USA > West Virginia > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, West Virginia : from the early days of Northwestern Virginia to the present > Part 9
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When he was twenty-four years old he was ransomed but it was with reluctance that he was induced to return to the whites to live. He had lived so long with the Indians that he had become perfectly reconciled to stay with them. He did not feel at home among the whites, became dis- satisfied and finally went back to his red friends to live, and not until then did he discover that the Indians lived dirty, filthy lives. Seeing this he left them, returned to the whites, married a respecable white woman and lived the live of a white man the balance of his days.
He said some times he went with the Indians to steal horses from the whites. On one occasion they were pursued so closely that they hid them- selves in the Ohio River and were obliged to lie in water all night with their heads barely out of the watery element. Sometimes he went with the Indians to war against the whites, but he never could shoot at a white man. He was with the Indians when they defeated St. Clair (November 4, 1791) but said he "I never could shoot; every time I raised my gun and took aim my heart failed me. During the engagement I stood behind trees and many times I thought I would shoot, but every time I brought my gun to my face to draw a bead my heart told me not to shoot. I threw away my bullets, poured out part of my powder onto the ground, and when the chief came to me after the battle, he shook my powder horn, pat- ted me on the back and said "puty well, puty well" believing I had shot it away.
I might tell a bear story or two of his, but perhaps enough is written and may not be worth printing."
NOTE :- The Harbert Block House was situated on Jones' Run, a branch of Ten Mile Creek in Eagle District less than two miles from Lumberport.
The tradition of the neighborhood is that five or six whites and one Indian was killed, and that the whites were buried in one grave.
A boy by the name of William Harbert at the time of the attack was in the garden gathering turnips, he ran towards the house, in his flight he dodged between the legs of an Indian who struck at him with a toma- hawk but missed. After he gained entrance to the house he crawled under the bed and ate turnips during the fight.
Mr. Elmore Harbert says that just before the civil war he dug into the grave where the Indian was buried and found a skull and leg bones.
CAPTURE OF MRS. WILLIAM MORGAN.
On the 11th day of April, 1778, a party of Indians came to the house of William Morgan at the Dunkard Bottom of Cheat River. They there
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killed a young woman by the name of Brain, Mrs. Morgan, the mother of William, and her granddaughter and Mrs. Dillon and her two children and took Mrs. William Morgan and her child prisoners.
When on their way home they came near to Prickett's fort, they bound Mrs. Morgan to a bush, and went in quest of a horse for her to ride, leaving her child with her. She succeeded in untying with her teeth, the bonds which confined her, and wandered the balance of that day and part of the next before she came in sight of the fort. Here she was kindly treat- ed and in a few days sent home. Some men going out from Prickett's fort some short time after, found at the spot where Mrs. Morgan had been left by the Indians, a fine mare stabbed to the heart. Exasperated at the escape of Mrs. Morgan they had no doubt vented their rage on the animal which they had destined to carry her weight.
DEATH OF HUGHES, LOWTHER AND WASHBURN.
In the last of April 1778 a war party of about twenty Indians came to the Hacker's Creek settlement, now in Lewis County, and the upper West Fork.
At this time the inhabitants of those neighborhoods had removed to West Fort on the creek where Jane Lew now stands, and to Richard's Fort on the river six miles from Clarksburg, and leaving the women and children in them during the day under the protection of a few men, the others were in the habit of performing the usual labors of their farms in companies, so as to preserve them from attack of the Indians.
A company of men being thus engaged in the first week of May in a field on Hacker's Creek and being a good deal dispersed in various occu- pations, some fencing, others clearing and a few ploughing, they were un- expectedly fired upon by the Indians and Thomas Hughes and Jonothan Lowther shot down, the others being incautiously without arms fled for safety. Two of the Company having the Indians rather between them and the West's Fort, ran directly to Richard's as well for their own se- curity as to give the alarm there. But they had already been apprised that the enemy was at hand. Isaac Washburn who had been to mill on Hacker's Creek the day before on his return to Richard's Fort and while crossing the river at the mouth of Washburn's Run below the mouth of Lost Creek was shot from his horse tomahawked and scalped. The finding of his body thus cruelly mangled had given them the alarm and they were already on their guard before the men from Hacker's Creek arrived witlı the intelligence of what had been done there. The Indians then left the neighborhood without effecting more havoc, and the whites were too weak to go in pursuit and molest them.
