Northern star, and Warren and Bristol gazette. [volume] (Warren [R.I.]) 1826-1830, 1826-06-17

to prosper till 1855, when tie first
alarming Incident occurred to disturb
the happiness and security Of the white
man. Two men, by the names Of
Twitchell and Flint, who had gone
back to the hills, about n mile east to
procure some ash timber for oars, were
shot by the indians one of them was
scalped, the other, they cut open and
took OF. his hem,, cot it in pieces and
laid it on his bress..
| This was the frat christian blood split
in Waipole. Their bodies we're buried
near where they were found, and a
ridge of land the west side ofthe road.
about two miles nOrth of Waip6ie vii
llage. towards Drewville, points out the
spot hallowed by the remains Of the
first victims Of indian massacre. The
solemn impression this occurrence made
upon the minds of the new settlers, was
not soon effaced. 1t is said. the guar
dian spirit of Twitchell, continued to
hover over his friends, warning them
of the wiles and hostile intentions Of
the indians, as long as his murderers
we're permitted to live. A remarkable
rock in Connecticut river, where he
used to fish with never FILLING success,
was for long time held in religious
veneration and to this day, such is the
prop;tious influence of the presiding
spirit, that few of the angling votaries
who come to worship on the Twitchell
Rock. return without taking from the
Iimpid stream generoustry.
The massacre of Twitchell and Flint
was the first harbinger of the rapture
of the negotiations for peace between
England ard France, and the COM
mencement Of those horrid scenes of
indian barbarity' that ensued.
In the spring hf 1855, an indian by
the name OF Philip, who had acquired
inst English enough to be understood.
visited kilburn's house, pretending to
be on hunting excursion, IN want of
provisions. He was treated with kind
ness. and furnished with everything he
wanted, such as hints, flour. &c. Soon
af er he was gone. it was ascertained
that the same indian had visited all the
settlements on the Connecticut River
about the same time, and with the same
plausible pretensions Of hunting. Kill
burn had already learned little Of the
Indian fnesse, and suspected. as it prov
ed, that Philip was a wolf IN sleeps
clothing. Not long after, the following
Intelligence was communicated to all
the forts, by a friendly Indian, sent by
General Siirly from Albany. He sta-
ted that four or five hundred Indians
were collecting in Canada, whose. object
was 10 butcher the whole population
on Connecticut River. Judge then Of
the feelings Of few white settlers.
when they learned the impending dan
ger. TO desert their soil, cattle and
crops of grain, would be- leaving their
all. and to contend with the countless
| sayages of the Canadian region, was a
| hopeless re .ort. Bot accns omed to all
the hardships and dangers Of life, they
boldly resolved to detGAd themselves
or die in the cause. hilburn and his
men, now strengthened their defence
with such Notifications, as their rude
implements would allow, which con-
sisted in surrounding their habitaton
! with plasade Of stakes stuck into the
ground.
| Colonel Benjamin Bellows had at
this time about thirty men under his
command at the fort about mile south
! Kilburn's house, but this could afford
Kilburn no protection while attending
to his cattle and crops,
KiIburn and his son John in his 18th
wear, man by the name Of Peak. and
his son were returning home from work
about noon, August 18th, 1855, when
! one ofthcm discovered the red legs oi
the Indians among the aldcrs, rs thick
as grass hoppers. They instantly mide
for the house, fastened the door, and
began to make preparations for an OBJ
stiaate defence. Besides these four
men. there were in the house. Xii.
burns wife and his daughter Hittcy
who contributed not a little TO encour-
are and assist their companions, as well
as to keep watch upon the movements
Of the enemy. In about fifteen minutes
The indians were seen crawling up the
bank east of the honse, aud as they
crossed foot path one by one, ONE
hundred and ninety-seven' were count
ed, and about the the same number re-
NAMED IN ambush near the mouth Of
Cold River.
The Indians hal learned that Colon
Ell Benjamin Bellows, with his men,
we're at work ut his mill about mile