The Indians Called Him "Death Wind:" Lewis Wetzel, the Fierce Frontiersman of Western Virginia
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ต.ค. 2024
- In this episode we read from "History of the Early Settlement and Indian Wars of West Virginia," by Wills De Hass, published in 1851.
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My family in the UK left for the USA in 1820, but then one of them decided to go to Africa. His family tried to get him to change his mind but was unsuccessful. My family in Africa was part of the Border Farmers who fought the Xhosa tribes that would always attack the Farmers. I have not had a family member that was not involved in war. The Boer War against the English, WW1, WW2, Korea, Rhodesia and my war which was a proxy War fought against Angola, Cubans and Russians. This lasted from 1966 to 1989. My children are the first not to be involved in any war. We live in South Africa but once in Africa you cannot leave it as there are no place like it.
I must say the USA is very similar in having its heroes, just like us. We fought the tribes in Africa and we always had excellent Scouts as well. Salute to your Scouts.
@henies9509. Interesting family history!
Louis Wetzel is my 5th great uncle on my mother's. I've enjoyed hearing this narration.
My wife calls me Death Wind sometimes, but for a different reason.
😂😂😂
🤣
Back away from the bean soup!!
😂 That’s hilarious man!
Beat me to it.
It's not natural to live the way we do today. I feel lost and without purpose. Though i'm a father and husband, i don't feel like a man.
You’re not alone brother
A different appealing way of life and adventure just by living, however if you did not have sand/SISU the frontier back then chewed up and spit out a lot who could not pass natures terms to live that lifestyle. I always hoped I would have what it took to “ride the river” with. For sure he who hesitate s dies in that world!
Killing others won't make you a man.
Well I'd say when we start moving out into space. ,,( if we don't blow ourselves up. ) It will take some real men and women to pull it off. Just like back then.
Plato enumerated the behaviors of people that surprised him most:
“They get bored in childhood, and they hurry to grow up, but then they miss their childhood.
They lose their health to earn money, but they pay money to regain their health.
Worried about tomorrow they forget about today. In the end, they neither live today nor tomorrow.
They live as if they’ll never die, but they die as if they never lived.”
I'm a hunter, and basically live like a mountain man. Stories like this really fit my bill for entertainment. My father raised me to be spec ops, but the military wouldn't accept me because I had surgery on my knee in second grade to remove a bone cancer tumor. So I got the privilege to work as a civilian contractor with a contract security company. I lived a very wild life in the jungles of the central and South America hunting drug runners. So I have truly lived the life of an 18th century mountain man just a little different. I'm a master trapper from living that life. I miss it everyday. I still trap though. The stories of the colonial and wild west make my day. Thank you sir...
What does a plaintive turkey cry sound like?...I've only heard; "bok,bok,bok", or "gobble, gobble, gobble"?...peacocks, make a plaintive cry?(I would say?). Bush turkeys , are rangey little fellows, in oz (black, orange when babies), that were left for the old people, by the aboriginals..
You're full of shit
I'm proud to carry this man's namesake! I'm adopted but would hear these stories growing up. His bloodline still lives on and carries his spirit.
That’s so cool. Hey Man U wanna hang out one time? Maybe watch some football or play some Xbox? U got any scalps laying around?
Awww, SNAP! Harmar's Defeat actually took place here in Indiana, btw. The Indians called it the "Battle of the Pumpkin Field" because the scalped skulls of the Americans reminded them of a pumpkin patch. Their dead bodies still being warm, the bloody, exposed tops of their skulls were giving off steam in the chilly October air! I know, it's rather random and grim, but it's true!
Awesome story that most do not know! How many of these true stories remain today to be passed down as they should be. These stories of our history shouldn't be lost!!
Thank you !
Well, let's just hope your miserable scalp steams the air sometime soon too !
That’s a wild visual, certainly true to the times.
Is there a puke emoji?
@@kentneumann5209 🤮
Wetzel is one of the reasons you won't find anymore arrowheads in the ohio valley today. What you will find is his name carved into many a rock for many a mile. He was ruthless but impressive none the less. As much as I honor the warriors who were here first I have to honor those that allowed me this place so close to the river. From his cave to barkcamp and more. I only hope to raise my boys to be half as much of men.
So important to keep these stories alive. I had an old mate. A drover and a stockman (Australian Cowboy). He enlisted to fight the Japanese in WWII three times. The first time he lied about his age and was accepted as a soldier in the Australian Army. His Mother found out, went to the Commanding Officer and had him discharged.
