alternative but death, and she
obeyed his order, stepping over the dead body of one of her
children,[4] with an infant in her arms and two others screaming from
horror at the sight, and clinging to her. When all were out he scalped
the murdered boy, and setting fire to the house, retired to an
eminence in the field, where two of the savages were, with their
wounded companion.--leaving the other two to watch the opening of
Edward Cunningham's door, when the burning of the house should force
the family from their shelter. They were disappointed in their
expectation of that event by the exertions of Cunningham and his son.
When the flame from the one house communicated to the roof of the
other, they ascended to the loft, threw off the loose boards which
covered it, and extinguished the fire;--the savages shooting at them
all the while, and their balls frequently striking close by.

Despairing of accomplishing farther havoc, and fearful of detection
and pursuit, the Indians collected together and prepared to retreat.
Mrs. Cunningham's eldest son was first tomahawked and scalped; the
fatal hatchet sunk into the head of her little daughter, whom they
then took by the arms and legs, and slinging it repeatedly against a
tree, ended its sufferings with its life. Mrs. Cunningham stood
motionless with grief, and in momentary expectation of having the same
dealt to her and her innocent infant. But no! She was [274] doomed to
captivity; and with her helpless babe in her arms, was led off from
this scene of horror and of wo. The wounded savage was carried on a
rough litter, and they all departed, crossing the ridge to Bingamon
creek, near which they found a cave that afforded them shelter and
concealment.[5] After night, they returned to Edward Cunningham's, and
finding no one, plundered and fired the house.

When the savages withdrew in the evening, Cunningham went with his
family into the woods, where they remained all night, there being no
settlement nearer than eight or ten miles. In the morning, proceeding
to the nearest house, they gave the alarm and a company of men was
soon collected to go in pursuit of the Indians. When they came to
Cunningham's and found both houses heaps of ashes, they buried the
bones which remained of the boy who was murdered in the house, with
the bodies of his brother and little sister, who were killed in the
field; but so cautiously had the savages conducted their retreat that
no traces of them coul