The Arkansas advocate., 1830-05-19
VAREETY. .
From Esopp sLectures on American History
 A HEROINE.

many oI mem eAtremeIy. ltle dssdii-
 ants would often conceal themselves whole weeks in ambush, and wait for the absence of the men, and then attack Idefenceless women afd children. Ma my instances of female heroism are on record, which occurred in that day, and
 should be carefully preserved. Among
 the most conspicuous was that of Mrs.
 Hannah Duston, of Hayefhill, q pleas ant village situated on the left bank Of the Merrimack. On the 10th of March, 1898, Mrs. Duston was made prisoner by party of Indians. She was on this day confined to her bed by sickness, at
 tended by her nurse, Mary Mfr. Seven children. besides an infant six days old,
 were with her. As soon as the alarm
 was given, her husband sent away the several children towards the garrison
 house, by which time the Indians were
 so near, that despairing of saving the
 others of his family, he hastened after his children on horseback. This course
 was advised by his wife-she thought it
 was idle to attempt to escape. A party Of Indians followed him, but the father kept in the rear of his children, and off
 ten firing upon 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 of, with the nurse and infant; but finding the little one be- coming troublesome, theytook herfrom her mothers arms by force, and dashed
 her against a tree, ending her moans, miseries, and life together. The moth CT had followed the Indians until this moment with faultering steps and bitter tears, thinking on the fate ofhersef, her
 babe, and her other children. After this horridontrage, she Wept no more :; the agony of nature drank the tear-drop ere it fell.-She looked to Heaven with q silent prayer for suecour and ven geanee, 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 dis tancc as she thought, one hundred and fifty miles, from the course they took, a. bout seventy five. The river had prob- ably been broken up but short time, and the canoes of the Indians were a- boye the upper falls on the Merrimack, when they commenced their journey to attack Hayerhill. Above these falls, on an island in the river, the Indians had q wigwam, and in getting canoes in order and rowing ten miles up the stream be- came much fatigued. Mrs. Duston did not sleep. The nurse and an English boy were apprised of her design; but were not of much use to her in the exc cution oft. In the stiffness of the night she arose and went out of the wigwain to test the soundness and security ol sayagesleep. They did not move; they were to sleep until the last day. She returned, took one of their hatchets and despatched ten of them in a moment, each with q. single blow. An Indian woman who was rising when she struck her, fled probable death-wound and an Indian boy was designedly spar ed; for the ayenger of blood was a wo- man and mother, and could not deal a death blow upon child. Shesuryeyed 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 onreaecting moment she thought the people of Haverhill would consider her tale as the ravings of mad ness, when she should get home, if ever that might come she therefore returned and scalped the slain, then put her nurse and English boy into the canoe. and with herself they foated down to the fails, when she landed and took to tic woods. the river in sight, which she knew must direct her on the way home; after suf fering incredible hardships by hunger cola and fatigue, she reached home; tc
 the surprise and joyofher husband, chiE
 dren and friends. The General Court of Massachusetts examined her story and being satisfied of the truth oft, took
 her trophies and scalps, and gave hel
 $50. The people of Boston made hel
 many presents. xii classes were anx
 ious to see the heroine; and as one of the
 writers of that day says " she was Q righ
 modest woman.n Has Anarcharsis ol
 Milford, in their histories of Greece
 any thing to surpass this well authentic
 ated story? Her descendants in righ line and by the same name are now liv 1 ing where she was captured.