Adventures of a Sixpence in Guernsey by A Native | Page 6

where we
were fired upon by a party of Indians that killed two, and wounded two
of our number; yet, although surprised and taken at a disadvantage, we
stood our ground. This was on the twentieth of March, 1775. Three
days after, we were fired upon again, and had two men killed, and three

wounded. Afterwards we proceeded on to Kentucke river without
opposition; and on the first day of April began to erect the fort of
Boonsborough at a salt lick, about sixty yards from the river, on the S.
side.
On the fourth day, the Indians killed one of our men.--We were busily
employed in building this fort, until the fourteenth day of June
following, without any farther opposition from the Indians; and having
finished the works, I returned to my family, on Clench.
In a short time, I proceeded to remove my family from Clench to this
garrison; where we arrived safe without any other difficulties than such
as are common to this passage, my wife and daughter being the first
white women that ever stood on the banks of Kentucke river.
On the twenty-fourth day of December following we had one man
killed, and one wounded, by the Indians, who seemed determined to
persecute us for erecting this fortification.
On the fourteenth day of July, 1776, two of Col. Calaway's daughters,
and one of mine, were taken prisoners near the fort. I immediately
pursued the Indians, with only eight men, and on the sixteenth overtook
them, killed two of the party, and recovered the girls. The same day on
which this attempt was made, the Indians divided themselves into
different parties, and attacked several forts, which were shortly before
this time erected, doing a great deal of mischief. This was extremely
distressing to the new settlers. The innocent husbandman was shot
down, while busy cultivating the soil for his family's supply. Most of
the cattle around the stations were destroyed. They continued their
hostilities in this manner until the fifteenth of April, 1777, when they
attacked Boonsborough with a party of above one hundred in number,
killed one man, and wounded four--Their loss in this attack was not
certainly known to us.
On the fourth day of July following, a party of about two hundred
Indians attacked Boonsborough, killed one man, and wounded two.
They besieged us forty-eight hours; during which time seven of them
were killed, and at last, finding themselves not likely to prevail, they
raised the siege, and departed.
The Indians had disposed their warriors in different parties at this time,
and attacked the different garrisons to prevent their assisting each other,
and did much injury to the distressed inhabitants.

On the nineteenth day of this month, Col. Logan's fort was besieged by
a party of about two hundred Indians. During this dreadful siege they
did a great deal of mischief, distressed the garrison, in which were only
fifteen men, killed two, and wounded one. The enemies loss was
uncertain, from the common practice which the Indians have of
carrying off their dead in time of battle. Col. Harrod's fort was then
defended by only sixty-five men, and Boonsborough by twenty-two,
there being no more forts or white men in the country, except at the
Falls, a considerable distance from these, and all taken collectively,
were but a handful to the numerous warriors that were every where
dispersed through the country, intent upon doing all the mischief that
savage barbarity could invent. Thus we passed through a scene of
sufferings that exceeds description.
On the twenty-fifth of this month a reinforcement of forty-five men
arrived from North-Carolina, and about the twentieth of August
following, Col. Bowman arrived with one hundred men from Virginia.
Now we began to strengthen, and from hence, for the space of six
weeks, we had skirmishes with Indians, in one quarter or other, almost
every day.
The savages now learned the superiority of the Long Knife, as they call
the Virginians, by experience; being out-generalled in almost every
battle. Our affairs began to wear a new aspect, and the enemy, not
daring to venture on open war, practised secret mischief at times.
On the first day of January, 1778, I went with a party of thirty men to
the Blue Licks, on Licking River, to make salt for the different
garrisons in the country.
On the seventh day of February, as I was hunting, to procure meat for
the company, I met with a party of one hundred and two Indians, and
two Frenchmen, on their march against Boonsborough, that place being
particularly the object of the enemy.
They pursued, and took me; and brought me on the eighth day to the
Licks, where twenty-seven of my party were, three of them having
previously returned home with the salt. I knowing