USA > West Virginia > Marion County > History and progress of the county of Marion, West Virginia, from its earliest settlement by the whites, down to the present, together with biographical sketches of its most prominent citizens > Part 3
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
around his waist above the knife ; this hindered him from getting at the knife quickly and while he con- tinued fumbling for it, Morgan succeeded in getting one of the Indian's fingers in his mouth. Finally the Indian found his knife, grasping it near the blade, while Morgan caught hold of the extremity of the handle, and as the redskin drew it from its scabbard, the old man closed his teeth on the finger he held with terrible force, causing the savage involuntarily to relax his grasp, Morgan quickly drew the knife through his hand and in an instant plunged it into his body; then, feeling the Indian sink lifeless back in his arms, he loosed his grasp and started for the fort. Meantime, Sarah, unable to keep pace with her brother, who by this time had reached the fort, followed in his footsteps until she came to the river where he had plunged in and swam across. She was making her way to the canoe when her father over- took her and they crossed to the fort together. After relating his adventures to the occupants of the fort, Morgan, well nigh exhausted, retired to rest, while a party of men went to the farm to see if traces of any other Indians could be found. On arriving at the place where the struggle had taken place the wound- ed Indian was not to be seen. They trailed him by the blood which had flowed from his side, and presently found him concealed in the branches of a
A
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tree. As they came towards him he greeted them appealingly with the salutation, " How do do broder, how do broder," and surrendered himself into their hands. Then occurred a most shocking scene. The vindictive passions of the men were fully aroused, so that they tomahawked and scalped the wounded In- dian-a proceeding worthy of savage warfare-and as if the measure of their revenge was not filled, they flayed him, tanned his skin, and converted it into shot pouches and belts.
The above incident took place on that part of Mor- gan's plantation which is a short distance north-east of the residence of the late George P. Morgan. David's cabin stood near where the burying ground of the Morgan family is now situated, and his body, with those of his family, rest within the inclosure.
About two months after this occurrence, as John Owens, John Juggins and Owen Owens were going to their corn field on Booth's creek, they were attacked by Indians, who killed and scalped John Owens and John Juggins, but Owen Owens succeeded in making his escape. A son of John Owens, who had been sent to the pasture for the horses, to use in plowing, heard the report of the gun, and not suspecting anything was wrong, came riding along on one horse, leading another. He was first observed by the Indians, and made aware of their presence by the bullets that came
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tree. As they came towards him he greeted them appealingly with the salutation, " How do do broder, how do broder," and surrendered himself into their hands. Then occurred a most shocking scene. The vindictive passions of the men were fully aroused, so that they tomahawked and scalped the wounded In- dian-a proceeding worthy of savage warfare-and as if the measure of their revenge was not filled, they flayed him, tanned his skin, and converted it into shot pouches and belts.
The above incident took place on that part of Mor- gan's plantation which is a short distance north-east of the residence of the late George P. Morgan. David's cabin stood near where the burying ground of the Morgan family is now situated, and his body, with those of his family, rest within the inclosure.
About two months after this occurrence, as John Owens, John Juggins and Owen Owens were going to their corn field on Booth's creek, they were attacked by Indians, who killed and scalped John Owens and John Juggins, but Owen Owens succeeded in making his escape. A son of John Owens, who had been sent to the pasture for the horses, to use in plowing, heard the report of the gun, and not suspecting anything was wrong, came riding along on one horse, leading another. He was first observed by the Indians, and made aware of their presence by the bullets that came
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whistling past him. None of them took effect, how- ever, and the Indians made a futile attempt to capture him by catching hold of the bridle reins, but he urged forward his horse and escaped unhurt.
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CHAPTER VIII.
HORATIO MORGAN-MASSACRE OF THE THOMAS FAMILY, ETC.
HE bloody deeds committed by the Indians, crea- ted within the hearts of the settlers a bitter en- mity toward them, and often led them to retaliate by the commission of about as barbarous acts as the sav- ages themselves were guilty of, as in the case of the Indian with whom Morgan had the encounter, related in the last chapter. Their vindictive passions once aroused they would forget for the moment that they were civilized men, and the bare sight of an Indian, whether friendly or otherwise, would arouse this spirit of revenge in their hearts, and they would be led to commit acts which in their thoughtful moments they regretted. A striking incident of this kind occurred, in which Horatio Morgan, of P'rickett's fort, was the principal actor.
