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Pulaskie Giles County
March 30th / 58
Col [unclear text: G. ] W. Putman
Dear [added text: Sir ]
yours of the
2nd Inst [Instant] Came to hand last night from pleasant Grove Pleasant Grove never was my Post office tho [though] I lived handey [handy] to [added text (appears to be different ink): g ] [gathering] Beevers [Beavers] the day before but still he [added text (appears to be written in pencil): w and Was Wou [added text: n ] ded at Nickajack a younger Brother so I know that Jackson and the Donnelsons done all the [added text (appears to be different ink): y ] could for The protection of the C [added text (appears to be different ink): o ] untrey [Country], Altho [Although] I presum [presume] Doct [Doctor] Ramsay had been [added text (appears to be different ink): W ] Rongly informed on that Subject and as to [illegible text] of the war I now have none. I had an El [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] gant Sword but I g a ] ve it to one of my Grand sons [Grandsons] and [added text: it ] is gone to Texas or [added text: the ] society should have it


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if I live to the
2nd day of August next I shall be Eighty six years old, so I hope you l [you'll] Excuse my Enterlining [Interlining] & c [et cetera] but [illegible text] Fogg has attem [added text (appears to be different ink): able ] a mortal as I have Ever been to society there is one [added text (appears to be different ink): part which ] ne [deleted text: a ] ver been penned [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] [deleted text: is ] as strang [strange] as that has been penned.
I went to East Tennessee on Buisnes [Business] in the winter of
1793 and on My Return got in company with Col [Colonel] Robert Hay [deleted text: ne ] [added text (appears to be different ink): s ] a Brother in law of General Jackson and When we got to Knoxville [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] the night before [added text (appears to be written in pencil):, ] [added text (appears to be different ink): Sevier ] then Governor [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] or Governor Sevear I do not [added text (appears to be different ink): know ] which was Governor of the Ter [added text (appears to be different ink): ; ] this Cherrokee Trador [Trader] informed them that a large Bodey [Body] of Indians was a bout [deleted text: e ] [about] start [document damaged] to way lay [waylay] the [illegible text] Com [deleted text: e ] ing to Nashvill and we had better turn and Come by K [deleted text: ai ] [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] ntucky. we done [added text (appears to be different ink): ; ] but when we Went to start [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] the horse the Negro Rode was badly [foundered a gentlman a long [gentleman along] said if I would bleed him at the Edge of the hair round [around] his feet he [added text (appears to be written in pencil): r y wild and Jirked [Jerked] up his foot and the Knif [added text: e ] went into the arter [added text (appears to be different ink): y ] in the front of his foot and I made [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] and I walked and Drove the foundered one to the last house. he Bled all the way and while the Company was Eating I got some cobwebs and held on it [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] and stoped [stopped] the blood we then started up Clinch Mounten road ] but before we got halfway up


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the mounten [mountain] it broke to B [added text (appears to be different ink): .] ] I observed to Col [Colonel] Ha [added text (appears to be different ink): H ] [deleted text: h ] e said he wou [added text (appears to be different ink): r ] William had saved his life two years before, at [unclear text: Emreys ] River pro [deleted text: v ] [added text (appears to be different ink): b ] ably [probably] 12 miles from Kingston [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] East Tennessee a large Bodey [Body] of Indians fired on them a boute day brak [about daybreak] [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] [deleted text: as ] the [they] were [deleted text: a ] waking out of sleep. the [deleted text: y ] Indians Rushed on them [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] it was [deleted text: a ] 3/4 of a mile to [unclear text: Emreys ] River the [added text (appears to be different ink): y ] Ran to the River. my Brother was shot in the back of his Righ [added text (appears to be different ink): t ] hand and the Ball Came out at his [added text (appears to be different ink): W ] Rist but [added text (appears to be different ink): f ] and tied them with his hand kerchief [handkerchief] to a chunk, but not being tied good and the Rippeling [Rippling] of the [unclear text: water ] the hankerchief [handkerchief] came lo [added text (appears to be different ink): o ] se and at that instant Col. [Colonel] Hays [deleted text: e ] was a sinking gust [just] before him he caught his shirt in his teeth and he being a good swim [added text (appears to be different ink): m ] er gave his Chunk to Hayse and by that means both lives were saved [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] tho [although] my Brother had lost three fine horse [added text (appears to be different ink): s ] and all his money and clothing but his shirt. but it was only 12 or 15 miles to the settelment [settlement] .
after Hayse g [deleted text: i ] [added text (appears to be different ink): a ] ve the a bove [above] information the Company started and I stayed with my horse and [added text (appears to be written in pencil): to [added text: till ] it began to swell. then I led him Back to the fort and stayed there one we [deleted text: a ] [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] k to my horse ] got well and the Post Rider Thomas [unclear text: Ross ] and Col [Colonel] [unclear text: Finley ] came a long [along] and as they lived in Kaintucky I [unclear text: concluded ]


