ABOUT the latter end of the month of March, or the beginning of April of the year 1782, the western Indians began to make incursions upon the frontiers of Ohio, Washing­ton, Youghagany, and Westmoreland counties, which has been their constant practice ever since the commencement of the present war between the United States and Great Britain.

In consequence of these predatory invasions, the principal officers of the abovementioned counties, namely, Colonels Williamson and Marshall, tried every method in their power to set on foot an expedition against the Wyandot towns, which they could effect no other way than by giving all possible encouragement to volunteers. The plan proposed was as follows: Every man furnishing himself with a horse, a gun, and one months provisions, should be ex­empted from two tours of militia duty. Like­wise [Page 4] that everyone who had been plundered by the Indians, should if the plunder could be found at their towns, have it again, proving it [...] his property: And all horses lost on the expedition by unavoidable accident were to be replaced by horses taken in the enemy's country.

The time appointed for the rendezvous, or [...] meeting of the volunteers, was fixed to be on the 20th of May, and the place, the old [...] town on the west side of the river Ohio, about forty miles below Fort Pitt by land, and I think about 75 by water.

Col. Crawford was solicited by the Genera [...] voice of these western counties and districts to command the expedition. He accordingly set out as volunteer and came to Fort Pitt two days before the time appointed for the assembling of the men. As there was no surgeon yet appoint­ed to go with the expedition, Colonel Crawford begged the favour of Gen. Irvine to permit me to accompany him, (my consent having been previously asked) to which the General agreed provided Col. Gibson did not object.

Having obtained permission of the Colonel. I left Port Pitt on Tuesday, May 1st, and the next day about one in the afternoon arrived at the Mingoe bottom. The volunteers had not all crossed the river until Friday morning the [...] they then distributed themselves into eigh­ [...] companies, choosing their captains by vote. There were chosen also, one Col. Commandant, four field and one brigade-major. There were four hundred and sixty five who voted.

[Page 5]We began our march on Saturday May 25th, making almost a due west course, and on the 4th day reached the old Moravian town [...] the river Muskingum, about 60 miles from the river Ohio. Some of the men having lost their horses on the night preceding returned home.

Tuesday the 28th in the evening, Major B [...]ton, and Captain Bean, went some distance [...] camp to reconnoitre: Having gone about one quarter of a mile they saw two Indians, upon whom they fired, and then returned to camp. This was the first place in which we were dis­covered, as we understood afterwards.

On Thursday the 4th of June, which was the eleventh day of our march, about one o'clock, we came to the spot where the town of Sandusky formerly stood; the inhabitants had moved 1 [...] miles lower down the creek, near the lower Sandusky: But as neither our guides or any who were with us, had known any thing of their removal, we began to conjecture there were no Indian towns nearer than the lower Sandusky, which was at least 40 miles distant.

However, after refreshing our horses, we ad­vanced on in search of some of their settlements but had scarcely got the distance of three or four miles from the old town when a number of our men expressed their desire to return, some of them alledging that they had only five days provisions upon which the field officers and captains, determined, in council, to proceed that [...] and no longer. Previous to the calling of [...] council, a small party of light horse had [...] sent forward to reconnoitre. [Page 6] I shall here remark, by the way, that there are a great many extensive plains in that country: The woods in general grow very thin, free from brush and underwood; so that light horsemen may advance a considerable distance before an army without being much exposed to the enemy.

Just as the council ended, an express returned from the above mentioned party of light horse with intelligence, "that they had been about three miles in front, and had seen a large body of Indians running towards them."—In a short time we saw the rest of the light horse, who joined us, and having gone one mile further met a number of Indians who had partly got possessi­on of a piece of woods before us; whilst we were in the plains but our men alighting from their horses and rushing into the woods, soon obliged them to abandon that place.

The enemy being by this time reinforced, flanked to the right, and part of them coming in our rear, quickly made the action more serious. The firing continued very warm on both sides from four o'clock until the dusk of the evening, each party maintaining their ground. Next morning about six oclock some guns were dis­charged at the distance of two or three hundred yards, which continued till day, doing little or no execution on either side.

The field officers then assembled and agreed, as the enemy were every moment increasing, and we had already a number wounded, to retreat that [...]ight. The whole body was to form into [...], keeping the wounded in the centre. [Page] We had four killed and twenty three wounded, of the latter, seven very dangerously, on which account as many biers were got ready to carry them: Most of the rest were slightly wounded and none so bad but they could ride on horse­back. After dark the officers went on the out posts and brought in all the men as expeditiously as they could. Just as the troops were about to form, several guns were fired by the enemy, upon which some of our men spoke out and said, our intention was discovered by the Indians who were firing alarm guns. Upon which some in front hurried off, and the rest immediately fol­lowed, leaving the seven men that were danger­ously wounded, some of whom however got off on horseback, by means of some good friends, who waited for, and assisted them.

We had not got a quarter of a mile from the field of action, when I heard Col. Crawford calling for his son John Crawford, his son-in-law Maj. Harrison, Maj. Rose and William Craw­ford, his nephews, upon which I came up and told him I believed they were before us—He asked, was that the Doctor? I told him it was he then replied, they were not in front, and begged of me not to leave him—I promised him I would not.

We then waited, and continued calling for these men till the troops had passed us. The Colonel told me his horse had almost given out, that he could not keep up with the troops, and wished some of his best friends to remain with him; he then exclaimed against the militia for [Page 8] riding off in such an irregular manner, and leaving some of the wounded behind, contrary to his orders. Presently there came two men riding after us, one of them an old man, the other a lad: We enquired if they had seen any of the above persons? And they answered they had not.

By this time there was a very hot firing before us, and, as we judged, near where our main body must have been. Our course was then nearly south-west, but changing it, we went north about two miles, the two men remaining in company with us. Judging ourselves, to be now out of the enemy's lines, we took a due east [...], taking care to keep at the distance of fifteen or twenty yards apart, and directing ourselves by the north star.

