Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-07-30

tories under Major Butler, and a large
party of Mohawk Indians under Brandt
came down the Lacawanna Valley and
attacked and laid waste this fruitful vale.
The settlers (men from ConnecticuD
hearing of the approach of their savage
foe gathered in Forty Fort" mastering
three hundred men. They resolved to
hazard battle with the enemy, and sal
lied forth lacking proper drill and wise
leadership. The invading force numbered
about nine hundred, the majority of which
were Mohawks. By some strange fatality
the settlers allowed themselves to be
drawn into ambush, when they were sur
rounded and terrible massacre began,
which only ended with the actual saugh-
ter of two-thirds of the American force.
The remainder fled to the fort. and taking
wife and children, scattered in all direc-
tions. many of whom were overtaken and
slain, or perished in the wilderness and
on the mountains. A few lived to return
again after the valley had been cleared
of the enemy by General Sullivan, and
their descendants reside here to-day.
Last year, July 4, 1873, on the centen-
nial anniversary of the slaughter of their
ancestors, these descendants gathered
around fine monument erected in 1876
and held imposing ceremonies. The
president. Mr.. Hayes, and Secretaries
Sherman and Devens were present by
special invitation, and participated in the
ceremony of the hour. A great concourse
of people were present to honor the occa-
sion and greet the chief magistrate of the
nation, and his advisers. The monument
is sixty-two feet in hight, and contains
tablets upon which are inscribed the
names of the slain on that ill-starred day,
and also the names of the survivors of the
battle. The monument is erected over
the place where the bones GATHERED three
months after the conflicD Of one hundred
and sixty of the victims were buried.
Space ii. G. the lack of iD forbids adding
many incidents that might be of general
interest to the reader. But possibly more
anon.
From the foregoing, let no one think
that this beautiful valley is free from i'm
perfection. 1t is not. The city of the
dead lies just along side the city of the
living here rs elsewhere. 1t would be an
Eden but for sin and its consequences.
Two things especially detract from its
acknowledgements and ague. The
latter is bud, but the former OorSe.
Methodism is wealthy and numerous
more SO than any other denomination.
She sustains Il vigorous institution of
learning at Kingston-the heart of the
valley-called the Wyoming Conference
Seminary and Commercial College," The
interests are managed with marked sue
cess by one of Vermont's sons, Rev.
David Copeland, Phi. d., d. d., whose
father, an honored member of the Yer.
mont conference of the M. Z. church
now in the scar Of life, resides in Barre.
This institution sent forth twenty-seven
graduates at its last commencement in
June, several of them of special ability
and promise, and who, after further aca-
demic or theological drill purpose to enter
the ministry of the M. f. church, eithel
in America or as missionaries in foreign
lands.
Quite a coincidence is found here in the
fact that in the faculty of the school spok.
en- of above, and in the NJ. +. parsonage
close by. there are found five former stu
dents of old Newbury Seminary, four Of
whom are graduates, and four out Of s9
New Englanders here are Vermonter
and proud of their native state. Nom
need but feel pride for state that ha
given Foote and Edmunds to the Senate
and Fisk and an Olin to the ministry.