The Winning of the West, Volume 3: The Founding of the Trans-Alleghany Commonwealths, 1784-1790Roosevelt, Theodore
History
The Winning of the West, Volume 3: The Founding of the Trans-Alleghany Commonwealths, 1784-1790
Roosevelt, Theodore
Northwest, Old -- History; United States -- Territorial expansion; West (U.S.) -- History
In none of the above-mentioned raids did the Indians suffer any loss of
life, and in none was there any successful pursuit. But in one instance
in this same year and same neighborhood the assailed settlers
retaliated, with effect. It was near Wheeling. A lad named John Wetzel,
one of a noted border family of coarse, powerful, illiterate Indian
fighters, had gone out from the fortified village in which his kinsfolk
were living to hunt horses. Another boy went with him. There were
several stray horses, one being a mare which belonged to Wetzel's
sister, with a colt, and the girl had promised him the colt if he would
bring the mare back. The two boys were vigorous young fellows,
accustomed to life in the forest, and they hunted high and low, and
finally heard the sound of horse-bells in a thicket. Running joyfully
forward they fell into the hands of four Indians, who had caught the
horses and tied them in the thicket, so that by the tinkling of their
bells they might lure into the ambush any man who came out to hunt them
up. Young Wetzel made a dash for liberty, but received a shot which
broke his arm, and then surrendered and cheerfully accompanied his
captors; while his companion, totally unnerved, hung back crying, and
was promptly tomahawked. Early next morning the party struck the Ohio,
at a point where there was a clearing. The cabins on this clearing were
deserted, the settlers having taken refuge in a fort because of the
Indian ravages; but the stock had been left running in the woods. One of
the Indians shot a hog and tossed it into a canoe they had hidden under
the bank. The captive was told to enter the canoe and lie down; three
Indians then got in, while the fourth started to swim the stolen horses
across the river.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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