USA > West Virginia > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, West Virginia : from the early days of Northwestern Virginia to the present > Part 11
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
by Jackson to get behind a tree or they would soon let him know where they were. Instantly the report of a gun was heard and Schoolcraft let fall his arm. The ball had passed through it and striking a steel tobacco box in his waistcoat pocket, did him no further injury. Cutright when one of the Indians saw another of them drop behind a log, changed his posi- tion and espying the Indian where the log was a little raised from the earth, with steady nerves drew upon him. The moaning cry of the savage as he sprang from the earth and moved haltingly away, convinced them that the shot had taken effect. The rest of the Indians continued behind trees, until they observed a reinforcement coming up to the aid of the whites, and they fled with the utmost precipitancy. Night soon coming on, those who followed them had to give over the pursuit.
A company of fifteen men went early next morning to the battle ground, and taking the trail of the Indians and pursued it some distance came to where they had some horses, which they had stolen after the skirmish, hobbled out on a fork of Hacker's Creek. They then found the plunder which the savages had taken from neighboring houses, and supposing that their wounded warriors were near, the whites commenced looking for them, when a gun was fired at them from a laurel thicket by an Indian concealed there, which wounded John Cutright. The whites then caught the stolen horses and returned with them and the plunder to the fort.
For sometime after this nothing occurred to indicate the presence of Indians in the Buckhannon settlement, and some of those who were in the fort, hoping that they should not be again visited by them this season, determined on returning to their homes. Austin Schoolcraft was one of these, and being engaged in removing some of his property from the fort as he and his niece were passing through a swamp on their way to his home, they were shot at by some Indians. Mr. Schoolcraft was killed and his niece taken prisoner.
In June 1780 John Owens, John Juggins and Owen Owens were attacked by some Indians as they were going to their cornfields on Booth's Creek and the two former were killed and scalped. Owen Owens being some distance behind them made his escape to the fort. John Owens, the younger, who had been to the pasture field for the plough horses, heard the guns, but not suspecting any danger to be near, rode forward towards the corn field. As he was proceeding along the path by a fence side riding one and leading another horse he was fired at by several Indians, some of whom afterwards rushed forward and caught at the bridle reins, yet he escaped unhurt from them all.
The savages likewise visited Cheat River during the Spring of this year. 1780, and coming to the house of John Sims, were discovered by a negro woman, who ran immediately to the door and alarmed the family.
Bernard Sims, just recovering from the small pox, taking down his gun and going to the door was shot. The Indians perceived that he was affected with a disease of all others the most terrifying to them and not only did not perform the accustomed operation of scalping, but retreated with as much rapidity as if they had been pursued by an overwhelming force of armed men exclaiming as they ran "small pox, small pox."
Early in March 1781 a party of Indians invaded the settlements on
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the upper branches of the Monongahela river, and on the night of the 5th of that month came to the house of Captain John Thomas near Booth's Creek.
This gentleman was engaged in his accustomed evening devotions with his family around him when the savages approached his door, and as he was repeating the first lines of the hymn, "Go worship at Emanuel's feet" a gun was fired at him and he fell. The Indians immediately forced open the door and entered the house.
The strokes of the tomahawk followed in quick succession until the mother and six children lay weltering in blood, by the side of the husband and father. When all were down they proceeded to scalp the fallen, and plunder the house of what they readily could remove, threw the other things into the fire and departed taking with them one little boy a prisoner.
Elizabeth Juggens, the daughter of John Juggens, who had been murdered in that vicinity the preceding year, was at the house of Captain Thomas when the Indians came to it, but as soon as she heard the report of the gun and saw Captain Thomas fall, she threw herself under the bed and escaped the observation of the savages.
After they had completed the work of blood and left the house fearing that they might be lingering near, she remained in that situation until she observed the house to be in flames, when she crawled forth from her asylum. Mrs. Thomas was still alive though unable to move. Upon seeing Miss Juggens about to leave the house, she exclaimed "Oh Betsey, do not leave us :" Still anxious for her own safety the girl rushed out, and taking refuge for the night between two logs in the morning early spread the alarm.
