Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-04-02
HISTORY OF THE VALLEY.
NOTES, 6c.-PreIiminGry Ob'errd-
tiOns on the Character Of the In
dian Mode Of Warfare, and Its
Adoption by the White People.
CHAPTER x.
popDRIDGE's FORT.

before the two runners had time to
give the alarm to the family of a
Mr.. Charles Stuart, who lived
about three quarters of mile Off
from the fort.
They returned IN great haste,
saying that Stuart'S house was
burned down, and that they had
seen two fires between that and
the fort, at which the Indians were
encamped. There was therefore
no doubt that an attack would be
made on our fort early in the
morning.
In order TO give the reader q
correct idea OF the military tactics
OF our early times, I will give, in
detail, the whole progress of the
preparations which wore made for
the expected attack, and, as nearly
as | can, will give The commands
of Capt. Teter, our officer, in his
own words.
In the first place he collected all
our men together and related the
battles and skirmishes he had been
in, and really they were not few In
number. He was in Braddock's
defeat, Grants defeat, the taking Of
Fort Pitt, and nearly all the bat
ties which took place between the
English, and the French and In
diaus, from BraddOck's defeat IN
til the capture OF that place by
Gen. Forbes. He reminded us,
"that in case the Indians should
sncceed, We need expect no mercy:
that every man, woman and child,
would be killed on the spot. They
have been defeated at one fort, and
now they are mad enough. II they
should succeed in taking ours, all
their vengeance will fall on our
heads. We must fight for ourselves
and one another, and for our wives
and children, brothers and sisters.
We must make the best prepara.
tions we can; little after day.
break we shall hear the crack OF
their guns"
lie then made a requisltion of
all the powder and lead in the fort.
The ammunition was accurately
divided amongst all the men, and
the amount supposed to he fully
sufficient. When this was done,
"Now,' says the captain, "when
you run your bullets, cut off the
necks very close, and scrape them,
so as to make them little less,
and get patches one hundred inner
than those you commonly use, and
have them we'll oiled, for ifa rife
happens to be choked in the time
of battle, there is one gun and one
man lost for the rest Of the battle.
You will have no time to unbritch
a gan and get plug to drive out a
bullet. Have the locks we'll oiled
and your flints sharp, so as not to
miss fire."
Such were his orders to his men.
He then said to the women, "Tbese
/ yellow fellows are very handy at
setting fire 10 houses, and wafer is
a very good thing to put out fire.
You must ill every vessel with
water. Our fort is not we'll stock
AIDED, and these ugly fellows may
rush into the middle of it, and at
tempt to set fire to our cabins in
twenty places at once" They fell
to work, and did as he had or
dered.
The men having put their rifles
in order, "NOw,p says he, "let
every man gather in his axes, mat
tocks and hoes, and place them
inside of his door; for the Indians
may make a dash at them with
their tomahawks to cut them down,
and an axe in that case might hit,
when a gun would miss 6re.'
Like a good commander, our
captain, not content with giving
orders, went from house to house
to see that every thing was right.
The ladies Of the present day
will suppose that our women were
frightened half to death with the
near prospect Of such an attack Of
the Indians. On the country, do
not know that L ever saw q merrisr
set Of women in my lite. They
went on with their work of carry
ing water and cutting bullet
patches for the men, apparently
without the least emotion Of fear
and / have every reason to believe
that they would have been pleased
with the crack OF the guns IN the
morning.
\ During all this time we had no
sentinels placed around the fort,
SO confident was our captain that
the attack would not be made be-
fore day break. u .aa....
| was at that time thirteen or
fourteen years Of age, but ranked
as q fort soldier. After getting
my gun and all things else in or.
der, / went mp into the garret lott
of my fathers house, and laid
down about the middle of the
I floor, with my shot pooch on and
my gun by my side, expecting to
be walked up by the report OF The
guns at daybreak, to take my