Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-07-21


We could not 90 down with, the party that
came up and captured the Tories on account
of the haste they were in, but after time, we
nut what little we had left in boat, and
descended the stream, thick with floating ice.
We descended the river slowly about twenty
five miles. and there the river was shut up be-
fore us. Here we had to pass an uncomfort-
able time. y x In our winter quarters
we had hard times however in the month of
March, l7TS, the river opened, and on the
very next day we descended the river, and
reached the Forty Fort; so called. x
Socn after this ow IVhg neighbOrs ab0re US,
JohR and Sebastian .Strope met ocith adrersity J;
the enemy ocas approaching Sebastian made Out
to escape, but his rife f. children rere captured
,John aras tahen 1cith his family d. none Of both
Mose families lcere released until tie acar e@ded.
IHey then g0t home and resided on Mear farms
until the end Of their Hres"
In addition to this, there appears among
the manuscripts of Mr.. SMILEY, written
memorandum or statement made by the aged
veteran, upon a sheet by itself AS it contains
some facts not embodied in the other, | will
give extracts also from it. 1t not only bears
his own signature, but is written entirely by
himSelf-a complete holograph-haying no
letter, nor mark upon it, made by any other
pen 1t accompanied the Philadelphia manu-
scripts, when they were placed in my hands,
and was doubtless memorandum furnished at
the request Of Mr.. SMILEY, by the old soldier,
from which as well as from personal interviews
with the narrator, he CLEANED the facts
embodied in the extracts just given. | have
italcised portion to draw your attention to
the fact that SEBASTIAN SROPE, upon whose
IL.
character Of Tory and Spy, and whose
family, lie alleges, courted the protection of
the enemy as willing captives, actually shared
in ali the perils of the Wyoming battle of July
), l719 at time too when his wife, children
and every relative, who had a drop of his
blood in their veins, were prisoners in the hands
and at the mercy of the same savage and
revengeful foe.
I" La the year l776, our family immigrated
from the country of Albany, in the State of
New York, and went on as far as Springfield,
at the head of Lake Otsego There we
waited, until the Lake was clear of ice
d" We stayed there about three weeks My
uncle Fitzgerald bought a large battoe, and
! . we moved on down the river with consider
able difficulty. There were many obstacles
in the way, until we got to the Unidilly and
we proceeded on to the Standing Stone
There we planted corn, and raised crop,
and we lost the whole. We were quick re-
" duced to want likewise Mr. SToPE and his
= family. lL. Bastian
' Strope made his escape from them (the Indians,
4" and got safe to Wilkes Berry, and ,0as in Tie
q massacre, but he made his escape, and the rest
"of his family ,0ere taken to Canadd, and
q suffered greatly and necer returned until
g peace ,cas proclaimed, and then they uere sent
"t0 ALbany6y@ British cscort."
! Signed, CIVILIAN HUYCK"
! Upon the same sheet appears list of Tories,
drawn up by Mr.. Huyck and signed by him.
1t commences and closes as follows
Now comes on the Tories i x x
"* * pack Of vile wretches
Now pretendS to say that he
wishes his name to be kept "a secret As for
" this * = * he was a deSerter from our army
:" | publish this for truth, and am willing to
attest to it,"
CIVILIAN HUYCK."
/ omit the names in the last extract for
obvious reasons. No useful purpose would be
suhseryed now by blazoning them to the public
1t would merely wound the feelings of many
worthy descendants, without an adequate
return of advantage, historical or otherwise
My only object in inserting the extract at all,
is to show the ample means Of kRoUledge
possessed by Mr.. Huyck, and that his attention
has been called to the subject at an early day.
when tie names and incidents were fresh in his
recollection. 1t is enough for this present
controversy to know that none of the STRoPEs,
or Of their relatives appear upon that black
list, whoever else may have found and richly
merited place there.
This, apprehend, Sir makes an end of the
controversy. The defence against the attack
Of your father and yourself, is now so fully and
clcar Y established, that comment seems super
tluous. A retraction even through the columns
Of your paper, n0o0 is neither called for nor
required by the descendants of SEBASTIAN
SRoPE, however outraged may have been their
feelings, however ruthless and impertinent your
intrusions upon their old family hearth-stone
They, stand thanks to the God of Truth and
Justice, self vindicated in full defiance of our
attack, and there is no acknowledgment which
can now make, that would not add an insult to
the injury.
Here let me introduce few extracts from
your fathers letter. Speaking of Mr. Whit
aker, he asks dersively, why does she not tell
" us where her diSe0ns0Late father was all this
while" (when the family were prisoners at
Tioga.) ." Did he join the patriot band at
Forty Fort to defend or avenge? His name is
mot on the list, Of those massacreed at
"Nyoming. His name is not on the list of
" those who escaped The probable inference
g dreqdtul, and | am not responsible that at
late dayit is rahed up to- "* Where
was he ?" This is printed stars and all, just as
it appears in his published letter, with the
exception Of the italics which are of my
suggestion
think he has been fully answered to each
and every interrogatory which he has here put
with SO much of taunt and arrogance, and so little
Of the true spirit of the historian His boast
ed list is proved imperfect-a broken reed