Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1889-11-09
[Continaed from fourth paae.l
THE MORGAN FAMIL Y

[coatinued from fourth pdge.l
THE MORGAN + AMIL Y
the ball ranging through his body to his
hip. The Indian threw himself on his
back and stabbed himself to the heart
and expired, partly by his own hand.
When examined after the encounter
two bullets were found in his mouth,
placed there for convenience to reload
| ing. As soon as Morgan fired he looked
around for the small Indian, and discov-
cred him taking deliberate aim at him.
Morgan ran in zigzag course, looking
back at the Indian as often as circum
stances would permit; he accidentally
ran against small dogwood bush which
| first yielded to his weight than sprang
back, throwing him out of the course
of the ball the instant the Indian fired.
Each now had an empty gun, but the
| savage still armed with tomahawk and
scalping knife. Now each advanced on
the other-Morgan with his gun raised
to strike, and the savage brandishing
his tomahawk. Morgan closed on the
savage, who, to avoid a stroke of the gun,
threw his tomahawk at Morgan's head,
" no WdTucQ Ol buc DlUW Will his Z uHs |
This cut off finger of his left hand and |
! nearly severed two others, and cut
deep cash in the iron gun barrel. Nor
gan still advanced, the savage slowly re-
treating. The Indian seized dry
ash pole, broke it off at the ground |
and dealt Morgan three violent blows on
the head, breaking it SO short that Nor |
gan could reach him with his gun,
with which he struck the savage with /
such force as to fell him to the ground,
but broke his gun off at the breech. |
Before he could repeat the blow with |
the barrel the Indian sprang to his feet, |
and attempted to gouge out Morgan s |
eyes, but ran his thumb of the right hand
into Morgan's mouth, who clenched it |
between his teeth and held it fast until |
the affray was ended.
THE FIGHT FOR LIFE.
Now commenced desperate struggle, |
Morgan repeatedly throwing off the In
dian, but was unable to hold him down. !
So round and round, up and down, over
logs, against trees and saplings, the fierce
encounter for life went on. Finally |
Morgan found his strength failing. and |
knew the Indian would ultimately over
power him in the struggle. So he affect |
ed to give up, hut really to await devel- |
opments while he had strength to act as |
the emergencies presented themselves.
The Indian now, without difficulty |
confined Morgan's elbows under his |
knees to the ground, one hand being fast |
between Morgan s teeth. With the other |
hand he attempted to draw his knife, |
but unfortunately for the savage. while |
in the house. had seen woman S apron, |
and pleased with its bright colors, had |
taken and bound it around his waist |
above the knife, thus hindering him from
getting at it quickly, and he had great |
difficulty IN getting it out of the rawhide |
scabbard which fitted it very tightly. He
could not draw it out directly. but work.
ed it up with his thumb and finger until
the handle passed quite through his
hand. Morgan saw that this was the |
opportune moment he quickly jerked |
his arm from under the Indians knee
and instantly seized the handle while
the savage held it firmly to the blade. |
He drew it through his hand, cutting it |
to the bone. The savage now saw his |
condition had greatly changed, and
made an attempt to get away, but Nor
gan seized him around the neck and |
the Indian raised him to his feet. The |
savage appeared greatly surprised and
alarmed, and exclaimed Wooh, "
meaning in Indian parlance 8 will now
quit if you will, u and struggled violent |
ly to free himself from Morgan, who
said "I'll wooh' you now !" and thrust
the knife into his side and cut, turned, |
twisted, worked and pushed it in SO far
he could not draw it out Finally the
Indians nerve gave away, Morgan let go |
of him, he took a few steps and sat down.
Morgan took the Indians gun to load |
While pouring the powder into his hand, |
some fell on the cut fingers, and the
smarting sensation caused him first to
observe his loss Morgan arrived at the
fort greatly exhausted from SO desperate
a struggle against a powerful young |
Indian.
When he related the story of his ad-
venture to the occupants of the fort. the
most intense excitement seized upon the
men and all, excepting David Morgan.
repaired to the scene of the encounter,
expecting to find more savages than the
two Morgan had killed. The war had !
been going on for five years, and each |
one held the image in his mind of scalp |
ed sister, a brother, a parent or of a
whole family massacred by the savages.
The very name of Indian to them was a
synonym of horror and extreme disgust.
Knowing these on a similar mission they |
were in very unfavorable attitude to
receive compassion from the hearts of
their white enemies.
When they arrived on the ground the
wounded savage had disappeared, but
by tracing the blood they found where
he had taken the knife from his side and
forced it in the ground with his heel and |
covered it with leaves. He concealed |
himself about two hundred yards from
the spot Morgan had left him, under the
boughs of a fallen tree with its dead |
leaves still on its branches. AS they APP
preached his retreat he saluted them by |
= How do, brudder? How do, brudder ?"
They took him out, tied his hands togeth
er and did the same with his feet and |
ran pole through, and TWO men, one at
each end of the pole, carried him on
their shoulders not more than a quarter |
of mile, laying him down to rest. He
made signs to them to tomahawk him.
which they were too willing to do. A
man who had brother not long before |
killed and scalped by them, sank the
tomahawk into his skull and he expired. |
Then they fiayed him, tanned his skin |
and converted the leather into saddle |
seats, shot-pouches and belts.
THE RETREAT OF THE CHILDREN.
When the children started to the fort |
Stephen greatly outran his sister, and |
when he gained hundred yards would
wait on her until she would catch up, |
then scamper off again. until he ran to
the top of hill overlooking the river a
mile below the fort he ran Down the
hill, which was very steep, jumping and
sliding to the river. He undressed and |
swan over, now regarding himself safe
and believing his father was killed. His
grief and emotion of mind were great ;
he went into house (where Catawaba
now stands,) and found an old leather
hunting shirt which he wrapped around |
him and went crying to the fort. His
sister got down the steep hill as well as