USA > New York > Schoharie County > History of Schoharie county, and border wars of New York > Part 30
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In the vicinity of Harpersfield the Indians made prisoners an
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aged man named Brown, and two little boys-his grand-sons. On the day after the party met Clockstone, as the traveling was very bad, Brown, having also a heavy pack to carry, found himself unable to keep up with the company, and begged permission of his captors to return ; telling them that he was too old to take any part in the war, and could not injure the king's cause. On his making this request, the party halted and the old gentleman's pack was taken from him. Knowing the Indian character, he read his fate in the expressive gestures of his silent masters, and told his grand-sons, in a low voice, that they would never see him again, for the Indians were going to kill him. He took an affect- ing leave of the boys and was then compelled to fall in the rear, where he was left in the charge of an Indian, whose face, painted black, denoted him as being the executioner for the party. In a short time this Indian overtook his comrades with the hairless scalp of the murdered prisoner, hanging at the end of his gun.
The party proceeded down the Delaware river to the Cook- house flats, from whence they directed their course to Oquago. Constructing rafts, they floated down the Susquehanna to the mouth of the Chemung. The prisoners were unbound when on the raft, but rebound on leaving it.
The Indians, capable of enduring more fatigue than their pri- soners on a scanty supply of food-being provided with snow-shoes, and having little baggage to carry, would probably have wearied out most of their prisoners, whose bodies, like that of poor Brown, would have been left to feast wild beasts, and their bones, like his, to bleach upon the mountains, had not Brant providentially fallen ill of fever and ague, which compelled the party for a time · to lay by every other day on his account. They had been jour- neying about a fortnight, and were approaching a warmer lati- tude, when a rattle-snake, which had left its den in a warm spot, was killed, and a soup made of it, a free use of which effected a cure for the invalid.
The corn obtained near the head of the Delaware, was equally distributed among the whole party, by an allowance of about two handfuls a day, which was counted out by the berry to deal jus-
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tice. This is a noble trait of the Indian character. He never grudgingly gives a scanty allowance to his prisoner, and satiates his own appetite, but shares equally his last morsel with him. The corn was boiled in small kettles carried by the Indians pre- paratory to eating.
While in the vicinity of Tioga-Point, the prisoners came near being sacrificed, to gratify the savage disposition to revenge, even on the innocent, an injury done to a friend. While the Indians were on their way down the Chemung, Brant detached ten of his warriors, mostly Senecas, to a place called Minisink,* an old frontier settlement on the borders of New York and Pennsyl- vania, in the hope of making prisoners and plunder. They ar- rived in due time at the place of destination, and succeeded in ob- taining several scalps and five prisoners, three men and two small children. The following particulars of their capture and escape, I find in a note subjoined to Treat's Oration, delivered at Geneseo in 1841, on exhuming the remains of Lieut. Boyd and his com- mand.
" The father of Major Van Campen was thrust through with a spear; and whilst the red warrior was, with his foot on the breast of his victim, endeavoring to extricate his spear, another savage had dashed out the brains of Moses Van Campen's brother with a tomahawk, and was aiming a blow at Moses' head. He seized the Indian's arm, and arrested the descending blow. Whilst thus en- gaged, his father's murderer thrust his spear at his side. But he avoided the weapon, being only slightly wounded. At this mo- ment the chief interfered, and his life was spared.
" After several days' march, the party of Senecas above men- tioned, arrived near Tioga point, with Lieut. (now Major) Van Campen ; a Dutchman by the name of Pence; Pike, a robust Yankee; and two small children. During the day, these prison- ers marched with the party, bearing the baggage ; and at the eve -. ning halt, were made to carry the wood for the fires.
" Van Campen had, for some time, urged upon the two men, prisoners with him, to make an attempt to escape during the night, by tomahawking the Indians whilst sleeping. He depicted to them the horrors of a long captivity, and of the agonizing tortures to which they would probably be subjected. His companions, however, were at first alarmed at the danger of a contest with ten warriors. During the afternoon preceding the eventful night of
* This word signifies, as I have been told, " The water is gone.".
