ding he
had lain out nearly six months, yet he was but little torn by wild
beasts, and was easily recognized.

During this year too, Tygarts Valley, which had escaped being visited
by the Indians in 1778 again heard their harrowing yells; and although
but little mischief was done by them while there, yet its inhabitants
were awhile, kept in fearful apprehension that greater ills would
betide them. In October of this year, a party of them lying in ambush
near the road, fired several shots at Lieut. John White, riding by,
but with no other effect than by wounding the horse to cause him to
throw his rider. This was fatal to White. Being left on foot and on
open ground, he was soon shot, tomahawked and scalped.

As soon as this event was made known, Capt. Benjamin Wilson, with his
wonted promptitude and energy, raised a company of volunteers, and
proceeding by forced marches to the Indian crossing at the mouth of
the Sandy fork of Little Kenhawa, he remained there nearly three days
with a view to intercept the retreat of the savages. They however,
returned by another way and his scheme, of cutting them off while
crossing the river, consequently failed.

Some time after this several families in the Buchannon settlement,
left the fort and returned to their homes, under the belief that
the season had advanced too far, for the Indians again to come among
them. But they were sorely disappointed. The men being all assembled
at the fort for the purpose of electing a Captain, some Indians
fell upon the family of John Schoolcraft, and killed the women and
eight children,--two little boys only were taken prisoners. A
small girl, who had been scalped and tomahawked 'till a portion of
her brains was forced from her head, was found the next day yet
alive, and continued to live for several days, the brains still oozing
from the fracture of her skull.

The last mischief that was done this fall, was perpetrated at the house
of Samuel Cottrail near to the present town of Clarksburg.--During the
night considerable fear was excited, both at Cottrial's and at Sotha
Hickman's on the opposite side of Elk creek, by the continued barking
of the dogs, that Indians were lurking near, and in consequence of this
apprehension Cottrial, on going to bed, secured well the doors and
directed that no one should stir out in the morning until it was
ascertained that there was no danger threatening. A while before
day, Cottrial being fast asleep, Moses Co