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One afternoon, about the 20th of May, William Bryant, accompanied by twenty men, hit the fort on a hunting expedition down the Elkhorn creek. Th.v moved with caution. until they had passed all the points where ambuscados } generally been formed. when, seeing no enemy, they became more bold, and is . termined, in order to sweep a large extent of country, to divide their c. ngay into two parties. One of them, conducted by Bryant in person, was to disrrod the Elkhorn on its southern bank, flanking out largely, and occupy as much ground as possible. The other, under the orders of James Hogan, a young farmer in good circumstances, was to move down in a parallel line upon the north bank. The two parties were to meet at night, and encamp together at the ne uth of Cane run.
Each punctually performed the first part of their plans. Hogan, however, had traveled but a few hundred yards, when he heard a loud voice behind him ex-
. MeClung's Sketches.
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claim in very good English, "stop, boys!" Hastily looking back, they saw several Indians, on foot, pursuing them as rapidly as possible. Without halting to count numbers, the party put spurs to their horses, and dashed through the woods at full speed, the Indians keeping close behind them, and at times gaining upon them. There was a led horse in company, which had been brought with them for the purpose of packing game. This was instantly abandoned, and fell into the hands of the Indians. Several of them lost their hats in the eagerness of flight; but quickly getting into the open woods, they left their pursuers so far behind, that they had leisure to breathe and inquire of each other, whether it was worth while to kill their horses before they had ascertained the number of the enemy.
They quickly determined to cross the creek, and await the approach of the In- dians. If they found them superior to their own and Bryant's party united. they would immediately return to the fort ; as, by continuing their march to the mouth of Cane run, they would bring a superior enemy upon their friends, and endan- ger the lives of the whole party. They accordingly crossed the creek, dis- mounted, and awaited the approach of the enemy. By this time it had become dark. The Indians were distinctly heard approaching the creek upon the opposite side, and after a short halt, a solitary warrior descended the bank and began to wade through the streani.
Hogan waited until he had emerged from the gloom of the trees which grew upon the bank, and as soon as he had reached the middle of the stream, where the light was more distinct, he took deliberate aim and fired. A great splashing in the water was heard, but presently all became quiet. The pursuit was discontinued, and the party remounting their horses, returned home. Anx- ious, however, to apprize Bryant's party of their danger, they left the fort before daylight on the ensuing morning, and rode rapidly down the creek, in the direc. tion of the mouth of Cane. When within a few hundred yards of the spot where they supposed the encampment to be, they heard the report of many guns in quick succession. Supposing that Bryant had fallen in with a herd of buffalo, they quickened their march in order to take part in the sport.
The morning was foggy, and the smoke of the guns lay so heavily upon the ground that they could see nothing until they had approached within twenty yards of the creck, when they suddenly found themselves within pistol shot of a party of Indians, very composedly seated upon their packs, and preparing their pipes. Both parties were much startled, but quickly recovering, they sheltered themselves, as usual, and the action opened with great vivacity. The Indians maintained their ground for half an hour with some firmness, but being hard pressed in front, and turned in flank, they at length gave way. and being closely pursued, were ultimately routed, with considerable loss, which, however, could not be distinctly ascertained. Of Hogan's party, one man was killed on the spot, and three others wounded, none inortally.
It happened that Bryant's company had encamped at the mouth of Cane. as had been agreed upon, and were unable to account for Hogan's absence. That. about daylight, they had heard a bell at a distance, which they immediately recor. nized as the one belonging to the led horse which had accompanied Hogan's party, and which, as we have seen, had been abandoned to the enemy the even- ing before. Supposing their friends to be bewildered in the fog. and unable to find their camp. Bryant, accompanied by Grant, one of his men. mounted a horse. and rode to the spot where the bell was still ringing. They quickly fell into jo ambuscade, and were fired upon. Bryant was mortally, and Grant severely wounded, the first being shot through the hip and both knees. the latter through the back.
