diff options
Diffstat (limited to '44934-0.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 44934-0.txt | 3866 |
1 files changed, 3866 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/44934-0.txt b/44934-0.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e088d23 --- /dev/null +++ b/44934-0.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3866 @@ +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44934 *** + +Transcriber's Note: Minor typographical errors have been corrected +without note. Irregularities and inconsistencies in the text have +been retained as printed. Words printed in italics are noted with +underscores: _italics_. + +The cover of this ebook was created by the transcriber and is hereby +placed in the public domain. + + + + +OUTING ADVENTURE LIBRARY + + +CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS + +First-hand Narratives of Indian Wars, Customs, +Tortures, and Habits of Life in Colonial Times + + +EDITED BY + +HORACE KEPHART + + +NUMBER 3 + + +NEW YORK +OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY +MCMXV + +COPYRIGHT, 1915, BY +OUTING PUBLISHING COMPANY + +All rights reserved + + + + +CONTENTS + + + I COLONEL JAMES SMITH'S LIFE AMONG THE DELAWARES, 1755-1759 9 + + II FATHER BRESSANI'S CAPTIVITY AMONG THE IROQUOIS, 1644 117 + +III CAPTIVITY OF MRS. MARY ROWLANDSON AMONG THE INDIANS OF + MASSACHUSETTS, 1676 143 + + IV CAPTURE AND ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON, 1792 210 + + + + +CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS + + + + +I + +COL. JAMES SMITH'S LIFE AMONG THE DELAWARES, 1755-1759 + + + James Smith, pioneer, was born in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, in + 1737. When he was eighteen years of age he was captured by the + Indians, was adopted into one of their tribes, and lived with them + as one of themselves until his escape in 1759. + + He became a lieutenant under General Bouquet during the expedition + against the Ohio Indians in 1764, and was captain of a company of + rangers in Lord Dunmore's War. In 1775 he was promoted to major of + militia. He served in the Pennsylvania convention in 1776, and in + the assembly in 1776-77. In the latter year he was commissioned + colonel in command on the frontiers, and performed distinguished + services. + + Smith moved to Kentucky in 1788. He was a member of the Danville + convention, and represented Bourbon county for many years in the + legislature. He died in Washington county, Kentucky, in 1812. + + The following narrative of his experience as member of an Indian + tribe is from his own book entitled "Remarkable Adventures in the + Life and Travels of Colonel James Smith," printed at Lexington, + Kentucky, in 1799. It affords a striking contrast to the terrible + experiences of the other captives whose stories are republished in + this book; for he was well treated, and stayed so long with his red + captors that he acquired expert knowledge of their arts and + customs, and deep insight into their character. (_Editor._) + + +In May, 1755, the province of Pennsylvania agreed to send out three +hundred men, in order to cut a wagon-road from Fort Loudon, to join +Braddock's road, near the Turkey Foot, or three forks of Youghiogheny. +My brother-in-law, William Smith, Esq., of Conococheague, was appointed +commissioner, to have the oversight of these road-cutters. + +Though I was at that time only eighteen years of age, I had fallen +violently in love with a young lady, whom I apprehended was possessed +of a large share of both beauty and virtue; but being born between +Venus and Mars, I concluded I must also leave my dear fair one, and go +out with this company of road-cutters to see the event of this +campaign; but still expecting that some time in the course of this +summer I should again return to the arms of my beloved. + +We went on with the road, without interruption, until near the +Alleghany mountain; when I was sent back in order to hurry up some +provision-wagons that were on the way after us. I proceeded down the +road as far as the crossings of Juniata, where, finding the wagons were +coming on as fast as possible, I returned up the road again towards the +Alleghany mountain, in company with one Arnold Vigoras. About four or +five miles above Bedford, three Indians had made a blind of bushes, +stuck in the ground as though they grew naturally, where they concealed +themselves, about fifteen yards from the road. When we came opposite to +them they fired upon us, at this short distance, and killed my +fellow-traveller, yet their bullets did not touch me; but my horse, +making a violent start, threw me, and the Indians immediately ran up +and took me prisoner. The one who laid hold on me was a Canasatauga, +the other two were Delawares. One of them could speak English, and +asked me if there were any more white men coming after. I told them not +any near that I knew of. Two of these Indians stood by me, while the +other scalped my comrade; they then set off and ran at a smart rate +through the woods, for about fifteen miles, and that night we slept on +the Alleghany mountain without fire. + +The next morning they divided the last of their provisions which they +had brought from Fort Du Quesne, and gave me an equal share, which was +about two or three ounces of mouldy biscuit; this and a young +ground-hog, about as large as a rabbit, roasted, and also equally +divided, was all the provision we had until we came to the Loyal +Hannan, which was about fifty miles; and a great part of the way we +came through exceeding rocky laurel-thickets without any path. When we +came to the west side of Laurel hill, they gave the scalp halloo, as +usual, which is a long yell or halloo for every scalp or prisoner they +have in possession; the last of these scalp halloos were followed with +quick and sudden shrill shouts of joy and triumph. On their performing +this, we were answered by the firing of a number of guns on the Loyal +Hannan, one after another, quicker than one could count, by another +party of Indians who were encamped near where Ligonier now stands. As +we advanced near this party, they increased with repeated shouts of joy +and triumph; but I did not share with them in their excessive mirth. +When we came to this camp we found they had plenty of turkeys and other +meat there; and though I never before ate venison without bread or +salt, yet as I was hungry it relished very well. There we lay that +night, and the next morning the whole of us marched on our way for Fort +Du Quesne. The night after we joined another camp of Indians, with +nearly the same ceremony, attended with great noise, and apparent joy, +among all except one. The next morning we continued our march, and in +the afternoon we came in full view of the fort, which stood on the +point, near where Fort Pitt[1] now stands. We then made a halt on the +bank of the Alleghany, and repeated the scalp halloo, which was +answered by the firing of all the firelocks in the hands of both +Indians and French who were in and about the fort, in the aforesaid +manner, and also the great guns, which were followed by the continued +shouts and yells of the different savage tribes who were then collected +there. + + [1] Pittsburgh. + +As I was at this time unacquainted with this mode of firing and yelling +of the savages, I concluded that there were thousands of Indians there +ready to receive General Braddock; but what added to my surprise, I saw +numbers running towards me, stripped naked, excepting breech-clouts, +and painted in the most hideous manner, of various colors, though the +principal color was vermilion, or a bright red; yet there was annexed +to this black, brown, blue, etc. As they approached, they formed +themselves into two long ranks, about two or three rods apart. I was +told by an Indian that could speak English that I must run betwixt +these ranks, and that they would flog me all the way as I ran; and if I +ran quick, it would be so much the better, as they would quit when I +got to the end of the ranks. There appeared to be a general rejoicing +around me, yet I could find nothing like joy in my breast; but I +started to the race with all the resolution and vigor I was capable of +exerting, and found that it was as I had been told, for I was flogged +the whole way. When I had got near the end of the lines I was struck +with something that appeared to me to be a stick, or the handle of a +tomahawk, which caused me to fall to the ground. On my recovering my +senses I endeavored to renew my race; but, as I arose, some one cast +sand in my eyes, which blinded me so that I could not see where to run. +They continued beating me most intolerably, until I was at length +insensible; but before I lost my senses I remember my wishing them to +strike the fatal blow, for I thought they intended killing me, but +apprehended they were too long about it. + +The first thing I remember was my being in the fort amidst the French +and Indians, and a French doctor standing by me, who had opened a vein +in my left arm: after which the interpreter asked me how I did. I told +him I felt much pain. The doctor then washed my wounds, and the bruised +places of my body with French brandy. As I felt faint, and the brandy +smelt well, I asked for some inwardly, but the doctor told me, by the +interpreter, that it did not suit my case. + +When they found I could speak, a number of Indians came around me, and +examined me, with threats of cruel death if I did not tell the truth. +The first question they asked me was how many men were there in the +party that were coming from Pennsylvania to join Braddock? I told them +the truth, that there were three hundred. The next question was, were +they well armed? I told them they were all well armed (meaning the arm +of flesh), for they had only about thirty guns among the whole of them; +which if the Indians had known they would certainly have gone and cut +them all off; therefore I could not in conscience let them know the +defenceless situation of these road-cutters. I was then sent to the +hospital, and carefully attended by the doctors, and recovered quicker +than what I expected. + +Some time after I was there, I was visited by the Delaware Indian +already mentioned, who was at the taking of me, and could speak some +English. Though he spoke but bad English, yet I found him to be a man +of considerable understanding. I asked him if I had done anything that +had offended the Indians which caused them to treat me so unmercifully. +He said no; it was only an old custom the Indians had, and it was like +"how do you do"; after that, he said, I would be well used. I asked him +if I should be admitted to remain with the French. He said no; and told +me that as soon as I recovered, I must not only go with the Indians, +but must be made an Indian myself. I asked him what news from +Braddock's army. He said the Indians spied them every day, and he +showed me, by making marks on the ground with a stick, that Braddock's +army was advancing in very close order, and that the Indians would +surround them, take trees, and (as he expressed it) _shoot um down +all one pigeon_. + +Shortly after this, on the 9th day of July, 1755, in the morning, I +heard a great stir in the fort. As I could then walk with a staff in my +hand, I went out of the door, which was just by the wall of the fort, +and stood upon the wall, and viewed the Indians in a huddle before the +gate, where were barrels of powder, bullets, flints, etc., and every +one taking what suited. I saw the Indians also march off in rank +entire; likewise the French Canadians, and some regulars. After viewing +the Indians and French in different positions, I computed them to be +about four hundred, and wondered that they attempted to go out against +Braddock with so small a party. I was then in high hopes that I would +soon see them fly before the British troops, and that General Braddock +would take the fort and rescue me. + +I remained anxious to know the event of this day; and, in the +afternoon, I again observed a great noise and commotion in the fort, +and though at that time I could not understand French, yet I found that +it was the voice of joy and triumph, and feared that they had received +what I called bad news. + +I had observed some of the old-country soldiers speak Dutch: as I spoke +Dutch, I went to one of them, and asked him what was the news. He told +me that a runner had just arrived, who said that Braddock would +certainly be defeated; that the Indians and French had surrounded him, +and were concealed behind trees and in gullies, and kept a constant +fire upon the English, and that they saw the English falling in heaps, +and if they did not take the river, which was the only gap, and make +their escape, there would not be one man left alive before sundown. The +morning after the battle I saw Braddock's artillery brought into the +fort; the same day I also saw several Indians in British officers' +dress, with sash, half-moon, laced hats, etc., which the British then +wore. + +A few days after this the Indians demanded me, and I was obliged to go +with them. I was not yet well able to march, but they took me in a +canoe up the Alleghany River to an Indian town that was on the north +side of the river, about forty miles above Fort Du Quesne. Here I +remained about three weeks, and was then taken to an Indian town on the +west branch of Muskingum, about twenty miles above the forks, which was +called Tullihas, inhabited by Delawares, Caughnewagas, and Mohicans. + +The day after my arrival at the aforesaid town a number of Indians +collected about me, and one of them began to pull the hair out of my +head. He had some ashes on a piece of bark, in which he frequently +dipped his fingers in order to take the firmer hold, and so he went on, +as if he had been plucking a turkey, until he had all the hair clean +out of my head except a small spot about three or four inches square on +my crown; this they cut off with a pair of scissors, excepting three +locks, which they dressed up in their own mode. Two of these they +wrapped round with a narrow beaded garter made by themselves for that +purpose, and the other they plaited at full length, and then stuck it +full of silver brooches. After this they bored my nose and ears, and +fixed me off with earrings and nose jewels; then they ordered me to +strip off my clothes and put on a breech-clout, which I did; they then +painted my head, face, and body in various colors. They put a large +belt of wampum on my neck, and silver bands on my hands and right arm; +and so an old chief led me out in the street, and gave the alarm +halloo, _coo-wigh_, several times repeated quick; and on this, all +that were in the town came running and stood round the old chief, who +held me by the hand in the midst. As I at that time knew nothing of +their mode of adoption, and had seen them put to death all they had +taken, and as I never could find that they saved a man alive at +Braddock's defeat, I made no doubt but they were about putting me to +death in some cruel manner. The old chief, holding me by the hand, made +a long speech, very loud, and when he had done, he handed me to three +young squaws, who led me by the hand down the bank, into the river, +until the water was up to our middle. The squaws then made signs to me +to plunge myself into the water, but I did not understand them; I +thought that the result of the council was that I should be drowned, +and that these young ladies were to be the executioners. They all three +laid violent hold of me, and I for some time opposed them with all my +might, which occasioned loud laughter by the multitude that were on the +bank of the river. At length one of the squaws made out to speak a +little English (for I believe they began to be afraid of me), and said +_no hurt you_. On this I gave myself up to their ladyships, who were as +good as their word; for though they plunged me under water, and washed +and rubbed me severely, yet I could not say they hurt me much. + +These young women then led me up to the council-house, where some of +the tribe were ready with new clothes for me. They gave me a new +ruffled shirt, which I put on, also a pair of leggings done off with +ribbons and beads, likewise a pair of moccasons and garters dressed +with beads, porcupine quills, and red hair--also a tinsel-laced cappo. +They again painted my head and face with various colors, and tied a +bunch of red feathers to one of those locks they had left on the crown +of my head, which stood up five or six inches. They seated me on a +bearskin, and gave me a pipe, tomahawk, and pole-cat skin pouch, which +had been skinned pocket fashion, and contained tobacco, killegenico, or +dry sumach leaves, which they mix with their tobacco; also spunk, +flint, and steel. When I was thus seated, the Indians came in dressed +and painted in their grandest manner. As they came in they took their +seats, and for a considerable time there was a profound silence--every +one was smoking; but not a word was spoken among them. At length one of +the chiefs made a speech, which was delivered to me by an interpreter, +and was as followeth: "My son, you are now flesh of our flesh, and bone +of our bone. By the ceremony which was performed this day every drop of +white blood was washed out of your veins; you are taken into the +Caughnewaga nation, and initiated into a warlike tribe; you are adopted +into a great family, and now received with great seriousness and +solemnity in the room and place of a great man. After what has passed +this day, you are now one of us by an old strong law and custom. My +son, you have now nothing to fear--we are now under the same +obligations to love, support, and defend you that we are to love and to +defend one another; therefore, you are to consider yourself as one of +our people." At this time I did not believe this fine speech, +especially that of the white blood being washed out of me; but since +that time I have found out that there was much sincerity in said +speech; for, from that day, I never knew them to make any distinction +between me and themselves in any respect whatever until I left them. If +they had plenty of clothing, I had plenty; if we were scarce, we all +shared one fate. + +After this ceremony was over I was introduced to my new kin, and told +that I was to attend a feast that evening, which I did. And as the +custom was, they gave me also a bowl and a wooden spoon, which I +carried with me to the place where there was a number of large brass +kettles full of boiled venison and green corn; every one advanced with +his bowl and spoon, and had his share given him. After this, one of the +chiefs made a short speech, and then we began to eat. + +Shortly after this I went out to hunt in company with Mohawk Solomon, +some of the Caughnewagas, and a Delaware Indian that was married to a +Caughnewaga squaw. We travelled about south from this town, and the +first night we killed nothing, but we had with us green corn, which we +roasted and ate that night. The next day we encamped about twelve +o'clock, and the hunters turned out to hunt, and I went down the run +that we encamped on, in company with some squaws and boys, to hunt +plums, which we found in great plenty. On my return to camp I observed +a large piece of fat meat; the Delaware Indian, that could talk some +English, observed me looking earnestly at this meat, and asked me, +"What meat you think that is?" I said I supposed it was bear meat; he +laughed, and said, "Ho, all one fool you, beal now elly pool," and +pointing to the other side of the camp, he said, "Look at that skin, +you think that beal skin?" I went and lifted the skin, which appeared +like an ox-hide; he then said, "What skin you think that?" I replied, +that I thought it was a buffalo-hide; he laughed, and said, "You fool +again, you know nothing, you think buffalo that colo'?" I acknowledged +I did not know much about these things, and told him I never saw a +buffalo, and that I had not heard what color they were. He replied, "By +and by you shall see gleat many buffalo; he now go to gleat lick. That +skin no buffalo-skin, that skin buck-elk-skin." They went out with +horses, and brought in the remainder of this buck-elk, which was the +fattest creature I ever saw of the tallow kind. + +We remained at this camp about eight or ten days, and killed a number +of deer. Though we had neither bread nor salt at this time, yet we had +both roast and boiled meat in great plenty, and they were frequently +inviting me to eat when I had no appetite. + +We then moved to the buffalo lick, where we killed several buffalo, and +in their small brass kettles they made about half a bushel of salt. I +suppose this lick was about thirty or forty miles from the aforesaid +town, and somewhere between the Muskingum, Ohio, and Sciota. About the +lick was clear, open woods, and thin white-oak land, and at that time +there were large roads leading to the lick, like wagon-roads. We moved +from this lick about six or seven miles, and encamped on a creek. + +Some time after this, I was told to take the dogs with me, and go down +the creek, perhaps I might kill a turkey; it being in the afternoon, I +was also told not to go far from the creek, and to come up the creek +again to the camp, and to take care not to get lost. When I had gone +some distance down the creek, I came upon fresh buffalo tracks, and as +I had a number of dogs with me to stop the buffalo, I concluded I would +follow after and kill one; and as the grass and weeds were rank, I +could readily follow the track. A little before sundown I despaired of +coming up with them. I was then thinking how I might get to camp before +night. I concluded, as the buffalo had made several turns, if I took +the track back to the creek it would be dark before I could get to +camp; therefore I thought I would take a near way through the hills, +and strike the creek a little below the camp; but as it was cloudy +weather, and I a very young woodsman, I could find neither creek nor +camp. When night came on I fired my gun several times, and hallooed, +but could have no answer. The next morning, early, the Indians were out +after me, and as I had with me ten or a dozen dogs, and the grass and +weeds rank, they could readily follow my track. When they came up with +me they appeared to be in very good-humor. I asked Solomon if he +thought I was running away; he said, "No, no, you go too much clooked." +On my return to camp they took my gun from me, and for this rash step I +was reduced to a bow and arrows for near two years. We were out on this +tour for about six weeks. + +This country is generally hilly, though intermixed with considerable +quantities of rich upland and some good bottoms. + +When we returned to the town, Pluggy and his party had arrived, and +brought with them a considerable number of scalps and prisoners from +the south branch of the Potomac; they also brought with them an English +Bible, which they gave to a Dutch woman who was a prisoner; but as she +could not read English, she made a present of it to me, which was very +acceptable. + +I remained in this town until some time in October, when my adopted +brother, called Tontileaugo, who had married a Wyandot squaw, took me +with him to Lake Erie. On this route we had no horses with us, and when +we started from the town all the pack I carried was a pouch containing +my books, a little dried venison, and my blanket. I had then no gun, +but Tontileaugo, who was a first-rate hunter, carried a rifle gun, and +every day killed deer, raccoons, or bears. We left the meat, excepting +a little for present use, and carried the skins with us until we +encamped, and then stretched them with elm bark, in a frame made with +poles stuck in the ground, and tied together with lynn or elm bark; and +when the skins were dried by the fire, we packed them up and carried +them with us the next day. + +As Tontileaugo could not speak English, I had to make use of all the +Caughnewaga I had learned, even to talk very imperfectly with him; but +I found I learned to talk Indian faster this way than when I had those +with me who could speak English. + +As we proceeded down the Canesadooharie waters, our packs increased by +the skins that were daily killed, and became so very heavy that we +could not march more than eight or ten miles per day. We came to Lake +Erie about six miles west of the mouth of Canesadooharie. As the wind +was very high the evening we came to the lake, I was surprised to hear +the roaring of the water, and see the high waves that dashed against +the shore, like the ocean. We encamped on a run near the lake, and, as +the wind fell that night, the next morning the lake was only in a +moderate motion, and we marched on the sand along the side of the +water, frequently resting ourselves, as we were heavily laden. I saw on +the sand a number of large fish, that had been left in flat or hollow +places; as the wind fell and the waves abated they were left without +water, or only a small quantity; and numbers of bald and gray eagles, +etc., were along the shore devouring them. + +Some time in the afternoon we came to a large camp of Wyandots, at the +mouth of Canesadooharie, where Tontileaugo's wife was. Here we were +kindly received; they gave us a kind of rough, brown potatoes, which +grew spontaneously, and were called by the Caughnewagas _ohnenata_. +These potatoes, peeled and dipped in raccoon's fat, taste nearly like +our sweet potatoes. They also gave us what they call _canaheanta_, +which is a kind of hominy, made of green corn, dried, and beans, mixed +together. + +We continued our camp at the mouth of Canesadooharie for some time, +where we killed some deer and a great many raccoons; the raccoons here +were remarkably large and fat. At length we all embarked in a large +birch-bark canoe. This vessel was about four feet wide and three feet +deep, and about five-and-thirty feet long; and though it could carry a +heavy burden, it was so artfully and curiously constructed that four +men could carry it several miles, or from one landing-place to another, +or from the waters of the lake to the waters of the Ohio. We proceeded +up Canesadooharie a few miles, and went on shore to hunt; but, to my +great surprise, they carried the vessel we all came in up the bank, and +inverted it, or turned the bottom up, and converted it to a +dwelling-house, and kindled a fire before us to warm ourselves by and +cook. With our baggage and ourselves in this house we were very much +crowded, yet our little house turned off the rain very well. + +While we remained here I left my pouch with my books in camp, wrapped +up in my blanket, and went out to hunt chestnuts. On my return to camp +my books were missing. I inquired after them, and asked the Indians if +they knew where they were; they told me that they supposed the puppies +had carried them off. I did not believe them, but thought they were +displeased at my poring over my books, and concluded that they had +destroyed them, or put them out of my way. + +After this I was again out after nuts, and on my return beheld a new +erection, composed of two white-oak saplings, that were forked about +twelve feet high, and stood about fifteen feet apart. They had cut +these saplings at the forks, and laid a strong pole across, which +appeared in the form of a gallows; and the poles they had shaved very +smooth, and painted in places with vermilion. I could not conceive the +use of this piece of work, and at length concluded it was a gallows. I +thought that I had displeased them by reading my books, and that they +were about putting me to death. The next morning I observed them +bringing their skins all to this place, and hanging them over this +pole, so as to preserve them from being injured by the weather. This +removed my fears. They also buried their large canoe in the ground, +which is the way they took to preserve this sort of a canoe in the +winter season. + +As we had at this time no horse, every one got a pack on his back, and +we steered an east course about twelve miles and encamped. The next +morning we proceeded on the same course about ten miles to a large +creek that empties into Lake Erie, betwixt Canesadooharie and Cayahoga. +Here they made their winter cabin in the following