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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COl^NTY.
��toward him or his ttimily. C^iipt. Martin pro-, tested ajiaiust his return, saying that in the present excited state of aftairs he would be running great risk. As Mr. Copus insisted on going, nine soldiers were detailed to aeeompany him. Mr. Oopus had seven ehildren, mostly small. They all arrived safely at tlie cabin, and found everything as they had left it. In the evening. Mr. ('opus invited the soldiers to sleep in the cabin, but, the weather being yet warm, they preferred to take quarters in the barn, which stood four or five rods north of the cabin, on the trail,* that they might have a bet- ter opportunity to indulge in frolic and fun, and be less crowded and under less restraiAt. Before retiring, Mr. Copus cautioned them against surprise by any Indians that might be lurking about. During the afternoon, Sarah, a little daughter of Mr. Copus. aged twelve, still living (November. 1879). went into the corn-field a few rods south of the cal)in, and. while there, saw an Indian in the edge of the woods skulk behind a brush-heap, but, unfortunately, did not relate the circumstance to her father. This child, now Mrs. Sarah Vail, aged seventj^-nine, says the reason why she did not tell her father of her discovery is that he was a very strict man in regard to truth, and, fearing she might have been deceived, did not wish to incur his displeasure by creating a false alarm.
That night the dogs kept up a constant bark- ing, and Mr. Copus had many unpleasant dreams — sleeping but little. He was evidently im- pressed that danger was lurking near. Before daylight, he invited the soldiers into the cabin, telling them he feared some great disaster was about to overtake himself and family. He again laid down to rest, and, when daylight began to appear, the soldiers insisted on going to the spring, about three rods away, to wash. This spring is one of the finest of the many fine springs in Mifflin. It gushes from the base of a
��*A barn occupies the same spot still, and the trail is now a well-traveled road.
��hill several hundred feet high, in a large, glittering current of pure soft water. Mr. Copus again cau- tioned the soldiers of impending danger, telling them that Indians were certainly in the neighboi*- hood or liis dogs would not have made such a noise, and urged them to take their guns with them to the spring. They promised to do so, but, on passing out, leaned them against the cabin and went on to the spring. Fatal mistake! The Indians, who had been lurking about the ca1)in all night, were watching for just such an oppor- tunity as this. Swiftly, silently, stealthily, as a cat creeps upon its prey, they closed in upon the doomed cabin, and, before the soldiers were aware of their presence, were between them and their guns ; then came the horrid war-whoop as a score or more of painted warriors rushed upon them with tomahawk and scalping-knife. It seems that only seven of the soldiers went to the spring to wash, the other two — George Luntz and another whose name is not given — were not probably just ready to wash, and were in the cabin when the attack was made. Of the seven at the spring, three were instantly killed. Three more, whose names were (leorge Shiple}, John Tredrick and a Mr. Wai-noek, finding retreat to the cabin impossible, fled to the woods. These were pursued by the Indians, and two of them tomahawked ; the third. ^Ir. Warnock, being fleet on foot might have escaped, but could not outrun a bullet. They fired at him many times while running, one of the balls finally passing through his liowels. The Indians were not aware they had shot him, and gave up the chase. He only went a short distance, however, when, growing weak from loss of blood, he sat down by a tree, stuffed his handkerchief in the wound and died.
The only soldier who regained the cal)in was Mr. Greorge Dye, who broke through the mass of savages, and sprang through the cabin door just as it was opened by Mr. Copus. He, how- ever, received a ball through his thigh as he entered. As soon as the attack commenced,
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