Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-04-12
"Reminiscences Of Past Half-Cen-
tury.
BY A sEXAGENARIAN.
No. Q.

Deerticld,s Massachusetts, is one
of those places tllat:will ever remain
historic, as the .battlefielde. where
! was enacted some of the most tragic
events which transpired in the early
contests between barbarism and
civilization. To that place more
than any other in New England the
affections of the red man seemed to
cling. Norris it strange, for it was
a lovely spot even i'll its wildncss;
and it was his home and had been
the homo of his ancestors, and here
were their graves, E
A plain, Of oval shape, extending
five or six miles from north to south.
and two or three from east to west,
| on three sides surrounded by high
hills, rising like the seats in y vast
amphitheatre, in broken outline in
the distance. Through gorge at
the southwest breaks out the river
which takes the name of the town;
a stream Of the size of our Cedar,
which winds its way in very SER
pentine course through the valley,
until, through another notch in the
mountain at its northeast point, it
finds its way to the lovely Connect
icut, the Mississippi of New Eng
land, which is only one-half mile
distant. On the cast side of this
valley, and between it and the Con-
necticut, rises abruptly an oblong
and conical mountain. some 1000
feet in height, of red sandstone, and
so nearly perpendicular as to be in
capable of sustaining any growth of
shrubs or trees. It's bare sides
look like some vast fortress frown-
ing down upon the valley below
Here, if anywhere, might be sup
posed to be the "lIappy Valley" of
Rasselas; but here, alas, more than
in any other place in our land, have
been exhibited the most fiendish
passions of the savage heart.
On plat Of tablc-land between
the Deerfeld river and the noun
tains, the Indians had formed their
homes, and there cultivated their
maize, or the corn which takes its
name from them. There they had
planted their apple trees, which in
their season yielded them their
golden fruit. In my earlier years
ii was said trees were still living,
and bore fruit, that the Indians had
planted; and l have often seen the
cold Indian house," a relic saved
by the bravery of few men and
women when the town was destroy
ed, in 1904. At this time there
were A killed and ll2 carried into
captivity, where, it being in the
midst of winter, they suffered UNI
told misery. This house was built
of logs, for defense the upper story
jotting over the lower, with loop
holes through which those from
within could discharge their mus
kets. The entrance door was filled
with spikes, but the Indians, not
withstanding the raking fire kept
up on them, succeeded in cutting a
hole through the door with their
hatchcts; and l have seen the bullet
in the partition of the house. shot
from their gun protruded through
the hole in the door. The attacking
party becoming alarmed, the occu-
pants Of this house were saved.
Those were times which tried not
only mems, but women's souls
Tradition says that in the defense
of this house, the women loaded the
muskcts and handed them to the
men. This was on the morning of
the 2sth of February. The snow
was four feet deep IN the woods,
vet in the midst of this New Eng
land "wintcr's wild birthnight,"
helpless women with young babies
III their arms started on their long
and drcary march through the for
csts to Canada, distance of 200
miles. Says the historian, Bancroft:
ssBut who shall know of the horrors
of that march. Did a young child
weep, or feeble woman loiter from
anguish, under the burden of her
offspring, the tomahawk stillcd her
complaint and the helpless infant
was cast on the snow"
Twice in its early history was
Dccrfeld burned by the relentless
savage. Of all their favorite hunt
ing grounds and homes, there were
none to which they seemed to cling
with the tcnacity they did to this
1t combined all those essentials
requisite to their mode of life
Sheltered from the rude wintry
winds which prevailed in that eli
mate, the rich alluvial soil produced
almost spontaneously their maize,
and the forest, the river and the
mountain streams were rich with
game and fish at all seasons Of the
year. Long after these settlements
were renewed and the Inhabitants
felt comparatively safe, they went
to their fields of labor with their
guns loaded, ready for resistance,
and scattering bands of Indians