Connecticut western news., 1872-03-08
NO. 34.
A Thrilling Indian Story.


 war,) two men were shot by Indians. Shortly before this, an Indian named Philip had visited Kilburn's house in friendly way, pretending to be in want of provisions. He was supplied with tints- and flour, and dismissed. It was ascer- tained that this same Indian had visited all the settlements on the river, doubtless to procure information of the state oe their defenses. Word came from Gov. Shirley that five hundred Indians were collecting in Canada, whose aim was the butchery and. execution of the whole of the white population on the upper part of the Connecticut river.
 Col Bellows had at this time about thirty men at strong fort which he had built on hill overlooking the Connecti- cut, about half mile south of Kilburn's, but too distant to afford him any aid. About noon on the 17th of August, l755, Kilburn and his sen named John, in his eighteenth year, and also man named Peak, and his son were returning home to dinner, from the field, when one of them discovered the red legs of Indians among the alders "as thick as grasshoppers." !" The white men instantly made for the house, fastened the doors, and prepared for an obstinate defense. Kilburn's wife Ruth, and his daughter Hetty, were al- ready in the house. In about fifteen minutes, the savages were seen crawling up the bank east of the house, and as they crossed a foot-path, one by one, one hum drcd and ninety-seven were counted ; about the same number, it afterwards proved, had remained in ambush, but join ed the attacking party soon.
 The savages appeared to have learned that Col. Bellows and his men were at work at his gristmill, about a mile east, and they intended to waylay and murder them before attacking Kilburn's house. The Colonel and his men were now return ing home unsuspicious of danger, when the dogs began to growl and betray the neighborhood of an enemy. The Colonel, knowing the language of the dogs and the wiles of the Indians, instantly adopted his policy. He directed his men, throwing off the meal, to crawl carefully to the rise of the land, and on reaching the top of the bank to spring together to their feet, give one whoop and instantly drop into the sweet fern. The movement had the de- sired effect to draw the Indians from their ambush. At the sound of the whoop, fancying themselves discovered, the whole body of the savages rose from the bushes in semicircle around the path Col. Bel lows was to have followed. His men fired upon the Indians, who were so disconcert- ed that they darted into the bushes and disappeared. The Colonel, sensible of his unequal force, hurried his men off by the shortest cut to the fort, and prepared for it's defence.
 The Indians, finding their plan defeated, then determined to take vengeance upon weaker party, and soon appeared on the eminence east of Kilburn's house. Here the same treacherous Philip, who had vis- ited him and partaken of his hospitality so short time before, came forward under the shelter ofa tree and summoned the little garrison to surrender. cold John, young John," cried he, e. know ye come out here. We give you good quarters J "Quarter! 7" vociferated old Kilburn, in a voice of thunder, "you black rascals, be- gone, or we'll quarter you!" It was a brave reply for four men to make to near ly four hundred. Philip returned, and after short consultation the war-whoop rang out, as it, to use the language of an ear-witness, "all the devils in he'll had broke loose." Kilburn was lucky and pru- dent enough to get the first fire, before the smoke of the battle perplexed his aim, and was confident he saw Philip fall. The fire from the little garrison was returned by a shower of balls from the savages, who rushed forward to attack. The roof next to the eminence from which the attack was made was a perfect "riddle-sieve." Some of the Indians fell at once to butch ering the cattle; others to a wanton do struction of the grain, while the larger part kept up an incessant fire at the house. Meanwhile Kilburn and his men-aye, and his women-were all busily at work. Their powder they poured into their hats for greater convenience the women loaded the guns, of which they had several spare ones-all of them being kept hot by in cessant use. As their stock of lead grew short they suspended blankets over their heads to catch the balls of thelr enemy, which penetrated one side of the roof and fell short of the other. These were i'm mediately run by these Spartan women in- to bullets, and before they had time to cool were sent back to the enemy from whence they came. Several attempts were made to force the door, but the un- erring aim of the marksmen within sent such certain death to their assailants, that they soon desisted from their efforts. Most of the time the Indians kept behind logs and stumps, and avoided as best they could the fire of the little Gibraltar. The whole afternoon, even until sundown the battle continued, until, as the sun set, the the savages, unable to conquer so small a fortress, discouraged and baffled, forsook the ground, and, as was supposed, returned to Canada, abandoning the expedition on which they had set out. It is not unrea. sonable to suppose that their fatal experi. ence here, through the matchless defence of these heroes and heroines, was instru. mental in saving hundreds of the dwellcrs on the frontier from the horrors of an In. dian massacre.
 Seldom did it fall to the lot of the early settlers to win more brilliant crowr than John Kilburn earned in his glorious exploit. Peak got the only wound of his party, receiving ball in the hips, from ex posture at a port-hole, which, unhappily for the lack of surgical care, caused his death on the fifth day. The Indians never again appeared in that neighborhood, al though the war did not terminate till eight years afterwards. John Kilburr lived to see his fourth generation enjoying the benefit of high civilization on tho spot he had rescued from the savages What amount of destruction he had hi. companions made among the savages il was impossible to tell, as they carefully carried off and concealed their dead