Boonsborough Attacked.

Boonsborough, which was held by twenty-two riflemen, was attacked twice, once in April and again in July, on each occasion by a party of fifty or a hundred warriors. [Footnote:  Boon says April 15th and July 4th.  Clark’s diary makes the first date April 24th.  Boon says one hundred Indians, Clark “40 or 50.”  Clark’s account of the loss on both sides agrees tolerably well with Boon’s.  Clark’s diary makes the second attack take place on May 23d.  His dates are probably correct, as Boon must have written only from memory.] The first time the garrison was taken by surprise; one man lost his scalp, and four were wounded, including Boon himself, who had been commissioned as captain in the county militia. [Footnote:  Two of the other wounded men were Captain John Todd and Boon’s old hunting companion, Stoner.] The Indians promptly withdrew when they found they could not carry the fort by a sudden assault.  On the second occasion the whites were on their guard, and though they had one man killed and two wounded (leaving but thirteen unhurt men in the fort), they easily beat off the assailants, and slew half a dozen of them.  This time the Indians stayed round two days, keeping up a heavy fire, under cover of which they several times tried to burn the fort. [Footnote:  Clark’s diary.]

    Logan’s Adventures.

Logan’s [Footnote:  Boon says July 19th, Clark’s diary makes it May 30th:  Clark is undoubtedly right; he gives the names of the man who was killed and of the two who were wounded.] station at St. Asaphs was likewise attacked; it was held by only fifteen gunmen.  When the attack was made the women, guarded by part of the men, were milking the cows outside the fort.  The Indians fired at them from the thick cane that still stood near-by, killing one man and wounding two others, one mortally. [Footnote:  The name of the latter was Burr Harrison; he died a fortnight afterward.—­Clark.] The party, of course, fled to the fort, and on looking back they saw their mortally wounded friend weltering on the ground.  His wife and family were within the walls; through the loopholes they could see him yet alive, and exposed every moment to death.  So great was the danger that the men refused to go out to his rescue, whereupon Logan alone opened the gate, bounded out, and seizing the wounded man in his arms, carried him back unharmed through a shower of bullets.  The Indians continued to lurk around the neighborhood, and the ammunition grew very scarce.  Thereupon Logan took two companions and left the fort at night to go to the distant settlements on the Holston, where he might get powder and lead.  He knew that the Indians were watching the wilderness road, and trusting to his own hardiness and consummate woodcraft, he struck straight out across the cliff-broken, wood-covered mountains, sleeping wherever night overtook him, and travelling all day long with the tireless speed of a wolf. [Footnote:  Not a fanciful comparison; the wolf is the only animal that an Indian or a trained frontiersman cannot tire out in several days’ travel.  Following a deer two days in light snow, I have myself gotten near enough to shoot it without difficulty.] He returned with the needed stores in ten days from the time he set out.  These tided the people over the warm months.