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 robably nothing that occurred during Indian
times occasioned more
serious lamentation among the settlers, than the killing of
Major Samuel McColloch, which occurred on the 30th of July,
1782, at a spot inside our present borders, but very near
the line separating Brooke from Ohio County. At that time,
he was in command of Fort Van Metre, called then the
"Court House Fort," from the circumstance of its
being located within sight of the Court House at West
Liberty.
Fort Van Metre proper was in its day a very important post.
It was one of the very first constructed, and must be kept
distinct from what was known as the Court House Fort, or
Black's cabin.
The proper Fort Van Metre stood, says Mr. Vincent Van Metre,
on the north side of the south fork of Short Creek on the
hill above, on lands now owned and occupied by Eugene
Ridgely & Brother, three miles southwest of West
Liberty; the old fort at Liberty (probably the one referred
to in the account of Major McColloch's death,) says the same
gentleman, was on Van Metre's land and was sometimes called
by that name, but afterwards became known as Black's cabin
or the Court House Fort. Black was the agent at West Liberty
at the time, of the Van Metres.
On the 30th of July,
1782, work in the harvest fields demanding attention, and
many of the men being within or about the fort, arrangements
were made to go to work. As a measure of precaution, the
Major and his brother John undertook the duty of
reconnoitering the neighborhood to ascertain whether there
were any lurking Indians about. Leaving early in the
morning, on horseback, the brothers proceeded together some
distance, when impelled by some impulse, the Major turned
back and going to the Fort, deposited with the wife of his
brother John his watch and several other articles and gave
directions for their disposition in the event of his not
returning. Whether he had observed any signs of danger, or
whether this was the effect of a premonition of his fate, as
the historian of the occasion intimates, can never be known;
but the occurrence is given as a fact. Having left his
valuables in the care of his sister-in-law, he again mounted
and soon rejoined his companion.
They traversed the path lying along Short Creek and made
their way up the river until they reached Beech Bottom,
about half way between Buffalo and Short Creek, then
returning they ascended the steep and singularly appearing
ridge pointing toward the creek's mouth, still known as
"Girty's Point," and pursued a path through the
woods on the ridge toward Fort Van Metre. Riding along, they
came to a tree top at the head of a ravine, around which it
was necessary to pass, and John being in advance heard the
growl of a large dog which accompanied them, which caused
him to look around. Just as he did so several shots from the
tree top were fired and Samuel fell from his horse fatally
hit. Before the body had hardly touched the ground, a
stalwart savage sprang from the cover and with knife in hand
rushed forward to secure the scalp. While in the very act,
John, who was unharmed, fired and shot the Indian, as was
supposed, mortally, as he sprang into the air and fell. John
then made his escape at full speed to the fort, the rider
less horse following him, his hat and clothes perforated
with bullets.
The next morning a party
from the fort found the mutilated remains. The Indians had
disemboweled the corpse, hung the entrails on a limb of a
large tree and as was afterwards learned, taken out the
heart to be eaten, according to their superstitious notions,
in order that their own courage and manliness might be
increased by eating the heart of an enemy who was known to
them for his courage and hardihood.
It was subsequently ascertained that the party, a detachment
of which killed McColloch, consisted of not less than a
hundred warriors in all, and that they were on their way to
attack Fort Van Metre, though it is not probable that more
than a very few composed the immediate party that did the
deed. At any rate the attack was not made; the Indians
knowing from the escape of the brother, that to surprise the
fort was out of the question, started hastily for their
towns west of the Ohio, and were not pursued any great
distance.
The remains of Major McColloch were interred at or near Fort
Van Metre amid great lamentation; and to this day his name
is associated most prominently with the occurrences of early
times, and he is remembered as a man of many noble
qualities. He had married but six weeks before his death, a
Miss Mitchell, who afterwards became the wife of Andrew
Woods, and the McCollochs and Woods are yet prominent
families in the vicinity. The place where he was killed is,
as near as can be identified, about two miles from the
river, on lands owned by James Ridgely (1881). The sugar
tree upon which the initials "S. McC." were cut at
the time, died thirty years ago, but a grove of young
walnuts exists at this time at the precise spot.
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The
picture to the right is of the stone monument that is in the
McColloch section of Short Creek Cemetery, near Wheeling,
West Virginia. The inscription reads:
