Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-09-16
THREE AT A SHOT.
A story BY MOTHER OF THE REvoLur,

A STORY By A MOTHER OF THE REVOLUTIONS.
This ugly mark (said Oh Mrs. Horn. un
pinning her snow-white neckerchief. and
calling attention to broad scar reaching
one-tbird round the right side Of her neck.
l have carried almost seventy years. 1t is
the track Of a musket ball from a British
soldiers gun. You young folks have all
heard or read of the dreadful times we ex.
perieDced down in the Mohawk country.
when that blood thirsty miscreant, john
Butler. With HE Tories and Indians, made
those beautiful valleys scenes Of bloodshed
and desOlation.
was quite girl then-in my twelfth
year, and can recall them with distinctness.
They were we'll calculated to make a last
ing impression upon the tender aud suscep-
title heart OF a ch,ld like me.
When these wretches commenced their
work If death and rapine in the upper set.
Elements Of the Mohawk, the people living
along the valley of Schobarie Greek expect
ing that their own neighborhdud would not
be exempted from their visitation, immedi-
ately rs mtled and erected picketed en-
Closures and block -bOuses for the protection
of their families. and their most valuable
stock. There were several OK these log
forts, at C. nveDient distances, on each side
Of the stream.
The blCck-hUuse in our immediate neigh
b0rhn, was the last that was built; and
scarcely had it been completed, and a small
store Of provisions conveyed to it. than the
valley was alarmed 10y mounted messen.
gers. who galiopped up the creek, with the
terrible report that the Tories and their
| Indian allies were approaching down the
[ Mohawk, numbering the settlers, destroy
| ing their buildings and their crops, and
/ driving off their stock for the use of the
British army in New York.
! Our fort was the lowest on the creek and
! about two or three miles distant from thu
nearest tne, which was on the other bank.
1t was situated on rising ground, and over
louked good portion Of the valley for a
considerable distance.
The enemy was reported close at hand,
and tho people hastily collecting their most
valuable goods, and loading them uuon
wagons and horses made good their retreat
To the shelter of the strong buildings
There were about dozen families of US in
our fort, and all being safely housed party
Of young men, with my father, started to
the hills, to drive in as many of our sheep
and cows "a could be found. They had col.
lected a number, and were on the way to
the block house v 18th them, when they were
startled BY sudden burst of Indian yellt
close to their rear. Fearing for the safety
of the people left at the fort, they made NJ
attempt to save the cattle, but came, as fas
as they could run, to the place. 1t wa,
well they did so, for scarcely were the gate
of the outer pickets, closed after the admis
sion, than we were surrounded by Torie,
and Brant's savages, who, approaching il
near as they thought it would be pruden
raised wild war whoop and with threat
ening gestures and signs, called our atten
ton to the smoke and flames that begar
to raise from every part of our beautiful
valley.
But | need not tell you of these terrible
scenes. nor how, in one short day, our PEG
pie found themselves suddenly deprived o
: the dear homes they had been years in pre-
. pairing, how our stacks of grain and hal
which had just been secured, melted away
/ in an hour, and every article of value wa
destroyed, while we were obliged to look Oh
without making an effort to save them. /
was terribly trying moment, when | look
ed firm the lnop-holes Of our shelter, dow
upon the spot where stood my own home
the most lovely and valuable in the whol
yalley-and saw the red flames lsapic
from windows and doors and roofs, while
fierce rabble Of Indians and vile white me-
were filling the air with their exultan
yells, and dancing like tends about tn
burning buildings. But the most painful
Of all was to see the looks Of despair 10 m,
dear mothers face as she gazed upon tn
destruction of what she loved more than al
other things next to her husband and chill
dren.
While we were gazing through tears uDor
this destruction, the enemy had collects
from various parts of the valley, and wer
now moving stealthily under cover of tb
, rocks and trees upon u.s. aud soon FIRE O
muskerry and rifie-shot were opened upO
our building. Several shots entered th
ioop-holes Of the upper room, and my faith
er was wounded in the arm. just as he wa
in the act of firing his rife at painte
savage who was creeping through the gras
. up the side of the hill. ! had pointed on
to him the approach of the Indian, and wa
watching the effect of his shot, and, to m,
satisfaction. saw him suddenly throw up hi,
head and then roll like log lifeIess to TIL
bottom of the bill. We afterwarG ascer
tanned that this man was one of our near
est neighbors. named Van Tine. who hat
joined Buffers cut.throats. and least b.
i might be recognized. had disguised, himsel
J as Mohawk.
My father was severely wounded, SO tina
he could no longer use his rifle, but be still
, encouraged the others with his voice, snC
. continued during the attack to be of &c rvic,
to the young men who so bravely defended