Morris tribune., 1898-04-20


freedom. A few months after the family
settled and put up log house the father
returned home from fishing one evening
and found a big Passamaquoddy Indian
Kissing his daughter, who, instead of TAX
ing his caresses as an insult, seemed to be
enjoying the company of her copper hued
admirer. There was bounty on Indians
IN those days, so the father shot his daugh-
ter's admirer and, hanging the scalp over
tbe fire to dry for the Boston market, asked
Nell for an explanation of her conduct
When she informed him that the dead
brave was her promised husband, the IA
Their got angry and told her that if she
liked Indians so we'll she would have to go
where they were. Greatly to his surprise
she took him at his word, left home at
once and passed the rest of her life among
the tribes of Maine and New Brunswick.
After, the fall Of Quebec in 1859 and the
overthrow Of French rule in America she
went to Grand Falls, on the upper ST.
John, and taught in the French schools
until 1875, when on March 1 she appeared
IN Jonesboro among her old neighbors and
told them to get ready for war. AS there
was no shorthand reporter present her ex-
act language has not been preserved, but
tradition has it that she foretold the battle
Of Bunker Hill, which was to come soon
after, and then went on and told the whole
story of the Revolution from the DECLARE
t4on of Independence to the surrender Of
CORVALLIS. Two years later, in February,
1777, she was arrested and brought to ST.
John as Yankee spy. Though a lot Of
Indians and several white men who knew
her we'll testified to her good conduct and
charitable deeds, she was found guilty and
hanged as spy. Standing on the gallows
with rope about her neck, she addressed
the people in English, French and Indian.
After telling the story Of her life she in
foEl ad the spectators that she would come
back from the dead whenever the country
was threatened with war and let the peo-
pie know in time to arm themselves for
battle. In order that there might be no
doubt about her identity and the objects
OF her mission she said that whenever war
was imminent she would appear upon the
big rock ON Hilton's neck in the town of
Jonesboro at sunrise on the first day of
March and wave her hands and give the
Passamaquoddy warwhoop.
Her body was claimed by the Passama
quoddy Indians, who took it to the tribal
Heservation and buried it on Peter Dana's
point, overlooking Passamaquoddy bay.
Ou lIaECn 1, 1919 CndFlGS anu GuSdE
Wass, two fishermen, rowing out by Hill
TONS neck early in the morning, heard
some one utter the tribal warcry of the
Passamaquoddies. Looking up, they saw
a long haired, aged woman standing on
the big rock, and as they gazed the sun
came up from the Atlantic. Then, re-
Numbering the prediction Of Nell Hilton,
they rowed back home and told the citi-
zens what they had seen. In three months
every ablebodied man in Jonesboro had
enlisted in tho navy to help fight England.
After that nobody doubted that Nell Hill
ton had told the truth. At the time of the
boundary dispute in 1880 great many
were sure that war was coming and cast
slurs at the memory of the ghostly prophet
ess because she failed to appear, but as no
hloodshed resulted the doubters were con-
WINGED. On March /, 1851, Nell Hilton
stood upon the rock on Hilton's neck at
sunrise and gave the Passamaquoddy war
whoop for half an hoaH, staying there I'M
till the aroused townspeople hurried down
the neck to talk with her, waen she melt
cd into air.