Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-04-08

reported 20 their people that the head
of their chief had been cut OFF with a
big knife. and from hence Captain Glib
son became famous as the Big Knife
Warrior and the Virgians as the big
Knife Nation" At the time of this
occurrence Fort Redstone was COM
manded by Col. James PAUL, who was
the grandfather of Judge James PAUL,
late of the Supreme Court of Appeals
of this State. and also the grandfather
of Judge Joseph Rogers PAUL, of the
Circuit Court OF Ohio county, and now
a resident OF this city 1t was Col
PAUL who received the sole survivor OF
the Decker massacre into Fort Red
stone and then sent word of the depre-
dation 10 Fort Pitt
"But the pioneer settlers Of our cOun-
try were not always angels. and this is
illustrated in another incident in the
lOcal history Of our own county. Bald
Eagle. an Indian of nOtOriety in his ma
ti0p and amongst the Inhabitants of the
northwestern frontier, had his wigwam
on the waters OF Cheat river. EIe was
a welcome visitor at Keen's Fort, now
MOrgantOwn. In one of his visits
amongst them this friendly old Indian
was discovered by Jacob Scott William
Hacker and Elijah Runner, who it is
spid. murdered him wholly to crafty
most wantOn thirst for Indian blood.
After the commission of this most afro
ciOus enOrmity they seated the old
Indian i'm the stern of his canoe, and
with a piece Of Johnny cake thrust into
his mouth they set him ahCat on the
MonCngahela river.
"The murder OF Bald Eagle is men
toned as one of the causes which led
10 the war of 1774, which spread a reign
of terror along the whole western t0r-
der. In this war IL is related that the
brains Of infants were dashed ont
against trees and human bodies were
left TO decay in the summer sun or TO
become the food of wild animals or
birds of prey. And again West Vir-
ginit was in the thick of it, This was
a general uprising of the cOnfederated
tribes north OF the Ohio. and 10 meet
st Virginia made ready for war with en-
ergy and alacrity. The most important
battles were fought on West Virginia
soil and it was for the purposes of this
war that Fort Henry was built. Col
Charles Lewis and those who fell with
him shed their blood in defense Of
pioneer homes. in an effort to plant civ
ilizatiOn in the Ohio valley.
Il may say West Virginia history
records it as a potent fact that the bat
tie of Point Pleasant was the first Of the
series of the Revolution. The fires of
the revolution were then being kindled
10y British expressions. British ennis
saries were then melting the Indians to
hostilides for the purpose of prevent
ing resistance TO their tyranny and OPP
pressiOns.
ION the banks Of the upper Ohio-in
the valleys of the MonOngahela and
Tygarts and Cheat rivers-in all the re-
siOn extending westward from the
mountains 20 the Ohio. the adventurous
back-vCodsmen had reared their cabin
homes They were a hardy race
injured to savage warfare and accus-
toned TO the perilS of the wilderness.
Nowhere could De found spirits more
daring. more determined or more pa
triOtiC. They Sprlng TO arms at the
first drum tap of the struggle and
pledged their lives to the cause Os
American liberty. With ardent pa
triotism the West Virginia pioneer
warred alike against the savage from
the wilderness and the British from
over the sea. With q like devotion and
patriotism the mothers in those times
bade their sons take M arms for the
holy cause. whilst they i'm fear and ter
rOr endured the 0riyations and brayed
perils 20 which they were exposed.
THE struggle was long and arduOus.
An inspection of the muster rolls Of
the Virginia regiments forces the con-
victiCn thar the ancestors of nearly
every pioneer family Of West Virginia
were revolutionary soldiers. But it was
fought 20 the finish When the sound
of the war had died away many O., those
heroes found homes and died within
the limits of what is now West Virginia.
I'VE glory in the Oft repeated saying
that hundreds of them had marked
with their blood the SHOWS of the north
and they had marched and counter
marched through the pestilential
Swamps of the south.
Washington knew and appreciated
their character. 1t was knowledge of
their traits of their hardihood. of their
patriotic ardor and devotion 10 their
country. of their priya,ions and patient
endurance that led the great American
patriot i'm one of the darkest hours of
the struggle. upon being told of the ef-
forts of a pioneer mother on the Vir-
ginia frontier TO induce her son TO go to
battle TO eXClaim: Give me but a ban
ner 90 place on the mountains of Au-
gusta. and I will rally around me men
who will lift our bleeding country from
10 lt,-t nnR 80 hnr free -