within two miles of Lewisburg. Yokum settled Muddy
Creek. These came in the year 1763, and were soon
followed by others. Greenbriar, at that time, held out
many allurements to adventurers; the land was fertile,
the forest abounded with game, fine range for cattle,
wild horses in abundance,* sugar maple, fine mill
streams, and the best water in the world. It was not
long, however, before the happiness of these adventur-
ers was interrupted by an enemy common at that
period to the frontiers of all the colonies, I mean the In-
dians. The second year the whole settlement was cut
off by the Shawanese, the whole being either killed or
made prisoners. Mrs. Clendening, her three children,
and her brother, were among the latter-though she es-
caped before she was taken far. The particulars of her
capture, her escape, and her subsequent sufferings, are
truly interesting, and might form the subject of a novel.
I had the relation from her daughter. Mrs. Maiz, who
now lives near this place, which is likewise confirmed
by several others. Her relation begins as follows:-
"These settlers had been occasionally visited by the
Shawanese, who inhabited the place where Chilicothe is
now built. They were often among the whites, appear-
ed friendly, and were received without suspicion. One
day, however, they began the work of death on Muddy
Creek: they killed Yokum and several others, captured
the women and children, plundered the houses and burnt
them to ashes. After this, they came to Clendening's,
who had heard nothing of this hostility. When they
came into the house, they asked for something to eat;
but Mrs. Clendening was suspicious of them, from the
circumstance of their being painted different from what
she had ever seen them: she expressed her fears to her
husband in a low voice, but he replied "No danger."
Clendening employed much of his time in hunting. He
killed great numbers of buffalo, deer, elk, &c: he would
cut the meat from the bones and salt it away by itself.
The bones, Mrs. Clendening would collect into a large
kettle and boil them, for present use: this was done

"I was told by an old gentleman, that those horses, (many of which he had caught,) were easily taken, but of very little servicę when tamed.

under a shed or scaffold, constructed near the house, for
that purpose; and at that time she had a quantity of
these bones boiling in the kettle. She therefore gave
her infant to her husband, and taking a large pewter
dish and flesh-fork in her hand, repaired thither to bring
some for the Indians. But just as she turned the
corner of the house, she heard Clendening exclaim
"Lord have mercy on me." She dropped the dish and
fork, and turning back, saw an Indian with the scalp of
her husband in his hand; he held it by the long hair,
and was shaking the blood from it. She rushed upon
him, and in a fit of phrenzy, requested him to kill her,
likewise, spitting in his face to provoke him to do so.
He raised his tomahawk to kill her, when her brother,
John Ewing, who was present, said to the Indian "Oh,
never mind her, she is a foolish woman:" "Yes," said
the Indian, desisting, "she damn fool, too." They then
plundered the house, set fire to it, and departed, taking
Mrs. Clendening, her three children, and Ewing, with
them. Ewing has since said that Clendening might
have saved his life, had he not been encumbered with
the child; he started to run, and was making an effort to
cross a fence that was near the door, which separated
the house from a field of Indian corn, which, had he
gained, he would have cluded the pursuit of the Indians ;
it being in the month of June, the corn was high enough
to have concealed him, but he was killed while in the
act of rising the fence; he fell on one side and the child
on the other. The Indians proceeded on to Muddy
Creek and joined another party, who were guarding the
prisoners captured the preceding day. As they passed
by the settlement of Cea and Yokum, Mrs. Clendening
discovered that they were likewise killed, and their
wives and children among the prisoners.

On the following day, the Indians, except one old man, left them in camp, leaving this old man to guard them; they took Ewing with them. They were absent three days; during which, it came into Mrs. Clenden ing's head, that, if the other women would assist her. they might kill the old Indian and make their escape. But being narrowly watched by him, she had no oppor

