The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-06-02
A Kentucky Heroine Of the 0lden Days.
SUSAN MERRILL.

As on June 2, the Filson Club Of
Louisville will celebrate the centennial
of Kentucky's admission as State, this
story of one Of Kentucky's pioneer wo-
men seems altogether timely.
In country grave yard IN Nelson
county, Kentucky, lies buried the hero
inc of story as thrilling as the annals
Of pioneer life contain. The stone at her
head is moss grown and broken but
push aside the clinging vine that tender
ly embraces it, stoop, and read the name
of "Susau Merrill, died 1799." This
woman was known among the Indians as
"The Long Knife squaw," and the story
of how she earned 1t, was related for long
years about their csmp6res with every ex.
preston Of respect and admiration, &C.
corded always by the redskins to the
truly brave, even when the bravery is
displayed against them.
One night in the early summer of 1857
Mrs. Merrill and her husband were sit
ting up late with one of their children,
who was dangerously i'll. The hour was
close to midnight when the barking of
the yard dog alarmed them.
IT will see what is the matter" said
Merrill, stepping TO the door, but his
wife, witha sudden premonition, cluug to
him, and begging him not to venture out,
and reminding him that the dog might
have seen Indians.
He laughed at her, however, and in
spite of her entreaties, opened the door.
He was greeted with the fire of six or
seven rifles in the hands of as many
Wyaudotte Indians, woundiDg him Sc.
Yerely, both arms and his thigh broken
and as his wife bent over him, she saw
the redskins leap from the cover of the
outhouses, where they had lain conceal
ed, and run toward the main house. She
dragged her insensible husband into the
room, and just succeeded in closing The
door and shooting the bolt, when the
Indians flung themselves against it. The
lady, q magnificent speciman of woman
hood, the ideal of pioneer'swife, now
realized that the life of her dear ones
and her own depended on herself alone.
She ran for her husbands gun, and
snstching it from the rack, was about to
load it, when she discovered that the
powder was damp. As she afterward de.
stribed it, this discovery caused her to
nearly faint, until the knowledge that that
was not the time for any such giving
away acted like q douche of Ice cold
water.
Casting her eyes about for weapon
spied the axe, which she seized and
hurried back to the door, which was
being attacked by the foe with toma-
hawks. As she reached it the wood
work gave wey, and the ugly visage of a
painted warrior peered in. She raised
her axe and Drained the wretch with
single blow, actually cleaving the skull
from scalp to underjaw. As the body
fell back another, scarcely realizing what
had befallen his companion, thrust him
self through followed closely by a third.
With another swing Of her blood stained
weapon ahe brought it down on the FORE
most Indians head, smashing his skull
and killing him outright. The other In
dian fired at her as she did so, but the
bullet only carried away lock of her
braided hair and she returned his fire by
blow that struck him in the breast,
sending him bowling back. A fourth at
tempted to enter, but she wounded him
severely in the cheek, shattering the jaw.
The Indian fell to the floor but clinging
to her dress endssvoring to drag her
down and tomahawk her. Unable to do so
he raised himself and struck at her breast
with his knife, when she brought her axe
down on his face, breaking it in, and
sending his warm brains and blood all
over her dress and hands.
Abandoning the attempt to enter the
house this way, the enemy now ascend
ed to the roof and endeavored to effect
an entrance by the chimney, the wide,
old-fashioned fireplace of that period,
but once more they were foiled by the
heroic and clever woman, made strong
and cunning by her beloved ones peril.
She seized the only feather bed the cab
in afforded, and ripping it open with all
haste. poured its contents on the fire.
As the clock on the mantel near her pro-
claimed the hour when her sick child's
medicine was to be administered, and
with firm hand the admirable mother
poured ont the draught and held 1t to
the little ones lips.
By this time furious blaze and suffo-
eating smoke was ascending the chimney
and in another instant two stifed and
half roasted Indians came tumbling
into the fireplace. They lay choking,
and nearly insensible for moment,
when, seizing her axe once more, she
hastily dispatched them, for the only re-
naming savage appeared at the front
door and was about to effect an entrance
while Mrs. Merrill was engaged at the
chimney. She met him as he was step.
ping over the dead bodies of his com
panions, which blocked the doorway, and
struck at him with the axe. The blow
fell on his shoulder, disabling him in his
right arm but seizing the tomahawk in
his other hand he rushed upon her.
Dropping her axe she caught up one of
the fire brands from the hearth, holding
it by the uncharred end, hurled it at the
other, full in the advancing warriors
face. 1t struck him, binding him for a
moment, when running forward, she