Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1883-07-19
A BRAVE GIRLS ADVENTURE 1OO
YEARS AGO.

In the year 1881, while Clinton and
Washington were watching each 9th
er's movements near New York, Gen.
Schuyler, having resigned his command
on account of some unjust charge
against him, was staying ut his house,
which then stood alone outside the
stockade or wall at Albany. The Brit
ish commander, therefore, seeing his
opportunity, sent out John Walter
Meyer with a party of tories and Indi-
ans to capture Gen. Schuyler. When
they arrived at the outskirts of the
city they learned from Dutch Ia
borer that the generals house was
guarded by six soldiers. The Dutch
man, the minute the band was out of
sight, took to his legs and warned the
general of their approach. Soon after
Il servant announced that there was a
TRANCE man at the back door who
wished to see the general. Schuyler,
understanding the trap, gathered his
f,mily in one of the upper rooms, and
giving orders that the door and win
dows be barred, fired a pistol from one
of the top-story windows to alarm the
neighborhood. The guards, who had
been lounging in the shade of tree,
started to their feet at the sound OF
| tle pistol; but alas too late, for they
| sound themselves surrounded by
| Iand of dusky figures, who bound
them hand and foot before they had
| time to resist.
And now you can imagine the little
group collected in that dark room up
stairs; the sturdy general. standing
resolutely by the door, with gun in
his hand and his black slaves gathered
aroand him, each with some weapon ;
and at the other end of the room the
women huddled together, some weep
ing, some praying. Suddenly crash
IS heard which ch'lls the very blood,
lnd brings vividly 10 mind the tales OF
| Indian masSacres SO common at that
lay. Til; b1ud had broken IN at ONE
Il the windows. At that moment hrs.
schuyler, springing to her feet, rushed
coward the door, for she remembered
that the baby, only a few months old,
having been forgotten in the hurry of
,he night, was asleep in its cradle on
ihe first floor. But the general. catch
ing her i'll his arms, told her that her
life was of more value than the child's,
and that if anyone must go he would.
While, however, this generous struggle
was going on, their third daughter,
gliding past them, was soon at the side
of the cradle. All was as black as
night in the hall, except for a small
patch of light just at the foot of the
stairs. This came from the dining
room, where the Indians could be seen
pillaging the shelves, pulling down the
china, and quarreling with one anoth-
er over their iil.gotten booty.
How to get past this spot was the
question, but the girl did not hesitate.
She reached the cradle unobserved,
and she was just darting back with heT
precious burden when, by i'll luck, one
I OF the savages happened to see her
Whiz! went his sharp tomahawk with
in few inches of the baby's head
and, cleaving an edge Of the brave
girls dress, stuck deep into the stair
rail. Just then one of the tories, see
ing her fit by, and supposing her to bc
c "A servant, called after her. Wench
! wench, where is your master!" She
|, stopping for q moment, called back =
; " Gone to alarm the town. and hur
5 rying on was soon safe again with he
= IA her up stairs. And now, very near
!. ly all of the plunder having been Sc
cured, the band was about to proceed
to the real object of the expedition
when the general, raising one of tin
|. upper windows, called out in lust.
tones, as il commanding large bod!
/. of men: "Come on, my brave fellows
5 Surround the house. Secure the vii
q Iains who are plundcringl The COW
" ards knew the voice, and they e0cI
and every one of them took TO tin
woods as fast as their legs would carr
= them, leaving the general in the po,
session Of the field. The old Schuyle
house looks now as It looked then, eS
Z cept that the back wing for the slave
ID has been torn down and some few al
a terliions have been made around tn
q place; but when you esire shown TN
n house you can still see the dent in TIN
to to stair-rail made by that Indians hatcf
q ct more than 100 years ago.-St. Nicf
81 vlas.