HARMON’S BATTLE
[The last of the Luke Kelley Series]
Luke Kelley’s Reminiscences #5
Submitted by Bob Davisson
Ironton Register August 24, 1854
Mr. Kelley relates to us that some of the particulars about what used to be called, on Kanawha and Big Sandy, “Harmon’s Battle,” having received the particulars himself from Captain Lewis Harmon, the chief participator in the battle. This battle, says Mr. Kelley, has never found its way into print. The number engaged was small but quite destructive on one side.
It was about the year 1791, might have been 1792, that Captain Lewis Harmon [also Harman, perhaps Hermann, perhaps Henry Harman], who lived on the Blue Stone Fork of New River, headwaters of the Kanawha, together with his sons Daniel and Matthias and a new son-in-law [probably George Draper], went over upon the Tug Fork of Big Sandy to hunt.
They made a temporary camp, and in the afternoon, the young men went out (as was the custom with the hunters) to see if the locality pleased them for hunting before fixing upon their final camping ground. At night the young men returned bringing with them some moccasins, some of them new, which they had found at a camp some few miles distant.
They were not certain, but it might be the camp of hunters, but Capt. Harmon, experienced in frontier life, took a moccasin and scented it for the strong Indian smell, which it had, and says he: “Boys, you’ve done wrong, for the Indians will trail you here for their moccasins; we have no safety but to go home.” It is then dark. They could not quit the camp but prepared to leave before daylight as Capt. Harmon knew they would be very certain to be attacked if they remained until light.
After getting a little distance from the camp, they put their horses to full speed, the son-in-law leading and had gone but a short distance before he sang out, “Father, I see Indians.” The old man did not see them and so laughed at the son-in-law, but he soon sang out again, “Father, I did see Indians,” and dropped in the rear.
The old man went ahead; they had gone but a little further before the Indians fired upon them from under the bank of the stream, but as good luck would have it, not one of them was injured. Capt. Harmon supposed that the Indians missed their aim because they were all riding very fast through the bushes.
Harmon arid his boys immediately dismounted and “treed.” There were seven of the Indians under the bank, and soon the son-in-law disappeared; he found a hiding place under a log, leaving Captain Harmon and his two boys to fight the battle with the Indians, three to seven. Here they stood for hours, each party trying to get the advantage over the other.–Their entire skill and art were brought into requisition. Finally, while Capt. Harmon and his boys were all yet unharmed. Such had been their adroitness. Four Indians were killed or mortally wounded, leaving the contesting sides three to three.
The three remaining Indians, becoming desperate, dropped their guns and rushed up the bank upon Capt. Harmon with their bows and arrows. They shot one arrow into his breast and another into his arm. He fell and fainted. They were about to scalp him when one of the boys with his rifle drove two of the Indians again down the bank, and the other boy rushed upon the third Indian.
This young Harmon was lame from a fever sore, and the Indian, thinking that he was wounded, drew his knife and grappled with him; but young Harmon proving an overmatch, took his knife from him and stabbed him eleven times. The two Indians down the bank again came up but seeing their companion had been killed and that the young Harmons were ready for them, they gave an “ugh” and ran off with nothing but their bows. They jumped upon the log where the son-in-law lay concealed and frightened him out but was too frightened to do him harm.
The application of water soon brought Captain Harmon to himself again. The arrow sticking in his arm and breast had to be cut out as they were barbed, and having brass heads, the wounds were very painful. Nevertheless, he determined to “settle,” as he said, “on the spot with that skulking whelp–the scoundrel who deserted us in our time of need,” and he loaded his gun to shoot the son-in-law, his mouth all of the time full of wrath and cursing.
At the earnest entreaties of the sons, the old man was finally induced to spare him until they should get home. They then scalped the five Indians they had killed and, taking their guns, tomahawks, etc., returned home with the trophies of their triumph. It was a severe battle worthy of record. On arriving home, Captain Harmon compelled his son-in-law to leave for other parts.
The next year some of the same tribe of Indians attacked Harmon’s settlement on Bluestone and took a woman prisoner, and afterward crossed over to the Tug Fork. When they came to the ground of Harmon’s Battle, they gathered and piled up the bones of their five “brothers” and set up dismal howlings in mourning over them. The Indians, who had been in charge of the woman, asked her why she did not mourn. She replied that she saw nothing to howl about unless a parcel of bear’s bones. This so enraged the Indian that he knocked her down.
We will add that this woman escaped from the Indians where Vanceburg, Ky., now stands by slipping her arms out and leaving her short gown in the cords that bound her. By keeping in sight of Ohio and following up Big Sandy, subsisting upon roots, the nettles and briars sadly disfigured her body, as she was almost naked. She finally arrived home “two moons” (months) after her escape.
A dreary time she had during these two long months of slow travel through bushes, briars, and nettles, with roots for food and wild beasts for company. One night she crawled into a hollow log for shelter. Some wild animal came and smelt at her feet but did not trouble her further than to give her a great fright.
This closes the publication of Mr. Kelley’s reminiscence in the Register. We trust that they have not been without interest to our readers–perhaps have contained as much interest as anything with which we could have occupied the same space in this and the five previous numbers of our paper. Next week we shall publish other reminiscences and historical facts that will be of interest to people of this section, which we shall continue from week to week as it may be in our power.
THE END
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