Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-11-01
How Guards
Were Killed
By EDWARD G TUCKER

", Ky. by my grandfather. tllcn eight
oen years Of age. to bis mother liying
IN Ohio.
Dear Mother Since | wrote you we
have had considerable trouble with
the indians one moFume man
named Boone game IN from the south
and said purity Of redskins were
coming Up burning house~ by The WINS
and numbering the settlers We Ut
once set to work 10 inelogc the house
in fort. or course having littir time
we couldn't build nach Of a proiec
tion.
an we could do WIS 90 cut down
the trees within rifle shot, take the
trunks of the stplings and stand them
up IN circle, harylug one cnd IN the
ground inside we hnit a rude Plat.
form. on which man could waits
around the house and eeep ~ eye ont
for trouble,
( we got the thing furnished such as
it was before we heard anything or
the indians Thea one night we
heard shots TO the south, lasting about
hair an hour. then saw RID g'are The
IIarbcson family were the only ones
/ living in that direction and we rcck
uned they had been attneked. all had
been killed and their house burned
Pretty soon we saw forms on horse.
back in the dark coming 20 ~ and
/ we all got ready to defend ourselves
/ They came galnpng along straight
for IA. We knew Indians didut come
that way and held our IRE Thea
we heard a mans voice emil oui
"Trendaf' aud the tlarbesonH came
up
! we took them Ia. and they told
as they had defended their home gu
4 they saw they would be oscrppwered
then ran out the back door and, hid
/ den By trees reached the barn aud
rot away On tie hofsns without the
Indians knowing It | WINS mighty
glad 70 see Elizabeth who ia'nted
and fen 70 my arms aa snpn 40 she
/ got inside our sforhade
We didn't see IA Indian that night
or next day. bat | knew the rcdsdns
were nh nbout us They wore Watching
as from ambush felt pretty sure they
wtAd not attack IA eneniy. for thats
not their way Of deating True, We
had only nine men and two boys
though the women were ready 90 do
their part. bht tie red devils didn't
know how many we had and thp1
don't like sGocl.u1es uns way
on tire second night after the Ilafhet
sons came ~ WIS jim Hawkins tufn g
Keep watch. while we al slept with
our rifles ready beside Us FIe could see
so far on al sides that an Indian
couldn't shoot him without coming
over an open space, for. as you know
the house Is on the top Of hill What
were our surprise and horror ~ the
morning to find Jim's degd body on
the platform behind the stocknde lie
had been shot No one was III sight,
the only living thing we could see be-
ing . bear about a mile away walking
slowly toward a eIump Of trees Hc
was Just within range. but we didn't
shoot him. Ill our powder and BAH be
ing kept for the Indians
The next Night was Thursday, ana
John Harbeson insisted on taking the
watch II was awful ia the morning "a
see him lying dead the same as Jim
( Hawkins Two of our men had been
killed. leaving only seven II they
killed q man every night they'd have
us ali In week What we conldD',
understand was how the savage could
get within range. for the moon was
more than half full aad every night
was clear 4 sentinel nc the fort could
see q long distance
we were more terrified at this mode
OF warfare than any other the Indians
could practice Something must be
done. | proposed MS SION as i was
dark to crawl ont in the direction from
which both men must have been shot
and lie IN the bushes 10 watch. SO
about the time the others were going
to sleep SAN 1'uraer went on watch.
and crawled out, keeping behind low
bushes as far "a thought best and
by In a little hollow where the grass
was long
About . O'Clock IN the morning. when
+ was having to pinch myself 20 Keep
awake ! saw 10 the moonlight q bear
leave the same wood ! saw the one
20 into the morning lin Hawkins was
shot. He walked slowly about. noslne
the ground as though seeming some
thing, and noticed he was all the
hme getting nearer the fort
kept an eye on the creature. but
could not exactly make out what be
was doing rs and By he stopped
ard sat up 90 hls launches Then be
stood on his two hlntl legs. aud saw
be was using bis fore legs just as a
man would use bis arms
The Grst thing ! knew the bear stood
Just Ike q man about to shoot Then
the whole nlatter Of the shooting o.
our watchers popped into my bead
was lying Oh my stomach with my rife
IN my hand knew ! hndn't much
time to aim before the bear would
get Turner. so ! fired quick. ana the