When the scene of these cruelties was visited, Mrs. Thomas was found dead in the yard, and the house together with Captain Thomas and the children was a heap of ashes.
The victims were buried a short distance from the house and the graves until recently were marked by the original rude headstones.
In 1888, one hundred and seven years after the massacre the ground around where the house stood was ploughed, and among pieces of crockery ware, charred ears of Indian corn was a combination sun dial and pocket compass about two inches in diameter in a copper case, and notwithstanding its long burial the magnetic needle still pointed to the pole. Samuel R. Harrison, showed the writer the pocket compass, and told him of the other relics found.
In April 1781, Mathis, Simon and Michael Schoolcraft left Buck- hannon fort and went to the head of Stone Coal Creek for the purpose of catching pigeons. On their return they were fired upon by the Indians and Mathias killed. The other two were taken captive. These were the last of the Schoolcraft family. Fifteen of them were killed or taken prisoners in the space of a few years.
Of those who were carried into captivity none ever returned. They were supposed to have associated with the savages, and from the reports of those who were prisoners to the Indians, three of them used to accom- pany war parties in their incursions into the settlements.
In the same month as some men were returning to Cheat River from
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Clarksburg where they had been to obtain certificates of settement rights to their lands from the commissioners appointed to adjust land claims in the counties of Ohio, Youghiogany and Monongalia, they after having crossed the Valley River were encountered by a large party of Indians, and John Manear, Daniel Cameron and a Mr. Cooper were killed, the others effected their escape with difficulty.
The savages then moved on towards the Cheat River, but meeting with James Brown and Stephen Radcliff and not being able to kill or take them, they changed their course and passing over to Leading in Tygart's Valley nearly destroyed the whole settlement.
They there killed Alexander Rooney, Mrs. Dougherty, Mrs. Hornbeck and her children, Mrs. Buffington and her children and many others, and made prisoners of Mrs. Roney and her son and Daniel Dougherty, Jonathan Buffington and Benjamin Hornbeck succeeded in making their escape and carried the doleful tidings to Friend's and Wilson's forts.
Colonel Wilson immediately raised a company of men and proceeding to Leading Creek found the settlement without inhabitants and the houses nearly all burned. He then pressed after the savages but not coming up with them as soon as was expected, the men became fearful of the conse- quences which might result to their own families by reason of this abstrac- tion of their defence provided other Indians were to attack them, and insisted on their returning. On the second day of the pursuit it was agreed that a majority of the company should decide whether they were to proceed further of not. Joseph Friend, Richard Kettle, Alexander West and Colonel Wilson were the only persons in favor of going on and they conse- quently returned.
When the land claimants, who had been the first to encounter this party of Indians, escaped from them, they fled back to Clarksburg and gave the alarm. This was quickly communicated to other settlements, and spies were sent out to watch for the enemy. By some of these the savages were discovered on the West Fork near the mouth of Isaac's Creek, and intelli- gence was immediately carried to the forts. Colonel Lowther collected a company of men, and going in pursuit came in view of their encampment awhile before night on a branch of Hughes River ever since known as the Indian Creek.
Jesse and Elias Hughes were left to watch the movements of the savages while the remainder retired a small distance to refresh themselves and prepare to attack them in the morning.
Before daylight Colonel Lowther arranged his men so as to command the Indian Camp and when it became light at the signal being given a general fire was poured in upon them. Five of the savages fell dead and the others fled leaving at their fires all their shot bags and plunder, and all their guns except one. Upon going to their camp it was found that one of the prisoners, a son of Alexander Roney who had been killed in the Leading Creek massacre, was among the slain. Every care had been taken to guard against such an occurence and he was the only one of the captives who sustained any injury from the fire of the whites.
In consequence of the information received from the prisoners who were rescued, among them being Mrs. Alexander Roney and Daniel Dough-
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erty, that a large party of Indians were expected hourly to come up, Colonel Lowther deemed it not prudent to go in pursuit of those who had fled, and collecting the plunder which the savages had left catching the horses, which they had stolen, and having buried young Roney, the party set out on its return and marched home, highly gratified at the success which had crowned their exertions to punish their savage foes. The fol- lowing incident is given in Thwaites' new edition of Border Warfare, and in History of Randolph County.
