Heroes and Hunters of the West: Comprising Sketches and Adventures of Boone, Kenton, Brady, Logan, Whetzel, Fleehart, Hughes, Johnson, &c.Frost, John
History
Heroes and Hunters of the West: Comprising Sketches and Adventures of Boone, Kenton, Brady, Logan, Whetzel, Fleehart, Hughes, Johnson, &c.
Frost, John
Frontier and pioneer life -- Ohio River Valley; Indian captivities
The rangers now began to fire, while the Indians, each one taking his
tree, returned the shot. One of the two Indians on the spur of the ridge
was wounded through the hips, by one of the spies on the right, who pushed
on manfully to gain the flanks of the enemy. The men in front came on more
slowly, and as they began to ascend the point of the ridge, Ned Henderson,
who was posted on high ground, cried out "Kerr! Kerr! there is an Indian
behind that white oak, and he will kill some of you." Kerr instantly
sprung behind a large tree, and Peter Anderson, who was near him, behind a
hickory, too small to cover more than half his body, while John Wiser
jumped down into the ravine. At that instant the Indian fired at Anderson,
and as John looked over the edge of the bank to learn the effect of the
shot, he saw Peter wiping the dust of the hickory bark out of his eyes.
The ball grazed the tree, just opposite his nose, and glancing off did him
no serious harm, but filling his eyes with the dust, and cutting his nose
with the splinters. At the same time Henderson, with others, fired at the
Indian, and he fell with several balls through his body. The brave fellow
who was killed lost his life in a noble effort to aid his friend, who had
been wounded through the hips, and could not spring up on to the little
bench, or break in the ridge, where he was standing.
While occupied in this labor of love, the rangers on his flanks had so far
advanced, that the shelter of the friendly tree could no longer secure him
from their shots, as it had done while his enemies were more in front of
him. The wounded Indian escaped for the present, although it is probable
he died soon after. The other five Indians, there being seven in the
party, seeing that their enemies outnumbered them so greatly, after firing
a few times, made a circuit to the right and came up in the rear of the
soldiers, who were occupying themselves with the contents of the kettle of
hog meat and potatoes, which the Indians in their hurry had left boiling
over the fire. The first notice they had of their danger was the report of
their rifles. It made a huge uproar among the musketeers, who taking to
flight, ran in great alarm for protection to the rangers. As it happened
the Indians were too far off to do much harm, and no one was injured but
one poor fellow, who was shot through the seat of his trowsers, just
grazing the skin. He tumbled into the brook by the side of the camp,
screaming at the top of his voice, "I am kill'd, I am kill'd," greatly to
the amusement of the rangers, who were soon at his side, and dragging him
out of the water, searched in vain for the mortal wound. The dead Indian
was scalped, and his rifle and blanket taken as the legitimate plunder of
a conquered foe. The other five retreated out of reach of the rangers,
after their feat of frightening the soldiers. They returned to the
garrison, well pleased that none of their men were killed, but much vexed
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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