Anecdotes of the American Indians, illustrating their eccentricities of character
History
Anecdotes of the American Indians, illustrating their eccentricities of character
Indians of North America -- Anecdotes
When all was quiet, the gates were opened and the signal given. The
Indians entered, set a guard at the door, and rushed into the major’s
apartment, which was an inner room. Awakened by the noise, he jumped
out of bed, and though now advanced in life to the age of eighty years,
he retained so much vigour as to drive them with his sword through two
or three doors, but as he was returning for his other arms, they came
behind him, stunned him with a hatchet, drew him into his hall, and
seating him in an elbow chair on a long table insultingly asked him,
“Who shall judge Indians now?” They then obliged the people in the
house to get them some victuals: and when they had done eating, they
cut the major across the breast and belly with knives, each one with
a stroke saying, “I cross out my account.” They then cut off his nose
and ears, forcing them into his mouth—and when, spent with the loss of
blood, he was falling down from the table, one of them held his own
sword under him, which put an end to his misery. They also killed his
son in law Abraham Lee; but took his daughter Lee with several others,
and having pillaged the house, left it on fire. Otis’s garrison,
which was next to the major’s, met with the same fate; he was killed,
with several others, and his wife and child were captured. Heard’s
was saved by the barking of a dog just as the Indians were entering:
Elder Wentworth, who was awakened by the noise, pushed them out, and
falling on his back, set his feet against the gate and held it till
he had alarmed the people; two balls were fired through it but both
missed him. Coffin’s house was surprised, but as the Indians had no
particular enmity to him, they spared his life, and the lives of his
family, and contended themselves with pillaging the house. Finding a
bag of money, they made him throw it by handfulls on the floor, while
they amused themselves in scrambling for it. They then went to the
house of his son who would not admit the squaws in the evening, and
summoned him to surrender, promising him quarter: he declined their
offer, and determined to defend his house, till they brought out his
father and threatened to kill him before his eyes; filial affection
then overcame his resolution, and he surrendered. They put both
families together into a deserted house, intending to reserve them for
prisoners; but while the Indians were busy in plundering, they all
escaped.
Twenty-three people were killed in this surprisal, and twenty-nine
were captured; five or six houses with the mills were burned; and so
expeditious were the Indians in the execution of their plot, that
before the people could be collected from the other parts of the town
to oppose them, they fled with their prisoners and booty. As they
passed by Heard’s garrison in their retreat, they fired upon it, but
the people being prepared and resolved to defend it, and the enemy
being in haste, it was preserved. The preservation of its owner was
more remarkable.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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