CHAPTER VII.

Indian inroads-Silas Hart pursues the Indians-Is killedHeroism of young Hart-Captivity of the family—Judge Rowan sails down the Ohio-Is pursued by Indians-His perilous position-Wonderful presence of mind of Mrs. Rowan -Adventure of Caffree, McClure, and Davis-Meet with an equal number of Indians-Terrible combat-Caffree and Davis killed-Subsequent adventures of McClure-His escape-Colonel Marshall descends the Ohio-Is hailed by James Girty-Indian decoys-Captain Ward assaulted by Indians-Death of his nephew-Panic of the others—The search for a stray horse by Downing and Yates-They are followed by Indians-Downing conceals himself—Pursuit -Perilous situation of Downing-His remarkable escape.

IT has been already stated, that after the expedition of Colonel Clark against the Miami towns, the Indians generally preserved pacific relations with the whites. Occasional inroads, however, took place during the period of political ferment into which Kentucky was plunged, by her almost interminable succession of conventions. The incidents connected with these inroads afford instances of presence of mind and heroism equal to any that occurred in the earlier history of the settlement.

Late in the summer of 1782, one of these predatory bands of Indians, having committed excesses in Hardin county, Silas Hart, surnamed by the savages for his keen sagacity, “Sharp

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eye," assembled a party of settlers and pursued the marauders. In the pursuit Hart shot their chief, while several others of the party were also killed, only two making good their escape. When the death of the chief was made known to his brother, he declared vengeance on Hart, and collecting a small band of warriors, he secretly made his way to the vicinity of Elizabethtown, and commenced plundering and destroying.

No sooner was the neighbourhood fairly aroused than the Indians decamped. Among the foremost in pursuit was Hart. Finding it impossible to overtake the savages, the people returned to their homes. In the mean while, the Indians, who had secretly kept a watch upon the movements of their pursuers, turned when they turned, and followed them back into the settlement.

Hart reached home, some five miles from Elizabethtown, about dark in the evening, and having no apprehension of any Indians being near, went to bed and slept soundly. The next morning, while the family were seated at breakfast, the Indians, who had secreted themselves around the house during the night, suddenly appeared at the door, and the brother of the fallen chief shot Hart dead. The son of Hart, a boy of twelve years of age, no sooner saw his father fall, than, grasping a rifle, he sent a bullet through the savage before he could enter the door.

The Indians then rushed into the house in a

body, but though the foremost warrior was immediately killed by a blow from a hunting-knife in the hands of the resolute boy, the family were speedily overpowered and carried off into captivity. The daughter of Hart, being unable from debility to endure the fatigue of a forced march, was despatched by the Indians at a short distance from the settlement. The mother and son were devoted to a more painful and lingering death.

When the captives reached the Wabash towns preparations were made for their execution; fortunately, the extraordinary heroism of the boy touched the heart of an influential woman of the tribe, and at her intercession his life was spared. Mrs. Hart was also saved from the stake, by the interposition of a chief. The mother and son were finally ransomed, and returned to their desolate homes.

No further adventure with the Indians occurred until the latter part of April, 1784, when the father of the late Judge Rowan, with his own and five other families, set out from Louisville in two flat-bottomed boats for the long falls of Greene River. The families were in one boat, and their cattle in the other.

After descending the Ohio about a hundred miles, as the boats, which were kept near the centre of the river, were floating quietly along, the yelling of a large body of Indians was heard

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some two or three miles below, whose fires were discovered soon after upon the northern shore. It was then about ten o'clock at night, and the conjecture of Rowan and his companions was, that the savages had captured a boat which had passed the flat boats about mid-day, and were massacring their captives.

In order to protect themselves as far as it was possible so to do, the two boats were lashed together, and the men, seven in number, posted by Mr. Rowan in the most favourable positions for resisting an attack. The boats were then rowed closer to the Kentucky shore, and kept silently upon their course. The fires of the Indians extended at intervals for half a mile. When the boats had reached a point nearly opposite the central fire, they were discovered by the Indians, hailed, and ordered to bring to. In profound stillness the boats kept on their way; and the Indians, meeting with no response, gave a terrific yell, sprang into their canoes, and darted in pursuit. Silently the boats continued to descend the river, borne onward only by the force of the current. The Indians approached within one hundred yards, and every thing on their part indicated a determination to board.

At this moment, Mrs. Rowan quietly rose from her seat, collected the axes, and placed one by the side of each man, tapping him slightly with the handle of the axe to make him aware of the

proximity of the weapon. She then retired to her seat, retaining a hatchet for her own use.

For three miles the savages continued to hover at a short distance from the rear of the boats, yelling loudly; when, as if awed, by the perfect silence maintained by those on board, they relinquished farther pursuit. Mrs. Rowan, in speaking of the incident afterwards, said, in her calm way, "We made a providential escape, for which we ought to feel grateful."

Somewhere about the same time, a party of southern Indians, having stolen some horses in Lincoln county, were pursued by three young men whose respective names were Davis, Caffree, and McClure. Ardent and energetic, the latter determined, if they could not overtake the Indians, to proceed to their towns on the Tennessee River and make reprisals. Acting upon this resolution, they had reached within a few miles of the Indian town of Chickamongo, when they fell in with three Indians travelling in the same direction with themselves. They agreed by signs to travel together, though each was evidently suspicious of the other. The Indians walked on one side of the road and the whites on the other, watching attentively every movement. At length, the Indians beginning to converse among themselves very earnestly, the whites, convinced of their treacherous intentions, resolved to anticicipate them. The plan of attack being agreed