The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1894-05-26

1--WE have been discussing the
bravery of the women OF the revolu-
tion." said Uncle Dave 70 the Boston
Herald man, as tho old-timers again
met for the daily chat, "but / tell
you. boys, some OF the pioneer women
OF New England. who had to deal
with the native savages. showed q
bravery which in some instances
could hardly be paralleled outside
the annals OF Indian warfare. Dus-
tins island. In the Merrimac river.
at the mouth OF Contoocook river.
between Concord and Boscawen. N.
H., is celebrated on account OF an
! exhibit Of q lady whose name It
sbeGrs l@s ''r 50 -
"Oh the 18TH OF March, 1698Ljust
100 yearsago-the. Indians" made / O
descent upon Hayerhill., Mass. where
they took Mrs, Hannah Dustin, who
was confined to her bed with an In
FAINT only six days old, and attended
BY her nurse, Mary Nef.' The In
tdiafis took Mrs. Dustin from her bed.
and carried her away with the. nurse
and infant They soon p dispatched
the latter by .dashipg its head against
a tree. When they had proceeded
as far as Dustin's island. on their
way to an Indian town situated .
considerable distance above. the In
dians informed the women that they
would be stripped and run the gaunt-
let through the village on their ar
rival
"Mrs Dustin and her nurse had
been assigned to family consisting
OF two stout men, three women and
seven children, or young Indians, be-
sides an English boy from Worcester.
Mrs Dustin, aware of the cruelties
that awaited her, formed the design
OF DISCRIMINATING the whole family,
and prevailed upon the nurse and the
boy to assist her in their destruc-
tion. A little, before day, finding
the whole company In sound sleep,
she awoke her confederates, and
with the Indian hatchets dispatched
ten OF the twelve. One OF the women,
whom they thought they had killed.
made her escape.
And favorite boy they designedly
left untouched Mrs. Dustin and
her companions arrived safe home
with the scalps, though their dan
ger from the enemy and from famine
in travelling so far must have been
great The general court Of Massa-
chusetts gave Mrs. Dustin grant OF
$50 for her bravery, and she received
many other valuable presents beside.
"Amongthe first settlers OF Dor.
chester, said Uncle Joshua, "was
George Minot, railing elder OF the
first church in the settlement for 80
years. He erected a dwelling house
in that part OF Dorchester known as
Neponset, which house was standing
not many years ago. and. il l mis-
take not, Is standing to this day. II
1t Is, 1t is no doubt one OF the oldest
in the country. 1t has always been
in the possession OF the Minot family,
! descendants of tho builder.
This house was even more cele-
brated for the female heroism dis
played within its walls than for its
antiquity. A party OF Narragansett
Indians, hunting on the borders of
the Neponset river, stopped at Elder
Minot's house and demanded food
and drink. On being refused, they
| threatened vengence, and the
sachem, or chief, of the party left
an Indian in ambush to watch an OPP
portunity to effect 1t. Soon after,
in the absence OF all the family ex-
cept young woman and two small
children. the Indian attacked the
house. and fred at the young woman,
but missed his mark
"The girl placed the children un-
der two brass kettles and babe them
be silent. She then loaded Mr..
Minot's gun and shot the Indinn in
the shoulder. The savage again at
tackled the house, and, in attempting
to enter the window, the girl threw
shovelful OF live Goals in his face
and lodged them in his blanket. On
this the Indian fed. The next day
he was found dead In the woods
The Indians name was Chickataw-
but. but not the Narrgansett chief
of that name. The government OF
Massachusetts bay presented this
brave young woman with q silver
wristband, or bracelet. on which her
name was engraved, with this mot
to-: She slew the Narragansett
hunter.'"
1.-The hardships and heroic deeds
OF the early women OF New England"
said Squire Ben, would fill num-
Der OF large volumes. II they could
all be told, but the most OF them
have been lost forever by the death
OF those who know OF them. or are
hidden in the mists OF tradition.
where they will perhaps forever re-
main in oblivion Here is a case. an
alogous to many others. which occurs
to me. The town OF Gorham, Me-,
In Cumberland county, was first set
tied In 1868. by John Phinney and
others from Barnstable county. Mass.
Maine was at that time almost will
derness, and the depredations OF the
Indians greatly retarded the devel-
opment Of the young settlements in
It,
The people OF Gorham and other