Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-07-04
AN INTERESTING RELIC

AN ACCOUNT OF CAPTAIN MELyIN's FtdHT WITH
THE INDIANS At JAMAICA, WITH A DEscR1p-
rIoN OF AN OLD sUN-DIAL RECENTLY FOUND
At THAT PLACE, WHICH UNDOUBTEDLY ne
LoNGED TO HIM
In May 1913, during tho French and Indi-
an war raging at that time, Captain Eleazer
Melvin left Northfeld, Macs, with a COM
pRny Of is men on an expedition against the
Indians. The sergeant of the company was
Joseph Petty, who lived at Rorthheld, and
had wifo and four children there. The
company proceeded to No. 4, now Charles
town, N. H. and thence by wny Of Black
river and Otter creek to Lake Champlain.
There he encountered large party OF Indi-
ans in canoes on the lake and fred at them.
This aroused so many of the Indians that ho
rotroatod by way of Otter creek and the
south branch and over the mountain to West
river, which ho reached on the 30th, out OF
provisions. On tho morning of the 3lst he
started early. The river just above where
Jamaica village is makes a bend to the east
around Bald mountain. Across the neck Of
the bend between the mountain and hills
west the distance is much shorter. When he
reached the place below the neck he halted TO
rost and as the men we're laying down their
packs they were fired into by Indians In am
bush and four we're killed, John Howard,
Isaac Taylor, John bod and Daniel Man
and two wore wounded, Joseph Petty and
Samuel Severance. He attempted to rally
his men and return tho fire, but tho Indians
were so humorous that he and his mon were
Obliged TO retreat, and separated, some going
up the river, some down, and some across
lie was separated from all the rost and got
on TO a hill where he could overlook tho place,
and saw the Indians scalping the dead and
taking away their own dead. Some of the
comrades Of Petty got him to n spring, fixed
boughs for him to lio upon and built hut
over him, and told him to live If he could
till they could return and left him. The
men left, reached Fort Dummer tho next day,
and the next day after that Capt. Melvin with
40 men returned to look for Petty and Sever
ance. They staid over a whole day looking
for them, but did not find them, and buried
the dead and returned The spring is oppo-
site tho depot Rt Jamaica, above the fill at
the west end of the bridge. The whites were
buried on the south side of Bald Mountain
brook, about 20 rods from the bank of the
river. The Indians we're buried on the north
side Of the brook near the river. The names
of the whites were cut upon pine tree near
tho grave, and pine tree was marked near
the grave Of the Indians. On the 9Th of
June Lieut.. Hunt and O company of II men,
moved probably by sympathy for Petty's
ty's body and buried it with the rest. Mr..
Asa Gage settled at that place in l7SG and
found the marked trees than standing. When
the land was cleared they we're left to stand
rs long Rs they would. Thoy are remembered
by Mr.. Sullivan Gage, q son of Asa Gage,
now living at great age at Silver Greek, N Y,
and by some of the older inhabitants. This
spring Messrs. Philetus Kellogg and Mason
Howard, at work in a field near the depot,
found what appeared to be ball of dirt but
turned out to be a sun-dial compass of an
cent make. II has been submitted to sew
eral of the oldest and most experienced COM
pass makers in the city of New York and pro-
nounced by them to be clearly old enough to
have been lost in that battle. II is scienii6-
cally made and adjusted to the latitude of
Massachusetts,, and is about a. large as
common watch. The standard turns some to
admit of cover screwed on. II is divided
to quarter points, and the letters indicate
that it was made for the Dutch. The needle
works well now. Capt. Melvin kept a jour
nal showing observations by such an instru-
ment down to the time of the battle, but il
shows none afterwards. Undoubtedly this
instrument was his and was lost at that time,
Con-.