The old man often lagged behind, and when this was the case never failed to call for us to halt for him. When we were near the Sandusky Creek he fell one hundred yards behind, and bawled out, as usual, for us to hault. While we were preparing to reprimand him for making a noise, I heard an Indian halloo, as I thought one hundred and fifty yards from the man, and partly behind him; and after this we did not hear the man call again, neither did he ever come up to us any more. It was now past midnight, and about day break Col. Crawford's and the young man's horses gave out, and they left them. We pursued our journey eastward, and about two o'clock fell in with Capt. Biggs, who had carried Lieut. Ashly from the field of action, [Page 9] who had been dangerously wounded. We then went on about the space of an hour, when a heavy rain coming on, we concluded it was best to encamp, as we were encumbered with the wounded officer. We then barked four or five trees, made an encampment and a fire, and remained there all that night. Next morning we again prosecuted our journey, and having gone about three miles found a deer which had been recently killed. The meat was sliced from the bones and bundled up in the skin with a tomahawk lying by it. We carried all with us, and in advancing about one mile further espyed the smoke of a fire. We then gave the wound­ed officer into the charge of the young man, desiring him to stay behind whilst the Colonel, the Captain, and myself, walked up as cautiously as we could toward the fire. When we came to it, we concluded from several circumstances some of our people had encamped there the preceding night, We then went about roasting the venison▪ and when just about to march ob­served one of our men coming upon our tracks. He seemed at first very shy, but having called to him he came up and told us he was the per­son who had killed the deer, but upon hearing us come up, was afraid of Indians, hid in a thicket and made off. Upon this we gave him some bread and roasted venison, proceeded al­together on our journey, and about two o'clock came upon the paths by which we had gone out. Capt. Biggs and myself did not think it safe to keep the road, but the Colonel said the [Page 10] Indians would nor follow the troops farther than the plains, which we were then consider­ably past. As the wounded officer rode Capt. Biggs' horse, I lent the Captain mine; the Co­lonel and myself went about one hundred yards in front, the Captain and the wounded officer in the centre, and the two young men behind. After we had travelled about one mile and a half, several Indians started up within fifteen or twenty steps of the Colonel and me. As we at first discovered only three I immediately got behind a large black oak, made ready my piece and raised it up to take sight, when the Colonel called to me twice not to fire; upon that one of the Indians ran up to the Colonel and took him by the hand. The Colonel then told me to put down my gun, which I did. At that instant one of them came up to me whom I had formerly seen very often, calling me Doctor and took me by the hand. They were Dela­ware Indians of the Wingenim tribe. Captain Biggs fired amongst them but did no execution. They then told us, to call these people and make them come there, else they would go and kill them, which the Colonel did, but they four got off and escaped for that time. The Col­onel and I were then taken to the Indian camp, which was about half a mile from the place, where we were captivated. On Sunday even­ing five Delawares who had posted themselves at some distance further on the road brought back to the Camp, where we lay, Captain Biggs' and Lieutenant Ashley's scalps, with an Indian [Page 11] scalp which Captain Biggs had taken in the field of action: They also brought in Biggs' horse and mine, they told us the two other men got a­way from them.

Monday morning, the tenth of June, we were paraded to march to Sandusky, about 33 miles distant: They had eleven prisoners of us and four scalps, the Indians being seventeen in number.

Col. Crawford was very desirous to see a cer­tain Simeon Girty, who lived among the Indians, and was on this account permitted to go to town the same night, with two warriors to guard him, having orders at the same time to pass by the place where the Colonel had turned out his horse, that they might if possible, find him.— The rest of us were taken as far as the old town which was within eight miles of the new.

Tuesday morning, the 11th, Col. Crawford was brought out to us on purpose to be marched in with the other prisoners. I asked the Colonel if he had seen Mr. Girty?—He told me he had, and that Girty had promised to do every thing in his power for him, but that the Indians were very much enraged against the prisoners; par­ticularly Capt. Pipe one of the Chiefs: He like­wise told me that Girty had informed him that his son-in-law, Col. Harrison and his nephew William Crawford, were made prisoners by the Shawanese, but had been pardoned. This Capt. Pipe had come from the towns about an hour before Col. Crawford, and had painted all the prisoner's faces black.

[Page 12]As he was painting me he told me I should go to the Shawanese towns and see my friends. When the Colonel arrived he painted him black also, told him he was glad to see him and that he would have him shaved when he came to see his friends at the Wyandot town. When we marched, the Colonel and I were kept back be­tween Pipe and Wyngenim, the two Delaware chiefs, the other nine prisoners were sent for­ward with another party of Indians. As we went along we saw four of the prisoners lying by the path tomahawked and scalped, some of them were at the distance of half a mile from each other. When we arrived within half a mile of the place where the Colonel was exe­cuted, we overtook the five prisoners that re­mained alive: The Indians had caused them to sit down on the ground, as they did, also the Colonel and me at some distance from them, I was there given in charge to an Indian fel­low to be taken to the Shawanese towns.

In the place where we were now made to sit down there was a number of squaws and boys who fell on the five prisoners and tomahawked them. There was a certain John M'Kinley amongst the prisoners, formerly an officer in the 13th Virginia regiment, whose head an old squaw cut off, and the Indians kicked it about upon the ground. The young Indian fellows came often where the Colonel and I were, and dashed the scalps in our faces. We were then conducted along toward the place where the Colonel was afterwards executed; When we [Page 13] came within about half a mile of it, Simeon Girty met us, with several Indians on horseback; He spoke to the Colonel, but as I was about one hundred and fifty yards behind could not hear what passed between them.

Almost every Indian we met struck us either with sticks or their fists. Girty waited till I was brought up, and asked, was that the Doctor?— I told him, yes, and went toward him reaching out my hand, but he bid me begone, and called me a dam'd rascal; upon which the fellow who had me in charge pulled me along. Girty rode up after me and told me I was to go to the Shaw­anese towns.

When we were come to the fire the Colonel was stripped naked, ordered to sit down by the fire, and then they beat him with sticks and their fists. Presently after I was treated in the same manner. They then tied a rope to the foot of a post about fifteen feet high, bound the Colonel's hands behind his back and fastened the rope to the ligature between his wrists. The rope was long enough either for him to sit down or walk round the post once or twice and return the same way. The Colonel then called to Girty and asked if they intended to burn him? Girty an­swered, yes. The Colonel said he would take it all patiently. Upon this Capt. Pipe, a Dela­ware Chief, made a speech to the Indians, viz. about thirty or forty men, sixty or seventy squaws and boys.

