Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-11-06
Murder of Miss M,Crea.

Murder of Miss M'Crea.
Washington Irving, in his third volume
of the Life of George Washington" thus
narrates the incidents connected with the
murder of Miss MCrea:
In General Frascr's division was young
officer, Lieutenant David Jones, an Amer
ican lovalist. His family had their home
in the vicinity of Fort Edward before the
Revolution. A mutual attachment had ia
ken place between the young and beauti-
full Girl, Jane MCrea. She was the daugh-
ter of a Scotch Presbyterian clergyman, of
the JERSEYS, some time deceased, and re-
sided with her brother, ON the banks OF the
Hudson, few miles below Fort Edward.
The lovers We're engaged TO be married,
when the breaking out of the war severed
families and disturbed all the relations Of
life. The Joneses were loyalists; the bro
ther of Miss MCrea was stanch wing.
The former removed 10 Canada, where Da-
yid Jones was among the most respectable
of those who joined the royal standard, and
received heutenants commission.
The attachment between the lovers con-
tinued, and it is probaly that eorrespon-
dence was kept up petween them. Lieu
tenant Jones was now in Fraser's camp:
in his neighborhood. Miss MCrea was
on a visit to a widow lady, Mrs. y Men re-
sidino at Fort Edward. The approach OF
Rurgovpe's army had spread an alarm thro
tho country; the inhabitants were flying
from their homes. The brother of Miss
M'Crea determined to remove to Albany,
and sent for his sister to return home and
make ready to accompany him. She hesi-
tated to obey. He sent more urgent
message, representing the danger of linger-
ING near the fort, which must inevitably
fall into the hands of the enemy. Still
she fingered. The lady with whom she
was a guest was a royalist, friend of Gen
eral Fraser; her roof would be respected.
Even should Fort Edward be captured,
what had Jane to fear? Her lover was in
the British camp; the capture of the fort
would re-unite them.
Her brothers messages now became pc
remptory. She prepared, reluctantly, to
obey, and was to embark in a large bateau,
which was to convey several families down
the river. The very morning when the
embarkation was to take place the neigh
borhood was scene of terror. A marau-
ding party of Indians, sent out by Burgoy-
ne, to annoy General Schuyler, were haras-
sing the country. Several of them burst
into the house of Mrs. O'Neil, sacked and
plundered it, carried off her and Miss NJ
Crea prisoners. In her fright the latter
promised the savage large reward if they
would spare her life, and take her in safety
to the British camp. 1t was fatal promi-
Sc. Hating at a spring, quarrel arose
among the savages, infiamed most probably
with drink, as to whose prize she was, and
who was entitled to the reward. The dis
pute became furious, and one, in a parox-
ysm of rage, killed her on the spot. He
completed the savage act, BY bearing off
her scalp as trophy.
General Bureoyne was struck with hor-
ror when he heard of this bloody deed.
What at first heightened the atrocity of it,
was report that the Indians had been
sent by Lieutenant Jones, to bring Miss
MCrea to the camp. This he positively
denied. and his denial was believed. Bur
govne summoned council Of the Indians
chiefs, in which he insisted that the muir
derer of Miss M'Crea should be given up
to receive the reward of his crime. The
culprit was great warrior, a chief, and
the wild honor of his brother sachemS was
reused in his behalf ST. Luc took Bur
govne aside, and entreated him not to
push the matter to extreamities; assuring
him that from what was passing among
the chiefs, he was sure they and their war
riors would all abandon the army should
the delinquent be executed. The British
officers also interfered, representing the
danger that might occure should the Indi-
ans return through Canada, with theiI
savage resentments awakened, or, what
was worse, should they go over to the
Americans.
Burgoyne was thus reluctantly brought
to spare the offender, but henceforth made
it rule that no party of Indians should be
permitted to 90 forth on foray unless un-
der the command of British officer, OF
some other competent person, who should
be responsible for their behavior.
The mischief to the British cause, how
ever, had been effected. The murder OF
Miss MCrea resounded throughout the
land, counteracting all the benefit anticipa-
ted from the terror of Indian hostilities
Those people of the frontiers who had hith-
erto remained quiet, now flew to arms to
defend their families and firesides. In
their evaporation they looked beyond the
saYages to their employers. They abhor-
ed an army which, protesting to be eiviliz-
ed, could league itself with such barbara
ans and they execrated government
which, pretending to reclaim them as sub
iects. could let loose such fiends to deSolate
their homes.
The blood of this unfortunate girl, there
fore, was not shed in vain. Armies sprang
up from it. Her name passed as note OF
alarm along the banks of the Hudson; 1t
was a rallying word among the Green
Mountains of Vermont, and brought down
all their hardy yeomanry.
! AN FRESHMAN GAINED BY LEWIS ID.
CaMpBELL.-The Cincinnati Commercial