Interesting stories are told of the early life of this family. It is related that once during Capt. James Sample's absence to the Muskingum district after marauding Indians, a stray party of savages attacked his home and took his wife and three children (Mary included) prisoners. After some time spent in the wilderness, witnessing the orgys and dance of the Indians, a squaw whom Mrs. Sample had befriended sometime before helped them escape. She led them to the Allegheny River, found a canoe, and started them across where on the other side they found shelter at Ewalt's, whose cabin stood about where the present Arsenal grounds are now located.
John Crawford, Jr and Mary Sample were married about December 1804 and had 13 children ... The couple lie side by side in the grave yard of the Old West Union Presbyterian Church, having been removed from the Wallace burying ground long discarded.
