Immense Boulders On Stewart Historic Farm
Between Stones Pioneer Women Were Hidden During Battle With Indians,
Only to Be Captured by Red Skins and Rescued.
Many years ago when this part of the country was very thinly
settled by white people, a primitive log cabin stood a short
distance from the large rock. In the pioneer home resided an
English family consisting of father, mother, two sons and a
daughter. Here they lived in such peace, as primitive settlers
in a country inhabited with wild animals and hostile Indians,
usually enjoy.
One day the two sons had returned from a hunting expedition
which had taken them many miles from home, and they caused
consternation in the family by the announcement that a band
of Red Skins were on the warpath, and were reported coming
that way, killing and plandering.
The first thought of the men was to devise some means for the
safety of the women. Finally the boys thought of a plan for
conceling the mother and sister form the sight of the Indians.
Between the two large rocks was a slight hollow. The two women
were placed with in this depression and the men worked rapidly
carrying brush and under wood which they placed above them until
they were completely covered from sight and the hiding place
presented the appearance of an ordinary brush pile made while
clearing.
The men then move a barrel of water which stood near the house
into the cabin, thinking that possibly they might need it. The
door was then fastened and the appearance of the enemy was
awaited with anxiety.
Soon the yells of the hostile Indians announced their approach.
Surrounding the little cabin the red men attacked the door. It
refused to yield to their efforts and they retreated for a short
time to reappear a moment later armed with a log which they
preceded to use as a battering ram. As the heavy timber struck
the stout door the father fired through a chink in the log wall
and his aim was good, for one of the Indians staggered and fell.
The others desisted from their efforts to break in the door long
enough to pick up the wounded brave and carry him back form the
scene of action. He was placed on the ground beside one of the
large rocks, the other side of which lay the two women.
After several more shots were fired by the settlers the Indians
gave up their attempts to force the door, and gathering some
leaves and chips, proceeded to set fire to the cabin thinking
thus to route the white men.
The prisoners, however, smelled the smoke and using the water
from the barrel freely, succeeded in extinguishing the fire.
They then began a systematic firing at the Indians whenever the
latter came within range and after two of the attacking party
had fallen dead from the white men's bullets, the rest finally
retreated.
When the Indians had vanished and all was once more peaceful the
father and sons ventured forth to release the women from their
enforced seclusion. What was their horror when rounding the rocks
they found the brush disarranged and the wife and daughter gone.
(It afterward developed that the wounded Indian lying beside the
large rocks had heard the breathing of the women and had told the
others to investigate. They did so and the cries of the two
prisoners muffled by Indian blankets thrown around their heads,
they were hurried away with their captors.)
The settlers were soon on the trail of the abductors and easily
followed them until darkness fell when they were compelled to
proceed more slowly.
The trail lead through the valley now known as Yellow Creek, over
the hills in the vicinity of Somerset, Hammondsville and Irondale,
and as the gray twilight of early morning was faintly appearing
the trailers came upon the camp of the Indians several miles beyond
the latter place. The red men, tired from their long tramp, and
possibly thinking that the pursuit had been abandoned, were not
as alert as usual. The three white men crept close to the camp
without discovery.
Becoming accustomed to the dim light they discovered the two white
women tied to trees near two sleeping Indians. Two shots, resulting
in two dead Indians, was the introduction of the settlers, and the
remaining Indians, perhaps fearing that the trio of pursuers had
been reinforced, beat a retreat into the forest. The women were
found to be unharmed save suffering from the effects of their long
trip and hunger. The family, again happily reunited, was satisfied
to allow the Indians to escape.
From that time the big rocks were spoken of by the settler's family
as the Indian Rocks, and the name still clings to the immense stones.
On the Stewart property, a short distance northeast of this city,
are two immense rocks which are known to the residence of this
vicinity as "Indian Rocks," and the history connected with them,
and from which they derive their name, is often related by old
residents.