The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-10-18
Pamnus ESCAPES From Indians.

DR.. Edward Eggleston' paper in the
September Century on "Indian war in
the Colonies. recounts the following
exploits:-" "Stories of marvellous and
ingenious escapes were the romance of
the colonies. and such adventures date
back to the earliest Indian war in Vir-
ginia, where a man and his wife, who
had been spared in the wholesale
slaughter, found thoir opportunity.
while the Indians were dancing with
jov over the acquisition of a white mans
boat that had drifted ashore. These
captives got into canoe, and soon
afterwards surprised their friends in the
settlements, who had believed them to
be dead Very like this was the escape
of Anthony Bracket and his wife in
Maine. They were left to follow on
after their captors who were eager to
reach plunaering party in time to
share in the spoil. Brackets wife found
broken bark canoe, which she mend
ed with needle and thread: the whole
family then put to sea in this rickety
| craft, and at length reached Black
Point. where they got on board vessel.
A little lad of eleven years, named
Eames, taken in Philips war, made his
way, thirty miles or more to the settle
ments. Two sons of the famous Han
nah Bradley. previously mentioned,
effected an ingenious escape, lying all
the first day in a hollow log. and using
| their provisions to make friends with
the dogs that had tracked them. They
journeyed in extreme peril and suffer-
! ing for nine days, and one of them fell
down with exhaustion just as they were
entering white settlement. A young
girl in Massachusetts, after three weeks
of captivity made bride of bark, and
catching horse. rode all night through
the woods to Concord. Mrs. Dean,
taken at Oyster River in 1894. was left,
with her daughter, in charge of an old
Indian while the rest finished their work
of destruction. The old fellow asked
| his prisoners what would cure pain in
his head. She recommended him to
drink some rum taken from her house.
This put him to sleep and the woman
and child got away. Another down.
east captive, with the fitting name Of
Toogood, while his captive during an
attack on settlementwas disentangling
a piece of string with which to tie him.
jerked the Indians gun from under his
arm, and levelling it at his head, got
safely away.
Escaping captives endured severe
hardships. One, Bard, taken in Penn
| sylvania, lived nine DAYS on few buds
and four snakes. Mrs. Inglis, captured
in the valley of Virginia, escaped in
company with German woman, from
place far down the Ohio River. After
narrowly avoiding discovery and recap
ture, they succeeded in ascending the
south bank of the river for some hun
dreds of miles When within few
day travel of the settlements, they
were so reduced by famine, that the
German woman, enraged that she had
been induced to leave the Indian flesh
pots, and crazed with hunger, made an
unsuccessful attack upon her compan-
ion with cannibal intentions
The most famous of all escapes OF
New England captives was that of Han
nah Dustan, Mary Neff. and a boy,
Samuel Leonardson. These three were
carried off with many others, in 1897,
in the attack on Haverhill, Mrs. Dus.
tan's infant child having been killed by
the Indians. When the captors had
separated, the party to whom tho two
women and the boy were assigned, en-
camped on an island in the Merrimao
river. At midnight the captives secur.
ed hatchets and killed ten Indians
two men, two women and six children
one favorite boy who they intended
to spare. and one badly wounded wo
man escahing. After they had left the
camp, the fugutives remembered thai
no one in the settlement would believe,
without evidence. that they had per-
formed so redoubtable an action; they
therefore returned and scalped the In
dians. after which they scuttled all the
canoes on the island but one. and il
this escaped down the Merrimac, anc
finally reached Haverhill. This was
such an exploit As made the actors Ia
nous in that bloody time. The Mas
sachusetts' General Court gave Mrs
Dustan TWENTY-FIVE pounds and granite,
half tiiat amount to each of her COM
panions. The story of their daring
deed was carried far to the southwark,
and Governor Nicholson OF Maryland.
sent valuable present to the escaped
prisoners.