In this affair as soon as the fire was opened upon the Indian camp, Mrs. Roney, one of the prisoners, ran towards the whites exclaiming, "I am Aleck Roney's wife of the Valley, and a pretty little woman, too, if I was well dressed." She was then ignorant of the fate of her son who had just been killed by the whites.
Another of the captives, Daniel Dougherty, being tied down to the ground and unable to move, one of the whites leveled his gun at him and demanded to know who he was. Being benumbed with cold and having a strong Irish accent he could scarcely make himself understood but finally managed to say, "Lord Jasus, am I to be killed by white paple at last ?"
He was heard by Colonel Lowther and his life saved. Some short time after this, John Jackson and his son, George, on their way to Buck- hannon fort were fired on by a party of Indians but without effect.
George Jackson fired at an Indian he saw peeping from behind a tree but without effect, and they then rode off with the utmost speed.
At the usual period of leaving the forts and returning to their farms the inhabitants withdrew from the Buckhannon fort and returned to their respective homes. Soon after a party of savages came to the house of Charles Furnash and made prisoners of Mrs. Furnash and her four chil- dren and despoiled thir dwelling. Mrs. Furnash being a delicate woman and unable to endure the fatigue of traveling far on foot, was murdered on Hughes River. Three of the children were afterwards redeemed and came back, the fourth was never heard of.
In a few days after this occurence the husband and father returned from Winchester where he had been for salt, to find his home desolate and his family in the hands of the savages.
On the 8th of February, 1782, while Henry Fink and his son John were engaged in sledding rails on their farm in the Buckhannon settle- ment several guns were fired at them, and before John had time to reply to his father's inquiry whether he was hurt, another gun was fired and he fell lifeless. Having unloosed the chain which fastened the horse to the sled, the elder Fink mounted and galloped away. He reached home safely and moved his family to the fort. On the next day it was discovered that at the first fire John had been wounded in the arm, and that the second had passed through his heart.
The year 1782 was a sad and disastrous one to the settlers on the fron- tier of Virginia, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.
The Hacker's Creek settlement had been abandoned three years be- fore and this year the Buckhannon settlers abandoned their improvements and moved elsewhere, being unable to hold their own with the savage foe.
The expedition commanded by Colonel William Crawford of Western
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Pennsylvania against the Indian towns in Ohio met with a disastrous de- feat, their commander being captured and burned at the stake.
Notwithstanding that the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown had practically brought an end to the war of the Revolution, yet the savag- es still continued their murderous expeditions against the frontier settle- ments east of and along the Ohio River.
It was seriously contemplated at one time that year of abandoning the Monongahela Valley and conducting the settlers east of the mountains as will be shown by letters between officials hereafter printed.
The hardy pioneers discouraged by the inability of the authorities east of the mountains to render them any assistance and fearful of the de- struction of their children and families, it is not to be wondered at that they would be wearied by the continuous raids of the savages and conclude to move to a less distracted location.
At this time, 1782, the present territory of Harrison County was com- prised in Monongalia County. Colonel John Evans was the County Lieu- tenant and Colonel Benjamin Wilson was commander of the Militia.
The Indians commenced their depredations early this year and on the 8th of March, 1782, as William White, Timothy Dorman and his wife were going to and in sight of Buckhannon fort, some guns were discharged at them and White, being shot through the hip, soon fell from his horse and was tomahawked and scalped. Dorman and his wife were taken prisoners. The people in the fort heard the firing and flew to arms, but the river being between, the savages cleared themselves while the whites were cross- ing over.
After the killing of White one of the most active and vigilant scouts, and the capture of Dorman it was resolved to abandon Buckhannon Fort and seek elsewhere that security from the calamity that threatened to be- fall them if they remained.
Dorman, who had been transported to this country for his offenses in England, was a man of a revengeful and quarrelsome disposition, and from his knowledge of the country it was believed that he would guide the Indians to the houses of the settlers with whom he was at emnity and encourage them in their cruel work.
