Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1901-01-31


The body was placed on the ground,
bloody and mutilated, the head seal ped.
1t was Amable Guion, found in his field,
the nearest to town, one mile northwest
of the village. Soon another 'uangIed
body is brought in with head scalped,
and placed beside the first. Another
wild scream from the widow Joined by
the heart-rending cries of three children
shows that another husband and father
has been ruthlessly murdered. 1t was
Charles B. Bissette. the husband of Marie
Christine Pepin, and father of her three
little orphans. Soon four bloody vic
Tins lay side by side. They were bur-
led the same day in the cemetery by the
church. Many men were still missing
and no one could tell which of them had
been killed and which taken captiyes.
What anguish in the little town that
night. Mrs. Bissette seemed stunned
and dazed. Her little ones chung around
her and seemed to fear The sound OF
their own voices.
All that night Madeline Hebert went
from house to house inquiring whether
anyone had seen her husband. Her ap.
pearance was pitiful. Her look would
have melted heart of stone.
Next morning Paul Bissette turned
over in his bed and said to his little
brother, Antoine, I saw papa last night
Where: where did you see him? said
Antoine. Why did you not show him
to me-?
v saw him. said Paul, right here by
the bed. l was 10 frightened at first |
wanted to scream, but he motioned with
his hand telling me as plainly as could
be not move or say word. Oh his
face was SO beautiful and shone like the
Madonna's. He was not bloody at all,
and he spoke to me. spoke soft and low
but l could hear every word. lie said
NPaul, l want you to be a brave little
man and take care of your little brother
and sister aud love your mother, and do
everything she tells you. Will my pre-
cous little boy do this for me-: | said
Yes, yes, papa. every day of my life
He smiled and Kissed me and | saw
him no more. 1t must have been a
dream
The people were afraid to go out in
the fields for four or five days. They
were afraid Of being ambushed by the
Indians.
On the fifth day Francis llcbert's
body was found in his field, four miles
from the town on the northeast corner
of where Forest Park now is and was
buried there, as the friends Of Mrs.
Hebert did not wish her to see he con.
dition in which the remains then were.
On the same day John Nj. Cardinals
body was found in his field, where LIN
dell Park now is and it was buried
there. Only these SIX bodies were then
found.
Several persons wers taken prisoners
by the Indians and were taken to Chi
cago. They were most cruelty treated
by the Indians. One escaped from there
and came home-the others were liber-
ated when peace was declared in 1888.
No person living in st. Louis at that
time left any written statement Of the
number of persons killed and taken
prisoners in this attack of the Indians.
Many extravagant stories were told by
other persons. Two authors state that
sixty were killed; and one OF these adds
that thirty prisoners were taken; and
the other says there were thirteen,
Nine. Guion, the widow of the first
victim brought into the village, married
William Herbert Leconte, five months
after he massacre. She died in 1858,
leaving numerous progeny of grand
children, all defendants of her only
child, AmabIe Guon, Jr.
Madeleine Herbert married her old
school teacher, John B. Truedeau. on
May LIST, 1881, eleven months and four
days after the Indian attack. Her sec.
ond husband died in 1927. She died
few years later. leaving surviving her
several married sons and daughters.
This year, 1880, was always remem-
bered with horror by the inhabitants
and they named it and always referred
to 1t as "L'Aunee du Coup" which to
them always meant: The year of the
Indian massacre. Hence the name OF
my story: L'Annee du Coup.