Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-10-31

J to take precautions against them, for
+ they were becoming very troublesome
! and even dangerous. The Brimmers had
1 carried their guns with them to the field
/ but with little thought of using them
! As the Indians moved forward in a
! sly and cautious way they feared trou-
! bic, and Mr.. Brimmer started at once for
/ the house, telling his sons to unharness
/ the horses and follow quickly. Before
/ they could comply with their fathers re-
| quest the Indians, four in number were
/ upon them. The boys at once grasped
1 their guns, and just as they were about
! to get on the horses and make dash for
| the house an Indian fired and Godfrey
! fell dead, This was the firing that hal
| startled Elizabeth.
! John, seeing his brother fall, left mis-
horse and unobserved by the Indians
/ crept toward some bushes, where he sue
ceeded in hiding himself from their view.
| though he was in easy range of them.
| He drew up his gun to fire and was TAX
| ing aim at one of the leaders when unfor-
| tunately a leaf falling from the tree
| above him lodged upon the sight of his
! gun, so that it was necessary to change
/ his position. In doing so he was discoy-
| cred. He and one Of the Indians then
| stepped out and deliberately fired at each
1 other, but without effect. The discharges
| We're so simultaneous that he, thinking
| the Indian had not fired, but would inn
mediately do so, dropped the butt of his
| gun on the ground, placed one hand over
| the muzzle and extended the other in
| token of surrender.
This pleased the Indians, who were
now upon him with terrific yels Of vic
| tory. One of them grasped him by the
collar and passed around him three times,
| signifying "You are our prisonerr' Hap
! PLY they did not go near the house. Hav-
ing secured Godfrey's scalp and his cloth
! nd Nolyt cefn, ,f
| they led John through the river and
| away. AS the days went by John was
| taken from one Indian encampment 10
another, all through the Green moun-
| tains of Vermont. often suffering great
hunger and barbaric torture. Torn with
grief and sorrow over the death of his
| only brother, and distracted over the
thoughts of tae unknown fate of his be-
| loved betrothed and his parents. his
agony was intense. 1t was impossible
for him to escape from the Indians and
| after several months he was taken to st.
Johns, Can, where there was very
! large Indian encampment. About 300
| Indians would form in great circle and
, dance and yell until the unhappy young
| man would be fairly exhausted He
| knew not what they intended to do with
him, and had It not been for the uncer-
tain fate of Elizabeth he would have
| longed for death. They kept him pris-
|
sold him to the French bv whom he was
treated as a slave. In fact. he was
| slave and obliged to endure many insults
and much suffering, while he constantly
planned for escape.
After n servitude of more than FIVE
years John secured his freedom upon the
| surrender of Quebec to the English in
1850. He Immediately set out for home
travelling night and day. So anxious
was he to reach Petersburgh that he
was not cautious enough for his personal
safety, and in the Adirondack woods
near Lake George, he was again taken
prisoner. this time by the British, who
were then in possession of that wild ter
ritory. and he was thrown into prison.
When Elizabeth Manchester fled into
the house ut the sound of a gun she was
frightened, hut she did not think of the
awful tragedy and sadness awaiting thar
household. When Mr.. Brimmer came
and told them the Indians had arisen
they were in despair But the Indians
did not attack the house. Mr.. and Mrs
Brmmer and Elizabeth were safe, but
the death of Godfrey, where they found
him in the field with his CHASTITY bloody
crown, and the unknown fate of John
proved death blow to their parents.
and only few weeks after the tragedy
Elizabeth stood alone by the bedside of
her dying friends. The Reighbors who
had been spared by the Indians We're
few, for many of the settlers had been
tortured but now and then family es-
capped, and some kind souls came to
Elizabeth but none could comfort her
il seemed as il she had lost all at a single
blow Fore them all she mourned, but
for John the most. and she was indeed
heart-hroken The following May found
her all alone at the Brimmer place.
In those early days all settlers who
bought or took up land in Rensselaer,
| nj fa hn
selaer family. The Van Rensselaer,
manor was situated near Albany, which
was then quite a town on the Hudson
river.
The country later had settled dow IL in
to quiet and orderly state. Petersburgh
had had its great Indian massacres, aud
was at last in peace. The Indians had
long ago left that part of the country, for
il was now four years since John Brim-
mer'S capture.
All along the Hoosick valley substan-
tial farm houses dotted the rivers banks.
Pctersburgh had become quite a village.
Jacob Van Rensselaer,, TO whom the
farmers paid their rentals, sometimes
made a tour Of the country on horseback,
accompanied by man servant, to look
after his property, taking as it were an
inventory of the land.
| Mr. Van Rensselaer, was a kind and
courteous old gentleman and after know
ing Eliza beth's sad story he felt very
sorry for her. He would ALWAYS stop Ia
see her when he passed through Peters
burgh, and one day in summer he brought
his daughter to visit her The girls were
about the same age, and they tsok 10
each other at once. Both had passed
their childhood in England and they had
much in common. although Miss Van
Rensselaer's life had been gay and
happy, while Elizabeth had known great