Litchfield enquirer., 1835-02-05
Extract from the Life and TreasoD of Benedict Ar
 mold by Jared Sparks.


theme which eIOquence and seDsIO1Iuy nave alike contributed to dignity, and which mas
 ki0dlrd in many breast the smot'"ns Oi
 responsive sympathy. General Gates de- 1 ecriptiOn. in his letter to BurgOyne. although
 more ornate than forciblc, and abOunding { more in bad taste than simplicity Or path0s, l was suited tO the feelings Of the moment, and produced lively impression in every part "f America; andthe glowing language of Burke, I in one Of Lis most celebrated speeches tn the British Parliament, made the story of Jane M'Crea familiar tO the European world.
 This yUung lady was the daughter ofa cleT- gyman. who died tn New Jersey before the l Revolution. Upon her fathers death she l sOUght home iO the house Of her brother, respectable gentleman residing On the western bank of HudsOn's River, about f0u' miles be- low fort Edward. Here she formed an inii macy with young man named David Jones to whom it was understood she was engaged to bc married. When the war broke out
 Jones took the side of the royalis,s, went to Canada, received commission, and was q captain or lieutenant among the ProvinciaIs in
 Blrgoyne's army. I Fort Edward was situated on the eastern
 margin of Hudson's River. within few yards of the water, and surrounded by ,plain Of
 considerable extent, which was cleared of
 wood and cultivated. On the road leading to
 the north. and near the foot of the hill about
 one third Ofa mile from the fort, stood house
 occupied by Mrs. M'Neil. widow lady and an acquaintance of Miss M'Crea, with whom she was staying as a visitor at the lime the American Army was in the neighborhood. The side ofihe hill was covered with growth of bushes. and on it's top a quarter of mile from the house. stood a large pioe tree, near the root of which gushed out perennial spring of water. A guard of one hundred men had been left at the fort, and picket under Lieutenant Van Vechten was stationed in the l woods on the hill little beyond the pine tree.
 :. Early one morning this picket guard was attacked by party of Indians, rushing thrO' the woods from different points at the same | moment, and reDding the air with hideOns yeIls. Lieutenant Van Vechten and five oth. CTS were killed and scalped. and four were wounded. Samuel Standish, one of the guard, 1 whose post was near the pine tree, disctarg- ed his musket at the first Indian he saw, and ran down the hill towards the fort; but he mad no sooner reached the plain, than three Indians who had pursued him to cut off his retreat, darted out of the bushes. fired, aud wounded hmin the foot. One Ofthem sprang upon him. threw him to the ground. pniOned his arms. and then pushed him violently for. ward up the hill. He naturally made as much naste as he could, and in short time they came to the spring, where several Indians were assembled.
 :. Here Standish was left to himself, at little distance from the spring and the pioe tree, expecting every moment tO share the samei late ut his comrades. whose scalps were con. spicuonsly displayed. few minutes only nad elapsed. when he saw small party of h. ! dsans ascending the hill. and with them Mrs. M'Neil and Miss M'Crea on foot. He knew them both, having often been at Mrs. M'N~irs
 The party had hardly joined the other Ia. dians. when he perceived much agitation a. mong them, high words and violent gestures, ] tiIl at length they engaged in a f1rious quar- res, and beat one another with their muskets. l 10 the midst Of this fray, one of the chiefs, ap. sparently in a paroxysm of rage, shot Miss M'- Crea in the breast. Sha instantly fell and ex- pired. Her hair was long and flowing. The same chief grasped it in his hand. seized his ,knfe, and took off her scalp in such manner as to include nearly the whole of her hair ;j then springing from the ground, he tossed it n the face of a young warrior, who stood near him watching the operation, brandished It io the air. and uttered yell of savage ex- u'tatiOn. When this vas done the quarrel ceased; and. as the fort had already been a. larmed. the Indians hurried away as quickly As possible {" General Fraser's encampment on the load to Fort Anne, taking with them Mrs. M'Neil and Samuel Standish.
 The bodies Of the slain were found by n party, that went in pursuit. and were carried l across the river. They had been stripped of their clothing. and the body of Miss M'Crea was wounded in nioe places, either by scalp. ing knife Or a tomahawk. X messenger wasl despatched to convey the affecting intelligence to her brother. who arrived soon afterwards, took charge of his sisters remains, and had them inferred on the east side of the river a. bout three miles below the fort. The body of Lieutenant Van Vechten was buried at the same time and on the same spot.
 History has preserved anO facts by which we can at this day ascertain the reason, why Miss M'Crea should remain as she did in so ie1posed and unprotected a situation. She had been reminded of her danger by the peO. pie at the fort. Tradition relates, however, and with seeming truth, that through some medium of standardization, shs had prOnaised her lover, probably hy his adyicr, .te remain ln shss I!ace until the approach of the British teroopss should afford her an opportunity to ioin him, in company with her hostess aud friend. It Is said, that. when they saw the Indians coming tO the house, they were at first fright ened and attempted tO escape :. but as the lo. -dians made signs of a paciRc intention, and 0ne Of them held up a letter intimaiing that it | was to be opened, their fears wee calmed and tlhe letter was opened. It was from Jones. and contained request that they would put
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