158 Notes on Ohio. 
turn inthe path placed him with his back to the Indians. At 
this juncture, one of the Indians fired, and shot Symonds 
through the shoulder. Being an excellent swimmer, he 
took immediately to the river, and the black boy followed 
him ; but the boy being unable to swim, was pursued by the 
Indian who had discharged his rifle, dragged to the shore, 
tomahawked and scalped. Symonds floated down the river, 
to the fort, was taken up and recovered of his wound. The 
other Indian, who it seems was only armed with a tomahawk, 
now approached Mr. Meigs with motions for him to surren- 
der. Mr. Meigs presented his gun, which from some mis- 
chance happened to be unloaded, and approached the Indian 
ata pretty rapid pace ; as he passed by him, he struck the 
Indian with his gun, and the Indian returned the blow with 
his tomahawk—it stunned him a little, but did not check his 
progress. The Indian immediately pursued, but being una- 
ble to overtake the object of his pursuit, he stopped, threw 
his tomahawk, which narrowly missed its aim, uttered the 
Indian war-cry, and gave up the chase. 
Had Mr. Meigs tried any other expedient than that of 
facing his enemy and rushing immediately upon him, he must 
inevitably have Jost his life. Qn his left was the river, on 
his right a very steep and high hill; beyond him the path- 
less wood, and between him and the fort, his Indian foes. 
To his sudden and unexpected attack, to his dauntless and 
intrepid manner, and to his dexterity in the race, Mr. Meigs 
undoubtedly owed his life. The Indians were immediately 
pursued from the fort and a number of shots were fired at 
them by the “spies” on the east side of the river, but they 
gained the hill which overlooks the town, and biddiag defi- 
ance to their pursuers, escaped uninjured. 
During the whole of the war, only two Indians were cer- 
tainly known to have been killed. One of these was killed 
on the Little Muskingum, by Mr. Henderson, one of the 
‘‘spies”’--there were three Indians in company,when they were 
discovered lying in their camp. Henderson, witha party of 
mean approached unnoticed,—one Indian was killed, the 
other two escaped. 
One was also killed on Duck creek, about three miles 
from Marietta, at a spot where a settlement had been begnu, 
but abandoned on the breaking out of the Indian war. 
Two Indians had been discovered the day before, on mill 
creek, a mile or two from Marietta, by one of the inhabit- 
