The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1912-12-06
How Guards
Were Killed
By EDWARD c. TUCKER

| garnet, containing family papers dS
| far back as 1901 1t was written I'M
| der date of 1907 from Henderson coun-
| ty, Ky. by my grandfather then eight
cen years Of age to his mother living
| in Ohio:
| Dear Mother-Since ! wrote you we
| have had considerable trouble with
the Indians. One morning d man
named Boone came in from the south
and said party Of redskins were
| coming up. burning houses by the way
| and numbering the settlers We at
| once set TO work to inclose the house
| in fort. OF course. having little time.
we couldn't build much Of "A protec-
| ton.
All we could do was to cut down
| the trees within rifle shot. take the.
| trunks of the saplings and stand them
| up in a circle. burying one end IN the
! ground Inside we built Il rude plat
| form. on which a man could walk
| around the house and keep an eye out
| for trouble.
| We got the thing furnished such as
| it was-before we heard anything OF
| the Indians Then one night we
| heard shots 70 the south. lasting about
| half an hour. then saw red glare The
Harbeson family We're the only ones
| living in that direction. and we reck-
oned they had been attacked. all Lad
been killed and their house burned.
| Pretty soon we saw forms on horse
| back in the dark coming 20 us. and
we all got ready to defend ourselves.
They came galloping along straight
| for us. We knew Indians didn't come
that way and held our fire. Then
we heard a mans voice call out
"Friendsr' and the Harbesons came
up.
We took them in, and they told
| us they had defended their home till
| they saw they would be overpowered.
| then ran out the back door and, hid
| den by trees. reached the barn and
| got away on the horses without the
Indians knowing it. was mighty
| glad to see Elizabeth. who tainted
| and fell in my arms as soon as she
| got inside our stockade.
We didn't see an Indian that night
| or next day. but l knew the redskins
were all about us. They were watching
| us from ambush. | felt pretty sure they
would not attack us openly. for that's
not their way of fighting. True. we
| had only nine men and two boys.
| though the women were ready to do
their part. but the red devils didn't
know how many we had, and they
don't like stockades anyway.
On the second night after the Harbe-
sons came it was Jim Hawkins turn to
keep watch. while we all slept with
our rifles ready beside us. He could see
so far on all 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 in the
morning to find Jim's dead body on
the platform behind the stockade. He
had been shot No one was in sight.
the only living thing we could see be-
ing a bear about mile away walking
slowly toward a clump Of trees. lie
was just within range. but we didn't
shoot him. all our powder and ball be-
ing kept for the Indians
The next night was Thursday. and
John Harbeson insisted on taking the
watch. 1t was awful in the morning to
see him lying dead. the same as Jim
Hawkins Two of our men had been
killed. leaving only seven. If they
killed man every night they'd have
us all in a week What we couldn't
understand was how the savage could
get within range. for the moon was
more than half full and every night
was clear sentinel at the fort could
see long distance.
We were more terrified at this mode
of warfare than any other the Indians
could practice. Something must be
done. | proposed as soon as ii was
dark to crawl out in the direction from
which both men must have been shot
and lie in the bushes to watch. SO
about the time the others were going
to sleep Sam Turner went on watch.
and | crawled out. keeping behind low
bushes as far as | thought best and
lay in little hollow where the grass
was long.
About O'Clock in the morning. when
was having to pinch myself to keep
awake. ! saw in the moonlight bear
leave the same wood saw the one
go into the morning Jim Hawkins was
shot. He walked slowly about. nosing
the ground as though seeming some
| thing, and | noticed be was all the
time getting nearer the fort.
kept an eye on the creature. but |
could not exactly make out what he
was doing. BY and by he stopped
and sat up on his launches Then he
stood on his two hind legs. and ! saw
| he was using his fore legs just as
| man would use his arms.
| The first thing knew the bear stood
| just like a man about to shoot. Then
| the whole matter of the shooting Of
| our watchers popped into my head.