Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1894-06-30
PIONEER HEROINES.
BRAVE WOMEN OF THE EARLY
DAYS OF THE COUNTRY.
The story OF Hannah Dustin and How
She Escaped Running the Gauntlet
She who slew the Narragansett Hun
Ter and Her Reward.

I
I'VE have been discussing the
bravery OF the women Of the revolu-
tion. said Uncle uaye 20 the Boston
Herald man, as the oldtimers again
met for the daily chat "but tell
YOU. BOYS. some OF the pioneer womcn
ot New England. who had To deal
with the native sayages, showed
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 Coutoocook river.
between Concord and Boscawcn, y
H., is celebrated on account Of an
exhibit OF lady whose name ii
bears.
"On the 10Th OF March, 1898 just
| 1876 years ago-the Indians made "A
descent upon Haverhil. Mass, where
they took Mrs. Hannah Dustin, who
was confined 10 her bed with AN In
FAINT only six days old. aud attended
by her nurse, Mary Net The In
[
| and carried her away with the nurse
and infant They soon dispatched
the latter by dashing it, head against
tree. When they had proceeded
as far a. Dustin's island, ON their
way to an Indian town situated "a
considerable distance above, the In
dians informed the women that they
would be stripped and run the gauut'
let through the village on their ar
rival.
Mrs Dustin ami 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 crueItics
that awaited her. formed the design
OF eXterminatiug the whole family,
and prevailed upon the Irse and the
boy to assist her in their destruc.
ton. 4 little before day, finding
the who'll company In sound sleep
she awoke her conicdcrates. and
with the Indian hatchets dispatched
ten OF the twelve One OF the women.
whom they thought they had killed.
made her escape.
And iavurite boy they dcsigucdIy
left uutoachcl Mrs Dustin aud
her companions arrived safe home
with the scalps though their dan.
ger from the enemy and from famine
In travelling so IA must have been
great The general court ~ Mas.a
chusetts gave Mrs Dustin q grant 81
so for her bravery. AMI she received
! many other valuable presents beside.
'.Amongthe first settlers oi Dor
/ chester. said Uncle Joshua. EVA.
George MiHOt, "a ruling elder OF tho
first church in the settlement Tor 80
years He erected a dwelling house
in that part OF Dorchester known as
| Neponset, which house was standing
not man years ago. and, IL mis-
take not. is standing to this day. Ii
it Is, it is no doub. one OF the oldest
in the country Il has always been
in the possession Of the Miuot family.
descendants Of the builder
This house was even more cclc.
brated for the female heroism dis.
played within its walls than for IT,
antiquity A party of Sarragansctt
indians. hunting on the border, %
the Neponset river. stopped at Elder
Minot's house ana demanded 10 ID
and drink On being refused. they
threatened veugcuco. ana the
sachcm, or chief. 81 the party left
an Indian in ambush TO watch an op.
portunity to effect il soon after.
in the absence Of all the family cx.
cent a young woman and two small
children. the Indian attacked the
house, and fired at the young woman.
but missed his mark
"Thc girl placed the children in
der two brass kettles and bade them
be silent She then loaded Mr..
Mnot's gun and shot the lndinn IN
the shoulder The savage rain at.
tackled the house. and. in attempting
TO enter the window, the girl threw
a shoyelful 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 Narrgansctt chief
Of that name. The government Of
Massachusetts, bay presented this
brave young woman with silver
wristband, or bracelet on which her
name was engraved. with this mot
TO: She slew the Narragansctt
hunter,
"lhe hardships and heroic deeds
Of the early women Of New England, "
said squire Ben, ..would FIJI mum.
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 forcver re.
main in oblivion Here IS a case, an
alOgous TO many others, which occurs
to me. The town Of (i1rham. 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 u will
derness, and the depredations Of the
Indians greatly retarded the dcvel.
opment of the young settlements In
10.
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