Jordan Gibson - Killed by Indians

"We are in a perfect state of warfare, which you will see by the following account of unprovoked hostilities, committed by the southern tribes of Indians since my last arrival her. The 17th of January, Messrs Jordon Gibson and Charles Morgan, were shot and scalped in the road between the Locust Land and Bledsoe's Lick, the former was a native of South- Carolina, and about 80 years of age, the latter was late of Virginia, a young man, he lived 13 days and died of his wounds.

The 20th of February a Mr. Martin, and a gentleman from Maryland, whose name I have forgot, was killed and scalped. The 12th of March, Col. James Robertson's son, a young land, was killed as sugar camp, within a few hundred yards of his father's station; his head was cut off, carried away, and another lad that was with him taken prisoner. The 20th ult. a party of Indians attacked Col. Isaac Bledsoe's dwelling house, about 10 o'clock at night, with guns, war clubs, tomahawks and stones; they continued the attack about ten minutes, and then made their escape by moon light, taking with them two horses that were in the stable, and killed several cows on their retreat - one man only was wounded in the chin. The night following, they visited the Croft, and with malice prepence, being instigated by the devil, did then and there feloniously take away all our cavalry, except one little horse that they could not catch, notwithstanding we had put them into an enclosure, adjoining Fort Tuckahoe. About the same time Curtis Williams was killed and scalped, on Mill Creek. - the 26th, Mr. William Montgomery at Drakes-Creek, had 3 sons (small lads) killed and scalped in the field, where they were at work in sight of the house, and their poor mother stood and beheld the tragical scene.-- It is my opinion if those cruelties were perpetrated in any other country but this, it would rouse the resentment of a whole nation to chastise such barbarous banditties of inhuman savages. But this mischief is done at present in an obscure corner of America, on the west side of the mountains, and far from government-- by the time such news travels 1000 or 1500 miles, and reaches Baltimore or Philadelphia, it will give less emotion and excite less pity than the mere rehearsal of a tragedy that has perhaps been wrote 1000 years ago. However, I think that affairs between those hostile tribes of Indians and us are verging fast to a crisis -- we must attempt to extirpate them shortly -- if we succeed, we shall be peaceable and happy; if not, we must give up this country to them, and such of us as may survive, must seek an assylum elsewhere.