Gazette Of The United States

NEW-YORK, DECEMBER 9.

A gentleman from Marietta, who left this city yesterday, on his way to Boston, furnished the Editor with the following account:

About eight weeks since, two brothers, by the name of Johnson, one 12, the other 14 years old, were playing on the western bank of Short Creek, about twelve miles from Wheeling, skipping stones in the water. At a distance they discovered two men, who appeared to be settlers, being dressed with coats and hats: These men, to amuse and deceive the children (as the event showed) engaged in the same sport, advancing towards the boys, till by degrees they got so near, that the children discovered them to be indians; but it was then too late to make their escape: The indians seized and carried them six miles into the woods, where they made a fire, and took up their lodging for the night; their rifles and tomahawks they rested against a tree, and then laid down, each indian with a boy on his arm: The children as may be supposed kept awake--the oldest began to move, and finding his indian sound a sleep, by degrees, disengaged himself, and went to the fire, which had then got low, and stirred it up; the indian not waking, he whispered to his brother, who likewise crept away, and both of them went to the fire. The oldest boy then observed to his brother, "I think we can kill these indians, and get away from them"—the youngest agreed in the proposal of attempting it: The oldest then took one of the rifles, and placed the muzzle, which he rested on a small stick, that he found for the purpose, close to the head of one of the indians, and committing the execution of this part of the business to his brother, ordered him to pull trigger at the moment he saw him strike the other indian with one of the tomahawks: The oldest gave the signal; the youngest pulled trigger-the rifle shot away the lower part of the Indian's face, and left him senseless; he then told his brother to lay on, for he had done for his; after which he snatched up the gun and ran; the boy with the tomahawk gave the stroke with the wrong end, the indian started on his seat—the boy found the mistake, and turning the tomahawk in his hand, gave him another blow, which brought him to the ground; he repeated his strokes till he had dispatched him, and then made the best of his way after his brother. When the boys had found the path which they recollected to have travelled before, the oldest fixed his hat on a bush, as a directory to find the scene of action the next day. The tomahawked indian was found near the place where the boys had left him: The other was not there; but was track'd by his blood, and altho so weakened by his wounds, that he could not raise his rifle to fire at his pursuers (two men) they suffered him to escape; but it is supposed he must have died of his wounds. These two indians were sent out to reconnoitre the best place for an attack, which was to have been made by a body of warriors, waiting in the neighborhood.—The gentleman who gives this account, saw, and conversed with the two children, about six weeks since.