The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1913-06-19
How tteGuards
Were Killed
By EDWARD c. TUCKER

far back as 1901. 1t was written uD-
der date Of 1907 from Henderson coun.
ty, KY. by my grandfather. then eight
cen years Of age. to bis mother living
In Ohio:
Dear Mother-Since wrote you we
have had considerable trouble with
the indians. One morning a 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 prOtec-
tion.
All we could do was to cut down
the trees within rifle shot. take the
trunks Of the saplings and stand them
up in y circle. burying one end In the
ground. Inside we built rude plat
form. Cd which a man could walk
around the house and keep an eye out
for trouble.
We got the thing furnlshed-such ~
It was-beforr we heard anything OF
the Indians. Then one night we
heard shots to the south. lasting about
half an hour. then saw red glare. The
Harbeson family were the only ones
living In that direction. and we reck'
oned they had been attacked. all had
been killed and their house burned:
Pretty soon we saw forms on horse
back in the dark coming to 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 head 'our~fire Then
We heard mans voice call out
"Friends! 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 hack 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 arnas a. soon as she
got inside our stocksde.
We didn't see. an Indian that night
or next day, but 1 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 bad. and they
don't like stockadas anyway.
On the second night after the Harbe-
sons came it was. Iim Hawkins turn to
keep watch. while we all slept with
our rifles ready beside rs. He could see
30 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 Jtm'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 q cfump Of trees. He
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 HarbesoD insisted on taking the
watch. It 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. II they
killed a man every night they'd have
us all in 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. A 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 rs 1t was
dark to crawl out in the direction from
which both men must have been shot
and lie in the bushes to watch. 50
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
Law in little hollow where the grass
was long.
About o'clock In the morning. when
was having to pinch myself to keep
awake, l saw in the moonlight a bear
leave the same wood l saw the one
20 into the morning Jim Hawkins was
shot. He walked slowly about, nosing
the ground as though seeming some
thing, and l noticed he was all the
time getting nearer the fort.
I kept an eye on the creature, but l
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 I knew the bear stood
Just like man about to shoot Then
the whole matter Of the shooting Of
our watchers popped into my head. l
was lying on my stomach. with my rifle
in my hand. knew hadn't much
time to aim before the bear would
: ret Turner, so fred quick, and the
! bear dropped. concluded I'd killed
, him, for aimed for his bead.
) I didn't dare to 60 to him for fear
some Indian behind him would pick