Litchfield enquirer., 1830-06-03

i sickness, attended by her nurse, Mary Nif. Seven children, besides female infant six 1 days old, were with her. As soon as the
 alarm was given, her husband sent away I towards the garrison-house, by which time | the Indians were 90 near, that, despair 1 ing of saving the others of his family, he hastened afier his children on horseback. l This course was advised by his wife. She
 thought it was idle for her to attempt to es-
 cape. A party of Indians followed him, l but the father kept in the rear of his chil-
 dren, and often firing on his pursuers, he l kept them back, and was enabled to reach { the garrison with his children in safely.- The Indians took Mrs. Duston from her
 bed and carried her off, with the nurse and
 infant; but finding the little one becom-
 ing troublesome, they took her from her mothers arms by force, and dashed her a.
 gainst tree, ended her moans, and life to- gether. The mother had followed the
 Indians until this moment with faltering
 steps and bitter tears, thinking on the fate ofherself, 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 a silent prayer for succour, and fol-
 lowed the internal group without word of
 complaint. At this instant the high re-
 solve 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 ! q, r,xrl E,11
 the Merrimack, when they commenced
 their journey to attack Haverhill. Above
 these falls, on an island in the river, the
 Indians had wigwam, and in getting
 their canoes in order, and by rowing ten
 miles up the stream, became much fatigued.
 When they reached the place of rest they
 slept soundly. Mrs. Dnston did not sleep.
 The nurse, and an English boy, prisoner,
 were apprized of her design, but were not
 of much use to her in the execution of it.
 In the stiffness of the night she arose and
 went out of the wigwam to test the sound-
 ness and security of savage sleep. 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 3 moment, each with single blow. An In- ! dian woman who was rising when she struck her, fled with her probable death : wound and an Indian boy was desigpSd- r ly spared, for the avenger of blood was . woman, and mother, and coua not Hea' r death-blow upon helpleS cmid. one g surveyed the carnage gr|dnd oy the iight g of the fire which she stirred up after the . deed was done. .aad catching few handfuls n of roasted coen, she commenced her jour- .s nev-but on reAecting a moment, she '. tbonpht thc people of Haverhill would con- r slider her tale as the rawlings of madness : when she could get home, if ever that time s might come !; she therefore returned and scalped the slain then put her nurse and
 English boy into the canoe, and with her.
 self foated 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 suffering in-
 credible hardships by hunger, cold and fa- I tigue, she reached home, to the surprize
 and joy of her husband, children and friends. The general court of Massacllu-
 setts examined her history, and being sat- isfied of the truth of it, took her trophies, the scalps, and gave her fifty pounds.- The people i'm Boston made her many presents. All classes were anxious to see the heroine and as one of the writers of \ that day says, who saw her, " she was right modest woman" Has Anacharsis } or Milford, in their histories of Greece, a. f ny thing to snrpass this we'll authenticated Il story? Her descendants in right line and sl by the same name, are now living where \ she was captured.-[Knapp's Lectures.] yl C0nclusive Evidencc.-A witness in an nll English cause was asked by the counsel ] whether certain person heretofore con- ] nected with the affair in question, was then j living? "Noa." said the witness, "hez e not living" 'How do you know that 2 said 8 the counsel. "Way, you must know your J honor," said the witness, that be bit . of carpenter, and twas I that made his cofin." "Well, suppose you did 2" said ! the counsel, yet that is not conclusive !, evidence that the man is dead" Oh, yonr honor, you would be wounded hard to be- y lieve, but I'll take my bodily oath afore his
 worship o'here, (meaning the chairman,) that not only made his coffin but screwed }, the auld boy down, and I'll be bound if I'd 8 the screwing your honor down that you : wouldn't be after axing mo such out-of-the- way questions"
 ; FssnctaGtion.- When Lord Timothy q Dexter of NeWburynort wrota his fan,.rs