Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-12-25
VOL. 65.
HISTORY OF THE VALLEY.
CHAPTER VII.

INDIAN INCURsIoNs AND MASsA-
CRES.
After the defeat of Braddock,
the whole western frontier was left
exposed to the incursions OF the
Indians and French. In the spring
of the year 1856, a partyi of about
fifty indians, with a French captain
at their head, crossed the Allegany
mountains, committing on the
white settlers every act of bar0ar-
GUS war. Capt. jeremiah Smith,
raised a party of twenty brave
men, marched to meet this savage
foe. and fell in with them at the
head of CapOn river, when a fierce
and bloody battle was fought.
/ Smith killed the captain with hls
own hand; five other Indians hay-
ing fallen, and a number wounded,
they gave way and fed. Smith
lost two of his men. On searching
the body of the Frenchman, he was
found in possession OF his commis-
sion and written instructions to
meet another party of about fifty
Indians at Fort Frederick, (a) to
attack the fort, destroy it, and
blow up the magazine.
The other party of Indians were
encountered pretty low down the
North branch OF the Capon river,
by Capt. Joshua Lewis, at the
head of eighteen men; one Indian
was killed when the others broke
and ran off. Previous to the defeat
of this party they had committed
considerable destruction OF the
property of the white settlers, and
took a Mrs. Horner and a girl
about thirteen years of age prison
ers Mrs. HOrner was the mother OF
seven or eight children; she never
got back to her family. The girl,
whose name was Sarah Gibbons,
the sister of my informant, (b)
was a prisoner about eight or nine
wears before she returned home
The intention of attacking Fort
Frederick was of eOure abandoned.
Those Indians dispersed into
small parties, and carried the work
of death and desolation into several
neighbOrhoods, in the counties now
Berkeley, Frederick and Shenan'
doah. About eighteen or twenty
of them crossed the North noun
tain at Mills gap, which is in the
county OF Berkeley, killed q man
by the name of Kelly, and several
of his family, within a few steps OF
the present dwelling house OF the
late Mr.. William Wilson, not more
than half mile from Gerardstown,
and from thence passed on to the
neighborhood of the present site OF
Martinsburg, the neighboring peo-
pie generally taking shelter in Jno.
! Evans fort. (c) a small party OF
the Indians attacked the dwelling
house of a Mr.. Evans, brother TO
the owner of the fort; but being
beaten off, they went in pursuit OF
a reinforcement. In their absence
Mr.. Evans and his family got safe
to the fort. The Indians returned,
and set fire to the house, the ruins
of which are now to be seen from
the great road leading to "inches-
ter, three miles south of Nautilus
burg, at the head of what is called
the Big Spring.
Tue same Indians took female
prisoner on the same day at John
Strode's house. A boy by the
name of Hackney, who was on his
way TO the fort, saw her previously,
and advised her not to 60 to the
house, saying that Strode's family
were all gone to the fort, and that
he suspected the Indians were then
| in the house. She however seeing
a smoke ut the house, dlsregarded
the adv ce f the little boy, went
to it, wss seized by the Indians
taken Of, and was about three
years a prisoner, but finally go'
home. The boy went to the fort
and told what had happened; bu
/ the men had all turned out to bury
Kelly and go in pursuit Of the In
dians, leaving nobody to 0efent
the fort but the women and chill
dren. Mrs. Evans armed herself
and called on all the women, VIII
had frmness enough to arm, t
iOin her.and such as were too timit
she ordered to run bullets. Sh
then made a boy beat to arms on
drum; on hearing which, the In
dians became alarmed, set fire +
Strode's house, (d) and moved of
They discovered the party Of whit
men just mentioned, and fired upo
them, but did no injury. The lat
ter finding the Indians too stron
(a) Fort Frederick was commenced in th
year 1855, under the direction Of Go'
Sharp, Of Maryland, and was probabl
finished in 177G. It is still standing on th
Maryland side Of the Cohongoruton. II
walls are entirely of stone, four and ha
. feet thick at the base, and three at th
0 TOP they are at least twenty feet high, AN
have undergone but little dilapidatior
Or. John Hedges, and his son Capt. job
T c. Hedges. aided the author in the e'
animation Of this place, and measurin
It's area, height aud thickness of the wall
l - - =. :. a ...., tho no ho,tt fxrel 4