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if they could gow [go] safe I could, accordinly [accordingly] we started the next Morning and went on all day ve [deleted text: a ] ry [added text (appears to be different ink): ere ] fired on by a part [deleted text: e ] y of Indians We Dashed forward & a bout [about] 150 yards [added text (appears to be different ink): [deleted text: [illegible text] ] River ] it did not [document damaged] [illegible text] at the ford. the Rode [Road] led up the River tho [though] a littel [little] distance from the River and in a bout [about] [deleted text: the ] [added text (appears to be different ink): a ] 1/4 of mile it came near the Road a gain [again], and at that plase [place] a littel [little] [deleted text: Harricn ] [added text (appears to be different ink): Hurricane ] had cros [added text (appears to be different ink): s ] ed the Ro [added text (appears to be written in pencil): a ] d [deleted text: e ] the sum [added text (appears to be written in pencil): m ] er before but the g [added text (appears to be written in pencil): u ] ard that went threw [through] to protect the Traveller had [deleted text: the ] cut the limbs of [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] t a long [along], Rosses [deleted text: creature ] [added text (appears to be different ink): horse ] could out Run [outrun] my hors [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] I think he was a rod a head [ahead] of me. just as we Enterd [Entered] the fallen timber an Indian from behind a tree fired at him and [added text (appears to be different ink): horse ] thro the Ear for she was shot threw [through] the Ear she Whe [deleted text: a ] [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] led back and at [as] the [added text (appears to be different ink): y ] fired on Ross & me [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] Friley said ther [there] was twenty or thirty guns fired at us two [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] for Friley was forty yards behind but our hor [added text (appears to be written in pencil): se ] scaring at [added text (appears to be different ink): y ] mis [added text (appears to be different ink): le ] ft and Ross in the middel [middle] [added text (appears to be written in pencil): as charged the log her four feet went in to [into] ground so she fel [fell] on her Brast [Breast] , ] and then on her side and he went over [added text (appears to be different ink): her ] head and his gun fell out of his hand he spran [deleted text: d ] [added text (appears to be different ink): g ] to his gun and looked at his mare and I suppose he thought she was killed for I Expected mine to fall Evry minuite [Every minute] [unclear text: He ] kept missing me so much and [added text (appears to be different ink): y ] fired on Ross and me in the Hurrican [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] he seen the trees all lined with Indians betwean [between] me and the River I then made for the River and when I came to it


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it was a high caving bank I turned down the River but it got no better four or five feet to the wat [deleted text: t ] er. Friley Hollorred [Hollered] to me that he was wounded [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] and for me to charg [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] my horse down the bank or they would have us I answerd [answered] him that I was wounded also and turned my horse toward the River. he sailed of [off] as tho [added text (appears to be different ink): e ] took me Round the [deleted text (appears to be written in pencil): the ] middel [middle] in swimming wat [deleted text: t ] er. he then took Down the River with me and [added text (appears to be different ink): dead ] [illegible text] and sprung of [added text (appears to be different ink): f ] him and shoved my over Coat [overcoat] of [added text (appears to be different ink): f ] the point of my shoalder [shoulder] to Run and at that moment I s [deleted text: een ] [added text (appears to be different ink): aw ] Rosses mare Nearing the bank. I caught my coat again and pulled it up and made for Rosses mare, and as she pased [passed] me I got hold of the Brid [deleted text (appears to be written in pencil): al ] [added text (appears to be different ink): le ] . it was a mong [among] her feet tho [though] not tangled I put it over her head and sprung on her and Came of [added text (appears to be different ink): f ] on her


