Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-03-02
From Chambers Journal.
An American Tradition.

The Indian war of King Philip-the saddles
page in the annals of the colonies-hat
! lust commenced; and the inhabitants of Had
ley, alarmed by the threatening aspect o
the times, had, on the first of September
1915, assembled in their humble place o.
worship to implore the aid of the Almighty
and TO humble themselves before Him in ;
solemn fast. All at once the terrible war
whoop was heard, and the church surround
ed by blooi-thirsty band of savages; while
the infant, the aged, the bedridden-a
who had been unable to attend service, were
at the mercy OF the tomaha@k and scalpins'
knife. AT that period, so uncertaia were
the movements OF the Indians, that it was
customary fol select number of the stout
est and bravest among the dwellers in the
frontier towns to carry their weapons with
them, even to the house of prayer; and
now, in CONSERVATION and confusion, these
armed men of Hadey sailed forth to de-
fend themselves and families. But, uEtor-
tunately, the attack had been too sudden
and we'll planned; the Indians had partly
gained possession of the town before they
surrounded the church and, posted on ev-
erv spot of vantage ground, their bullets
told with fatal effect upon the bewlldered
and dishealtened colonists. AT this crisis,
there suddenly appeared among them a
man, tall and erect of stature, calm ard
venerable in aspect, with long gray hair
falling OIL his shoulders. Rallying the re-
treating townsmen, he issued brief and dis
tinct orders in commanding voice, and
with cool and soldiery precision. The pow
erful influence which, in moments OF peril
and difficulty, master mind assumes over
his less gifted fellows, was well eXempllted
on this occasion. The strangers commands
were implicitly obeyed by men who, until
that instant, had never seen him. lie dl-
vided the colonlsts into two bodies plac-
ING one IN the most advantageous and shell
tered position; to return the fire Of the en-
emy, and hold them IN check, while the
other, by circuitous route, he led, under
cover of the smoke, to desperate charge
on the Indian rear. The red men, thus
surprised in turn, and placed between two
fires, were immediately defeated and put
to flight, leaving many of their painted war.
riors dead upon the field; and the town o.
Hadley was thus saved from contlagra'
ton, and its inhabitants from massacre
The first moments after the unexpected
victory were passed in anxious inquiries
atfectionate meetings and heartfelt congrat
ulations then followed thanks and praise
to God, and then the deliverer was eagerly
sought for. Where was he? All had seer
him an instant before but now he had dis
appeared; nor was he ever seen again
One or two among the people could have
told who he was, but they prudently held
their peace.
Amid the dense forests and mighty riv-
ers of America, the stern piety of the Purl-
tans had acquired an imaginative cast. al.
most unknow in the mother country; and
thus, unable to account for the sudden ad-
vent and disappearance Of the delivering
stranger, the people of Hadley believed that
he was en- angel sent from God, in answer
to their prayers, to rescue them from the
heathen enemy. With the traditions ofthe
Indian war of 1878, that belief has been
handed down to our own day ; and it was
only few years ago, on the banks of the
pleasant Kennebec, that a fair descendant
of the redoubtable Captain Gharch related
to the writer the foregoing legend as an in
dsputable instance of supernatural dis
pensation OF Providence.
The story, however, is historical fact,
and latterly has embellished more than one
popular work of fiction. Sir Walter Scott,
who allowed little to escape him. alludes to
it in "Peveril OF the Peak" Cooper has
made use of it in "The Borderers :" and
"Oliver Newman" the last poem of South
ey, is partly founded on the eventful histo-
ry of William Goffe, the delivering angel
of the inhabitants of Hadley. The deliv-
erer of Hadley is believed to have been
Gofe, one of the English "regicides" who
fled from England upon the restoration OF
Charles II, and lived the rest of his life in
concealment in this country.
A SINGULAR FAMILY.---In small vii
lage in the Bouches du Rhona, in France,
there is family ofthree persons-hnsband,
wife and daughter--who have made sol :
emn vow to preserve the most profound
silence. A traveller, who lately passed
their Dwelling, finding it necessary to make
some inquiries respecting his way, applied
to these eccentric people. Not receiving
any answer to his questions, he repeated
them, when, tohis great astonishment, they
in a fit of evaporation, seized cudgei'
tongs and turnspit, and threatened him with
a summary castigation. This extraordinary
conduct is explained by the fact that the
parties had become the dupeS of a clerical
impostor, who has taken advantage of their
credulity by holding out to them the &C
QUESTION of a great treasure on condition OF
their maintaing strict silence. They have
formed the resolution to keep silence for the
space of nine years, only one half of which
term has yet expired. But as so complete
an introduction Of the use of the tongue
could not fapl to become intolerable tothe
female portion Of the family, the impostor
granted them license to indulge their nat
ural propensity, anywhere beyond the linn
its of their Commune. In order to avail
themselves of this privilege, the women
repair every market day to the little town
Of Belfort, where they enjoy the conversa-
! ton of the neighbors and mitigate to some
degree the privation which they voluntari-
ly endure = Courier des Etats Unis.
81 Dick Crisp tells the following story
about snoring Says he, my Uncle P, was
an awful snorer. He could be heard further
than black-smith's forge: but my aunt be-
came so accustomed TO it 1t soothed her to
repose. They were a very domestic couple
never slept apaIt for many years. AT
length my uncle was compelled to attend
court for some time. The first night after
his departure my aunt never slept wink
she missed the snoring. The second night