While hunting one day, he unexpectedly came upon an Indian seated near a fire built on the river bank. Concealing himself behind a tree, Morgan watched the scene for some moments. Over the fire
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was suspended a pot in which an Indian boy was stirring a mixture of herbs and water. The first mentioned savage-an old man-sat upon a log with his head bowed in his hands, evidently very sick, and the boy was boiling the gruel to relieve his sufferings,
which appeared to be intense.
Not a considerate
thought for the pitiable condition of the old Indian seemed to enter the mind of Morgan, but raising his gun, after watching the scene awhile, he fired. The ball went crashing through the brain of the sick man, and he was forever freed from his sufferings. The boy, frightened at this sudden evidence that an enemy was at hand, took to the woods and made his escape.
Morgan was overcome with remorse the moment after he had fired the shot, and would have given the world to have been able to recall it. So stricken with shame was he at the cowardly advantage he had taken of the Indian, that it was not until years afterwards that he related the circumstance; and then it was with a feeling of deep regret at what he had so thoughtlessly done.
Early in the month of March, 1781, a party of In- dians raided upon the settlements of this neighbor- hood, and on the night of the fifth arrived at the house of Captain John Thomas, on Booth's creek, near the site of the town of Boothsville. Elizabeth Jug- gins, daughter of the John Juggins whose murder is chronicled in a previous chapter, was visiting at the 6
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
house at the time. When the Indians arrived at the house the occupants were engaged in family devotion to God, and Captain Thomas was in the act of repeat- ing the lines of the hymn, "Go worship at Emanuel's feet." Scarcely had he commenced when a gun was fired at him from without and he fell. The Indians then forced open the door and commenced the most dreadful tragedy that had yet taken place in this neighborhood. It was in vain that Mrs. Thomas im- plored the mercy of the savages for herself and chil- . dren. She was answered with a blow from a toma- hawk in the hands of a brawny warrior, and in quiek succession six of her children lay weltering in their blood around her body and that of her husband. The savages then proceeded to scalp their victims, and to plunder the house, after which they left, taking with them one little boy as a prisoner. Miss Juggins, as soon as she observed Captain Thomas fall, realized the danger and threw herself under a bed, where she re- mained hidden from the view of the Indians all through the terrible tragedy. When the savages had departed she came out from her hiding place, and found that Mrs. Thomas was still alive, though unable to move. She asked Miss Juggins to hand her the body of her murdered infant that lay a short distance from her, and the young lady afterwards said that her' pitiful glances around upon the bloody seene were enough to melt the stoutest heart. What a terrible
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contrast between the scene now and the one of a half hour before ! The unfortunate mother of the murder- ed family begged Elizabeth not to leave her ; but, anxious for her own safety, the girl left the house and took refuge the rest of the night between two logs. In the morning she spread the alarm among the neighbors, who hastened to the scene of the enormities. Mrs. Thomas was found lying in the yard, where she had crawled and died during the night. Her body was terribly mangled by the tomahawk, and had been torn by hogs. The Indians had evidently made the place a second visit, for all that remained of the house and the bodies of Captain Thomas and his children was a heap of ashes.
After this massacre, the settlement on Booth's creek was forsaken ; the settlers becoming alarmed for their safety, they went to Simpson's creek for greater secur- ity. Not long afterwards, John Owens, accompanied by some young men of the latter settlement, returned to his farm on Booth's creek for the purpose of thresh- ing some wheat, and while Oweus was upon a stack throwing down sheaves, several shots were fired at him by a party of Indians who were concealed a short distance off. He leaped from the stack and the men placed themselves on the defensive. It was soon evi- dent that the savages had departed, and they con- cluded to go back to Simpson's, procure reinforce- ments and pursue the enemy. This resolve was acted
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
upon and the trail of the Indians was afterwards fol- lowed to a point some distance beyond Shinnston, where the savages were observed in camp and lying about their fires. The whites fired at them, but with- out effect, and the Indians took to flight, one of them turning and firing at the pursuers. The shot was re- turned by Benjamin Coplin, and it was supposed the Indian was killed, though his body was not afterwards found. The pursuit was finally abandoned, and the settlers returned to the place where they had found the Indians encamped, and took possession of the horses and plunder they had left behind them in their flight.
