The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-07-25

worf she submitted to TIE rough treat
.~euf. her heart too fles OF arxsssy On
Na.aaa's account TO care what was ceAe
10 her. Disc pposnfesd and srrsges AT not
finding the object Of the search. the soi-
tiers under Tryon's order d.stroyeS tns
furniture. after taking what they de-
ssreyt. ara departed. leaving the house.
the pride Of tire Weatherhees for . nun
dred years. a blazing pike. and mercy
closely hound 70 the tree.
Infatuated at NOT finding him. the gov
errior gave orders for the town 20 be thor
cughiy searched. for. as one CT his Officers
suggested, he might be found Win the
militia fighting against them
The broken elm 10 which Mercy was
bound WAS near the burning house. but
fortunately the wind blew the sparks IN
another direction The heat wss intense
her dress was sing.si. and the hsrk De-
came burning bot: but still the tree Gid
rot catch fir.. IL Il had both she ana
Nathan world have been burned alive;
for he dared not come from his hiding
place. since Tryon had left sentry 10
watch for him.
The terrible hours Of the 5th Of July
wore away: the fire died down and cool
ing breeze blew up from che harbcr and
hafhed her burning face. but stin no help
came Night came at last; a night which
was made terrible by burning buildings
and the cries OF homeless women and chill
dren and reveltugs OF drunken soldiers
In the streets.
And In the meantime where was old
Isaac Weafherbeeg With his aged friend.
DR.. Daggett. he had been taken prisoner
near Milford an6 had been exposed to
every indsgntty the brutal soldiers could
offer. Resisting 10 the utmost OF his
strength. ne had been robbed and cruelty
beaten: and as X that was not enough The
two Old men had been driven several miles
at the poins Of the hayonet until their
strength was exhausted and then left Tor
dead On the road: the old man still re-
joieing that in his old age he was stiu per-
mitte1 TO fight for freedom.
And there his youngest son. Rufus. found
them the next day. After the fighting had
ceased he returned TO his home only to
find IL In ashes and Mercy swooning by the
tree. 1t did not take long TO release her
and then To liberats Nathan from his hid
ing place, who was Frustrated by the ter
rible heat he rad undergone while irnfnur-
ed In the tree during those terrible hours.
There was now no danger of his being APP
pretended. for the British quietly with
drew to their boats early the following
morning. taking with them number OF
prisoners and leaving twenty-ssven Ameri-
cans killed and many homes laid waste.
More dead than alive old Isaac was
brought To his home. but, contrary TO eA-
PEE cations. he rallied and lived to see
Nathan and Mercy married st the end OF
the war. and also to attend the in
augurati,n Of George Washington as
president of the United States, where he
found that the great general still renem-
bered his former comfade-iE-armS AMI
gave him a hearty welcome.
or his seven sons. but two were living.
the rest had been offered up on the altar
of patriotism; but the old man did not
mourn for them; with Rufus, his young
est, and Nathan, his eldest, he passed
his declining years in peace. and often
he told Mercys children the story of her
ride the night of the Fourth and how she
had been bound to the tree for hours
the day Of Tyrons raid. while Natha
was hidden inside of IT. And for many
years their descendants talked OF the
ride OF Mercy Weatherbee the night OF
the Fourth Of July. 1,76.
And in the passing years New Haven.
the beautiful Elm city. has witnessed
many Fourth Of Julys, but none which
has stirred her hearts blood as at the
time of Tyron's raid.-Springfield Repub-
1ican