Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-24
house for several days before she sue
ceeded In getting rid Of them

| house for several days before she sue
ceeded in getting rid Of them.
In the home hers were the hands
that kept the fire burning on the hearth
all the long dreary winter, and when
the house was barred and bolted al
night, to keep out foes that were ex-
pected at all times, she would spend
long hours molding bullets for some of
Marions' men for her father and her
brothers, or perhaps for her sweetheart
for after the dark days were passed,
she married kinsman Of hers, Dav-
i'd Mckinney, who had distinguished
himself in the service Of Marion.
Barbara had been brought up under
the influence Of old Uncle Billy Davis's
predestination creeds, and was ortho-
dox in her belief that every dispensa-
tion Of Providence was fore-ordained.
She often expressed herself to the ef-
feet that If she was born to be killed
by Indians she would never be drown
ed in Fishing creek.
Hair breadth escapes from Indians
seemed to have had a fascination for
her. She had challenged them so Of
ten and escaped so successfully that
she had become reckless in risking her
ability or Ingenuity in outwitting
them.
The day came when there was no
bread. They had scraped the bottom
Of the meal barrel. To obtain more
meant a five-miles' ride across the
country swarming with cruel and
barbarous enemy. 1t looked like tempt
ing Providence to leave the shelter Of
the house, when only the day before
alarming reports had been circulated
of several depredations committed by
Indians in the settlement. But, there
was no one to come to their rescue She
had been to the mill scores Of times be-
fore and was not afraid to go again. SO
nothing daunted, she prepared her sack
Of corn the night before, and before
daylight brought her mare from its
hiding place in thicket nearby,
mounted 1t and with her old flintlock
musket across her lap. started for the
mill. AS she rode away OF that per-
ilous errand, who would not have ad-
mired her courageous spirit-her GER
tainty Of accomplishment?
She had not been gone more than an
hour and had just forded the creek
when a band of Indians rushed from
the underground where they had been
hidden and springing upon her, pulled
her from her mare, and wrenched her
musker from her hands. Then the long,
sharp scalping knife glittered in the
morning sun and she knew no more.
After scalping her and leaving her for
dead on the banks Of the creek, they
took the mare and sack Of corn and
fled. Barbara did not revive until hours
afterward. She crawled off into the
woods and hid herself in thicket
where all that long, hot summer day
she lay thirsting for water and almost
dead.
When night came on she left her
hiding place, slipped to the creek and
washed the blood from her hands and
face, after which she put her apron
over her head, and weak and fainting,
made her way home.
1t was many weeks before she recov-
cred from the fearful illness that fol-
lowed. But she lived to be very old
and was greatly beloved by all who
knew her.
She always wore black silk cap
upon her head and delighted in telling
the young folks who would gather
around her, Of the tragic way in which
she lost the soft brown hair Of her
youth. Also she told Of many other OF
her adventures, including all the things
here related.
NJ. Louise Jackson.