A Woman of Courage on the West Virginia Frontier by Robert N. Thompson

Author:Robert N. Thompson [Thompson, Robert N.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: The History Press
Published: 2013-01-23T23:00:00+00:00

This monument along County Route 8 west of Peora, West Virginia, marks the location of the Cunningham farm. The sandstone rock comes from the cave in which the Wyandot hid with Phebe and her infant son. Photo by the author.

Edward, Sarah, and their children were actually hiding in the neighboring woods, watching helplessly as their home burned to the ground. In the morning, they made their way to the nearest farm and gave the alarm. As the Wyandots had anticipated, a company of men was quickly raised to go in pursuit of the raiding party. When they arrived at the Cunningham’s farm, they found both houses now in ashes, and before long, they discovered the bodies of Phebe’s three children. After a quick burial, they set off in an attempt to find the Wyandots’ trail. Unfortunately, the raiders had covered their tracks well, and initially, no traces of them were uncovered.

However, the next day, evidence of the warriors’ trail was finally discovered. The militia followed their path to within a short distance of the cave in which the Wyandot were hiding but could track them no further. As they searched the area, the militia came so close to the cave that Phebe could hear their voices clearly. She later told Lucullus McWhorter, “Not only were their voices plainly audible, and I recognized some of them, but the slightest rustle of their shot pouches was borne to my ear.”140 However, the warriors stood over her with rifles and tomahawks at the ready, indicating that she and her infant must remain silent and that any attempt to cry out would bring a swift death. Phebe crouched in the cave with her captors, holding Tommy close to her breast so he would not cry and give them away.141

Finding nothing, the searchers returned to the Cunningham farm that evening. During the night, one of the search party who was familiar with the area remembered the presence of a cave along Little Indian Run and led the group to it, reaching the cave just after dawn the next morning. However, having heard the militia so close the day before, the raiding party had elected to leave during the night, taking Phebe and Tommy with them.

Thomas returned a few days later to find his home in ashes, three of his children dead and his wife and infant son missing. His grief must have been almost unimaginable. As time passed, many would try to convince him that Phebe and Tommy were likely dead, as well, and that he needed to relinquish whatever hope he might harbor in his heart. Nevertheless, Thomas would never give up.

Officially, Phebe was reported as being killed in the attack by Colonel John P. Duval, the County Lieutenant of Harrison County, in a dispatch to Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia, dated September 5, 1785:

The Indians have again repeated their barbarities in Harrison County on the 31st of August by killing the wife and four children of Thomas Cunningham and burning his house and that of Edward Cunningham.

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