Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1938-04-14

woods. They had gone ABOUT
hundred yards, their feet were torn
and bleeding. 1--WE cannot go bare
foot" said Lewis. i Will go back e4
tie further they discovered they
were unarmed. Back again to the
camp went Lewis and with gun
escaped the third time in safety.
At their utmost speed they travelled
and were about to be overtaken by
the Indians who had discovered
their absence The boys, hearing
their pursuers, slipped aside from
the trail. The Indians passed Oh
but soon returned. Lewis Whetzle
and his brother had successfully
banks Of the Ohio in safety. Lash
ing two logs together they crossed
the stream and soon reached home.
1t was about four years later
when Lewis was near eighteen when
he had perhaps the most famous
fight of his life. An expedition into
the Indian country, under leader
ship of Colonel Crawford had been
most disastrous. One of the return
persuaded Lewis Whetzle to return
with him in quest of his horse. In
surprise attack his companion was
killed. Whetzle knew his only safety
lay in flight and he ran at his ut
most speed. Four Indians bounded
from the shelter Of trees and fol-
lowed him with fleet footsteps. The
fugitive would soon be theirs, they
aroused the echoes with their fiend-
ish yells in glad anticipation of a
prisoner to torture or a scalp to be
added to their trophies. Half a
mile they ran and with sa9age
close upon his heels, Lewis dread
ing the tomahawk, turned and shot
him dead. Any pause would be ia
tai, for if he stopped to reload and
shot another there would be two
pursuing There was no need to
stop, however, as he had acquired
the ability to load his gun while at
full speed and this ability was now
and he was slightly in the lead. AS
he turned to fire, the foremost In
dian caught the muzzle of his gun
and the struggle was, for mo-
ment, of doubtful issue. With mas
ter strength Lewis Whetzle regained
possession of his gun and with its
muZzle touching the Indians neck,
killed him instantly. The others
had nearly ovretaken him also.
Springing forward he eluded their
grasp until having time TO reload,
uC SldChSilcu IIS pdCS duu HIS puI T.
suers fled to the safety of the trees
to shelter themselves from that ter
rible gun never unloaded. Another
mile was passed in this manner and
at last a comparatively open spot
was reached. Turning, he pointed
his piece at the foremost Indian;
the tree did not shelter him fully
and he fell dangerously wounded.
The fourth Indian retreated in hot
haste to tell his brethren of the
magic power he had escaped and
the story of the long-haired youth
whose gun was always loaded
The name of Lewis Whetzle was
a familiar one in that period of our
history between the Revolution and
, the formation of our state govern
ment Such a man as Lewis Whet-
zle could hardly live here in Ohio
after there were enough Inhabitants
to form a state. 1t would be en-
tirely too crowded for him. So he
would push on to the newer frontier
story of legend of the backwoods pc
riod of our state.
He left no record except the Nor
gan county rock, but it sheds light
and gives additional character to
the personality of the renowned In
dian fighter. For an Indian fighter
he was. His business was to keep
the Indians at bay while the pioneer
settler built his cabin and cleared
his plot; Enjoy the peace | have
which Lewis Whetzle left as a leg
acy to the Ohio frontiersman. He
believed that as long as the red
man roamed the western woods that
the settler would be handicapped
and molested. He considered that,
as he himself had been personally
wrOnged, it was his duty to kill ev-
cry Indian he met. His trusty rifle
and his skill as warrior to him
therefore was means of bringing
peace to the new homes of the GEN.
trail west.
The Whetzles had always acted in
self-defense, or as all settlers did
had attacked the Indians to prevent
the savages from attacking them;
but after 1887 a new element-a de-
sire of revenge-was added to their
motives. Whetzle's father, while
returning home in a canoe with a
single companion, was fired upon by
a party of Indians and was mortally
wounded. "Lie down in the canoe, =
will paddle as long as my strength
lasts. Maybe then We'll be out of
range" His heroism saved the life
of his friend and made his sons re-.
lentless enemies of the savages
Historical writer's all agree that
Lewis WhetZle carved his name with
his hunting knife upon the rock III
Morgan county An illustration of
the Whetzle rock and inscription
and account of his life can be found
in the revised edition of "My State,
Ohio" by Crow and Smith, and pub
lished by the Ohio Teachers Service