The Daily Advertiser

Remarkable encounter of a white man with two Indians. In a letter to a gentleman in Philadelphia.

Westmoreland, April 26, 1779.

DEAR SIR,

I WROTE you a note a few days ago, in which I promised you the particulars of an affair between a white man of this country, and two Indians: now I mean to relate the whole story, and it is as follows:

The white man is upwards of sixty years of age; his name is David Morgan, a kinsman to Col. Morgan of the rifle battalion. This man had, through fear of the Indians, fled to a fort about twenty miles above the province line, and near the East side of Monongahela river. From thence he sent some of his younger children to his plantation, which was about a mile distant, there to do some business in the field. He afterwards thought fit to follow, and see how they fared. Getting to his field, and seating himself upon the fence, within view of his children, where they were at work, he spied two Indians making towards them; on which he calls to his children to make their escape, frequent infirmity would permit: but soon found he would be overtaken, which made him think of defence. Being armed with a good rifle, he faced about, and found himself under the necessity of running four or five paces towards the Indians, in order to obtain a shelter behind a tree of sufficient size.

This unexpected manoeuvre obliged the Indians who were close by, to stop where they had but small timber to shelter behind; which gave Mr. Morgan an opportunity of shooting one of them dead upon the spot. The other taking the advantage of Morgan's empty gun, advanced upon him, and put him to flight a second time, and being lighter of foot than the old man; soon came up within a few paces, when he fired on him but fortunately missed him. On this Mr. Morgan faced about again, to try his fortune, and clubbed his firelock. The Indian by this time had got his tomahawk in order for a throw, at which they are very dextrous. Morgan made the blow, and the Indian the throw, almost at the same instant, by which the little finger was cut off Morgan's left hand, and the one next to it almost off, and his gun broke off by the lock Now they came to close grips. Morgan put the Indian down; but soon found himself overturned, and the Indian upon him feeling for his knife, and yelling most hideously, as their manner is when they look upon victory to be certain. However, a woman's apron, which the Indian had plundered out of a house in the neighborhood, and tied on him, above his knife, was now in his way, and so hindered him getting at it quickly, that Morgan got one of his fingers fast in his mouth, and so deprived him of the use of that hand, by holding it, and disconcerted him considerably by chewing it; all the while observing how he would come on with his knife. At length the Indian had got hold of his knife, but so far towards the blade, that Morgan got a small hold of the hinder end; and as the Indian pulled it out of the scabbard, Morgan giving his finger a severe screw with his teeth, twitched it out through his hand, cutting it most grievously. By this time they were both got partly on their feet, and the Indian was endeavoring to disengage himself; but Morgan held fast to the finger, and quickly applied the point of the knife to the savage owner; a bone happening in the way, prevented its penetrating any great depth, but a second blow directed more towards the belly, found free passage into his bowels. The old man turned the point of the knife upwards, made a large wound, burying the knife therein, and so took his departure instantly to the fort, with the news of his adventure.

On the report of Mr. Morgan, a party went out from the fort, and found the first Indian where he fell; the second they found not yet dead, at one hundred yards distance from the scene of action, hid in the top of a fallen tree, where he had picked the knife out of his body, after which had come out parched corn, &c. and had bound up his wound with the apron aforementioned; and on first sight, he saluted them with, How do do broder, how do do broder? But alas, poor savage, their brotherhood to him extended only to tomahawking, scalping, and to gratify some peculiar feelings of their own, skinning them both; and they have their skins now in preparation for drum heads.