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and [added text (appears to be different ink): aw ] Friley a gowing [going] over [added text (appears to be different ink): aw ] Frily a gowing [going] after going fiftey [fifty] or sixtey [sixty] [added text (appears to be different ink): ee ] ls. I checked my mare a moment to he pased [passed] me and I [illegible text] the [unclear text: swam ] after him and turned him the way I seen Friley go [deleted text: w ] and directly struck his trail it [added text (appears to be written in pencil): see ] his trail for thirtey [thrity] yards a head [ahead] I could see the Blood on Bushes where [added text (appears to be different ink): c ] e, he said he was [added text (appears to be different ink): r ] se is shot in his th [deleted text: ey ] [added text (appears to be different ink): ighs ] he may not Carrey [Carry] you twenty minutes, shove him as long as you Can. he then observed [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] go a head [ahead] [added text (appears to be written in pencil):, ] and [added text (appears to be different ink): try ] to keep up I went of [off] East probably a mile and turned north and struck the River a gain [again] at som [some] Buffelow [Buffalo] licks which I was informed after I got [added text: in ] the settelment [settlement] was five miles from the ford where I had cosed [crossed], the River there [added text: was ] a small stream


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not belley [belly] Deep on our horses and after I had crosed [crossed] I seen my horse had stoped [stopped] to eat some [deleted text: kain ] [added text (appears to be different ink): cane ] that was on the bank I then turned back and caught my own horse he had lost the [deleted text: rains ] [added text (appears to be different ink): reins ] of my Brid [deleted text: el ] [added text (appears to be different ink): le ] . I then pulled the Brid [deleted text: el ] [added text (appears to be different ink): le ] of [added text (appears to be different ink): f ] Rosses mare and put it on my own horse and Drove the mare threw [through] the River and Requested friley to Drive [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] povibelly [probably] half a mile it began to give out and supposed the main path [added text: was ] to the Right and took down a point [added text: of ] the Ridge and had not gone more than [added text: 1/2 of a mil [mile] ] before I seen a fresh parsel of logs puled [pulled] up by the side of a big log I conclude som [some] Indian had [added text: died ] and the [they] had coverd [covered] him up there and I would gow [go] and see but when I got there I got down and seen it was [added text: a ] White man. I then looked


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over on the North side of the hill and seen where the Idians [Indians] had e [added text: m ] ptied the Fether [Feather] Beds of a Company they had defeated at that veary plase [very place] the Monday weak [week] before, and there was a man in that Company a Running of [off] with a nother [another] mans wife and the woman had her littel dauter a bout seaven [little daughter about seven] years Oald [Old] a Riding behind her and when the Indians fired on them the horse threw the woman and littel [little] girl and the man sprang of [off] his horse gathered the woman and threw her on his own horse and Jumped on behind her and left the littel [little] girl a laying there and the Indians took her, the Mans Nam [Name] was Drake and the woman the wife of Webb Nance
Friley said to me we had better take the road as [added text: we ] were so near it for there was a duch [dutch] man three or four miles from [unclear text: there ] that had a good Block house and a good horse pen near the Doors and a number of guns & dogs we then made for the Rode [Road] and went as fast as our horses Could Carrey [Carry] us I kep [kept] [unclear text: hart hole ] to I got in [added text: a ] mile of the house and was verey [very] sick the Duch [Dutch] man was kind took my horse and put him in his pen and dresed [dressed] my wound found a peas [piece] of the socket Bone of my shoalder [shoulder] in my shirt and put some sugar [added text: [illegible text] ] and whiskey to my wound and give me a Deer skin to lay down on


