Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-10-22

hours more when the white men
would fall into their hands, and
they had maintained such hot
fire through the day that their am
munition must have been running
low.
The death of WOlcOtt cast gloom
oyer the party, but no one weaken
ed. Along toward midnight, when
everything had grown very quiet,
Capt. Swift tried for water. a cot.
tonwOOd leaned off over the bank
until one in its top would be over
the water. A canteen was lowered
by a rope after Swift got into posi-
ton, but some slight noise was
made, which caused the Indians on
the opposite bank to open fire, and
before Swift could descend from
the tree a bullet wounded him IN
the calf of the leg. lie crept back
to the rifle pit and bandaged the
wound, and in fifteen minutes would
have given a year of his life for
pint of water. Various methods
for obtaining what all now really
suffered for were suggested and re-
jected. There was only one way.
1t must be got from the tree if at
all. An hour or two after Swift
was shot man named Cooper crept
out on the tree and lowered the
canteen. lie succeeded in drawing
up q few swallows of water, and at
once fastened to Swift. The Cap
tain's wound had of course set him
in a fever, and while he could have
gulphed down a quart he had only
gill. Cooper returned to the tree
and in lowering the canteen lost it.
Another rope was extemporized
and a coffee pot lowered, but the
Indians in some manner got hint
of what was going on and again
opened fire. While Cooper was
not wounded, he was driven to the
pit, and all further hope of secur-
ing water was abandoned. Not a
man slept during the night, 1t be-
ing generally understood that the
Indians might make a rush any
moment. AS early dawn came a
shot was fred from the top ola tree
in the edge of the grove, which
struck a man named Abbott in the
head and killed him instantly. a
second shot Immediately followed,
but hit no one. 1t was at once dis
covered that two Indian sharpshoOt-
ers had climbed into the tree dur
ing the night, and from their ele-
walton could look down into the
rifle pit. They could not be seen,
but two of the men opened rapid
fire on the tree, and after about
twenty-five shots had beea fired
both redskins were tumbled to the
ground. Their fall was the signal
for the ball to open all along the
line, and again the bullets whizzed
over the pit like legiOns of angry
bees. The Indians we're pretty eau
tious about exposing themselves,
but during the forenoon three of
them were seen to drop, either hard
hit or killed outright.
From noon to 8 o'clock not shot
was fred on either side. and from
o to shutdown the Indians fred on
ly about a dozen times-sufiicient !
to warn the white men that the !
siege was still on. Hunger now |
compelled the men to eat raw ba-
con and -four, and the torments of
thirst were increased. Swift suffer
ed far more than the others, being
wounded, but no complaint passed
his lips. He was too stiff and sore
to leave the pit, but about 10 o'clock
one Of the men volunteered to try
for water. Some of the Indians had
swarm across, and were located I'M
der the bank. While they could
not climb it, or at least did not,
they were at hand to prevent the
men from getting water.
1t was Foster who went out on
the tree this time, and he had not
yet lowered the vessel when bull
let knocked his cap OFF, second
struck the stock of his rifle, and a
third went through the coffee pot.
He reached the PIT unwOunded,
however, and Swift advised that
no one else should expose himself.
They dug up the roots around them
and got slight consolation from
chewing them, and again the MORN
ing broke. 1t soon became evident
that the Indians intended to finish
their work. They we're whOoping
and shouting all along the line, and
seemed IN good spirits.
An hour after daylight the whole
line advanced on the pit, each red
skin working along under the best
shelter he could find. There were
only four men to defend the pit,
but armed as they were, and des-
perate as they had become, the
odds were not so great. They fired
cOOlly yet rapidly, and they not on
y halted the line, but at one point
where three bucks were killed with
in ten seconds of each Othera panic
occurred. Thirty or more Indians
rose up in a body for a rush, but
the fire broke them before they had
nada a hmm Tho four man had