Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1830-03-09

party Of Indians followed him but the
father kept in the rear of the children
and often firing on his pursuers he kept
them back, and was enabled to reach the
garrison with his children in safety. The
Indians took Mrs. Duston from her bed,
and carried her off. with the nurse and
infant; but finding the little one becomr
ing troublesome, they took her from her
mothers arms by force, and dashed her
head against tree. ending her means,
and miseries, and life together. The
mother had followed the Indians until
this moment. with faltering steps and bit
ter tears, thinking on the fate Of herself,
her babe, and her other children. After
this horrid outrage, she wept no more
the agony of nature drank the tear.drop
ere it fell. She looked TO heaven with
silent prayer for succour aud vengeance,
and followed the Internal group without a
word of complaint. At this instant the
high resolve was formed in her mind. and
swelled every pulse Of her heart. They
travelled on some distance; as she thought,
one hundred and fifty miles, but, perhaps,
from the course they took, about seventy
five The river had probably been brok-
en- up but short time, and the canoes OF
the Indians were above the upper falls, on
the Merrimack, when they commenced
their Journey to attack Haverhill. Above
these falls, on an island in the river, the
Indians had wgwam, and in getting
their canoes in order, and by rowing ten
miles up the stream became much fatigue
ed. When they reached the place Of rest
they slept soundy. Mrs, Dnston did moi
sleep. The nurse, and an English boy,
a prisoner. were apprised of her design
but were not Of much use to her in the
execution Of it. Tn the stiffness of the
night she arose and went out of the wig
wan to test the sonndness and security Of
savage sleep. They did not move :
they we're to sleep until the last day. She
returned, took one of their hatchets and
despatched ten of them in moment, each
with single blow. An Indian woman
who was rising when she struck her, fled
with her probable death wound and an
Indian boy was designedly spared; for
the avenger Of blood was woman, and
mother, and could not deal death blow
upon child. She surveyed the carnage
ground by the light of the fire which she
stirred up after the deed was done-and
catching few handfuls of roasted corn,
she commenced her journey; but on re-
fiecting moment, she thought the peo-
pie Of Haverhill would consider her tale as
the rawlings of madness, when she should
get home, if ever that time might come !;
she therefore returned and scalped the
slain; then put her nurse and English
boy into the canoe, and with herself they
f1oated down to the falls when she
landed and took to the woods, keeping
the river in sight, which she knew must
direct her on her way home. After suff.
ering incredible hardships by hunger.
cold, and fatigue, she reached home, to the
surprise and joy Of her husband, children
and friends.
The General Court of Massachusetts
examined her story, and being satisfied Of
the truth oft, took her trophies, the scalps,
and gave her fifty pounds. The people Of
Boston made her many presents. All
classes were anxious to see the heroine !;
and as one Of the writers of that day says,
she was right modest woman" Has
Anacharsis or Milford, in their histories
of Greece, any thing to surpass this well
authenticated story? Her descendants
in right line and by the same name, are
now living where she was captured.