|
KANAHWA COUNTY WEST VIRGINIA - BIOS: CARROLL, William
******************************************************************
Submitted to the West Virginia Biographies Project by:
SSpradling@aol.com
September 19, 1999
******************************************************************
History of Kanawha County
George W. Atkinson
1876
p. 122-123
NARROW ESCAPE OF WILLIAM CARROLL
The Carrolls came to Kanawba shortly after the Morrises, and settled in the
same neighborhood. William Carroll located four miles below the mouth of
Kelly's creek, cleared several acres of bottom land, and built a small
round-log cabin on the bank of the river.
In the spring of 1789, Mr. Carroll, while on his way to the village of
Charleston, or Clendennin's settlement, as it was called at that time, was
surprised by a body of Indians, who were concealed in the paw-paw bushes near
the roadside. He discovered their presence before they had an opportunity to
fire, and leaped from his horse. As he was dismounting two of the Indians
fired upon him, and the balls from both rifles took effect in the horse,
killing it instantly. Carroll ran, with all possible speed towards the
river, which was fully three hundred yards distant, and the Indians were in
close pursuit. The bottom was covered with large trees, which prevented the
Indians from shooting him as they ran. He reached the river, perhaps a
hundred yards in advance of his pursuers, and being a good swimmer, leaped
into the stream, and struck out for the opposite shore. He evaded the shots
from the rifles of the savages by diving every few moments, until he reached
the other side. After getting on land he ran along the bank of the river to
the Paint creek settlement, a distance ef about ten miles, and thus made his
escape.
The Indians went to his house, plundered it, set it on fire, killed his milch
cow, and left the settlement. Fortunately Mr. Carroll had taken the
precaution to send his family to the Kelly's creek fort the morning he left
for Charleston, so that none of them were harmed by the savages.
|