Being both able to keep the saddle, however, they set spurs to their horses. and arrived at the station shortly after breakfast. The Indians, in the mean time, had fallen upon the encampment, and instantly dispersed it, and while pre- paring to regale themselves after their victory. were suddenly attacked, as we have seen, by Hogyin. The timidity of Hogau's party, at the first appearance . i the Indians, was the cause of the death of Bryant. The same men who the >> hastily in the evening, were able the next morning, by a little firmness, to van- quish the same party of Indians. Had they stood at first, an equal success would
ATTACK ON BRYANT'S STATION.
probably have attended them, and the life of their leader would have been pu- served.
On the night of the 14th of August. 1782, this station was surrounded by a body of Indians from various tribes, composed of about six hundred warriors, headed by the notorious renegade, Simon Girty. The fort was situated on the right of the present road from Maysville to Lexington, immediately on the south- ern bank of Elkhorn, and contained about forty cabins, placed in parallel lines, connected by strong palisades, and garrisoned by about forty or fifty men. On the succeeding morning the enemy showed themselves, but so secret and stealthy had been their approach. that not the slightest suspicion existed that the savages were in the neighborhood. Had the Indians showed themselves only a few hours later, they would have found the fort occupied only by old men, women and children, as the effective force of the garrison had determined to march on that morning to the assistance of Hoy's station, from which a messenger had ar- rived the evening before, with the intelligence of Holder's defeat. As it was. most of the garrison was under arms. and those out of the fort, generally, suc- ceeded in regaining the station.
The garrison was supplied with water from a spring at some distance from the fort, on its north-west side-an error common to most of the stations .- and in a long continued siege, necessarily resulting in dreadful suffering for want of wa- ter. Near this spring a considerable body of the Indians were placed in ambush- Girty and the Indian chief's making their arrangements for the assault under the erroneous opinion, superinduced from the military preparations within, that their approach had been discovered by the garrison.
Another party was ordered to take position in full view of the garrison-to display itself at a given time and open a fire upon them, with the hope of enticing them to an engagement outside of the walls. If this stratagem proved success- .ful, the remainder of the forces were so disposed as to sieze the opportunity which the withdrawal of the garrison afforded, to storm one of the gates and take forcible possession of the fort. Unapprised of the danger without. the garrison having completed their preparations for the intended excursion, threw open the gates, when a sudden firing announced the presence of an enemy. and the gates were instantly closed. The yells and screams of the Indians which accompanied the discharge of rifles, struck terror to the hearts of the women and children, and startled even the men ; but with the latter it was momentary only. Among the inhabitants of the station there were men of experience, of tried bravery, and intimately acquainted with the wiles of their Indian foemen. Such men might be startled, but never intimidated-and their resources and courage rose with the occasion which called them into requisition. Every effort was made to protect the station .* The gates, the bastions, the loopholes were manned-the breachts in the palisades were repaired, and messengers were forthwith dispatched to the adjoining stations to communicate intelligence of the siege, and to procure assist- ance.
* Mr. McClung has preserved a singular anecdote of female intrepidity connected with this siege, which we append :
" The more experienced of the garrison felt satisfied that a powerful party was in ambus cade near the spring. but at the same time they supposed that the Indians would not unmask themselves, until the firing on the opposite side of the fort was returned with such warmen, as to induce the belief that the feint had succeeded.
"Acting upon this impression, and yielding to the urgent necessity of the case, they sull- moned all the women, without exception, and explaining to them the circumstances th which they were placed, and the improbability that any injury won't be offered them, until The firing had been returned from the opposite side of the fort, they urged them to go i & the v to the spring. and each of them bring up a bucket full of water. Some of the ladies, as wad natural, had no relish tor the undertaking, and asked why the men could not bring water as well as themselves ? observing that they were not bullet proof, and that the Indians inade distinction between male and female scalps!
. To this it was answered. that women were in the habit of bringing water every morning to the fort, and that if the Indians saw them engaged as usual, it would induce them to thank that their ambuscade was undiscovered, and that they would not unmask themselves for the sake of firing at a few women, when they hoped, by remaining concealed a few moments lenger, to obtain complete possession of the fort. That if men should go down to the spring.
