Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-12-08
THEY SAVED THEIR ScALPS
Thrilling Experience of Capt. Benham
and One of His Men at
Hands Of Indians.

Modern methods of locomotion offer
many risks, but at least the traveller of
to-day does not know what 1t is to jour
ney in dread Of the tomahawk. The
danger of misplaced switch cannot
present itself with such insistent hor-
ror as did the ever-present possibility
of the lurking enemy of the forest. The
Magazine of American History gives an
account of thrilling experience which
occurred in 1779
In the fall of that year about 70 men,
in two large boats, endeavored to make
their way up the Mississippi from New
Orleans toward Fort Pitt with stores
of provisions. At the mouth of the Lit
tie Miami the Indians attacked them.
The white men noiselessly landed and
tried to elude the enemy, but the saw
ages seemed to spring out of the very
ground. Nearly all the party were
killed, although few escaped into the
forest.
During the slaughter Capt. Benham.
second in command, FELL pierced by a
bullet. Although he felt confident his
scalp was doomed, he lay perfectly still,
putting off the evil moment as long as
possible. In their eager pursuit the
Indians passed him by. When he was
sure they had gone, the captain pain
fully raised his head to see if he could
better his hiding, for he knew the saw
ages would be back for trophies. Near
by was newly fallen tree with unwith-
cred foliage. With much anguish the
wounded man managed to crawl into
| this shelter.
The next day, according to their Gus,
tom, the Indians returned to strip and
scalp their victims. The captain lay
expecting every moment to feel the cold
edge of the tomahawk. The prospect
of death by slow starvation did not seen
half so terrible as that at the Indians
hands. When the savages had accom-
plished their task, they went of, leav
ing Benham undiscovered.
The captains chance of life was poor
He had nothing to eat. nothing to drink
and the slightest movement caused hin
eXcruciatirg pain from his wound. o.
the evening of the second day he heart
n slight movement in the tree near him
He managed to reach his gun and shoe
a raccoon. But it was of no good t
him; he could not even reach it.
Soon after this the captain heard
cry in the forest. He thought it mus
be an Indian device TO discover hi
whereabouts, and lay still. But tn
call came nearer, and was unmistakabl,
that of white man. Capt. Benham an
swered it, and John Watson appeared
one of the company's men who hat
eluded the Indians. Both of Watson
arms were broken by bullets.
A partnership was immediatel
formed, one providing hands, the othe
feet. When game appeared the captain
would load and fire, while Watson woul
secure the prize by kicking it to his cou
rade, The captain cooked the food an
fed Watson. The greatest difficult
was to get water. At last Benham too
his skin cap and placed it in Watson
teeth. The latter then walked into tn
river deep enough to fill the receptacle
and brought ii hack to the captain, VIII
drank, ard held the cap for Watson t
satisfy his thirst
Thus the two wounded men helpe
each other until they were able to trav,
a little. They reached fork in tn
river, where they built little h,
! and waited for possible boat. Or
whole month they waited, and then
fatboat appeared. At first the par
In the boat would not respond to IL
frantic appeals of the men, becaul
| tley feared some trick of the Indian
, Finally they cautiously approache
and discovering the plight of the tv
almost helpless men, took them {
y board and cared for them.
e Capt. Benham lived to good ag
e and his granddaughter married Geor,
0 Prentice, the well-known writer al
+ Journalist.