Dusty ran away from home, went interstate and re-enlisted, once again lying about his age. This time he made it all the way through military training and was put on a train with his company to be sent off to the Pacific to fight the Japanese. His Mother tracked him down. Found out he was on the train and literally pulled him out by the ear just before the train departed. The rest of the Company was shipped off to New Guinea. They were ambushed in their first patrol and every last man was killed.
Dusty re enrolled a third time when he was old enough to do so legally. Once again completing his military training but the war finished before he could get onto a two way shooting gallery. He was mightily disappointed.
He told me of a WWII soldier he knew. Cog Russell from Deniliquin, NSW in Australia. Cog was a country boy, a natural bushman. Knew how to hunt, stalk and track. He also loved to fight and had a habit of punching out officers which meant he kept on repeating basic training because of all the time spent in the brig. This all changed when Cog’s brother was killed by the Japanese. Cog settled down and completed boot camp before he was shipped off to the Pacific theatre.
On his first patrol in the jungle, Cog yelled out for everyone to take cover. With everyone in hiding the Sergeant wanted to know what he had seen? Cog replied that he felt they were being watched. The Sergeant abused Cog for being a frightened coward, ordered every one to resume patrolling and stood up. At that instant, a sniper took the Sergeant out with a head shot. No one doubted Cog’s instinct after that. He would scout and kept his unit safe but was frustrated by the ineptitude of his fellow soldiers in the bush.
He took to sneaking out of his unit at sunset with nothing but his knife and returning in the morning having taken out out an entire Japanese patrol at night. His mates got to thinking he was lying. That he was sneaking out to sleep in the jungle in order to avoid picketing on guard duty so one day he took them out to show them his handiwork. No one doubted his stories after that.
Following Japanese patrols he would sneak up on the last man and take him out, then follow up on the next until eventually he would work his way to the front and take out the lead scout.
Eventually, an entire Japanese division moved their theatre of operations. They had no idea what was happening. All they knew was that night after night, they were losing soldiers without even a single shot being fired. It was as if they were being pursued and hunted by a phantom.
Cog never respected rank or privilege and upset or wacked too many soldiers with tracks to ever be recommended for any commendations even though he was peerless as a jungle fighter and his exploits were the stuff of legend.
Sadly, his stories haven’t been recorded and have largely disappeared. We are all the poorer for it.
Will continue to follow your channel. Well done on reaching 200 milestone.
There are probably a few people like that in every generation.
Thanks for posting this.
A real life Mick Dundee!
Do you know his full name? Thank you for keeping his story alive. I often think of all the stories of hardship and heros we will never know. What acts of courage were performed that are lost in the past because no one wrote them down.
@@deana8202 Dusty told me quite a few stories and he always referred to him as “Cog Russel” who was a shearer from Deniliquin in rural New South Wales Australia. I suspect that was his nick name. He would have grown up during the Depression and rural NSW was quite isolated. He most likely would have played with aboriginal children. Australian bushmen often picked up a lot of their skills by going hunting and fishing with them when they were young.
Dusty had been to a lot of places travelling on horse back. He’d done a lot of things. He was at home in the bush. Was a crack shot, a very good tracker for a white fella with an innate sense of direction. He was in absolute awe of Cog so Cog must have been something special.
Dusty told me he and his brother didn’t mind getting into a blue and they especially loved backing each other in a fight. They never worried about the odds. You wouldn’t have wanted to be a bunch of Townies acting up in the same pub with them. When the Japanese killed his brother it became personal for Cog and he essentially went on the warpath becoming a one man army.
Dusty passed away many years ago. I wish I had of asked more questions but it was just one story he had amongst hundreds.
I would advise anyone to gather the stories of those who are close. Particularly if they’re older. I was going to record Dusty and get his stories written down. He was a natural story teller and would yarn all day but soon as I started recording he became very self conscious and I could barely get a word out of him.
Hope that helps.
Very good article!! Thanks Cowboy from Texas
Wetzel had a direct descendant and namesake who lived near Kent WV. He worked for my dad on our farm at nearby Natrium,WV in the 1960s. My Dad had a book called Lewis Wetzel Indian Fighter. I read it and probably still have it somewhere
based.
Lew wetzel left no descendants
My father is the one who conveyed the info to me- but I may remember it incorrectly . It may have been that he was descended from a brother of Wetzel? He died In The 1970s. I’ll try to find an obituary.
