American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-11-09
Indian Legends.

\ correspondent Of the New York
Copagand Enquirer, writing from Frank
lin, n. H., describes the paternal home
stead of Daniel Webster, and relates the
following interesting legends connected
with the farm:
Calls brook COMES mcandeung down
a glen, aud runs through meadow to a
river. 1t took its name from this mean-
choly tragedy
"On the banks Of the stream at the
foot of the glen, lived Philip Call. He
was one of the first settlers. His wife,
his son and his sons wife, the latter of
whom had a small child, constituted his
family. While the elder and younger
Mr.. Call We're both in the field, and the
elder and younger Mrs. Call were in the
house, a small party Of Indians came sud
denly upon them and went in. They
were seen to enter by the men in the field,
but they were unarmed, and hoped that
the savares would do no harm to the wo-
men and child they therefore concealed
themselves hurnedly in tho>feld. The
younger Mrs Call, seeing the savaSes en-
tciing the house, seized her child and hid
behind the rude chimney. The Indians
demanded milk and food, which the ell
der Mrs. Call gave them. they ate till
they could eat no more. All this time
the little child, who was usually noisy,
chata@ Pug thing, remained perfectly ST.
lent with its mother; the least sound
would have betrayed both. The olderla-
dy doubtless thought by giving them all
they demanded they would go peacably
away; but she was finally mistaken, for,
instead Of gratitude, Indian hatred was
uppermost, and these balbarous savages
killed her on the spot and carried off her
scalp, while the younger woman escaped
unhurt. Hence the stream was called
Calls Brook. The child lived to a good
old age, and my informant has often seen
and copyeTsed with her.
One Potter Bowen in those days lived
on this farm. He was high-tompered,
d;lingv MN. ard was often with the Indi-
ans, He.Dwed two of them grudge.-
ft-so happened that he was alone with
these two very Indians coming up the riv-
er. At Calls Brook he shot one and kill
ed the other with the butt of his gun he
carelessly left their bodies partially con-
coaled under the top of a. fallen tree
The Indians were missed. Suspicion fell
upon Peter. His known hostility, his
high temper, were circumstances against
him. Besides, Peter kept his house.
The bodies were found. Then Peter fed.
At this time there was a treaty Of amity
between the whites and the Indians; and
the Goveffbr of Portsmouth sent an am
bassador to the Indians in Canada to as
sure them that Peter should be caught
and hanged, But he eluded the officers
for a monitor more, keepingin the woods
At length he was caught and put in the
jail at Exeter At that time opinion was
strong against hanging a man for killing
an Indian, and party of his friends and
neighbew disguised as Mohawk Indians
went to the jail, tore it down and released
the prisoner.
e After that he was undisturbed, and
for years he lived there, tilling his land.
But the ghosts of the dead Indians con-
stantly haunted him. He often saw in
his imagination other Indians armed to
take vengeance on him, starting up from
behind hass cocks and lurking about his
house. They grew on him till it turned
his brain, SO that he finally, in the other
extreme went to Canada and surrendered
himself to the tribe of whiclehis victims
were members, and there, strange to say,
the affair was amicably settled. His of
fenee-was offset against some other offence,
and he theneeforth lived to a great age
the ghosts ceased to haunt him, and he
died III their midst, as one of the tribe" ~