Page:History of Cumberland, Maryland 2.djvu/272

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254
HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND.
[1758.

was the shelter of many helpless neighbors, finally took his own family back to the Conococheague, for safety, and all the settlers about Oldtown followed him. Having placed his family in security, Cresap raised a company of volunteers, and came to Fort Cumberland, from which point he followed Braddock's road to Savage Mountain, at the foot of which, on the west side, he met a small party of Indians, and had an engagement with them, in the course of which "his son Thomas was killed by an Indian; but as both fired at the same time, he also killed the Indian, or so badly wounded him that he was killed a few minutes afterwards by William Lynn. Nothing more was done at this time or place, and the party returned home."[1]

While the Indiana were carrying on this desolating war upon the head waters of the Potomac they on several occasions attacked the house of Colonel Cresap, and some sharp battles occurred there. Killbuck, who hated Cresap bitterly, made several attempts to kill him, on one hiding about in the vicinity for several days, but never getting a view of his enemy. On one occasion when Cresap's house was attacked, the Indians killed one of his


  1. Jacob's Life of Captain Cresap.