Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-07-09
HISTORY OF THE VALLEY.
APPENDIX VI.
cooK,s FORT. INDIAN CREEK.


was an oblong, and covered one and
a half acres of ground. A Mrs.
Bradsburn was killed.
Shortly before VIM. Meeks was
taken, Steel Laiferty was killed at
the mouth of Indian Creek, three
miles off from the fort. Meeks heard
the report of his death, Immediate
" mounted his horse, and rode
with all speed to his house, to the
relief Of two women; as he ap-
preached the house, he called to
them to open the door, which was
Immediately done, when he rushed
into it, sprang to a port hole, saw
two Indians running across a small
field. near the house, fired at them,
when one of them dropped his
blanket and gun, increased his
speed and got off; but it was be-
lieved he was shot through the
body; he never could be found,
however.
In 177l, Mr.. James Ellison re-
moved from the State of Jersey,
with his father, at which time he
was about fifteen years of age. On
the 10Th of October, 1880, a party
OF seven or eight Indians attacked
him. wounded him in the shoulder;
the ball passing under his shoulder
blade and out very near his spine !;
he was tied and taken of a prls-
oner. The next day, when they
had travelled about fifteen miles
with him, while passing through a
thicket, he suddenly escaped from
them. and was pursued, but Outran
them and got off. This old and in
tellieent man, was afterwards in
the battle of the Point, under Col.
Lewis. The author saw him and
conversed with him he was then
about eighty years of age.
Mr.. Ellison has been great and
successful hunter. There were but
very few buffalo ana elk remaining
in the country, but abundance Of
bears, deers, panthers, wolves, wild
cats. and a vast number of turkeys
and other small game. Mr.. Ellison
stated that he might safely affirm
that he had killed more than one
thousand deer, three or four hun
dred bears, a great many panthers,
wolves, &c. The wild game was
the chief dependence Of the first
settlers, for subsistence. There
were a great many beavers, otters,
and other fured animals taken by
hunters.
Mr.. John Lybrook, in born Penn
Svlvania, aged Seventy-three,-was
too young to recollect when his
father moved and settled on New
river. at the mouth Of Sinking
creek, this was in 1772) now liv'
ing in Giles county.
In the year IVA the Indians
commanded their Outrages in this
neighborhood. The first act OF
murder was perpetrated by four
Indians near his fathers house.
Mr.. LybroOk was then about ten or
eleven years old. About the first
of July, my informant and several
of his brothers and sisters, and
several of Mr.. Snydow's children
we're at play on the edge of the
river. They discovered the In
dams approaching. John went tC
the shore and ran some distance
along the margin of the water bu
he discovered that an Indian on thu
bank had got ahead of him. The
bank at that place was so preclpl
tous that there was but one poin,
that could be ascended. The lndial
stooped to fire at two lads swim
ming the river, and John took thu
opportunity to ascend the bank b.
a narrow channel, worn in it by tn
feet of wild animals when the
used it as a passage to and fror
the water. He darted by the In
dian. who instantly pursued hin
After running about one hundre
yards, ne leaped across guile
worn by a small stream OF waite
in the bank of the river. 1t wa
at least twelve feet wide. AT thl
place the Indians halted, but woul
not try the leap, but threw a buffs
10 tug at the boy, which he fel
strike his head and back but tn
little fellow made his escape, an
rot safely to the fort at his father
house. Dir. Lybrook stated thl
fact 10 the author, and most sol
emnly declared it was true. Thre
of the Indians entered the canoe
and killed and sealped five Of tn
children. A sister OF my info
mant, a girl about thirteen years {
age, had the presence Of mind, I
turn the canoe (which she was il
with the other children,) ster
foremost, whilst the Indians wei
engaged in killing and sealpin
their victims, and jumped out an
ran. She was pursued by an II
: dian 4; her screams attracted tt
a attention of a remarkably fiert
dog, which Immediately ran wit
the utmost speed TO her relief III
Indian had got so near her, that !
extended his arm to seize her; bl
7, the dog had approached net
enough to save her. He ran