Seventy years after this event Washburn's gun was found, and upon unscrewing the breech pin the load was found intact, the powder was in a good state of preservation and the patching around the ball was of home made linen and seemed as sound as ever.
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DEATH OF MRS. FREEMAN.
About the middle of June 1778 three women went out from West's fort to gather greens in a field adjoining and while thus engaged were at- tacked by four Indians lying in wait. One gun only was fired and the ball from it passed through the bonnet of Mrs. Hacker who screamed aloud and ran with the others towards the Fort.
An Indian having in his hand a long staff with a spear in one end, pursuing closely after them, thrust it at Mrs. Freeman with such violence that entering her back just below the shoulder it came out at her left breast. With his tomahawk he cleft the upper part of her head and car- ried it off to save the scalp.
The screams of the women alarmed the men in the fort, and seizing their guns they ran out just as Mrs. Freeman fell. Several guns were fired at the Indian while he was getting her scalp but with no effect. They served, however, to warn the men who went out that danger was at hand, and they quickly came in.
Jesse Hughes and John Schoolcraft, who were out, in making their way to the fort, came very near two Indians standing by the fence looking towards the men at West's so intently that they did not perceive any one near them. They, however, were observed by Hughes and Schoolcraft who avoiding them made their way in safety. Hughes immediately took up his gun and learning the fate of Mrs. Freeman went with some others to bring in the corpse. While there he proposed to go and show them how near he had approached the Indians after the alarm had been given, before he saw them.
Charles and Alexander West, Elias Hughes, James Brown and John Sleeth went with him. Before they arrived at the place one of the Indians was heard to howl like a wolf, and the men with Hughes moved on in the direction from which the sound proceeded. Supposing that they were then near the spot Jesse Hughes howled in like manner and being instantly answered they ran to the point of the hill and looking over it saw two Indians coming towards them. Hughes fired and one of them fell. The other took to flight. Being pursued by the whites he sought shelter in a thicket of brush and while they were proceeding to intercept him at his coming out, he returned by the way he had entered and made his escape. The wounded Indian likewise got off. When the whites were in pursuit of the one who took to flight they passed near to him who had fallen and one of the men was for stopping and finishing him, but Hughes called to him "he is safe, let us have the other," and they all pressed forward. On their return however he was gone, and although his free bleeding enabled them to pursue his track readily for awhile, yet a heavy shower of rain oson falling, all trace of him was quickly lost, and could not be after- wards regained.
DEATH OF CAPTAIN JAMES BOOTH AND CAPTURE OF NATHANIEL COCHRAN.
On the 16th day of June, 1778, as Captain James Booth and Nathaniel Cochran were at work in a field on Booth's Creek, they were fired at by
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a party of Indians. Booth fell but Cochran being very slightly wounded, took to flight. He was, however, overtaken and carried into captivity to their towns. From thence he was taken to Detroit where he remained sometime, and endeavoring to escape from that place, unfortunately took a path which led him immediately to the Maumee old towns. Here he was detained awhile and sent back to Detroit, where he was exchanged and from whence he made his way home after having had to endure much suffering and many hardships.
The loss of Captain Booth was severely felt by the inhabitants in that settlement. He was not only an active and enterprising man, but was endowed with superior talents and a better education than most of those who had settled in the country, and on these accounts was very much missed.
A few days after this transaction Benjamin Shinn, William Grundy and Benjamin Washburn, returning from a lick on the head of Booth's Creek were fired on by Indians when near to Baxter's Run in Simpson District. Washburn and Shinn escaped unhurt, but Grundy was killed. He was a brother of Felix Grundy afterwards the celebrated lawyer of Tennessee, whose father was then residing on Simpson's Creek on the farm afterwards owned by Col. Benjamin Wilson.
This occurrance took place about two miles from Bridgeport near the cattle scales on the farm now (1908) owned by Morgan R. Lodge.