CHAPTER IX.
CONTINUED HOSTILITIES OF THE SAVAGES -ATTACK ON THE CUNNINGHAMS AND CAPTURE OF MRS. CUNNINGHAM.
AMONG the settlers who came into the county about this time (1780-5,) were David Evans, one or two families of Witemans, Henry Leeper, Benjamin Veach, the Holberts and others. The first three settled in the vicinity of Yellow Rock ford on the West Fork. Veach settled upon the farm now occupied by Mr. Zebulon Musgrave, a short dis- tance west of Fairmont. Jonathan Nixon, from whom the Nixons of this county are descended, also located at this time near Boothsville. A great many other immigrants came into this region during these years following the close of the revolutionary war, and the population was thereby greatly increased, but the In- ยท dians did not cease their depredations.
Up to the middle of the year 1782, the knowledge of the surrender of Cornwallis, which virtually ended the War of Independence, had been kept from the In - dians by their British friends ; but it was now known
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
to them, and they began to fear that Virginia, now being rid of the English invaders, would concentrate her forces on her frontier and exterminate them at once. A grand council of several tribes convened at Chillicothe, and it was determined, by the advice of Simon Girty-a renegade white-to make the best of the present time, and prosecute with greater effort their war against the frontier, which resolve they carried out. More terrible raids than ever were made upon some of the frontier stations by large bodies of Indians,* but our more secluded and less important settlements did not suffer so much as formerly.
There were no serious depredations in this imme- diate neighborhood until the year 1785, when six In- dians came to the farm of Thomas and Edward Cunningham, on Bingamon creek. which empties into the West Fork a short distance above Worthing- ton. The two brothers lived with their respective families in separate houses almost adjoining each other. Thomas was east of the mountains on a trad- ing visit at this time, and his wife and four children were engaged in eating dinner, as was also Edward and his family in their house. Suddenly an Indian entered the former house and closed the door after him. Edward Cunningham, from his cabin, observed the proceeding, and after fastening his own door,
*The celebrated attacks upon Wheeling, (in which Elizabeth Zane disting- uished herself,) Rice's fort, on the Ohio river, and the intermediate settlements between Fort Pitt and Wheeling, occurred during these ralds.
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
stepped to a small window in the wall next the other house, and stood ready to fire the moment he should catch sight of the Indian. But the savage saw at once that if he retired from the house as he went in he would be exposed to Edward's fire ; for, through a similar window, he had observed the latter's actions. As soon as he saw Cunningham at the window of the other house he fired at him, but Edward saw the aim of the savage in time to avoid it. The moment the redskin saw he had missed his mark he seized an axe standing in the room and commeneed cutting his way out of the house through the back wall, so as not to expose himself to a shot from the other building by going out the front way. In the meantime another Indian came into the yard, and Edward fired at and wounded him. 1
All this time Mrs. Cunningham and her children, who were in the house with the Indian, had remained perfectly quiet, knowing that an attempt to escape would arouse his fury, and that if they succeeded in getting outside they would be killed by the savages in the yard. She hoped that he would withdraw without molesting any of them, after creating the aperture he had commenced. In this she was doomed to be sadly disappointed. When the opening was made sufficiently large, the savage approached the frightened group, and sinking his tomahawk into the brains of one of the children, threw the body into the
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
yard and ordered Mrs. Cunningham to follow. She obeyed, holding an infant in her arms and with two. other screaming children clinging to her. She was then made the unwilling witness of the scalping of her murdered son. After setting fire to the house, the Indian retired with his prisoners to an eminenee in an adjoining field, where two of his brethren were with the one wounded by Edward. The other two were in the yard watching for the opening of the door of the other house when the fire should drive the family from their shelter. When his cabin caught from the one already burning, however, Edward Cunningham and his son ascended to the loft, and throwing off the loose boards which formed the roof, extinguished the flames. In doing this they were in great risk of losing their lives, for the savages were shooting at them all the while, and the balls would frequently strike very close. Satisfied with the damage already done, the Indians finally abandoned for a time their designs against Edward and his family and made preparations to depart. They first tomahawked and scalped the remaining son of Mrs. Cunningham, and sank the hatchet into the head of her little daughter, whom they then took by the legs and beat her brains out against a tree. Mrs. Cunningham and her babe were carried off into captivity. The party crossed at Bing- amon creek and concealed themselves in a cave, where they remained until after nightfall. They then
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returned to Edward Cunningham's, and finding no signs of life, plundered and set fire to the house.