When the speech was finished they all yelled a hedious and hearty assent to what had been [Page 14] said. The Indian men then took up their guns and shot powder into the Colonel's body, from his feet as far up as his neck. I think not less than seventy loads were discharged upon his [...] body. They then crowded about him, and to the best of my observation, cut off his ears: When the throng had dispersed a little I saw the blood running from both sides of his head in consequence thereof.

The fire was about six or seven yards from the post to which the Colonel was tied: It was made of small hickory poles, burnt quite through in the middle, each end of the poles remaining about six feet in length. Three or four Indi­ans by turns would take up, individually, one of these burning pieces of wood and apply it to his naked body, already burned black with the powder. These tormentors presented them­selves on every side of him, so that which ever way he ran round the post they met him with the burning faggots and poles. Some of the squaws took broad boards upon which they would put a quantity of burning coals and hot embers, and throw on him, so that in a short time he had no­thing but coals of fire and hot ashes to walk upon.

In the midst of these extreme tortures he call­ed to Simeon Girty and begged of him to shoot him: But Girty making no answer he called to him again. Girty then, by way of derision, told the Colonel he had no gun, at the same time turn­ing about to an Indian who was behind him, laughed heartily, and by all his gestures seemed delighted at the horrid scene.

[Page 15]Girty then came up to me and bade me pre­pare for death. He said, however I was not to die at that place, but to be burnt at the Shawnese towns. He swore by G—d I need not expect to escape death, but should suffer it in all its ex­tremities.

He then observed that some prisoners had giv­en him to understand that if our people had him they would not hurt him; for his part, he said, he did not believe it, but desired to know my opini­on of the matter; but being at that time in great anguish and distress for the torments the Colonel was suffering before my eyes, as well as the ex­pectation of undergoing the same fate in two days. I made little or no answer. He expressed a great deal of ill will for Col. Gibson, and said he was one of his greatest enemies, and more to the same purpose, to all which I paid very little at­tention.

Col. Crawford at this period of his sufferings, besought the Almighty to have mercy on his soul, spoke very low, and bore his torments with the most manly fortitude. He continued in all the extremities of pain for an hour and three quarters or two hours longer, as near as I can judge, when at last being almost spent, he lay down on his belly: They then scalped him and repeatedly threw the scalp in my face, telling me "that was my great Captain."—An old squaw (whose appearance everyway answered the ideas people entertain of the Devil) got a board, took a parcel of coals and ashes and laid them on his back and head after he had been scalped: He [Page 16] then raised himself upon his feet and began to walk round the post: They next put a burning stick to him as usual, but he seemed more insensi­ble of pain than before.

The Indian fellow who had me in charge now took me away to Capt. Pipe's house, about three quarters of a mile from the place of the colonel's execution. I was bound all night and thus pre­vented from seeing the last of the horrid specta­cle. Next morning, being June 12th, the Indian untied me, painted me black, and we set off for the Shawanese town, which he told me was some­what less than forty miles from that place. We soon came to the spot where the Colonel was burnt, as it was partly in our way; I saw his bones laying amongst the remains of the fire, almost burnt to ashes, I suppose after he was dead they had laid his body on the fire.

The Indian told me, that was my Big Cap­tain and gave the scalp halloo. He was on horseback and drove me before him.

I pretended to this Indian I was ignorant of the death I was to die at the Shawanese town, affect­ed as cheerful a countenance as possible and ask­ed him if we were not to live together as broth­ers in one house when we should get to the town? He seemed well pleased, and said, yes. He then asked me if I could make a wigwam?—I told him I could—he then seemed more friendly—we went that day as near as I can judge about 25 miles, the course partly southwest—The Indian told me we should next day come to the town the sun being in such a direction, pointing nearly south. At [Page 17] night when we went to rest I attempted very of­ten to untie myself, but the Indian was extreme­ly vigilant and scarce ever shut his eyes that night. About day break he got up and untied me: He next began to mend up the fire, and as the [...] were troublesome I asked him if I should make a smoke behind him? He said, yes. I then took the end of a dogwood fork which had been burnt down to about 18 inches long: It was the longest stick I could find, yet too small for the purpose I had in view: then I picked up another smaller stick and taking a coal of fire between them went behind him: Then turning suddenly about, I struck him on the head with all the force I was master of; which so stunned him that he fell forwards with both his hands into the fire, but seeing him recover and get up, I seized his gun while he ran off howling in a most fearful manner—I followed him with a determination to shoot him down, but pulling back the cock of the gun with too great violence I believe I broke the main spring. I pursued him, however, about thirty yards still endeavouring to fire the gun, but could not; then going back to the fire I took his blanket, a pair of new mokkisons, his hopp [...]s, powder horn, bullet bag, (together with the gun) and marched off, directing my course tow­ard the five o'clock mark; about half an hour be­fore sunset I came to the plains which I think are about sixteen miles wide. I laid me down in a thicket till dark, and then by the assistance of the north star made my way through them and not into the woods before morning. I proceeded [Page 18] on the next day and about noon crossed the paths by which our troops had gone out: These paths are nearly east and west but I went due north all that afternoon with a view to avoid the enemy.