form: they cut logs +about fifteen feet long, and laid these logs upon each other, and drove +posts in the ground at each end to keep them together; the posts they +tied together at the top with bark, and by this means raised a wall +fifteen feet long and about four feet high, and in the same manner they +raised another wall opposite to this, at about twelve feet distance; +then they drove forks in the ground in the centre of each end, and laid +a strong pole from end to end on these forks; and from these walls to +the poles they set up poles instead of rafters, and on these they tied +small poles in place of laths; and a cover was made of lynn-bark, which +will run[2] even in the winter season. + + [2] Peel. + +It was some time in December when we finished this winter-cabin; but +when we had got into this comparatively fine lodging another difficulty +arose--we had nothing to eat. While I was travelling with Tontileaugo, +as was before mentioned, and had plenty of fat venison, bear's meat, +and raccoons, I then thought it was hard living without bread or salt; +but now I began to conclude that, if I had anything that would banish +pinching hunger, and keep soul and body together, I would be content. + +While the hunters were all out, exerting themselves to the utmost of +their ability, the squaws and boys (in which class I was) were +scattered out in the bottoms, hunting red haws, black haws, and hickory +nuts. As it was too late in the year we did not succeed in gathering +haws, but we had tolerable success in scratching up hickory-nuts from +under a light snow, and these we carried with us lest the hunters +should not succeed. After our return the hunters came in, who had +killed only two small turkeys, which were but little among eight +hunters and thirteen squaws, boys, and children; but they were divided +with the greatest equity and justice; every one got their equal share. + +The next day the hunters turned out again, and killed one deer and +three bears. One of the bears was very large and remarkably fat. The +hunters carried in meat sufficient to give us all a hearty supper and +breakfast. The squaws and all that could carry turned out to bring in +meat; every one had their share assigned them, and my load was among +the least; yet, not being accustomed to carrying in this way, I got +exceedingly weary, and told them my load was too heavy; I must leave +part of it and come for it again. They made a halt, and only laughed at +me, and took part of my load, and added it to a young squaw's, who had +as much before as I carried. + +This kind of reproof had a greater tendency to excite me to exert +myself in carrying without complaining than if they had whipped me for +laziness. After this the hunters held a council, and concluded that +they must have horses to carry their loads; and that they would go to +war, even in this inclement season, in order to bring in horses. + +Tontileaugo wished to be one of those who should go to war; but the +votes went against him, as he was one of our best hunters; it was +thought necessary to leave him at this winter-camp to provide for the +squaws and children. It was agreed upon that Tontileaugo and three +others should stay and hunt, and the other four go to war. + +They then began to go through their common ceremony. They sung their +war-songs, danced their war-dances, etc. And when they were equipped +they went off singing their marching-song and firing their guns. Our +camp appeared to be rejoicing; but I was grieved to think that some +innocent persons would be murdered, not thinking of danger. + +After the departure of these warriors we had hard times; and though we +were not altogether out of provisions, we were brought to short +allowance. At length Tontileaugo had considerable success, and we had +meat brought into camp sufficient to last ten days. Tontileaugo then +took me with him in order to encamp some distance from this +winter-cabin, to try his luck there. We carried no provisions with us; +he said he would leave what was there for the squaws and children, and +that we could shift for ourselves. We steered about a south course up +the waters of this creek, and encamped about ten or twelve miles from +the winter-cabin. As it was still cold weather, and a crust upon the +snow, which made a noise as we walked, and alarmed the deer, we could +kill nothing, and consequently went to sleep without supper. The only +chance we had, under these circumstances, was to hunt bear-holes; as +the bears, about Christmas, search out a winter lodging-place, where +they lie about three or four months without eating or drinking. This +may appear to some incredible, but it is well known to be the case by +those who live in the remote western parts of North America. + +The next morning early we proceeded on, and when we found a tree +scratched by the bears climbing up, and the hole in the tree +sufficiently large for the reception of the bear, we then felled a +sapling or small tree against or near the hole, and it was my business +to climb up and drive out the bear, while Tontileaugo stood ready with +his gun and bow. We went on in this manner until evening without +success. At length we found a large elm scratched, and a hole in it +about forty feet up, but no tree nigh suitable to lodge against the +hole. Tontileaugo got a long pole and some dry rotten wood, which he +tied in bunches with bark; and as there was a tree that grew near the +elm, and extended up near the hole, but leaned the wrong way, so that +we could not lodge it to advantage, to remedy this inconvenience he +climbed up this tree and carried with him his rotten wood, fire, and +pole. The rotten wood he tied to his belt, and to one end of the pole +he tied a hook and a piece of rotten wood, which he set fire to, as it +would retain fire almost like punk, and reached this hook from limb to +limb as he went up. When he got up with his pole he put dry wood on +fire into the hole; after he put in the fire he heard the bear snuff, +and he came speedily down, took his gun in his hand, and waited until +the bear would come out; but it was some time before it appeared, and +when it did appear he attempted taking sight with his rifle; but it +being then too dark to see the sights, he set it down by a tree, and +instantly bent his bow, took hold of an arrow, and shot the bear a +little behind the shoulder. I was preparing also to shoot an arrow, but +he called to me to stop, there was no occasion; and with that the bear +fell to the ground. + +Being very hungry, we kindled a fire, opened the bear, took out the +liver, and wrapped some of the caul-fat round, and put it on a wooden +spit, which we stuck in the ground by the fire to roast; then we +skinned the bear, got on our kettle, and had both roast and boiled, and +also sauce to our meat, which appeared to me to be delicate fare. After +I was fully satisfied I went to sleep; Tontileaugo awoke me, saying, +"Come, eat hearty, we have got meat plenty now." + +The next morning we cut down a lynn-tree, peeled bark and made a snug +little shelter, facing the southeast, with a large log betwixt us and +the northwest; we made a good fire before us, and scaffolded up our +meat at one side. When we had finished our camp we went out to hunt; +searched two trees for bears, but to no purpose. As the snow thawed a +little in the afternoon, Tontileaugo killed a deer, which we carried +with us to camp. + +Some time in February the four warriors returned, who had taken two +scalps and six horses from the frontiers of Pennsylvania. The hunters +could then scatter out a considerable distance from the winter-cabin +and encamp, kill meat, and bring it in upon horses; so that we +commonly, after this, had plenty of provision. + +In this month we began to make sugar. As some of the elm-bark will +strip at this season, the squaws, after finding a tree that would do, +cut it down, and with a crooked stick, broad and sharp at the end, took +the bark off the tree, and of this bark made vessels, in a curious +manner, that would hold about two gallons each; they made above one +hundred of these kind of vessels. In the sugar-tree they cut a notch, +sloping down, and at the end of the notch stuck in a tomahawk; in the +place where they stuck the tomahawk they drove a long chip, in order to +carry the water out from the tree, and under this they set their vessel +to receive it. As sugar-trees were plenty and large here, they seldom +or never notched a tree that was not two or three feet over. They also +made bark vessels for carrying the water that would hold about four +gallons each. They had two brass kettles that held about fifteen +gallons each, and other smaller kettles in which they boiled the water. +But as they could not at times boil away the water as fast as it was +collected, they made vessels of bark that would hold about one hundred +gallons each for retaining the water; and though the sugar-trees did +not run every day, they had always a sufficient quantity of water to +keep them boiling during the whole sugar-season. + +About the latter end of March we began to prepare for moving into town +in order to plant corn. The squaws were then frying the last of their +bear's fat and making vessels to hold it; the vessels were made of +deer-skins, which were skinned by pulling the skin off the neck without +ripping. After they had taken off the hair they gathered it in small +plaits round the neck, and, with a string, drew it together like a +purse; in the centre a pin was put, below which they tied a string, and +while it was wet they blew it up like a bladder, and let it remain in +this manner until it was dry, when it appeared nearly in the shape of a +sugar-loaf, but more rounding at the lower end. One of these vessels +would hold about four or five gallons. In these vessels it was they +carried their bear's oil. + +When all things were ready we moved back to the falls of +Canesadooharie. On our arrival at the falls (as we had brought with us +on horseback about two hundred weight of sugar, a large quantity of +bear's oil, skins, etc.) the canoe we had buried was not sufficient to +carry all; therefore we were obliged to make another one of elm-bark. +While we lay here a young Wyandot found my books. On this they +collected together. I was a little way from the camp, and saw the +collection, but did not know what it meant. They called me by my Indian +name, which was Scoouwa, repeatedly. I ran to see what was the matter; +they showed me my books, and said they were glad they had been found, +for they knew I was grieved at the loss of them, and that they now +rejoiced with me because they were found. As I could then speak some +Indian, especially Caughnewaga (for both that and the Wyandot tongue +were spoken in this camp), I told them that I thanked them for the +kindness they had always shown to me, and also for finding my books. +They asked if the books were damaged. I told them not much. They then +showed how they lay, which was in the best manner to turn off the +water. In a deer-skin pouch they lay all winter. The print was not much +injured, though the binding was. This was the first time that I felt my +heart warm towards the Indians. Though they had been exceedingly kind +to me, I still before detested them on account of the barbarity I +beheld after Braddock's defeat. Neither had I ever before pretended +kindness, or expressed myself in a friendly manner; but I began now to +excuse the Indians on account of their want of information. + +We staid at this camp about two weeks, and killed a number of bears, +raccoons, and some beavers. We made a canoe of elm-bark, and +Tontileaugo embarked in it. He arrived at the falls that night; while +I, mounted on horseback, with a bear-skin saddle and bark stirrups, +proceeded by land to the falls. I came there the next morning, and we +carried our canoe and loading past the falls. + +We again proceeded towards the lakes; I on horseback and Tontileaugo by +water. Here the land is generally good, but I found some difficulty in +getting round swamps and ponds. When we came to the lake I proceeded +along the strand and Tontileaugo near the shore, sometimes paddling and +sometimes poling his canoe along. + +After some time the wind arose, and he went into the mouth of a small +creek and encamped. Here we staid several days on account of high wind, +which raised the lake in great billows. While we were here Tontileaugo +went out to hunt, and when he was gone a Wyandot came to our camp. I +gave him a shoulder of venison which I had by the fire well roasted, +and he received it gladly; told me he was hungry, and thanked me for my +kindness. When Tontileaugo came home I told him that a Wyandot had been +at camp, and that I gave him a shoulder of roasted venison. He said +that was very well, "and I suppose you gave him also sugar and bear's +oil to eat with his venison." I told him I did not, as the sugar and +bear's oil were down in the canoe, I did not go for it. He replied, +"You have behaved just like a Dutchman.[3] Do you not know that when +strangers come to our camp we ought always to give them the best that +we have?" I acknowledged that I was wrong. He said that he could excuse +this, as I was but young; but I must learn to behave like a warrior, +and do great things, and never be found in any such little actions. + + [3] The Dutch he called Skoharehaugo, which took its + derivation from a Dutch settlement called Skoharey. + +The lake being again calm, we proceeded, and arrived safe at +Sunyendeand, which was a Wyandot town that lay upon a small creek which +empties into the little lake below the mouth of Sandusky. + +The town was about eighty rood above the mouth of the creek, on the +south side of a large plain, on which timber grew, and nothing more but +grass or nettles. In some places there were large flats where nothing +but grass grew, about three feet high when grown, and in other places +nothing but nettles, very rank, where the soil is extremely rich and +loose; here they planted corn. In this town there were also French +traders, who purchased our skins and fur, and we all got new clothes, +paint, tobacco, etc. + +After I had got my new clothes, and my head done off like a red-headed +woodpecker, I, in company with a number of young Indians, went down to +the corn-field to see the squaws at work. When we came there they asked +me to take a hoe, which I did, and hoed for some time. The squaws +applauded me as a good hand at the business; but when I returned to the +town the old men, hearing of what I had done, chid me, and said that I +was adopted in the place of a great man, and must not hoe corn like a +squaw. They never had occasion to reprove me for anything like this +again; as I never was extremely fond of work, I readily complied with +their orders. + +As the Indians, on their return from their winter hunt, bring in with +them large quantities of bear's oil, sugar, dried venison, etc., at +this time they have plenty, and do not spare eating or giving; thus +they make way with their provision as quick as possible. They have no +such thing as regular meals, breakfast, dinner, or supper; but if any +one, even the town-folks, would go to the same house several times in +one day, he would be invited to eat of the best; and with them it is +bad manners to refuse to eat when it is offered. If they will not eat +it is interpreted as a symptom of displeasure, or that the persons +refusing to eat were angry with those who had invited them. + +At this time hominy, plentifully mixed with bear's oil and sugar, or +dried venison, bear's oil, and sugar, is what they offer to every one +who comes in any time of the day; and so they go on until their sugar, +bear's oil, and venison are all gone, and then they have to eat hominy +by itself, without bread, salt, or anything else; yet still they invite +every one that comes in to eat while they have anything to give. It is +thought a shame not to invite people to eat while they have anything; +but if they can in truth only say we have got nothing to eat, this is +accepted as an honorable apology. All the hunters and warriors +continued in town about six weeks after we came in; they spent this +time in painting, going from house to house, eating, smoking, and +playing at a game resembling dice, or hustle-cap. They put a number of +plum-stones in a small bowl; one side of each stone is black, and the +other white; they then shake or hustle the bowl, calling, "_Hits, +hits, hits, honesey, honesey, rago, rago_;" which signifies calling +for white or black, or what they wish to turn up; they then turn the +bowl, and count the whites and blacks. Some were beating their kind of +drum and singing; others were employed in playing on a sort of flute +made of hollow cane; and others playing on the jew's-harp. Some part of +this time was also taken up in attending the council-house, where the +chiefs, and as many others as chose, attended; and at night they were +frequently employed in singing and dancing. Towards the last of this +time, which was in June, 1756, they were all engaged in preparing to go +to war against the frontiers of Virginia. When they were equipped they +went through their ceremonies, sung their war-songs, etc. They all +marched off, from fifteen to sixty years of age; and some boys, only +twelve years of age, were equipped with their bows and arrows, and went +to war; so that none were left in town but squaws and children, except +myself, one very old man, and another, about fifty years of age, who +was lame. + +The Indians were then in great hopes that they would drive all the +Virginians over the lake, which is all the name they know for the sea. +When the warriors left this town we had neither meat, sugar, or bear's +oil left. All that we had then to live on was corn pounded into coarse +meal or small hominy; this they boiled in water, which appeared like +well-thickened soup, without salt or anything else. For some time we +had plenty of this kind of hominy; at length we were brought to very +short allowance, and as the warriors did not return as soon as they +expected, we were soon in a starving condition, and but one gun in the +town, and very little ammunition. The old lame Wyandot concluded that +he would go a-hunting in a canoe, and take me with him, and try to kill +deer in the water, as it was then watering time. We went up Sandusky a +few miles, then turned up a creek and encamped. We had lights prepared, +as we were to hunt in the night, and also a piece of bark and some +bushes set up in the canoe, in order to conceal ourselves from the +deer. A little boy that was with us held the light; I worked the canoe, +and the old man, who had his gun loaded with large shot, when we came +near the deer, fired, and in this manner killed three deer in part of +one night. We went to our fire, ate heartily, and in the morning +returned to town in order to relieve the hungry and distressed. + +When we came to town the children were crying bitterly on account of +pinching hunger. We delivered what we had taken, and though it was but +little among so many, it was divided according to the strictest rules +of justice. We immediately set out for another hunt, but before we +returned a part of the warriors had come in, and brought with them on +horseback a quantity of meat. These warriors had divided into different +parties, and all struck at different places in Augusta County. They +brought in with them a considerable number of scalps, prisoners, +horses, and other plunder. One of the parties brought in with them one +Arthur Campbell, that is now Colonel Campbell, who lives on Holston +River, near the Royal Oak. As the Wyandots at Sunyendeand and those at +Detroit were connected, Mr. Campbell was taken to Detroit; but he +remained some time with me in this town. His company was very +agreeable, and I was sorry when he left me. During his stay at +Sunyendeand he borrowed my Bible, and made some pertinent remarks on +what he had read. One passage was where it is said, "It is good for a +man that he bear the yoke in his youth." He said we ought to be +resigned to the will of Providence, as we were now bearing the yoke in +our youth. Mr. Campbell appeared to be then about sixteen or seventeen +years of age. + +About the time that these warriors came in the green corn was beginning +to be of use, so that we had either green corn or venison, and +sometimes both, which was, comparatively, high living. When we could +have plenty of green corn, or roasting ears, the hunters became lazy, +and spent their time, as already mentioned, in singing and dancing, +etc. They appeared to be fulfilling the Scriptures beyond those who +profess to believe in them, in that of taking no thought of to-morrow; +and also in living in love, peace, and friendship together, without +disputes. In this respect they shame those who profess Christianity. + +In this manner we lived until October; then the geese, swans, ducks, +cranes, etc., came from the north, and alighted on this little lake, +without number, or innumerable. Sunyendeand is a remarkable place for +fish in the spring, and fowl both in the fall and spring. + +As our hunters were now tired with indolence, and fond of their own +kind of exercise, they all turned out to fowling, and in this could +scarce miss of success; so that we had now plenty of hominy and the +best of fowls; and sometimes, as a rarity, we had a little bread, which +was made of Indian-corn meal, pounded in a hominy block, mixed with +boiled beans, and baked in cakes under the ashes. + +This with us was called good living, though not equal to our fat, +roasted, and boiled venison, when we went to the woods in the fall; or +bear's meat and beaver in the winter; or sugar, bear's oil, and dry +venison in the spring. + +Some time in October, another adopted brother, older than Tontileaugo +came to pay us a visit at Sunyendeand, and he asked me to take a hunt +with him on Cayahoga. As they always used me as a free man, and gave me +the liberty of choosing, I told him that I was attached to Tontileaugo, +had never seen him before, and therefore asked some time to consider of +this. He told me that the party he was going with would not be along, +or at the mouth of this little lake, in less than six days, and I could +in this time be acquainted with him, and judge for myself. I consulted +with Tontileaugo on this occasion, and he told me that our old brother +Tecaughretanego (which was his name) was a chief, and a better man than +he was, and if I went with him I might expect to be well used; but he +said I might do as I pleased, and if I staid he would use me as he had +done. I told him that he had acted in every respect as a brother to me; +yet I was much pleased with my old brother's conduct and conversation; +and as he was going to a part of the country I had never been in, I +wished to go with him. He said that he was perfectly willing. + +I then went with Tecaughretanego to the mouth of the little lake, where +he met with the company he intended going with, which was composed of +Caughnewagas and Ottawas. As the wind was high and we could not proceed +on our voyage, we remained here several days, and killed abundance of +wild fowl, and a number of raccoons. + +When a company of Indians are moving together on the lake, as it is at +this time of the year often dangerous sailing, the old men hold a +council; and when they agree to embark, every one is engaged +immediately in making ready, without offering one word against the +measure, though the lake may be boisterous and horrid. One morning, +though the wind appeared to me to be as high as in days past, and the +billows raging, yet the call was given "_yohoh-yohoh_," which was +quickly answered by all--"_ooh-ooh_," which signifies agreed. We were +all instantly engaged in preparing to start, and had considerable +difficulties in embarking. + +As soon as we got into our canoes we fell to paddling with all our +might, making out from the shore. Though these sort of canoes ride +waves beyond what could be expected, yet the water several times dashed +into them. When we got out about half a mile from shore we hoisted +sail, and as it was nearly a west wind, we then seemed to ride the +waves with ease, and went on at a rapid rate. We then all laid down our +paddles, excepting one that steered, and there was no water dashed into +our canoes until we came near the shore again. We sailed about sixty +miles that day, and encamped some time before night. + +The next day we again embarked, and went on very well for some time; +but the lake being boisterous, and the wind not fair, we were obliged +to make to shore, which we accomplished with hard work and some +difficulty in landing. The next morning a council was held by the old +men. + +As we had this day to pass by a long precipice of rocks on the shore, +about nine miles, which rendered it impossible for us to land, though +the wind was high and the lake rough, yet, as it was fair, we were all +ordered to embark. We wrought ourselves out from the shore and hoisted +sail (what we used in place of sail-cloth were our tent-mats, which +answered the purpose very well), and went on for some time with a fair +wind, until we were opposite to the precipice, and then it turned +towards the shore, and we began to fear we should be cast upon the +rocks. Two of the canoes were considerably farther out from the rocks +than the canoe I was in. Those who were farthest out in the lake did +not let down their sails until they had passed the precipice; but as we +were nearer the rock, we were obliged to lower our sails, and paddle +with all our might. With much difficulty we cleared ourselves of the +rock, and landed. As the other canoes had landed before us, there were +immediately runners sent off to see if we were all safely landed. + +About the first of December, 1756, we were preparing for leaving the +river: we buried our canoes, and as usual hung up our skins, and every +one had a pack to carry. The squaws also packed up their tents, which +they carried in large rolls that extended up above their heads, and +though a great bulk, yet not heavy. We steered about a southeast +course, and could not march over ten miles per day. At night we lodged +in our flag tents, which, when erected, were nearly in the shape of a +sugar-loaf, and about fifteen feet diameter at the ground. + +In this manner we proceeded about forty miles, and wintered in these +tents, on the waters of Beaver Creek, near a little lake or large pond, +which is about two miles long and one broad, and a remarkable place for +beaver. + +It is a received opinion among Indians that the geese turn to beavers, +and the snakes to raccoons; and though Tecaughretanego, who was a wise +man, was not fully persuaded that this was true, yet he seemed in some +measure to be carried away with this whimsical notion. He said that +this pond had been always a great place for beaver. Though he said he +knew them to be frequently all killed (as he thought), yet the next +winter they would be as plenty as ever. And as the beaver was an animal +that did not travel by land, and there being no water communication to +or from this pond, how could such a number of beavers get there year +after year? But as this pond was also a considerable place for geese, +when they came in the fall from the north, and alighted in this pond, +they turned beavers, all but the feet, which remained nearly the same. + +In conversation with Tecaughretanego I happened to be talking of the +beavers catching fish. He asked me why I thought that the beaver caught +fish. I told him that I had read of the beaver making dams for the +conveniency of fishing. He laughed, and made game of me and my book. He +said the man that wrote that book knew nothing about the beaver. The +beaver never did eat flesh of any kind, but lived on the bark of trees, +roots, and other vegetables. + +In order to know certainly how this was, when we killed a beaver I +carefully examined the intestines, but found no appearance of fish; I +afterwards made an experiment on a pet beaver which we had, and found +that it would neither eat fish nor flesh; therefore I acknowledged that +the book I had read was wrong. + +Near this pond beaver was the principal game. Before the water froze up +we caught a great many