfeit. This story is familiar to
several aged and respectable indi-
viduals in the neighbOrhOOd OF
Martinsburg. Isabella afterwards
married a man by the name Of
McOlary, removed and settled in
the neighborhood of MOrgantOwn,
and grew wealthy. George, after
an absence of three years, got
home also.
A party Of fourteen Indians, be.
lieved to be part of those defeated
by Capt. Smith, on their return to
the west killed a young woman,
and took a Mrs. Nef prisoner.
This was on the South fork of the
river Wappatomaka. They cut of
! Mrs. Neff's petticoat up to her
knees, and gave her pair OF
moccasins to wear on her feet
This was done to facilitate her
travelling; but they proceeded no
further than the vicinity OF Fort
Pleasant, (d) where, on the second
night they left Mrs. Neff in the
custody of an old Indian, and
divided themselves into two par
ties, in order to watch the tort. Al
allate hour in the night, Mrs. Nefl
discovering that her guard was
pretty sOundly asleep, ran of. The
old fellow very soon awoke, fired
off his gun, and raiseda yell. Mrs
f. ran between the two parties o
Indians, got safe into Fort Pleas
ant, and gave notice where the In
dians were encamped. a smal
party of men, the same evening
came from another small fort few
miles above, and joi.ed thei
friends in Fort Pleasant. The In
, dians, after the escape OF Mrs
Neff, had collected into one bod,
in q deep glen, near the fort. Earl.
the next morning, sixteen men
well mounted and armed, left tn
! fort with a view to attack the In
dians. They soon discovered thel
eneampment. The whites divides
. themselves into two parties, III
2 tending to inclOse the Indian
] between two fires; but unfortu
= nately a small dog which had TO
lowed them, starting a rabbit, hi
yelling alarmed the Indians; upo
Q which they cautiously moved of
passed between the two parties c
l white men unobserved, took a pc
s sition between them and thei
4 horses, and opened a most de
e structive lire. The whites return
ed the fire with great frmness an
bravery, and a desperate an
e ca) Mr.. Joseph Hackney, Frederic
=. county, stated these facts TO the anthor.-
e The little boy, mentioned above, grew u
married, was Quaker by profession, an
; the father Of my informant.