Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-04-02

bouse her black woman, who had
stepped out to gather sugar water,
screamed out, "llere are lndians~
She Jumped up, ran to the window,
and then to the door, where she was
met by one of the Indians present
ing his gun. She caught hold OF
the muzzle and, turning it aside,
begged HIM not to kill her but take
her prisoner. The other Indian in
the meantime caught the negro
woman and her boy (about 4 years
old, and brought them into the
house. They then opened a chest
and took out small box and some
articles of clothing, and without
doing any further damage, or set
ting fire to the house, set off with
herself and son, about two years
and half old, the black woman
and her two children, the oldest
tour years and the youngest one
year old. After going about one
and half miles they halted and
held a consultation, as she supposed,
about killing the children. This
she understood to be the subject
by their gestures and frequently
pointing at the children. To one
of the Indians who could speak
English, she held out her boy and
begged him not to kill him, as he
would make a fine little Indian
after awhile. The Indian made a
motion to her to walk on with her
child. the other Indian then struck
the negro boy with the pipe end of
his tomahawk, which knocked him
down, and then dispatched him by
a blow with the edge across the
back Of the neck and scalpcd
him.
About four o'clock in the even
ming, they reached the river, about
a mile above Wellsburg, and car
ried n canoe, which had been
thrown up in some drift wood. into
the river. They got into this canoe,
and worked it down to the mouth
of Brush run, a distance Of about
five miles. They pulled up the
canoe into the mouth Of the run,
as far as they could, then went up
the run about mile, and encamped
for the night. The Indians gave
the prisoners all their own clothes
for covering, and added one Of their
own blankets. Awhile before day
light, the Indians got up and put
another blanket over them.
About sunrise they began their
march up a very steep hill, and
about two o'clock halted on Short
creek, abont twenty miles from the
place whence they had set out in
the morning. The place where
they halted had been an encamp.
ment shortly before, as well MS n
place of deposite for the plunder
which they had recently taken
from the house Of a Mr.. Vanmeter,
whose family had been killed. The |
plnndcr was deposited in a syca- |
more tree. Here they kindled a
fire and put on a brass kettle, with !
a turkey which they had killed on
the way, to boil in sugar war.
Mr.. Glass, the first husband Of
Mrs. Brown, was working with a
hired man in field, about quar-
ter of a mile from the house, when |
his wife and family were taken,
but knew nothing Of the event nm
i'll two o'clock. After searching |
abOut the place, and going to
several houses in queer of his |
family, he went to Mr.. Wells fort,
collected ten men besides himself !
and the same night lodged in a |
cabin on the bottom on which the /
town now stands.
Next morning they discovered
the place from which the Indians
had taken the canoe from the drift,
and their tracks at the place of
their embarkation. Mr. Glass
could distinguish the track of
his wife by the print of the high
heel of her shoe. They crossed
over the river and went down on
the other side until they came near
the mouth Of Rush Run; but dis
covering no tracks of the Indians,
most of the men concluded that
they would go to the mouth of
MuskIngum, by water, and there
fore wished to turn back. Mr..
Glass begged of them to 90 as far as
the mouth of Short creek, which was
only two or three miles farther. To
this they agreed. When they got
to the mouth of Rush Run, they
found the canoe of the Indians.
This was identified by a proof,
which goes to show the presence
of mind Of Mrs. Brown. While
going down the river, one OF
tho Indians threw into the water
several papers, which he had taken
ont of Mr.. Glass's trunk, some of
which she picked up ont Of the
water, and under pretence Of Civ
ing them to the child, dropped
them into the bottom of the canoe.
These left no doubt. The trail Of
the Indians and their prisoners up
the run to their camp, ana then up
the river hill, was soon discovered.