Notebook:Walker KBI's and CBI's in the Path Valley

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Source

From: Beers, 1887.

1. ELIOTT'S - stood in Path Valley, about a mile north of Fannettsburg, at the place now known as Springtown. It was erected in 1754 or 1755. At this place are half a dozen limestone springs, one of which was enclosed by the fort. At the time the barn of James and Samuel Walker, one mile south of Fannettsburg, was burned by the Indians, viz." On the night of March 22, 1763, the neighbors collected together and scouts were sent by a by-path to give alarm at the fort, so that it must have been still occupied by British soldiers.

2. May 13, 1757, William Walker and an unknown man killed at Conodoguinet.

3. We are indebted to Capt. J. H. Walker, a descendant of James Walker, for the following well authenticated and detailed account of his captivity and escape from the Indians.

About the middle of August 1762, James Walker, who lived on the farm where John D. Walker now resides, near Fannettsburg, was on his way home from the fort at Loudon, and when near Richmond, on the old Braddock road, was fired at by a part of Indians. His horse was killed under him, and in falling the horse fell on him in such a way that before he could extricate himself the Indians captured him. They then took the saddle off his horse, and fastening it on his back, compelled him to carry it, and started over the mountains westward. The first night they stopped near Fort Littleton, and to make their prisoner secure, they tied his hands and an Indian slept on each side of him. The next morning, discovering some horses grazing in the neighborhood of the fort, they made several attempts to capture them, but without success. After repeated failures they determined that their prisoner should make a trial of it, and lest he might wander off too far, or attempt his escape, they made a rope or line of hickory bark, and fastened to his leg, the Indians holding one end of the line, but the horses were shy, he met with no better success, and they were compelled to give it up, being fearful that they might be discovered from the fort.

After remaining nearly the whole day and watching the operations at the fort, they again started westward. For several days they traveled by easy stages, crossing on their way the South or Raystown branch of the Juniata River. At length, as they seemed to approach the Indian settlement, the party divided one evening, and left their prisoner in charge of two of their company for the night. Taking the precaution to tie him safely as before, they lay down, one on each side of him, and soon were in a sound sleep. The apparently sound sleep of their prisoner, however, was not real, as he had fully determined that now, if ever, was his opportunity to try to make his escape. He had a knife secreted about his person, which fortunately his captors had failed to discover. After long and patient effort, he succeeded in getting one of his hands loosed. He then worked his knife out of its hiding place, and cut the cords with which he was fastened. During this operation one of the Indians started as if about to rouse up, but their prisoner affected such soundness of sleep that his suspicions were allayed, and he soon went to sleep again.

"But this being too critical a position in which to remain very long, Mr. Walker, as soon as he thought it safe to do so, raised cautiously to his feet, but in doing so the same wily savage again awoke, and this time realizing the situation, grasped his tomahawk, and was about to spring to his feet, and while in the act of doing so Mr. Walker seized him by the hair, and quick as thought plunged his knife into the throat of his antagonist, who fell mortally wounded at his feet. The other Indian, being awakened by the scuffle, and the death knell of his companion, and supposing doubtless that they had been pursued by a party of whites, hastily fled, leaving Mr. Walker master of the situation. He knew too well the importance of having as great a space between himself and the scene of his encounter as practicable before daylight, and made all possible speed in the homeward direction. When daylight came he sought a secure hiding place, and remained there all day. His journey eastward was attended with many difficulties, and much suffering, as he traveled mostly by night to avoid recapture, and the country being a dense wilderness, he frequently became bewildered, and sometimes traveled in a wrong direction. Besides subsisting chiefly on roots, berries, etc., his flesh was torn with briars, and badly bruised when crossing the mountains, and forcing his way through the thickets. At length, after many weary days and nights, he found his way back to the fort at Littleton, where he received the medical attention that his situation demanded. He was greatly weakened by the exposure and suffering, and the condition of his sores was so horrible, the worms having already got into them, that he was compelled to remain there for some time before he could be removed to his home.

4. In 1779 a company recruited from Path Valley was mustered into the service, and sent west to quell an Indian disturbance. This was Captain Noah Abraham's company - First Lieutenant Nathaniel Stevenson; Second Lieutenant Adam Harman; Sergeants Joseph Ferguson, Campbell Lefever, James Hamilton, John Roatch; Privates, Daniel Colbert, Neal Dougherty, Frederick Dougherty, Patrick Dougherty, Thomas Knox, Daniel Lavrey, William Love, Redmond McDonough, Mathias Maers, John Maghan, John Millison, James Megraw, Isaac Miner, James Russell, John Robinson, James Ray, and William Walker.