The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1826-05-03
From the Brattleboro' Messenger
THE LITTLE WANDERER.

THE LITTLE W.aNDERER.
The curiosity of the public is greatly
excited respecting boy of mine, aged
seven years and nine months, who wan
dered 10 the wilderness from Stratton TO
Manchester, across the Green Noun
tain.
On Wednesday morning, the 9th in
slant, went into the woods with my
son Samuel Newell, in search of some
sheep and lambs that had lain out the
night before. We took a circuitous
route round the clearing at the foot of
what is called Stratton mountain, on the
south side; he struck in above me, and
kept within hearing Of me for some
time the last time ! heard him an
swer, | told him TO come down 10 the
opening-a while after called, but re-
ceived no answer. called aloud sew
eral times at last an older boy, whom
had left at the sugar place, had got to
the house and answered; concluded it
was Newell, and went down to break
fast. Finding be had not been in, re-
turned to the woods and called and hunt
ed; but could not find him. 1t being
bare ground on the south side of the
mountain, could not track him
went TO the east, where there was snow,
but could not discover any track then
went TO the west till came 10 snow,
but found no signs of his having been
there. / then concluded he had fallen
on the south side of the mountain, which
was bare, aud disabled himself: look
ed that part of the mountain over, and
then with my oldest son took more
extensive circle, but 10 no purpose. |
then sent for help; great number was
soon rallied; we went round the little,
or south mountain, and on the west
side of it we discovered his track, bend
ing his course to Deer6eld river. 1t
was now as late as three o'clock. We
hastily pursued till we came TO bare
kuoll, where we could not recognize
his footsteps; but spreading out on the
snow, we found he had gone to the riv-
er and crossed it, and steering to the
west, had assembled the Green Mountain.
then turned TO the south towards the
road that leads TO Arlington. A CLEAN
of hope now crossed my breast that he
would reach the road and so escape
dreadful death.--But soon a reverse
took place; he turned gradually and
steered TO the north, then northwest,
which was his general course, though
often varying. After following many
miles, and finding the tracks nearly OBJ
liberated by the meridian sun, and I'M
welcome night approaching with rapid
strides, we greatly feared we could not
find him ill too late. We now came,
between shutdown and dark, to dismal
swamps, where the boy began to step
shorter and lost his course, wandering
about and crossing his tracks. We con-
cluded he would not leave the place,
but wander till exhausted and then lie
down and perish we therefore searched
diligently until it became so dark we
could no longer follow his track. It'll
was now the bowels of a parent yearn-
ed for his child. Good God must he
be given up, and lie on the snow and
chill with the cold blasts Of night, with
out father, mother, or any human being
TO sooth his aching heart!
The attention of the company was
now directed towards themselves, who
were without victuals or drink, or the
means to procure fire, and one without
a coat. We were indeed in a doleful
plight. Some went to work with :heir
knives and cut boughs, with which they
formed a camp; the rest of us were
feeling under the bushes for the boy.
Finding all attempts useless, we camp
ed down, and kept one another as warm
as we could till the long looked-for
morning came. We renewed our
search, but could not find where the
boy struck off from this place for more
than an hour. While we were busted
here, fresh party came up, who had
followed our tracks with lanthorns, and
brought US yictuals and drink. AT
length we found the boys track, and
it till it led down a brook,
where the snow left us: we however
discovered some signs, and pursued our
course down the brook till we came TO
inhabitants opposite Manchester, about
III O'Clock A. M. The boy arrived
there lat Mr.. Elliot's) the night before
about shutdown, having travelled, as we
Judged from his wanderings, about thirty
miles in one day. He started before he
had taken breakfast and neither ate
nor drank, nor set down, till he got
through. ABEL CIRCUIT, Jr.
StraltoD, April 9th, 1896.
Eric Rosenkrantz, who visited En-. |