While some of the inhabitants of the Buckhannon settlement were engaged in moving their property to a fort in the Tygart's Valley, the others moving to Nutter's fort and to Clarksburg, they were fired upon by a party of savages and two of them, Michael Hagle and Elias Payn- ter, fell. The horse on which John Bush was riding was shot through, yet Bush succeeded in extricating himself from the falling animal and escaped though closely pursued by one of the savages. Several times the Indian pursuing him would cry out to him, "Stop and you shall not be hurt. If you do not, I shall shoot you," and once, Bush, nearly exhaust- ed and in despair of getting off, actually relaxed his pace for the purpose of yielding himself a prisoner, when, turning around, he saw the savage stop also and commence loading his gun. This inspired Bush with fear for the consequences and, renewing his flight, he made his escape.
Edward Tanner, a mere youth, was soon taken prisoner, and as he was being carried to their towns met between twenty and thirty savages
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led by Timothy Dorman proceeding to attack Buckhannon fort. Learn- ing from him that the inhabitants were moving from it, and that it would be abandoned in a few days, the Indians pursued their journey with so much haste that Dorman had well nigh failed from fatigue. They arrived, however, too late for their bloody purpose. The settlement was deserted and the inhabitants safe within the walls of other fortresses.
A few days after the evacuation of the fort some of its former in- mates went from Clarksburg to Buckhannon for grain which had been left there. When they came in sight they beheld a heap of ashes where the fort had been, and proceeding on they became convinced that the sav- ages were yet lurking in the neighborhood. They, however, continued to go from farm to farm collecting grain but with the utmost diligence and caution, and at night went to an outhouse near where the fort had stood. Here they found a paper with the name of Timothy Dorman attached to it, dated at the Indian towns and containing information of those who had been taken captive in that part of the country.
In the morning as some of the men went from the house to the mill, they saw the savages crossing the river, Dorman being with them. Think- ing it best to impress them with the belief that they were able to en- counter them in open conflict, the men advanced towards them, calling to their companions in the house to come on.
The Indians fled hastily to the woods and the whites, not so rash as to pursue them, returned to the house and secured themselves in it as well as they could. At night Captain George Jackson went privately forth from the house and at great hazard of being discovered by the sav- ages, proceeded to Clarksburg where he obtained such a reinforcement as enabled him to return openly and escort his former companions in danger, to a place of safety.
Disappointed in their hopes of involving the inhabitants of the Buck- hannon settlements in destruction, this band of Indians went on to Tygart's Valley. Here, between Westfall's and Wilson's forts they came upon John Bush and his wife, Jacob Stalnaker and his son, Adam. The two latter being on horseback and riding behind Bush and his wife, were fired at, and Adam fell. The old gentleman rode briskly on but some of the savages were before him and endeavored to catch the reins of his bridle and thus stop his flight. He, however, escaped them all. The horse from which Adam Stalnaker had fallen was caught by Bush and both he and Mrs. Bush got safely away on him.
August 22, 1908.
Col. Henry Haymond, Clarksburg, W. Va. DEAR SIR :---
Yours of the 17th received and in reply give the following informa- tion, which is the most authentic I can gather :
Bush's fort was about one mile and a half North East of the present site of Buckhannon near the Heavner Cemetery. William White, the old Indian fighter, was killed near that fort and buried there. Buckhannon fort was two miles and one-half west of the town near the little station on the B. & O. Railroad, called Red Rock.
The Bozarth family was killed by the Indians about a mile west of
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this fort (near the town of Lorentz) except the mother and younger son, Zadock, who were carried off captives, and two older sons, John and George, escaping to the fort.
A man by the name of Fink was killed near where our Court House now stands, and was buried at Fort Bush. It was for him that Fink's Run was named, which empties into the Buckhannon River along the Northern border of the town. This creek was called Jackson's Run be- fore Fink's death.
This all happened the latter part of the 17th century.
Yours truly,
THOS. J. FARNSWORTH.