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which I Occopyed [Occupied] for two nights and a day with a high feaver [fever], and seaverl [several] times in the day the [they] informed me the [they] Believed my hors [horse] would die as we had fed our horses with the Corn the [they] had been Carreying [Carrying] on their backs Just before the Indians fired on us and my horse was Just giting [getting] over a founder, and straing [straining] him for ten or twelve miles founderd [foundered] him over again but he was the only one man or beast in the Company but was killed wound or taken as Friley lost one of his that he had a pack on and his mare that was shot in [added text: the ] they [thigh] proved to be a slight wound and his wound was a bove [above] and below his Elbo [Elbow] only in the flesh but he Bled so much that he was veary [very] sick to we got near the Rode whare [Road where] Drak was Defeated
the second night a boute [about] midnight a Company of three men and two wemen [women] Came threw [through] after us and had stoped [stopped] at littel Sorrel River to Camp as it was gitting [getting] Dark and found poor Ross striped [stripped] naked and his head cut off and that alarmed them the [they] mounted thier [their] horses and Cam [Came] 12 miles to where I was the next morning my feaver [fever] had subsided and my horse had got up I pled with thos theavs [those thieves] as I learned afterward that was their Carrcter [Character] in Georgia and ware [were] then a Rung a way [Running away], to pack my horse as he was so stiff and let me Ride [added text: one ] of their pack horses but the [they] [unclear text: Refused ] and said I could


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not gow [go] I Replyed [Replied] there [added text: [unclear text: was ] ] no could not with me I mus gow whare [must go where] I could git [get] medical aid and noureshment [nourishment] [added text: and ] directed the Dutch man to put my saddel [saddle] on my own horse that the Road was a [as] free for me as aney [any] other person but I did not gow ove [go over] a quarter of a mile before I d [added text: i ] scoverd Rosses mare a gain [again] but she had lost her mail and sadel [saddle] I Rode Round her and one of those men did help me to catch her and put on my saddel [saddle] on her and I got on her she was a delightfule [delightful] Riding Animal and it was Caled [Called] forty miles to the Crab Orcherd the first settelment [settlement] and we goot thare [got there] before dark but I was veary [very] much Exausted [Exhausted] and thare [there] was a Doctor a Brother in law of Rosses that live [added text: d ] in sixty or Eighty yard of the fort I of course went to the Docters [Doctors] and the [they] treated me with grate [great] deal of kindness and tenderness for six weaks [weeks] before I felt abel [able] to start home and the Docter [Doctor] would [added text: not ] suffer me to [added text: Eat ] meet [meat] but kep [kept] me on swetned vinnagar [sweetened vinegar] and watter [water] and bread as it was in
March and the Cows genraley [generally] had their Calves with them in the Cain [Cane] but Col Wm [Colonel William] Whitley lived in three miles and in about three weaks [weeks] I got so I could Ride and I went to Whiteys Every other [added text: day ] to git [get] me [added text: a ] cup of Buttermilk they ware veary [were very] kind to me and the next summer Come a year Col [Colonel] Whitley Came to Nashvile with a large Company of men to gow [go] with Major Orr of East Tennessee and the Volenters [Volunteers] around to gow [go] from Nashvile to to [to] take the Town of Necajack


