ner ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁sett lers ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁He ▁came ▁from ▁Sh en ando ah ▁County , ▁Virginia , ▁and ▁settled ▁about ▁ ▁from ▁the ▁Z imm ers ' ▁cabin , ▁accompanied ▁by ▁his ▁mother , ▁brother ▁Michael , ▁and ▁a ▁sister . ▁ ▁The ▁mass acre ▁Although ▁accounts ▁differ ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁exact ▁details ▁of ▁the ▁mass acre ▁and ▁the ▁numbers ▁of ▁Native ▁Americans ▁involved , ▁there ▁are ▁common ▁elements ▁to ▁the ▁story . ▁On ▁September ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 8 1 2 , ▁R uff ner ' s ▁servant ▁( or ▁his ▁brother , ▁Michael ) ▁was ▁stopped ▁by ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁four – six ▁Native ▁Americans ▁and ▁asked ▁about ▁the ▁Z imm ers . ▁When ▁R uff ner ▁heard ▁about ▁this ▁encounter , ▁he ▁was ▁concerned ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁Z imm ers ' ▁cabin , ▁with ▁his ▁gun , ▁to ▁warn ▁them . ▁R uff ner ▁arrived ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁or ▁shortly ▁before , ▁the ▁Native ▁Americans ▁and , ▁fear ing ▁trouble , ▁sent ▁Philip ▁Z immer ▁to ▁warn ▁nearby ▁sett lers ▁and ▁get ▁assistance . ▁Philip ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁cab ins ▁of ▁James ▁Cop us ▁and ▁John ▁Lamb right , ▁and ▁both ▁men ▁returned ▁with ▁Philip ▁to ▁the ▁Z imm ers ' ▁cabin . ▁ ▁The ▁men ▁found ▁the ▁cabin ▁dark ▁and ▁the ▁front ▁door ▁open . ▁There ▁was ▁blood ▁inside ▁the ▁open ▁door way ▁and , ▁fear ing ▁that ▁the ▁Native ▁Americans ▁were ▁still ▁inside , ▁they ▁fled ▁to