the adventures-第4节

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In　this　time　the　enemy　began　to　undermine　our　fort；　which　was

situated　sixty　yards　from　Kentucke　river。　They　began　at　the　water…

mark　and　proceeded　in　the　bank　some　distance；　which　we　understood

by　their　making　the　water　muddy　with　the　clay；　and　we　immediately

proceeded　to　disappoint　their　design；　by　cutting　a　trench　across

their　subterranean　passage。　The　enemy　discovering　our　counter…mine；

by　the　clay　we　threw　out　of　the　fort；　desisted　from　that　stratagem：

And　experience　now　fully　convincing　them　that　neither　their　power

nor　policy　could　effect　their　purpose；　on　the　twentieth　day　of

August　they　raised　the　siege；　and　departed。



During　this　dreadful　siege；　which　threatened　death　in　every　form；

we　had　two　men　killed；　and　four　wounded；　besides　a　number　of

cattle。　We　killed　of　the　enemy　thirty…seven；　and　wounded　a　great

number。　After　they　were　gone；　we　picked　up　one　hundred　and　twenty…

five　pounds　weight　of　bullets；　besides　what　stuck　in　the　logs　of

our　fort；　which　certainly　is　a　great　proof　of　their　industry。　Soon

after　this；　I　went　into　the　settlement；　and　nothing　worthy　of　a

place　in　this　account　passed　in　my　affairs　for　some　time。



During　my　absence　from　Kentucke；　Col。　Bowman　carried　on　an

expedition　against　the　Shawanese；　at　Old　Chelicothe；　with　one

hundred　and　sixty　men；　in　July；　1779。　Here　they　arrived

undiscovered；　and　a　battle　ensued；　which　lasted　until　ten　o'clock；

A。　M。　when　Col。　Bowman；　finding　he　could　not　succeed　at　this　time；

retreated　about　thirty　miles。　The　Indians；　in　the　meantime；

collecting　all　their　forces；　pursued　and　overtook　him；　when　a　smart

fight　continued　near　two　hours；　not　to　the　advantage　of　Col。

Bowman's　party。



Col。　Harrod　proposed　to　mount　a　number　of　horse；　and　furiously

to　rush　upon　the　savages；　who　at　this　time　fought　with　remarkable

fury。　This　desperate　step　had　a　happy　effect；　broke　their　line　of

battle；　and　the　savages　fled　on　all　sides。　In　these　two　battles　we

had　nine　killed；　and　one　wounded。　The　enemy's　loss　uncertain；　only

two　scalps　being　taken。



On　the　twenty…second　day　of　June；　1780；　a　large　party　of　Indians

and　Canadians；　about　six　hundred　in　number；　commanded　by　Col。　Bird；

attacked　Riddle's　and　Martin's　stations；　at　the　Forks　of　Licking

River；　with　six　pieces　of　artillery。　They　carried　this　expedition

so　secretly；　that　the　unwary　inhabitants　did　not　discover　them；

until　they　fired　upon　the　forts；　and；　not　being　prepared　to　oppose

them；　were　obliged　to　surrender　themselves　miserable　captives　to

barbarous　savages；　who　immediately　after　tomahawked　one　man　and　two

women；　and　loaded　all　the　others　with　heavy　baggage；　forcing　them

along　toward　their　towns；　able　or　unable　to　march。　Such　as　were

weak　and　faint　by　the　way；　they　tomahawked。　The　tender　women；　and

helpless　children；　fell　victims　to　their　cruelty。　This；　and　the

savage　treatment　they　received　afterwards；　is　shocking　to　humanity；

and　too　barbarous　to　relate。



The　hostile　disposition　of　the　savages；　and　their　allies；　caused

General　Clark；　the　commandant　at　the　Falls　of　the　Ohio；　immediately

to　begin　an　expedition　with　his　own　regiment；　and　the　armed　force

of　the　country；　against　Pecaway；　the　principal　town　of　the

Shawanese；　on　a　branch　of　Great　Miami；　which　he　finished　with　great

success；　took　seventeen　scalps；　and　burnt　the　town　to　ashes；　with

the　loss　of　seventeen　men。



About　this　time　I　returned　to　Kentucke　with　my　family；　and　here；

to　avoid　an　enquiry　into　my　conduct；　the　reader　being　before

informed　of　my　bringing　my　family　to　Kentucke；　I　am　under　the

necessity　of　informing　him　that；　during　my　captivity　with　the

Indians；　my　wife；　who　despaired　of　ever　seeing　me　again；　expecting

the　Indians　had　put　a　period　to　my　life；　oppressed　with　the

distresses　of　the　country；　and　bereaved　of　me；　her　only　happiness；

had；　before　I　returned；　transported　my　family　and　goods；　on　horses；

through　the　wilderness；　amidst　a　multitude　of　dangers；　to　her

father's　house；　in　North…Carolina。



Shortly　after　the　troubles　at　Boonsborough；　I　went　to　them；　and

lived　peaceably　there　until　this　time。　The　history　of　my　going

home；　and　returning　with　my　family；　forms　a　series　of　difficulties；

an　account　of　which　would　swell　a　volume；　and　being　foreign　to　my

purpose；　I　shall　purposely　omit　them。



I　settled　my　family　in　Boonsborough　once　more；　and　shortly　after；

on　the　sixth　day　of　October；　1780；　I　went　in　company　with　my

