The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-08-23
THE TRUE STORY or
JANE M CIR E A.

AN Il NJ CIR l. A.
The first place Of historic interest that We
visited at Fort Edward, was the venerable
aud blasted pine trdc near which, tradition
nAaerla, the unfortunate Jane McCrca lost her
liii while General l,urgoync had his oncamp-
ment near SANDY It'll, II stands upoa the
Waal side Of the road leading from Fort El-
war1i 70 SANDY lIill, aud about half mile
from, the chnal-lock ia the former village
The trco had exhibited unaccouutahlo signs
of dccadcncc for several years, and when We
visited IL, Il was snplcI aud bare. III top
was torn OF ny November gale, and eve
nv breeze diminished its size by scattering its
dccaycd twigs. The trunk is about five feet
In diameter, and upon the bark II engraved
in bold letters, Jane McCrca, i777, The
names Of many ambitious visitors are intNgli-
pcd upon IT, aud reminded me Of thc limo
Run, run, Orlando, carve on every tree
In n few years this tree, around which hiio-
~ aud romance have clustered ~ many asso-
-riutiuur, will rruuihlo and ru-s AWAY forvr-
cr.
The sNd story Of the unfortunate girl Is so
interviewer in on history that II has become
n component part but it is told with 10 ma
NJ variations in essential and non-csscntial
particulars, that much Of the narratives we
have Is evidently pure felton, a simple tale
Of tndiHu Hbiurtion, resulting i"-' death, har'
ing its counterpart in many like occurrences,
has been garnished with all the coloring Of n
romantic love story. Il seems a pity TO 'Poil
the romasce Of the matter, but truth always
urztpg -sui havu- with s-tie fnss1 ,s-stk sf the
imagination and stcrnly demands the homage
OF the historians pen.
All accounts agree that Miss MrCrca was
staying at tho house or Mrs. MNeil, near
the Tort, at the time Of tho tragedy. kRrand-
daughter of Mrs MNciI, (Mrs F----i) is
now living Mt Fort Edward, aud from her !
received minute Sccouut Of tho whole trans
action, as she had heard il a"thousand times
from her grandmother. She il a woman Of
remarkable Intelligence, about sixty years
old. When was at Fort Edward She wns
ora visit will, her sister Mt Glcnn's Fails. IL
had been my. intention to go direct 10 White
hall, on Lake Champlain,by way Of FortAnn,
but the trJditionary accounts in the neighbor-
hood of the event In question, were so contra
dict6ry ofthc books, and received such as
snranccS that perfect reliance might be plac-
cd upon tic statements of Mrs F=-4-----n, ,tlint,
anxious 10 -asUurtOiu the truth Of the matter,
if possible, We went TO Lake Chnmplnin 10y
way Of Glenn's Pals aud Lake George. Ar
ter considerable search at the falls l found
Mrs F--------n, and the following is her rcln-
ton OF the tragedy at Fort Edward
Jane. McCrca was hc daughter Of Scotch
Presbyterian clergyman Of Jersey City oppo-
site New York aud while Mrs &Neil (thcn
wife. Of the former husband named Camp.
belly was resident of New York City, an ar.
quaintanee and intimacy had frown.uP NO
tween Jenney and her daughter. Amer tf,r
death OF Campbell, (Which occurred at sea-
Mrs Campbell married MNeil. lie, too,waI
lost at sea, and che removed with hcr family
10 All estate owned by him at Fort Edward
Mr. McCrea who was widowcr, died, and
Jane went 70 live with her brother ncNr Fort
Edward, where the intimacy of former year,
with Mrs M'Ncil and her daughter, was re.
ncwed, and Jane spent much Of her time al
Mrs M'Neil's house. Near her brothers liv-
cd family named Jones, consisting of a wild.
oy and six sons, and between Jenny and Da.
viii Jones, gay young man, a feeling Of
friendship budded and ripened into reciprocal
love. When tho war broke out the Jonescs
took the royal side of the question, and Da-
vid and his brother Jonathan went TO Canada
IT, the AUTUMN ef - pAey raised a com.
pany Of about sixty men, under pretext of
re-entorcing the Amcrfcan efisTfis'sis-
couderaga, but they went further down the
lakc md joined the British garrison at Grown
Pointr When BurgoH,e collected his force.
mt st. Johns, at the foot OF Lake Champlain
David and Jonathan Jones were among them
Jonathan was made Captain and David Lien
1sRaBt in fhn diyision under General Eraser
ami 6t Ahe time in question they were with
the British army near Sandy IIlll. Thus Ear
all accounts nearly agree
Tho brother OF jenny was n Wing, and
prepared NO move to Albany but Mrs M'Neil
who wss a,cousin Of General Fraser Ikillcd
at Stitiwztrr,} was staunch lcyAlist, Asd IN
tended 10 Vomain at Fort Edward Whcr