The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1908-04-29
Early History.


scalping Mr.. Scott, they muir
dered and scalped his five chill /
dren, pluudered and burned the
cabin, took Mrs. Scott prisoner,
and started back on their long
journey Co their towns beyond I
the Ohio. Her sufferings dur /
ing this journey, over steep
mountains and through deep 1
and rapid streams, were indie |
scribable. When, faint and 4
weary and foot-sore, she failed I
TO travel as rapidly as her cap /
tors desired, they would slap
her In the face with tho bloody
scalps of her husband and chill
dren. Being a woman of great
strength, activity and nerve,
she bore up wonderfully, and
even surprised the savages by
her endurance.
After travelling about two
hundred smiles, and reaching
one Of their fav0rite hunting
grounds In Kentucky, not far
from the Ohio. they stopped
few days TO rest aud hunt. IL
was decided among them that
one of the Indians, when they
reached their town on the
Mama, should have their cap
tive for a wife. and hence he
was designate d TO gnard her
while the rest were engaged in
the hunt. Some hours after
they had left, the Indian on
guard fell into a profound sleep,
seeing which and making "A
noise that did not seem 10 dis
turb his slumbers. she deter
mined 20 kill him with his own
tOmahawk, which Jay by his
side, and then try 10 escape
She took the weapon and raised
it above his head. but being
! weak and nervous from fatigue
and distress of mind. she feared
she might not be able 20 strike
a fatal blow, and concluded 10
make an effort 10 escape She
made her way TO a spring a
short distance from the camp,
waded along the branch 20 con
ceal her trail, and was soon safe
from the pursuit of her guard
in a thick canebrake. Hearing
those who were hunting not a
great way OFT, she waited until
their whooping died in the dis
/ fsar 81. -. II.
the long aud perilous journey
toward the Cumberland Noun
tain. the dim outline Of which
she had seen as she crossed an
elevation. For weeks she wan
dcred through the unbroken
forest, without food and almost
destitute. of raiment. subsisting
on berries, barks and roots, and
many days wandering - much
out OF her way as tO make but
a mile or two Finally coming
10 river (suppOsed 90 be the.
! Kentucky She found path on
the bank, which she followed q.
One morning while following
the path up stream, she heard a
hunting party meeting her and
seeing a large sycamore near
the path, she stepped behind it,
and fortunately found a hollow
where she concealed herself till
the Indians had passed. A day
or two after this, and before
she had reached the headWaters
of the stream, she heard the In
! dians on her trall with dogs.
, She crawlea into "a hollow toy
that lay across the path, over
y which some of them jumped
= their ponies and others passing
around the end Wa huul discov
/, ering her.
After the Indians had dis ap
peared she followed on very
cautiously till she came to
where the path forked. This
perplexed her somewhat, mol
= knowing which to take. She
!! finally took the left, which
seemed TO be the plainest, when
: a bird flew past, touched hei
, shoulder, and lighted in the
other path. She kept on, how
, ever, but had proceeded but 9
, few steps when the bird repeat
ed its singular action. This lee
her To stop and reflect, ane
: coming TO the conclusion tha
) the bird Mas the spirit of "n'
a H.. a ..4..I.l~..