66

tunity to mention the subject without being overheard.
She in the first place asked the Indian if he understood
English, and he making no reply, she took it for grant-
ed that he did not; and consequently made the propo-
sal to her sister prisoners, but they refused to aid her.
Scarcely had they done speaking, when their ears were
saluted with the whooping of an approaching party of
Indians, a number of bells, and every token of a great
number, both of horses and Indians. The old Indian
sprung to his feet, and after listening some time attentive-
ly, exclaimed in good English, “ g-d d-n good news."
Mrs. C. now expected nothing but death for plot-
ting his destruction; but she never heard any thing
more of it. The Indians proved to be those who had
left them, with another party, whom they went to meet,
who were returning from Car's Creek, Rockbridge
County, with a number of women and children, and a
vast booty, disposed on the horses. Every horse had a
bell, and every bell was open. Amongst the prisoners,
was the lamented Mrs. Moore, who was afterwards cru-
elly burnt at their towns. They collected their prison-
ers and set out for their towns. Mrs. Clendening re-
solved, however, to effect her escape, at the risk of her
life. Accordingly, when they arrived at the place call-
ed Keeny's Knobs, a favorable opportunity offered upon
one of these: ono of the Indians was carrying her child;
the Indians were all in the van; the prisoners next to
them; and the horses, with their bells ringing, behind;
and one Indian behind all. When she, therefore, came
to a very steep precipice on the side of the route, the
Indians carelessly pursuing their way, she jumped down,
and crept under a large rock. She lay still until she
heard the last bell pass by: concluding; they had not
yet missed her, she began to hope. Sonetime after the
bells were out of hearing, she heard the footsteps of
something approaching very heavily. It drew near
the place where she was; she was leaning down on her
hands and knees, with her head bent forward to the
ground; and thus she awaited the fatal stroke! Alrea-
dy she felt the deadly axe on her head, in imagination;
and for the first time feared death. She ventured, how

ever, to raise her eyes to her foe; and behold, a large bear was standing over her. He gave a great snort, and ran off at full speed. The Indians missing her af ter some time, laid her child on the ground, would go off from it some distance, thinking its cries would induce her to return; they would torture and beat it, saying "make the calf bawl and the cow will come." At length they killed it, and went on without her. She remained under the rock till dark, when she sought her way back. She travelled all night, and concealed herself by day. The second night she reached her desolate habitation. When she came in sight of the farm, she heard (or thought she did) wild beasts, howling in every direction; she thought she heard voices of all sorts, and saw images of all shapes moving through the cornfield; in short, these sights and sounds so intimidated her, that she withdrew to a spring in the forest, and remained there till morning. She then approached the place, and found the body of her husband with his eyes picked out, lying where it was when the Indians left him. She threw a buffalo hide over it, and vainly tried to cover it with carth; she procured a hoe for the purpose, but her strength was so much exhausted for want of food and sleep, that she found herself unequal to the task. She continued her route toward the settled part of the country, travelling at night only; in nine days she arrived at Dickinson's, on the Cowpasture river. During all this time, she eat nothing but a little salt, and an onion, which she found on a shelf, in a spring house, at some of the deserted places. She likewise found an Indian blanket, which proved a great friend to her in the end, as her clothes and skin were torn to pieces by the bri ers, she made leggings out of the blanket. When she got as far as Howard's Creek, not more than ten miles from where Lewisburg now is, she met several white men. These men had heard that every soul was killed, and were coming to drive away the cattle, and whatever nity to else was left by the Indians. Among these men, was one, who was heir in-law of her family; he was much

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displeased that she had escaped. This wretch offered
her no sort of consolation, nor any relief, whatever.
Some of the men gave her a piece of bread and a cold
duck, but her stomach loathing it, she put it in her pet-
ticoat, and pursued her journey, thinking to eat it when
she felt an appetite; but unfortunately, she lost it, with-
out ever tasting it. At the time her husband was killed,
and herself taken, they had a negro man and woman,
who happened to be at work in the field. The man
made his escape with all possible speed, leaving the wo-
man, who was his wife, to shift for herself. She also
took to flight, but having a young child, and fearing its
cries would betray her to the Indians, she picked up
courage, and killed it. They both effected their escape,
and got safe to Augusta; and it was from them that
these people received the news of the whole family be-
ing slain. In the mean time Mrs. Clendening arrived
safe, in her old neighborhood, and in the course of a
few days married a Mr. Rogers, the father of Mrs. Maiz,
(from whom I had this relation,) and moved to the same
place where her first husband was killed-peace being
restored; and on looking about the old premises, she
found the dish and flesh-fork where she dropped it, on
the day her husband was killed.

Meanwhile she had two children with the Indians, a
little boy and girl. Her brother, by some means, re-
turned before the general ransom of the prisoners. He
informed her, that an old Indian man and woman, who
had lost all their children, adopted her little son, and was
very
fond of it, the child likewise being foud of them.
But one day, the old man displeased with his wife, on
some account, told the child, whom she was sending for
water, not to go, if he did, he would kill him; the squaw
said she would kill him if he did not. The child stood
still, not knowing what to do; at length, the old man
went out to the field, and the child, glad of an opportu
nity to please its mother, picked up the vessel and set
off to the spring, but the old man seeing him from where
he was, walked up behind him, and knocked out his
brains. He related the circumstance himself, and
would add, "I was obliged to approach him behind,