@@MarkBooth-31 Family on my mother's side are from Wetzel county, and we have Wetzels in the genealogy a few generations back. No idea what relation to Lewis, but the vid caught my attention because of it.
@@Greg-l8ronly pillage and mayhem, very respectful of the squaws?.😂
The men and women that formed this new frontier and great country were some of the most daring of their time! Thanks for a great story! Riveting!!!
I agree but it’s also a good example of how desperation can lead to courage
They were stealing land
@@sweetsagehomesteadfarm5045🍼Here you go toots. 😭Now dry those tears.😅
yes the spanish ones boy
÷@h
I played in Wetzel Cave as a kid and played baseball in a place called tunnel green which was just across Wheeling Creek from the cave. swam in the mouth of the river, and hopped a train to Beachbottom to stay with friends who lived along the river and watch movies at a drive-in the early 70s. Went to Wheeling Island to roller skating rink where Fort Henry once was. It seems funny to have roamed a lot of the same places as a legend once roamed. Brought back a lot of memories of when I was a kid and loved the history lesson of a great pioneer to where I was born and grew up.
This is in the State of West Virginia right? Not Western Virginia
@@garystevenson6582 correct.
Yes, hearing the names of some of those familiar PA stomping grounds like Kittining, Punxatawny, Lancaster and of course Philly grabs at the heart of family memories.
I just found your channel. I'm really enjoying it. I'm listening to the stories of Fanny Kelly. I'm listening while canning sausage. I look forward to doing all my chores listening to the history you will tell. I'm a widow and live alone and don't care for TV. But I LOVE history. The added benefit of your channel is that I don't have to sit to listen to it. ✌️🦋
Whereabouts do you live?
God bless Lewis Wetzel, a true man. I get so tired of people apologizing for the actions of their forefathers.... I am proud and will never apologize once! William Crawford was my great grandfather friend of George Washington... strangely i look exactly like him.
thats normal, some folks don’t believe they’re from the same family, til they see 150-year-old family photos ; inherited physical features can tend to skip one or several generations
He was a murderer.. He also got a lot of settlers killed because he couldn't stop killing the indians even when hostilities stopped. He was a racist POS.
The majority of frontiersmen were all disgusting war criminals just trying to make a quick buck off land speculation or working for someone in politics trying to make a quick buck off land speculation. But, so was everyone else. No need to apologize, but sticking up for them is problematic at the end of the day.
Jackson dug up dead Native Americans just so he could collect their scalps.
The US soldiers cut the genitalia from the native women they massacred at SandCreek and wore the clitoris’ as hat ties. Lincoln was thrilled with the massacre.
Texas went to war with Mexico because Mexico was ending slavery-Texas fought two wars to keep black slaves. Native Americans were enslaved by Americans all the way up to 1924-that’s when slavery really ended in the US.
There’s a lot more bs, but these are the big ones.
So, it is what it is. I’m not comfortable in deriding the actions these people did, but I’m also not comfortable in praising them
I read Allan Eckert’s account of Crawford’s death at the hands of hostile Indians. His torture was almost beyond belief.
Crawford and his men tortured Native children by throwing them up in the air and shooting them like clay pigeons. They waited till the men went hunting and then barricaded the Native women in the houses and burnt them down. Crawfords second in command was the same man who led the massacre of the Christian Delaware at Gneddenhutten.
There are two sides to every story. I for one don't regret what the Aunties did to him. War criminals are war criminals and the Britishers always broke their agreements.
No different from what is going in Gaza today.
Remember that when you meet Jesus.
Wyandotte Deer Nation Bear Clan, Mingo Nation Deer Clan.
My 5th great uncle Col Richard "Shawtunte" Sparks was also a survivor of Crawford's defeat. He was a scout and cautioned Crawford to not press forward because there were signs of a much larger Delaware force than expected. Sparks had been taken captive from near Pittsburgh in 1760, at age 3, by the father of Tecumseh, Pukshinwah and adopted by him. He was repatriated after Pukshinwah's death at the battle of point pleasant in Lord Dunsmores war. He had lived as a Shawnee child and warrior. He knew everything about the Shawnee and neighboring tribes, including the Seneca, Wyandotte, miamis and Delaware. Crawford, like St Claire after, ignored his pleas. He was finally listened to by Gen Anthony Wayne and Wayne was victorious at Fallen Timbers!!