One of the Indians in pursuing the other two men of the party ap- proached near enough to Washburn to seize him by the collar of his coat. He immediately threw his coat off and left it with the Indian increased his speed and got safely away.
This party of Indians continued for some days to prowl about the neighborhood seeking opportunities of committing murder on the inhabi- tants, fortunately, however, with but little success.
James Owens, a youth of sixteen years of age, was the only one whom they succeeded in killing after the murder of Grundy. Going from Powers' Fort on Simpson's Creek to Booth's Creek, his saddle girth gave way, and while he was down mending it a ball was discharged at him, which killed both him and his horse.
Seeing that the whites in that neighborhood had all retired to the fort and being too weak openly to attack it, they crossed over to Bartlett's Run and came to the house of Gilbert Hustead who was then alone and engaged in fixing his gun lock. Hearing a noise in the yard for which he was unable to account, he slipped to the door to ascertain from whence it proceeded. The Indians were immediately around it and there was no chance for his escape. Walking out with an air of the utmost pleasantry, he held forth his hand to the one nearest him and asked them all to walk in. While in the house he affected great cheerfulness and by his talk won their confidence and friendship. He told them he was a King's man and unwilling to live among the rebels, for which reason when others retired into the Fort he preferred staying at his own house, anxiously hoping for the arrival of some of the British Indians to afford him an opportunity of getting among English friends. Learning upon inquiry that they would be glad to have something to eat, he asked one of them
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to shoot a fat hog, which was in the yard that they might regale on it that night, and have some on which to subsist while traveling to their towns. In the morning still further to maintain the deception he was practicing he broke his furniture to pieces saying "the rebels shall never have the good of you." He then accompanied them to their towns acting in the same apparently contented and cheerful manner, until his sincerity was believed by all and he obtained leave to return to his family. He succeeded in making his way home, where he remained sore at the destruc- tion of his property, but exulting in the success of his artifice.
ATTACK ON THE LOWER MONONGAHELA.
While this party of Indians were engaged on Booth's Creek and in the surrounding County a more numerous body had invaded the settlements lower down and were engaged in the work of destruction there. They penetrated to Coburn's Creek, now Monongalia County, unperceived, and were making their way, as was generally supposed, to a fort not far from Morgantown, probably Kearns, when they fell in with a party of whites returning from the labors of the corn field, and then about a mile from Coburn's fort. The Indians had placed themselves on each side of the road leading to the fort, and from their covert fired on the whites before they were aware of the danger. John Woodfin being on horseback had his thigh broken with a ball, which killed his horse and enabled them to catch him easily. Jacob Miller was shot through the abdomen and soon overtaken, tomahawked and scalped. The others escaped to the Fort.
Woodfin was afterwards found on a considerable eminence overlooking the fort tomahawked and scalped. The Indians had most probably taken him there that he might point to them the least impregnable part of the fortress, and in other respects give them such information as would tend to insure success to their meditated attack on it, but when they heard its strength and the force with which it was garrisoned dispairing of being able to reduce it in a fit of disappoined fury they murdered him on the spot.
They next made their appearance on Dunkard Creek and near to Stradler's Fort. Here, as on Coburn's Creek they lay in ambush on the road side, awaiting the return of the men who were at work in some of the neighboring fields. Towards evening the men came on carrying with them some hogs, which they had killed for the use of the fort people, and on approaching where the Indians lay concealed were fired on and several fell. Those who escaped injury from the first fire returned the shot and a severe action ensued. But so many of the whites had been killed before the savages exposed themselves to view, that the remainder were unable long to sustain the unequal contest. Overpowered by numbers, the few who were still unhurt fled precipitately to the fort, leaving eighteen of their companions dead in the road. These were scalped and mangled by the Indians in a most shocking manner and lay sometime before the men in the fort, assured of the departure of the enemy went out and buried them. Weakened by the severe loss sustained in this bloody skirmish had the
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Indians pushed forward to attack the fort in all human probability, it would have fallen before them. There were at that day very few settle- ments which could have maintained possession of a garrison for any length of time after having suffered so great a dimunition of the number of their inhabitants, against the onsets of one hundred savages, exercising their wonted enegy, and still less would they be able to leave their stronghold and cope with such superior force in open battle.
