In the year 1791, when the Indians were very troublesome on the banks of
the Ohio, Captain William Hubbell, Mr. Daniel Light, Mr. William Plascut,
Mrs. Plascut and eight children embarked in a flat-bottomed boat to
proceed down the Ohio.
On their progress down the river, and soon after passing Pittsburgh, they
saw evident traces of Indians along the banks, and there is every reason
to believe that a boat which they overtook, and which, through
carelessness, was suffered to run aground on an island, became a prey to
these merciless savages. Though Captain Hubbell and his party stopped some
time for it in a lower part of the river, it did not arrive, and has never
to their knowledge been heard of since. Before they reached the mouth of
the Great Kenhawa, they had by several successive additions, increased
their number to twenty, consisting of nine men, three women, and eight
children. The men, besides those mentioned above, were one John Stoner, an
Irishman and a Dutchman, whose names are not recollected, Messrs. Ray and
Tucker, and a Mr. Kilpatrick, whose two daughters also were of the party.
Information received at Galliopolis confirmed the expectation, which
appearance previously raised, of a serious conflict with a large body of
Indians; and as Captain Hubbell had been regularly appointed commander of
the boat, every possible preparation was made for a formidable and
successful resistance of the anticipated attack. The nine men were divided
into three watches for the night, which were alternately to continue
awake, and be on the look out for two hours at a time. The arms on board,
which consisted principally of old muskets, much out of order, were
collected, loaded, and put in the best possible condition for service.
About sunset on that day, the 23d of March, 1792, the party overtook a
fleet of six boats descending the river in company, and intended to
continue with them, but as their passengers seemed to be more disposed to
dancing than fighting, and as soon after dark, notwithstanding the
remonstrances of Captain Hubbell, they commenced fiddling and dancing
instead of preparing their arms, and taking the necessary rest preparatory
to battle, it was wisely considered more hazardous to be in such company,
than to be alone. It was therefore determined to proceed rapidly forward
by the aid of the oars, and leave those thoughtless fellow-travellers
behind. One of the boats, however, belonging to the fleet, commanded by a
Captain Greathouse, adopted the same plan, and for a while kept up with
Captain Hubbell, but all its crew at length falling asleep, that boat also
ceased to be propelled by the oars, and Captain Hubbell and his party
proceeded steadily forward alone. Early in the night a canoe was dimly
seen floating down the river, in which were probably Indians
reconnoitering, and other evident indications were observed of the
neighborhood and hostile intentions of a formidable party of savages.
It was now agreed, that should the attack, as was probable, be deferred
till morning, every man should be up before the dawn, in order to make as
great a show as possible of numbers and of strength; and that, whenever
the action should take place, the women and children should lie down on
the cabin floor, and be protected as well as they could by the trunks and
other baggage, which might be placed around them. In this perilous
situation they continued during the night, and the captain, who had not
slept more than one hour since he left Pittsburgh, was too deeply
impressed with the imminent danger which surrounded him to obtain any rest
at that time.
[Illustration: A SIOUX CHIEF.]
Just as daylight began to appear in the east, and before the men were up
and at their posts, agreeably to arrangement, a voice at some distance
below them, in a plaintive tone, repeatedly solicited them to come on
shore, as there were some white persons who wished to obtain a passage in
their boat. This the captain very naturally and correctly concluded to be
an Indian artifice, and its only effect was to rouse the men, and place
every one on his guard. The voice of entreaty was soon changed into the
language of indignation and insult, and the sound of distant paddles
announced the approach of the savage foe. At length three Indian canoes
were seen through the mist of the morning rapidly advancing. With the
utmost coolness the captain and his companions prepared to receive them.
The chairs, tables, and other incumbrances were thrown into the river, in
order to clear the deck for action. Every man took his position, and was
ordered not to fire till the savages had approached so near, that, (to use
the words of Captain Hubbell,) "the flash from the guns might singe their
eye-brows;" and a special caution was given, that the men should fire
successively, so that there might be no interval. On the arrival of the
canoes, they were found to contain about twenty-five or thirty Indians
each. As soon as they had approached within the reach of musket-shot, a
general fire was given from one of them, which wounded Mr. Tucker through
the hip so severely that his leg hung only by the flesh, and shot Mr.
Light just below his ribs. The three canoes placed themselves at the bow,
stern, and on the right side of the boat, so that they had an opportunity
of raking in every direction. The fire now commenced from the boat, and
had a powerful effect in checking the confidence and fury of the Indians.
