hem, and Kentucky
had to bear her part of the sorrow. These Indians would scatter
themselves in small parties, and hang secretly for days and nights around
the infant stations. Until one is acquainted with Indian stratagems, he
can hardly tell how cunning these people are. By day they would hide
themselves in the grass, or behind the stumps of trees, near the pathways
to the fields or springs of water, and it was certain death to the white
man who travelled that way. At night they would creep up to the very
gateway of the pickets, and watch for hours for a white man. If any part
of his person was exposed, he was sure to catch a rifle-ball. It was
impossible to discover them, even when their mischief was done. They
would lie in the grass flat on their bellies for days, almost under the
very palisades. Sometimes an Indian yell would be heard near one point of
the fort, startling all the settlers--a yell raised only to draw them
all in one direction, while the Indians did their mischief in another. In
this sneaking mode of warfare, men, women, and children, were killed in
many places; and not unfrequently whole droves of cattle were cut off.

At length, to the great joy of the settlers, the Indians began to show
themselves more boldly: for anything was better than these secret
ambushes of the savages; an open enemy is not so much to be dreaded as a
secret one. Boonesborough and Harrodsburgh (a settlement made by James
Harrod, a bold adventurer from the banks of the Monongahela) were now the
principal stations. Toward these, new emigrants were from time to time
moving, and against these stations, as being the strongest, the Indians
felt the greatest hatred, and directed their principal attacks. Early in
the spring of 1777, a party was moving toward Harrodsburgh: fortunately,
the Indians attacked them; for, though two whites were killed, the attack
probably saved the settlement. It was only four miles from the place, and
the Indians were now on their way there. One young man escaped in the
midst of the fight to give the alarm at Harrodsburgh. The station was
instantly put in a state of defence. Ere long, the Indians appeared. A
brisk firing at once commenced on both sides; the savages saw one of
their men fall, and finding that they were not likely to gain any
advantage, soon scattered for the woods. The whites lost one man also,
and three were slightly wounded.

On the 15th of April, a party of one hundred savages appeared