Great video... I have an ancestor named Wm. (Indian Billy) Galloway Ice who was kidnapped by natives as a child but got away when he was in his twenties to fight Indians. He served in every American conflict in his life time. A forgotten hero.
i call BS and if so he was just controlled opposition . lol - how could he have met all those timeline of conflict if not a controller so better just learn to be of the now , they have people content and living in the past and afraid to act for their future . Fk your uncl Buck
I hope he kept a diary. His life would make a good movie.
Heck yeah!!! Another amazing history documentary we don't deserve. Thank you for all your hard work
Well worth watching and listening to.
@@cecilysharrock678 amen
Dumb history
You must check out Allan W Eckert his books are phenomenal on frontier history you will not be disappointed if you love this kind of history! Just Google his name! My too 3 favorite books of his are
1) the frontiersmen
2)a dark and bloody river..the history of the bloody Ohio River with exploits of Lewis Wetzel, Sam Brady, Simon Kenton, and Daniel Boone and more
3)a sorrow in our hearts.. the tale of Tecumseh...
He has written over 40 some books! I'm not kidding thus guy can write,once you start reading you cannot stop!
Its full of inaccuracies
Congrats on airing #200. May there be many more as great as this.
The Original 3 books written for him, before he disappeared from Zanesville Ohio while hiding from Federal troops for killing a Chief outside of Ft, Kenton that was riding in to sign a peace treaty, he was arrested and put in the forts stockade, his best friend Simon Kenton helped him escape, he came back to Zanesville and the father of his deceased fiance Ebinezer Zane hide him till things calmed down! In the meantime to make money he told this life story to a writer, 3 books where produced, all of which where removed from all public libraries and even the library of Congress during the Civil Rights movement due to their titles and the use of a certain phrase! I have stood on Wetzals Rock located in Morgan County Ohio where he kept track of his actions with tick marks! His Double rifle was found on a property on the banks of the Mississippi river beside a small log cabin that was still standing!
What were the titles of books? Do you know if a copy survived anywhere?
@@deana8202 They first book of the series was titled The Red N-----rs, please read between the lines, due to the use of that despicable word in the title and that phrase through out the book it was banned! From what I have been told by a few older gentleman that read the books, that is how he referred to Indians! If I find all three is have plans to have them reprinted with some modifications to remove/ change that phrase to mike them socially acceptable so to speak!
@@trentreid210it is too bad society is too soft. Ban huck fin too
Huck is already banned
If I remember correctly, Zane Grey had Lewis Wetzel as one of the characters in "Spirit of the Border" as Lew Wetzel.
@j.summer With the indian Wingenund and Simon Girty as his main enemies . I got that book for christmas in the 1950's in England .
I have the first printing of that book.
I read a copy of it when I was very young in the kootenai National forest. I was raised as Amish, and my parents would have burned that book had they found it!
So I read it in secret while I was “hunting” after I had killed enough game to justify my time.
Excellent book!
It's actually a Trilogy: Betty Zane, The Spirit of the Border, The Last Trail.
@@TheMollyPitchers Thanks.
Yeah, that's right. I like Zane Grey. He was a great writer.
As a descendent of some of the early settlers of central Western Virginia, learning stories of the exploits of remarkable persons of that time is not only exciting to hear but very informative to the life they lived.
I live in Lee county, VA not far from Martin's station. I love the history of the frontiersmen and longhunters. Have you heard of Allan W Eckert?
If you love frontier history you will not be disappointed he has written over 40 some books my top 3 favorites are..
1) the frontiersmen
on Simon Kenton
2) a dark and bloody river...the dark and bloody history of the Ohio River...with tales of Lewis Wetzel, Sam Brady, Simon Kenton, and Daniel Boone
3) a sorrow in our hearts..Tecumsehs story..if you love frontier history you will not be disappointed!
Our "settlers" and their tribulations formed our Country and we weren't taught any of this in History. Going back to college, nothing of OUR Countrys' history as such wasn't offered. That's sad not only because it's our history but it is so intriguing!
@@charliehay1520 , only thing is they killed native souls for our land. And celebrate it. You've come a long way since then though all colonialized, civilized and citizens of the corporation with religion created by man for control. not spirituality, that has been removed, forgotten and not taught in america.
Yeah! Some amazing man (and women) with an appetite for exploration, hunting and the way of the mountain man are almost beyond belief. How does a man live facing such extreme conditions and continue to become even better and stronger. Death is in the very plants, rivers and extreme weather, and a tiny cut on your foot or anywhere can become infected , killing you. We just wash our cuts and pop a band aid on it today and forget all about it. Natives bent on torturing you with fire and flaying you alive (the Blackfoot liked to put a white mans head in the fire, cut out the eyes and stand you up so you stagger until your boiling brain exploded. Your horse goes lame= death, you break a bone, set it right or you die. No game, you better know what you can eat. These are just the norm for the mountain man.