The Indians then crossed the Allegheny mountains and, coming to the house of Mr. Gregg, Dorman's former master, made an attack on it. A daughter of that gentleman alone fell a victim to their thirst for blood. When taken prisoner she refused to go with them, and Dorman sunk him tomahawk into her head and then scalped her. She, however, lived sever- al days and related the circumstances above detailed.
After the murder of Captain John Thomas and his family in 1781, the settlement on Booth's Creek was forsaken and its inhabitants went to Simpson's Creek for greater security. In the Spring of 1782 John Owens obtained the assistance of some young men about Simpson's Creek, and proceeded to Booth's Creek for the purpose of threshing some wheat at his farm there. While on a stack throwing down sheaves, several guns were fired at him by a party of twelve Indians concealed not far off. Owens leaped from the stack and the men caught up their guns. They could not, however, discover any one of the savages in their covert, and thought it best to retreat to Simpson's Creek, and strengthen their force before they ventured in pursuit of the enemy. They accordingly did did so and when they came again to Booth's Creek, the Indians had de- camped, taking with them the horses left at Owen's. The men, however, found their trail and followed it until night. Early the next morning, crossing the West Fork near where Shinnston now stands, they went on in pursuit and came within sight of the Indian camp, and seeing some of the savages lying near their fires, fired at them, but, as was believed, with- out effect. The Indians took to flight and as they were hastening on, one of them suddenly wheeled and fired upon his pursuers. The ball passed through the hunting shirt of one of the men, and Benjamin Coplin re- turning the shot, the Indian was seen to suddenly spring into a laurel thicket. Not supposing that Coplin's ball had taken effect they followed the other savages some distance further, and as they returned got the horses and plunder left at the camp. Some time after, a gun was found in the thicket into which the Indian sprang and it was then believed that Coplin's shot had done execution.
In June some Indians came into the neighborhood of Clarksburg and not meeting with an opportunity of killing or making prisoners of any of the inhabitants without the town, one of them more venturesome than the rest, came so near as to shoot Charles Washburn, as he was chopping a log of wood in the lot, and then running up with the axe, severed his
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skull, scalped him and fled safely away. Three of Washburn's brothers had been previously murdered by the savages.
According to tradition this occurrence took place on or near Lee Street, a short distance West of Fifth.
In August, as Arnold and Paul Richards were returning to Rich- ard's Fort they were shot at by some Indians lying hid in a corn field ad- joining the fort and both fell from their horses. The Indians leaped over the fence and tomahwked and scalped them.
These two men were murdered in full view of the fort and the firing drew its inmates to the gate to ascertain its cause. When they saw that the two Richards were down, they rightly judged that the Indians had done the deed, and Elias Hughes, ever bold and daring, taking down his gun, went out alone at the back gate and entered the corn field into which
the savages had again retired, to see if he could not avenge on one of them the murder of his friends. Creeping softly along he came in view of them standing near the fence reloading their guns, and looking intent- ly at the people at the fort gate. Taking deliberate aim at one of them, he touched the trigger, his gun flashed in the pan and the Indians, alarmed, ran speedily away.
In the Spring of 1782 a party of Indians made their appearance on Crooked Run in Monongalia County. Mr. Thomas Pindall having been one day at Harrison's Fort, at a time when a greater part of the neigh- borhood had gone there for safety, prevailed on three young men named Harrison, Crawford and Wright to return and spend the night with him. Sometime after they had been in bed, the female members of the house hold awakened Mr. Pindall and told him that they had several times heard a noise very much resembling the whistling on a charger, and in- sisted on going directly to the Fort. The men heard nothing, and being inclined to believe that the fears of the females had been aroused by the blowing of the wind causing the peculiar sound, insisted that there was no danger, and that it would be unpleasant to turn out then as the night was very dark.
Hearing nothing after this for which they could not readily account, the men arose in the morning unapprehensive of interruption, and the women relieved of their fears of being molested by the savages during the night, continued in bed. Mr. Pindall walked forth to the woods to catch a horse, and the young men went to the spring hard by for the purpose of washing. While thus engaged, three guns were fired at them. Craw- ford and Wright were killed, but Harrison fled and got safely to the Fort.
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