QUAKER JOHN
John Branson, son of Thomas Branson, was born May 26, 1764 in
Fredrick, Virginia. I have no further information on John,
however, I believe the story of a young Quaker captured by
Indians is his. A story told by John Beals (and written by
Gersham Perdue) told this tale in the "Chronology of the
Beals Family" and another source named John Branson as the
subject.
Thomas Branson was granted a certificate to travel with the
famous frontier Quaker Reverend Thomas Beals into the Ohio
territory (to search for his son?). Lois Branson, John Branson's
sister and daughter of Thomas, married a nephew of Reverend
Thomas Beals who could be the storyteller as he was John Bowater
Beals ... in any case, John Branson and John Bowater Beals would
have definitely known each other.
Biography of
John Branson
In about the year 1781, while Thomas Beals was living at Blue
Stone, Giles Co., Virginia, there was a company of six or seven
men, connection of Thomas Beals, his son-in-law, James Horton,
and a young man by the name of Branson were among the hunters who
were camped out towards the Ohio River. A squad of hostile
Indians attacked them and the hunters scattered and ran, each man
for himself. Horton had rheumatism and did not go far until he
went into some thick underbrush and as Branson came by Horton
raised his gun to shoot an old Indian chief, but miss fired. He
then said to Branson, "You're not going to leave me, are
you?" He said "No," and stopped. The chief came up
and took them both prisoners.
They were not allowed to see each other after their capture.
James Horton was taken to Old Chillicothe, now Frankfort, Ohio,
and there put to death. Young Branson was taken further north and
ordered burned to death; but the old chief stopped it after the
dry splinters and wood were prepared for the execution. The dry
splinters were to stick in the flesh, so they would cook the
flesh before death, but the old chief, whose prisoner he was,
appealed to a higher council and he was taken further north and
the council ordered him put to death by shooting. He was tied to
a tree to be shot; the chief then appealed to a council of
chiefs. He was then taken to the shores of Lake Erie and there
ordered put to death.
The old chief, who had been befriending him, said he could do
nothing more for him, but if he would look at his feet that night
after all was still he would see something bright and if he got
loose to meet him at a certain large tree outside the camp.
Branson's hands were tied together, also his feet and he was tied
between two braves with leather thongs. After all was still, he
looked at his feet and saw a knife. He worked his hands and got
hold of the knife. He cut his hands loose first, then cut himself
loose form the two braves, crawled out of the camp, got to his
feet and went to the tree designated. There he found the old
chief, who had Branson's gun and all that he had when captured,
also a sack of provisions. The chief told him to go towards the
moon (for it was nearly in the south) until he struck a branch,
then to follow it until it came to a larger one, then follow it
until it came to a large river and follow it home.
Branson followed his directions and reached home. His folks did
not recognize him at first, but after a few hours they recognized
him but he was broken down in health and mind. He had been a
prisoner three years and had been prepared for execution twice
and ordered for the third time. He only lived a few years after
his return.