Chronicles of border warfare : $b or, A history of the settlement by the whites, of north-western Virginia, and of the Indian wars and massacres, in that section of the stateWithers, Alexander Scott
History
Chronicles of border warfare : $b or, A history of the settlement by the whites, of north-western Virginia, and of the Indian wars and massacres, in that section of the state
Withers, Alexander Scott
Indians of North America -- Wars -- 1750-1815; Ohio River Valley -- History -- To 1795; West Virginia -- History -- To 1950
On the 12th day of July, as William Robinson, Thomas Hellen and
Coleman Brown were pulling flax in a field opposite the mouth of
Simpson's creek, Logan and his party approached unperceived and fired
at them. Brown fell instantly; his body perforated by several balls;
and Hellen and Robinson [119] unscathed, sought safety in flight.
Hellen being then an old man, was soon overtaken and made captive; but
Robinson, with the elasticity of youth, ran a considerable distance
before he was taken; and but for an untoward accident might have
effected an escape. Believing that he was outstripping his pursuers,
and anxious to ascertain the fact, he looked over his shoulder, but
before he discovered the Indian giving chase, he ran with such
violence against a tree, that he fell, stunned by the shock and lay
powerless and insensible. In this situation he was secured with a
cord; and when he revived, was taken back to the place where the
Indians had Hellen in confinement, and where lay the lifeless body of
Brown. They then set off to their towns, taking with them a horse
which belonged to Hellen.
When they had approached near enough to be distinctly heard, Logan (as
is usual with them after a successful scout,) gave the scalp halloo,
and several warriors came out to meet them, and conducted the
prisoners into the village. Here they passed through the accustomed
ceremony of running the gauntlet; but with far different fortunes.
Robinson, having been previously instructed by Logan (who from the
time he made him his prisoner, manifested a kindly feeling towards
him,) made his way, with but little interruption, to the council
house; but poor Hellen, from the decrepitude of age, and his ignorance
of the fact that it was a place of refuge, was sadly beaten before he
arrived at it; and when he at length came near enough, he was knocked
down with a war club, before he could enter. After he had fallen, they
continued to beat and strike him with such unmerciful severity, that
he would assuredly have fallen a victim to their barbarous usage, but
that Robinson (at some peril for the interference) reached forth his
hand and drew him within the sanctuary. When he had however, recovered
from the effects of the violent beating which he had received, he was
relieved from the apprehension of farther suffering, by being adopted
into an Indian family.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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