Indian Attacks on Wheeling. 5 



Indian army was approaching, the fort having been for some time 

 unoccupied by a garrison, and Col. Zane's house having been used 

 for a magazine, those who retired into the fortress had to take with 

 them a supply of ammunition for its defense. The supply of pow- 

 der, deemed ample at the time, was now almost exhausted, by rea- 

 son of the long continuance of the siege, and the repeated endeav- 

 ors of the savages to take the fort by storm : a few rounds only re- 

 mained. In this emergency, it became necessary to renew their 

 stock from an abundant store which was deposited in Col. Zane's 

 house. Accordingly, it was proposed that one of the fleetest men 

 should endeavor to reach the house, obtain a supply of powder, and 

 return with it to the fort. It was an enterprize full of danger ; but 

 many of the heroic spirits shut up in the fort were willing to encoun- 

 ter the hazard. Amongst those who volunteered to go on this en- 

 terprize, was Elizabeth, the sister of Col. E. Zane. She was 

 young, active and athletic, with courage to dare the danger, and 

 fortitude to sustain her through it. Disdaining to weigh the hazard 

 of her own life against that of others, when told that a man vi^ould 

 encounter less danger by reason of his greater fleetness, she replied, 

 " and should he fall, his loss will be more severely felt ; you have 

 not one man to spare ; a woman will not be missed in the defense 

 of the fort. Her services were then accepted. Divesting herself 

 of some of her garments, as tending to impede her progress, she 

 stood prepared for the hazardous adventure ; and when the gate was 

 thrown open, bounded forth with the buoyancy of hope, and in the 

 confidence of success. Wrapt in amazement, the Indians beheld 

 her springing forward, and only exclaiming " a squaw," " a squaw," 

 no attempt was made to interrupt her progress : arrived at the 

 door, she proclaimed her errand. Col. Silas Zane fastened a table 

 cloth around her waist, and emptying into it a keg of powder, again 

 she ventured forth. The Indians were no longer passive. Ball af- 

 ter ball whizzed by, several of which passed through her clothes : 

 she reached the gate, and entered the fort in safety ;" and thus was 

 the garrison again saved by female intrepidity. " This heroine had 

 but recently returned from Philadelphia, where she had received her 

 education, and was wholly unused to such scenes as were daily pass- 

 ing on the frontiers. The distance she had to run was about forty 

 yards. She afterwards married a Mr. Clark, and is yet living in 

 Ohio." 