In the evening I began to be very faint, and no wonder; I had been six days prisoner; the last two days of which I had eat nothing, and out very little the first three or four: There were wild gooseberries in abundance in the woods, but being unripe required mastication, which at that time I was not able to perform on account of a blow received from an Indian on the jaw with the back of a tomahawk: There was a weed that grew plentifully in that place, the juice of which I knew to be grateful and nourishing; I gathered a bundle of the same, took up my lodging under a large spreading beach tree and having sucked plentifully of the juice, went to sleep. Next day I made a due east course which I generally kept the rest of my journey. I often imagined my gun was only wood bound and tried every method I could devise to unscrew the lock but never could effect it having no knife nor any thing fitting for the purpose; I had now the satis­faction to find my jaw began to mend and in four or five days could chew any vegetable proper for nourishment, but finding my gun only a useless burden left her in the wilderness. I had no appa­ratus for making fire to sleep by so that I could get but little rest for the gnats and musquetoes; there are likewise a great many swamps in the beach ridge which occasioned me very often to lie we [...]: This ridge through which I travelled is a­bout [Page 19] 20 miles broad, the ground in general very level and rich, free from shrubs and brush: there are, however, very few springs, yet wells might easily be dug in all parts of that ridge; the tim­ber on it is very lofty, but it is no easy matter to make a strait course through the same, the moss growing as high upon the south side of the trees as on the north. There are a great many white oaks, ash and hickory trees that grow among the beach timber; there are likewise some places on the ridge, perhaps for three or four continued miles where there is little or no beach, and in such spots, black, white oah, ash and hickory abound. Sugar trees grow there also to a very great bulk: The soil is remarkably good, the ground a little ascending and descending with some small rivu­lets and a few springs. When I got out of the beach ridge and nearer the river Muskingum the lands were more broken but equally rich with those before mentioned, and abounding with brooks and springs of water: There are also se­veral small creeks that empty into that river, the bed of which is more than a mile wide in many places: The woods consist of white and black oaks, walnut, hickory and sugar trees in the great­est abundance. In all parts of the country thro' which I came the game was very plenty, that is to say, deer, turkies and pheasants, I likewise saw a great many vestiges of bears and some elks.

I crossed the river Muskingum about three or four miles below Fort Laurence, and crossing all paths aimed for the Ohio river. All this time my food was gooseberries, young nettles, the [Page 20] juice of herbs, a few service berries, and some May apples, likewise, two young blackbirds and a turripine which I devoured raw. When my food sat heavy on my stomach, I used to eat a lit­tle wild ginger which put all to rights.

I came upon Ohio river about five miles below fort M'Intosh, in the evening of the 21st day after I had made my escape, and on the twenty second, about seven o'clock in the morning, being the fourth day of July, arrived safe, though very much fatigued, at the fort.

HAVING in the last war been a prisoner a­mongst the Indians many years, and so be­ing well acquainted with the country west of the Ohio I was employed as a guide in the expediti­on under Col. William Crawford against the In­dian towns on or near the river Sandusky. It will be unnecessary for me to relate what is so well known, the circumstances and unfortunate event of that expedition; it will be sufficient to observe, that having on Tuesday the fourth of June fought the enemy near Sandusky, we lay that night in our camp, and the next day fired on each other at the distance of three hundred yards, doing little or no execution. In the evening of that day it was proposed by Col. Crawford, as I have been since informed, to draw off with or­der; but at the moment of our retreat the Indi­ans (who had probably perceived that we were about to retire) firing alarm guns, our men broke and rode off in confusion, treading down those who were on foot, and leaving the wounded men who supplicated to be taken with them.

I was with some others on the rear of our troops feeding our horses on the glade, when our men [Page 23] began to break: The main body of our people had passed by me a considerable distance before I was ready to set out. I overtook them before they crossed the glade, and was advanced almost in front. The company in which I was, had sep­arated from me, and had endeavoured to pass a morass; for coming up, I found their horses had stuck fast in the morass, and endeavouring to pass mine also in a short time stuck fast. I ought to have said, the company of five or six men with which I had been immediately connected, and who were some distance to the right of the main body, and had separated from me, &c. I tryed a long time to disengage my horse, until I could hear the enemy just behind me, and on each side, but in vain. Here then I was obliged to leave him. The morass was so unstable that I was to the middle in it, and it was with the greatest dif­ficulty that I got across it, but which having at length done, I came up with the six men who had left their horses in the same manner I had done; two of these, my companions, having lost their guns.

We travelled that night making our course to­wards Detroit, with a view to shun the enemy, who we conceived to have taken the paths by which the main body of our people had retreated. Just before day we got into a second deep morass and were under the necessity of detaining until it was light to see our way through it. The whole of this day we travelled towards the Shawanese towns, with a view of throwing ourselves still farther out of the search of the enemy. About [Page 24] ten o'clock this day we sat down to eat a little, having tasted nothing from Tuesday, the day of our engagement, until this time which was on Thursday; and now the only thing we had to eat was a scrap of pork to each. We had sat down just by a warrior's path which we had not sus­pected, when eight or nine warriors appeared. Running off hastily we left our baggage and pro­visions, but were not discovered by the party; for sculking some time in the grass and bushes, we returned to the place and recovered our baggage. The warriors had hallooed as they passed, and were answered by others on our flanks.

In our journey through the glades, or wide ex­tended dry meadows, about twelve o'clock this day we discovered a party of Indians in front, but sculking in the grass and bushes were not per­ceived by them. In these glades we were in great danger, as we could be seen at a great dis­tance. In the afternoon of this day there fell a heavy rain, the coldest I ever felt. We halted while it rained, and then travelling on we saw a party of the enemy about two hundred yards be­fore us, but hiding ourselves in the bushes, we had again the good fortune not to be discovered. This night we got out of the glades, having in the night crossed the paths by which we had ad­vanced to Sandusky. It was our design to leave all these paths to the right, and to come in by the Tuscarawas. We should have made a much greater progress, had it not been for two of our companions who were lame; the one having his foot burnt, the other with a swelling in his knee, of a rheumatic nature.

[Page 25]On this day, which was the second after the re­treat, one of our company, the person affected with the rheumatic swelling, was left behind some distance in a swamp. Waiting for him sometime we saw him coming within one hundred yards, as I sat on the body of an old tree mending my mok­kisons, but taking my eye from him I saw him no more. He had not observed our tracks, but had gone a different way. We whistled on our charg­ers, and afterwards hallooed for him but in vain. Nevertheless he was fortunate in missing us, for he afterwards came safe into Wheeling. We trav­elled on until night, and were on the waters of Muskingum from the middle of this day.

