New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-03-17
Molly Brant and Sir william john

One morning in the month of Sep.
TENDER, long anterior to the revol.;.
ton, Il militia muster was held in :;
broad, extended field near the villug,
OF JOhnstOWn, in the State of New
York. In those days a militia muster
was a vastly different institution from,
any thing of the kind in the present
century. Partaking more nearly OF
the characteristics of a fair IN the ole.
country, it attracted the population of
the surrounding country, far and near;
and after ''parade was dismissed, y
latitude and license were given
to the enjoyment of the wild sports.
games and frOlics of the times, which
frequently ended in riots, and some
times broken heads and bloodshed
The present occasion was character
lied Ivy more than usually large u.s.
sembly Of the neighboring inhabitants.
There were the stalwart and stoic.l
chiefs, braves and warriors of the six
nations, intermingled with the tall
athletic Highlander, with his broact
Scottish accent the Hibernian. with
his fun, wliskey and shillaleh ; the
Dutchman with his pipe and jolly.
good-humored face the pioneer, with
his rifle and hunting shirt with here
and there Il British officer in his bright
scarlet coat and warlike trappings,
looking on with feelings of contempt
for the motley crew which surrounded
him. Prominently. distinguished
among the crowds which thronged the
green, as well for his fine personal ar.
pearance as for the marked respect
shown him on all hands, was Sir VIM.
Johnson, {" his Majesty's agent for In.
dian affairs in the then colony of
New York. The baronet was at this
time a widower, having buried his first
wife. who was German girl whom
Sir William had appropriated to him.
self III rather summary manner. Tra-
dition says that Man by the name of
h,llips had purchased the girl of the
captain of the vessel which brought
her over, the purchase money being
towards paying her passage. She was
possessed of considerable personal at.
fractions ; and Il neighbor on hearing
the barOnet declare his intent never
to marry. asked him why he did not
get the handsome German girl of Phil.
lips for i hOusekeeper. Rejecting Il
moment. he replied, Il will.' Calling
upon Phillips 4 short time afterwards.
the neighbOr ashed him where the Girl
was. The incensed owner of the
beauty replied,-" johnson. that tam
lrishnan, he come tother day, and he
say he gift me fife pound for her, and
threaten to horsewhip me and steal
her it l no sell her. I fought fife
pounds better ten Il hoggin, and took
1t. and he's got tie gall She live,
with him as his mistress. and bore
him three children, Sir John johnson
and two daughters. who became the
wives respectively Of Guy Johnson
and Daniel Claus. On her death-beA
Sir William married her to legitimate
her children. The dying mother left
her two daughters to the care of i; fe.
male friend, who educated them in al.
most mOnastic solitude. Having lost
her husband-a British officer, who
was killed in battle-she retired from
The world, and devoted herself exc!l.
'ively to her charge. The children
w. y NtsAOAuAlJ luoOl uCCcus Ill .VtllOtlS
kinds Of needle.work, and in moral
md religious duties, hut were kept Sc
Guided from society. At the age Of
sixteen they had never seen q lady, ]
except their mother and her friend,
nora gentleman except Sir William.
who visited them daily. After their
they mixed more freely in
society. and the unnatural constraint
wearing off, they made most excellent
md exemplary wives.
But to- return to the. parade groult|. 4
Sir William, in company with lis pYi-
iate secretary, had spent afternoon
n perambul.ting the ground, like !.
feudal baron, '.monarch Of all he sur
1eyed;; mixing with the various
groups, with kind words for all, AMI
,artaking of his gfeatest enjoyment
n seeing Others enjoy themselves
when. just as he was about to leave
for 1.-THE hail. his attention was at.
,racted to q distant part Of the parade.
~ numerous and long continued shouts
md cheers, which seemed to betoken
' g new object Of excitement and
ln,llse ment. He was not kept long III
suspense as to the cause, Is ,e sound Of