Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-11-02

10 IL PURLIC.

During the war Of the Revolution. there lived
near small stream called Never Sink, in Sulli-
van county, State of New York, a substantial
quaker farmer by the name Of Henry R., bro
Their to James and Peter R.. Some Of his
connections by marriage were royalists or tories.
An officer in the British army, Capt Ben. Ward
is remembered, who was married to sister OF
Mrs. K. Another brotherinlaW, jeremiah Eow-
Ter, Mrs. RS brother was also IN sentiment a
rOyalist or tory. Henry r. himselfwas staunch
wing. and as far his religious faith permitted,
gave his exertions and influence TO the cause OF
the Colonies. His conscience not permitting
hlm to personally take his place in the army,
when his time came, he hired substitute and
with the assistance of man, who from person
al defect, hair-lip, not liable to be enlisted
into the service, he gave his whole attention to
raising as large crops as possible, and furnishing
supplies to the rebel troops His house soon be-
came noted place of resort for soldiers who
at all times, and under all circumstances found
open doors, a hOspitable welcome, with every
provision Tor their comfort or necessities the
/ house or farm afforded. This course on his part
gave great offence to his British and tory reIa-
tiyes, and becoming known to the tories gene
| rally through that section of country he was
long marked out for vengeance. No opportuni-
| ~ occurred however, till near the close of the
| war, while New York City was still held bv the
British, and the last foraging party, or predatO-
~ excursion, was made thence into the adjacent
country. Seven tories belonging to this expedi-
| ton, detaching themselves from the main body
penetrated still further into the country to the
neighborhOod where Henry R. resided and reach
| ed his house about midnight. A portion of the
| party remained outside to guard the doors and
/ windows, and prevent any ones escaping to give
| the alarm, and the balance entered the house.
| One of the number was a neighbours son. and
this, together with Mrs. RS having tory rela-
/ tives, was the cause probably of the desperate
gang not wishing to do any material harm to
any Of the family besides the head of it. Upon
/ him they intended to Wreak full and thorough
vengeance. Putting him to death at once was
| not enough. They puTposed, if possible, to de-
stroy him gradually by slow fortunes. Awaken
| ed by the entrance of the tories and springing
! from their bed, Henry R. though man of great
| muscular strength, unarmed and surprised, as he
was was soon Overpowered and cut down, and
| fell fainting from loss of blood across the bed
from which he had just risen, where fresh wounds
| continued 10 be added to those already given.
Mrs. r. was forced to sit down upon the hearth,
| and remain there, faint and overwhelmed with
| terror, and witness the hewing and cutting to
peices of what she then supposed to be the dead
| body of her husband. His falling upon the bed
and the flowing Of his blood over it, awakened
infant child of some six months old, well
known for more than 80 years afterwards as Dan
iel r. Its cries attracted the attention of the
mother who asked, "May have my child?" 1t
was snatched from the bed reeking with its ia
theirs blood, and hurled through the air to her
arms. Hundreds of times, in after years, has she
endeavored to describe the infantile expression
of wounded sensibilities its countenance assum-
ed, when after catching it in her arms, it drew
up it's little face, covered with blood and raising
its eyes to her own, added its feeble vail to the
other and more hOIrid sounds already filling the
room the curses and imprecations of the tories
and the heavy sword blows that kept falling up
on her husband But through the midst of these
terrific scenes there was one of the children from
whose lips no cry or particle of sound escaped
during the whole night. The oldest child, a
daughter Phebe, nine years Of age, could in
way be frightened or intimidated, or kept out OF
the way, but struggled with the marauders to
the utmost of her strength the whole time they
were in the house. They would beat her with
the backs of their swords, and catching her in
their hands, with kick, huTl her to the farthest
end of the room. Instantly, without a word or
cutlery, she would glide back and endeayor to
stay the blows falling upon her father. Often
she would catch their cutlasses in her little
hands. And though seemingly lost to almost
every feeling of humanity, the calloushearted
wretches seemed to be touched somewhat by the
wonderful her0ism of the child, and instead of
jerking the naked blades through her hands, thus
disabling her from mOlesting them any more in
the same way, they would stop and unclasp her
tiny fingers with their own, and endeavOring
again to brighten her, throw her from them. This
happened again and again. Her mother fire.
que1tly heard them remark, ''d--n it, if she
was man, wouldn't she make soldier.
Finding after a while that their victim still
gave some igus of life they drew him to the fire.
place, one Ofthose large Old-fashioned farm house
hre-places, built Of stone, and hung him by the
neck in the chimney, intending to finish him by
burning. They hung him thus three times, and
three times did his indomtable little daughter,
watching her opportunity, manage TO cut him
down. The third time, being apparently quite
dead they let him lay.
The last thing they did was to take Mrs r.
to an adjoining room, and one standing behind
her and two before her, their CORY swords point
ing to her heart, swear with the most horrid
oaths they would kin her If she did not tell them
where that money was" They oveTdid their
10. To- ula Faf1 heel fnfn
ing into the rufians arms behind her. Her eye
CHANGED TO rest a moment on his face Che was the
neighbours son mentioned, Ben Kelly by name,)
and not wishing her to faint outright he gave
her sort of smile Of assurance to intimate that
they did not really mean to harm her lt had
ats effect, for she did not become entiFely insen-
sible. But jusr at that moment, the chickens
crew for day, and remerking 70 each other boys
it's day, we must bgon," they hastily took their
departure, after throwing some Goals OF fire on
bed. AMI scattering fire about the room in differ
ent places
When they we're gone, the first thought of the
fanting woman was for her husband. rottering
back into the room, she drew him from the fire
place out on the floor, and found to her mex
pressible joy that he still breathed. Sending
some of the children 70 give the alarm, she sprang
to the blazing bed, and rolling il up, threw it
into the fireplace, and managed to get the fire
in other parts Of the room all extinguished BY
the time assistance arrived.
The section of country where these things Oc-
Cured must have been densely populated. For
IL is said, that by the time il was fairly light,
more than five hundred persons, with six physi-
clans, were collected at the house. A party was
instantly started in pursuit Of the tories They
we're overtaken and four Of them shot Gown and
their bodies brought back past the scene CT their
crimes, and Mrs. Il. requested to come out and
look at them. She declined doing So They
were then taken about halfa-mile further hole
dug. and they were thrown in and covered up.
Another, the Ben Kelly mentioned before, could
not be found A lad IL years Of age said he had
fired at him from behind clump OF hazle BUSH
es and knew ne had killed him. About three
months Afterwards an oTercoat and pair Of boots
belonging to Henry z. we're found in the woods,
and near by some human remains, which by
large. prominent trout tooth, were recognized as
these Of the tory named. IL came out Afterwards
that his mother aWaked her husband on the
night in question, and told him she light
over at Mr.. RS, and feared there was something
wrong. He laughed and told her he guessed il
was ali right" He was always afterwards
pected for being privy to the attack. sixth
one Of the party escaped MORALLY wounded 10 !
NeW ork and died there. The seventh and last
was arrested by the citizens after the war,
brought 10 Henry r. to pass sentences on him acV
eording to his pleasure, hanging or any thing
else he chose. But true TO the tenets Of his I
peaceful sect, he said he wished him no harm. |
only requesting that he might leave that part q 1
the country, which he promptly did
The physicians found sixty wounds on the body /
Of Henry r. that required 70 be sewed up be- 4
sides as many others that did not need stitching.
Q,a hand nv a crft fhrouuh the wrist hung an