Having catched a fawn this day we made a fire in the evening, and had a repast, having in the mean time eat nothing but the small bit of pork I mentioned before. We set off at break of day. About nine o'clock the third day we fell in with a party of the enemy about twenty miles from the Tuscarawas, which is about 135 miles from Fort Pitt. They had come upon our tracks, or had been on our flanks, and discovered us, and then having got before had way-laid us, & fired before we perceived them. At the first fire one of my companions fell before me, and another just be­hind; these two had guns: Tnere were six men in company, and four guns, two of these rendered useless by reason of the wet, when coming thro' the swamp the first night; we had tried to dis­charge them, but could not. When the Indians fired I ran to a tree, but an Indian presenting him­self fifteen yards before me, desired me to deliver [Page 26] myself up and I should not be hurt: My gun was in good order, but apprehending the enemy be­hind might discharge their pieces at me, I did not risk firing, which I had afterwards reason to regret when I found what was to be my fate, and that the Indian who was before me and presented his gun, was one of those who had just before fired. Two of my companions were taken with me in the same manner, the Indians assuring us we should not be hurt. But one in company, James Paul, who had a gun in order made his es­cape, and has since come into Wheeling. One of these Indians knew me, and was of the party by whom I was taken in the last war. He came up to and spoke to me, calling me by my Indian name, Mannuchcothee, and upbrading me for coming to war against them. I will take a moment here to relate some particulars of my first captivity, and my life since.

I was taken from New River, in Virginia, by the Miamese, a nation of Indians by us called the Picts, amongst whom I lived six years; afterwards being sold to a Delaware, and by him put into the hands of a trader, I was carried amongst the Shawanese, with whom I continued six years; so that my whole time amongst these nations was 12 years, that is, from the eighth to the twentieth year of my age. At the treaty at Fort Pitt in the fall preceding what is called Dunmore's war, which, if I am right, was in the year '73, I came in with the Shawanese nation to the treaty, and meeting with some of my relations at that place, was by them solicited to relinquish the life of a [Page 27] savage, which I did with some reluctance, this manner of life having become natural to me, in­asmuch as I had scarcely known any other. I en­listed as a soldier in the Continental army at the commencement of the present war, and served fifteen months. Having been properly discharg­ed I have since married, have a family, and am in communion with the church.

To return: The party by whom we were made prisoners had taken some horses, and left them at the glades we had passed the day before. They had followed on our tracks from these glades; on our return to which we found the horses and rode. We were carried towachatomakak, a town of the Mingoes and Shawanese. I think it was on the third day we reached the town, which when we were approaching, the Indians, in whose custody we [...], began to look sour, having been kind to us before, and given us a little meat and flour to eat, which they had found or taken from some of our men on their retreat. This town is small, and we were told was about two miles distant from the main town, to which they meant to carry us.

The inhabitants from this town came out with clubs and tomahawks struck, beat and abused us greatly. One of my two companions they seized and having stripped him naked, blacked him with coal and water: This was the sign of being burnt: The man seemed to surmise it, and shed tears. He asked me the meaning of his being blacked; but I was forbid by the enemy in their own language to tell him what was intended.— In English, which they spoke easily, having been [Page 28] often at Fort Pitt, they assured him he was not to be hurt. I know of no reason for making him the first object of their cruelty, unless it was that he was the oldest.

A warrior had been sent to the greater town to acquaint them with our coming, and prepare them for the frolic; for on our coming to it, the inhabitants came out with guns, clubs and toma­hawks. We were told that we had to run to the council house, about three hundred yards. The man that was blacked was about twenty yards be­fore us, in running the guantlet: They made him their principal object, men, women and children beating him, and those who had guns firing loads of powder on him as he run naked, putting the muzzles of the guns to his body, shouting, hal­looing and beating their drums in the mean time.

The unhappy man had reached the door of the council house, beat and wounded in a manner shocking to the sight: for having arrived before him we had it in our power to view the spectacle: it was indeed the most horrid that can be con­ceived: They had cut him with their tomahawks shot his body black, burnt it into holes with loads of powder blown into him: A large wadding had made a wound in his shoulder whence the blood gushed.

Agreeable to the declaration of the enemy when he first set out, he had reason to think him­self secure when he had reached the door of the council house. This seemed to be his hope, for coming up with great struggling and endeavour, [...] hold of the door but was pulled back and [Page 29] drawn away by them; finding they intended no mercy, but putting him to death he attempted several times to snatch or lay hold of some of their tomahawks, but being weak could not af­fect it. We saw him borne off and they were a long time beating, wounding, pursuing and killing him.

That same evening I saw the dead body of this man close by the council house. It was mang­led cruelly and the blood mingled with the pow­der was rendered black. The same evening I saw him, after he had been cut into pieces and his limbs and his head about two hundred yards on the outside of the town put on poles. That e­vening also I saw the bodies of three others in the same black and mangled condition: These I was told had been put to death the same day and just before we had reached the town. Their bo­dies as they lay were black, bloody, and burnt with powder; two of these were Harrison, and young Crawford. I knew the visage of Colonel Harrison, and I saw his cloathing and that of young Crawford, at the town. They brought horses to me and asked if I knew them?—I said they were Harrison's and Crawford's. They said they were.

The third of these men I did not know, but be­lieve to have been Col. M'Cleland, the third in command on the expedition.

The next day the bodies of these men were dragged to the outside of the town, and their carcases being given to the dogs, their limbs and heads were stuck on poles.

[Page 30]My surviving companion shortly after we had reached the council house was sent to another town, and I presume he was burnt or executed in the same manner.

In the evening the men assembled in the coun­cil house; This is a large building about fifty yards in length and about twenty five yards wide; and about sixteen feet in height, built of split poles covered with bark: Their first object was to examine me, which they could do in their own language, inasmuch as I could speak the Miame, Shawanese and Delaware languages, which I had learned during my early captivity in the last war: I found I had not forgotten these languages, es­pecially the two former, being able to speak them as well as my native tongue.

They began with interrogating me concerning the situation of our country, what were our pro­visions? our numbers? the state of the war be­tween us and Britain? I informed them Corn­wallis had been taken, which next day, when Matthew Elliot, with James Girty, came, they affirmed to be a lie, and the Indians seemed to give full credit to their declarations.

