The sun., 1903-02-15
Z RELIC OF PIONEER DAYS.
The Old Stone House at Germantown
NY. ana the Romance OS Its History.

KINGSTON, Feb. ia local newspaper
learns that sthe old st one house at German
town Ia 10 hnyc now roof, but by neRIect-
ing 10 state that Il is now more than iso
wears since tho first roof was put on, the
newspaper missed the making Of a really
interesting item.
The old stone house at Germantown
VAS tho very advance guard Of civilization
on the southern border OF New York at the
time Of the French and Indian War. during
which and until the cloes Of the Revolu-
tionary War, 1t was a fort. II IL Of record
that an Indian trader named HAYNES was
living a. this fort as early IA I700, and that
daughter Of his married Capt. Apram
Westrall who war q'artersd there dul,ne
the Revolution, hut the record does not deai
will ,he romance and tragedy OF the court
ship of the Captain and the traders
daughter.
The story Is that the traders daughter
had another lover, one Dewitt and that snc
favored him ovor Capt. Westfall. One day
the girl, accompanied by the favored wooer'
went hlackberryinR upon the thickly grown
fa,land that lay between the fort and the
Delaware Kiver. Moved by jealousy Capt
Wcstfall followed them.
Wien they had cone near the river bank
a lurking Indian sprang upon them from q
thickct. The girls lover fed Tho Indian
.ei2ed the swooning girl and bore her
hurricGlv toward his canoe.
Cart Westiall, who bad come opportInely
u,,on the scene, pursued the Indian, over
took him 90 I've was pushing his canoe
afoat, the girl living unconscious in II. and
brought hack the captive and her captor
scalp bnck. wedding in the fort soon
followed The traders daughter became
the Captains bride.
The lover who abandoned tho girl 10
the Indian turned Tory, SO the story goes
and Joined the Indian Chief Brant's hand
of Indians and Tories that raided the Mini
sink settlements year later when tne
news Of the Mini.ink massacre was REQ. ived
at IN. fort Capt Westfall hurriedly gathered
together all the men he could coiiect ano
went forth to offer resistance to the raiders
who we're advancing up the valley TOWARD
the fot.
Gh.i led by the recreant lover Brant
ard his marsuders sought another rou.e
avoided Westfalls men and approached
the fort undiscovered except by negro
slave who had remained with the Captain
! wife and her newborn baly The slave
had time TO give his mistress warning aho
succeeded in getting her in safety 10 'he
mountains with her child.
Brant's Indians and Tories attacked the
fort, pulled down one end OF II set fire TO
the upper story. which was built OF logs
and fastened on up the Delaware NoM,y
TO b. overtaken by Gen Hathorne's militia
On the Delaware Highlands, where was
fought the bloody battle OF Minisink, 40
tlisast rous TO the Americans. Among those
killed Of Brant's men was the recreant
lover of Capt Wcstfall's bride,
The breach made in the old sto1,e fort
hy BIant's band was not repaired un,il
1893. when the wall was reiaid Win 'hs
stones that had originally formed it, and
the log mpper story was replaced by stone
one. With that exception the building Is
he same az il was when first erected
century end half ago.
II has been in turn fort. tavern, store
and dwelling house. The village Of Port
,Iervis has grown up around it II is now
a tenement house