The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1876-06-29

Nh4 eQA&QQds and n&Dv1e10esS0NScekyeu
there for lumber. This time he did not
come alone, but was accompanied by an
armed schooner, and he was 1etul mot
to land his goods till the people agreed TO
trade with him as usual. Probably this
then il was not pleasant to see British
cutter anchored in their river. They knew
that lumber was just what the Royal
troops needed for their barracks; the af-
fair at Lexington had aroused all their
patriotic ardOr; and they determined that
Capt. Jones should never return to Boston
with his vessels. To understand what
this decision cost them, we must remem-
Der that the settlers were wholly depend
ent ON "lumbering' for supl,ort.
To be sure, the men did not have to
make long journeys on their sleds into the
forests and there camp out for the winter,
as the lumbermen of Maine do now.
Every year these logging parties 20 merrily
off to their rough life in ytlle woods, at
night sleeping on spruce boughs laid upon
the floor of the camp, their feet turned to
. roaring fire, with sometimes wolves to
serenadc their stumbers; living largely on
pork and molasses, frying bushels of
doughnuts at a time, boiling their tea in
great tea-kettles, and having rather jolly
time of it, especially when their townsmen
go to make them a visit, as they some
times do. f~-'' t:s = -
But then there were woods everywhere
about the settlement, which was at a
great distance from any large town; and
as there were no roads, the only way 10
get relief in time of need was by water,
and this way could be easily cut off by an
enemy. Except scanty supply of pota.
| TIM, rsokn
the people owned very few cows, and only
enough oxen to haul lumber in winter
Many families often had nothing but
CLANS to eat for weeks at q time, and
when Capt. Jones's sloops arrived there
were not enough provisions in the town.
ship to last three weeks. But rather than
let King Georges troops have any of their
lumber, these destitute people made up
their minds to starve. =
So they agreed to take possession of the
sloops and Of the Margaretta" also, the
story of whose capture has been told too
often to repeat here. A company of vol
| unteers was organized on Sunday, the
18th of June, but only few charges OF
powder and ball could be mustered for
twenty fowling- pieces. Besides these,
they had only thirteen pitchforks and ten
or twelve axes. These weapons seem bar
barous enough to us; and you remember
the red coats thought SO, too, and longed
for foemen worthy of their steel when
they saw our. rustic soldiery. But they
found afterward that brave heart and
steady purpose were more than match
for the deadliest firearms.
There was not much time to talk the
matter over, and a man was quickly sent
to JOnesborO, settlement some sixteen
miles distant, for ammunition. But after
this messenger reached his destination he
actually refused to return! Very likely
he felt tired after his long walk through
the woods, and his courage gave out. As
there was no other man to take his place,
all the Jonesboro men having gone to
Machias that very day to assist in the
capture of the vessels, no wonder the
women were filled with indignation at
this treachery, and set to work to see what
they could do. 1t always happens that
where there's a will there's way; and
Hannah Weston, a young bride of seven
teen, whose husband and brothers were
among the volunteers, went round to the
various houses in the settlement and col
lected all the powder, lead and pewter
spoons she could find. Then she
and her sister Rebecca, who was
only two years older, determined to
carry the ammunition to Machias them
| selves. They started on their rough tramp
| Monday morning, with about forty pounds
of powder and lead, enough bread and
| meat to last two days, ard a small Ratchet.
All the women and children gathered to
see them of; meantime the one man in
the settlement, the recreant messenger,
was hiding in the woods for fear of the
Britishers"! We may be sure that his
behavior earned the bitter contempt of
the women who were left behind, and
! that they did not treat him very tenderly
when he made himself visible. You see
| there were towards even in those brave
days.
When half the toilsome journey was
over, Rebecca's strength failed, and Mrs
Weston relieved her of her burden, carry
| ing the whole load herself the rest of the
| way. There was no road, and indeed no
path, through the dense pine forests. But
the men who passed through the woods
the day before had "spotted' tree here
and there, and these faint marks were our
heroines' only guides through the wilder.
ness. When they lost their way, which
happened to them more than once, they
sat down on the trunk of some fallen
tree to rest and refresh themselves with
TODD, and then kept bravely on. After
wandering several miles out of their way,
they at length reached the Machias River,
and decided to follow its course down to
the settlement. As the Indians were
often seen on the river in canoes, and fire..
quented its banks for game, our travellers
kept at a safe distance from the stream.
But there was little TO fear from the red
men and indeed nothing saved Machias
I n fhnoo or Ioryo h,,f TIM - oollsr
Of the Indians.
After dusk, after crossing brooks and
wading through muddy swamps, they
came to the foot of high hill, and, not
knowing where they were, threw them
selves wearilysdown to rest. There in the
gathering twilight they heard the mourn
full owls hooting, and the distant barking
of wolves. AT length Mrs. Weston, pick
ing up stout stick for cane, climbed
the hill alone, and from the top joyfully
discovered the houses of Machias. Tying
her handkerchief to a bush, that she
might again find the spot, she fastened
back to kebecca. But the tired girl had
fallen into heavy sleep, and it was only
after vigorous shaking that her sister
| was able to arouse her.
They arrived at Machias before dark,
completely exhausted, with their clothes
half torn from them, and learned that the
Margaretta had already been captured.
However, they were SO glad to hear the
good news that they did not regret what
they had done, and though the ammuni
tion was not needed then, it proved very
useful when the British afterward at
tackled the town.
The next day, to show that their serv-
| ices were aDDreciated the Committee of
Safety made the two brave women pres
ent of twelve yards of camlet, worth about
eight dollars !; and this was considered at
that time large sum. Two dresses were
made of this cloth, and fifty years after
ward fragment of her camlet gown was
carefully preserved by Mrs. Weston, asa
memento of her perilous journey.
A great many years after this, when
Mrs. Weston must have been nearly
eighty years old, her son, who is still 1iv-
ing in Jonesboro, went to a. lawyer in
Machias from whose lips / had thastory),
told him about his mothers adventure,