Nor were the settlements as yet sufficiently contiguous to each other to admit of their acting in concert, and combining their strength to operate effectively against these invaders. When alarmed by the approach of the foe all that they could do generally was to retire to a fort, and endeavor to defend it from assault. If the savages coming in numbers succeeded in committing any outrage it usually went unpunished. Sensible of their want of strength the inhabitants rarely ventured in pursuit to harrass or molest the retiring foe. When, however, they would hazard to hang on their retreat, the many precautions which they were compelled to exercise to prevent falling into ambuscades and to escape the entangling artifices of their wiley enemies frequently rendered their enterprises abortive and their exertions inefficent.
DEATH OF STEPHEN AND CAPTURE OF JAMES WASHBURN.
The frequent visits paid by the Indians to the country on the West Fork and the mischief which they would effect at these times led several of the inhabitants to resolve on leaving a place so full of dangers as soon as they could make the necessary preparations. A family of Washburn's particularly having several times very narrowly escaped destruction com- menced making arrangements and fitting up for their departure. But while two of them were engaged in procuring pine knots, from which to make wax for shoemaking, they were discovered and shot at by the Indians. Stephen fell dead and James was taken prisoner and carried to their towns. He was there forced to undergo repeated and intense suffer- ing before death closed the scene of his miseries.
According to the account given by Nathianiel Cochran on his return from captivity Washburn was most severely beaten on the first evening of his arrival at their village, while running the gauntlet and although he succeeded in getting to the council house where Cochran was, yet he was so disfigured and mutilated that he could not be recognized by his old acquaintance, and so stunned and stupefied that he remained all night in a state of insensibility. Being somewhat revived in the morning he walked to where Cochran sat by the fire and being asked if he were not James Washburn replied with a smile, as if a period had been put to his sufferings by the sympathetic tone in which the question was proposed, that he was.
The gleam of hope which flashed over his countenance was transient and momentary. In a few minutes he was again led forth that the barbar- ities, which had been suspended by the interposition of night might be renewed and he made to endure a repetition of their cruelties. He was now feeble and too much exhausted to save himself from the clubs and
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sticks even of the aged of both sexes. The old men and the old women who followed him had strength and activity enough to keep pace with his fleetest progress, and inflict on him the severest blows. Frequently he was boaten to the ground and as frequently as if invigorated by the extremity of anguish he rose to his feet. Hobbling before his tormentors, with no hope but in death an old savage passed a knife across his ham which cut- ting the tendons disabled him from proceeding further. Still they repeated their unmerciful blows with all their energy. He was next scalped, though alive, and struggling to regain his feet. Even this did not operate to suppress their cruelty. They continued to beat him until in the height of suffering he again exhibited symptoms of life and exerted himself to move. His head was then severed from his shoulders, attached to a pole, and placed in the most public place in the village.
It is a family tradition that Stephen Washburn dreamed that he had been scalped by Indians, and it made such an impression upon him the he determined to leave the country and return East but before he could do this his dream came true.
It is also a tradition that one of the female members of the Washburn family was captured by Indians and taken to their towns West of the Ohio River.
One day while a couple of Americans were scouting in the Indian Country they came suddenly upon two squaws on the banks of a stream. Fearful of their giving the alarm of their presence they concluded to drown the two females, but the Washburn woman made herself known, the other one was drowned and by the help of the white prisoner the party was safely guided out of danger and finally reach the settlements.
Lewis Wetzel is said to have been one of the party.
After the attack on the Washburn's there were but two other outrages committeed in the upper valley of the Monongahela during that season. The cessation on the part of the savages of hostile incursions induced an abandonment of the forts, and the people returned to their several homes and respective occupations. But aggression was only suspended for a time. In October two Indians appeared near the house of Conrad Richards and finding in the yard a little girl at play with an infant in her arms, they scalped her and rushed to the door. For some time they endeavored to force it open but it was so securely fastened within that Richards was at liberty to use his gun for its defence. A fortunate aim wounded one of the assailants severely and the other retreated helping off his companion. The girl who had been scalped in the yard as soon as she observed the Indians going away ran with the infant still in her arms and uninjured and entered the house, a spectacle of most heart rending wretchedness.