Beautiful,wow,he demonstrated the spirit courage and principles of our son's and daughters,,,but personally I say he sounds like a paratrooper, Airborne all the way brother 🐓☠️,oh Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on the wayward sheep 🐏,there is no King but Jesus Christ 🐓☠️☠️🚬
There are a few markings in stone signed by Lewis wetzel across Ohio ,near mcconnellsville stating "enjoy the peace I have prepared for you" I have heard of others and I personally have seen one on a large stone near Buffalo creek marked L.W and was told it was made by wetzel but have no proof .
I really enjoyed this and will be subscribing , if I could make a suggestion for another story would be that of Simon Girty 1741-1818 another legend of western virginia who's story is overlooked but we'll worth telling.
I’ve been looking forward for your video on Lewis Wetzel, he was always a personal hero of mine, I grew up in WV and dated a Wetzel girl…she was a real firecracker!😃
I had read that he almost was included in the Lewis and Clark expedition, with his hatred of all Indians can’t help to think that things may have turned out differently with him along.
Easy to forget the depredations the Indians visited on the whites back then and how it led to such hate
Supposedly Wetzel was a good fiddle player and liked children and dogs
When he died his family buried him with his long rifle saying any gun that killed as many as it had would haunt any house that it would be kept it.
200 video!…Don’t think I have missed one!
Thanks for watching! Wow, crazy that you dated a Wetzel girl!
Wetzel would have been a huge liability to the Lewis and Clark expedition, his intense hatred for natives was probably obvious to everyone.
So your personal hero is an unmitigated, genocidal racist? Go you rofl
Unworthy History huh? I think not. This channel is like the channel FORGOTTEN HISTORY they also believe in telling history as it is without any misconcieved political agendas. Once you stated how the history channel does not cover history anymore you had me just as FORGOTTEN HISTORY did and I immediately subscribed. I intend to spend the day,sence its Sunday, to watch as many of your videos as possible. Great research, editing and production. Thank you for all of your hard work. Enjoyed.
My 5x grandfather, William McWilliams, fought Indians at Fort Henry near Wheeling.
Mine too.
My family came to the new world in 1685 from Germany with the first settlement in western Pennsylvania , a religious community of people mostly by the name of Loose. I need to find out more about my ancestors.
Being from West Virginia believe me Wetzel County hasn't changed much since his day😉
I’ve been reading some excellent stories by Zane Gray that feature Wetzel frequently. Quite a fellow.
I know right? I mean, let’s hope no one ever comes for your home and you defend that home, you may find yourself the bad guy who dared to not allow someone to just take your home in the story of the great man who came for you and your family…..oh wait, probably shouldn’t use logic in this instance, huh?
This man is actually a direct ancestor of mine. Amazing!
Your grandfather was in an expedition with mine, my grandfather was William Crawford. Small world 😅
@Huntin_Farmin_Livin mine too..
😂
Small world indeed.😌
Thank you for sharing this history. All we ever hear is about The Trail of Tears
Thanks for covering this subject. Capt. John Wetzel (Lewis's father )is my 6th great grandfather.
Mine also! Hello cousin
Thank you for your uploads...challenging and uplifting to the human/American spirit.
Really enjoyed this presentation. Well spoken, very informative. Again, very good narrative. Thank you.
I think he most likely got his jet black hair and dark skin from his french ancestry. My Dad also had dark skin and hair and his came from his french ancestry. When my Dad was young he went out west and when he would stop at diners etc, and people would say "What are you" ? You cant be an indian with those blue eyes but your as dark as one! lol
My sister also has his coloring.
My immediate ancestors,the McColloch’s, knew Wetzel. Samuel was a several times great uncle. The “Death Wind” name was because he had a distinctive howling wail when he had a successful Indian hunt. Supposedly when not hunting Wetzel was a quiet, gentle man, who liked to play with or otherwise entertain the children at the various forts in the region. Just discovered your channel.
So this is number 200, guess I have some listening to do!
Wasn’t it a McCulloch who made a famous leap with his horse?
@@steammccracken2500 yes He leaped from the top of wheeling hill down to wheeling creek , very close to Wetzel cave
McCollochs leap is in N. Wheeling. Another famous landmark. Wetzel cave was in E. Wheeling. I played as a kid in both places. Wheeling is not very big and I have been all over it either walking or on a bicycle as a kid. Had friends all over the place
I was told he would blow through his musket to make an eerie sound if he was outnumbered. It was a French influenced tribe that gave him that name vent de mort.
