William Langfitt's Narrow Escape  Brooke County, WV
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Copied from " History of the Panhandle, being Historical Collections of the 
Counties of Ohio, Brooke, Marshall and Hancock, West Virginia".  
Compiled and Written by:
J.H. Newton,  G.G. Nichols, and A.G. Sprankle
Published by:
J.A. Caldwell, 1879, Wheeling, W. VA.

WILLIAM LANGFITT'S NARROW ESCAPE

In the year 1785 or 1790, a respectable gentleman by the name of William Langfitt, settled near where Hookstown, Pa. is now situated,  and erected a cabin and cleared a small portion of ground for the purpose of raising corn.  He remained there but a short time, owing to the rumored hostilities of the Indians and their inhuman actions upon the settlers in or near that neighborhood.  As he felt somewhat insecure, he  concluded to remove his wife to her folks (Mr. Campbell) on King's Creek, near that river.  After having raised a small crop of corn and safely stowing it away, then arranged their household, taking with them such articles as were most valuable and started for his wife's people to remain during the winter.  Their destination was reached in safety.  Early the next spring Mr. Langfitt concluded to go back and get his corn, of which there still  remained four sacks full.  In company with a Mr. John Garren, he set out on horseback on his journey for his home in the woods.  In due season the place was found and the corn discovered to be undisturbed.  The horses were each loaded with two sacks of corn a piece and then their heads turned homeward by their drivers.  They had not proceeded far, however, having reached the land 
now owned by Swearingen, when a number of shots were fired at them.  They 
were riding along in single file, and Mr. Langfitt was considerably in 
advance of Garren.  Some Indians had concealed themselves near the foot path, and when they had gone a short distance past them, raised up and all took dead aim at the two whites and fired upon them.  Three bullets passed through the lobe of Mr. Langfitt's left lung, and one of the bullets struck his left arm, breaking it, after having passed through his body.  All three struck a small hickory tree near by, and so close were the bullet holes that they could be covered with one hand.  Mr. Langfitt heard the screams of his companion, but was fainting away so rapidly that he merely had presence of mind enough to lay close to his horse's mane as it sped through the narrow road.  He was discovered and picked up near the old fort not far from Frankfort Springs, about four miles from where he was shot.  His horse carried him there.  When found, he was still clinging to his faithful animal.  He lay there a number of months, but finally recovered entirely from his wounds and died at the age of ninety-six years.  His companion was never heard from after that.  A number of years later, when the land there was cleared, a gun barrel was found, which was thought by some as being his.