SOURCE: Chronicles of Border Warfare by Alexander Scott Withers, 1912.
Five Indians came to the house on Snowy creek ( in the now county of Preston), in which lived James BRAIN & Richard POWELL, & remained in ambush during the night, close around it. In the morning early, the appearance of some 10 or 12 men, issuing from the house with guns, for the purpose of amusing themselves in shooting at a mark, deterred the Indians from making their meditated attack. The men, seen by them, were travellers, who had associated for mutual security, & who, after partaking of a morining's repast, resumed their journey, unknown to t he savages; when Mr. BRAIN & the sons of Mr. POWELL went to their day's work. Being engaged in carrying clap-boards for covering a cabin, at some distance from the house, they were soon heard by the Indians, who, despairing of succeeding in an attack on the house, changed their position & concealed themselves by the side of the path, along which those engaged at work had to go. Mr. BRAIN & 1 of his sons being at a little distance in front of them, they fired & BRAIN fell. He was then tomahawked & scalped, while another of the party followed & caught the son as he was attempting to escape by flight.
Another, the son of POWELL, was also soon caught; but the 3rd findng himself out of sight of his pursuer, ran to one side & concealed himself in a bunch of alders, where he remained until the Indians passed the spot where he lay, when he arose, & taking a different direction, ran with all his speed & effected an escape.
The little POWELL who had escaped from the savages, being forced to go a direction opposite the house, proceeded to a station about 8 miles off & communicated intelligence of what had been done at BRAIN's. A party of men equipped themselves & went immediately to the scene of action; but the Indians had hastened homeward..One of their little captives, Benjamin BRAIN, being asked by them, " how many men were at the house?," replied "twelve." His object was to save his mother & the other women & children, from captivity or death, by inducing them to believe that it would be extremely dangerous to venture near the house. ..they departed in the greatest hurry, taking with them their 2 little prisoners, Benjamin & Isaac BRAIN.