Fearful lest the Indians should renew the attack, the Cunninghams sought shelter in the woods, where they remained through the night, there being no other settlement nearer than eight miles. As soon as morn- ing dawned they proceeded to the nearest house and gave the alarm, and a company of men was formed to go in pursuit of the Indians. After burying the bodies of the murdered children, a search for the sav- ages was instituted, but the wily foe had so covered up their retreat that it was found impossible to dis- cover any traces of them, and the men returned to their homes. Several days afterwards the search was renewed, owing to circumstances which induced the belief that the Indians had not yet left the country. The trail was found and followed nearly to the cave before mentioned, where it was lost, because of the great care the savages had taken to cover it up. Night finally compelled them to desist. One of the party-Major Robinson-happened to think of the cave that night, and mentioned to his companions his suspicions that the savages were concealed there.
Early next morning the cave was examined, but the Indians had departed during the night, and were by that time far beyond the reach of pursuit. During the search the day previous the Indians were in the cave, and so close were the men to its mouth several
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
times, that Mrs. Cunningham, as she afterwards said, could hear their voices. The savages stood ready to fire in case they should be discovered, and compelled. her to keep the babe to her breast that its crying might not attract the attention of the whites.
It is beyond the power of pen to describe the suffer- ings of Mrs. Cunningham. mental and physical, dur- ing the journey to the Indian country. Obliged to walk the entire distance, she suffered internally from fatigue. Deprived of the necessary food, she herself almost perished from hunger, while the babe at her breast songht in vain for the milk it needed to sustain its little life-blood only came. Perceiving this, one of the Indians, with a tomahawk, put an end to its sufferings while it was still clinging to the breast. Ile then cast it to the side of the path, where it was left a prey for beasts. But these were not the worst of Mrs. Cunningham's trials. Her anguish of mind and the intensity of her bodily sufferings during the next ten days, cannot be described. During this whole time her only food consisted of three paw paws and the head of a wild turkey. When she arrived at an Indian town and was permitted for the first time to draw off her stockings, the skin and nails of her feet came off with them, by reason of the sealdings they had received by frequent wadings of water.
When they finally arrived at their own town, the Indians delivered Mrs. Cunningham over to the father
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
of the savage who had been wounded by Edward. It soon became apparent to her that she was reserved for some terrible torture ; for she was not permitted to change her clothes, but was obliged to wear those she had on, though they were extremely dirty.# One evening Simon Girty arrived at the village, and she resolved to plead with him to intercede for her deliv- erance, wbich resolve she acted upon the next day as soon as the opportunity offered. At first he was in- clined to make light of her petition ; but finally her tears and pleadings melted the hard heart of the wretched white savage and he relented. He paid her ransom and had her conducted to the commissioners for negotiating with the Indians, and by them she was taken to a station in Kentucky. Here she was furnished with a horse, and after experiencing many hardships, reached Holstein, and from thener she proceeded up the valley and home. Her husband was not there to welcome her, having learned some days before that she had been ransomed and taken to Ken- tueky, and had set out in quest of her. Hearing at Holstein of her having been there, he returned, and the meeting between husband and wife in a few days was a glad one, though the recollections of the sad fate of their children caused them afterwards many hours of bitter grief.
"This is a bad ouren for a captive annoing the Indians.
CHAPTER X.
A BOY'S ADVENTURE-THE INDIANS ON BUF- FALO CREEK-LEVI MORGAN'S ADVEN- TURE.
