The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-05-05
From the Knickerbocker for April.I
T h G Seal phi inter
A sEMI.HIsTORICAL SKETCH.


Far be it from me to deract from the fair fame of
our ancestors. Least of all would cast any reaec,
ton on those frontier heroes, the memory of whose
exploits lives in the homely chronicles or Drake,
in the ''colectons" of some Historical Society; or
fainty survives in Wondering pages of some obscure
Mss. Yet, if the truth be told, their valiant deeds
were not always achieved under the inspiration Of
true patriotism. The backwoodsman Of a century
since sometimes hunted Indians from the same mo-
ves that urges those of time to hunt wolves; wiz.
tho bounty scalps. In the year ofwhch propose
10 treat, l724 the bounty in New Hampshire was,
r my recoectons do not fail the, ten pounds;
eighth part Of the sum which peaceful and scrupuous
Pennsylvania long ullerward offered in the day orhe
distress, when the savages Of the West broke in up
o her frontier. How FAR such measures conso-
nant with religion and morality, is question which
gladly leave 20 be decided by pious philanthopsls,
who form conception OF the circumstances that
made them necessary; for propose mersly 10 relate
plain facts, and leave reflections and differences
my bctlers. Should be called upon to produce au-
thorty for what say, am permitted to refer to
ancient manuscript diary, kept by the Rev. Phrneas
w. Stone, OF Portsmouth, and preserved in the small
but valuable library Of the New Hampshire Fra;eTni-
y This, however, relates merely TO the earlier part
of our narrative. The remainder mus, bs regarded
as Of character somewhat less authentic it
solely on the authority of tradition preserved by
few old squaws Of the ST. Francis tribe of whom
ever good-humored and oquacious. told the story at
a hunting camp near Lake Mcgantic.
A party Of the tribe Just mentioned came in July.
I724 to work their usual butchcries upon the back
settlers Of Now Hampshire. Eight white men under
al. -
savages were now retiring, which they did with
markable celebrity, and in an usual direction. The
whites plunged into the forests after them. For near
y fortnight they hung on their rear, unable to find
a good opportunity TO attack. They traced them past
the Lake Wnnipsiogee; and from the top Of Red
Mountain they them cross the beautiful lake be-
yond in canoes, made hastily OF bark FOR the pur
pose Again striking their trail, they followed it
twenty miles farther, into the Of those
wild mountains that stretch from the present town Of
Conway toward the great father Of New England hills.
Meanwhile the savages lost all suspicion Of pursuit,
as was evident from their careless manner of encamp-
ing and the great profusOn Of game which the from
tier men found around their smoulderng fires.
One hot afternoon, the party came to the brow of
precftous hill looking northward which command
ed a wide prospect Of forests and lonely mountains.
In all probability there was no human being within
the range of dozen leagues save themselves their
destined prey In its terrible solitude ii @as scene
of than Alpine sublimy; but what chiefly inter-
esied the hunters was smoke that rose dense and
distinct through the thick carpet Of boughs AT the bot
tom of deep valley just below. them The after
noon sun beating po@erfully on the cliff where
they set, aud filing the sultry air with the resnous
odos of the spruce and pine that grew around. They
watched ill il had sunk behind the brstImg fires
the ridge Of the western mountain; and then, the
usual crimson hue OF an American sunset, which had
sufused the whole landscape, turned to gray obscu
,y and the haf-starved wolves began to call and
ply from opposite hills, they descended and CROPPED
their way towards their victims. With great difficult
ty and danger they managed to surround the fires OF
the savages. Their motives of the most
magnanimous, ii is true; but help admir-
ing the hardihood Of thus sailing very superior
force in a wilderness whose savage features of
themselves sufficient ill witt and terror any
but the manifest hearts.
II is useless to dwell on the incidents Of the igno
BILE and desperate conflict tina, followed. The white
men mad to lay flat the ground for hours. before
the last savage had wrapped himself in his blanket
and lain down. They counted eleven Indians around
the two fires 1t was now near midnight; the damp
air OF the forest very chill and the fires had sunk
to glowing piles of Goals, that shed dim ruddy light
on the sleepers the NOISY trunks Of the trees, and
the thick nnaergrowth around the spot The leader
of the whites was about give the signal, when an
Indian ,urned in his sleep,murmured, and finally rose;
awakened apparently by the cold Dropping his
blanket, he approached the fire, and stirred the en-
hers with stick; when stream Of cracking sparks
flew upwards, Illuminating for moment the distort-
ed boughs and shado@y leaves. This sudden light
was answered by scream so piercing and unearthy
that the rerocious frontier started at their osts
and with loud 1apping of wings among the-branches
overhead huge dark bird saied off in the depths of
the forest The Indian Immediately took handful
of tobacco from pouch which hung by his side, and