brother　to　the　Blue　Licks；　and；　on　our　return　home；　we　were　fired

upon　by　a　party　of　Indians。　They　shot　him；　and　pursued　me；　by　the

scent　of　their　dog；　three　miles；　but　I　killed　the　dog；　and　escaped。

The　winter　soon　came　on；　and　was　very　severe；　which　confined　the

Indians　to　their　wigwams。



The　severity　of　this　Winter　caused　great　difficulties　in

Kentucke。　The　enemy　had　destroyed　most　of　the　corn；　the　Summer

before。　This　necessary　article　was　scarce；　and　dear；　and　the

inhabitants　lived　chiefly　on　the　flesh　of　buffaloes。　The

circumstances　of　many　were　very　lamentable：　However；　being　a　hardy

race　of　people；　and　accustomed　to　difficulties　and　necessities；

they　were　wonderfully　supported　through　all　their　sufferings；　until

the　ensuing　Fall；　when　we　received　abundance　from　the　fertile　soil。



Towards　Spring；　we　were　frequently　harassed　by　Indians；　and；　in

May；　1782；　a　party　assaulted　Ashton's　station；　killed　one　man；　and

took　a　Negro　prisoner。　Capt。　Ashton；　with　twenty…five　men；　pursued；

and　overtook　the　savages；　and　a　smart　fight　ensued；　which　lasted

two　hours；　but　they　being　superior　in　number；　obliged　Captain

Ashton's　party　to　retreat；　with　the　loss　of　eight　killed；　and　four

mortally　wounded；　their　brave　commander　himself　being　numbered

among　the　dead。



The　Indians　continued　their　hostilities；　and；　about　the　tenth　of

August　following；　two　boys　were　taken　from　Major　Hoy's

station。　This　party　was　pursued　by　Capt。　Holder　and　seventeen　men；

who　were　also　defeated；　with　the　loss　of　four　men　killed；　and　one

wounded。　Our　affairs　became　more　and　more　alarming。　Several

stations　which　had　lately　been　erected　in　the　country　were

continually　infested　with　savages；　stealing　their　horses　and

killing　the　men　at　every　opportunity。　In　a　field；　near　Lexington；

an　Indian　shot　a　man；　and　running　to　scalp　him；　was　himself　shot

from　the　fort；　and　fell　dead　upon　his　enemy。



Every　day　we　experienced　recent　mischiefs。　The　barbarous　savage

nations　of　Shawanese；　Cherokees；　Wyandots；　Tawas；　Delawares；　and

several　others　near　Detroit；　united　in　a　war　against　us；　and

assembled　their　choicest　warriors　at　old　Chelicothe；　to　go　on　the

expedition；　in　order　to　destroy　us；　and　entirely　depopulate　the

country。　Their　savage　minds　were　inflamed　to　mischief　by　two

abandoned　men；　Captains　McKee　and　Girty。　These　led　them　to　execute

every　diabolical　scheme；　and；　on　the　fifteenth　day　of　August；

commanded　a　party　of　Indians　and　Canadians；　of　about　five　hundred

in　number；　against　Briant's　station；　five　miles　from　Lexington。

Without　demanding　a　surrender；　they　furiously　assaulted　the

garrison；　which　was　happily　prepared　to　oppose　them；　and；　after

they　had　expended　much　ammunition　in　vain；　and　killed　the　cattle

round　the　fort；　not　being　likely　to　make　themselves　masters　of　this

place；　they　raised　the　siege；　and　departed　in　the　morning　of　the

third　day　after　they　came；　with　the　loss　of　about　thirty　killed；

and　the　number　of　wounded　uncertain。Of　the　garrison　four　were

killed；　and　three　wounded。



On　the　eighteenth　day　Col。　Todd；　Col。　Trigg；　Major　Harland；　and

myself；　speedily　collected　one　hundred　and　seventy…six　men；　well

armed；　and　pursued　the　savages。　They　had　marched　beyond　the　Blue

Licks　to　a　remarkable　bend　of　the　main　fork　of　Licking　River；　about

forty…three　miles　from　Lexington；　as　it　is　particularly　represented

in　the　map；　where　we　overtook　them　on　the　nineteenth　day。　The

savages　observing　us；　gave　way；　and　we；　being　ignorant　of　their

numbers；　passed　the　river。　When　the　enemy　saw　our　proceedings；

having　greatly　the　advantage　of　us　in　situation；　they　formed　the

line　of　battle；　represented　in　the　map；　from　one　bend　of　Licking　to

the　other；　about　a　mile　from　the　Blue　Licks。　An　exceeding　fierce

battle　immediately　began；　for　about　fifteen　minutes；　when　we；　being

over…powered　by　numbers；　were　obliged　to　retreat；　with　the　loss　of

sixty…seven　men；　seven　of　whom　were　taken　prisoners。　The　brave　and

much　lamented　Colonels　Todd　and　Trigg；　Major　Harland　and　my　second

son；　were　among　the　dead。　We　were　informed　that　the　Indians；

numbering　their　dead；　found　they　had　four　killed　more　than　we；　and

therefore；　four　of　the　prisoners　they　had　taken；　were；　by　general

consent；　ordered　to　be　killed；　in　a　most　barbarous　manner；　by　the

young　warriors；　in　order　to　train　them　up　to　cruelty；　and　then　they

proceeded　to　their　towns。



On　our　retreat　we　were　met　by　Col。　Logan；　hastening　to　join　us；

with　a　number　of　well　armed　men：　This　powerful　assistance　we

unfortunate