with wooden and steel traps; but after that we +hunted the beaver on the ice. Some places here the beavers build large +houses to live in; and in other places they have subterraneous lodgings +in the banks. Where they lodge in the ground we have no chance of +hunting them on the ice; but where they have houses, we go with mauls +and handspikes, and break all the hollow ice, to prevent them from +getting their heads above the water under it. Then we break a hole in +the house, and they make their escape into the water; but as they +cannot live long under water, they are obliged to go to some of those +broken places to breathe, and the Indians commonly put in their hands, +catch them by the hind-leg, haul them on the ice, and tomahawk them. +Sometimes they shoot them in the head when they raise it above the +water. I asked the Indians if they were not afraid to catch the beavers +with their hands. They said no: they were not much of a biting +creature; yet if they would catch them by the fore-foot they would +bite. + +I went out with Tecaughretanego and some others a beaver hunting; but +we did not succeed, and on our return we saw where several raccoons had +passed while the snow was soft, though there was now a crust upon it; +we all made a halt, looking at the raccoon tracks. As they saw a tree +with a hole in it, they told me to go and see if they had gone in +thereat; and if they had to halloo, and they would come and take them +out. When I went to that tree, I found they had gone past; but I saw +another the way they had gone, and proceeded to examine that, and found +they had gone up it. I then began to halloo, but could have no answer. + +As it began to snow and blow most violently, I returned and proceeded +after my company, and for some time could see their tracks; but the old +snow being only about three inches deep, and a crust upon it, the +present driving snow soon filled up the tracks. As I had only a bow, +arrows, and tomahawk with me, and no way to strike fire, I appeared to +be in a dismal situation; and as the air was dark with snow, I had +little more prospect of steering my course than I would in the night. +At length I came to a hollow tree, with a hole at one side that I could +go in at. I went in, and found that it was a dry place, and the hollow +about three feet diameter, and high enough for me to stand in. I found +that there was also a considerable quantity of soft, dry rotten wood +around this hollow; I therefore concluded that I would lodge here, and +that I would go to work, and stop up the door of my house. I stripped +off my blanket (which was all the clothes that I had, excepting a +breech-clout, leggings, and moccasons), and with my tomahawk fell to +chopping at the top of a fallen tree that lay near, and carried wood, +and set it up on end against the door, until I had it three or four +feet thick all around, excepting a hole I had left to creep in at. I +had a block prepared that I could haul after me to stop this hole; and +before I went in I put in a number of small sticks that I might more +effectually stop it on the inside. When I went in, I took my tomahawk +and cut down all the dry rotten wood I could get, and beat it small. +With it I made a bed like a goose-nest or hog-bed, and with the small +sticks stopped every hole, until my house was almost dark. I stripped +off my moccasons, and danced in the centre of my bed, for half an hour, +in order to warm myself. In this time my feet and whole body were +agreeably warmed. The snow, in the meanwhile, had stopped all the +holes, so that my house was as dark as a dungeon, though I knew it +could not yet be dark out of doors. I then coiled myself up in my +blanket, lay down in my little round bed, and had a tolerable night's +lodging. When I awoke all was dark--not the least glimmering of light +was to be seen. Immediately I recollected that I was not to expect +light in this new habitation, as there was neither door nor window in +it. As I could hear the storm raging, and did not suffer much cold as I +was then situated, I concluded I would stay in my nest until I was +certain it was day. When I had reason to conclude that it surely was +day, I arose and put on my moccasons, which I had laid under my head to +keep from freezing. I then endeavored to find the door, and had to do +all by the sense of feeling, which took me some time. At length I found +the block, but it being heavy, and a large quantity of snow having +fallen on it, at the first attempt I did not move it. I then felt +terrified--among all the hardships I had sustained, I never knew before +what it was to be thus deprived of light. This, with the other +circumstances attending it, appeared grievous. I went straightway to +bed again, wrapped my blanket round me, and lay and mused awhile, and +then prayed to Almighty God to direct and protect me as he had done +heretofore. I once again attempted to move away the block, which proved +successful; it moved about nine inches. With this a considerable +quantity of snow fell in from above, and I immediately received light; +so that I found a very great snow had fallen, above what I had ever +seen in one night. I then knew why I could not easily move the block, +and I was so rejoiced at obtaining the light that all my other +difficulties seemed to vanish. I then turned into my cell, and returned +God thanks for having once more received the light of heaven. At length +I belted my blanket about me, got my tomahawk, bow and arrows, and went +out of my den. + +I was now in tolerable high spirits, though the snow had fallen above +three feet deep, in addition to what was on the ground before; and the +only imperfect guide I had in order to steer my course to camp was the +trees, as the moss generally grows on the northwest side of them, if +they are straight. I proceeded on, wading through the snow, and about +twelve o'clock (as it appeared afterwards, from that time to night, for +it was yet cloudy) I came upon the creek that our camp was on, about +half a mile below the camp; and when I came in sight of the camp I +found that there was great joy, by the shouts and yelling of the boys, +etc. + +When I arrived they all came round me, and received me gladly; but at +this time no questions were asked, and I was taken into a tent, where +they gave me plenty of fat beaver meat, and then asked me to smoke. +When I had done, Tecaughretanego desired me to walk out to a fire they +had made. I went out, and they all collected round me, both men, women, +and boys. Tecaughretanego asked me to give them a particular account of +what had happened from the time they left me yesterday until now. I +told them the whole of the story, and they never interrupted me; but +when I made a stop, the intervals were filled with loud exclamations of +joy. As I could not at this time talk Ottawa or Jibewa well (which is +nearly the same), I delivered my story in Caughnewaga. As my sister +Molly's husband was a Jibewa, and could understand Caughnewaga, he +acted as interpreter, and delivered my story to the Jibewas and +Ottawas, which they received with pleasure. + +One day, as I was looking after my traps, I got benighted, by beaver +ponds intercepting my way to camp; and as I had neglected to take +fireworks with me, and the weather very cold, I could find no suitable +lodging-place; therefore the only expedient I could think of to keep +myself from freezing was exercise. I danced and hallooed the whole +night with all my might, and the next day came to camp. Though I +suffered much more this time than the other night I lay out, yet the +Indians were not so much concerned, as they thought I had fireworks +with me; but when they knew how it was, they did not blame me. They +said that old hunters were frequently involved in this place, as the +beaver dams were one above another on every creek and run, so that it +is hard to find a fording-place. They applauded me for my fortitude, +and said, as they had now plenty of beaver skins, they would purchase +me a new gun at Detroit, as we were to go there the next spring; and +then if I should chance to be lost in dark weather, I could make a +fire, kill provision, and return to camp when the sun shone. By being +bewildered on the waters of Muskingum, I lost repute, and was reduced +to the bow and arrow, and by lying out two nights here I regained my +credit. + +After some time the waters all froze again, and then, as formerly, we +hunted beavers on the ice. Though beaver meat, without salt or bread, +was the chief of our food this winter, yet we had always plenty, and I +was well contented with my diet, as it appeared delicious fare after +the way we had lived the winter before. + +Some time in February we scaffolded up our fur and skins, and moved +about ten miles in quest of a sugar-camp, or a suitable place to make +sugar, and encamped in a large bottom on the head-waters of Big Beaver +Creek. We had some difficulty in moving, as we had a blind Caughnewaga +boy, about fifteen years of age, to lead; and as this country is very +brushy, we frequently had him to carry. We had also my Jibewa +brother-in-law's father with us, who was thought by the Indians to be a +great conjuror; his name was Manetohcoa. This old man was so decrepit +that we had to carry him this route upon a bier, and all our baggage to +pack on our backs. + +Some time in March, 1757, we began to move back to the forks of +Cayahoga, which was about forty or fifty miles. And as we had no +horses, we had all our baggage and several hundred weight of beaver +skins, and some deer and bear skins, all to pack on our backs. The +method we took to accomplish this was by making short days' journeys. +In the morning we would move on with as much as we were able to carry, +about five miles, and encamp, and then run back for more. We commonly +made three such trips in the day. When we came to the great pond, we +staid there one day to rest ourselves, and to kill ducks and geese. + +When we came to the forks, we found that the skins we had scaffolded +were all safe. Though this was a public place, and Indians frequently +passing, and our skins hanging up in view, yet there were none stolen. +And it is seldom that Indians do steal anything from one another. And +they say they never did, until the white people came among them, and +taught some of them to lie, cheat, and steal; but be that as it may, +they never did curse or swear until the whites taught them. Some think +their language will not admit of it, but I am not of that opinion. If I +was so disposed, I could find language to curse or swear in the Indian +tongue. + +We took up our birch-bark canoes which we had buried, and found that +they were not damaged by the winter; but they not being sufficient to +carry all that we now had, we made a large chestnut-bark canoe, as +elm-bark was not to be found at this place. + +We all embarked, and had a very agreeable passage down the Cayahoga, +and along the south side of Lake Erie, until we passed the mouth of +Sandusky; then the wind arose, and we put in at the mouth of the Miami +of the Lake, at Cedar Point, where we remained several days, and killed +a number of turkeys, geese, ducks, and swans. The wind being fair, and +the lake not extremely rough, we again embarked, hoisted up sails, and +arrived safe at the Wyandot town, nearly opposite to Fort Detroit, on +the north side of the river. Here we found a number of French traders, +every one very willing to deal with us for our beaver. + +We bought ourselves fine clothes, ammunition, paint, tobacco, etc., +and, according to promise, they purchased me a new gun; yet we had +parted with only about one third of our beaver. At length a trader came +to town with French brandy; we purchased a keg of it, and held a +council about who was to get drunk and who was to keep sober. I was +invited to get drunk, but I refused the proposal; then they told me +that I must be one of those who were to take care of the drunken +people. I did not like this; but of two evils I chose that which I +thought was the least--and fell in with those who were to conceal the +arms, and keep every dangerous weapon we could out of their way, and +endeavor, if possible, to keep the drinking-club from killing each +other, which was a very hard task. Several times we hazarded our own +lives, and got ourselves hurt in preventing them from slaying each +other. Before they had finished this keg, near one third of the town +was introduced to this drinking-club; they could not pay their part, as +they had already disposed of all their skins; but that made no +odds--all were welcome to drink. When they were done with this keg, +they applied to the traders, and procured a kettle full of brandy at a +time, which they divided out with a large wooden spoon; and so they +went on, and never quit while they had a single beaver skin. When the +trader had got all our beaver, he moved off to the Ottawa town, about a +mile above the Wyandot town. + +When the brandy was gone, and the drinking-club sober, they appeared +much dejected. Some of them were crippled, others badly wounded, a +number of their fine new shirts torn, and several blankets were burned. +A number of squaws were also in this club, and neglected their +corn-planting. We could now hear the effects of the brandy in the +Ottawa town. They were singing and yelling in the most hideous manner, +both night and day; but their frolic ended worse than ours: five +Ottawas were killed and a great many wounded. + +After this a number of young Indians were getting their ears cut, and +they urged me to have mine cut likewise, but they did not attempt to +compel me, though they endeavored to persuade me. The principal +arguments they used were, its being a very great ornament, and also the +common fashion. The former I did not believe, and the latter I could +not deny. The way they performed this operation was by cutting the +fleshy part of the circle of the ear, close to the gristle, quite +through. When this was done they wrapped rags round this fleshy part +until it was entirely healed; they then hung lead to it, and stretched +it to a wonderful length: when it was sufficiently stretched, they +wrapped the fleshy part round with brass wire, which formed it into a +semicircle about four inches in diameter. + +Many of the young men were now exercising themselves in a game +resembling football, though they commonly struck the ball with a +crooked stick made for that purpose; also a game something like this, +wherein they used a wooden ball, about three inches in diameter, and +the instrument they moved it with was a strong staff, about five feet +long, with a hoop net on the end of it large enough to contain the +ball. Before they begin the play, they lay off about half a mile +distance in a clear plain, and the opposite parties all attend at the +centre, where a disinterested person casts up the ball, then the +opposite parties all contend for it. If any one gets it into his net, +he runs with it the way he wishes it to go, and they all pursue him. If +one of the opposite party overtakes the person with the ball, he gives +the staff a stroke, which causes the ball to fly out of the net; then +they have another debate for it, and if the one that gets it can outrun +all the opposite party, and can carry it quite out, or over the line at +the end, the game is won; but this seldom happens. When any one is +running away with the ball, and is likely to be overtaken, he commonly +throws it, and with this instrument can cast it fifty or sixty yards. +Sometimes when the ball is almost at the one end, matters will take a +sudden turn, and the opposite party may quickly carry it out at the +other end. Oftentimes they will work a long while back and forward +before they can get the ball over the line, or win the game. + +About the 1st of June, 1757, the warriors were preparing to go to war, +in the Wyandot, Pottowatomy, and Ottawa towns; also a great many +Jibewas came down from the upper lakes; and after singing their +war-songs and going through their common ceremonies, they marched off +against the frontiers of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, in their +usual manner, singing the travelling song, slow firing, etc. + +About the middle of June the Indians were almost all gone to war, from +sixteen to sixty; yet Tecaughretanego remained in town with me. Though +he had formerly, when they were at war with the southern nations, been +a great warrior and an eminent counsellor, and I think as clear and +able a reasoner upon any subject that he had an opportunity of being +acquainted with as I ever knew, yet he had all along been against this +war, and had strenuously opposed it in council. He said, if the English +and French had a quarrel, let them fight their own battles themselves; +it is not our business to intermeddle therewith. + +Before the warriors returned we were very scarce of provision; and +though we did not commonly steal from one another, yet we stole during +this time anything that we could eat from the French, under the notion +that it was just for us to do so, because they supported their +soldiers; and our squaws, old men, and children were suffering on +account of the war, as our hunters were all gone. + +Some time in August the warriors returned, and brought in with them a +great many scalps, prisoners, horses, and plunder; and the common +report among the young warriors was that they would entirely subdue +Tulhasaga, that is the English, or it might be literally rendered the +Morning Light Inhabitants. + +About the first of November a number of families were preparing to go +on their winter hunt, and all agreed to cross the lake together. We +encamped at the mouth of the river the first night, and a council was +held, whether we should cross through by the three islands, or coast it +round the lake. These islands lie in a line across the lake, and are +just in sight of each other. Some of the Wyandots, or Ottawas, +frequently make their winter hunt on these islands; though, excepting +wild fowl and fish, there is scarcely any game here but raccoons, which +are amazingly plenty, and exceedingly large and fat, as they feed upon +the wild rice, which grows in abundance in wet places round these +islands. It is said that each hunter, in one winter, will catch one +thousand raccoons. + +It is a received opinion among the Indians that the snakes and raccoons +are transmigratory, and that a great many of the snakes turn into +raccoons every fall, and raccoons into snakes every spring. This notion +is founded on observations made on the snakes and raccoons in this +island. + +We concluded to coast it round the lake, and in two days we came to the +mouth of the Miami of the Lake, and landed on Cedar Point, where we +remained several days. Here we held a council, and concluded we would +take a driving hunt in concert and in partnership. + +The river in this place is about a mile broad, and as it and the lake +form a kind of neck, which terminates in a point, all the hunters +(which were fifty-three) went up the river, and we scattered ourselves +from the river to the lake. When we first began to move we were not in +sight of each other, but as we all raised the yell, we could move +regularly together by the noise. At length we came in sight of each +other, and appeared to be marching in good order; before we came to the +point, both the squaws and boys in the canoes were scattered up the +river and along the lake, to prevent the deer from making their escape +by water. As we advanced near the point the guns began to crack slowly, +and after some time the firing was like a little engagement. The squaws +and boys were busy tomahawking the deer in the water, and we shooting +them down on the land. We killed in all about thirty deer, though a +great many made their escape by water. + +Here our company separated. The chief part of them went up the Miami +River,[4] which empties into Lake Erie at Cedar Point, while we +proceeded on our journey in company with Tecaughretanego, Tontileaugo, +and two families of the Wyandots. + + [4] The Miami of the Lakes, now called Maumee. + +As cold weather was now approaching, we began to feel the doleful +effects of extravagantly and foolishly spending the large quantity of +beaver we had taken in our last winter's hunt. We were all nearly in +the same circumstances; scarcely one had a shirt to his back; but each +of us had an old blanket which we belted round us in the day, and slept +in at night, with a deer or bear skin under us for our bed. + +When we came to the Falls of Sandusky we buried our birch-bark canoes, +as usual, at a large burying-place for that purpose, a little below the +falls. At this place the river falls about eight feet over a rock, but +not perpendicularly. With much difficulty we pushed up our wooden +canoes; some of us went up the river, and the rest by land with the +horses, until we came to the great meadows or prairies that lie between +Sandusky and Sciota. + +When we came to this place, we met with some Ottawa hunters, and agreed +with them to take what they call a ring hunt, in partnership. We waited +until we expected rain was near falling to extinguish the fire, and +then we kindled a large circle in the prairie. At this time, or before +the bucks began to run, a great number of deer lay concealed in the +grass in the day, and moved about in the night; but as the fire burned +in towards the centre of the circle, the deer fled before the fire; the +Indians were scattered also at some distance before the fire, and shot +them down every opportunity, which was very frequent, especially as the +circle became small. When we came to divide the deer, there were about +ten to each hunter, which were all killed in a few hours. The rain did +not come on that night to put out the outside circle of the fire, and +as the wind arose, it extended through the whole prairie, which was +about fifty miles in length, and in some places nearly twenty in +breadth. This put an end to our ring hunting this season, and was in +other respects an injury to us in the hunting business; so that upon +the whole we received more harm than benefit by our rapid hunting +frolic. We then moved from the north end of the glades, and encamped at +the carrying-place. + +About the time the bucks quit running, Tontileaugo, his wife and +children, Tecaughretanego, his son Nunganey, and myself, left the +Wyandot camps at the carrying-place, and crossed the Sciota River at +the south end of the glades, and proceeded on about a southwest course +to a large creek called Ollentangy, which I believe interlocks with the +waters of the Miami, and empties into Sciota on the west side thereof. +From the south end of the prairie to Ollentangy there is a large +quantity of beech land, intermixed with first-rate land. Here we made +our winter hut, and had considerable success in hunting. + +After some time one of Tontileaugo's stepsons (a lad about eight years +of age) offended him, and he gave the boy a moderate whipping, which +much displeased his Wyandot wife. She acknowledged that the boy was +guilty of a fault, but thought that he ought to have been ducked, which +is their usual mode of chastisement. She said she could not bear to +have her son whipped like a servant or slave; and she was so +displeased, that when Tontileaugo went out to hunt, she got her two +horses, and all her effects (as in this country the husband and wife +have separate interests), and moved back to the Wyandot camp that we +had left. + +When Tontileaugo returned he was much disturbed on hearing of his +wife's elopement, and said that he would never go after her, were it +not that he was afraid that she would get bewildered, and that his +children that she had taken with her might suffer. Tontileaugo went +after his wife, and when they met they made up the quarrel; and he +never returned, but left Tecaughretanego and his son (a boy about ten +years of age), and myself, who remained here in our hut all winter. + +Tecaughretanego had been a first-rate warrior, statesman, and hunter, +and though he was now near sixty years of age, was yet equal to the +common run of hunters, but subject to the rheumatism, which deprived +him of the use of his legs. + +Shortly after Tontileaugo left us, Tecaughretanego became lame, and +could scarcely walk out of our hut for two months. I had considerable +success in hunting and trapping. Though Tecaughretanego endured much +pain and misery, yet he bore it all with wonderful patience, and would +often endeavor to entertain me with cheerful conversation. Sometimes he +would applaud me for my diligence, skill, and activity; and at other +times he would take great care in giving me instructions concerning the +hunting and trapping business. He would also tell me that if I failed +of success we would suffer very much, as we were about forty miles from +any one living, that we knew of; yet he would not intimate that he +apprehended we were in any danger, but still supposed that I was fully +adequate to the task. + +Tontileaugo left us a little before Christmas, and from that until some +time in February we had always plenty of bear meat, venison, etc. +During this time I killed much more than we could use; but having no +horses to carry in what I killed, I left part of it in the woods. In +February there came a snow, with a crust, which made a great noise when +walking on it, and frightened away the deer; and as bear and beaver +were scarce here, we got entirely out of provision. After I had hunted +two days without eating anything, and had very short allowance for some +days before, I returned late in the evening, faint and weary. When I +came into our hut, Tecaughretanego asked what success. I told him not +any. He asked me if I was not very hungry. I replied that the keen +appetite seemed to be in some measure removed, but I was both faint and +weary. He commanded Nunganey, his little son, to bring me something to +eat, and he brought me a kettle with some bones and broth. After eating +a few mouthfuls, my appetite violently returned, and I thought the +victuals had a most agreeable relish, though it was only fox and +wildcat bones, which lay about the camp, which the ravens and +turkey-buzzards had picked; these Nunganey had collected and boiled, +until the sinews that remained on the bones would strip off. I speedily +finished my allowance, such as it was, and when I had ended my _sweet_ +repast, Tecaughretanego asked me how I felt. I told him that I was much +refreshed. He then handed me his pipe and pouch, and told me to take a +smoke. I did so. He then said he had something of importance to tell +me, if I was now composed and ready to hear it. I told him that I was +ready to hear him. He said the reason why he deferred his speech till +now was because few men are in a right humor to hear good talk when +they are extremely hungry, as they are then generally fretful and +discomposed; "But as you appear now to enjoy calmness and serenity of +mind, I will now communicate to you the thoughts of my heart, and those +things that I know to be true. + +"_Brother_,--As you have lived with the white people, you have not +had the same advantage of knowing that the great Being above feeds his +people, and gives them their meat in due season, as we Indians have, +who are frequently out of provisions, and yet are wonderfully supplied, +and that so frequently, that it is evidently the hand of the great +Owaneeyo[5] that doth this. Whereas the white people have commonly +large stocks of tame cattle, that they can kill when they please, and +also their barns and cribs filled with grain, and therefore have not +the same opportunity of seeing and knowing that they are supported by +the Ruler of heaven and earth. + + [5] This is the name of God, in their tongue, and signifies + the owner and ruler of all things. + +"_Brother_,--I know that you are now afraid that we will all perish +with hunger, but you have no just reason to fear this. + +"_Brother_,--I have been young, but now am old; I have been frequently +under the like circumstances that we now are, and that some time or +other in almost every year of my life; yet I have hitherto been +supported, and my wants supplied in time of need. + +"_Brother_,--Owaneeyo sometimes suffers us to be in want, in order to +teach