Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-04-09
CHAPTER XIII.
LEWIS wETZEL.

the skill, bravery, ana physlcal ac-
tivity OF a single individual, in the
partisan warfare carried on against
the Indians, on the western frontier,
Lewis Wetzel was the son of
John Wetzel, German, who set
tied on Big Wheeling, about four
teen miles from the river He was
amongst the first adventurers into
that part Of the country. His
education, like that Of his cOtempo-
raries, was that of the hunter and
warrior. When a boy he adopted
the practice of loading and firing
his rife as he ran. This was a
means of making him so destruc-
tive to the Indians afterwards.
When about thirteen years old,
he was taken prisoner by the In
dians, together with his brother
Jacob, about eleven years old. Be
fore he was taken he received a
slight wound in the breast from q
bullet, which carried of a small
piece of his breast bone. The
second night after they were taken,
the Indians encamped at the Big
Lick, twenty miles from the river,
on the waters of M'Mahsn's creek.
The boys were not confined. After
the Indians had fallen asleep,
Lewis whispered to his brother
Jacob that he must get up and go
back home with him. Jacob at
first objected, but afterwards got
up and went along with him.
When they had got about one hun
dred yards from the camp they sat
down on log. "Well,' said Lewis,
"we can't 90 home barefooted ; |
will 60 back and get a pair of
moccasons for each of u.s." and ac-
cordingly did so, and returned.
After sitting a little longer, "NOw,"
says he, "I will 60 back and get
fathers gun, and then we'll start"
This he effected. They had not
travelled far on the trail by which
they came, before they heard the
Indians coming after them. 1t was
a moonlight night. When the In
dians came pretty nigh them, they
stepped aside into the bushes, let
them pass, then fell into their rear
and travelled on. On the return of
the Indians they did the same.
They were then pursued by two
indians on horseback, whom they
lodged in the same way. The
next day they reached Wheeling in
safety, crossing from the Indian
shore to Wheeling island, on raft
of their own making. By this
time Lewis had become almost
spent from his wound.
In the year 1882, after Crawford's
defeat, Lewis went with Thomas
Mills, who had been in the cam.
paign, to get his horse, which he
had left near the place where st.
Clairsville now stands. At the In
dian springs, two miles from st.
Clairsville, on the Wheeling road,
they were met by about forty In
dians, who were in pursuit of the
stragglers from the campaign. The
Indians and white men discovered
each other about the same moment,
Lewis fred first and killed an In.
dian, while the Indians wounded
Mills in the heel, who was soon
owe rtaken and killed. -Four of the
Indians then singled out, dropped
their guns, and pursued Wetzel.
Wetzel loaded his rife as he ran.
After running about half mile,
one OF the Indians having got
within eight or ten steps of him,
Wetzel wheeled round and shot
him down, ran, and loaded his gun
as before. After going about three
quarters Of mile farther, a second
Indian came so close to him, thai
when he turned TO fire, the Indian
caught the muzzle to the gun, and
as he expressed it, che and the In
dian bad q severe wiring" He
however succeeded In bringing the
muzzle to the Indians breast, and
killed him on the spot. By this
time, he as well as the Indians
were pretty well tired; yet the
pursuit was continued by the two
remaining Indians. Wetzel, as be
fore, loaded his gun, and stopped
several times during this latter
chase when he did so, the Indians
treed themselves. After going
something more than a mile, Wetze
took advantage of a little open
, piece of ground over which the In
dians we're passing, short dis
tance behind him, to make sud
den stop for the purpose of shoot
ing the foremost, who got behind a
, little sappling, which was too small
to cover his body. Wetzel shot
and broke his thigh. The wound
in the issue, proved fatal. The
last Of the Indians then gave a
little yell, and said, "Eo catch dat
man, gun always loaded" and gave
up the chase, glad no doubt to gel
off with his life.
IL 10 said that Lewis Wetzel, in
the course of the Indian wars in
this part of the country, killed
twenty seven Indians, besides 4
number more along the frontier
! settlements OF Kentucky.