Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-05-26
A Narrow ESCAPE.
From the Romance OF the Hudson by Benson '
Losing, in Harpei's Magazine for June

From the Romance OF the Hudson. by Benson.
Losing, in Harpei's Magazine for June.
The Schuyler mansion was the
theatre of romance in the summer
of 1871. General Schuyler was not
then in active military service, but,
at his house at Albany or at Saratoga,
he was the vigilant eye of the North
ern Department. His person as
prisoner was coveted rs a capital
prize by his Tory neighbors. Walter
Meyer, a Tory colleague of the IA
nous Joe Beltys, was employed to
execute scheme for the seizure and
abduction of the general. With a
party of his associates, Canadians
and Indians, he prowled in the woods
near Albany for many days, and as
certained the exact situation of affairs
at Schuyler's house from Dutchman
whom he had seized at his work.
He learned that guard of six men
were there for the protection of
Schuyler's person, three of them al
ternately, on duty continually. The
Dutchman was compelled to take an
oath of secrecy. He did SO with a
mental reservation, and as soon as he
was released, he fastened to Schuyler
and warned him of his peril.
As the twilight of sultry day in
August was yielding to the night,
Schuyler and his family were sitting
in the great hall of the mansion; the
servants were about the premises;
three OF the guard were asleep IN the
basement, and the other three were
lying on the grass in front of the
mansion. \ servant announced that
a person at the back gate wished to
speak with the general. His errand
was understood. The doors and
windows of the mansion were imme-
diately closed and barred, the family
were gathered in an upper room, and
the General ran to his bedroom for
his arms. Looking out of the win.
dow, he saw the house surrounded
by armed men. To alarm the town,
half mile distant, he fired pistol
from his window. At the same mo-
mont the intruders burst open the
front door. At that instant Mrs.
Schuyler perceived that in the con-
fusion she had left her infant IN a
cradle in the hall below. She was
about to rush down the stairs after it,
when the General interposed and
prevented her. Her third daughter
Margaret, (who was afterward the
wife of the last patroonl instantly
flew down the great stairway, snatch
ed the sleeping babe from the cradle,
and bore it up to its mother. One of
the Indians hurled 4 sharp tomahawk
at her. Its keen blade Just grazed
the infants head, and was buried in
the railing of the stair. Meyer, sup
posing her to be servant, called to
her, as she flew up the stairs, "Where's
your master?" With quick thought
she exclaimed, as she reached the
verge of the upper hall, "Gone to
alarm the town." Her father heard
her, and with as quick thought, threw
up a window and called out, as to
multitude, "Come on, my brave tel
lows! Surround the house, and Sc
cure the vlllains!" The alarmed
marauders, who were plundering the
Generals dining-room of the plate,
fled in haste, carrying away some of
the booty. That infant was the late
Mrs. Catherine Van Rensselaer, Coch-
ran, General Schuyler's youngest
child, who died at Oswego in the
summer of 1857.