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The arrangements to meet the enemy being complete, thirteen young men were sent out of the fort to attack the decoy party. with orders to fire with grey: rapidity, and make as much noise as possible, but not to pursue the enemy too far, while the rest of the garrison took post on the opposite side of the forr, cocked their guns, and stood in readiness to receive the ambuscade as soon as it was unmasked. The firing of the light parties on the Lexington road was soon heard, and quickly became sharp and serious, gradually becoming more distant from the fort. Instantly Girty sprang up at the head of his five hundred warriors. and rushed rapidly upon the western gate, ready to force his way over the unde- fended palisades. Into this mass of dusky bodies, the garrison poured severa! rapid volleys of rifle balls with destructive effect. Their consternation may be imagined. With wild cries they dispersed on the right and left, and in two mir- utes not an Indian was to be seen. At the same time, the party who had sallied out on the Lexington road, came running into the fort at the opposite gate, in high spirits, and laughing heartily at the success of their manœuvre.
A regular attack, in the usual manner, then commenced. without much effect on either side, until two o'clock in the afternoon, when a new scene presented itself. Two men of the garrison, Tomlinson and Bell, who had been mounted upon theet horses, and sent at full speed to Lexington, announcing the arrival of the Indians and demanding reinforcements, found the town occupied only by women and children, and a few old men, the rest having marched at the intelligence of Hol- der's defent, to the general rendezvous at Hoy's station. The couriers instantly followed at a gallop, and overtaking them on the road, informed them of the dan- ger to which Lexington was exposed during their absence. The whole party: amounting to sixteen horsemen, and more than double that number on foot. with some additional volunteers from Boone's station, instantly countermarched. and repaired with all possible expedition to Bryant's station. They were entirely ignorant of the overwhelming numbers opposed to them, or they would have pro- ceeded with more caution. By great exertions, horse and foot appeared before Bryant's at two in the afternoon, and pressed forward with precipitate gallantry to throw themselves into the fort. The Indians. however, had been aware of the departure of the two couriers, who had, in fact, broken through their line in order to give the alarm, and expecting the arrival of reinforcements, had taken meas- ures to meet them.
'To the left of the long and narrow lane, where the Maysville and Lexington road now runs, there were more than one hundred acres of green standing corn. The usual road from Lexington to Bryant's, ran parallel to the fence of this field. and only a few feet distant from it. On the opposite side of the road was a thick wood. Here more than three hundred Indians lay in ambush, within pistol shot of the road, awaiting the approach of the party. The horsemen came in view at a time when the firing had ceased, and every thing was quiet. Seeing no enemy and hearing no noise, they entered the lane at a gallop, and were instantly salu- ted with a shower of rifle balls from each side, at the distance of ten paces.
At the first shot, the whole party set spurs to their horses, and rode at full speed through a rolling fire from either side, which continued for several hundred yards. but owing partly to the furious rate at which they rode, partly to the clouds of dust raised by the horses' feet, they all entered the fort unhurt. The men on fort were less fortunate. They were advancing through the corn-field, and mich!
the Indians would inunediately suspect that something was wrong, would despair of sur- ceedinz by ambuscade. and would instantly rush upon them, follow them into the forr. . : shoot them down at the spring. The derision was soon over.
" A few of the boldest declared their readiness to brave the danger, and the younger and more timid raliving in the rear of these veterans, they all marched down in a buddy to the spring, within point blank shot of more than five hundred Indian warriors! Some of the girls could not Help betraying symptoms of terror, but the married women, in general, moved with a steadiness and composure that completely deceived the Indians. Not a shot was fired. The party were permitted to fill their buckets, oue after another, without interruption. and although their steps became quicker and quicker, on their return, and when near the gate of the fort, degenerated into a rather undit ary celerity, attended with some little crowding in passing the gate, get not more than one-fifth of the water was spilled, and the eyes of the youngest had not dilated to more than double their ordinary size."-See M' Clung's Sketch's, page 62.