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their delivery, he succeeded in persuading them to join him in the meditated blow, before they crossed the river and their retreat was thereby cut off. He advised them to remove the Indians' rifles ; and with the head of the tomahawks, dash out their brains ; for if the edges of the weapon were used, the time required to extricate the hatchet after each blow, would prove a dangerous delay. He was over-ruled by his comrades; and after some discussion among them, that plan was adopted, which was finally acted upon.
" At evening, the savages, according to their custom, lighted their fires, and bound the arms of the captives behind their backs. They then cut two forked stakes for each side of the fire, and placed between them (resting on the forks) two poles, against which they could lean their rifles. During the evening meal, one of the savages, after sharpening a stick on which to roast his meat, laid down his knife in the grass, near the feet of Van Campen, who saw it, and so turned his feet as to cover it, hoping the Indian would forget it before going to rest. After the meal was finished, the ten Indians having first examined their prisoners to ascertain if they were fast bound, lay down to sleep. Five were on each side of the fire-their heads under the poles, and his rifle standing at the head of each, ready to be grasped at the instant.
" About midnight, Van Campen sat up and looked around, to learn if all were asleep. Their loud snoring told him the hour to strike had arrived. He then, with his feet drew the knife within reach of his pinioned hands. Rising cautiously, he roused his companions. Pence cut the bands from Van Campen's arms, and the latter then cut loose his two comrades. There had been a slight fall of snow, which had frozen among the leaves, and ren- dered every footstep fearfully audible. But they succeeded in re- moving all the rifles to a tree at a short distance from the fire, without awaking one of the warriors. During the afternoon, sev- eral of the rifles had been discharged in killing a deer, and, through forgetfulness, left unloaded. The plan proposed was, that Pence, who was an excellent marksman, should lie down on the left of one row of Indians, with three rifles ; and, at the given signal, fire. They supposed the same ball would pass through at least two sav- ages. In the mean time, Van Campen should tomahawk three of those on the other side and Pike, two. Then there would be but three Indians remaining, and each of the captives was to fasten on his foe-Van Campen and Pike with their tomahawks, and Pence with one of the undischarged rifles. Fortunately, for their safety, Pence had taken the two unloaded rifles.
" All things being ready, Van Campen's tomahawk dashed out the brains of one of the Indians at a single blow ; but Pence's ri- fle snapped without discharging. At the noise, one of the two as- signed to Pike's charge, with a sudden " ugh !" extended his hand for his rifle. Pike's heart failing him at this awful crisis : he crouched to the ground and stirred not. But Van Campen saw the Indian starting to his feet ; and, as quick as thought, drove the
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tomahawk through his head. Just as the fifth blow of Van Camp- en had despatched the last savage on his side of the fire, Pence tried the third rifle, and the ball passed through the heads of four. The fifth on that side, John Mohawk, bounded to his feet, and rushed towards the rifles. Van Campen darted between him and the tree, and Mohawk turned in flight. Van Campen pursued him, and drove the tomahawk through his shoulder. Mohawk imme- diately grappled his adversary; and, in the struggle, both fell- Van Campen undermost. Each knew his life depended on the firmness of his grasp; and they clung to each other with unre- laxed nerve, and writhed to break free. Van Campen lay under the wounded shoulder, and was almost suffocated with the Indian's blood which streamed over his face. He eagerly stretched his hand around Mohawk's body to reach the knife of the latter ; for the tomahawk had fallen from his hand in the struggle. But as they fell, the Indian's belt had been twisted around his body, and the knife was beyond his reach. At length they break away, and both spring to their feet. Mohawk's arms had been round Van Campen's neck, and the arm of the latter over the back of the former. As they gained their feet, Van Campen seized the toma- hawk and pursued the again retreating Indian. His first impulse was to hurl the hatchet at his foe; but he saw at once the impru- dence of the course. If it missed its object, it would be turned in a moment against his own life; and he therefore gave over the pursuit, and one alone of the ten Senecas escaped.
