The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, Vol. 1 (of 2): or, Illustrations, by Pen And Pencil, of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the War for IndependenceLossing, Benson John
History
The Pictorial Field-Book of the Revolution, Vol. 1 (of 2): or, Illustrations, by Pen And Pencil, of the History, Biography, Scenery, Relics, and Traditions of the War for Independence
Lossing, Benson John
United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783
All accounts agree that Miss M'Crea was staying at the house of a Mrs.
M'Neil, near the fort, at the time of the tragedy. A granddaughter of
Mrs. M'Neil (Mrs.F--n) is now living at Fort 1848. Edward, and from her
I received a minute account of the whole transaction, as she had heard
it a "thousand times" from her grandmother. She is a woman of remarkable
intelligence, about sixty years old. When I was at Fort Edward she was
on a visit with her sister at Glenn's Falls. It had been my intention to
go direct to Whitehall, on Lake Champlain, by way of Fort Ann, but the
traditionary accounts in the neighborhood of the event in question were
so contradictory of the books, and I received such assurances that
perfect reliance might be placed upon the statements of Mrs. F-n, that,
anxious to ascertain the truth of the matter, if possible, we went to
Lake Champlain by way of Glenn's Falls and Lake George. After
considerable search at the falls, I found Mrs. F-n, and the following is
her relation of the tragedy at Fort Edward.
Jane M'Crea was the daughter of a Scotch Presbyterian clergyman of
Jersey City, opposite New York; and while Mrs. M'Neil (then the wife of
a former husband named Campbell) was a resident of New York City, an
acquaintance and intimacy had grown up between Jenny and her daughter.
After the death of Campbell (which occurred at sea) Mrs. Campbell
married M'Neil. He, too, was lost at sea, and she removed with her
family to an estate
Residence of Jane M'Crea at Fort Edward.--Her Betrothal.--Abduction of
Mrs. M'Neil and Jane.
098
owned by him at Fort Edward. Mr. M'Crea, who was a widower, died, and
Jane went to live with her brother near Fort Edward, where the intimacy
of former years with Mrs. M'Neil and her daughter was renewed, and Jane
spent much of her time at Mrs. M'Neil's house. Near her brother's lived
a family named Jones, consisting of a widow and six sons, and between
Jenny and David Jones, a gay young man, a feeling of friendship budded
and ripened into reciprocal love. When the war broke out the Joneses
took the royal side of the question, and David and his brother Jonathan
went to Canada in the autumn of 1776. They raised a company of about
sixty men, under pretext of re-enforcing the American garrison at
Ticonderoga, but they went further down the lake and joined the British
garrison at June l, 1777 Crown Point. When Burgoyne collected his forces
at St. John's, at the foot of Lake Champlain, David and Jonathan Jones
were among them. Jonathan was made captain and David a lieutenant in the
division under General Fraser, and at the time in question they were
with the British army near Sandy Hill. Thus far all accounts nearly
agree.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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