New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-26
4 REMINISCENCE or INDIAN VAR.
BRANDTS MURDERoUs VICTORY AT LAcKA
WAXEN FORD.

BRANDT-S MURDEROUS VICTORY AT LACKA-
wAXEN FORD.
Lackawaxen Pike County. Penn, June 10.-In July,
ITO red Of snvagcs with crest OF bloody Steel
swept down the Delaware Valley. The settlers fed
before II TO the crowded stociades and bloclhousej
where a legion Of cOlonels and majors wrote letters
and dispatched them to each other. The saVages
were led by Brandt They burned and p!llaged, while
the colonies indled cpistlcs. One wrote: An ex-
press IS Just this moment come from Colonel stroud s.
bringing the melancholy account that the Tolies and
Indians I'm the upper part OF the Mlnslnk, in York
| Government are burning and destroying all before
| them. II is said the enemy are six hundred strong
and that the Tores join them every hour. 1t Is not
10 be doubted that they will be In this state very
soon and the Inhabitants above are all moving, ana In
the greatest distress and confusion. BY letter
have seen this morning from Captain Alexander rat
terson at Colonel stroud's. stationed quarermaster
II Is mentioned that they have neither military stores
or provisions SO that If they should suddenly attack
that part Of this country destitute Of help as they are
| the country Must fly before the enemy
lie was too busy with Indians to bother with pro
| nouns. Aliolcr wrote Brant Is Doing the mis-
chief att Pcainpack and TO my sorrow acquaint you
struck the People In general with such fear that
| they are moving away from the upper end of The
Mnsnk very fast. If there is not some Means Taken
To stop the Enemy the whole Of the Inhabtince Will
move from this Place, and II So pray what will be the
| Consqucnc"l Ruin and Destruction Will Emedately
| Follow
when the OF the fueitives reached Goshen, In
Orange County. y. y. Colonel Tusten who commanded
the local militia. rallied his forces, with many vol
untccrs could be raised. and held council of war
The Indians having devastated the valley and gorced
themselves with plumber, had begun retreat Colonel
Tustcn said In the council that he doubted the OK
pedlcncy Of a pursuit at that time. for the Indians
outnumbcred the whites two TO one. But one man
cried
Let the brave men follow The towards may
stay behind
II was impossible for the prudent to say So
they set They were Joined by Colonel lIathorn,
Of the Warwick Regiment" who had a few with
him He, being the senior officer, took command
Thirty four miles from their starting point they held
another council Of war; where the leaders bis
tered by the words Of valiant suboriInatcS. Colonel
IIathorn decided to try to intercept Brandt at the
Lackawnxen Ford OF the Delaware, where they under
stood h. going to the river. liathOm and his
men made II bold dash for the ford, hoping TO reach
il first. But Brandt reversed his column passed down
a ravine upon the patriot force in the
The battle Of the Mni,ink followed. The Of tile
fight Is little a mile from this town, across the
river, in sullivan County, y. Y.
| The Americans caught Ike n lot of kittens in
n bag. but liathon gallant officer and
sagacous leader. lie made stOut-heartcd fight. on
a plateau the river the Americans took their
| position. They threw up irregular breastwork Of
stones logs They used every cicvice and boulder
possible means OF rro."ction, and Ing close TO the
earth. Ninety men, without water and with pro-
visions held this position from 10 O'Clock until sun.
| down. n sultry July day.
Before n shot fired Brandt appeared in full view
OF The Americans and requested them 10 surrender.
lie said his force superior 10 theirs and h had
| them pcnned In. II they surrendered. he would pro
! tcct them. He was interrupted by bullet lie
| tired. and the Indians Immediately began furious
fire. The little plateau was covered with black powder
smoke from which the little red flames lcaped AT the
! Indians like tongues Of snakes Brandt opened the
battle with his usual cautlousneSs. His made no
! targets of themselves. Dut crpt wary toward the
Americans, taking advantage OF every feature OF the
ground and firing mt every hand. head shoulder
| which Appeared above the rocks on the plateau. Tut
they could not mako the patriots yield inch though
the Indian dead lay thchly on the slope. The pant
| Ing powder grmcd whites the height held their
| ground Tho Indians rcpcllcd at every point
| The band Of Americans on the plateau had grown 10
manhood with rifles In their hands. They OF that
| bronzed and sturdy who hcwng their way
through the matted forests and making homes In tse
dense jungies OF American wilderness. II n part
OF tho line hInchcd for moment they would all
die Each man felt his responsibility a link in the
chain Of defence, and yielded not an inch The powder
ran short OF course and they TO mako every bullet
| find n red, bowling mark
| AS the day wore on and one after another OF his
whoop,ng mlnons bow led without making any
gap in the American line, Brandt grew dish ,artened II
Is said that there brave hunter who held the
key 30 tho American position. II is not explained by
| any one how this could be. careful investigation
OF the battlefield II appears to-day falls h discover
! any spot where one man could hold the key 10 the
pIacau against nearly 300 Indians Or II there was
| such KEY why leave 1t to the guardianship OF
| man. unsupported by the fire OF his comrades. and
With no reinforcing bodyi But at any rate the
| ,h,t Nan nd thn r,df
shot this man. and Brandt with n body of warriors
sprang through the gap. Immediately the Americans
| became dcmorali7ed. They began retreat. Where
the noble red man shines out in trnsccndcnt ustre
ms n pursucr The scalplnS knife and the tomahawk
| took the place Of the rife. The Americans made "A
frantic rush for the river. The Indians sank their
hatchets In the body OF every white they conld
overtake Captain Vail OF the militia being wounded
| in the battle, unable TO retreat While seated
| imam a rock. bleeding, he slaughtered by the
Indians seventeen wounded Americans and a surgeon
we're found behind ledge OF rocks They all
killed The Americans, scattered and broken, worn
out with lighting against overwhelming numbers. fed
madly Many threw themselves into the Delaware
! and endeavored to escape by swimming as much as
nos sibe under the water. small and decrcpit band
Of those who had fought arrived home safely. There
were thirty three widows in the Presbyterian congega
| ton at Goshen
FIFTY men had been cut on from the main body by
Brandt's sudden attack. They took part In the
battle at all. II Is said that they were led by the
man who made the vaorOus Grafton at the council OF
war.
| THE CHICAGO SERVICE OF TIE PENNSYLVANIA
RAILROAD
is complete In every respect The Columbian Ex-