The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1889-05-30
MASSACRED BY INDIANS.
Terrible Fate OF the First Settlers
at Big Bottom.

The first settlement in what is now
known as Morgan County. Ohio, dates
as far back as 1890. Aparty OF thirty
six men, mostly young and unmarried,
went up from Marietta, at the mouth
OF the Muskingum, and erected
block-house on the eastern bank OF that
river, near the southern line OF the
present county, on broad, rich level,
which they named Big Bottom. ThiS
was in the fall Of the year; their pur-
pose being to winter there, hunt, fish,
cut timber, have a good, jovial time
among themselves, and be ready for
the spring culture of the land, which
had been presented them by the Ohio
Company for the purpose Of having it
settled
Like most inexperienced young men
coming together in such way, they
seem to have been thoughtless and
careless to reprehensible degree.H
was at q period when there was great
uncertainty as to The course the IInaas
dams would pursue with regard to
peace or war The older and more
prudent settlers at Marietta, many OF
whom were heroes sof. the Revolution
land fathers of these young men, in
-clined to the belief that the sapages
would renew hostilities ~at.@the-f first.
fayUrabie opportunity, and warned
their kinsmen against the dangers OF
venturing SO far into the wilderness at
that season Of the year; but the latter
had an oyerweening confidence in their
own sagacity and ability to take care
of themselves, and gave little heed to
the advice of their seniors Their first
proceeding was to erect a block-house,
it is true; but they neglected to finish
il and secure it with stockade,1 and a
part of their number chose to put up
cabins of their own, and to live in
them at still greater risk, and no one,
furthermore, seems to have thought
the precaution Of a sentry at all neces-
sary to their safety.
With these few preliminary remarks,
we shall permit the tragic part OF our
story to be told by one who was an
eyewitness and a sufferer-a youth
named Philip Stacy.
1--WE had been some months in our
new quarters" says the narrator. land
were having what / considered
pretty good time. was young then
only sixteen-and ours was just the
life to suit me. About twenty Of us
occupied the block-house, and did all
our cooking at big fire. built in the
chimney at one end, and also served
us for light, in place Of torches or
candles. After our days work was
over, whatever that might have been
whether hunting, fishing or chop
ping, and generally all three. for we
usually divided off so as to take our
turns at each-we used to meet around
this fire and each mess toast its meat,
bake it's cake, talk over the events of
the day, discuss the weather, tell
stories, crack jokes and so forth and
on, till time for turning in. when we
would scatter over the house, some
above and some below, and stretching
ourselves out on our skins or blank
cts, with plenty of like covering, go to
sleep and sleep sound1y till morning.
This was wild, free life. thatI could
always have remembered with pleas
ure, only for its horrible termination.
"A few days before the awful events
am about to relate my father, Colonel
Stacy, an experienced soldier, who
had fought both the British and the
Indians at the East, came up from Ma
rietta, and seeing what he called our
defenseless condition, reproved us for
our negligence and gave us advice,
which II 1t had been followed might
have saved a good many lives, and
perhaps have prevented the destruc-
ton OF our settlement.
Your careless mode of living here,
my young friends he said, is deserv-
ing of. the severest censure. You seem
to totally forget you are in an Indian
country, far away from any protecting
force but your own, and liable to be
attacked at any moment. There are
rumors that the Indians are gathering
in force and will soon be abroad on
some fearful expedition of plumber and
death. For Heavens sake, if you
value. your lives, set to work at once,
and put yourselves in a state of de-
Tense! Make your block-house as
strong as possible, and put a stockade
all round II; but, in the meantime, SCI
cure your door with strong bars and
close it every night at sunset. and post
one of your number as sentry, that
you may not be taken by a fatal sur
prise.
g That's just what tells 'em, Colo
nel.' chimed in Mrs. Meeks, a strong,
masculine woman. from the backwoods
OF Virginia, who, with her husband
and two children, occupied the block
house with us, he being employed by
our company in, the capacity Of scout,
runner and hunter, and she as general
= indoor manager, the only female yet
in the settlement That's jest what l
tells .'em-f0r ! knows the Injuns a
heap-the dirty, mean. sneaking var
mints. that is al'ays a pokin' thar
! greasy faces around when you don't
expect 'em! tells 'em. Colonel, that
: some dark night, when we're all
:. asleep, it's more'n like they'll pitch
right sqnar' into US, and murder and
sculp us afore wa kunw whaf,a what