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ATTACK ON BRYANT'S STATION.
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have reached the fort in safety, but for their eagerness to succor their friends. Without reflecting, that from the weight and extent of the fire, the enemy must have been ten times their number, they ran up with inconsiderate courage, to the spot where the firing was heard, and there found themselves ent off from the fort, and within pistol shot of more than three hundred savages.
Fortunately the Indian guns had just been discharged, and they had not yet leisure to re-load. At the sight of this brave body of footmen, however, they raised a hideous yell, and rushed upon them, tomahawk in hand. Nothing imt the high corn and their loaded rifles, could have saved them from destruction. The Indians were cautious in rushing upon a loaded rifle, with only a tomahawk, and when they halted to load their pieces, the Kentuckians ran with great rapidity, turning and dodging through the corn in every direction. Some entered the wood and escaped through the thickets of cane, some were shot down in the corn-field. others maintained a running fight, halting occasionally behind trees and keeping the enemy at bay with their rifles; for, of all men, the Indians are generally the most cautious. in exposing themselves to danger. A stout, active young fellow. was so hard pressed by Girty and several savages, that he was compelled to dis- charge his rifle, (however unwilling, having no time to re-load it. ) and Girty fell. It happened, however, that a piece of thick sole-leather was in his shot-pouch at the time, which received the ball, and preserved his life, although the force of the blow felled him to the ground. The savages halted upon his fall, and the young man escaped.
Although the skirmish and the race lasted for more than an hour, during which the corn-field presented a scene of turmoil and bustle which can scarcely be con- ceived, yet very few lives were lost. Only six of the white men were killed and wounded, and probably still fewer of the enemy, as the whites never fired until absolutely necessary, but reserved their loads as a check upon the enemy. Had the Indians pursued them to Lexington. they might have possessed themselves of it without resistance, as there was no force there to oppose them ; but after fol- lowing the fugitives for a few hundred yards, they returned to the hopeless siege of the fort.
It was now near sunset, and the fire on both sides had slackened. The Indians had become discouraged. Their loss in the morning had been heavy, and the country was evidently arming, and would soon be upon them. They had made no impression upon the fort. and without artillery could hope to make none. The chief's spoke of raising the siege and decamping ; but Girty determined, since his arms had been unavailing, to -try the efficacy of negotiation. Near one of the bastions there was a large stump, to which he crept on his hands and knees, and from which he hailed the garrison.
He highly commended their courage. but assured them, that further resistance would be madness, as he had six hundred warriors with him, and was in hourly expectation of reinforcements, with artillery. which would instantly blow their cabins into the air : that if the fort was taken by storm, as it certainly would be, when their cannon arrived, it would be impossible for him to save their lives ; but if they surrendered at once. he gave them his honor, that not a hair of their heads should be injured. He told them his name. inquired whether they knew him, and assured them that they might safely trust to his honor.
The garrison listened in silence to his speech, and many of them looked very blank at the mention of the artillery, as the Indians had, on one occasion, brought cannon with them. and destroyed two stations. But a young man by the name of Reynolds, highly distinguished for courage, energy, and a frolicsome gaiety of temper. perceiving the effect of Girty's speech, took upon himself to reply to e.
To Girty's inquiry. "whether the garrison knew him ?" Reynolds replied. " 'That he was very well known ; that he himself had a worthless dog, to which he had given the name of Simon Girty.' in consequence of his striking rosen- blanco to the man of that name ; that if he had either artillery or reinforcements, he might bring them up and be d-d ; that if either himself, or any of the naked! rascals with him, found their way into the fort. they would disdain to use their guns against them, but would drive them out again with switches, of which they had collected a great number for that purpose alone; and finally. he declared that They also expected reinforcements ; that the whole country was marching to their assistance; and that if Girty and his gang of murderers remained twenty-four
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hours longer before the fort, their scalps would be found drying in the sun upon the roofs of their cabins."