us our dependence upon him, and to let us know that we are to +love and serve him; and likewise to know the worth of the favors that +we receive, and to make us more thankful. + +"_Brother_,--Be assured that you will be supplied with food, and that +just in the right time; but you must continue diligent in the use of +means. Go to sleep, and rise early in the morning and go a-hunting; be +strong, and exert yourself like a man, and the Great Spirit will direct +your way." + +The next morning I went out, and steered about an east course. I +proceeded on slowly for about five miles, and saw deer frequently; but +as the crust on the snow made a great noise, they were always running +before I spied them, so that I could not get a shot. A violent appetite +returned, and I became intolerably hungry. It was now that I concluded +I would run off to Pennsylvania, my native country. As the snow was on +the ground, and Indian hunters almost the whole of the way before me, I +had but a poor prospect of making my escape, but my case appeared +desperate. If I staid here, I thought I would perish with hunger, and +if I met with Indians they could but kill me. + +I then proceeded on as fast as I could walk, and when I got about ten +or twelve miles from our hut I came upon fresh buffalo tracks; I +pursued after, and in a short time came in sight of them as they were +passing through a small glade. I ran with all my might and headed them, +where I lay in ambush, and killed a very large cow. I immediately +kindled a fire and began to roast meat, but could not wait till it was +done; I ate it almost raw. When hunger was abated I began to be +tenderly concerned for my old Indian brother and the little boy I had +left in a perishing condition. I made haste and packed up what meat I +could carry, secured what I left from the wolves, and returned +homewards. + +I scarcely thought on the old man's speech while I was almost +distracted with hunger, but on my return was much affected with it, +reflected on myself for my hard-heartedness and ingratitude, in +attempting to run off and leave the venerable old man and little boy to +perish with hunger. I also considered how remarkably the old man's +speech had been verified in our providentially obtaining a supply. I +thought also of that part of his speech which treated of the fractious +dispositions of hungry people, which was the only excuse I had for my +base inhumanity, in attempting to leave them in the most deplorable +situation. + +As it was moonlight, I got home to our hut, and found the old man in +his usual good-humor. He thanked me for my exertion, and bid me sit +down, as I must certainly be fatigued, and he commanded Nunganey to +make haste and cook. I told him I would cook for him, and let the boy +lay some meat on the coals for himself; which he did, but ate it almost +raw, as I had done. I immediately hung on the kettle with some water, +and cut the beef in thin slices, and put them in. When it had boiled +awhile, I proposed taking it off the fire, but the old man replied, +"Let it be done enough." This he said in as patient and unconcerned a +manner as if he had not wanted one single meal. He commanded Nunganey +to eat no more beef at that time, lest he might hurt himself, but told +him to sit down, and after some time he might sup some broth; this +command he reluctantly obeyed. + +When we were all refreshed, Tecaughretanego delivered a speech upon the +necessity and pleasure of receiving the necessary supports of life with +thankfulness, knowing that Owaneeyo is the great giver. Such speeches +from an Indian may be thought by those who are unacquainted with them +altogether incredible; but when we reflect on the Indian war, we may +readily conclude that they are not an ignorant or stupid sort of +people, or they would not have been such fatal enemies. When they came +into our country they outwitted us; and when we sent armies into their +country, they outgeneralled and beat us with inferior force. Let us +also take into consideration that Tecaughretanego was no common person, +but was among the Indians as Socrates in the ancient heathen world; +and, it may be, equal to him, if not in wisdom and in learning, yet +perhaps in patience and fortitude. Notwithstanding Tecaughretanego's +uncommon natural abilities, yet in the sequel of this history you will +see the deficiency of the light of nature, unaided by revelation, in +this truly great man. + +The next morning Tecaughretanego desired me to go back and bring +another load of buffalo beef. As I proceeded to do so, about five miles +from our hut I found a bear tree. As a sapling grew near the tree, and +reached near the hole that the bear went in at, I got dry dozed or +rotten wood, that would catch and hold fire almost as well as spunk. +This wood I tied up in bunches, fixed them on my back, and then climbed +up the sapling, and with a pole I put them, touched with fire, into the +hole, and then came down and took my gun in my hand. After some time +the bear came out, and I killed and skinned it, packed up a load of the +meat (after securing the remainder from the wolves), and returned home +before night. On my return my old brother and his son were much +rejoiced at my success. After this we had plenty of provisions. + +We remained here until some time in April, 1758. At this time +Tecaughretanego had recovered so that he could walk about. We made a +bark canoe, embarked, and went down Ollentangy some distance, but, the +water being low, we were in danger of splitting our canoe upon the +rocks; therefore Tecaughretanego concluded we would encamp on shore, +and pray for rain. + +When we encamped Tecaughretanego made himself a sweat-house, which he +did by sticking a number of hoops in the ground, each hoop forming a +semicircle; this he covered all round with blankets and skins. He then +prepared hot stones, which he rolled into this hut, and then went into +it himself with a little kettle of water in his hand, mixed with a +variety of herbs, which he had formerly cured, and had now with him in +his pack; they afforded an odoriferous perfume. When he was in, he told +me to pull down the blankets behind him, and cover all up close, which +I did, and then he began to pour water upon the hot stones, and to sing +aloud. He continued in this vehement hot place about fifteen minutes. +All this he did in order to purify himself before he would address +the Supreme Being. When he came out of his sweat-house he began to +burn tobacco and pray. He began each petition with "_Oh, ho, ho, ho_" +which is a kind of aspiration, and signifies an ardent wish. I observed +that all his petitions were only for immediate or present temporal +blessings. He began his address by thanksgiving in the following +manner: + +"O Great Being! I thank thee that I have obtained the use of my legs +again; that I am now able to walk about and kill turkeys, etc., without +feeling exquisite pain and misery. I know that thou art a hearer and a +helper, and therefore I will call upon thee. + +"_Oh, ho, ho, ho,_ + +"Grant that my knees and ankles may be right well, and that I may be +able, not only to walk, but to run and to jump logs, as I did last +fall. + +"_Oh, ho, ho, ho,_ + +"Grant that on this voyage we may frequently kill bears, as they may be +crossing the Scioto and Sandusky. + +"_Oh, ho, ho, ho,_ + +"Grant that we may kill plenty of turkeys along the banks, to stew with +our fat bear meat. + +"_Oh, ho, ho, ho,_ + +"Grant that rain may come to raise the Ollentangy about two or three +feet, that we may cross in safety down to Scioto, without danger of our +canoe being wrecked on the rocks. And now, O Great Being, thou knowest +how matters stand; thou knowest that I am a great lover of tobacco, and +though I know not when I may get any more, I now make a present of the +last I have unto thee, as a free burnt-offering; therefore I expect +thou wilt hear and grant these requests, and I, thy servant, will +return thee thanks and love thee for thy gifts." + +During the whole of this scene I sat by Tecaughretanego, and as he went +through it with the greatest solemnity I was seriously affected with +his prayers. I remained duly composed until he came to the burning of +the tobacco; and as I knew he was a great lover of it, and saw him cast +the last of it into the fire, it excited in me a kind of merriment, and +I insensibly smiled. Tecaughretanego observed me laughing, which +displeased him, and occasioned him to address me in the following +manner. + +"_Brother_,--I have somewhat to say to you, and I hope you will not be +offended when I tell you of your faults. You know that when you were +reading your books in town I would not let the boys or any one disturb +you; but now, when I was praying, I saw you laughing. I do not think +that you look upon praying as a foolish thing; I believe you pray +yourself. But perhaps you may think my mode or manner of praying +foolish; if so, you ought in a friendly manner to instruct me, and not +make sport of sacred things." + +I acknowledged my error, and on this he handed me his pipe to smoke, in +token of friendship and reconciliation, though at this time he had +nothing to smoke but red-willow bark. I told him something of the +method of reconciliation with an offended God, as revealed in my Bible, +which I had then in possession. He said that he liked my story better +than that of the French priests, but he thought that he was now too old +to begin to learn a new religion, therefore he should continue to +worship God in the way that he had been taught, and that if salvation +or future happiness was to be had in his way of worship, he expected he +would obtain it, and if it was inconsistent with the honor of the Great +Spirit to accept of him in his own way of worship, he hoped that +Owaneeyo would accept of him in the way I had mentioned, or in some +other way, though he might now be ignorant of the channel through which +favor or mercy might be conveyed. He said that he believed that +Owaneeyo would hear and help every one that sincerely waited upon him. + +A few days after Tecaughretanego had gone through his ceremonies and +finished his prayers, the rain came and raised the creek a sufficient +height, so that we passed in safety down to Scioto, and proceeded up to +the carrying-place. We proceeded from this place down Sandusky, and in +our passage we killed four bears and a number of turkeys. +Tecaughretanego appeared now fully persuaded that all this came in +answer to his prayers, and who can say with any degree of certainty +that it was not so? + +When we came to the little lake at the mouth of Sandusky, we called at +a Wyandot town that was then there, called Sunyendeand. Here we +diverted ourselves several days by catching rock-fish in a small creek, +the name of which is also Sunyendeand, which signifies rock-fish. They +fished in the night with lights, and struck the fish with gigs or +spears. The rock-fish here, when they begin first to run up the creek +to spawn, are exceedingly fat, sufficiently so to fry themselves. The +first night we scarcely caught fish enough for present use for all that +were in the town. + +The next morning I met with a prisoner at this place by the name of +Thompson, who had been taken from Virginia. He told me, if the Indians +would only omit disturbing the fish for one night, he could catch more +fish than the whole town could make use of. I told Mr. Thompson that if +he was certain he could do this, that I would use my influence with the +Indians to let the fish alone for one night. I applied to the chiefs, +who agreed to my proposal, and said they were anxious to see what the +Great Knife (as they called the Virginian) could do. Mr. Thompson, with +the assistance of some other prisoners, set to work, and made a +hoop-net of elm-bark; they then cut down a tree across the creek, and +stuck in stakes at the lower side of it to prevent the fish from +passing up, leaving only a gap at the one side of the creek; here he +sat with his net, and when he felt the fish touch the net he drew it +up, and frequently would haul out two or three rock-fish that would +weigh about five or six pounds each. He continued at this until he had +hauled out about a wagon-load, and then left the gap open in order to +let them pass up, for they could not go far on account of the shallow +water. Before day Mr. Thompson shut it up, to prevent them from passing +down, in order to let the Indians have some diversion in killing them +in daylight. + +When the news of the fish came to town the Indians all collected, and +with surprise beheld the large heap of fish, and applauded the +ingenuity of the Virginian. When they saw the number of them that were +confined in the water above the tree, the young Indians ran back to the +town, and in a short time returned with their spears, gigs, bows and +arrows, etc., and were the chief part of that day engaged in killing +rock-fish, insomuch that we had more than we could use or preserve. As +we had no salt, or any way to keep them, they lay upon the banks, and +after some time great numbers of turkey-buzzards and eagles collected +together and devoured them. + +Shortly after this we left Sunyendeand, and in three days arrived at +Detroit, where we remained this summer. + +Some time in May we heard that General Forbes, with seven thousand men, +was preparing to carry on a campaign against Fort Du Quesne, which then +stood near where Fort Pitt was afterwards erected. Upon receiving this +news, a number of runners were sent off by the French commander at +Detroit to urge the different tribes of Indian warriors to repair to +Fort Du Quesne. + +Some time in July, 1758, the Ottawas, Jibewas, Potowatomies, and +Wyandots rendezvoused at Detroit, and marched off to Fort Du Quesne, to +prepare for the encounter of General Forbes. The common report was that +they would serve him as they did General Braddock, and obtain much +plunder. From this time until fall we had frequent accounts of Forbes's +army, by Indian runners that were sent out to watch their motion. They +espied them frequently from the mountains even after they left Fort +Loudon. Notwithstanding their vigilance, Colonel Grant, with his +Highlanders, stole a march upon them, and in the night took possession +of a hill about eighty rods from Fort Du Quesne; this hill is on that +account called Grant's Hill to this day. The French and Indians knew +not that Grant and his men were there, until they beat the drum and +played upon the bagpipes just at daylight. They then flew to arms, and +the Indians ran up under cover of the banks of the Alleghany and +Monongahela for some distance, and then sallied out from the banks of +the rivers, and took possession of the hill above Grant; and as he was +on the point of it, in sight of the fort, they immediately surrounded +him; and as he had his Highlanders in ranks, and in very close order, +and the Indians scattered and concealed behind trees, they defeated him +with the loss only of a few warriors; most of the Highlanders were +killed or taken prisoners. + +After this defeat the Indians held a council, but were divided in their +opinions. Some said that General Forbes would now turn back, and go +home the way that he came, as Dunbar had done when General Braddock was +defeated; others supposed he would come on. The French urged the +Indians to stay and see the event; but as it was hard for the Indians +to be absent from their squaws and children at this season of the year, +a great many of them returned home to their hunting. After this the +remainder of the Indians, some French regulars, and a number of +Canadians, marched off in quest of General Forbes. They met his army +near Fort Ligonier, and attacked them, but were frustrated in their +design. They said that Forbes's men were beginning to learn the art of +war, and that there were a great number of American riflemen along with +the redcoats, who scattered out, took trees, and were good marksmen; +therefore they found they could not accomplish their design, and were +obliged to retreat. When they returned from the battle to Fort Du +Quesne, the Indians concluded that they would go to their hunting. The +French endeavored to persuade them to stay and try another battle. The +Indians said if it was only the redcoats they had to do with they could +soon subdue them, but they could not withstand _Ashalecoa_, or the +Great Knife, which was the name they gave the Virginians. They then +returned home to their hunting, and the French evacuated the fort, +which General Forbes came and took possession of, without further +opposition, late in the year 1758, and at this time began to build Fort +Pitt. + +When Tecaughretanego had heard the particulars of Grant's defeat he +said that he could not well account for his contradictory and +inconsistent conduct. He said, as the art of war consists in ambushing +and surprising our enemies, and in preventing them from ambushing and +surprising us, Grant, in the first place, acted like a wise and +experienced warrior in artfully approaching in the night without being +discovered; but when he came to the place, and the Indians were lying +asleep outside of the fort, between him and the Alleghany River, in +place of slipping up quietly, and falling upon them with their +broadswords, they beat the drums and played upon the bagpipes. He said +he could account for this inconsistent conduct in no other way than by +supposing that he had made too free with spirituous liquors during the +night, and became intoxicated about daylight. But to return. + +This year we hunted up Sandusky and down Scioto, and took nearly the +same route that we had done the last hunting season. We had +considerable success, and returned to Detroit some time in April, 1759. + +Shortly after this Tecaughretanego, his son Nunganey, and myself went +from Detroit (in an elm-bark canoe) to Caughnewaga, a very ancient +Indian town, about nine miles above Montreal, where I remained until +about the first of July. I then heard of a French ship at Montreal that +had English prisoners on board, in order to carry them over sea and +exchange them. I went privately off from the Indians, and got also on +board; but as General Wolfe had stopped the river St. Lawrence, we were +all sent to prison in Montreal, where I remained four months. Some time +in November we were all sent off from this place to Crown Point, and +exchanged. + +Early in the year 1760 I came home to Conococheague, and found that my +people could never ascertain whether I was killed or taken until my +return. They received me with great joy, but were surprised to see me +so much like an Indian, both in my gait and gesture. + +Upon inquiry, I found that my sweetheart was married a few days before +I arrived. My feelings I must leave, on this occasion, for those of my +readers to judge who have felt the pangs of disappointed love, as it is +impossible now for me to describe the emotion of soul I felt at that +time. + +In the year 1788 I settled in Bourbon County, Kentucky, seven miles +above Paris, and in the same year was elected a member of the +convention that sat at Danville to confer about a separation from the +State of Virginia; and from that year until the year 1799 I represented +Bourbon County either in convention or as a member of the General +Assembly, except two years that I was left a few votes behind. + + + + +II + +THE NARRATIVE OF FRANCESCO GIUSEPPE BRESSANI, S.J., RELATING HIS +CAPTIVITY AMONG THE IROQUOIS, IN 1644 + + + The Italian Jesuit missionary Father Bressani was born in Rome, 6 + May, 1612. At the age of fourteen he entered the novitiate of the + Society of Jesus. Becoming zealous to serve as missionary among the + American Indians, he went to Quebec in the summer of 1642, and the + following year he was sent among the Algonquins at Three Rivers. + + In April, 1644, while on his way to the Huron country, where a + mission had been established, he was captured by the Iroquois, who + at that time were an exceedingly fierce and even cannibal nation, + perpetually at war with nearly the whole known continent. By them + he was subjected to tortures, but finally was made over to an old + squaw to take the place of a deceased relative. From her he was + ransomed by the Dutch at Fort Orange (the modern Albany), and by + them he was sent to France, where he arrived in November, 1644. + + Despite his terrible experiences among the savages, and his maimed + condition, the indomitable missionary returned to Canada the next + spring, and labored with the Hurons until their mission was + destroyed by the Iroquois four years later. + + In November, 1650, Bressani, in broken health, went back to his + native land. Here he spent many years as a preacher and home + missionary. He died at Florence, 9 September, 1672. + + The following account of Father Bressani's sufferings among the + Indians is translated from two of his own letters in his book + _Breve Relatione d'alcune Missioni nella Nuova Francia_, published + at Macerata in 1653. (_Editor._) + + +FIRST LETTER, + +Dated "From the Iroquois, the 15th of July, 1644." + +OUR MOST REVEREND FATHER IN CHRIST: + +_PAX CHRISTI_--I know not whether Your Paternity will recognize the +handwriting of a poor cripple, who formerly, when in perfect health, +was well known to you. The letter is badly written, and quite soiled, +because, among other inconveniences, the writer has but one whole +finger on his right hand, and can scarcely prevent the paper's being +stained by the blood which flows from his yet unhealed wounds. His ink +is arquebuse powder [gunpowder rubbed up with water], and his table the +bare earth. He writes to you from the land of the Iroquois, where he is +now a captive, and would briefly relate what Divine Providence has at +last ordained for him. + +I set out from Three Rivers, by order of the Superior, the 27th of last +April, in company with six Christian Indians and a young Frenchman, +with three canoes, to go to the country of the Hurons. + +On the evening of the first day, the Huron who steered our canoe, when +firing at an eagle, upset us into Lake St. Pierre. I did not know how +to swim, but two Hurons caught me and drew me to the shore, where we +spent the night, all drenched. The Hurons took this accident for an +ill-omen, and advised me to return to our starting point, which was +only eight or ten miles off. "Certainly," they cried, "this voyage will +not prove fortunate." As I feared that there might be some superstition +in this discourse, I preferred to push on to another French fort +[Richelieu], thirty miles higher up, where we might recruit a little. +They obeyed me, and we started quite early the next morning, but the +snow and bad weather greatly retarded our speed, and compelled us to +stop at midday. + +On the third day, when twenty-two or twenty-four miles from Three +Rivers, and seven or eight from Fort Richelieu, we fell into an +ambuscade of twenty-seven Iroquois, who killed one of our Indians, and +took the rest and myself prisoners. We might have fled, or killed some +Iroquois; but I, for my part, seeing my companions taken, judged it +better to remain with them, accepting it as a sign of the will of +God.... + +Those who had captured us made horrible cries, and after profuse thanks +to the Sun for having in their hands, among the others, a "Black Robe," +as they call the Jesuits, they changed the canoes. Then they took from +us everything; that is, provisions for all of ours residing among the +Hurons, who were in extreme want, inasmuch as they had for several +years received no aid from Europe. + +Having commanded us to sing, they led us to a little river hard by, +where they divided the booty, and scalped the Huron whom they had +killed. The scalp was to be carried in triumph on a pole. They also cut +off the feet, hands, and most fleshy parts of the body to eat, as well +as the heart. + +Then they made us cross the lake to pass the night in a retired but +very damp spot. We there began to take our sleep bound and in the open +air, as we continued to do during the rest of the voyage.... + +The following day we embarked on a river, and after some miles they +ordered me to throw overboard my papers, which they had left me till +then. They superstitiously imagined that these had caused the wreck of +our canoe. They were surprised to see me grieve at this loss, who had +never shown any regret for all else. We were two days in ascending this +river to the rapids [of Chambly], which compelled us to land, and we +marched six days in the woods. + +The next day, which was Friday, the sixth of May, we met other Iroquois +going out to war. They added some blows to the many threats they had +made; and having related to us the death of one of their party, killed +by a Frenchman, was the cause of their commencing to treat me with +greater cruelty than before. + +At the moment of our capture the Iroquois were dying of hunger; so +that, in two or three days, they consumed all our provisions, and we +had no food during the rest of the way but from hunting, fishing, or +some wild roots, if any were found. Their want was so great that they +picked up on the shore a dead beaver already putrefying. They gave it +to me in the evening to wash in the river; but, its stench leading me +to believe that they did not want it, I threw it into the water. I was +paid for that by a severe penance. + +I will not here relate all I had to suffer in that voyage. It is enough +to say that we had to carry our loads in the woods where there were no +roads, but only stones, shoots, holes, water, and snow, which had not +yet everywhere melted. We were barefooted, and were left fasting +sometimes till three or four o'clock in the afternoon, and often during +the whole day, exposed to the rain, and drenched with the waters of the +torrents and rivers which we had to cross. + +When evening was come I was ordered to go for wood, to bring water, and +to cook when they had any provisions. When I did not succeed, or +misunderstood the orders which I received, blows were not spared; still +less when we met other barbarians going to fish or hunt. It was not +easy for me to rest at night, because they tied me to a tree, leaving +me exposed to the keen night air, which was still quite cold. + +We at last arrived at their lake [Champlain]. We had to make other +canoes, in which I too had to do my part. After five or six days' +sailing we landed, and marched for three more. + +The fourth day, which was the fifteenth of May, we arrived about the +twentieth hour [3 P.M.], and before having as yet taken any food, at a +river where some four hundred barbarians were gathered fishing. Hearing +of our approach, they came out to meet us. When about two hundred paces +from their cabins, they stripped off all my clothes, and made me march +ahead. The young men formed a line on each side, armed with sticks, +except the first one, who held a knife in his hand. + +When I began my march this one stopped my passage, and, seizing my left +hand, cleft it open with his knife between the little finger and the +ring finger, with such force and violence that I thought he would lay +open my whole hand. The others then began to load me with blows till I +reached the stage which they had erected for our torture. Then I had to +mount on great pieces of bark, raised about nine palms high so as to +give the crowd an opportunity to see and insult us. I was all drenched +and covered with blood that streamed from every part of my body, and +exposed to a very cold wind that made it congeal immediately on my +skin. But I consoled myself, seeing that God granted me the favor of +suffering in this world some pain in place of what I was under +obligation, on account of my sins, to pay in the other with torments +incomparably greater. + +The warriors came next, and were received by the people with great +ceremony, and regaled with the best of all that their fishing supplied. +They bade us sing. Judge whether we could do so, fasting, worn down by +marching, broken by their blows, and shivering from head to foot with +cold. + +Shortly after, a Huron slave brought me a little Indian corn, and a +captain, who saw me all trembling with cold, at last, at my entreaty, +gave me back the half of an old summer cassock, all in tatters, which +served to