Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1832-12-27

The subject 1T the following interesting
sketch died ut Goshen two ar three weeks
Since--hrr hnstand having died about two
months preEiUns.-Ed.
FoR THE ENQUTRKR.
A brief Afsmair If AIss. Elirabetk OuidfG.
Almost Incredible is the recits! Of the hard.
shjps and sntferings from savage cruelty, to
which the early emiSsanis' 60 our Western
aeitirr,rnis were exposed. With very few Of
The comforts of life, and none Of It's Injuries
thew penetrated deep into the dark and un-
broken forest erected their rude habitation.
and placed within its nnembelshed walls
their wives and little ones. All they possess
ed on earth thus insecurely rrposed IN the bo-
som nc solitude aud danger. The sound Of the
hnaFse winds, as they rushed heavily Through
the branches Oft the talltrees around their dwell
ling. was uften mingled with the tread and
efsyMtOf THE Wild beast and the wiley approach
Ufy ,hs. more ferocia.is and deadly savage
And often TIM was the mid day Stiffness of the
forest broken by The exniriog shiieks Of these
lonely scsnigrants, ms they were struck down
on their own thresholds by the hands Of bar
barans, whose work Of death M weakness
or snpplication could 10 the least avert. Diff
fcnli itist0 realize that amidst these peaceful
villages and thousand hamlets SO joyfully
repDsp. thai scarce ii century ago such horrid
scenes existed. And while thus securely dwell
ling, ". listen 10 the recital Of such deeds Of
darkness. We can scarce believe them other
than4the ildlcgends of romance. But instan-
rssa ti@rxvSr~ rita tTvvtSI
! .,csosed. and from whose lips We have heard
such recital, who saw and participated in
those scenes oflsIHsring.
Mrs. Elizabeth Oyiatt, the subject Of this
brief memoir, was one Of that number. Her
parents, in company with two other families,
removed in'ths spring Of the year l768, from
& CORNWALL, Connecticut, to a place then called
The Forks ofthe Delaware. They advanced
about twenty miles beyond anysbther white
settlement, cleared small spot near the bank
ofthe river, and erected, i building of logs, 10
which the three families resided Mr. and
Mrs. Carter, the parents Of Mrs. Oviatt, had
fuurchiliren,; Sarah the eldest, was eleven,
Elizabeth, the second daughter. was nine. u
SON Ut seven. years. and an infant. There were
also several children belonging Othc other
families. Here those parents, with their chill
drcn. passed 4 few months 10 apparent srcuri-
-. They were engaged in various employ
ments 10 Improve the safsty and comfort Of
their new residence. The heavy tall trees
immediately hrf,re their dwelling they had in
part cleared away, and some corn and other
articlesrequired for their families We're cult
vaifd. While some were lah0ring, Others car
rird The tnNskeis and ammunition, acting as
sentinsis, shat they might seasonably be appri-
sed.of any approaching dNnger. Every day
srcned more promising of future happiness
and srcafity, and added something To their
litilesiock 0fcOinforis. The wild scenery had
begun to grow familiar to their view, and an
agreeable interest had associated itself with
the principal objects IS hich were embraced
: by The little lhoriznn. formed BY the tall and
unhrDkrn furest, which stretched away to an
almost intprminablr breadth around them.
One day in October, when the inmates Of
this little settlement were occupied in their
usual pursuits. two Of the men having gone u
short distance into the woods 10 labor, and
the other. whose BUSINESS II was TO act 10 SEN
tinsi. md also gone y few rods ont of sight
fromahe house. IL examine some traps; the
indians. who had been secretly watching their
preys uttered their savage shout, and rushed
npVR these sdefrnceless women and children.
AL this tnOment, Elizabeth WINS n few yards
from the dnOr in company with her gSs,sher :
IN ~ Infant she saw her mother weltering in
blind upon the ground beside her, savage
having nearly divided her head with tOma-
hawk. The Indians, twelve In number, then
rushed into the house, where were the tWOeI-
der females. one of whom was confined to
her he'd with ilI0ess a daughter Of the same
woman aged sixteen, who Was also III, an
infant child Of Mrs. Carter, and Ave other
children. One of the Indians seized the in
FAINT and threw it with such violence against
the logs 0f the h0Hse that Il was Instantly kill
ed. THE two sick fsmalrs were also put to
death with The iomahawk. The man who
had gone 10 examine the traps. hearing the
shrirks af the sufferers, hastenedto their DE-
fence, hut had bnly time To discharge his gun
s,nrs, hefnre he received deatls-blOw from
the hands of the assaiants.
The Indians ha:ing selected such Of their
rartivrs as they supposed could best endure
the hardships IL savage life, and taken the
scalps fram those they mad killed, and also
having ecllecied the clothing and utensils
which they thunsht would best serve their
convenience, set Gre 20 she house, and then
hurried Of 10 their encampment, short dis.
lance fiOm thence ON the river.
The captives were the three surviving chill.
dren 0f Mr.. Cater. Mrs. Duncan and two
children hslonsing to the other family. Az
the fncamnsncnt they found about two humid
red Indians. principally warriors. Several
y large fires were burning. around which the In
sftAus Urgau tUFPgaIe themselves WITH roasted
corn and other refreshments, which had been
br"ught from The white settlement. Aifer
having freely indalged themselves 10 exulta-
y 49, Al. u MY n