Litchfield enquirer., 1831-08-25

r,.Sr.r Skinner. who died at TomingfOrd in
 Jup. last, in the tooth year of herage. has
 been some time on hand, but we have not
 before found room for it.-l
 A Mrs. Skinner was horn at Bolton tn this state, Feb. %, 17S2. .l
 srhere are some incidents in her past life of ae. remarkable character, as to deserve par ticular notice on thls occasion. Ehese are connected with the war of the FevoIuuons- Our national independence with its atiendant blessings, which the present generation arc enjoying in quiet rePOse. was purchased Dy our fathers at the expense of great sacFlnecs end severe struggles. The amount Of cOnfrl- hntion which our departed friend thus paid for inc benefit of pOsterity, was no less than hrother. who died of a wound received in the esrlv mart of the waF-<a husband, who tell q victim to one of those contagious diseases which war propagates- -and two sons, who were butchered at the famous slaughter of Wyoming, hesidss her whole property plum
 Wyonains was a Connecticut colonel on the east branch ofthe Susquehanna In Pennsy:va- nia. comprising eight townships. To this l,lacs our friend, with her husband and eight children, had removed in the year l777-just in time to be overwhelmed with the catastrO- phs which befel this settlement the following year. A coalition of tories and savages, who seemed on this occasion to vie with each Oth- et in deeds of cruelty, had sworn vengeance on the unhappy settlers. Their commander ia represented to have been 'sthe most fero- cious being ever produced by human nature, often too prodigal of similar monsters" and , inc cruclties he practised on this occasion without any example in the histOry Ofman," The whole of this fertile and thriving settle ment he speedily converted into field of slaughter and devastation. Every victory, as the notifications of the place fell excessively into his hands. was signalized by selecting the men among his prisoners for more c0nspicu- ous slaughter. and burying alive the women and children in the cOnfagrati0n of their a0u- ses and villages. When asked by the com mandcr of fort what terms of capitulation would be granted on condition of their surren- der, his reply was, The hGtchst.
 It was in the month of July, 1778, remote from all military succors which government could afford, they had no other means of de- fence than what their own population could furnish, already drain9d of its sinew and strength to replenish the continental army.
 Their remaining force, comprising every map capable of bearing arms among them, was mastered for their defence. The main body Ofthis little army. consisted ofab0ut 400 men, among whom were the two eldest sons of Mrs. Skinner, just emerging from youth to man. hood, were allured from their entrenchments by the artihcc and perfidy of the enemy, and drawn into ambush. Asdesperate conflict en- sued. in which the firrnness Of the Americans had we'll nigh rspulsed their enemies; when a lfalss cry Retreat from either treacherous or cOwardly soldier. was the means of break- ing their ranks and exposing them to all the K Esds H sEsFRsr1Rssa 1sssss ss ssss .i the resisting byeIlibs and tomahawks. The dead and dying are heaped together promiscnously. Happy those who expire the soonest! The savages reserve the living for tortures and the inflriate tories, if other arms fail them, imangle the prisoners with their nails Never was rout sO deplorable; never was massacre accompanied with 90 many horrors" About 20 only of these 400 are said to have escaped alive. Our departed friend, who had buried her husband but short time before, saw her sons no more.
 A young man who afterwards married a daughter of the deceased, was among the sur i. sivOrs.a Driven to the brink of the river, he plunged into the water for safety, and swan to small island. Here immersed in water, protected by the bushes at the waters edge, and screened by the darkness ofnight. he hap- pily eluded the search of the pursuing foe fhirsting for blood while about twenty of his companions who had retreated likewise to the same spot, were massacred within few yards of him. He heard the dismal strokes of the tomahawk and the groans of the sufferers, expecting every moment him. self to become ihe next victim. One savage foot trod upon the very bush to which he clung. A solitary individual besides himself was lett at the departure of the savages to weep with him over the mangled bodies of their friends. A
 In the mean time, the news of this day,s disaster was conveyed in the night to the vil- l lage sgheF0 the women and children were Ieft. | The confusion and distress into whicl, these beseaved and unprotected females and chil- dren' were thrown by this intelligence, can be 1 more sasily conceived than, expressed "fiy-l ing" as they represented, without money. l clothes Or food" Mrs. Skinner, with her s;x surviving children. the youngest five years old, was in this company. Her son, who is now among khe mOurners. can well recolleet that he came of without hat, shoes.or iacket {. such was the haste and confusion of their de. paFture. The little children as they hassened to the water side, lwhere boats we're prepaf- ed foF their conveyance down the rlver,) were ready to cry with the anguish of their bruised and lacerated feet; but the chidi0gs Of the wary mother, and the dread of being heard by the suspected savage in ambush, repvessed their weeping and made them tread with breathless silence their painful way.
 With what feelings che must have left this piace-her little property plundered. her dwelling laid n aches. her husband in his