The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-04-12
The Child Captive Of wyoming.

nv OClOCk OH COOl CcpVcIuDcT
morning in 1S4S I left Easton, Pa, on
sstsge coach for Wyoming Valley, sixty
miles distant. Although there we're
only three passengers in the coach
two women and baby-I took seat
with the driver, for there we're promises
Of . pleasant day.dawn and magnificent
scenery. But when we had.ascended to
Nazareth, chilling vapors that came up
from the river and valleys caused me to
seek comfort within the coach. We
passed through the Wind Gap and
breakfasted at the Roscommon Tavern.
Then resumed my seat with the driver.
At noon we reached the gently undula-
ting summit Of the Pocone Mountains,
and dined at John Smiths, two thou
sand feet above tide.level.
For about twenty miles we rode over
that dreary waste were, here and there,
lofty pine, tamarack, or less ambi.
tious cedar rose from a green sea of
shrub oaks. Here the gray eagle wheel
ed undisturbed, the bear made his lair,
and wild deer roamed in northwest, and
was happy when we reached the brow
Of the Wilkes-Barre Mountain, little
before sunset, and began to descend into
the warmer atmosphere Of the charming
Wyoming Valley that spread out in en-
chanting beauty far below us. can
never forget the right royal supper at
the Phoenix Hotel, by the side of the
beautiful Susquehanna, that appeared a
voracious appetite after sixty-mile ride
in healthful mountain air--ven steak
and cranberry sauce, warm biscuits and
honey!
Early the next morning I started on
pilgrimage to places and persons iden-
titled with the stirring scenes enacted in
the Wyoming Valley in the summer of
1873. I first visited Mr.. Charles Miner,
the early historian of the valley, who,
with his blind daughter, blessed with a
remarkable memory, heard the fearful
and pathetic story from the lips of more
than forty intelligent survivors of the
work of desolation. then called on
the venerable Mrs. Myers, near Kings
ton, living witness of the woes Of
Wyoming, who was then .eighty.seven
years of age, totally blind, but exceed
ingly cheerful and kindly communica-
tive. She was the last survivor of the
inmates Of Forty Fort, when it was be.
sieged and captured by the Tory leader
Col. Butler and his Indian allies. She
possessed the little road table on which
the treaty. at the time of the surrender,
was signed. 1 found the venerable
weman seated in an easy cheer, peeling
apples. She received me with great dig
nifty and kind courtesy, and entertained
me for an hour with "reminiscences OF her
girlhood experience amid the exciting
scenes of the Vale of Wyoming.
Mrs. Myers nee Bennett was sixteen
years old at the time Of the memorable
invasion of the valley, and was in Forty
Fort when it was surrendered. She re-
membered every minute occurrence
there with perfect clearness. She re-
mained two weeks in the valley after the
surrender. The Indians kept her face
painted black and a white fillet around
her head as protection against the
tomahawks of strange savages, and she
was treated very kindly by them. After
the barbarians, white and red, had left
the valley, she returned with her family
and had enjoyed for seventy years the
sweets of peace and domestic happiness.
II am like withered stalk whose
flower hath fallen," said the venerable
lady; "but," she added, with pleasant
smile, "the fragrance still fingers.
Have you seen Joseph Slocum ?" she in
quired.
II have not even heard of him." re-
{ piled. : -
"You ought not to leave the valley
!. without seeing him." she said, "for he
! can give you more interesting story
about the events have been relating to
you than any other living person-the
story Of the captivity of his little sister,
and the discovery Of her sixty years af.
terward. He lives not far from the
! hotel"
passed several hours of that day with
Lord Butler, a grandson Of the leader oi
the band of patriots who calamity op'
posed the Tory and Indian invaders ol
the valley. He kindly accompanied me
# 10 the most interesting localities in the
4 neighborhood-Forty Fort, the Monu
snent, the chief battle ground, Mocacy
Island, Wintermoot's Fort, setc.' and
spent the evening pleasantly and profit
ably with the venerable Joseph Slocum
whose family was among the sufferers il
the Wyoming Valley. He gave me ,
ninuts account Of the capture of hi
q tIltls aister Frances by the barbarians
and the nnal discovery Of her.
NJ. slocum's father was . Friend O
Quaker, and was distinguished for hi
esswiptsrnoot Fen" vas the barrIeade,
E6ne q Wtntesmoot at Troy in the uppe