cover rather than warm me. + +We had to sing till the warriors went away, and were then left at the +mercy of the youths, who made us come down from the scaffold, where we +had been about two hours, to make us dance in their fashion; and, +because I did not succeed, nor indeed knew how, they beat me, pricked +me, plucked out my hair, my beard, etc. + +They kept us five or six days in this place for their pastime, leaving +us at the discretion or indiscretion of every one. We were obliged to +obey even the children, and that in things unreasonable, and often +contradictory. "Sing!" cries one. "Hold your tongue!" says another. If +I obeyed the first, the latter tormented me. "Stretch out your hand; I +want to burn it." Another burned it because I did not extend it to +_him_. They commanded me to take fire between the fingers to put +in their pipes, full of tobacco, and then let it fall on the ground +purposely four or five times, one after another, to make me burn myself +picking it up each time. + +These scenes usually took place at night. Towards evening the captains +cried in fearful voices around the cabins, "Gather, ye young men; come +and caress our prisoners!" + +On this they flocked together, and assembled in some large cabin. There +the remnant of dress which had been given me was torn off, leaving me +naked. Then some goaded me with pointed sticks; some burned me with +firebrands or red-hot stones, while others used burning ashes or hot +coals. They made me walk around the fire on hot ashes, under which they +had stuck sharp sticks in the ground. Some plucked out my hair, others +my beard. + +Every night, after making me sing, and tormenting me as above, they +spent eight or ten minutes in burning one of my nails or a finger. Of +the ten that I had I have now but one left whole, and even of that they +have torn out the nail with their teeth. One evening they burned a +nail; the next day the first joint; the day after, the second. By the +sixth time they burned almost six. To the hands they applied fire and +iron more than eighteen times; and during this torment I was obliged to +sing. They ceased torturing me only at one or two o'clock at night. +Then they usually left me tied to the ground in some spot exposed to +the rain, with no bed or blanket, but a small skin which did not cover +half my body, and often even without any covering; for they had already +torn up the piece of a cassock which had been given me. Yet, out of +compassion, they left me enough to cover what decency, even among them, +requires to be concealed. They kept the rest. + +For a whole month I had to undergo these cruelties, and greater still, +but we remained only eight days in the first place. I never would have +believed that man could endure so hard a life. + +One night that they were as usual torturing me, a Huron, taken prisoner +with me, seeing one of his companions escape torments by siding against +me, suddenly cried out, in the middle of the assembled throng, that I +was a person of rank, and a captain among the French. This they heard +with great attention; then, raising a loud shout in sign of joy, they +resolved to treat me still worse, and the next morning I was condemned +to be burnt alive, and to be eaten. They then began to guard me more +narrowly. The men and children never left me alone, even in the +necessities of nature, but came tormenting me to force me to return to +the cabin with all speed, fearing that I might take flight. + +We left there the 26th of May, and four days after reached the first +village of this nation. In this march on foot, what with rain and other +hardships, I suffered more than I had yet done. The barbarian then my +keeper was more cruel than the first. I was wounded, weak, ill-fed, +half naked, and slept in the open air, bound to a stake or a tree, +shivering all night with cold and from the pain caused by my bonds. + +At difficult places in the road my weakness called for help, but it was +refused; and even when I fell, renewing my wounds, they showered blows +on me again, to force me to march; for they believed that I did it +purposely to lag behind, and so escape. + +One time, among others, I fell into a river, and was like to have +drowned. However, I got out, I know not how, and in this plight had to +march nearly six miles more till evening, with a very heavy burden on +my shoulders. They jeered at me and at my awkwardness in falling into +the water, and they did not omit, at night, to burn off one of my +nails. + +We at last reached the first village of this nation, and here our +reception resembled the first, but was still more cruel. Besides blows +from their fists, and other blows, which I received in the most +sensitive parts of my body, they a second time slit open my left hand, +between the middle finger and the fore finger, and the bastinade was +such that I fell half dead on the ground. I thought I would lose my +right eye forever. As I did not rise, because I was unable to do so, +they continued to beat me, especially on the breast and head. I should +surely have expired beneath their blows had not a captain caused me to +be dragged by main strength upon a stage made, like the former one, of +bark. There they soon after cut off the thumb and mangled the fore +finger of my left hand. Meanwhile a great rain came, with thunder and +lightning, and they went away, leaving us exposed naked to the storm, +till some one, I know not who, took pity on us, and in the evening took +us into his cabin. + +Here we were tormented with more cruelty and impudence than ever, +without leaving a moment's rest. They forced me to eat filth, and +burned some of my fingers and the rest of my nails. They dislocated my +toes, and ran a firebrand through one of them. I know not what they did +not do to me another time, when I pretended to faint, so as to seem not +to see an indecent action. + +After glutting their cruelty here, they sent us into another village, +nine or ten miles further. Here they added to the torments of which I +have spoken that of hanging me up by my feet, either with cords or with +chains, which they had taken from the Dutch. By night I lay stretched +on the ground, naked and bound, according to their custom, to several +stakes, by the feet, hands, and neck. The torments which I had to +suffer in this state, for six or seven nights, were in such places, and +of such nature, that it is not lawful to describe them, nor could they +be read without blushing. I seldom closed my eyes those nights, which, +though the shortest of the year, seemed to me most long. "My God, what +will purgatory be?" This thought lightened my pains not a little. + +In this way of living I had become so fetid and horrible that every one +drove me away like a thing of carrion, and they never came near me save +to torment me. Scarcely anyone would feed me, although I had not the +use of my hands, as they were extraordinarily swollen and putrid. Thus +I was still further tormented by hunger, which led me to eat Indian +corn raw, not without concern for my health, and made me find a relish +in chewing clay, although I could not easily swallow it. + +I was covered with loathsome vermin, and could neither get rid of them +nor defend myself from them. In my wounds worms were born; more than +four fell out of one finger in one day.... + +I had an abscess in the right thigh, caused by blows and frequent +falls, which hindered me from all repose, and especially as I had only +skin and bone, and the earth, for bed. Several times the barbarians had +tried, but failed, to open it with sharp stones--not without great pain +to me. I was forced to employ as surgeon the renegade Huron who had +been taken with us. He, on what was supposed to be the eve of my death, +opened it for me with four knife-thrusts, and caused blood and matter +to issue from it in so great abundance, and with such stench, that all +the barbarians of the cabin were constrained to abandon it. + +I desired and was awaiting death, though not without some horror of the +fire. Still I was preparing for it as best I could, and was commending +myself to the Mother of Mercy, who was, after God, the sole refuge of a +poor sinner forsaken by all creatures in a strange land, without a +language to make himself understood, without friends to console him, +without sacraments to strengthen him, and without any human remedy to +sweeten his ills. + +The Huron and Algonquin prisoners (these are our barbarians), instead +of consoling me, were the first to torment me, in order to please the +Iroquois. + +I did not see the good Guillaume [Cousture], except afterward, when my +life was spared me, and the boy who had been taken in my company was no +more with me. They had noticed that I had him say his prayers, and that +they did not favor. But they did not let him escape torments, for, +although he was no more than twelve or thirteen years old, they tore +out five of his nails with their teeth; and, on his arrival in the +country, they bound his wrists tightly with thongs, causing him the +severest pain--and all before me, to afflict me the more.... + +My days being thus filled up with sufferings, and my nights being spent +without repose, I counted in the month five days more than there were; +but, seeing the moon one night, I corrected my error. I was ignorant +why the savages so long deferred my death. They told me that it was to +fatten me before eating me; though they took no means to do so. + +One day, at last, they assembled to despatch me. It was the nineteenth +of June, which I deemed the last of my life, and I begged a captain to +put me to death, if possible, otherwise than by fire; but another man +exhorted him to stand firm in the resolution already taken. The first +then told me that I was to die neither by fire nor by any other death. +I could not believe it, nor do I know whether he spoke in earnest; yet +finally it was as he said, because such was the will of God and of the +Virgin Mother.... + +The barbarians themselves marveled at this result, so contrary was it +to their intentions, as the Dutch have written to me. I was therefore +given, with all the usual ceremonies, to an old woman, to replace her +grandfather, formerly killed by the Hurons, but instead of having me +burned, as all desired, and had already resolved, she redeemed me from +their hands at the expense of some beads, which the French call +"porcelain" [wampum]. + +I live here in the midst of the shadows of death, hearing nothing +spoken of but murder and assassination. They have recently murdered one +of their own countrymen in his cabin, as useless and unworthy to live. + +I have still something to suffer; my wounds are yet open, and many of +the barbarians look upon me with no kindly eye. But we cannot live +without crosses, and this is like sugar in comparison with the past. + +The Dutch gave me hopes of my ransom, and that of the boy taken +prisoner with me. God's will be done in time and in eternity! My hope +will be still more confirmed, if you grant me a share in your holy +sacrifices and prayers, and those of our fathers and brethren, +especially of those who knew me in other days. + + +SECOND LETTER, + +Dated "From New Amsterdam, the 31st of August, 1644." + +I have found no one to carry the enclosed, so that you will receive it +at the same time as the present one, which will give you the news of my +deliverance from the hands of the barbarians, whose captive I was. I am +indebted for it to the Dutch, and they obtained it with no great +difficulty, for a moderate ransom, on account of the little value which +the Indians attached to me, from my unhandiness at everything, and +because they believed that I would never get well of my ailments. + +I have been twice sold: first to the old woman who was to have me +burned, and next to the Dutch, dear enough, that is, for about fifteen +or twenty doppias [sixty to eighty dollars in gold]. + +I chanted my "exodus from Egypt" the nineteenth of August, a day that +is in the octave of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, who was my +deliverer. + +I was a prisoner among the Iroquois for four months; but small is that +compared to what my sins deserve. I was unable, during my captivity, to +render to any of those wretched beings, in return for the evil they did +me, the good which was the object of my desires; that is, impart to +them a knowledge of the true God. Not knowing the language, I tried to +instruct, through a captive interpreter, an old man who was dying; but +he was too proud to listen to me, answering that a man of his age and +standing should teach, and not be taught. I asked him if he knew +whither he would go after death. He answered me: "To the Sunset." Then +he began to relate their fables and delusions, which those wretched +people, blinded by the Demon, esteem as the most solid truths. + +I baptized none but a Huron. They had brought him where I was, to burn +him, and those who guarded me told me to go and see him. I did so with +reluctance; for they had told me falsely that he was not one of our +Indians, and that I could not understand him. I advanced towards the +crowd, which opened and let me approach this man, even then all +disfigured by the tortures. He was stretched upon the bare ground, with +nothing to rest his head upon. Seeing a stone near me, I pushed it with +my foot towards his head, to serve him as a pillow. He then looked up +at me, and either some wisp of beard that I had left, or some other +mark, made him suppose I was a foreigner. + +"Is not this man," said he to his keeper, "the European whom you hold +captive?" + +Being answered "Yes," he again cast towards me a piteous look. "Sit +down, my brother, by me," said he; "I would speak with thee." + +I sat down, though not without horror, such was the stench that exhaled +from his already half-roasted body. Happy to be able to understand him +a little, because he spoke Huron, I asked him what he desired, hoping +to be able to profit by the occasion to instruct and baptize him. To my +great consolation I was anticipated by the answer: + +"What do I ask?" he said; "I ask but one thing, baptism. Make haste, +for the time is short." + +I wished to question him as to the faith, so as not to administer a +sacrament with precipitation; but I found him perfectly instructed, +having been already received among the catechumens in the Huron +country. I therefore baptized him, to his and my own great +satisfaction. Though I had done so by a kind of stratagem, using the +water which I had brought for him to drink, the Iroquois nevertheless +perceived it. The captains were at once informed, and, with angry +threats, drove me from the hut, and then began to torture him as +before. + +The following morning they roasted him alive. Then, because I had +baptized him, they brought all his members, one by one, into the cabin +where I was. Before my eyes they skinned and ate the feet and hands. +The husband of the mistress of the lodge threw at my feet the dead +man's head, and left it there a long while, reproaching me with what I +had done, alluding to the baptism and prayers which I had offered with +him, and saying: "And what indeed have thy enchantments helped him? +Have they perhaps delivered him from death?" + + + + +III + +NARRATIVE OF MRS. MARY ROWLANDSON + +WHO WAS TAKEN CAPTIVE BY THE WAMPONOAGS UNDER KING PHILIP, IN 1676. + +WRITTEN BY HERSELF. + + + Mary Rowlandson was the wife of the Reverend Joseph Rowlandson, the + first minister of Lancaster, Massachusetts. On the tenth of + February, 1676, during King Philip's War, the Indians destroyed + Lancaster, and took her captive. She was treated with gross + cruelty, and was sold by her Narragansett captor to a sagamore + named Quannopin. After nearly three months of starving and + wretchedness she was ransomed for about eighty dollars which was + contributed by some women of Boston. + + Her own account of her captivity, originally published in 1682, is + here given with the omission of nothing but certain reflections + that are not essential to the narrative. (_Editor._) + + +On the 10th of February, 1676, came the Indians with great numbers[6] +upon Lancaster. Their first coming was about sun-rising. Hearing the +noise of some guns, we looked out; several houses were burning, and the +smoke ascending to heaven. + + [6] Fifteen hundred Wamponoags, led by King Philip, and + accompanied by the Narragansetts, his allies, and by the + Nipmucks and Nashaways. + +There were five persons taken in one house. The father and mother, and +a sucking child, they knocked on the head; the other two they took and +carried away alive. There were two others, who, being out of their +garrison upon occasion, were set upon; one was knocked on the head, the +other escaped. Another there was, who, running along, was shot and +wounded, and fell down; he begged of them his life, promising them +money, as they told me, but they would not hearken to him, but knocked +him on the head, stripped him naked, and split open his bowels. +Another, seeing many of the Indians about his barn, ventured and went +out, but was quickly shot down. There were three others belonging to +the same garrison who were killed. The Indians getting up on the roof +of the barn, had advantage to shoot down upon them over their +fortification. Thus these murderous wretches went on burning and +destroying all before them. + +At length they came and beset our house, and quickly it was the +dolefulest day that ever mine eyes saw. The house stood upon the edge +of a hill; some of the Indians got behind the hill, others into the +barn, and others behind anything that would shelter them; from all +which places they shot against the house, so that the bullets seemed to +fly like hail, and quickly they wounded one man among us, then another, +and then a third. + +About two hours, according to my observation in that amazing time, they +had been about the house before they prevailed to fire it, which they +did with flax and hemp which they brought out of the barn, and there +being no defence about the house, only two flankers at two opposite +corners, and one of them not finished; they fired it once, and one +ventured out and quenched it, but they quickly fired it again, and that +took. + +Now is the dreadful hour come that I have often heard of in time of the +war, as it was the case of others, but now mine eyes see it. Some in +our house were fighting for their lives, others wallowing in blood, the +house on fire over our heads, and the bloody heathen ready to knock us +on the head if we stirred out. Now might we hear mothers and children +crying out for themselves and one another, "Lord, what shall we do?" +Then I took my children, and one of my sisters (Mrs. Drew), hers to go +forth and leave the house, but as soon as we came to the door and +appeared, the Indians shot so thick that the bullets rattled against +the house as if one had taken a handful of stones and threw them, so +that we were forced to give back. We had six stout dogs belonging to +our garrison, but none of them would stir, though at another time if an +Indian had come to the door, they were ready to fly upon him and tear +him down. The Lord hereby would make us the more to acknowledge his +hand, and to see that our help is always in him. But out we must go, +the fire increasing, and coming along behind us roaring, and the +Indians gaping before us with their guns, spears and hatchets, to +devour us. + +No sooner were we out of the house, but my brother-in-law[7] (being +before wounded in defending the house, in or near the throat) fell down +dead, whereat the Indians scornfully shouted and hallooed, and were +presently upon him, stripping off his clothes. The bullets flying +thick, one went through my side, and the same, as would seem, through +the bowels and hand of my poor child in my arms. One of my elder +sister's children, named William, had then his leg broke, which the +Indians perceiving, they knocked him on the head. Thus were we +butchered by those merciless heathens, standing amazed, with the blood +running down to our heels. + + [7] Thomas Rowlandson, brother to the clergyman. + +My eldest sister being yet in the house, and seeing those woful sights, +the infidels hauling mothers one way and children another, and some +wallowing in their blood; and her eldest son telling her that her son +William was dead, and myself was wounded, she said, "Lord, let me die +with them:" which was no sooner said but she was struck with a bullet, +and fell down dead over the threshold. The Indians laid hold of us, +pulling me one way and the children another, and said, "Come, go along +with us." I told them they would kill me; they answered, if I were +willing to go along with them they would not hurt me.... + +There were twelve killed, some shot, some stabbed with their spears, +some knocked down with their hatchets. When we are in prosperity, oh, +the little that we think of such dreadful sights, to see our dear +friends and relations lie bleeding out their heart's-blood upon the +ground. There was one who was chopped in the head with a hatchet, and +stripped naked, and yet was crawling up and down. + +I had often before this said, that if the Indians should come, I should +choose rather to be killed by them than taken alive, but when it came +to the trial my mind changed; their glittering weapons so daunted my +spirit that I chose rather to go along with those (as I may say) +ravenous bears, than that moment to end my days. And that I may the +better declare what happened to me during that grievous captivity, I +shall particularly speak of the several removes we had up and down the +wilderness. + +THE FIRST REMOVE.--Now away we must go with those barbarous creatures, +with our bodies wounded and bleeding, and our hearts no less than our +bodies. About a mile we went that night, up on a hill within sight of +the town where we intended to lodge. There was hard by a vacant house, +deserted by the English before, for fear of the Indians. I asked them +whether I might not lodge in the house that night; to which they +answered, "What, will you love Englishmen still?" This was the +dolefulest night that ever my eyes saw. Oh, the roaring and singing and +dancing and yelling of those black creatures in the night, which made +the place a lively resemblance of hell! And miserable was the waste +that was there made of horses, cattle, sheep, swine, calves, lambs, +roasting pigs, and fowls (which they had plundered in the town), some +roasting, some lying and burning, and some boiling, to feed our +merciless enemies; who were joyful enough, though we were disconsolate. + +To add to the dolefulness of the former day, and the dismalness of the +present night, my thoughts ran upon my losses and sad, bereaved +condition. All was gone, my husband gone (at least separated from me, +he being in the Bay;[8] and, to add to my grief, the Indians told me +they would kill him as he came homeward); my children gone, my +relations and friends gone,[9] our house and home, and all our comforts +within door and without--all was gone except my life, and I knew not +but the next moment that might go too. + + [8] Boston. + + [9] Seventeen of her family were put to death or captured. + +There remained nothing to me but one poor, wounded babe; and it seemed +at present worse than death, that it was in such a pitiful condition, +bespeaking compassion, and I had no refreshing for it, nor suitable +things to revive it. Little do many think what is the savageness and +brutishness of this barbarous enemy, those even that seem to profess +more than others among them, when the English have fallen into their +hands. + +THE SECOND REMOVE.--But now (the next morning) I must turn my back upon +the town, and travel with them into the vast and desolate wilderness, I +know not whither. It is not my tongue or pen can express the sorrows of +my heart, and bitterness of my spirit, that I had at this departure; +but God was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying me along and +bearing up my spirit, that it did not quite fail. One of the Indians +carried my poor wounded babe upon a horse. It went moaning all along, +"I shall die, I shall die!" I went on foot after it with sorrow that +cannot be expressed. At length I took it off the horse, and carried it +in my arms, till my strength failed and I fell down with it. Then they +set me upon a horse with my wounded child in my lap, and there being no +furniture on the horse's back, as we were going down a steep hill we +both fell over the horse's head, at which they, like inhuman creatures, +laughed, and rejoiced to see it, though I thought we should there have +ended our days, overcome with so many difficulties.... + +After this it quickly began to snow, and when night came on they +stopped. And now down I must sit in the snow, by a little fire, and a +few boughs behind me, with my sick child in my lap, and calling much +for water, being now, through the wound, fallen into a violent fever; +my own wound also growing so stiff that I could scarce sit down or rise +up. + +THE THIRD REMOVE.--The morning being come, they prepared to go on their +way. One of the Indians got upon a horse, and they sat me up behind +him, with my poor sick babe in my lap. A very wearisome and tedious day +I had of it; what with my own wound, and my child being so exceeding +sick, and in a lamentable condition with her wound, it may easily be +judged what a poor, feeble condition we were in, there being not the +least crumb of refreshing that came within either of our mouths from +Wednesday night to Saturday night, except only a little cold water. +This day in the afternoon, about an hour by sun, we came to the place +where they intended, viz., an Indian town called Wenimesset (New +Braintree), northward of Quabaug (Brookfield). + +This day there came to me one Robert Pepper, a man belonging to +Roxbury, who was taken at Captain Beers's fight, and had been now a +considerable time with the Indians, and up with them almost as far as +Albany, to see King Philip, as he told me, and was now very lately come +into these parts. Hearing, I say, that I was in this Indian town, he +obtained leave to come and see me. He told me he himself was wounded in +the leg at Captain Beers's fight, and was not able some time to go, but +as they carried him, and that he took oak leaves and laid to his wound, +and by the blessing of God he was able to travel again. Then took I oak +leaves and laid to my side, and with the blessing of God it cured me +also. + +I sat much alone with my poor wounded child in my lap, which moaned +night and day, having nothing to revive the body or cheer the spirits +of her; but instead of that, one Indian would come and tell me one +hour, "Your master will knock your child on the head," and then a +second, and then a third, "Your master will quickly knock your child on +the head." + +This was the comfort I had from them; miserable comforters were they +all. Thus nine days I sat upon my knees, with my babe in my lap, till +my flesh was raw again. My child being even ready to depart this +sorrowful world, they bid me carry it out to another wigwam, I suppose +because they would not be troubled with such spectacles; whither I went +with a very heavy heart, and down I sat with the picture of death in my +lap. About two hours in the night, my sweet babe, like a lamb, departed +this life, on Feb. 18, 1676, it being about six years and five months +old. + +In the morning when they understood that my child was dead, they sent +me home to my master's wigwam. By my master in this writing must be +understood Quannopin, who was a sagamore, and married King Philip's +wife's sister; not that he first took me, but I was sold to him by a +Narragansett Indian, who took me when I first came out of the garrison. + +I went to take up my dead child in my arms to carry it with me, but +they bid me let it alone. There was no resisting, but go I must, and +leave it. When I had been a while at my master's wigwam, I took the +first opportunity I could get to look after my dead child. When I came +I asked them what they had done with it. They told me it was on the +hill. Then they went and showed me where it was, where I saw the ground +was newly digged, and where they told me they had buried it. There I +left that child in the wilderness, and must commit it and myself also +in this wilderness condition to Him who is above all. + +God having taken away this dear child, I went to see my daughter Mary, +who was at the same Indian town, at a wigwam not very far off, though +we had little liberty or opportunity to see one another. She was about +ten years old, and taken from the door at first by a praying Indian,[10] +and afterwards sold for a gun. When I came in sight she would fall +a-weeping, at which they were provoked, and would not let me come near +her, but bid me begone, which was a heart-cutting word to me. I could +not sit still in this condition, but kept walking from one place to +another; and as I was going along, my heart was even overwhelmed with +the thoughts of my condition, and that I should have children, and a +nation that I knew not ruled over them. Whereupon I earnestly entreated +the Lord that he would consider my low estate, and show me a token for +good, and if it were his blessed will, some sign and hope of some +relief. + + [10] Convert to Christianity. + +And, indeed, quickly the Lord answered in some measure my poor prayer; +for as I was going up and down mourning and lamenting my condition, my +son (Joseph) came to me and asked me how I did. I had not seen him +before since the destruction of the town; and I knew not where he was, +till I was informed by himself that he was among a smaller parcel of +Indians, whose place was about six miles off. With tears in his eyes he +asked me whether his sister Sarah was dead, and told me he had seen his +sister Mary, and prayed me that I would not be troubled in reference to +himself. The occasion of his coming to see me at this time was this: +there was, as I said, about six miles from us, a small plantation of +Indians, where it seems he had been during his captivity; and at this +time there were some forces of the Indians gathered out of our company, +and some also from them, among whom was my son's master, to go to +assault and burn Medfield. In this time of his master's absence his +dame brought him to see me. + +Now the Indians began to talk of removing from this place, some one way +and some another. There were now, besides myself, nine English captives +in this place, all of them children except one woman. I got an +opportunity to go and take my leave of them, they being to go one way +and I another. I asked them whether they were earnest with God for +deliverance. They told me they did as they were able, and it was some +comfort to me that the Lord stirred up children to look to Him. The +woman, viz., good-wife Joslin, told me she should never see me again, +and that she could not find it in her heart to run away by any means, +for we were near thirty miles from any English town, and she with a +child two years old; and bad rivers there were to go over, and we were +feeble with our poor and coarse entertainment.... + +THE FOURTH REMOVE.