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whare [where] I had been a prisner [prisoner] by the Cherrokes six years before of Course I went a long [along] all tho [although] the wound was still a Runing [Running] in boath [both] sides and peases [pieces] of bone kep comeing [kept coming] out for two years and at that time there was a hole Clean threw [through] my shoalder [shoulder] and on that Campain [Campaign] a Nefew [Nephew] of Col [Colonel] Whitley give me information of [added text: [illegible text] ] Judgment of Heaven on the veary [very] Indians that wounded me a Trader had Just come in from [added text: the ] Norther [Northern] Indians [deleted text: I ] who said thare ware [there were] sixty from one Town that Cam [came] out to way lay [waylay] the Rode [Road] from Kaintuck to East Tennessee the winter and spring befor [before] and after the [they] had [added text: defeated ] Differnt famely [Different family] on the Rode the toke [Road they took] a fort on slate River and took prisners [prisoners] and was followed by a Companey [Company] for some distance and som stoney [some stony] ground the Indians had scatterd [scattered] so that thear [their] trail could not be followed the Company Returned and Simon Kenton [added text: who had been a prisner [prisoner] by the Indians ] then Commande [Commanded] a Company Observed he thought that he knew what Indians the ware [they were] from the Course they ware [were] a gowing [going] and if his men would gow [go] with him he would follow them his men ware [were] willing to gow [go] and they started and got to whare [where] the others turned back but he went the Course he supposed the Indians did gow [go] and gust [just] before night he struck a large trail and followed to he found he was near them he then stoped [stopped] his men and went on himself to he come to their camp and found they had more camps then he had men he then


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informed his men of their dainger [danger] and thought the [they] had better git [get] as fare [far] back as possibel [possible] that night for the Indians [added text (appears to be different ink):, ] and the [they] done so and they thought the [they] had killed all of them and thare [there] they got the mail that I left on [deleted text: Rosses ] [added text (appears to be different ink): Ross' ] mare and the prisners [prisoners] that was taken when [unclear text: McFarlen ] was defeated the next Tuesday after I was Defeated and and [and] the prisners [prisoners] that was taken when they took the Fort so that we knew it was the same Indians that had done all the mischief the Trader said thare [there] was one onley [only] got back out of sixtey [sixty] that had started from That Town I will now give a relation of McFarlen s Defeat the next Tuesday after I was defeated they ware [were] North Carolinians nine men and several wemen [women] and and [and] children and as McFarlen was a East Tenneseyan the [they] requested him to command them while in Wilder [added text: nes ] [wilderness] he agreed to do so and had pased whare [passed where] I was Defeated and near whare [where] drake was defeated and he seen a small Rock by the side of saplin [sapling] on a Bank


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and [added text: he ] said he thought that had not grew thare [there] glanced his [added text: Eyes ] Closely on it [added text: and ] Discoverd [discovered] the musel [muzzle] of the Indian gun on the top of the Rock he cried Indians [deleted text: [illegible text] ] and sprung of [off] his horse and Drew his sight to split the fellows head as soon as he Raised it but he supposed the fello [fellow] seen him between the Rock and the saplin [sapling] and sprang of [off] to Come [deleted text: [illegible text] ] Round him he Ran Even with the fellow forty or fiftey [fifty] yards and a bout [about] forty yards [added text: a part [apart] ] and he seen the fellow was a bout stoping [about stopping] and [added text: he ] thought he could out shoot [outshoot] any Indian but the Indian gun fired first and shot threw [through] McFarlen [added text: Clothing ] on the one side but he kiled [killed] the Indian he gumped [jumped] behind a tree and loaded again gust [just] at [added text: that ] time a nother [another] Indian came Runing [Running] Round and he Run with him and Run forty or fifty steps and he the fellow was a but stoping [about stopping] and he still thought he Could out shote aney [outshoot any] Indian but [added text: that ] fellows gun fired Rather first and shot threw McFarlen clothing on the other side but but [but] [added text: he ] Droped [Dropped] him he then got behind a nother [another] tree and loaded again and a third fellow Came Round and he looked like a whit [white] man or a veary [very] fair half breed and Mc [McFarlen] and him had [added text: a ] semilar [similar] Race and as the fellow stoped the Boath [stopped the Both] fired and [added text: the ] Fellow shot of [off] Mc [McFarlen] Charger and threw [through] his shot pouch strap but Mc [McFarlen] Droped [Dropped] him Mc [McFarlen] loaded and no others Came he then Ran back and he Could see but [added text: one ] of his men and [added text: he was ] a quarter of mile of [off] and [added text: a ] Crowd of Indians had taken the wemen [women] he said he then thought it was not worth whale [worthwhile] to throw away his life he then left four of his men Dead on the ground and the fifth one dead by my side of his wound a company went to Berrey [Bury] the dad [dead] with McFarlen and before the [they] got to [added text: the ] plase [place] they seen a pack horse standing some distance from the Rode the [Road they] Dashed out


