Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-10-16

About one mile from the village OF
Royalton, there stands on the farm OF Mrs
X. f. X. Rix a historic building, whose
sloping sides, as seen in the picture, pro-
claim it TO be corn barn. The dwelling
house on this farm is a large brick struc-
ture and the corn barn is short distance
from it and quite visible from the car
windows OF passing trains. II was in
process OF construction at the time OF the
burning OF Royalton by the Indians in
1850 and was being built Of black ash tim
Der that was so green il would not burn
when all was blazing around Il. This
building Is now the only one in the vicin-
itv which dates back to the memorable
visit of the ssyages that made Royalton
famous in the annals OF history After
the departure OF the Indians, the family
returned to find their home destroyed and
for lack Of better shelter were forced to
spend the winter in the corn barn.
Mrs Rix, to whom this barn belongs
and whose husband, the late William Rix,
was great grandson of the Daniel Xix
who built II, most kindly loaned the man
uscript OF her husband and an ancient
volume, written by Zadock Steele OF Ran
dolph, one of the captives taken by the
Indians, and from both OF these sources
the following story has been compiled:
On the morning of Oct. 16, 1850, one
hundred and twenty-five years ago today,
the inhabitants of Royalton were surprised
before dawn by the approach OF about 80
Indians OF various tribes. They were led
by the Caghnewaga tribe and had left
Canada, intending to destroy New bury, IN
the eastern part of Vermont and on the
Connecticut river. A British lieutenant
by the name OF Horton was their chief
commander, and one LeMott, French
man, was his second. Their guide was
man by the name of Hamilton, who had
la Nv tho Americana Mt
the taking of Burgoyne in 1777. He had
been at Newbury and Royalton the pre-
ceding summer, on parole, and left the
latter place with several others on the pre-
tense Of surveying lands in the northern
part of the state, but in reality to go
directly to the enemy. He was doubtless
the instigator OF this excursion OF the
Indians.
On the way this band of warriors came
across several hunters from Newbury near
Montpelier and made them prisoners.
These men. knowing the defenceless con-
dition of their town, told their captors
that such an armed garrison was kept at
New bury it would be extremely danger
GUS for them to approach. Thus dissem-
bling, the hunters saved NewDury but
turned the course OF the plundering saw
ages towards Royalton.
Following up the Onion river as far as
the mouth OF Stevens branch, which
empties into the river at Montpelier, the
Indians took their way through Barre, at
that time called Wildersburg, proceeded
up Gaol branch, a part of Stevens branch,
and Travelled over the mountains through
Orange and Washington, thence down the
first branch OF White river through Chel-
sea and Tunbridge to Royalton. They
Sunday at Tunbridge, not far
from Royalton, and at daybreak Monday
entered the house of John Hutchinson,
who lived near the boundary line. They
plundered the house, took Mr.. Hutchin-
son and his brother, Abijah, prisoners
and, crossing the branch, went to the
house OF Robert Ravens a short distance
away. Mr.. Ravens, who was in the pas
ture after his sheep, heard the Hutchin-
son dog bark and, looking back, saw the
Indians Just entering his own door. He
promptly laid down under a log and hid
himself from their sight. His son, DAN
lei Havens, and Thomas Pember OF Ran
doIph. who was soon to marry his daugh-
ter, appeared at the door OF the house
little before the Indians came up and both
ran for their lives. Daniel Ravens escaped
by throwing himself over q hedge fence
down the bank of the branch and crawl
ing under a log, over which large num-
Der of braves passed in their pursuit OF
him. Pember, not so fortunate, was
pierced through the body by spear ana
his scalp torn from his head.
Daniel Rix was in Connecticut at the
time. and his wife had very short notice to
get out of the way of the enemy with her
six or seven children. The Indians were
on the road, making rather slow progress,