Virginia Argus

HORRID MURDER BY THE INDIANS

Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Augustine, to his friend in Virginia.

"Dear Sir--(On the night of the 3d Feb. last, arrived in this place in a deplorable condition, Mrs. Mary Jordan who in January last was carried away captive by the Indians Mrs. Jordan has furnished me with the following melancholy account.

"On the night of the 22d Jan. 1807, we were suddenly awakened from slumber by the hideous yells of savages, who before we could put ourselves in a situation to oppose them, succeeded in forcing the doors of the house--They were to the number of forty or fifty, frightfully painted, and armed with tomahawks and scalping knives--My husband met them at the door and in their own tongue asked them what they wanted--'the scalps of your family?' was their answer. My husband intreated them to have compassion on me and his innocent children, but his intreaties availed nothing: we were dragged naked out of the house, and tied severally with cords--By order of one, who appeared to be the chief, about 20 of the Indians took charge of us, who were ordered to conduct us with all possible dispatch to their settlement (about 200 miles distant) while the remainder were left to pillage and fire the house We commenced our journey about midnight, through an uncultivated wilderness at the rate of nearly four miles an hour. If either of us thro' fatigue slackened our pace, we were most inhumanly beat and threatened with instant death.

After a tedious travel of more than 40 miles, the savages halted in a swamp-- here for the first time from the time of our departure we were permitted to lay down --the Indians kindled a fire on which they broiled some bear's flesh, of which they allowed us but a small portion.

After they had refreshed themselves and extinguished their fires, we were again compelled to pursue our journey. We travelled until sun-set when the Indians again halted, and began to prepare a covering for themselves for the night. My poor children complained much of their feet being swollen, but I was not permitted to give them any relief, nor was their father allowed to discourse with them As night approached we shook each other by the hand, expecting never again to witness the rising sun. Contrary to our expectations, however, we had a tolerable night's rest, and on the succeeding day, though naked and half starved, travelled with much more ease than on the preceding one. The Indians occasionally allowed us a little raw food sufficient only to keep us alive--we this day travelled according to the reckoning of the Indians, nearly 40 miles, and were about sun-set joined by the remaining savages who were left behind; they were loaded with the spoils of my husband's property, among others they found a keg of spirits of which they drank plentifully; as they became intoxicated, they exercised the more cruelty towards us--they beat my poor children so unmercifully that they were unable to stand on their feet the ensuing morning--the Indians attributed their inability to wilfulness and again renewed the acts of barbarity, beating them with clubs, cutting and gashing them with their knives, and scorching their naked bodies with brands of fire. Finding that their hellish plans had no other effect than to render the poor unhappy sufferers less enabled to travel, they came to the resolution to butcher them on the spot.

"Six holes were dug in the earth of about five feet in depth, around each of which some dried branches of trees were placed --My husband at this moment filled with horror at what he expected was about to take place, broke the rope with which he was bound, and attempted to escape from the hands of the unmerciful cannibals! he was, however, closely pursued, soon over- taken and brought back--as he passed me he cast his eyes towards me and fainted-- in this situation he was placed erect in one of the holes The woods now resounded with the heart piercing cries of my poor children--. Spare, O spare my father!" was their cry--"have mercy upon my poor children!" was the cry of their father-- it availed nothing--my dear children were all placed in a situation similar to that of their father--the youngest (only 9 years old broke from them and run up to me, crying "don't mammy, pray don't let them kill me!"

Alas, O heavens what could I do? In vain did I beg of them to let me take my dear child's place! by force it was torn from me in an hour when I could afford it no protection.

Having placed the poor unfortunate victims in the manner above described they secured them in a standing position by replacing the earth, which buried them nearly to their necks!

The inhuman wretches now began their hideous powwows, dancing to and fro around the victims of their tortures, which they continued about half an hour, when they communicated fire to the fatal piles? Heaven only knows what my feelings were at this moment! As the flames increased the shrieks and dying groans of my poor family were heightened! thank Heaven their sufferings were of short duration; in less than a quarter of an hour from the time the fire was first communicated, their cries ceased and they sunk into the arms of their kind deliverer.

The callous hearted wretches having sufficiently feasted their eyes with the agonies of the unfortunate sufferers, retired to regale themselves with what liquors remained--they drank freely and soon became stupid and senseless; with one of the tomahawks I might with ease have dispatched them all, but my only desire was to flee from them as quick as possible I succeeded with difficulty in liberating myself by cutting the cords with which I was bound, on which I bent my course for this place. A piece of deer's flesh which I fortunately found in one of the Indian's packs, served me for food. I travelled of nights, in the day time concealing myself on thick swamps, or hollow trees. A party of Indians passed within a few rods of the place of my concealment the second day after my departure, but did not discover me--they were undoubtedly of the same party from whom I had escaped, in pursuit of me. Two days after I was met by an Indian of the Shawanese nation: he proved friendly, and conducted me to a white settlement. Without his assistance I must have again fallen into the hands of my savage foes."