--And now must I part with the little company I had. +Here I parted with my daughter Mary, whom I never saw again till I saw +her in Dorchester, returned from captivity; and from four little +cousins and neighbors, some of which I never saw afterwards; the Lord +only knows the end of them. We travelled about a half a day or a little +more, and came to a desolate place in the wilderness, where there were +no wigwams or inhabitants before. We came about the middle of the +afternoon to this place, cold, wet, and snowy, and hungry and weary, +and no refreshing for man, but the cold ground to sit on, and our poor +Indian cheer. + +THE FIFTH REMOVE.--The occasion, as I thought, of their removing at +this time was the English army's being near and following them; for +they went as if they had gone for their lives for some considerable +way. Then they made a stop, and chose out some of their stoutest men, +and sent them back to hold the English army in play while the rest +escaped; and then, like Jehu, they marched on furiously with their old +and young. Some carried their old, decrepit mothers; some carried one, +and some another. Four of them carried a great Indian upon a bier; but, +going through a thick wood with him, they were hindered, and could make +no haste; whereupon they took him upon their backs, and carried him, +one at a time, till we came to Baquaug River. + +Upon Friday, a little after noon, we came to this river. When all the +company was come up and were gathered together I thought to count the +number of them, but they were so many, and being somewhat in motion, it +was beyond my skill. In this travel, because of my wound, I was +somewhat favored in my load. I carried only my knitting-work and two +quarts of parched meal. Being very faint, I asked my mistress to give +me one spoonful of the meal, but she would not give me a taste. They +quickly fell to cutting dry trees to make rafts to carry them over the +river, and soon my turn came to go over. By the advantage of some brush +which they had laid upon the raft to sit on, I did not wet my foot, +while many of themselves, at the other end, were mid-leg deep, which +cannot but be acknowledged as a favor of God to my weakened body, it +being a very cold time. I was not before acquainted with such kind of +doings or dangers. A certain number of us got over the river that +night, but it was the night after the Sabbath before all the company +was got over. On the Saturday they boiled an old horse's leg which they +had got, and so we drank of the broth as soon as they thought it was +ready, and when it was almost all gone they filled it up again. + +The first week of my being among them I hardly eat anything; the second +week I found my stomach grow very faint for want of something, and yet +it was very hard to get down their filthy trash; but the third week, +though I could think how formerly my stomach would turn against this or +that, and I could starve and die before I could eat such things, yet +they were pleasant and savory to my taste. + +I was at this time knitting a pair of cotton stockings for my mistress, +and I had not yet wrought upon the Sabbath day. When the Sabbath came +they bid me go to work. I told them it was Sabbath day, and desired +them to let me rest, and told them I would do as much more work +to-morrow; to which they answered me they would break my face. + +And here I cannot but take notice of the strange providence of God in +preserving the heathen. They were many hundreds, old and young, some +sick, and some lame; many had papooses at their backs; the greatest +number at this time with us were squaws, and yet they travelled with +all they had, bag and baggage, and they got over this river aforesaid; +and on Monday they set their wigwams on fire, and away they went. On +that very day came the English army after them to this river, and saw +the smoke of their wigwams, and yet this river put a stop to them. God +did not give them courage or activity to go over after us. We were not +ready for so great a mercy as victory and deliverance; if we had been, +God would have found out a way for the English to have passed this +river as well as for the Indians, with their squaws and children and +all their luggage. + +THE SIXTH REMOVE.--On Monday, as I said, they set their wigwams on fire +and went away. It was a cold morning, and before us there was a great +brook with ice on it. Some waded through it up to the knees and higher, +but others went till they came to a beaver-dam, and I among them, +where, through the good providence of God, I did not wet my foot. I +went along that day mourning and lamenting, leaving farther my own +country, and travelling farther into the vast and howling wilderness, +and I understood something of Lot's wife's temptation when she looked +back. We came that day to a great swamp, by the side of which we took +up our lodging that night. When we came to the brow of the hill that +looked towards the swamp I thought we had been come to a great Indian +town, though there were none but our own company; the Indians were as +thick as the trees; it seemed as if there had been a thousand hatchets +going at once. + +THE SEVENTH REMOVE.--After a restless and hungry night there we had a +wearisome time of it the next day. The swamp by which we lay was, as it +were, a deep dungeon, and an exceeding high and steep hill before it. +Before I got to the top of the hill I thought my heart and legs and all +would have broken and failed me. What with faintness and soreness of +body, it was a grievous day of travel to me. As we went along, I saw a +place where English cattle had been. That was a comfort to me, such as +it was. Quickly after that we came to an English path, which so took me +that I thought I could there have freely lain down and died. + +That day, a little after noon, we came to Squaheag,[11] where the +Indians quickly spread themselves over the deserted English fields, +gleaning what they could find. Some picked up ears of wheat that +were crickled down, some found ears of Indian corn, some found +ground-nuts,[12] and others sheaves of wheat that were frozen together +in the shock, and went to threshing of them out. Myself got two ears of +Indian corn, and, whilst I did but turn my back, one of them was stole +from me, which much troubled me. + + [11] Or Squakeag, now Northfield. + + [12] _Apios tuberosa._ The Pilgrims, during their first + winter, lived chiefly on these roots. The tubers vary from + the size of a cherry to that of a hen's egg, and grow in + strings of perhaps forty together. + +There came an Indian to them at that time with a basket of horse-liver. +I asked him to give me a piece. "What," says he, "can you eat +horse-liver?" I told him I would try, if he would give me a piece, +which he did; and I laid it on the coals to roast; but, before it was +half ready, they got half of it away from me; so that I was forced to +take the rest and eat it as it was, with the blood about my mouth, and +yet a savory bit it was to me; for to the hungry soul every bitter +thing was sweet. A solemn sight methought it was to see whole fields of +wheat and Indian corn forsaken and spoiled, and the remainder of them +to be food for our merciless enemies. That night we had a mess of wheat +for our supper. + +THE EIGHTH REMOVE.--On the morrow morning we must go over Connecticut +River to meet with King Philip. Two canoes full they had carried over. +The next turn myself was to go; but, as my foot was upon the canoe to +step in, there was a sudden outcry among them, and I must step back; +and instead of going over the river, I must go four or five miles up +the river farther northward. Some of the Indians ran one way, and some +another. The cause of this route was, as I thought, their espying some +English scouts, who were thereabouts. In this travel up the river, +about noon the company made a stop and sat down, some to eat and others +to rest them. As I sat amongst them, musing on things past, my son +Joseph unexpectedly came to me.... + +We travelled on till night, and in the morning we must go over the +river to Philip's crew. When I was in the canoe I could not but be +amazed at the numerous crew of pagans that were on the bank on the +other side. When I came ashore they gathered all about me, I sitting +alone in the midst. I observed they asked one another questions, and +laughed, and rejoiced over their gains and victories. + +Then my heart began to fail, and I fell a-weeping; which was the first +time, to my remembrance, that I wept before them. There one of them +asked me why I wept. I could hardly tell what to say; yet I answered, +they would kill me. "No," said he, "none will hurt you." Then came one +of them and gave me two spoonfuls of meal to comfort me, and another +gave me half a pint of peas, which was worth more than many bushels at +another time. + +Then I went to see King Philip. He bade me come in and sit down, and +asked me whether I would smoke--a usual compliment nowadays among the +saints and sinners; but this noway suited me; for though I had formerly +used tobacco, yet I had left it ever since I was first taken. It seems +to be a bait the devil lays to make men lose their precious time. I +remember with shame how, formerly, when I had taken two or three pipes, +I was presently ready for another, such a bewitching thing it is; but I +thank God He has now given me power over it. Surely there are many who +may be better employed than to sit sucking a stinking tobacco pipe. + +Now the Indians gathered their forces to go against Northampton. Over +night one went about yelling and hooting to give notice of the design. +Whereupon they went to boiling of ground-nuts and parching corn--as +many as had it--for their provision; and in the morning away they went. +During my abode in this place Philip spake to me to make a shirt for +his boy, which I did; for which he gave me a shilling. I offered the +money to my mistress, but she bid me keep it, and with it I bought a +piece of horse-flesh. + +Afterwards he asked me to make a cap for his boy, for which he invited +me to dinner. I went, and he gave me a pancake about as big as two +fingers; it was made of parched wheat, beaten and fried in bear's +grease, but I thought I never tasted pleasanter meat in my life. There +was a squaw who spake to me to make a shirt for her sannup; for which +she gave me a piece of beef. Another asked me to knit a pair of +stockings, for which she gave me a quart of peas. I boiled my peas and +beef together, and invited my master and mistress to dinner; but the +proud gossip, because I served them both in one dish, would eat +nothing, except one bit that he gave her upon the point of his knife. + +Hearing that my son was come to this place, I went to see him, and +found him lying flat on the ground. I asked him how he could sleep so. +He answered me that he was not asleep, but at prayer, and that he lay +so that they might not observe what he was doing. I pray God he may +remember these things now he is returned in safety. + +At this place, the sun now getting higher, what with the beams and heat +of the sun and smoke of the wigwams, I thought I should have been +blinded. I could scarce discern one wigwam from another. There was one +Mary Thurston, of Medfield, who, seeing how it was with me, lent me a +hat to wear; but as soon as I was gone the squaw that owned that Mary +Thurston came running after me and got it away again. Here was a squaw +who gave me a spoonful of meal; I put it in my pocket to keep it safe, +yet notwithstanding somebody stole it, but put five Indian corns in the +room of it; which corns were the greatest provision I had in my travel +for one day. + +The Indians, returning from Northampton,[13] brought with them some +horses and sheep and other things which they had taken. I desired them +that they would carry me to Albany upon one of those horses, and sell +me for powder; for so they had sometimes discoursed. I was utterly +helpless of getting home on foot, the way that I came. I could hardly +bear to think of the many weary steps I had taken to this place. + + [13] Northampton was attacked March 14, 1676. + +THE NINTH REMOVE.--But, instead of either going to Albany or homeward, +we must go five miles up the river, and then go over it. Here we abode +awhile. Here lived a sorry Indian, who spake to me to make him a shirt. +When I had done it he would pay me nothing for it. But he, living by +the river-side, where I often went to fetch water, I would often be +putting him in mind, and calling for my pay; at last he told me if I +would make another shirt for a papoose not yet born he would give me a +knife, which he did when I had done it. I carried the knife in, and my +master asked me to give it him, and I was not a little glad that I had +anything that they would accept of and be pleased with. + +My son being now about a mile from me, I asked liberty to go and see +him. They bid me go, and away I went; but quickly lost myself, +travelling over hills and through swamps, and could not find the way to +him. And I cannot but admire at the wonderful power and goodness of God +to me, in that though I was gone from home and met with all sorts of +Indians, and those I had no knowledge of, and there being no Christian +soul near me, yet not one of them offered the least imaginable +miscarriage to me. I turned homeward again, and met with my master, and +he showed me the way to my son. When I came to him I found him not +well; and withal he had a boil on his side, which much troubled him. We +bemoaned one another awhile, as the Lord helped us, and then I returned +again. When I was returned I found myself as unsatisfied as I was +before. + +But I was fain to go look after something to satisfy my hunger; and, +going among the wigwams, I went into one, and there found a squaw who +showed herself very kind to me, and gave me a piece of bear. I put it +into my pocket, and came home, but could not find an opportunity to +broil it for fear they should get it from me. And there it lay all the +day and night in my pocket. In the morning I went again to the same +squaw, who had a kettle of ground-nuts boiling. I asked her to let me +boil my piece of bear in the kettle, which she did, and gave me some +ground-nuts to eat with it; and I cannot but think how pleasant it was +to me. I have sometimes seen bear baked handsomely amongst the English, +and some liked it, but the thoughts that it was bear made me tremble. +But now that was savory to me that one would think was enough to turn +the stomach of a brute creature. + +One bitter cold day I could find no room to sit down before the fire. I +went out, and could not tell what to do, but I went into another +wigwam, where they were also sitting round the fire; but the squaw laid +a skin for me, and bid me sit down, and gave me some ground-nuts, and +bid me come again, and told me they would buy me if they were able. And +yet these were strangers to me that I never knew before. + +THE TENTH REMOVE.--That day a small part of the company removed about +three quarters of a mile, intending farther the next day. When they +came to the place they intended to lodge, and had pitched their +wigwams, being hungry, I went again back to the place we were before at +to get something to eat; being encouraged by the squaw's kindness, who +bid me come again. When I was there, there came an Indian to look after +me; who, when he had found me, kicked me all along. I went home and +found venison roasting that night, but they would not give me one bit +of it. Sometimes I met with favor, and sometimes with nothing but +frowns. + +THE ELEVENTH REMOVE.--The next day, in the morning, they took their +travel, intending a day's journey up the river; I took my load at +my back, and quickly we came to wade over a river, and passed over +tiresome and wearisome hills. One hill was so steep that I was fain to +creep up upon my knees, and to hold by the twigs and bushes to keep +myself from falling backwards. My head, also, was so light that I +usually reeled as I went. + +THE TWELFTH REMOVE.--It was upon a Sabbath-day morning that they +prepared for their travel. This morning I asked my master whether he +would sell me to my husband; he answered, _nux_; which did much +rejoice my spirits. My mistress, before we went, was gone to the burial +of a papoose, and returning she found me sitting and reading in my +Bible. She snatched it hastily out of my hand and threw it out of +doors. I ran out and caught it up, and put it in my pocket, and never +let her see it afterwards. Then they packed up their things to be gone, +and gave me my load; I complained it was too heavy, whereupon she gave +me a slap on the face and bid me be gone. I lifted up my heart to God, +hoping that redemption was not far off; and the rather because their +insolence grew worse and worse. + +But thoughts of my going homeward, for so we bent our course, much +cheered my spirit, and made my burden seem light, and almost nothing at +all. But, to my amazement and great perplexity, the scale was soon +turned; for when we had got a little way, on a sudden my mistress gave +out she would go no farther, but turn back again, and said I must go +back again with her; and she called her sannup, and would have had him +go back also, but he would not, but said he would go on, and come to us +again in three days. My spirit was upon this, I confess, very +impatient, and almost outrageous. I thought I could as well have died +as went back. Down I sat, with my heart as full as it could hold, and +yet so hungry that I could not sit neither. But going out to see what I +could find, and walking among the trees, I found six acorns and two +chestnuts, which were some refreshment to me. + +Towards night I gathered me some sticks for my own comfort, that I +might not lie cold; but when we came to lie down, they bid me go out +and lie somewhere else, for they had company they said come in more +than their own. I told them I could not tell where to go; they bid me +go look; I told them if I went to another wigwam they would be angry +and send me home again. Then one of the company drew his sword and told +me he would run me through if I did not go presently. Then was I fain +to stoop to this rude fellow, and go out in the night I knew not +whither. Mine eyes hath seen that fellow afterwards walking up and down +in Boston, under the appearance of a friendly Indian, and several +others of the like cut. + +I went to one wigwam, and they told me they had no room. Then I went to +another, and they said the same. At last, an old Indian bid me come to +him, and his squaw gave me some ground-nuts; she gave me also something +to lay under my head, and a good fire we had. Through the good +providence of God, I had a comfortable lodging that night. In the +morning, another Indian bid me come at night and he would give me six +ground-nuts, which I did. We were at this place and time about two +miles from Connecticut River. + +THE THIRTEENTH REMOVE.--Instead of going towards the Bay, which was +what I desired, I must go with them five or six miles down the river, +into a mighty thicket of brush, where we abode almost a fortnight. Here +one asked me to make a shirt for her papoose, for which she gave me a +mess of broth which was thickened with meal made of the bark of a tree; +and to make it better she had put into it about a handful of peas and a +few roasted ground-nuts. + +I had not seen my son a pretty while, and here was an Indian of whom I +made inquiry after him, and asked him when he saw him. He answered me, +that such a time his master roasted him, and that himself did eat a +piece of him as big as his two fingers, and that he was very good meat. +But the Lord upheld my spirit under this discouragement; and I +considered their horrible addictedness to lying, and that there is not +one of them that makes the least conscience of speaking the truth. + +In this place, one cold night, as I lay by the fire, I removed a stick +which kept the heat from me; a squaw moved it down again, at which I +looked up, and she threw a handful of ashes in my eyes. I thought I +should have been quite blinded and never have seen more; but, lying +down, the water ran out of my eyes, and carried the dirt with it, that +by the morning I recovered my sight again. + +About this time they came yelping from Hadley, having there killed +three Englishmen, and brought one captive with them, viz., Thomas Reed. +They all gathered about the poor man, asking him many questions. I +desired also to go and see him; and when I came, he was crying +bitterly, supposing they would quickly kill him. Whereupon I asked one +of them whether they intended to kill him; he answered me they would +not. He being a little cheered with that, I asked him about the welfare +of my husband; he told me he saw him such a time in the Bay, and he was +well, but very melancholy. By which I certainly understood, though I +suspected it before, that whatsoever the Indians told me respecting him +was vanity and lies. Some of them told me he was dead, and they had +killed him; some said he was married again, and that the governor +wished him to marry, and told him that he should have his choice; and +that all persuaded him that I was dead. So like were these barbarous +creatures to him who was a liar from the beginning. + +As I was sitting once in the wigwam here, Philip's maid came with the +child in her arms, and asked me to give her a piece of my apron to make +a flap for it. I told her I would not; then my mistress bid me give it, +but I still said no. The maid told me if I would not give her a piece, +she would tear a piece off it. I told her I would tear her coat then. +With that my mistress rises up, and takes up a stick big enough to have +killed me, and struck at me with it, but I stepped out, and she struck +the stick into the mat of the wigwam. But while she was pulling it out, +I ran to the maid, and gave her all my apron, and so that storm went +over. + +Hearing that my son was come to this place, I went to see him, and told +him his father was well, but very melancholy. He told me he was as much +grieved for his father as for himself. I wondered at his speech, for I +thought I had enough upon my spirit, in reference to myself, to make me +mindless of my husband and every one else, they being safe among their +friends. He told me also, that a while before, his master, together +with other Indians, were going to the French for powder; but by the way +the Mohawks met with them, and killed four of their company, which made +the rest turn back again. For which I desire that myself and he may +ever bless the Lord; for it might have been worse with him had he been +sold to the French, than it proved to be in his remaining with the +Indians. + +I asked his master to let him stay awhile with me, that I might comb +his head and look over him, for he was almost overcome with lice. He +told me when I had done that he was very hungry, but I had nothing to +relieve him, but bid him go into the wigwams as he went along, and see +if he could get anything among them; which he did, and, it seems, +tarried a little too long, for his master was angry with him, and beat +him, and then sold him. Then he came running to tell me he had a new +master, and that he had given him some ground-nuts already. Then I went +along with him to his new master, who told me he loved him, and he +should not want. So his master carried him away, and I never saw him +afterwards till I saw him at Piscataqua, in Portsmouth. + +That night they bid me go out of the wigwam again; my mistress's +papoose was sick, and it died that night; and there was one benefit in +it, that there was more room. I went to a wigwam and they bid me come +in, and gave me a skin to lie upon, and a mess of venison and +ground-nuts, which was a choice dish among them. On the morrow they +buried the papoose; and afterwards, both morning and evening, there +came a company to mourn and howl with her; though I confess I could not +much condole with them. + +THE FOURTEENTH REMOVE.--Now must we pack up and be gone from this +thicket, bending our course towards the Bay towns; I having nothing to +eat by the way this day but a few crumbs of cake that an Indian gave my +girl the same day we were taken. She gave it me, and I put it in my +pocket. There it lay till it was so mouldy, for want of good baking, +that one could not tell what it was made of. It fell all into crumbs, +and grew so dry and hard that it was like little flints; and this +refreshed me many times when I was ready to faint. It was in my +thoughts when I put it to my mouth that, if ever I returned, I would +tell the world what a blessing the Lord gave to such mean food. + +As we went along, they killed a deer, with a young one in her. They +gave me a piece of the fawn, and it was so young and tender that one +might eat the bones as well as the flesh, and yet I thought it very +good. When night came on we sat down. It rained, but they quickly got +up a bark wigwam, where I lay dry that night. I looked out in the +morning, and many of them had lain in the rain all night, I knew by +their reeking. Thus the Lord dealt mercifully with me many times, and I +fared better than many of them. + +In the morning they took the blood of the deer, and put it into the +paunch, and so boiled it. I could eat nothing of that, though they eat +it sweetly. And yet they were so nice in other things, that when I had +fetched water, and had put the dish I dipped the water with into the +kettle of water which I brought, they would say they would knock me +down, for they said it was a sluttish trick. + +THE FIFTEENTH REMOVE.