Yes, I believe maybe Samuel McCullough? I am a direct descendant of his brother. My family is from Marietta Ohio.
Lewis Wetzel is one of my favorite historical figures, I read a book about him in the 1970s so there is literature about his life, however I have not found that book in decades. It was more of a dime novel but it did exist as long as my memory is not playing tricks on me! lol
Please let me know if you ever find the book again
books such as ur example exis+
I should have named my dog Death Wind, his can make your eyes water.
Thank you for this! Louis Whetzel lives in me and mine, that spirit is just who we are. I live in Chicago. I emulate L.W. when necessary.
Lewis Wetzel would have been a good Ranger
Its funny to hear men in the same breath say a man is a protector and a savage. Thats the fate of a warrior ! To be called a killer by those who first ask him to do the killing in the first place. Happens to soldiers and marines all the damn time after returning home from combat.
Have you heard of Tom Quick, another hero during Indian raids of settlements? His is another fascinating story. I really appreciate your channel!
Have you heard of Allan Eckert? His books are phenomenal if you love frontier history you will love his books...just Google his name you won't be disappointed !
@charliehay1520 one of the most incredible reads you'll ever get your hands on....unbleaveble foot notes, Simon Kention was a legend.
A hero? We claimed their land as our own, and eventually turned to genocide. This isn't what most would call heroic.
Few could reload on the fly but those who could became legends. Just to name a few Daniel Boone, Simon Girty, Simon Keaton…
@@daleslover2771Keaton
... Lew Wetzel was referenced to in Ride the River" several times ... by Louis L Amour ...it is a Sackett story .... a very good read ...
My ancestors were in West Virginia and Ohio near Bellevue and Meggs Country from 1790s to 1865. I have heard some family members were killed in Indian attacts. I suspect they knew Wetzel.
Wetzel was one of the greatest INDIAN fighters ever. I really appreciate your lack of new speak. That rotten phrase is pure anti American anti wyte BS.
I was trying to remember Simon Kenton’s name, there was a man’s man! Captured 3 times by Indians and survived the Gauntlet all three times to become a tribe member only to escape back to Kentucky/Indiana Indian Hunting lands. Of course we can’t prove what happened or did not happen, but great tales!
Congratulations on your 200th episode! I believe I've listened to all your videos on this channel, and enjoy them very much.
Thanks for watching!
That story was great I will never forget Lewis Wetzel
The rock he died on is still stained with his blood my family owned the property and still owns the mineral rights where he was killed. When i was a kid my grandmother walked me up the creek and made sure i saw the blood stains on the rocks
Wow... Do you still have access to this spot! That is deff something I would tune in to see!!!
We've got a lost generation of boys who need real heroes like Wetzel. I read these kinds of books as a child but today the boys are being feminized by lesbians. Thanks for what you are doing here.
Excellent choice for gifts for boys
Death wind because his farts could kill
Must read Alans book. One in my library , I have not gotten too yet. Zane Grey produced a retty good book on Wetzel and Jonethan Zane. They arted company when Jonathan married tht eMiami Chiefs Daughter and settled near Zanesville. That may have been the episode where thye tracked down th efour Indiand and the woman thye kidnapped. One of the few times any captive party was ever caught by the pursuers. But those two were not your average pursuer. They were fast and fearless. I never realized that Alan Eckart said Wetzel went west to the Brazos in Texas. Eckart wrote a number of great accounts of the Ohio frontier people.
Wow, just came across this chanel. What an amazing story and told very well. Thank you for your hard work! Will definitely be watching your other videos.
Zane Grey's gripping novel SPIRIT OF THE BORDER (on TH-cam) describes the harsh life of the Ohio River Valley pioneers. It covers Lewis Wetzel and Zane Grey's ancestors, based on a journal written by Jonathan Zane. It's part of a trilogy that includes BETTY ZANE (info on TH-cam but I don't see the novel) and THE LAST TRAIL (novel on TH-cam).
I don't think this guy should be celebrated, he seems far to ready to kill 'whether at peace or war.'
11:27 👈 Ok, we know this part is made up. The fleeing Indian wouldn't yell in bad english to his fellow Indians, he would yell in his native language.
Great video. It is said that history is written by the victor. But who is the Victor in this story? I suspect this is why little is written about the life of Lewis Wetzel and countless other men who roam around the Border Frontier. There is a short supply of true history so I thank you for bringing some of it to light.
