Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-03-26
distance Off, witnessed the whole aw-
ful tragedy.


She said the terror-stricken whites
ran in every direction trying to hide,
and the swift savages, each singing
out his prey, pursued them round
and round through the weeds with
yells. Some threw up their hands
for mercy. Some were spared their
life, but the most were stricken
down by the tomahawk. ANY of
the men who attempted resistance
were shot down. They had but few
arms and in the circumstances, any
resistance was in vain. The wife of
Thomas Gilmore standing with her
three children over the body Of her
husband, fought with desperation,
the Indian rushed up to scalp him
A second Indian ran up and aimed
to dispatch her with his tomahawk,
when the first one with whom she
was contending, threw up his arm
and warded off the blow, saying
/" she was brave squaw," a trait
which the Indians never failed to
admire. She and her son John, and
two daughters were made prisoners.
Cunningham, the owner of the
house at the spring, was killed and
his house burned. The bloody work
did not cease until all who could be
found were either killed or taken
prisoners, and by far, the greater
part of the slaughter after the first
onset was with their favorite wea-
pom, the tomahawk. Very soon the
Indians made preparations to leave
the bloody ground. The prisoners
were gathered In a group. We can
give at this late day only a very inn
perfect list of their names. Among
them were the following: James
Cunningham, Archibald Hamilton,
Marion Hamilton, Mary Hamilton,
Mrs. Jennie Gilmore, her son John
and two daughters, Betsey, Henry
and Margaret Cunningham, the girl
who was scalped two years before.
/ may, in this connection, give the
names as far as can, of those killed
in the two invasions. They were as
follows: The whole family of
Daugherty, Mrs. Jacob Cunning
ham, five of the Hamiltons, Thomas
Gilmore and Elizabeth, his wife,
William Gilmore and Jennie Nc
Kee.
The most reliable accounts which
/ could receive from aged people,
Tins, state that in the two invasions,
from sixty to eighty persons were
killed, and from twenty-five to thirty
carried into captivity in the two in
vasions. 1t is proper that we should
follow this sorrowful company of
prisoners on their march to the
Shawnee towns north of the Ohio
River, and near to where ChiilicOthe
now stands. 1t is surely not imagi-
nation TO say, that with weeping
faces, they took their way up the
valley of the Creek, many Of them
never to look upon their homes
again. Several mothers with in
fants in their arms were amongst the
number. No tongue can tell the
bitterness of their agony as they
took the last look at the mangled
bodies of members of their families
and friends, who are now to be left
lying cold in death. And as they
passed up the valley, they saw their
homes which, only the day before,
were filed with contented families.
Now all was desolation!
The incidents which / will now
give, were related by captives who
were afterwards redeemed by their
friends and brought back. Late in
the evening of the day the Indians
reached their first encampment
which was on small plot of ground
near the Creek and just at the head
of the meadow now owned by AL
fred Miller. Among the booty found
at the "Big Spring" was a supply
of whiskey. Mr.. Cunningham kept
a small distillery. This "fire wa
ter" they carried to their encanlp-
ment, and that night was spent by
them in drunken frolic which they
continued until the afternoon Of the
next day. The prisoners were hop
ing all night that company would
be raised and come to their relief as
they could easily have been routed
in their state of intoxication and all
the captives rescued. But there was
a general panic all over the country,
and those who might have gone in
pursuit, were hidden in the noun
tains. Some had fie,l as far as the
Blue Ridge. The next day two In
dians were seen to return to the
Spring. Their object was probably
to get more whiskey or to see if any
pursuit was likely to be made. They
were seen, by Mr.. Dale to shoot at a
man who ventured cautiously to ride
up the Creek and when he wheeled
his horse to ride off they clapped
their hands and shouted after him.
The captives related that the Indians
took other prisoners as they passed
on to the Ohio.
These we're probably taken on the
Cowpasture River, as it is known that
some were captured about that time.
At one of the encampments a
child became sick and fretful, when
one of the Indians took it from its
mother and dashed its head with
great force against tree, then threw
its bloody corpse over the neck and
shoulders of young girl sitting at
the root of the tree. This the pris-
Oners interpreted as signal that she
should die next, and their fOrebod-
ings were realized the next day
Another mother who was carrying
an infant became so much exhausted
and worn out before reaching the
Ohio river that she could scarcely
drag along at the rate they were
marching. She had been aided by
her fellow captives all that their try
ing circumstances would permit.
The Indians at last becoming exas-
perated at their detention, one of
them took the child and running
ahead sharpened pole with his to-