The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1894-06-30
Saved from Death by Indians by a
Masonic Sign.

Mr.. George Wilson related the fol-
lowing to an lNTELLIGENCER reporter
this week:
The late Judge Thomas StOkely VIII
son, of Dubuque, Iowa, who died q
short time ago and who was the broth
er OF the late Captain George Wilson,
Of this city, and Of Mrs. Robert Aull,
and was the last of their generation,
left some interesting material among
his papers opened after his death.
Among others "a a carefully written
account, rs he got it from his mother
and she from her father, of the adven-
lures Of her father in the Revolution.
He was Thomas Stokeley, of Edenton,
North Carolina, who migrated to Della.
ware and later settled near Pittsburg,
Pennsylvania, before Mason and Dixon
ran the line, suppOsing he was settling
in Virginia. He was a captain in the
Revolution; brave, hardy and athletic
and said to have been one Of the most
determined and headstrong men ever
known. Captured and taken to Canada
with some Of his men they were i'm.
prisoned by the British IN an under
ground dungeon where the light was
dim and the ceiling too low for them
to stand upright. To keep his men
from breaking down entirely he led
them in plays like boys, running
around on a~ll-fours several hours daily
They managed to escape and nearly
reached Fort Pitt (Pittsburg) by going
through the ~trackless wilderness, bul
were taken by Indians. The Indian.
tortured them in different ways, some.
times making them 'run the gauntlet
stripped to the waist, whilst two row:
Of ssvages between which they ran
whipped them with ramrods. StOkeley
bore the q to his grave. One day
their cruel captOrs were amusing them
selves riding the men like horses and
making them go into a creek when
they would push the prisoners head
under the water and see which ont
could keep his prisoners head undel
the longest. Stokely told his men thai
they ought not to bear such indignitie.
as the Indians would kill them all a
last any way. They had killed all bui
q few when one tried to ride Captain
StOkeley. He waited till the Indian
was on his shoulders, he being in al
upright position, when he pitched thu
Indian into the rough and ragged root.
Of q fallen tree hurting him but raising
q great laugh among the other Indian.
at their companions discontinue. A
last there was left only Stokeley anl
one OF his men and they were tied to
trees, to be tortured and burned. Ii
this seemingly hopeless and fina
moment the idea struck n of then
that he would give the Masons' Mailing
sign of distress. He told the other wht
answered that it was absurd. He CAV,
1t nevertheless and to their surpris,
and Joy the chief walked forward ant
asked in good English if he was
Mason. They learned that the chic
was the celebrated Joseph Brandt whit
had been sent to England and educated
IN his youth and whilst there was mad,
a Mason. He saved the life of Stokele,
and his man and turned them Over t.
the British by whom they were ex
changed for two prisoners taken by tn,
Americans. StOkeIey is a moderl
spelling. They settled in Raleigh
old colony and were akin to Sir Levi
Stucley who in a pamphlet defende'
the king for beheading Raleigh an
himself for the part he took in the pro
ceedIngs.