--We went on our travel. I having got a handful of +ground-nuts for my support that day, they gave me my load, and I went +on cheerfully, with the thoughts of going homeward, having my burthen +more upon my back than my spirit. We came to Baquaug River again that +day, near which we abode a few days. Sometimes one of them would give +me a pipe, another a little tobacco, another a little salt, which I +would change for victuals. I cannot but think what a wolfish appetite +persons have in a starving condition; for many times, when they gave me +that which was hot, I was so greedy, that I should burn my mouth, that +it would trouble me many hours after, and yet I should quickly do the +like again. And after I was thoroughly hungry, I was never again +satisfied; for though it sometimes fell out that I had got enough, and +did eat till I could eat no more, yet I was as unsatisfied as I was +when I began. + +THE SIXTEENTH REMOVE.--We began this remove with wading over Baquaug +River. The water was up to our knees, and the stream very swift, and +so cold that I thought it would have cut me in sunder. I was so weak +and feeble that I reeled as I went along, and thought there I must +end my days at last, after my bearing and getting through so many +difficulties. The Indians stood laughing to see me staggering along, +but in my distress the Lord gave me experience of the truth and +goodness of that promise, Isa. xliii., 2--"When thou passeth through +the waters I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not +overflow thee." Then I sat down to put on my stockings and shoes, with +the tears running down my eyes, and many sorrowful thoughts in my +heart. But I got up to go along with them. + +Quickly there came up to us an Indian who informed them that I must go +to Wachusett[14] to my master, for there was a letter come from the +council to the sagamores about redeeming the captives, and that there +would be another in fourteen days, and that I must be there ready. My +heart was so heavy before that I could scarce speak or go in the path, +and yet now so light that I could run. My strength seemed to come +again, and to recruit my feeble knees and aching heart; yet it pleased +them to go but one mile that night, and there we staid two days. + + [14] Princeton. The mountain in this town still retains the + name of Wachusett. + +In that time came a company of Indians to us, near thirty, all on +horseback. My heart skipped within me, thinking they had been +Englishmen, at the first sight of them; for they were dressed in +English apparel, with hats, white neckcloths, and sashes about their +waists, and ribbons upon their shoulders. But when they came near there +was a vast difference between the lovely faces of Christians and the +foul looks of those heathen, which much damped my spirits again. + +THE SEVENTEENTH REMOVE.--A comfortable remove it was to me, because +of my hopes. They gave me my pack and along we went cheerfully. But +quickly my will proved more than my strength; having little or no +refreshment my strength failed, and my spirits were almost quite gone. +At night we came to an Indian town, and the Indians sat down by a +wigwam discoursing, but I was almost spent and could scarce speak. I +laid down my load and went into the wigwam, and there sat an Indian +boiling of horse-feet, they being wont to eat the flesh first, and when +the feet were old and dried, and they had nothing else, they would cut +off the feet and use them. I asked him to give me a little of his +broth, or water they were boiling it in. He took a dish and gave me one +spoonful of samp, and bid me take as much of the broth as I would. Then +I put some of the hot water to the samp, and drank it up, and my +spirits came again. + +THE EIGHTEENTH REMOVE.--We took up our packs, and along we went; but +a wearisome day I had of it. As we went along I saw an Englishman +stripped naked and lying dead upon the ground, but knew not who he was. +Then we came to another Indian town where we staid all night. In this +town there were four English children captives, and one of them my own +sister's. I went to see how she did, and she was well, considering her +captive condition. I would have tarried that night with her, but they +that owned her would not suffer it. Then I went to another wigwam, +where they were boiling corn and beans, which was a lovely sight to +see, but I could not get a taste thereof. Then I went home to my +mistress's wigwam, and they told me I disgraced my master with begging, +and if I did so any more they would knock me on the head. I told them +they had as good do that as starve me to death. + +THE NINETEENTH REMOVE.--They said when we went out that we must travel +to Wachusett this day. But a bitter weary day I had of it, travelling +now three days together, without resting any day between. Going along, +having indeed my life, but little spirit, Philip, who was in the +company, came up, and took me by the hand, and said, "Two weeks more +and you shall be mistress again." I asked him if he spoke true. He +said, "Yes, and quickly you shall come to your master again;" who had +been gone from us three weeks. + +My master had three squaws, living sometimes with one and sometimes +with another: Onux, this old squaw at whose wigwam I was, and with whom +my master had been these three weeks. Another was Wettimore, with whom +I had lived and served all this while. A severe and proud dame she was, +bestowing every day in dressing herself near as much time as any of the +gentry of the land; powdering her hair and painting her face, going +with her necklaces, with jewels in her ears, and bracelets upon her +hands. When she had dressed herself, her work was to make girdles of +wampum and beads. The third squaw was a younger one, by whom he had two +papooses. + +By that time I was refreshed by the old squaw, Wettimore's maid came to +call me home, at which I fell a-weeping. Then the old squaw told me, to +encourage me, that when I wanted victuals I should come to her, and +that I should lie in her wigwam. Then I went with the maid, and quickly +I came back and lodged there. The squaw laid a mat under me, and a good +rug over me; the first time that I had any such kindness showed me. I +understood that Wettimore thought that if she should let me go and +serve with the old squaw she should be in danger to lose not only my +service, but the redemption-pay also. And I was not a little glad to +hear this; being by it raised in my hopes that in God's due time there +would be an end of this sorrowful hour. Then came an Indian and asked +me to knit him three pair of stockings, for which I had a hat and a +silk handkerchief. Then another asked me to make her a shift, for which +she gave me an apron. + +Then came Tom and Peter with the second letter from the council, about +the captives. Though they were Indians, I gat them by the hand, and +burst out into tears; my heart was so full that I could not speak to +them; but recovering myself, I asked them how my husband did, and all +my friends and acquaintance. They said they were well, but very +melancholy. They brought me two biscuits and a pound of tobacco. The +tobacco I soon gave away. When it was all gone one asked me to give him +a pipe of tobacco. I told him it was all gone. Then he began to rant +and threaten. I told him when my husband came I would give him some. +"Hang him, rogue," says he; "I will knock out his brains if he comes +here." And then again at the same breath they would say that if there +should come an hundred without guns they would do them no hurt; so +unstable and like madmen they were. So that, fearing the worst, I durst +not send to my husband, though there were some thoughts of his coming +to redeem and fetch me, not knowing what might follow; for there was +little more trust to them than to the master they served. + +When the letter was come, the sagamores met to consult about the +captives, and called me to them to inquire how much my husband would +give to redeem me. When I came I sat down among them, as I was wont to +do, as their manner is. Then they bid me stand up, and said they were +the general court. They bid me speak what I thought he would give. Now +knowing that all we had was destroyed by the Indians, I was in a great +strait. I thought if I should speak of but a little, it would be +slighted and hinder the matter; if of a great sum, I knew not where it +would be procured. Yet at a venture I said twenty pounds, yet desired +them to take less; but they would not hear of that, but sent the +message to Boston, that for twenty pounds I should be redeemed. It was +a praying Indian that wrote their letters for them. + +About that time there came an Indian to me, and bid me come to his +wigwam at night, and he would give me some pork and groundnuts, which I +did; and as I was eating, another Indian said to me, "He seems to be +your good friend, but he killed two Englishmen at Sudbury,[15] and there +lie the clothes behind you." I looked behind me, and there I saw bloody +clothes, with bullet-holes in them. Yet the Lord suffered not this +wretch to do me any hurt; yea, instead of that, he many times refreshed +me: five or six times did he and his squaw refresh my feeble carcass. +If I went to their wigwam at any time they would always give me +something, and yet they were strangers that I never saw before. Another +squaw gave me a piece of fresh pork, and a little salt with it, and +lent me her frying-pan to fry it; and I cannot but remember what a +sweet, pleasant, and delightful relish that bit had to me, to this day. +So little do we prize common mercies when we have them to the full. + + [15] Sudbury was attacked 21st April. + +THE TWENTIETH REMOVE.--It was their usual manner to remove when they +had done any mischief, lest they should be found out; and so they did +at this time. We went about three or four miles, and there they built +a great wigwam, big enough to hold an hundred Indians, which they did +in preparation to a great day of dancing. They would now say among +themselves that the governor would be so angry for his loss at Sudbury +that he would send no more about the captives, which made me grieve and +tremble. + +My sister being not far from this place, and hearing that I was here, +desired her master to let her come and see me, and he was willing to +it, and would come with her, but she, being ready first, told him she +would go before, and was come within a mile or two of the place. Then +he overtook her, and began to rant as if he had been mad, and made her +go back again in the rain; so that I never saw her till I saw her in +Charlestown. But the Lord requited many of their ill doings, for this +Indian, her master, was hanged afterwards at Boston. + +They began now to come from all quarters, against their merry dancing +day. Among some of them came one good-wife Kettle. I told her my heart +was so heavy that it was ready to break. "So is mine too," said she, +"but yet I hope we shall hear some good news shortly." I could hear how +earnestly my sister desired to see me, and I earnestly desired to see +her; yet neither of us could get an opportunity. My daughter was now +but a mile off, and I had not seen her for nine or ten weeks, as I had +not seen my sister since our first taking. I desired them to let me go +and see them; yea, I entreated, begged, and persuaded them to let me +see my daughter, and yet so hard-hearted were they that they would not +suffer it. They made use of their tyrannical power while they had it, +but through the Lord's wonderful mercy their time was now but short. + +On a Sabbath day, the sun being about an hour high in the afternoon, +came Mr. John Hoar (the council permitting him, and his own forward +spirit inclining him), together with the two forementioned Indians, Tom +and Peter, with the third letter from the council. When they came near +I was abroad. They presently called me in, and bid me sit down and not +stir. Then they catched up their guns and away they ran as if an enemy +had been at hand, and the guns went off apace. I manifested some great +trouble, and asked them what was the matter. I told them I thought they +had killed the Englishman (for they had in the meantime told me that an +Englishman was come). They said no; they shot over his horse, and +under, and before his horse, and they pushed him this way and that way, +at their pleasure, showing him what they could do. Then they let him +come to their wigwams. + +I begged of them to let me see the Englishman, but they would not; but +there was I fain to sit their pleasure. When they had talked their fill +with him, they suffered me to go to him. We asked each other of our +welfare, and how my husband did, and all my friends. He told me they +were all well, and would be glad to see me. Among other things which my +husband sent me, there came a pound of tobacco, which I sold for nine +shillings in money; for many of them for want of tobacco smoked hemlock +and ground-ivy. It was a great mistake in any who thought I sent for +tobacco, for through the favor of God that desire was overcome. + +I now asked them whether I should go home with Mr. Hoar. They answered +no, one and another of them, and it being late, we lay down with that +answer. In the morning Mr. Hoar invited the sagamores to dinner; but +when we went to get it ready, we found they had stolen the greatest +part of the provisions Mr. Hoar had brought. And we may see the +wonderful power of God in that one passage, in that when there was such +a number of them together, and so greedy of a little good food, and no +English there but Mr. Hoar and myself, that there they did not knock us +on the head and take what we had; there being not only some provision, +but also trading cloth, a part of the twenty pounds agreed upon. But +instead of doing us any mischief, they seemed to be ashamed of the +fact, and said it was the _matchit_[16] Indians that did it. Oh, +that we could believe that there was nothing too hard for God. God +showed His power over the heathen in this, as He did over the hungry +lions when Daniel was cast into the den. + + [16] Wicked. + +Mr. Hoar called them betime to dinner, but they ate but little, they +being so busy in dressing themselves and getting ready for their dance, +which was carried on by eight of them, four men and four squaws, my +master and mistress being two. He was dressed in his Holland shirt, +with great stockings, his garters hung round with shillings, and had +girdles of wampom upon his head and shoulders. She had a kersey coat, +covered with girdles of wampom from the loins upward. Her arms from her +elbows to her hands were covered with bracelets; there were handfuls of +necklaces about her neck, and several sorts of jewels in her ears. She +had fine red stockings, and white shoes, her hair powdered, and her +face painted red, that was always before black. And all the dancers +were after the same manner. + +There were two others singing and knocking on a kettle for their music. +They kept hopping up and down one after another, with a kettle of water +in the midst, standing warm upon some embers, to drink of when they +were dry. They held on till almost night, throwing out their wampom to +the standers-by. At night I asked them again if I should go home. They +all as one said no, except my husband would come for me. When we were +lain down, my master went out of the wigwam, and by and by sent in an +Indian called James the printer, who told Mr. Hoar that my master would +let me go home to-morrow if he would let him have one pint of liquor. +Then Mr. Hoar called his own Indians, Tom and Peter, and bid them all +go and see if he would promise it before them three, and if he would he +should have it; which he did and had it. + +Philip, smelling the business, called me to him, and asked me what I +would give him to tell me some good news, and to speak a good word for +me, that I might go home to-morrow. I told him I could not tell what to +give him, I would anything I had, and asked him what he would have. He +said two coats, and twenty shillings in money, half a bushel of seed +corn, and some tobacco. I thanked him for his love, but I knew that +good news as well as that crafty fox. + +On Tuesday morning they called their General Court, as they styled it, +to consult and determine whether I should go home or no. And they all +seemingly consented that I should go, except Philip, who would not come +among them. + +At first they were all against it, except my husband would come for me; +but afterwards they assented to it, and seeming to rejoice in it; some +asking me to send them some bread, others some tobacco, others shaking +me by the hand, offering me a hood and scarf to ride in; not one moving +hand or tongue against it. Thus hath the Lord answered my poor desires, +and the many earnest requests of others put up unto God for me. + +In my travels an Indian came to me and told me, if I were willing, he +and his squaw would run away, and go home along with me. I told them +no, I was not willing to run away, but desired to wait God's time, that +I might go home quietly and without fear. And now God hath granted me +my desire. Oh, the wonderful power of God that I have seen, and the +experiences that I have had! I have been in the midst of those roaring +lions and savage bears that feared neither God nor man nor the devil, +by night and day, alone and in company, sleeping all sorts together, +and yet not one of them ever offered the least abuse of unchastity to +me in word or action; though some are ready to say I speak it for my +own credit; but I speak it in the presence of God, and to His glory. +God's power is as great now as it was to save Daniel in the lions' den +or the three children in the fiery furnace. Especially that I should +come away in the midst of so many hundreds of enemies, and not a dog +move his tongue. + +So I took my leave of them, and in coming along my heart melted into +tears more than all the while I was with them, and I was almost +swallowed up with the thoughts that ever I should go home again. About +the sun's going down Mr. Hoar, myself, and the two Indians came to +Lancaster; and a solemn sight it was to me. There had I lived many +comfortable years among my relations and neighbors, and now not one +Christian to be seen, or one house left standing. We went on to a +farmhouse that was yet standing, where we lay all night; and a +comfortable lodging we had, though nothing but straw to lie on. The +Lord preserved us in safety that night, raised us up again in the +morning, and carried us along, that before noon we came to Concord. Now +was I full of joy, and yet not without sorrow; joy to see such a lovely +sight, so many Christians together, and some of them my neighbors. + +Being recruited with food and raiment, we went to Boston that day, +where I met with my dear husband; but the thoughts of our dear +children--one being dead and the other we could not tell where--abated +our comfort in each other. I was not before so much hemmed in by the +merciless and cruel heathen, but now as much with pitiful, +tender-hearted, and compassionate Christians. In that poor and beggarly +condition I was received in I was kindly entertained in several +houses.... The twenty pounds, the price of my redemption, was raised by +some Boston gentlewomen, and Mr. Usher, whose bounty and charity I +would not forget to make mention of. Then Mr. Thomas Shepard, of +Charlestown, received us into his house, where we continued eleven +weeks; and a father and mother they were unto us. And many more +tender-hearted friends we met with in that place. We were now in the +midst of love, yet not without much and frequent heaviness of heart for +our poor children and other relations who were still in affliction. + +The week following, after my coming in, the governor and council sent +to the Indians again, and that not without success; for they brought in +my sister and good-wife Kettle. About this time the council had ordered +a day of public thanksgiving, though I had still cause of mourning; and +being unsettled in our minds, we thought we would ride eastward, to see +if we could hear anything concerning our children. As we were riding +along between Ipswich and Rowley we met with William Hubbard, who told +us our son Joseph and my sister's son were come into Major Waldren's. I +asked him how he knew it. He said the major himself told him so. So +along we went till we came to Newbury; and their minister being absent, +they desired my husband to preach the thanksgiving for them; but he was +not willing to stay there that night, but he would go over to Salisbury +to hear farther, and come again in the morning, which he did, and +preached there that day. + +At night, when he had done, one came and told him that his daughter was +come into Providence. Here was mercy on both hands. Now we were between +them, the one on the east, and the other on the west. Our son being +nearest, we went to him first, to Portsmouth, where we met with him, +and with the major also, who told us he had done what he could, but +could not redeem him under seven pounds, which the good people +thereabouts were pleased to pay. On Monday we came to Charlestown, +where we heard that the Governor of Rhode Island had sent over for our +daughter, to take care of her, being now within his jurisdiction; which +should not pass without our acknowledgments. But she being nearer +Rehoboth than Rhode Island, Mr. Newman went over and took care of her, +and brought her to his own house. And the goodness of God was admirable +to us in our low estate, in that he raised up compassionate friends on +every side, when we had nothing to recompense any for their love. Our +family being now gathered together, the South Church in Boston hired a +house for us. Then we removed from Mr. Shepard's (those cordial +friends) and went to Boston, where we continued about three quarters of +a year.... + + + + +IV + +CAPTURE AND ESCAPE OF MERCY HARBISON, 1792 + + + On the 4th of November, 1791, a force of Americans under General + Arthur St. Clair was attacked, near the present Ohio-Indiana + boundary line, by about the same number of Indians led by Blue + Jacket, Little Turtle, and the white renegade Simon Girty. Their + defeat was the most disastrous that ever has been suffered by our + arms when engaged against a savage foe on anything like even terms. + Out of 86 officers and about 1400 regular and militia soldiers, St. + Clair lost 70 officers killed or wounded, and 845 men killed, + wounded, or missing. The survivors fled in panic, throwing away + their weapons and accoutrements. Such was "St. Clair's defeat." + + The utter incompetency of the officers commanding this expedition + may be judged from the single fact that a great number of women + were allowed to accompany the troops into a wilderness known to be + infested with the worst kind of savages. There were about 250 of + these women with the "army" on the day of the battle. Of these, 56 + were killed on the spot, many being pinned to the earth by stakes + driven through their bodies. Few of the others escaped captivity. + + After this unprecedented victory, the Indians became more + troublesome than ever along the frontier. No settler's home was + safe, and many were destroyed in the year of terror that followed. + The awful fate of one of those households is told in the following + touching narrative of Mercy Harbison, wife of one of the survivors + of St. Clair's defeat. How two of her little children were + slaughtered before her eyes, how she was dragged through the + wilderness with a babe at her breast, how cruelly maltreated, and + how she finally escaped, barefooted and carrying her infant through + days and nights of almost superhuman exertion, she has left record + in a deposition before the magistrates at Pittsburgh and in the + statement here reprinted. (_Editor._) + + +On the return of my husband from General St. Clair's defeat, and on his +recovery from the wound he received in the battle, he was made a spy, +and ordered to the woods on duty, about the 23d of March, 1792. The +appointment of spies to watch the movements of the savages was so +consonant with the desires and interests of the inhabitants that the +frontiers now resumed the appearance of quiet and confidence. Those who +had for nearly a year been huddled together in the blockhouses were +scattered to their own habitations, and began the cultivation of their +farms. The spies saw nothing to alarm them, or to induce them to +apprehend danger, until the fatal morning of my captivity. They +repeatedly came to our house to receive refreshments and to lodge. + +On the 15th of May my husband, with Captain Guthrie and other spies, +came home about dark and wanted supper; to procure which I requested +one of the spies to accompany me to the spring and spring-house, and +William Maxwell complied with my request. While at the spring and +spring-house we both distinctly heard a sound like the bleating of a +lamb or fawn. This greatly alarmed us and induced us to make a hasty +retreat into the house. Whether this was an Indian decoy, or a warning +of what I was to pass through, I am unable to determine. But from this +time and circumstance I became considerably alarmed, and entreated my +husband to remove me to some place more secure from Indian cruelties. +But Providence had designed that I should become a victim to their +rage, and that mercy should be made manifest in my deliverance. + +On the night of the 21st of May two of the spies, Mr. James Davis and +Mr. Sutton, came to lodge at our house, and on the morning of the 22d, +at daybreak, when the horn blew at the blockhouse, which was within +sight of our house and distant about two hundred yards, the two men got +up and went out. I was also awake, and saw the door open, and thought, +after I was taken prisoner, that the scouts had left it open. I +intended to rise immediately, but having a child at the breast, and it +being awakened, I lay with it at the breast to get it to sleep again, +and accidentally fell asleep myself. The spies have since informed me +that they returned to the house again, and found that I was sleeping; +that they softly fastened the door and went immediately to the +blockhouse, and those who examined the house after the scene was over +say that both doors had the appearance of being broken open. + +The first thing I knew from falling asleep was the Indians pulling me +out of bed by my feet. I then looked up and saw the house full of +Indians, every one having his gun in his left hand and tomahawk in his +right. Beholding the danger in which I was, I immediately jumped to the +floor on my feet, with the young child in my arms. I then took a +petticoat to put on, having on only the one in which I slept; but the +Indians took it from me, and as many as I attempted to put on they +succeeded in taking from me, so that I had to go just as I had been in +bed. While I was struggling with some of the savages for clothing, +others of them went and took the children out of another bed, and +immediately took the two feather beds to the door and emptied them. + +The savages immediately began their work of plunder and devastation. +What they were unable to carry with them they destroyed. While they +were at their work, I made to the door, and succeeded in getting out +with one child in my arms and another by my side; but the other little +boy was so much displeased by being so early disturbed in the morning +that he would not come to the door. + +When I got out I saw Mr. Wolf, one of the soldiers, going to the spring +for water, and beheld two or three of the savages attempting to get +between him and the blockhouse; but Mr. Wolf was unconscious of his +danger, for the savages had not yet been discovered. I then gave a +terrific scream, by which means Mr. Wolf discovered his danger and +started to run for the blockhouse. Seven or eight of the Indians fired +at him, but the only injury he received was a bullet in his arm, which +broke it. He succeeded in making his escape to the blockhouse. When I +raised the alarm, one of the Indians came up to me with his tomahawk as +though about to take my life; a second came and placed his hand before +my mouth and told me to hush, when a third came with a lifted tomahawk +and attempted to give me a blow; but the first that came raised his +tomahawk and averted the blow, and claimed me as his squaw. + +The commissary, with his waiter, slept in the storehouse near the +blockhouse; and, upon hearing the report of the guns, came to the door +to see what was the matter; and, beholding the danger he was in, made +his escape to the blockhouse; but not without being discovered by the +Indians, several of whom fired at him, and one of the bullets went +through his handkerchief, which was tied about his head, and took off +some of his hair. The handkerchief, with several bullet-holes in it, he +afterwards gave to me. + +The waiter, on coming to the door, was met by the Indians, who fired +upon him, and he received two bullets through the body and fell dead by +the door. The savages then set up one of their tremendous and +terrifying yells, and pushed forward and attempted to scalp the man +they had killed; but they were prevented from executing their +diabolical purpose by the heavy fire which was kept up through the +portholes from the blockhouse. + +In this scene of horror and alarm I began to meditate an escape, and +for that purpose I attempted to direct the attention of the Indians +from me and to fix it on the blockhouse, and thought if I could succeed +in this I would retreat to a subterranean cave with which I was +acquainted, which was in the run near where we were. For this purpose I +began to converse with some of those who were near me respecting the +strength of the blockhouse, the number of men in it, etc., and being +informed that there were forty men there, and that they were excellent +marksmen, the savages immediately came to the determination to retreat, +and for this purpose they ran to those who were besieging the +blockhouse and brought them away. + +They then began to flog me with their wiping sticks, and to order me +along. Thus what I intended as the means of my escape was the means of +accelerating my departure in the hands of the savages. But it was no +doubt ordered by a kind Providence for the preservation of the fort and +the inhabitants in it; for when the savages gave up the attack and +retreated, some of the men in the fort had the last load of ammunition +in their guns, and there was no possibility of procuring more, for it +was all fastened up in the storehouse, which was inaccessible. + +The Indians, when they had flogged me away with them, took my oldest +boy, a lad about five years of age, along with them, for he was still +at the door by my side. My middle little boy, who was about three years +of age, had by this time obtained a situation by the fire in the house, +and was crying bitterly to me not to go, and making sore complaints of +the depredations of the savages. But these monsters were not willing to +let the child remain behind them; they took him by the hand to drag him +along with them, but he was so very unwilling to go, and made such a +noise by crying, that they took him up by his feet and dashed his +brains out against the threshold of the door. They then scalped and +stabbed him, and left him for dead. When I witnessed this inhuman +butchery of my own child I gave a most indescribable and terrific +scream, and felt a dimness come over my eyes, next to blindness, and my +senses were nearly gone. The savages then gave me a blow across my head +and face and brought me to my sight and recollection again. During the +whole of this agonizing scene I kept my infant in my arms. + +As soon as the murder was effected they marched me along to the top of +the bank, about forty or sixty rods, and there they stopped and divided +the plunder which they had taken from our house, and here I counted +their number and found them to be thirty-two, two of whom were white +men painted as Indians. Several of the Indians could speak English +well. I knew several of them well, having seen them going up and down +the Alleghany River. I knew two of them to be from the Seneca tribe of +Indians, and two of them Munsees; for they had called at the shop to +get their guns repaired, and I saw them there. + +We went from this place about forty rods, and they then caught my uncle +John Currie's horses, and two of them, into whose custody I was put, +started with me on the horses towards the mouth of the Kiskiminetas, +and the rest of them went off towards Puckety. When they came to the +bank that descended towards the Alleghany it was so very steep, and +there appeared so much danger in descending it on horseback that I +threw myself off the horse, in opposition to the will and command of +the savages. + +My horse descended without falling, but the one on which the Indian +rode who had my little boy, in descending, fell and rolled over +repeatedly; and my little boy fell back over the horse, but was not +materially injured; he was taken up by one of the Indians, and we got +to the bank of the river, where they had secreted some bark canoes +under the rocks, opposite the island that lies between the Kiskiminetas +and Buffalo. They attempted, in vain, to make the horses take the +river, and had to leave the horses behind them, and took us in one of +the canoes to the point of the island, and there left the canoe. + +Here I beheld another hard scene, for as soon as we landed, my little +boy, who was still mourning and lamenting about his little brother, and +who complained that he was injured by the fall in descending the bank, +_was murdered_. One of the Indians ordered me along, probably that +I should not see the horrid deed about to be perpetrated. The other +then took his tomahawk from his side, and with this instrument of death +killed and scalped him. When I beheld this second scene of inhuman +butchery I fell to the ground senseless, with my infant in my arms, it +being under and its little hands in the hair of my head. How long I +remained in this state of insensibility I know not. + +The first thing I remember was my raising my head from the ground and +feeling myself exceedingly overcome with sleep. I cast my eyes around +and saw the scalp of my dear little boy, fresh bleeding from his head, +in the hand of one of the savages, and sank down to the earth again +upon my infant child. The first thing I remember, after witnessing this +spectacle of woe, was the severe blows I was receiving from the hands +of the savages, though at that time I was unconscious of the injury I +was sustaining. After a severe castigation, they assisted me in getting +up, and supported me when up. The scalp of my little boy was hid from +my view, and in order to bring me to my senses again they took me back +to the river and led me in knee-deep; this had its intended effect. +But, "the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." + +We now proceeded on our journey by crossing the island, and coming to a +shallow place where we could wade out, and so arrive at the Indian side +of the country. Here they pushed me in the river before them, and had +to conduct me through it. The water was up to my breast, but I +suspended my child above the water, and, with the assistance of the +savages, got safely out. Thence we rapidly proceeded forward, and came +to Big Buffalo; here the stream was very rapid and the Indians had +again to assist me. When we had crossed this creek, we made a straight +course to the Connoquenessing Creek, the very place where Butler, Pa., +now stands; and thence we travelled five or six miles to Little +Buffalo, which we crossed. + +I now felt weary of my life, and had a full determination to make the +savages kill me, thinking that death would be exceedingly welcome when +compared to the fatigue, cruelties, and miseries I had the prospect of +enduring. To have my purpose effected I stood still, one of the savages +being before me, and the other walking behind me, and I took from off +my shoulder a large powder-horn they made me carry, in addition to my +child, who was one year and four days old. I threw the horn on the +ground, closed my eyes, and expected every moment to feel the deadly +tomahawk. But to my surprise the Indian took it up, cursed me bitterly, +and put it on my shoulder again. I took it off the second time, and +threw it on the ground, and again closed my eyes, with the assurance I +should meet death; but instead of this, the Indian again took up the +horn, and with an indignant, frightful countenance, came and placed it +on again. I took it off the third time, and was determined to effect +it, and, therefore, threw it as far as I was able from me, over the +rocks. The savage immediately went after it, while the one who had +claimed me as his squaw, and who had stood and witnessed the +transaction, came up to me and said: "Well done; you did right and are +a good squaw, and the other is a lazy son-of-a-gun; he may carry it +himself." + +The savages now changed their position, and the one who claimed me as +his squaw went behind. This movement, I believe, was to prevent the +other from doing me any injury; and we went on till we struck the +Connoquenessing at the Salt Lick, about two miles above Butler, where +was an Indian camp, where we arrived a little before dark, having no +refreshment during the day. The camp was made of stakes driven into the +ground, sloping, and covered with chestnut bark, and appeared +sufficiently long for fifty men. The camp appeared to have been +occupied for some time; it was very much trodden, and large beaten +paths went out from it in different directions. + +That night they took me about three hundred yards from the camp, up a +run, into a large, dark bottom, where they cut the brush in a thicket +and placed a blanket on the ground and permitted me to sit down with my +child. They then pinioned my arms back, only with a little liberty, so +that it was with difficulty that I managed my child. Here, in this +dreary situation, without fire or refreshment, having an infant to take +care of, and my arms bound behind me, and having a savage on each side +of me who had killed two of my dear children that day, I had to pass +the first night of my captivity. + +But the trials and tribulations of the day I had passed had so +completely exhausted nature that, notwithstanding my unpleasant +situation, and my determination to escape, if possible, I insensibly +fell asleep, and repeatedly dreamed of my escape and safe arrival in +Pittsburgh, and several things relating to the town, of which I knew +nothing at the time, but found to be true when I arrived there. The +first night passed away and I found no means of escape, for the savages +kept watch the whole of the night without any sleep. + +In the morning one of them left us to watch the trail we had come, to +see if any white people were pursuing us. During the absence of the +Indian, the one that claimed and remained with me, and who was the +murderer of my last boy, took from his bosom his scalp, and prepared a +hoop and stretched the scalp upon it. Those mothers who have not seen +the like done to one of the scalps of their own children will be able +to form but faint ideas of the feelings which then harrowed up my soul. +I meditated revenge! While he was in the very act I attempted to take +his tomahawk, which hung by his side and rested on the ground, and had +nearly succeeded, and was, as I thought, about to give the fatal blow, +when, alas! I was detected. + +The savage felt at his tomahawk handle, turned upon me, cursed me and +told me I was a Yankee; thus insinuating he understood my intention, +and to prevent me from doing so again, faced me. My excuse to him for +handling his tomahawk was, that my child wanted to play with the handle +of it. The savage who went upon the lookout in the morning came back +about twelve o'clock, and had discovered no pursuers. Then the one who +had been guarding me went out on the same errand. The savage who was +now my guard began to examine me about the white people, the strength +of the armies going against the Indians, etc., and boasted largely of +their achievements in the preceding fall, at the defeat of General St. +Clair. + +He then examined the plunder which he had brought from our house the +day before. He found my pocket-book and money among his plunder. There +were ten dollars in silver and a half-guinea in gold in the book. +During this day they gave me a piece of dried venison, about the bulk +of an egg, and a piece about the same size the day we were marching, +for my support and that of my child; but, owing to the blows I had +received from them on the jaws, I was unable to eat a bit of it. I +broke it up and gave it to the child. + +The savage on the lookout returned about dark. This evening (Monday, +the 23d) they moved me to another station in the same valley, and +secured me as they did the preceding night. Thus I found myself the +second night between two Indians, without fire and refreshment. During +this night I was frequently asleep, notwithstanding my unpleasant +situation, and as often dreamed of my arrival in Pittsburgh. + +Early on the morning of the 24th a flock of mocking-birds and robins +hovered over us as we lay in our uncomfortable bed; and sang and said, +at least to my imagination, that I was to get up and go off. As soon as +day broke, one of the Indians went off again to watch the trail, as on +the preceding day, and he who was left to take care of me appeared to +be sleeping. When I perceived this I lay still and began to snore, as +though asleep, and he also fell asleep. Then I concluded it was time to +escape. I found it impossible to injure him for my child at the breast, +as I could not effect anything without putting the child down, and then +it would cry and give the alarm; so I contented myself with taking, +from a pillow-case of plunder stolen from our house, a short gown, +handkerchief, and child's frock, and so made my escape; the sun then +being about half an hour high. + +I struck the Connoquenessing, and went down stream until about two +o'clock in the afternoon, over rocks, precipices, thorns, briers, etc., +with my bare feet and legs. I then discovered I was on the wrong +course, and waited till the North Star appeared. Marking out the +direction for the next day, I collected a bed of leaves, laid down and +slept, though my feet, being full of thorns, began to be exceedingly +painful, and I had nothing for self or babe to eat. The next morning I +started early, nothing material occurring. Towards evening a gentle +rain came on, and I began to prepare my leaf bed, setting the child +down the while, who began to cry. Fearful of the consequences, I put +him to the breast and he became quiet. I then listened and distinctly +heard footsteps. The ground over which I had travelled was soft and my +foot traces had been followed. + +Greatly alarmed, I looked about for a place of safety, and +providentially discovered a large tree which had fallen, into the top +of which I crept. The darkness greatly assisted me and prevented +detection. The savage who followed me had heard the cry of the child +and came to the very spot where it had cried, and there he halted, put +down his gun, and was at this time so near that I heard the wiping +stick strike against his gun distinctly. My getting in under the tree +and sheltering myself from the rain, and pressing my boy to my bosom, +got him warm, and, most providentially, he fell asleep, and lay very +still during that time of extreme danger. All was still and quiet; the +savage was listening to hear again the cry. My own heart was the only +thing I feared, and that beat so loud that I was apprehensive it would +betray me. It is almost impossible to conceive the wonderful effect my +situation produced upon my whole system. + +After the savage had stood and listened with nearly the stillness of +death for two hours, the sound of a bell and a cry like that of a night +owl, signals which were given to him by his companions, induced him to +answer, and after he had given a most horrid yell, which was calculated +to harrow up my soul, he started and went off to join them. After his +retreat, I concluded it unsafe to remain there till morning. + +But by this time nature was so nearly exhausted that I found some +difficulty in moving; yet, compelled by necessity, I threw my coat +about my child and placed the end between my teeth, and with one arm +and my teeth I carried him, and with the other groped my way between +the trees and travelled on, as I supposed, a mile or two, and there sat +down at the root of a tree till morning. The night was cold and wet, +and thus terminated the fourth day-and-night's difficulties, trials, +and dangers! + +The fifth day, wet, exhausted, hungry, and wretched, I started from my +resting-place as soon as I could see my way, and on that morning struck +the head-waters of Pine Creek, which falls into the Alleghany about +four miles above Pittsburgh; though I knew not then what waters they +were; I crossed them, and on the opposite bank I found a path, and on +it two moccason tracks, fresh indented. This alarmed me; but as they +were before me, and travelling in the same direction as I was, I +concluded I could see them as soon as they could see me, and, +therefore, I pressed on in that path for about three miles, when I came +to where another branch emptied into the creek, where was a hunter's +camp, where the two men, whose tracks I had before discovered and +followed, had breakfasted and left the fire burning. + +I became more alarmed, and determined to leave the path. I then crossed +a ridge towards Squaw Run, and came upon a trail. Here I stopped and +meditated what to do; and while I was thus musing I saw three deer +coming towards me at full speed; they turned to look at their pursuers; +I looked too, with all attention, and saw the flash and heard the +report of a gun. I saw some dogs start after them, and began to look +about for shelter, and immediately made for a large log to hide myself. +Providentially I did not go clear to the log; for as I put my hand to +the ground, to raise myself so that I might see who and where the +hunters were, I saw a large heap of rattlesnakes, the top one being +very large, and coiled up very near my face, and quite ready to bite +me. + +I again left my course, bearing to the left, and came upon the +head-waters of Squaw Run, and kept down the run the remainder of that +day. It rained, and I was in a very deplorable situation; so cold and +shivering were my limbs, that frequently, in opposition to all my +struggles, I gave an involuntary groan. I suffered intensely from +hunger, though my jaws were so far recovered that, wherever I could, I +procured grape-vines, and chewed them for a little sustenance. In the +evening I came within one mile of the Alleghany River, though I was +ignorant of it at the time; and there, at the root of a tree, through a +most tremendous rain, I took up my fifth night's lodgings. In order to +shelter my infant as much as possible, I placed him in my lap, and then +leaned my head against the tree, and thus let the rain fall upon me. + +On the sixth (that was the Sabbath) morning from my captivity, I found +myself unable, for a very considerable time, to raise myself from the +ground; and when I had once more, by hard struggling, got myself upon +my feet and started, nature was so nearly exhausted and my spirits were +so completely depressed that my progress was amazingly slow and +discouraging. In this almost helpless condition I had not gone far +before I came to a path where there had been cattle travelling; I took +it, under the impression that it would lead me to the abode of some +white people, and in about a mile I came to an uninhabited cabin, and +though I was in a river bottom, yet I knew not where I was nor yet on +what river bank I had come. + +Here I was seized with feelings of despair, went to the threshold of +the cabin and concluded that I would enter and lie down and die, since +death would have been an angel of mercy to me in such a miserable +situation. Had it not been for the sufferings which my infant, who +would survive me some time, must endure, I would have carried my +determination into execution. Here I heard the sound of a cow-bell, +which imparted a gleam of hope to my desponding mind. I followed the +sound till I came opposite the fort at the Six Mile Island, where I saw +three men on the opposite bank of the river. + +My feelings then can be better imagined than described. I called to +them, but they seemed unwilling to risk the danger of coming after me, +and asked who I was. I told them, and they requested me to walk up the +bank awhile that they might see if Indians were making a decoy of me; +but I replied my feet were so sore I could not walk. Then one of them, +James Closier, got into a canoe to fetch me over, while the other two +stood with cocked rifles ready to fire on the Indians, provided they +were using me as a decoy. When Mr. Closier came near and saw my haggard +and dejected appearance, he exclaimed, "Who in the name of God are +you?" This man was one of my nearest neighbors, yet in six days I was +so much altered that he did not know me, either by my voice or +countenance. + +When I landed on the inhabited side of the river the people from the +fort came running out to see me. They took the child from me, and now +that I felt safe from all danger, I found myself unable to move or to +assist myself in any degree, whereupon the people took me and carried +me out of the boat to the house of Mr. Cortus. + +Now that I felt secure from the cruelties of the barbarians, for the +first time since my captivity, my feelings returned in all their +poignancy and the tears flowed freely, imparting a happiness beyond +what I ever experienced. When I was taken into the house the heat of +the fire and the smell of victuals, of both of which I had so long been +deprived, caused me to faint. Some of the people attempted to restore +me and some to put clothes on me, but their kindness would have killed +me had it not been for the arrival of Major McCully, who then commanded +along the river. When he understood my situation, and saw the +provisions they were preparing for me, he was greatly alarmed; ordered +me out of the house, away from the heat and smell; prohibited me from +taking anything but a very little whey of buttermilk, which he +administered with his own hands. Through this judicious management I +was mercifully restored to my senses and gradually to health and +strength. + +Two of the females, Sarah Carter and Mary Ann Crozier, then began to +take out the thorns from my feet and legs, which Mr. Felix Negley stood +by and counted to the number of one hundred and fifty, though they were +not all extracted at that time, for the next evening, at Pittsburgh, +there were many more taken out. The flesh was mangled dreadfully, and +the skin and flesh were hanging in pieces on my feet and legs. The +wounds were not healed for a considerable time. Some of the thorns went +through my feet and came out at the top. For two weeks I was unable to +put my feet to the ground to walk. The next morning a young man +employed by the magistrates of Pittsburgh came for me to go immediately +to town to give in my deposition, that it might be published to the +American people. Some of the men carried me into a canoe, and when I +arrived I gave my deposition. As the intelligence spread, Pittsburgh, +and the country for twenty miles around, was all in a state of +commotion. The same evening my husband came to see me, and soon after I +was taken back to Coe's Station. In the evening I gave an account of +the murder of my boy on the island, and the next morning a scout went +out and found the body and buried it, nine days after the murder. + + +THE END + + + + +OUTING ADVENTURE LIBRARY + +_Edited by Horace Kephart_ + + +¶ Here are brought together for the first time the great stories of +adventure of all ages and countries. These are the personal records of +the men who climbed the mountains and penetrated the jungles; who +explored the seas and crossed the deserts; who knew the chances and +took them, and lived to write their own tales of hardship and endurance +and achievement. The series will consist of an indeterminate number of +volumes--for the stories are myriad. The whole will be edited by Horace +Kephart. Each volume answers the test of these two questions: Is it +true? Is it interesting? + +¶ The entire series is uniform in style and binding. Among the titles +now ready or in preparation are those described on the following pages. + + PRICE $1.00 EACH, NET. POSTAGE 10 CENTS EXTRA + + THE NUMBERS MAKE ORDERING CONVENIENT + +1. IN THE OLD WEST, by George Frederick Ruxton. The men who blazed the +trail across the Rockies to the Pacific were the independent trappers +and hunters in the days before the Mexican war. They left no records of +their adventures and most of them linger now only as shadowy names. But +a young Englishman lived among them for a time, saw life from their +point of view, trapped with them and fought with them against the +Indians. That was George Frederick Ruxton. His story is our only +complete picture of the Old West in the days of the real Pioneers, of +Kit Carson, Jim Bridger, Bill Williams, the Sublettes, and all the rest +of that glorious company of the forgotten who opened the West. + + +2. CASTAWAYS AND CRUSOES. Since the beginnings of navigation men have +faced the dangers of shipwreck and starvation. Scattered through the +annals of the sea are the stories of those to whom disaster came and +the personal records of the way they met it. Some of them are given in +this volume, narratives of men who lived by their hands among savages +and on forlorn coasts, or drifted helpless in open boats. They range +from the South Seas to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, from the iron coast of +Patagonia to the shores of Cuba. They are echoes from the days when the +best that could be hoped by the man who went to sea was hardship and +man's-sized work. + + +3. CAPTIVES AMONG THE INDIANS. First of all is the story of Captain +James Smith, who was captured by the Delawares at the time of +Braddock's defeat, was adopted into the tribe, and for four years lived +as an Indian, hunting with them, studying their habits, and learning +their point of view. Then there is the story of Father Bressani who +felt the tortures of the Iroquois, of Mary Rowlandson who was among the +human spoils of King Philip's war, and of Mercy Harbison who suffered +in the red flood that followed St. Clair's defeat. All are personal +records made by the actors themselves in those days when the Indian was +constantly at our forefathers's doors. + + +4. FIRST THROUGH THE GRAND CANYON, by Major John Wesley Powell. Major +Powell was an officer in the Union Army who lost an arm at Shiloh. In +spite of this four years after the war he organized an expedition which +explored the Grand Canyon of the Colorado in boats--the first to make +this journey. His story has been lost for years in the oblivion of a +scientific report. It is here rescued and presented as a record of one +of the great personal exploring feats, fitted to rank with the exploits +of Pike, Lewis and Clark, and Mackenzie. + + +5. ADRIFT IN THE ARCTIC ICE-PACK, By Elisha Kent Kane, M.D. Out of the +many expeditions that went north in search of Sir John Franklin over +fifty years ago, it fell to the lot of one, financed by a New York +merchant, to spend an Arctic winter drifting aimlessly in the grip of +the Polar ice in Lancaster Sound. The surgeon of the expedition kept a +careful diary and out of that record told the first complete story of a +Far Northern winter. That story is here presented, shorn of the purely +scientific data and stripped to the personal exploits and adventures of +the author and the other members of the crew. + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Captives Among the Indians, by +James Smith and Francesco Giuseppe Bressani and Mary White Rowlandson and Mercy Harbison + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 44934 *** |