" On returning to his comrades, he found Pike on his knees beg- ging for his life, and Pence standing over him with loaded rifle, ready to fire. Pence answered V. C.'s inquiry into his conduct, by saying, " De tam Yankee bee's a cowart, and I musht kill um." With difficulty Van Campen prevailed upon the Dutchman to spare the frightened and dastardly Pike. They then scalped their victims ; and, taking their rifles, set forward with the two boys, on their return home, which they reached in safety. Among the scalps which were strung to the belt of one of the warriors, were those of Van Campen's father and brother."
Mohawk, the sachem who had escaped from Van Campen, was occupying a little hut near Tioga Point, where the Minisink party were to await Brant's arrival, endeavoring to cure his wound, when he returned with his prisoners. As the party under Brant drew near that place, the war whoop was sounded, and was soon answered by a pitiful howl-the death yell of the lone Indian. The party halted in mute astonishment, when the Indian, with the nine pairs of mocasons, taken from the feet of his dead comrades, came forward and related the adventures of himself and friends, and the terrible disaster that had overtaken them. Instantly, the
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whole band under Brant scemed transformed to so many devils in- carnate, gathering round their prisoners with frantic gestures, and cutting the air with their weapons of death. At this critical mo- ment, when the fate of the prisoners seemed inevitable from the known rule of Indian warfare, Mohawk threw himself into the midst of the circle, and made a signal for silence. This Indian knew most of the prisoners, having lived about Schoharie before the war. He told his attentive auditors, that the prisoners were not the men who had killed his friends, and that to take the lives of innocent men to revenge the guilt of others, could not be right : he therefore desired them to spare their lives. The storm of pas- sion which seemed ready but a moment before to overwhelm the prisoners, now yielded to the influence of reason, and the toma- hawks of the savages were returned to their girdles.
The company again moved forward, the prisoners grateful to the Almighty for their deliverance from such obvious perils. On arriving near Newtown, the whole party, Indians as well as prisoners, were on the point of starvation, when an unusual number of wolf-tracks arrested their attention. They led to the half-devoured carcase of a dead horse, supposed to have been a pack horse, left by accident the fall before by the army under Gen. Sullivan. The under side of the animal, frozen, and buried in snow, was found in a good state of preservation. It was in- stantly cut up, and equally distributed, even to the fleshless bones, among the whole party. Fires were built-the meat cooked- and the nearly famished travelers feasted upon the remains of this horse, with far more satisfaction than would the epicure upon his most dainty meats.
In the present county of Steuben, the prisoners saw the " Painted Post," which had been erected by the Indians, to com- memorate some signal battle fought upon the spot. Leaving the route of Sullivan on the Chemung, they proceeded farther north. On their journey, the tories, Beacraft,* and Barney Cane, boast-
· Priest states, that Beacraft boasted at this time of killing a Vrooman boy in Schoharie. He had no lack of evil deeds at that period, but that writer must have misunderstood Gen. Patchin in that part of the narrative.
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ed of the acts of cruelty each had then perpetrated during the war. The party descended to the Genesee river nearly famished, and there met a company of Indians that had arrived to make preparations to plant corn. The latter had brought with them from Niagara, a fine looking horse, which Brant instantly order- ed killed, and distributed to his again starving men and prisoners. No part of the animal, not even the intestines were suffered to be lost. They roasted the meat, using white ashes as a substi- tute for salt. They also found upon the Genesee flats, small ground nuts, which they roasted and ate with their horse flesh.
From this place, Brant sent forward a runner to Niagara, a distance of eighty miles, to announce the result of his expedition, the number of prisoners, and their character. Brant was in pos- session of a secret which he kept in his own breast, that doubt- less operated as an incentive for him to save the life of Lieut. Harper and his men. Among the prisoners taken at the massa- cre of Cherry-Valley, in the fall of 1778, was Miss Jane Moore, whose mother was a sister of Harper. Not long after her arrival at Niagara, she was courted, and became the wife of Capt. Powel, a British officer of merit .*
Beacraft did kill a boy named Vrooman in Schoharie in the manner there de- scribed, but it was not until the 9th day of the following August, as will be shown. He also boasted of the act after it was committed. He was a no- torious villain, and partial justice was awarded him subsequently.