Hitherto I had been treated with some appear­ance of kindness, but now the enemy began to alter their behaviour towards me. Girty had in­formed them, that when he asked me how I liked to live there, I had said that I intended to take the first opportunity to take a scalp and run off. It was, to be sure, very probable that if I had such intention, I would communicate it to him. A­nother [Page 31] man came to me and told me a story of his having lived on the south branch of Potowmac in Virginia, and having three brothers there, he pretended he wanted to get away, but I suspect­ed his design; nevertheless he reported that I had consented to go. In the mean time I was not tied and could have escaped, but having nothing to put on my feet, I waited some time longer to pro­vide for this.

I was invited every night to the war dances, which they usually continued until almost day. I could not comply with their desire, believing these things to be the service of the devil.

The council lasted fifteen days; from fifty to one hundred warriors being usually in coun­cil, and sometimes more. Every warrior is ad­mitted to these councils; but only the chiefs or head warriors have the privilege of speaking. The head warriors are accounted such from the number of scalps and prisoners they have taken.

The third day M'Kee was in council, and afterwards was generally present. He spoke little, and did not ask any questions or speak to me at all. He lives about two miles out of the town, has a house built of squared logs with a shingled roof; he was dressed in gold laced cloaths. I had seen him at the former town through which I passed.

I think it was on the last day of the council, save one, that a speech came from Detroit, brought by a warrior who had been counseling with the commanding officer at that place. The speech had been long expected, and was [Page 32] in answer to one sometime before sent from the town to Detroit: It was in a belt of Wampum and began with addressing them, "My child­ren," and enquiring why they continued to take prisoners? "Provisions are scarce; when prisoners are brought in we are obliged to main­tain them, and still some of them are running away, and carrying tidings of our affairs. When any of your people fall into the hands of the rebels they shew no mercy: why then should you take prisoners? Take no more prisoners, my children, of any sort; man, woman or child."

Two days after a party of every nation that was near being collected, it was determined on to take no more prisoners of any sort. They had held a large council, and the determination was, that if it where possible they could find a child of a span or three inches long, they would show no mercy to it. At the conclusion of the council it was agreed upon by all the tribes present, viz. the Tawaws, Chiappawaws the Wiondots, the Mingoes, the Delawares, the Shawanese, the Munses, and a part of the Che­rokees, that should any of the nation who were not present take any prisoner, these would rise against them, take away the prisoners and put them to death.

In the course of these deliberations I under­stood what was said perfectly. They laid plans against our settlements of Kentucky, the Falls, and towards Wheeling. These it will be unne­cessary for me to mention in this narrative, more especially as the Indians finding me to have [Page 33] escaped, and knowing that I would not fail to communicate these designs, will be led to alter their resolutions.

There was one council held at which I was not present: The warriors had sent for me as usual, but the squaw with whom I lived would not suffer me to go, but hid me under a large quantity of skins. It may have been from an unwillingness that I should hear in council the determination with respect to me, that I should be burnt.

About this time twelve men were brought in from Kentucky, three of whom were burnt on this day: The remainder were distributed to other towns, and all as the Indians informed me, were burnt. This was after the speech came from Detroit.

On this day also I saw an Indian who had just come into town, and who said that the pri­soner he was bringing to be burnt, and who he said was a doctor, had made his escape from him. I knew this must have been Dr. Knight, who went as surgeon of the expedition. The Indian had a wound four inches long in his head which he acknowledged the doctor had given him: he was cut to the scull. His story was, that he had untied the doctor, being asked by him to do so, the doctor promising that he would not go away; that while he was employed in kindling the fire, the doctor snatched up the gun, had come behind and struck him: that he then made a stroke at the doctor with his knife, which he laid hold of, and his fingers were cut [Page 34] almost off, the knife being drawn through his hand; that he gave the doctor two stabs, one in the belly, the other in the back; said the doctor was a great, big, tall, strong man. Being now adopted in an Indian family, and having some confidence for my safety, I took the liberty to contradict this, and said that I knew the doctor who was a weak, little man. The other warriors laughed immoderately, and did not seem to credit him. At this time I was told that Col. Crawford was burnt, and they greatly exulted over it.

The day after the council I have mentioned about forty warriors accompanied by George Girty came early in the morning round the house where I was. The squaw gave me up; I was sitting before the door of the house; they put a rope round my neck, tied my arms behind my back, stripped me naked, and blacked me in the usual manner. George Girty as soon as I was tied, damned me, and said that I now should get what I had deserved many years. I was led a­way to a town distant about five miles, to which a messenger had been dispatched to desire them them to prepare to receive me: Arriving at this town I was beaten with clubs and the pipe ends of their tomahawks, and was kept for some time tied to a tree before a house door. In the mean while the inhabitants set out to another town a­bout two miles distant, where I was to be burnt, and where I arrived about three o'clock in the af­ternoon.

Here also was a council house, part of it cover­ed, and part of it without a roof. In the part of [Page 35] it where no cover was, but only sides built up, there stood a post about sixteen feet in height, and in the middle of the house around the post, there were three piles of wood built about three feet high and four feet from the post. Being brought to the post my arms were tied behind me and the thong or cord with which they were bound was fastened to the post; a rope also was put about my neck and tied to the post about four feet above my head. During the time they were tying me, piles of wood were kindled and began to flame.

Death by burning, which appeared to be now my fate, I had resolved to sustain with patience. The divine grace of God had made it less alarm­ing to me: for on my way this day, I had been greatly exercised in regard to my latter end. I knew myself to have been a regular member of the church, and to have sought repentance for my sins; but though I had often heard of the faith of assurance, had known nothing of it; but ear­ly this day, instantaneously by a change wrought upon me sudden and perceivable as lightning, an assurance of my peace made with God sprung up in my mind. The following words were the sub­ject of my meditation—"In peace thou shalt see God. Fear not those who can kill the body. In peace shalt thou depart." I was on this occasi­on by a confidence in mind, not to be resisted, fully assured of my salvation: This being the case, I was willing, satisfied, and glad to die.

I was tied to the post, as I have already said, and the flame was now kindled. The day was [Page 36] clear, not a cloud to be seen: if there were clouds low in the horizon, the sides of the house pre­vented me from seeing them, but I heard no thunder, or observed any sign of approaching rain. Just as the fire of one pile began to blaze, the wind rose; from the time they began to kin­dle the fire and to tie me to the post, until the wind began to blow, was about fifteen minutes. The wind blew a hurricane, and the rain followed in less than three minutes. The rain fell violent, and the fire, though it began to blaze considera­bly, was instantly extinguished. The rain lasted about a quarter of an hour.

