To the Betty Zane chapter of the Daughters of the Revolution this book is respectfully dedicated by the author...

In a quiet corner of the stately little city of Wheeling, West Va., stands a monument on which is inscribed: “By authority of the State of West Virginia, to commemorate the siege of Fort Henry, Sept. ...

On June 16, 1716, Alexander Spotswood, Governor of the Colony of Virginia, and a gallant soldier who had served under Marlborough in the English wars, rode, at the head of a dauntless band of cavalier...

The Zane family was a remarkable one in early days, and most of its members are historical characters. The first Zane of whom any trace can be found was a Dane of aristocratic lineage, who was exiled ...

Fort Henry stood on a bluff overlooking the river and commanded a fine view of the surrounding country. In shape it was a parallelogram, being about three hundred and fifty-six feet in length, and one...

Many weeks of quiet followed the events of the last chapter. The settlers planted their corn, harvested their wheat and labored in the fields during the whole of one spring and summer without hearing ...

“Good morning, Harry. Where are you going so early?” called Betty from the doorway. A lad was passing down the path in front of Colonel Zane’s house as Betty hailed him. He carried a rifle almost as l...

During the last few days, in which the frost had cracked open the hickory nuts, and in which the squirrels had been busily collecting and storing away their supply of nuts for winter use, it had been ...

When the first French explorers invaded the northwest, about the year 1615, the Wyandot Indians occupied the territory between Georgian Bay and the Muskoka Lakes in Ontario. These Frenchmen named the ...

The chilling rains of November and December’s flurry of snow had passed and midwinter with its icy blasts had set in. The Black Forest had changed autumn’s gay crimson and yellow to the somber hue of ...

Winter dragged by uneventfully for Betty. Unlike the other pioneer girls, who were kept busy all the time with their mending, and linsey weaving, and household duties, Betty had nothing to divert her ...

Yantwaia, or, as he was more commonly called, Cornplanter, was originally a Seneca chief, but when the five war tribes consolidated, forming the historical “Five Nations,” he became their leader. An o...

It was near the close of a day in early summer. A small group of persons surrounded Col. Zane where he sat on his doorstep. From time to time he took the long Indian pipe from his mouth and blew great...

The following afternoon the sun shone fair and warm; the sweet smell of the tanbark pervaded the air; and the birds sang their gladsome songs. The scene before the grim, battle-scarred old fort was no...

Alfred Clarke lay between life and death. Miller’s knife thrust, although it had made a deep and dangerous wound, had not pierced any vital part; the amount of blood lost made Alfred’s condition preca...

Morning found the settlers, with the exception of Col. Zane, his brother Jonathan, the negro Sam, and Martin Wetzel, all within the Fort. Col. Zane had determined, long before, that in the event of an...

The sun rose red. Its ruddy rays peeped over the eastern hills, kissed the treetops, glinted along the stony bluffs, and chased away the gloom of night from the valley. Its warm gleams penetrated the ...

Peace and quiet reigned ones more at Ft. Henry. Before the glorious autumn days had waned, the settlers had repaired the damage done to their cabins, and many of them were now occupied with the fall p...

Betty lived all her after life on the scene of her famous exploit. She became a happy wife and mother. When she grew to be an old lady, with her grandchildren about her knee, she delighted to tell the...