Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-07-10
Recalling n Bloody Bay.
Prom the Yenango pa spectatsrl

sdCIC VI w 1OuiluS iSOdii OuO vi bhO h1oo'
thrilling insidents Of the Revolution
The name of Wyoming and its sad his
tory have obtained a worldwide fame,
and naturally the thousands who have
been stirred by the recital OF its woes
will feel an interest in the Forthcoming
celebration, which occurs Oh the 3ro
and 4th Of July of this year. the first be.
in. the date Of the battle and massacre.
The invasion of the valley was &C
complished on the Sd Of July, l778,when
a number of British soldiers command.
ed by Col. John Butler and accompan-
led by seven hundred Indians, led by
the cruel half-bred, Brant or Glen.
gwah-toh, descended upon the defence
less settlement They were met by
few companies OF old men and boys,
whose extreme age and youth had ex'
empted them from service in the distant
ranks of the Republic, and for several
hours fierce battle ragged on the banks
of the :Susquehanna. But the contest
vas unequal. The Indians, from theiI
ambush kept up a deadly flank fire,
which soon thinned the ranks Of the
yeoman; and, utterly shattered, they
were forced to fall back. despite the APP
peals Of their courageous leader, Col.
Zebulon Butler, who cried, Don't
leave me, my children, and the days Is
ours" The Indians, seeing their foes
retreat, fell upon them and slaugh-
tered without mercy men, women and
children.
When the Six Nations espoused the
English cause against the Colonies it
was part of the compact that the latter
should lead them against Wyoming, to
afford them an opportunity OF being
avenged upon the settlers whom they
regarded as being the usurpers Of the
red mans paradise, name sometimes
given to the valley; and SO the first
skirmish being over, the Indians gave
full scope to the spirit of destruction
which possessed them, and breaking
away from their leaders, they reaped
a terrible revenge upon the gentle peo-
pie of that Arcadian abode. About
three hundred were put 10 death with
torch, tomahawk and spear, regardless
of age or sex, and the most cruel tor
tues that flendish spirit could devise
were employed to make the last linger-
ing moments of their victims full Of
agony. An awful night followed that
day of carnage. The huts and homes,
the crops and orchards, were set on
fire, and the devastation of the entire
settlement was made complete. Sew
eral were drowned in thier efforts to
escape down the river under cover Of
night, but party Of a hundred women
and children succeeded in making their
way to the mountains, under the leader
ship of one old man, who was their sole
protector. But though they fled the
terrors OF the massacre, it was TO en-
counter hardships equally severe. Their
path lay through the great swamp now
known as the shades of DEATH" by
reason of the numbers who had persisted
there, and the great sufierings they
endured from fear and famine and sick
ness are unms tched by anything on re-
cord. One poor woman, whose babe
died at her breast in vain effort to OBJ
tain nourishment, carried her dead darl-
ing twenty miles rather than leave the
precious burden behind to fall a prey to
the wolves, and many other incidents
of love and devotion are related. Only
a few survived the fatigue of the march
and the plague which overlook them in
the swamp. The bodies Of these who were
massacred in the Wyoming Valley lay
unburied on the plain for months, until
a detachment of soldiers gathered them
together one night and consigned them
to hole IN the ground, fearful lest a
more respectful interment might ex-
cite the enmity Of the Indians, who
were still prowling about the neighbour
hoed. The result was that the exact
location of the remains was unknown
to the friends Of the dead for man y
years, and their discovery at last was a
mere accident.
An unassuming obelsk, commemora-
tive of the virtues of the fallen heroes,
has been raised over the resting place OF
the patriotic women OF Wyoming, and
is visited every summer by hundreds OF
persons attracted TO the scene by a
spirit Of reverence or curiosity. In
order to make the coming centennial as
realistic as possible, number Of huts
are in process of erection along the
river, to look exactly like those which
stood there one hundred years ago, and
the old forts are being rebuilt. A tribe
of friendly Indians detailed their chief Il
few days ago to wait on the committee
of arrangements and offer their services
in full costume, and their appearance
will doubtless aid the picturesque
features OF the representation. Presi-
dent Hayes and number Of men promi-
nent in politics and literature have also
signiied their intention Of being present.
The words Of a poem by Miss Susan f.
Dickinson have been set to music, and
will be sung by one hundred voices, and
a similar contribution has been made by
another accomplished lady, who retires
behind the nom de plume of 'Stella Of
Lackawanna." The programme for the
Fourth Of July consists OF q grand
pageant, participated in by the civic an d
military societies of Pennsylvania, to
be followed in the evening by a dlsply
of fireworks along the river banks dis
stance Of twenty miles Of charming
scenery.
A sketch Of Wyoming would be in
complete without mentioning the
Bloody Queen Ester" an Indian
fury, who, with her own hands, put
twenty men to death. Her victims had
been taken prisoners, and were promised
mercy but just at the moment when
they hoped to be released they were
led from the fort, where they had been
held captive, and ranged around a rock
upon which their murdercss with DEATH
maui and tomahawk, dashed out their
brains. 1t is known to this day as
Queen Ester's rock, and the portion
which rose above the surface the earth
has been almost carried away by the
relic hunters. The story of Frances
Slocum, who was carried off from her
mothers door. mere babe, by the In
dams, and discovered half a century
later by her brothers, who found that
she had forgotten her language, and
was happy and wealthy with the "chil-
dren of the Forest" is too well known to
need rpnrOducGion nevertheless. owing