MONG the many incidents which serve to show the hardships to which the settlers were ex- posed, the following is not the least interesting :
Early in the month of March, 1786, Jonathan Nix- on, with his eldest son, George-then a lad nine years . of age-went from Edwards fort* to his farm, for the purpose of building a house and improving the land. After working two days in the woods, late on the second evening, Jonathan started for the house of John Tucker, where he spent the night, and directed his son to go back to the fort, a distance of five miles. The boy started but soon lost his way, and after wan- dering about in the forest for some time, he returned to the camp and laid down for the night. Next morn- ing he awoke to find that a snow had fallen to the
"Edwards' fort was located upon the George T. Martin farm, five miles south of Boothsvitle.
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY.
depth of eight or ten inches. After a second unsuc- cessful effort to find his way to the fort, the little fel- low returned again to the camp and lay down, cover- ing himself with a blanket.
In the meantime, his father, on awakening at Tucker's and finding that the snow had fallen, con- cluded not to return to his work, but to go hunting instead in company with Isaac Tucker. Sometime during the day, the hunters happened to come near the camp where George was, and observed the boy lying there almost frozen and unconscious. It was only by great exertions on the part of the men that the brave little fellow was resuscitated.
In the fall of the same year (1786), John Ice and James Snodgrass, left home to look for some horses they had lost while hunting buffalo on Fishing creek, and were attacked by the Indians, killed and scalped. The particulars of this tragedy were never known. Their remains, when afterwards found, were torn very much by the wolves.
A few days after this occurrence, a party of Indians came to Buffalo creek. Mrs. Dragoo and her son were in a cornfield gathering beans, when the savages sud- denly came upon them and took them prisoners. In hopes that the detention of their captives would be noticed, and parties from the house come to look for them, the Indians concealed themselves in ambush by the side of the path leading from the house. They 5
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were not disappointed, for, uneasy at the continued absence of Mrs. Dragoo and her son, Nicholas Wood and Jacob Straight came out to ascertain the cause. The Indians fired at them, killing Wood, and Straight took to flight, but was after a short chase, captured. The wife and daughter of Mr. Straight heard the firing, and seeing the savages in pursuit of the hus- band and father, also fled-not, however, unobserved by the Indians, who gave chase. The daughter con- cealed herself in a thicket, and Mrs. Straight sought shelter under a shelving rock, neither of them being afterwards discovered by the pursuers, though they passed very close to where the mother was sheltered. After Straight had been captured he said to a warrior, "don't kill ine, and I will go with you." " Will you ?" said the monster, and raising the fatal hatchet, he sank it into the brain of the wretched captive. Mrs. Straight could hear all this from her place of conceal- ment.
Mrs. Dragoo was afterwards murdered, being too in- firm to travel to the towns of the Indians. Her son, who was then a lad of seven years, was taken into captivity and remained with the savages nearly twenty years. He married a squaw and became the father of four children by her. At length he forsook the Indians and returned to his home on Buffalo creek, bringing with him two of his children.
In the following year (1787), the Indians came
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again to the settlement on Buffalo creek, near where stands the town of Farmington. Levi Morgan was not far from his home engaged in skinning a wolf which he had just caught in a trap, and on looking up from his occupation, observed three Indians com- ing toward him. One of them was mounted upon a horse, which Morgan recognized as belonging to a near neighbor, and he supposed at first that the rider was the owner. A second glance showed him his mis- take, and seizing his gun, he sprang quickly behind a large rock near by, the Indians taking refuge behind a tree. Looking out from his shelter, he observed the savages watching the far side of the rocks, evidently expecting him to make his appearance there. He fired at them and killed one, and on attempting to reload his gun, was obliged to desist, owing to his powder having all been wasted, by reason of the stop- per coming out of the horn while he was engaged in skinning the wolf. His only recourse then was flight, and he started off, one of the savages pursuing him. Finding his pursuer rapidly gaining on him, Morgan threw down his gun, hoping that it would tempt the Indian to delay a moment, but in vain. He then threw off his coat and shot pouch, but this design fail- ed, and the Indian still gained upon him. Morgan finally thought of another plan to arrest the pursuit, and immediately acted upon the idea. Arriving at the summit of a hill up which he had taken his flight,
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