When it was over, the savages stood amazed and were a long time silent. At last one said, we will let him alone till morning, and take a whole day's frolic in burning him. The sun at this time was about three hours high. It was agreed upon and the rope about my neck was untied, and mak­ing me sit down, they began to dance around me. They continued dancing in this manner until e­leven o'clock at night; in the mean time, beating kicking, and wounding me with their tomahawks and clubs.

At last one of the warriors, the Half Moon, asked me if I was sleepy? I answered, Yes. The head warrior then chose out three men to take care of me. I was taken to a block house; my arms were tied until the cord was hid in the flesh; they were tied in two places, round the wrist and above the elbows. A rope was fastened about my neck, and tied to a beam of the house, but permitting me to lie down on a board. The three [Page 37] warriors were constantly harrassing and troubling me, saying, "How will you like to eat fire to­morrow—you will kill no more Indians now." I was in expectation of their going to sleep; when at length, about an hour before day break, two laid down; the third smoked a pipe, talked to me, and asked the same painful questions. A­bout half an hour after, he also laid down and I heard him begin to snore.—Instantly I went to work, and as my arms were perfectly dead with the cord, I laid myself down upon my right arm which was behind my back, and keep­ing it fast with my fingers, which had still some life and strength, I slipped the cord from my left arm over my elbow and my wrist. One of the warriors now got up and stirred the fire: I was apprehensive that I should be examined, and thought it was over with me; but my hopes revi­ved when now he lay down again. I then at­tempted to unloose the rope about my neck, tried to gnaw it but in vain, as it was as thick as my thumb and as hard as iron, being made of a buf­faloe hide: I wrought with it a long time, gave it out, and could see no relief. At this time I saw day break and heard the cock crow: I made a second attempt almost without hope, pulling the rope by putting my fingers between my neck & it, & to my great surprise it came easily untied: It was a noose with two or three knots tied over it.

I stept over the warriors as they lay, and hav­ing got out of the house looked back to see if there was any disturbance; I then run through the town into a corn field; in my way I saw a squaw with four or five children lying asleep un­der [Page 38] a tree: Going a different way into the field I untied my arm which was greatly swelled and turned black: Having observed a number of hor­ses in the glade as I ran through it, I went back to catch one, and on my way found a piece of an old rug or quilt hanging on a fence which I took with me: Having caught the horse, the rope with which I had been tied serving for a halter, I rode off; the horse was strong and swift, and and the woods being open and the country level, about ten o'clock that day I crossed the Sciota river at a place by computation fifty full miles from the town. I had rode about twenty miles on this side Sciota by three o'clock in the afternoon, when the horse began to fail and could no longer go on a trot. I instantly left him and ran on foot about twenty miles farther that day, making in the whole the distance of near one hundred miles. In the evening I heard hallooing behind me and for this reason did not halt until about ten o'clock at night, when I sat down, was extremely sick and vomited; but when the moon rose which might have been a­bout two hours after, I went on and travelled un­til day.

During the night I had a path, but in the morning judged it prudent to forsake the path and take a ridge for the distance of fifteen miles in a line at right angles to my course, putting back as I went along with a stick the weeds which I had bended, lest I should be tracked by the enemy. I lay the next night on the waters of Muskingum: The nettles had been trouble­some to me after my crossing the Sciota, having [Page 39] nothing to defend myself but the piece of a rug which I had found, and which while I rode I used under me by way of saddle; the briars and thorns were now painful to and prevented me from tra­velling in the night until the moon appeared: In the mean time I was hindered from sleeping by the musquetoes, for even in the day I was under the necessity of travelling with a handful of bush­es to brush them from my body.

The second night I reached Cushakim; next day came to Newcomer's town, where I got a­bout seven rasberries, which were the first thing I ate from the morning in which the Indians had taken me to burn me until this time, which was now about three o'clock the fourth day. I felt hunger very little, but was extremely weak; I swam Muskingum river at Oldcomer's town, the river being about two hundred yards wide; hav­ing reached the bank I sat down, looked back and thought I had a start of the Indians if any should pursue. That evening I travelled about five miles, next day came to Stillwater, a small river, in a branch of which I got two small cra­fish to eat: Next night I lay within five miles of Wheeling, but had not slept a wink during this whole time, being rendered impossible by the musquetoes, which it was my constant employ­ment to brush away. Next day came to Wheel­ing and saw a man on the island in the Ohio oppo­site to that post, and calling to him and asking for particular persons who had been on the expedi­tion, and telling him I was Slover, at length, with great difficulty, he was pursuaded to come over and bring me across in his canoe.

