Source: Chronicles of Border Warfare by Withers, Alexander Scott pg. 415-16.
John & Henry JOHNSON; the former 13, the latter 11 years of age. They lived at a station on the west side of the Ohio River above Indian Short Creek; & being at some distance from the house, engaged in the sportive amusements of youth, became fatigued & seated themselves in an old log for the purpose of resting. They presently observed 2 men coming towards them, whom they believed to be white men from the station until they approached so close as to leave no prospect of escape by flight, when to their great grief they saw that 2 Indians were beside them. They were made prisoners & taken about 4 miles , when after partaking of some roasted meat & parched corn given to them by their captors, they were arranged for the night by being placed between the 2 Indians & each encircled in the arms of the one next to him.
Henry, the younger of the brothers, had grieved much at the idea of being carried off by the Indians & ..had wept. John, in vain endeavored to comfort him...He refused to be comforted.-The ugly red man with his tomahawk & scalping knife, which had often been called in to quiet the cries of his infancy, was now actually before him..In anticipation of this horrid doom for some time he wept in bitterness & affliction..
It was different with John. He felt the reality of their situation---he disengaged himself from the embrace of the savage at his side & walked to the fire. To test the soundness of their sleep he rekindled the dying fire...He gently twitched the sleeping Henry & whispered softly in his ear, bade him to get up...The idea was for some time opposed by Henry; but when he beheld the savages so soundly asleep, and listened to his brother's plan of executing his wish, he finally consented to act the part prescribed him.
John placed the gun on a log with the muzzle near to the head of one of the savages; cocked it & leaving Henry with his finger to the trigger, ready to pull upon the signal being given, he repaired to his own station...Henry fired & shooting off the lower part of the Indian's jaw, called to his brother, " lay on, for I've done for this one". The first blow of the tomahawk took effect on the back of the neck & was not fatal. The Indian attempted to spring up, but John repeated his strokes..and leaving him dead proceeded after his brother.
...and when they came near (the station) & heard a well known voice exclaim, " Poor little fellows, they are killed or taken prisoners," John replied aloud, " No mother, we are here again."
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