"The Copus Massacre"

"The Copus Massacre". . , On the 15 of September 1812, seven of the soldiers left the Copus cabin to wash at a nearby spring, leaving their weapons near the house. The Indians attacked the men at the spring. Three fled to the woods. They were pursued by the Indians and two of them were tomahawked; the third man was shot and mortally wounded., The only soldier who regained the cabin was George Dye, who fought alongside John Shambaugh a neighbor to the Copus family. George Dye was wounded in the thigh by a musketball. As he came through the door, Copus was hit by a shot through his chest. On the east of the cabin extended a range of hills several hundred feet high covered with timber and large rocks, which furnished an excellent cover for the enemy and gave them a position from which they could fire down upon the cabin. The Indians besieged the cabin from the hill. The soldiers tore up the puncheons of the floor and placed them against the door to prevent the balls from penetrating to the interior of the cabin. Nancy Copus, a little girl, was wounded in the knee by a ball that passed through the door. John Shambaugh shot and killed the attacker of Nancy Copus. One of the soldiers, George Launtz, had his arm broken by a ball. Reportedly Launtz killed the attacker who wounded him., The soldiers fought back. The battle lasted from daybreak until midmorning. The Indians then retreated, killing some sheep on their way. As soon as the Indians disappeared, one of the soldiers crawled out thorough the roof of the cabin and went for assistance. The day before, Captain Martin had agreed to call at the Copus cabin the same evening with a number of soldiers and remain all night. But he and his soldiers, having been scouting all day and finding no signs of the Indians, concluded that all apprehensions of danger were frivolous, therefore neglected to appear as agreed. He had encamped on the Black Fork and reached the Copus' cabin by late morning. On approaching the cabin, he and his soldiers attended to the wounded. Search was made for the Indians but they were not found., A monument was dedicated on 15 Sept. 1882 on this site., Killed: Reverand James Copus, and three Soldiers, George Shipley, John Tedrick, Robert Warnick and unknown number of Indians.