I was really blown away by this story I hate to admit I'd never heard about this brave man until today and I've lived in WV my entire life 44 years old and never heard his story that's sad.
Rip roaring tales of adventure!
Great prose with wonderful illustrations.
A great video! Thank you so much for putting together and posting.
Most valuable channel on youtube. The story reminds me of Jeremiah Johnson.
Thank you for this interesting story of a Frontiers man until now i have never heard of.
utterly remarkable thanks for the great history story just subscribed thanks again- amazing
Incredible narrating skills sir. You got my sub.
he was a true warrior and saved many settlers lives by warning them at night that there were war partys about
Wetzel was a real man
Great episode thanks
My grandmother was native. Death Wind means really bad gas emissions.
I liked this video but the like never showed
My like showed
You should have "liked" it again then
As a boy ,I read book by Zane Grey, I don't remember the title, where Wetzel played a companion to the hero, but was portrayed as a crack shot. He and the protagonist hunted a pair of white kidnappers and disposed of them and rescued the girls.
Death Wind . That’s the name I gave my wife after she ate my chili 😂😂😂
Would love to meet this man in person.
Great work on this documentary glad I found this channel, you’ve earned yourself a new subscriber Keep up the good work
I became enthralled with Lewis Wetzel by reading the frontier trilogy of Zane Grey that featured Lewis Wetzel and Jonathan Zane. They are "Betty Zane," "The Spirit of the Border," and "The Last Trail." They are excellent novels based on research and were well written as most of Grey's books were. I highly recommend them. I've read those books at least three times, and Wetzel is described in them much as this documentary described him. He is even called Death Wind in the books.
I used to spend summers as a kid with my grandmother in the Texas Hill Country north of San Antonio. She had all the Zan Grey books. I read as many as I could. I grew up outdoors, very rural and roamed the outdoors hunting and fishing and trapping. I spent 28yrs in the Army seeking adventure. Now 65, I live on a small ranch in South Texas, in the brush country. We are getting lots of adventure these days with militant illegals trapsing across the ranch. About two months ago I captured 12 illegals and held them for 2 hours waiting on Border Patrol to haul them away. They were attempting to hotwire my old pickup. The weapon of choice today is the AR-15. I could use a man like Wetzel here.
@@sisleymichael
Just think, they are probably in a hotel in NYC right now, on our tax dime.
Lewis Wetzel is my great great great grandfather. Honestly, not just saying that.
@@kylewetzel1750 Wow. Neat.
@@sisleymichael Yep, my family still lives in central Ohio to this day. Including myself. Unfortunately I do not speak to that side of the family. They are all uneducated, poor, drug addicts, severe alcoholics, criminals, wife beaters, adulterers, and severely lack the slightest bit of education including even a speck of historical knowledge. I on the other hand absolutely love history. Especially early American History including the war for Independence and native American events, Roman Empire history, British History, Medieval history, Greek Mythology and then I dabble in a myriad of other world history.
To me history is the most important thing to know and understand. By understanding history you are not swept up by the media and misconceptions of the world. From the true history of slavery all the way to the realities of American independence. If you are not well educated in history you will simply agree to the common understanding of current events without seeing the hypocrisy of it. Or worse yet you will form a strong opinion of the main stream event without even understanding that your opinion you believe so much in is based off of a lie. You will lose friends and loved ones, cost yourself jobs and tear apart families all because you believe you understand what you're supporting but are in all reality entirely wrong, with no one being able to change your mind one way or the other.
The way great men achieve great power is not by their wealth, their looks, their backgrounds, their formal execution or by their ability to lead, instead it's by their knowledge of history. With that skill set they will know what works and what doesn't. They will know what people want to hear and by knowing that they will know how to manipulate and control them. They will be excellent tacticians on the battlefield and know how to defeat their enemies. They will make nations fall and rise. History is truly the skill of the elite.
By chance I have just finished reading the very book you mention by Wills de Haas and so I am familiar with all the names and deeds that you mention in your great documentary.
I was astounded to read of the British policies in that area at the time and at one point in his book de Haas concludes two things (as far as I remember):
1: We can never forgive the savages for what they did to the settlers.
2: We can never forgive the British for having aided the savages and particularly for their disgraceful policy of paying the Indians for every settler scalp brought back to them (i.e. the Scalp Bounty).
This is something which is conveniently overlooked in British history.
