News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-04-20
SAMMONS AND HIS Sons.

In speaking of the horrors of war
few people realize the individual suffer
ing and fearful peril to which thousand.
of lives are exposed; history only treats
of great events IN which the prominent
actors of the time are engaged, while
the freside and domestic tragedies
which were far more deeply and in
tensely dramatic are left unrecorded
and only hive ss traditions in the minds
of few descendants of the performers.
Among the various spots Astounding
with stories of terrible interest none
have witnessed scenes more frightful
than the valley of the Mohawk during
the Revolutionary war and it is one of
the most extraordinary and exciting of
these incidents that we propose to re-
late.
II was in the year 1850, that an old
farmer named Sammons lived IN the
neighborhood of the village of Johns
town. and near the johnson estate,
which had been sequestered in conse-
quence of the former owner, Sir John
johnson, becoming commander in the
British forces. Mr.. Summons was of
German extraction, whence he had immi-
grated to his present abode. His family
consisted of three sons and one daugh-
ter, all handsome, sturdy, fearless, in
dependent and staunch wings, like their
father, who was member of the Com
mittee of Safety, and held ieutenant's
commission in the American army. The
whole family were well known to Sir
John, who had several times experienced
protection from them in times of immi-
nent danger; but this did not prevent
most dastardly and fendish attack upon
their home during one of his maraud-
ing excursions to the vicinity of his for
mer residence. He was always accom-
panied by band of Indians, who, like
a pack of wild beasts, sprang upon and
tore to pieces whatever he marked as
his prey. On this occasion, however,
with a remnant of humanity, he de-
tached them in various directions, and
proceeded stealthily to surround the
house with his own immediate troops,
desiring to capture the family alive and
carry them off as prisoners.
1t was very early IN the morning, and
the first gray dawn had hardly began to
streak the horizon, when the farmers
youngest son, Thomas, about nineteen,
opened the back door of the farm house
and commenced taking an observation.
He was only partially dressed, and was
Eliminating on the chances of safety in
ventur1ng out before daylight as he de-
sired, on urgent business for in those
times stray Indians were always prowl-
ing about, and wife and family could
never count on the safe return of the
beloved ones, even though they went
abroad only for a short distance and in
broad daylight. Concluding it would
be safer to wait until the sun rose, he
was about retreating, when hand was
placed on his shoulder, and the words
81 arrest you in the kings NAME" in
formed him that he was a prisoner.
The whole family were asleep upstairs,
or in the act of rising, and the old man
and his two elder sons were soon Sc
cured; the females, consisting of the
wife of the eldest son, Jacob, and q
young girl, the only daughter of the old
man, were left unmolested by the order
of Sir John.
Thomas begged for an opportunity Of
getting his Clothes, or at least his shoes
and stockings, which was brutally re.
fused him accompanied by thrust of g
bayonet, which would have killed him
had not his fair young sister thrown
herself between and warded off the
blow. Her complaint brought repri
mand to the soldier, and permission tc
finish dressing, while the fierce troops
ransacked and plundered the house and
out-buildings of everything they con.
tanned which could be carried with
them, including seven horses belonging
to Mr.. Summons. The whole party
was then marched off, the father and
sons closely pinioned and placed be.
tween files of soldiers, their course
being directed toward the river. Here
they were joined by the Indians, and
traversed several miles of the Mohawk
Valley, suffering the keenest torture
from the sight of the desolation and
misery around them. Wherever there
was building, it was burnt and sacked;
sheep and cattle were killed, horses ap-
propriated, homes laid bare, husbands
and fathers slaughtered, wives and
daughters shamefully abused, and then
left tc return to their hearthstones
which had been made desolate. Toward
night they returned toward Caughna-
waga, which they burnt to the ground,
and took all the men prisoners, and then
retracing their steps to Johnstown, took
up their quarters at the old hall which
was the homestead of Sir John.
Here the fine figure and handsome
face of Thomas Sammons attracted the
attention of Sir Johns daughter, @
young lady SO gentle and amiable, that
it was q matter of surprise how she
could have been born of such a father.
She Immediately contrived plan for his
escape; interceding with all the eloquence
and persuasion of which she was mis-.
tress, on behalf of two or three persons
to whom she had been under obligations
for safe conduct, and finally obtained an
order for their release, she managed tc
smuggle Thomas Summons in among
them, and with kind words and look
which stirred new and strange emotions
in his heart, he was permitted to re,
turn.
The next morning old Mr.. Sammons
requested an interview with the com.
mander, when he reproached him for his
treacherous conduct, briefly reviewed
the various acts of kindness which had
been bestowed in the past, and asked il
this was the fitting return. His remon-
strances produced such an effect that an
order for his release was signed, but all