This morning about 4 o'clock we were surprised by the cries of "help poor Jennings" at some distance in the rear.

He had discovered us by our fires and came up in the most wretched condition.
He states that as soon as the Indians discovered his situation [his boat had run on a rock] they turned their whole attention to him and kept up a most galling fire at his boat.

He ordered his wife, a son nearly grown, a young man who accompanies them and his negro man and woman, to throw all his goods into the river to lighten their boat for the purpose of getting her off; himself returning their fire as well as he could, being a good soldier and an excellent marksman.

But before they had accomplished their object, his son, the young man and the negro, jumped out of the boat and left....

Mrs.Jennings, however, and the negro woman, succeeded in unloading the boat, but chiefly by the exertions of Mrs.Jennings who got out of the boat and shoved her off, but was near falling a victim to her own intrepidity on account of the boat starting so suddenly as soon as loosened from the rock.