Girty took great offence at the tone and language of the young Kenturkian, and retired with an expression of sorrow for the inevitable destruction which awaited them on the following morning. He quickly rejoined the chiefs; and instant preparations were made for raising the siege. The night passed away in umn- terrupted tranquility, and at daylight in the morning, the Indian camp was found deserted. Fires were still burning brightly, and several pieces of meat were left upon their roasting sticks, from which it was inferred that they had retreated a short time before daylight.
In 1780, Transylvania Seminary, the first literary institution of the west, was established by the legislature of Virginia. One-sixth of the surveyor's fees. for- merly conferred on the college of William and Mary, with eight thousand acres of the first land in the then county of Kentucky, which should be confiscated, were granted for the endowment and support of the seminary. This institution was the nucleus of literature and sound learning in Kentucky, which can now boast of a greater number of colleges than any other State in the American union.
Early in the spring of 1780, Mr. ALEXANDER MCCONNELL, of Lexington, Ky., went into the woods on foot, to hunt deer. He soon killed a large buck, and re- turned home for a horse, in order to bring it in. During his absence, a party of five Indians, on one of their usnal skulking expeditions, accidentally stumbled on the body of the deer, and perceiving that it had been recently killed, they naturally supposed that the hunter would speedily return to secore the flesh. Three of them, therefore, took their station within close rifle shot of the deer, while the other two followed the trail of the hunter, and waylaid the path by which he was expected to return. McConnell, expecting no danger, rode carelessly along the path, which the two scouts were watching, until he had come within view of the deer, when he was fired upon by the whole party, and his horse killed. While laboring to extricate himself from the dying animal, he was seized by his ene- mies, instantly overpowered, and borne off as a prisoner.
His captors, however, seemed to be a merry, good natured set of fellows, and permitted him to accompany them unbound ; and, what was rather extraordinary, allowed him to retain his gun and hunting accoutrements. He accompanied them with great apparent cheerfulness through the day, and displayed his dex- terity in shooting deer for the use of the company, until they began to regard him with great partiality. Having traveled with them in this manner for several days, they at length reached the banks of the Ohio river. Heretofore, the Indi- ans had taken the precaution to bind him at night, although not very securely ; but on that evening he remonstrated with them on the subject, and complained so strongly of the pain which the cords gave him, that they merely wrapped the buffalo tug loosely around his wrists, and having tied it in an easy knot, and at- tached the extremities of the rope to their own bodies. in order to prevent his moving without awakening them, they very composedly went to sleep, leaving the prisoner to follow their example or not, as he pleased.
McConnell determined to effect his escape that night, if possible, as on the following night they would cross the river, which would render it much more difficult. He, therefore, lay quiet until near midnight, anxiously ruminating upon the best means of effecting his object. Accidentally casting his eyes in the direction of his feet, they fell upon the glittering blade of a knife, which had e- caped its sheath, and was now lying near the feet of one of the Indians. T. reach it with his hands, without disturbing the two Indians, to whom he was fastened, would be impossible, and it was very hazardous to attempt to draw it up with his feet. This, however, he attempted. With much difficulty he grasped the blade between his toes, and after repeated and long continued efforts. succeeded at length in bringing it within reach of his hands.
To ent his cords, was then but the work of a moment, and gradually and si- lently extricating his person from the arms of the Indians, he walked to the fire and sat down. He saw that his work was but half done. That if he should as- tempt to return home, without destroying his enemies, he would assuredly be
·M'Clung's Sketches.
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ESCAPE FROM THE INDIANS.
pursued and probably overtaken, when his fate would be certain. On the other hand, it seemed almost impossible for a single man to succeed in conflict with five Indians, even although unarmed and asleep. He could not hope to dial 1 blow with his knife so silently and fatally, as to destroy each one of his enthatis in turn, withont awakening the rest. Their slumbers were proverbially light and restless ; and if he failed with a single one, he must instantly be overpowered by the survivors. The knife, therefore, was out of the question.
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