* " In person, Brant was about the middling size, of a square, stout build, fitted rather for enduring hardships than for quick movements. His complex- ion was lighter than that of most of the Indians, which resulted, perhaps, from his less exposed manner of living. This circumstance, probably, gave rise to a statement, which has been often repeated, that he was of mixed origin. [The old people in the Mohawk valley to whom he was known, generally agree in maintaining that he was not a full blooded Indian, but was part white.] He was married in the winter of 1779, to a daughter of Col. Croghan, by an Indian woman. The circumstances of this marriage are somewhat singular. He was present at the wedding of Miss Moore from Cherry-Valley, who had been carried away a prisoner, and who married an officer of the garrison at Fort Niagara.
" Brant had lived with his wife for some time previous, according to the Indian custom, without marriage; but now insisted that the marriage cere- mony should be performed. This was accordingly done by Col. Butler, who was still considered a magistrate. After the war he removed with his na-
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Brant suggested to his runner to the fort, that Capt. Powel should send the warriors from both Indian camps contiguous, down the lake to the Nine Mile Landing-there to await his arrival with the prisoners. Having obtained permission from Col. Butler to do so, Powel gave the Indians a quantity of rum to aid, as they supposed, in their celebration, and away they went. The danger Brant justly apprehended, was, from the im- possibility of restraining the violent acts of many of the Indians, while the prisoners were running the gantlet, knowing that re- lations of the Minisink party would be present burning with re- venge, and all were smarting under the chastisement they had received the preceding year. He knew that no act, however atrocious, would be considered by many of his warriors, too se- vere to inflict at this time on the prisoners. That Harper was a relative of Mrs. Powel, Brant concealed from every individual of his party.
Four days after the messenger had been sent forward, they ar- rived near Niagara, when the tories began to tantalize the prison- ers, by telling them that in all probability few of them would sur- vive running the gantlet. On arriving at the first encampment the prisoners were as happily disappointed to find that the lines through which they were to pass were composed of old women and children, who would not be likely to inflict much injury, as were the tories to find the revengeful warriors all absent. Most of the prisoners escaped with little injury, except Freegift Patch- in. He was approached by an old squaw, who, as she exclaim-
tion to Canada. There he was employed in transacting important business for his tribe. He went out to England after the war, and was honorably received there."-Memoirs of Dr. Wheelock-see N. Y. Hist. Coll.
Joseph Brant died on the 24th November, 1807, at his residence near the head of Lake Ontario, in the 65th year of his age. Not long before that event, the British government refused, for the first time, to confirm a sale of lands made by that chief, which mortified him very much. The sale was afterwards confirmed, at which he was so much elated, that he got into a frolick, that is said to have laid the foundation for his sickness, and re- sulted in his death. The wife of Brant, who was very dignified in her ap- pearance, would not converse in English before strangers, notwithstanding she could speak it fluently.
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ed " poor shild," gave him a terrible blow upon the head. As the prisoners drew near the second encampment, they were grati- fied to perceive that, through the policy of Capt. Powel, a regi- ment of British troops was thrown into parallel lines to protect them. When Patchin had arrived within a few rods of the gate- way, an Indian boy ran up and gave him a blow on the forehead with a hatchet, which had nearly proven fatal. A soldier stand- ing by, snatched the weapon from the hand of the young savage and threw it into the lake. The unexpected meeting of Harper with friends among the enemies of his country, was no doubt very gratifying.
On arriving at the fort, the prisoners were brought before seve- ral British officers, among whom sat Col. John Butler as presiding officer. The colonel put several abusive questions to the pri- soners, and addressing Freegift Patchin, who stood nearest his seat, he asked him " if he did not think that by and by his In- dians would compel a general surrender of the Yankees?" Smart- ing under his wounds, he replied that " he did not wish to answer for fear of giving offence." The unfeeling officer insisted on an answer, and the young American, whose patriotic blood was ri- sing to fever heat, replied-" If I must answer you, it is to say, No-you might as well think to empty the adjoining lake of its waters with a bucket, as attempt to conquer the Yankees in that manner." Butler flew into a passion, called Patchin "a d-d rebel" for giving him such an insolent reply, and ordered him out of his sight. At this instant, a generous hearted British officer in- terfered. Said he to Col. B., "the lad is not to blame for an- swering your question, which you pressed to an answer : he has no doubt answered it candidly, according to his judgment." Ex- tending a glass of wine to Patchin, whose spirit he admired- " Here, my poor fellow," said he, " take this glass of wine and drink it." Such unexpected kindness received his grateful re- membrance. The examination of the prisoners having ended, Mrs. Nancy Bundy,* who was also a prisoner at the time, prepared
*This woman stated to Freegift Patchin, " that herself, her husband, and two children were captured at the massacre of Wyoming, and brought to the
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as speedily as possible, a soup made of proper materials for them.