Soon after this occurrence David Edwards, returning from Winches- ter with salt was shot near the Valley River in what is now Randolph County, tomahawked and scalped, in which situation he lay for sometime before he was discovered. He was the last person who fell a victim to savage vengeance in North Western Virginia in the year 1778.
In North Western Virginia the frequent inroads of small parties of savages in 1778 led to greater preparations for security from renewed hos- tilities after the winter should have passed away, and many settlements
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received a considerable accession to their strength from the number of persons emigrating to them. In some neighborhoods the sufferings of the preceding season and the inability of the inhabitants from the paucity of their numbers to protect themselves from invasion led to a total abandon- ment of their homes. The settlement on Hacker's Creek was entirely broken up in the Spring of 1779, some of its inhabitants forsaking the country and retiring East of the mountains, while the others went to the fort on Buckhannon and to Nutter's Fort near Clarksburg to aid in resist- ing the foe and in maintaining possession of the country. When the campaign of that year opened the whole frontier was better prepared to protect itself from invasion and to shield its occupants from the wrath of the savage enemy than it ever had been since it became the abode of the white men. There were forts in every settlement into which the people could retire when danger threatened, and which were capable of with- standing the assaults of the savages, however furious they might be, if having to depend for success on the use of small arms only. It was fortun- atc for the country that this was their dependence. A few well directed shots even from small cannon would demolish their strongest fortress, and left them no hope from death but captivity.
In the neighborhood of Prickett's Fort near Morgantown the inhabi- tants were early alarmed by circumstances which induced a belief that the Indians were near and they accordingly entered that garrison. It was soon evident that their fears were groundless, but as the season was fast approaching when the savages might be expected to commence depredations they determined on remaining in the fort of a night and yet prosecute the business of their farms as usual during the day. Among those who were at this time in the fort was David Morgan, a relation of General Daniel Morgan, then upwards of sixty years of age. Early in April 1779 being himself unwell he sent his two children, Stephen, a youth of sixteen and Sarah, a girl of fourteen, to feed the cattle at his farm about a mile away. The children thinking to remain all day and spend the time in preparing ground for water melons, unknown to their father took with them some bread and meat. Having fed the stock Stephen set himself to work, and while he was engaged in grubbing his sister would remove the brush, and otherwise aid him in the labor of clearing the ground, occassionally going to the house to wet some linen which she had spread out to bleach. Morgan after the children had been gone sometime betook himself to bed and soon falling asleep dreamed that he saw Stephen and Sarah walking about the fort yard scalped. Aroused from slumber by the harrowing spectacle presented to his sleeping view, he inquired if the children had returned, and upon learning they had not, he set out to see what had detained them, taking with him his gun. As he approached the house still impressed with the horrible fear that he should find his dream realized he ascended an eminence from which he could distinctly see over his plantation, and descrying from thence the objects of his anxious solicitude he proceeded directly to them and seated himself on an old log near at hand. He had been there but a few minutes before he saw two Indians come out from the house and make towards the children. Fearing to alarm them too much and thus deprive them of the power of exerting themselves ably to make
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an escape, he apprized them in a careless manner of their danger and told them to run towards the fort himself still maintaing his seat on the log. The Indians then raised a hideous yell and ran in pursuit, but the old gentle- man showing himself at that instant caused them to forbear the chase, and shelter themselves behind trees. He then endeavored to effect an escape by flight and the Indians followed after him. Age and consequent infirmity rendered him unable long to continue out of their reach, and aware that they were gaining considerably on him he wheeled to shoot. Both instantly sprang behind trees, and Morgan seeking shelter in the same manner got behind a sugar tree, which was so small as to leave a part of his body exposed. Looking around he saw a large oak about twenty yards further and he made to it. Just as he reached it the foremost Indian sought security behind the sugar sapling, which he had found insufficient to protect him. The Indian sensible that it would not shelter him threw himself down by the side of a log, which lay at the root of the sapling. But this did not afford him sufficient shelter and Morgan fired at him. The ball took effect and the savage rolled over on his back and stabbed himself twice in the breast.
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