Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-02-16
LGCNRGY'S DAUGHTER,

A bevy o. girls. grand daughters o
the aged lady of the mansion. were as
sembled for their usual summer visit a
the old Beatty homestead Acting on
child nature everywher,, they bese
Grandmother Beatty one evening for .
story, and when she sssented, and CAV,
them the choice among several Incl
dents of her early days, they naturally
preferred the following, rs it relates tC
wedding and baby; to su ,iects OF
particular interest to girls of their age
twelve to sixteen.
She always began this oft told tale
in the same words of half apology:
g heard it SO many times when
was CHI Id, and have told it so often
since l became old, that it does seem
as if remember it though that can moi
be, for l was only fifteen months old
when it happened. But it is Just as
true, girls, as if | could recollect it my
self. for heard my father and grand
mother and others tell it over and
over ever SO many times And SO
you will forgive me if | tell it lust as
though | remember all about it, for in.
deed can not tell it in any other way
Il was born in my fathers little
log cabin just fortnight ter it was
built, the fifteenth OF April, 1871, and
my cradle was roll of bark with two
crooked sticks for rockers. That was
in Westmoreland County, Penn, at 4
place called Miller's Station, two mi es
from Hanna's Town. Both these places
were destroyed by the Indians and new
er rebuilt; t ey were not far from the
present village of Greenburg.
''Those were years of war all over
America, but the frontiers had the hard
est OF it, for British agents kept the In
dians stirred up and supplied them with
guns and ammunition, but the colonies
had all the fighting they could do along
the seaboard, and so had no help to
spare to the borders. Countless muir.
ders of women and children were com.
mitted by the savages, and hosts OF
people carried into captivity. Those
were awful times on the frontiers.
well, the incident you have asked
me to tell occurred on the 18th of July,
1882. when was baby just running
alone nicely. There had been many
settlers farther into the wilderness than
Miller's Station and Hanna's Town. but
gradually they had been driven back till
our places were the last on the borders.
Among tie settlers thus returning were
two Scotch families who stopped and
built cabins near ours, the Courlas and
Dunlaps. Others also settled down at
Miller's until, with the great double
mansion of Mr.. Miller. the fine house of
John Brownlee, and several smaller
ones, we had quite village.
''Mary Courla must have been q
beautiful Scotch girl, for her praises
were in eyerybody's mouth, and as ]
first recall her, though thirty years old,
she was a lovely woman. And James
Dunlap was worthy of her, few men |
ever saw equaling him in looks and
bearing. 1t seems that love, like wild
violets, blossoms in the woods as well
as in the fields; and perhaps it is sweet
er there than in the towns where ii
makes SO much gaudier appearance,
like over-cultivated pansies. At any
rate, James and Mary courted, loved.
married and lived great many years
of welded love, all in the borders.
They were general favorites in our lit,
tie settlement, and hen it was whispered
about that their wedding day was set,
MIR. Miller went to James and invited
him to have the wedding at the man
sion and ask in a housefuL James
assented, and when the day came, July
II, it was goodiy company that
gathered TO sec the lovers united.
Numbers came from Hanna's Town,
chief among them being Mrs. Hanna
herself and her two beautiful daughters,
tba nf WacfrnnrnlapH
lin old times the wedding day was
the brides day, and the next was the
groom's, and was called the Unfair.
and this was a more festive occasion
than the marriage itself So you see
my story happened not at wedding,
really, but at the Unfair.
Everything went merry enough
until the middle of the afternoon.
There had been dancing, and playing.
and q eat glee after dinner, when sud-
denly, like clap of thunder out Of
a clear sky. terrible war-whoop burst
on their ears, and host of painted
savages rushed into the mansion. 1t
seems they had attacked Hanna's Town
about noon II ost of the people escaping
into the fort; and then, before anybody
could get away to give us warning at
Miller's, they had come unawares upon
our place.
Most of our people were captured; a
few men who were moving grass in the
meadows, and some who we're at home
in their cabins, fed into the woods and
escaped. All tine wedding company
were taken; the bride and groom, Mrs.
Hanna and her daughters, John Brown
lee and all his family but one little
child, which was rescued by young
man and hid in a rye-feld. in all. forty
five souls. Most OF them were released
and came home within a couple of
year, among them the young married
couple; but some were tomahawked on
the march. Browniee was one of these.
He had been a leader against the In
dams in several expeditions, and some
of the red men recognized him and re-
membered with anger his bravery. On
the retreat Brownlee was loaded by
them like S pack-horse with great
burden of things they had stolen in our
cabins; and he bad taken in addition his
youngest child. about my age, and so
was walking beside his wife. At one
spot ne stopped slightly TO arrange his
load. when an Indian sunk q tomahawk
In his brain. As he fell to the ground
the same dripping blade cleft open the
skull of the yellow-tressed lite child
And as my mother (your great-grand-
mother, also in the line Of captivcs,
screamed at witnessing such n butchery,
the monster who did it turned and
hewed her down. Mrs. Brownlee saw
the bloody deed and the death-throes Of
her husband and babe in silent horror,
and from that moment was never sane
again. She drifted along with the rest