The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-02-07

Of the msreiless savages who followed on.
theirraek. But even these, with all their
sufFerings, escaped the stiIl more terrible fate
of their neighbors OF Wyoming, who were
wholly in The power Of their infutiated enc;
mics. To those who we're taken no quar-
ters were shown; the men were put to death
under the most frightfui tortures that savage
cruelty could invent, and the women and
children having been gathered and fastened
within the wooden fort, the Building was set
on fire and the whole consumed to ashes.
Among the last who fed from the general
massacre was Henry Crawford, who, with an
associate threw away their guns, plunged in
to the susquehannah, and swan for life to
Mouseknock Island, which lay between
them and the eastern shore. So closely
were they pursued that the balls from the
Hidskets and rifles Of band Of Tories whis-
tied above their heads. They succeeded,
however, in reaching the Island unharmed,
and pereeiving that their pursusrs were al
ready in the stream on chase, they deemed il
most prudent to conceal themselves in the
thicket, hoping that in short time the ene!
my would give up the chase and return. -
Three of the pursuing party landed, bringing
their guns with them. On reaching the
shore they halted and deliberately wiped and
loaded their weapons. Then commenced a.
search for the fugitives. The Tories passed
close by the spot where the companion Of
young Crawford lay concealed, without per.
ceiVing him, but through the interstices of
the brushwood he could distinctly see their
facess-one of which he recognized as the.
brother Of his friend. 1t was no other than
Bill Crawford, the Tory of Wilkesbarre. : 1z I
"A ray of hope entered the young. mans
mind at this discovery, for be naturall sup,
posed that in case they should be discovered,
the life of his friend, at least, if not his own,
would be safe in the hands Of his brother.---
He was not long in suspense. The party
had not gone more than fifteen PAGES beyond
his place of concealment before he heard
shout triumph, His friend was discovered,
and the next moment he heard Bills voice,
who exclaimed, "Come out of that, you ours
ed rebel, and let's have a shot at you !''
Henry came out of the bush at this summons,
and stood before his brother, but without ut.
teriDg word. al ........, .s'..- ..l
On discovering who it was, Bill started
back, and uttered laugh Of JOY "So." he
exclaimed, "itis you, is it, my young whelp
of treason :" ... ,..-. t..........,....l .... ..
At this moment one of the Tories raised
his piece, and was about to level it at the
young patriot, but Bill stopped him exclaim-
ing; No by Cd this is my game, nobo-
dy shall interfere with me 20 ,.. ,g-..,,r
Then turning to his brother, with devlish
smile on his face, and coolly examining, the
priming of his rife, he said to him "Say
your, prayers.tboy, it's your last chance 20
,,GWhat =" exclaimed Henry, his face liyid
with agitation, "do you mean to shoot me,
William! ! am your brother, and in the
name of your parents ] entreat you not to
bring such a guilt upon your soul. You mast
not do it. fF ...,. -.f.t.-... ....,, t,--.-..
s"But / ,0iu do it, retorted the callous
hearted wretch: "you are d---d rebel,
and no brother Of mine. So make ready y
With these words he leveled his rifle at his
brother. The youth fell on his knees, i'm
ploring in the name of all that was near and
dear, to them for mercy. But he entreated
in vain; there was no power Of mercy in the
soul Of: that stone-hearted, Tory, and. the
voice of supplication was silenced by the re-
port Of the rife The fratricide stood by
the dead body of his brother. ..-.-.-t, on,
f. Seemingly satisfied with their hunt, the
three Tories, having assured themselves that
the young man was quite dead, turned back
toward the shore. and without searching fur
ther, swan the river again, and joined their
companions on The, west bank, The young
man who witnessed the bloody act, escaped
to the eastern shore and continued on to the
mountains, in the fastness of which he found
many fugitives from the three devoted towns,
and told them what he had witnessed. The
old widow Crawford had perished in her fight
from Wilkesbarre, and was thus happily
spared the knowledge of her sons fate, and
the fratricide, not venturing to appear again
in the Valley of Wyoming, accompanied the
British to Canada. ,''