The captain after firing his own gun, took up that of one of the wounded
men, raised it to his shoulder, and was about to discharge it, when a ball
came and took away the lock; he coolly turned round, seized a brand of
fire from the kettle which served for a caboose, and applying it to the
pan, discharged the piece with effect. A very regular and constant fire
was now kept up on both sides. The captain was just in the act of raising
his gun a third time, when a ball passed through his right arm, and for a
moment disabled him. Scarcely had he recovered from the shock, and
re-acquired the use of his hand, which had been suddenly drawn up by the
wound, when he observed the Indians in one of the canoes just about to
board the boat in its bow, where the horses were placed belonging to the
party. So near had they approached, that some of them had actually seized
with their hands the side of the boat. Severely wounded as he was, he
caught up a pair of horsemen's pistols and rushed forward to repel the
attempt at boarding. On his approach the Indians fell back, and he
discharged a pistol with effect at the foremost man. After firing the
second pistol, he found himself without arms, and was compelled to
retreat; but stepping back on a pile of small wood which had been prepared
for burning in the kettle, the thought struck him, that it might be made
use of in repelling the foe, and he continued for some time to strike them
with it so forcibly and actively, that they were unable to enter the boat,
and at length he wounded one of them so severely that with a yell they
suddenly gave way. All the canoes then discontinued the contest, and
directed their course to Captain Greathouse's boat, which was in sight.
Here a striking contrast was exhibited to the firmness and intrepidity
which had been displayed. Instead of resisting the attack, the people on
board of this boat retired to the cabin in dismay. The Indians entered it
without opposition, and rowed it to the shore, where they killed the
captain and a lad of about fourteen years of age. The women they placed in
the centre of their canoes, and manning them with fresh hands, again
pursued Captain Hubbell and party. A melancholy alternative now presented
itself to these brave but almost desponding men, either to fall a prey to
the savages themselves, or to run the risk of shooting the women, who had
been placed in the canoes in the hope of deriving protection from their
presence. But "self preservation is the first law of nature," and the
captain very justly remarked, there would not be much humanity in
preserving their lives at such a sacrifice, merely that they might become
victims of savage cruelty at some subsequent period.
There were now but four men left on board of Captain Hubbell's boat,
capable of defending it, and the captain himself was severely wounded in
two places. The second attack, however, was resisted with almost
incredible firmness and vigor. Whenever the Indians would rise to fire,
their opponents would frequently give them the first shot, which in almost
every instance would prove fatal. Notwithstanding the disparity of
numbers, and the exhausted condition of the defenders of the boat, the
Indians at length appeared to despair of success, and the canoes
successively retired to the shore. Just as the last one was departing,
Captain Hubbell called to the Indian, who was standing in the stern, and
on his turning round, discharged his piece at him. When the smoke, which
for a moment obstructed the vision, was dissipated, he was seen lying on
his back, and appeared to be severely, perhaps mortally wounded.
Unfortunately the boat now drifted near to the shore, where the Indians
were collected, and a large concourse, probably between four and five
hundred, were seen rushing down on the bank. Ray and Plascut, the only
men remaining unhurt, were placed at the oars, and as the boat was not
more than twenty yards from the shore, it was deemed prudent for all to
lie down in as safe a position as possible, and attempt to push
forward with the utmost practicable rapidity. While they continued in
this situation, nine balls were shot into one oar, and ten into the
other, without wounding the rowers, who were hidden from view, and
protected by the side of the boat and the blankets in its stern. During
this dreadful exposure to the fire of the savages, which continued about
twenty minutes, Mr. Kilpatrick observed a particular Indian, whom he
thought a favorable mark for his rifle, and, notwithstanding the solemn
warning of Captain Hubbell, rose to shoot him, he immediately received
a ball in his mouth, which passed out at the back part of his head, and
was almost at the same moment shot through the heart. He fell among the
horses that about the same time were killed, and presented to his
afflicted daughters and fellow-travellers, who were witnesses of the
awful occurrence, a spectacle of horror which we need not further
attempt to describe.
The boat was now providentially and suddenly carried out into the middle
of the stream, and taken by the current beyond the reach of the enemy's
balls. Our little band reduced as they were in numbers, wounded,
afflicted, and almost exhausted by fatigue, were still unsubdued in
spirit, and being assembled in all their strength, men, women, and
children, with an appearance of triumph gave three hearty cheers, calling
to the Indians to come on again, if they were fond of the sport.
Thus ended this awful conflict, in which out of nine men, two only escaped
unhurt. Tucker and Kilpatrick were killed on the spot, Stoner was mortally
wounded, and died on his arrival at Limestone, and all the rest, excepting
Ray and Plascut were severely wounded. The women and children were all
uninjured, excepting a little son of Mr. Plascut, who, after the battle
was over, came to the captain, and with great coolness requested him to
take a ball out of his head. On examination, it appeared that a bullet
which had passed through the side of the boat, had penetrated the forehead
of this little hero, and remained under the skin. The captain took it out,
and the youth, observing "that is not all," raised his arm, and exhibited
a piece of bone at the point of his elbow, which had been shot off, and
hung only by the skin. His mother exclaimed, "why did you not tell me of
this?" "Because," he coolly replied, "the captain directed us to be silent
during the action, and I thought you would be likely to make a noise if I
told you."
The boat made the best of its way down the river, and reached Limestone
that night. From that time forth no boat was assailed by Indians on the
Ohio.
[Illustration: CORNSTALK.]