The captors received as their reward for the delivery of the Schoharie party eight dollars per head. This it is believed was the stipulated reward for American scalps or prisoners, to be paid for by Col. John Butler,* the British agent for that business, dur- ing the war : but it was often the case that the delivery of a com- mittee-man's scalp or his person, or that of an officer or noted sol- dier, entitled the possessor to a larger sum. From Niagara, the prisoners, except Harper, were sent from post to post, and finally lodged in prison at Chamblee. Here they remained in irons nearly two years, suffering most acutely for the necessaries of life. Free. Patchin was reduced to such a state, as to be unable to rise from the floor without the aid of one of the Thorps.
Doctor Pendergrass, a physician who had the care of the prison- ers, totally neglected to require into their real condition, the con- sequence was that some of them became objects of loathing, even to themselves. Of the latter number was Free. Patchin. A wor- thy physician at length succeeded Pendergrass in his station, and the sufferings of the prisoners was at once mitigated. On his first visit to the prisoners confined in the room with the Patchins, Steele, the commanding officer of the fort, accompanied him. The doctor proceeded to examine the prisoners singly. Ashamed
Genesee country. There she had been parted from her husband, the Indians carrying him she knew not where. She had not been long in the possession of the tribe with whom she had been left, when the Indian who had taken her prisoner was desirous of making her his wife ; but she repulsed him, say- ing, very imprudently, she had one husband, and it would be unlawful to have more than one. This seemed to satisfy him, and she saw him no more for a long time. After a while he came again, and renewed his suit, alleging that now there was no objection to her marrying him, as her husband was dead, ' for,' said he, ' I found where he was, and have killed him.' She then told him, if he had killed her husband he might kill her also, for she would not marry a murderer. When he saw that his person was hateful to her, he tied her, took her to Niagara, and sold her for eight dollars. The fate of her chil- dren she did not know .- Priest."
* This man, who died some years after the war near Niagara, partially re- ceived punishment in this life for his eruelties in the Revolution, for he was six weeks dying-or rather continued to breathe in the most acute suffering for that length of time, every hour of which it was thought would prove his last. A fact communicated by a friend who was in Niagara at the time.
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of being seen, Free. Patchin was occupying the darkest corner of the room, and had thrown an old blanket around him, to hide his naked limbs. The doctor at length approached him. " Well, my lad," he asked, " what is the matter with you ?" "Nothing, sir," was the reply. " Then get upon your feet," added the doc- tor. " I cannot do it," replied Patchin. The former then thrust the end of his cane under the blanket and removed it, discovering his pitiful condition. The doctor possessed a humane heart, and his sym- pathy for the prisoner was instantly aroused. Turning to Steele, with a look that denoted surprise and anger, he demanded to know why this prisoner had been so cruelly neglected, ordering his shackles instantly removed. The language and treatment of this medical officer was so unexpected, and so different from what he had previously experienced, that Patchin could not refrain from weeping like a child. With proper treatment his health was soon improved.
"From Chamblee the prisoners were taken to Rebel Island where they remained nntil peace was proclaimed. From that place they were sent to Quebec, via Montreal, and put on board of a cartel ship bound for Boston : where they arrived after many perils at sea. They then directed their course to Albany, and from thence to Schoharie, where they arrived nearly three years after their capture. Gen. Patchin was married after the war, and settled in Blenheim, Schoharie county, where he resided until the close of his life. His widow assured the writer, that Mr. Patchin's constitution received a shock while a prisoner, from which he never entirely recovered.
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