New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1890-12-17
.TWOREYOLU TION AIRY GIRLS

l {
z. G. Harbaugh in st. Louis Re-
public: When the rev olution broke
out the Van Alstines, with numer-
ous other families, inhabited the
lovely Mohawk valley. A fairer
landscape did not exist, but despite
its beauty it soon became the thea
ter of stirring and bloody scenes. 1t
was the battle ground where the
Indian waged relentless warfare on
the patriot settler, and every rod OF
it was trodden by the willy and san
culinary foe. The people who then
dwelt in this region were mixture
of hardy. New Englanders and Of
Dutch, the Van Alstines belonging to
the latter race; but all were equally
brave, the women vieing with the
men in deeds of heroism and devo-
ton.
Mrs. Van Alstine, the mother. had
passed through some of the mos
thrilling scenes of colonial history,
and, dwelling on the New York
frontier in the midst ofsavage alarms,
she had reared family Of fifteen and
lived to count almost 100 years Of
life. Her eldest daughter, Betty,
was a child who inherited her moth
er's bravery and determination.
She was still in her ssteens" when Sir
John johnson, the famous tory
leader ofthe Mohawk valley, descend
ed on the patriot settlement at the
head Of a band Of tories and In
dams, intending to complete the
work OF devastation which Brant
had inaugurated the previous year.
Everybody had cause to fear these
merciless marauders, who some
times plundered friend as we'll
as foe, and it was EXPECTED that the
Van Alstines, being staunch patriots,
would be among the first visited by
the invaders. During Brant's inva-
sion the family had been COM
PEELED to seek safety on an island in
the river near by, and from the
shelter afforded by this retreat, see
the houses OF their neighbors in
flames, their own home being spared
by q miracle.
When it was known Sir John and
his army were actually on the march,
the suffering patriot began to quit
their homes.
'You won't go this time, will you,
mother!'' asked Betty, her eyes
kindling with Indignation as she
looked up into her mothers eyes.
eve haven't decided what to do, +"
was the matron's reply. ",We will
know tomorrow, if we are spared till
then"
That very day just as the SUN was
sinking behind the lovely hills Of the
Mohawk, a band of yelling Indians
burst upon the little settlement and
in q few moments the Van Alstines
were surrounded. Escape was not
to be thought of now; it was too
late.
| Mrs. Van Alstine knew that it
i would be useless to argue with the
savages, and thought that the best
way to deal with them would be to
let them have their way so long as
they did not attempt any personal
indignities. In a short time they
swarmed into the house, breaking
every thing breakable, and the mother
saw her most valuable articles, near
ly all of which had been brought
from the old homestead in Holland,
demolished and the floor strewn with
the fragments. In vain did the girls
try to save from destruction hand
some mirror. In response to their
pleadings the savages led in colt
from the family stab and compell-
ed it to walk over the glass, wreck
ing it completely, after which they
placed the frame around the animals
neck.
There was one article which Betty
Van Alstine was guarding with
watchful eye. This was a new hat
which her father had brought her
from Philadelphia, and being pres
emit, it was highly priced. At the
first alarm she had placed it in a
basket which she had secreted in the
darkest recesses of the closet in hopes
that it might escape the Indians
eyes. ).
But alas! for Betty's care, the red
searchers espied the closet, and in a
moment the basket was brought
forth and the young warrior was
making off with the trophy when the
( patriot girl bounded after him and
| seized her property.
.You can't have my things!'' ex-
claimed Betty, as the Indian turned
to resent the interference, and then
a sharp struggle ensued, which was
watched with delight by the other
marauders, who left their work OF
plumber and gathered round the
pair.
Betty Van Alstine was a stout girl,
used to the hard knocks of border
life, and the warrior soon discovered