ON Wednesday the 29th day of June, 1785. late in the evening, a large company of armed men passed the house, on their way to Kentucky: Some part of whom encamped with­in two miles. Mr. Scott living on a frontier part, generally made the family watchful; but on this calamitous day, after so large a body of men had passed, shortly after night, he lay down in his bed, and imprudently left one of the doors of his house open; the children were also in bed, and asleep. Mrs. Scott was nearly un­dressed, when to her unutterable astonishment and horror, she saw rushing in through the door that was left open, painted savages with pre­sented arms, raising a hideous shriek—Mr. Scott being awake, instantly jumped out of his bed, but was immediately fired at: He forced his way through the middle of the enemy and got out of the door, but fell a few paces from thence. An Indian seized Mrs. Scott, and ordered her [Page 41] to a particular spot, and not to move; others stabbed and cut the throats of the three youngest children in their bed, and afterwards lifted them up and dashed them down on the floor, near the mother; the eldest, a beautiful girl of eight years old, awoke and escaped out of bed, and ran to her parent, and, with the most plaintive ac­cents, cried, "O mama! mama! save me"—the mother, in the deepest anguish of spirit, and with a flood of tears, intreated the savages to spare her child; but, with a brutal fierceness, they tomahawked and stabbed her in the mothers arms. Adjacent to Mr. Scott's dwelling house another family lived, of the name of Ball.— The Indians also attacked them at the same in­stant they did Mr. Scott's, but the door being shut, the enemy fired into the house through an opening between two logs, and killed a young lad, and then essayed to force the door open; but a surviving brother fired through the door, and the enemy desisted, and went off: The re­maining part of the family ran out of the house and escaped. In Mr. Scott's house were four good rifles well loaded, and a good deal of clothing, and furniture, part of which belonged to people that had left it on their way to Ken­tucky. The Indians loaded themselves with the plunder, being 13 in number, then speedily made off, and continued travelling all night; next morning their chief allotted to each man his share and detached nine of a party to steal horses from the inhabitants of Clinch. The eleventh day after Mrs. Scotts captivity, the four Indians that [Page 42] had her in charge, stopped at a place fixed upon for a rendezvous, and to hunt, being now in great want of provisions. Three went out, and the chief, being an old man, was left to [...] care of the prisoner, who, by this time, expressed a will­ingness to proceed to the Indian towns, which seemed to have the desired effect of lessening her keeper's vigilance. In the day time, as the old man was graining a deer skin, the captive pon­dering on her situation, and anxiously looking for an opportunity to make her escape, took the resolution, and went to the Indian carelessly, asked liberty to go a small distance to a stream of water, to wash the blood off her apron, that had remained besmeared since the fatal night of the murder of her little daughter. He told her in the English tongue "go along;" she then pass­ed by him, his face being in a contrary direction from that she was going, and he very busy. She after getting to the water, proceeded on without delay, made to a high barren mountain, and tra­velled until late in the evening, when she came down into the valley, in search of the track she had been taken along; hoping thereby to find the way back, without the risk of being lost, and perishing with hunger in uninhabited parts. On coming across the valley to the river side, suppos­ed to be the easterly branch of Kentucky river, she observed in the sand, tracks of two men, that had gone up the river, and had just returned. She concluded these to have been her pursuers, which excited emotions of gratitude and thankfulness to divine providence for so timous a deliverance. [Page 43] Being without any provisions, having no kind of weapon or tool to assist her in getting any, and being almost destitute of cloathing, also knowing that a vast tract of rugged high mountains inter­vened, between where she was and the inhabitants eastwardly, and the distance of the Kentucky set­tlements unknown, and she almost as ignorant as a child of the method of steering through the woods, excited painful sensations. But certain death, either by hunger or wild beasts, seemed preferable rather than to be in the power of be­ings, who had excited in her mind such horror. She addressed heaven for protection, and taking courage, proceeded onward. After travelling three days, she had nearly met with the Indians, as she supposed, that had been sent to Clinch to steal horses, but providentially hearing their ap­proach, concealed herself among the cane, until the enemy had passed. This giving a fresh alarm and her mind being filled with consternation, she got lost, proceeding backwards and forwards for several days; at length she came to a river, that seemed to come from the east; concluding it was Sandy river, she accordingly resolved to trace it to its source, which is adjacent to the Clinch set­tlements. After proceeding up the same several days, she came to where the river runs through the great Laurel mountain, where is a prodigi­ous water-fall, and numerous high craggy cliffs along the water edge; that way seemed impass­able, the mountain steep and difficult: However, our mournful traveller concluded that the latter way was the best. She therefore ascended for [Page 44] some time, but coming to a range of inaccessible rocks, she turned her course towards the foot of the mountain and the river side; After getting in­to a deep gulley, and passing over several high steep rocks, she reached the river side, where, to her inexpressible affliction, she found that a per­pendicular rock or rather one that hung over of 15 or 20 feet high, formed the bank. Here a so­lemn pause took place; she essayed to return, but the height of the steeps and rocks she had descended over, prevented her. She then re­turned to the edge of the precipice, and viewed the bottom of it, as the certain spot to end all her troubles, or remain on the top to pine away with hunger, or be devoured by wild beasts. After serious meditation, and devout exercises, she de­termined on leaping from the height, and accord­ingly jumped off. Although the place she had to alight was covered with uneven rocks, not a bone was broken; but, being exceedingly stun­ned with the fall, she remained unable to proceed for some space of time. The dry season caused the river to be shallow—she travelled in it, and where she could, by its edge, until she got thro' the mountain, which she concluded was several miles. After this, as she was travelling along the bank of the river, a venemous snake bit her on the ancle: She had strength to kill, and knowing its kind, concluded that death must soon over­take her. By this time, Mrs. Scott was reduced to a mere skeleton with fatigue, hunger and grief: probably this state of her body was the means, of preserving her from the effects of the poison: be [Page 45] that as it may, so it was, that very little pain suc­ceeded the bite, and what little swelling there was, it fell into her feet. Our wanderer now left the river, and after proceeding a good distance, she came to where the valley parted into two, each leading a different course. Here a painful suspence again took place: A forlorn creature, almost exhausted, and certain, if she was far led out of the way, she would never see a human creature—During this soliloque, a beautiful bird passed close by her flattering along the ground, and went out of sight up one of the valleys.— This drew her attention, and whilst considering what it might mean, another bird of the same ap­pearance in like manner fluttered past her, and took the same valley the other had done This determined her choice of the way; and in two days which was on the 11th day of August, she reached that settlement on Clinch, called New-Garden; whereas (she is since informed by wood men) had she taken the other valley, it would have led her back towards the Ohio. Mrs. Scott relates, that the Indians told her, that the party was composed of four different nations, two of whom she thinks they named Delawares and Mingoes.

She further relates, that during her wandering from the tenth of July to the eleventh of August, she had no other subsistance but chewing and swallowing the juice of young cane-stalks, Sassasras leaves, and some other plants she did not know the names of; that, on her journey, she saw Buffaloes, Elks, Deer, and frequently [Page 46] Bears and Wolves; not one of which, although some passed very near her, offered to do her the least harm. One day a Bear came near her, with a young Fawn in his mouth, and on discovering her, he dropped his prey and ran off. Hunger prompted her to go and take the flesh and eat it: but on reflection, she desisted, thinking that the Bear might return and devour her; besides she had an aversion to taste raw flesh.—Mrs. Scott continues in a low state of health, and remains inconsolable for the loss of her family, particu­larly bewailing the cruel death of her little daughter.