If I can find the exact words he used I will send them to you but right now I cannot. You probably know those words that he wrote better than I do in any case.
brianobrain,
Am not so sure it was "a disgraceful policy".
You wanted the Indian to kill the Indian and rewarding them in addition to their own rewards would be a good way to do this. And naturally, claims would be inflated without a way to confirm this. In most instances the Indian would already be dead, and therefore without pain, and those scalped alive more than likely died. So in the end, no harm / no foul . . . ☆
You know you hear so much about Daniel Boone, but I have noticed there are a lot of like this that are just as interesting. Like the courthouse tragedy, the Harp brothers etc.
Excellent video enjoyed the story
Can't find one full blooded native American these days.. Sad..
There is a statue of him in New Martinsville WV
Very nice video & story! I would suggest reading "The Chronicles of the Border Wars" by Alexander Scott Withers .. Published in 1825, in Clarksburg WV. This is where the information was attained for the book that you referenced ... There are many stories of Lewis Wetzel, & the first settler's war with the Indians, as well as some of my ancestors, including Colonial Burd, who established Fort Burd aka Old Fort Redstone on a bluff overlooking the Monongahela River, near present Braddock, PA during the French & Indian War. During the first engagement, Gen Braddock was killed, and as Col. James Burd, George Washington, & the VA Militia retreated east on what became the National Road, they buried Braddock's body in the road, so the Indians wouldn't desecrate his body! Col. Burd also engineered Fort Ligonier as they attempted to capture Fort Duquesne, at the Forks of the Ohio (Pittsburgh)... Later named Fort Pitt , after the French had retreated
He gets much coverage in a book by Allan Eckert titled "That Dark and Bloody River". Great read on the history of the Ohio River Valley.
Superb books!!!! "That dark and body river," " wilderness way", "gateway to empire" all of them. That author is one of my favorites
Is this where Last of the Mohicans movie. It was so good.
I owe you an apology. When I heard the bit about running and reloading, I called BS, that in turn put the rest of the story in doubt. I emailed an American friend who is much more knowledgeable about such things. He sent me a video of a reenactor doing exactly that. He fired, reloaded and fired again is 29 seconds. Granted, he was at a fast jog, not a flat out run as described. That said, a medium pace makes sense for a cross country pursuit. The attackers know they will have to cover miles and they only need to keep their prey moving constantly. They have the advantage of numbers. They can change out the leader occasionally, while their prey doesn't have that luxury.
I'm going to finish the story and subscribe so I can hear more about such amazing folks. Thank you for taking the time to share this. Have a great day my friend 👍
So glad that I found this channel. I'm surprised that TH-cam hasn't cancelled it.
The man killed near mingo bottom was John Decker ,he was killed just north of cross creek on what Is now Putney ridge rd ,where I grew up.
Death wind, that's a badass nickname
That's Joe's nickname ... For his farts.
Yes
Why wasn’t a movie made of this hero?
EXCELLENT READING OF LEWIS WETZEL a very brave man.....Thanks so very much.......🇺🇸
Wow, our neighbors were Wetzel. I wonder if they are indeed relations ?!
I have relatives in Thomas WV who are Wetzels my moms hometown my dads from Grantsville and he says we're part Cherokee.....Uncle Lewis would prolly scalp me
That was fascinating! Thank you!
I love these stories, even though I am not sure how I feel about Wetzel. My whole family is from Marietta Ohio. They have deep roots in Appalachia , from places like Wheeling and Romney West Virginia, and some in Tennessee. My ancestors have many of the last names you mention, McCullough, Sharp, Dubois, etc. My grandpa used to tell me so many stories about the Indians, but he has now passed. I am so glad I found your channel.
I’m enjoying listening my way thru all your fantastic videos🥰
Not Western Virginia.......It's West Virginia. Completely different state. 😂😂😂
I own 117 acres of wilderness in West Virginia where I go to camp and photograph wildlife such as bears and coyotes. Thanks to men like Wetzel, I have never been attacked by Indians.
Indians weren't the only one to call him death wind. Anyone down wind of him after passing gas was endangered.Wild game farts are brutal.
West Virginia didn't become a state until the. I'd 1800s. Prior to that it was Virginia.....
Thx again for your episodes
Thanks for forgoing politics and making these stories known... Many of the Indian attacks were engineered by the British, which led to our independence.
Back in the good ole days, you got to kill your enemies.
I think it was a great story my name is Bill Wetzel my grandfather's name was Lewis Wetzel the Lewis Wetzel you're talking about is one of my ancestors