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and thare [there] was a littel [little] [added text: girl ] laying near him a sleep [asleep] some of them said thare [there] was one littel [little] girl dead but their Comeing [Coming] [unclear text: waken ] her she look up and smiled to see the white men and thare [there] [added text: was ] hardley [hardly] a man but shed tears the pack horse Run of [off] with her in the [deleted text: of the ] fight and had thare [there] got his Bridel fastend [Bridle fastened] to again and had been near three days Mc [McFarlen] went on to the Battel ground [Battleground] and showed whare [where] he stood and whare [where] the Indians stood and thare [there] was the Blood whare [where] the fellows lay but the Indians had taken them [added text: away ] and a bout [about] two hundred yards off in a tree top the last man he shot was coverd [covered] and he was a white man and by finding the pack and littel [little] girl the [they] went back a long [along] the [added text: Rode [Road] ] and found the track of Nance s littel [little] daughter that was taken when Drake was Defeated and the [they] followed it by whare [where] I was Defeated and it [added text: was ] called twelve miles from thare [there] to big Sorrel River and it was a Deep boald [bold] stream provibely [probably] forty yards yards [yards] wide the [they] followed her thare [there] and seen she had went down to the watter [water] and Came up again and the [they] went up and down the River in search of her at le [added text: n ] gth the [they] found her a bout [about] three fourth of a mile from the ford down the River she was a perty littel [pretty little] girl with red hair and [added text: she ] said the Indins [Indians] went Every day [Everyday] to watch the Road, and thare [there] was three white men with them and one day the [they] had been a shoting [shooting] at the Road and Came back a grate [great] while before night and only too [two] of the white men came back and one of the Indi [added text: a ] ns had a veary [very] sore leg, and the [they] Cried that Eavning veary [Evening very] much and the next morning the [they] Cried a gain [again]


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and then started and Came back the same way the [they] went to the Cam [Camp] near the plase [place] she was taken and in a few days the [they] began to shoot at the [them] again and the Indians that was at the Camp with her hopped and was mighty glad and all Run of [off] to the Rode [Road] and left her by herself and she said [added text: she thought ] she would gow [go] to [added text: [illegible text] ] hazel patch for she kew [knew] she had only pased [passed] the hazel patch a littel [little] when she was taken by the Indians but she took the Rong [Wrong] end of the Rode [Road] and said she gather leaves Every night to the side of a log and lay in them and she had been near three days that she had Eat nothing when she was found and all the other children that was brought in was Frost bitten [Frostbitten] but her [here] I am Now done with the Narative [Narrative] and as [unclear text: Mrs. ] [added text: Fog ] found [added text: me ] with [added text: one ] of her Books and will have the foreging publised [foregoing published] in the history Jo [Joseph] Brown as a second adition [eidition] I wil [will] take a Dozen or tw [two] of them if [added text: I ] am alive the facts Contained in the history are Correct Exsept [Except] [unclear text: Buckhana ] Fort the history says 14 miles from Nashvile when it is only a bout [about] 4 miles if [document damaged] the above cannot be publised [published] in a 2nd Edition of the history of Jo [Joseph] Brown by Mrs Fogg or the Editor of the
Banner of Peace
or on
the Methodist
s Editor you will pleas [please] Return it by mail to me Pulaskie Giles [added text: Cty [County] ]

and oblige yours
[Signed] Jos [Joseph] Brown





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The contents of this manuscript was published in the "
Banner of Peace
,"
Augt 5th 1858, occupying four columns of that paper.

See Serah Bork of Historical Society


Thrilling Narrative. How The Judgement of Heaven fell on the Indians who wounded Rev'd [Reverend] Joseph Brown in
1794


The original manuscript