Historical Biography: Lewis Wetzel

Lewis Wetzel, giant of the American frontier, was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the fourth of seven children to Mary and John Wetzel. His father was a German immigrant, a former indentured slave who had risen above his station to win the hand of the daughter of the well established Bonnet family, who had already been living on American soil for several generations.

When Lewis was just one year old, his family packed up with some other hardy settlers and moved across the Allegheny mountains to take possession of land that was now up for grabs as a result of the Treaty of Fort Stanwix. They settled in an area of forest clearing along Big Wheeling Creek, not far from the Ohio River.

Unfortunately for them, the Wetzel’s and their neigbors were now direct targets from the Shawnee, Delaware and Miami Indians. The family became used to raids from these tribes. The boys grew up quick. They learned how to use a gun at an early age.

At the age of thirteen Lewis was captured by a raiding party of Wyandot Indians along with his brother George. During the assault young Lewis was grazed in the chest with a bullet. Despite the pain of this wound, which had torn into his sternum, Lewis knew that he had to keep up with the fast pace set by the Indians as the rushed back to their village. To slow them down meant certain death. On the third night of their capture, however, the Indians were lax in providing guards over the two boys. As their captors slept, the two boys made their escape. They took off without their shoes. Before long, though, they realised that they wouldn’t get far on bare feet. While his brother lay low, Lewis stole back to the camp and got the boy’s moccasins. But that wasn’t enough for feisty Lewis. He went back a third time and stole back his father’s rifle and powder horn from the Indians.

This event marked a new turn in Lewis’ life. He now spent his every waking moment in perfecting his skills as an Indian fighter. He became an expert shot and extremely adept with the tomahawk and hunting knife. He also perfected another skill that was rare indeed on the frontier – he was able to load, prime and shoot his long rifle while running at full speed through the forest.

At age fourteen, Lewis was part of a rescue party sent out to rescue a woman who had been taken by the Indians. Along with the woman’s husband, Lewis tracked down the Indians. They followed them across the Ohio River and found them at nightfall. Three Indians were sleeping while the fourth stood guard over the weeping woman. All night the two white men watched over the camp. Then just as the Indians were waking, they made their move. They shot the first two Indians to wake and then charged the others with their tomahawks. The Indians fled. As his companion comforted his wife, Lewis took off after the escaping two Indians. He shot down the first one. The other then turned to attack Lewis, knowing that his rifle was now spent. But Lewis put into practice his skill of reloading on the run and soon had killed his third Indian of the day.

Over the next few years, Lewis would have more run ins with Indian raiders and hostage takers. With each episode he would further enhance both his frontier skills and his reputation among his compatriots. By the time he was twenty Lewis was a full time Indian hunter. He was never to settle down and raise a farm or otherwise domesticate himself.

Lewis had grown into a large, formidable character. He seemed, however, uncomfortable in adult company. His speech was faltering and his manners ungainly. However, whenever shooting, knife throwing or tomahawking competitions were held, Lewis would always be the winner. He became a one man Indian hunting army. His favorite trick was to hunt down small bands of Indians and attack them while they were sleeping, wreaking havoc with his knife and tomahawk.

In 1781 Wetzel made the mistake of killing a Delaware Indian Chief who was acting as a peace emissary. The act was outrageous but Wetzel was not punished for it. From this point Wetzel began to act more and more irrationally. His hatred for Indians knew no bounds and people became less and less comfortable in his presence. In 1789 he murdered a Seneca Chief who had long worked to bring about peace with the whites. This time his crime was not ignored. A murder warrant was sworn out for him and Lewis Wetzel became a fugitive.

A militia guard soon captured Wetzel. But he promptly escaped, to be secreted amongst his people in the woods. However, he was captured a second time when he was recognized by a regular army group, wearing civilian clothing. He was locked up in Fort Washington in preparation of his trial. But soon 200 frontiersmen had gathered around the fort demanding his release. The territorial judge capitulated and Wetzel was free again.

As peace settled along the frontier Wetzel and his ilk found themselves out of step. He went west into Spanish territory. Little else is known of his life from that point. In 1808 he became ill with yellow fever. He soon died. He was just 44 years of age.