The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1904-07-06

1 men, IN response 10 lIle euLedueS Va
| their loved ones, did rush back to the
valley, Captain ZebulOn Butler, then
colonel of the Connecticut line, among
the number. But the force was still
inadequate to cope with the menace.
The British leader, Major John But
Ter, had 1000 fighting men in his army
of invasion. Two-thirds of these were
Indians led by Queen Esther, an anna
Zon of the Senecas, who ruled in bar
barrie state on her plantation near Tioga
Point
On the morning of the Sd of July,
ITS, Major John Butler of the British
forces sent a messenger to Colonel Zeb-
ulon Butler demanding the surrender
of the valley. Colonel Zebulon Butler
refused and on the afternoon Of the
same day, about o'clock, marched
out of Forty Fort at the head of 400
patriots, mostly old men and boys, to
drive back the invader The devoted
little Yankee band bravely attacked
Major John Buffers white contingent
and was driving it back when sud
denly the painted savages, with spear,
tomahawk and death maui. surrounded
the valleys devoted little band of de-
tenders and defeated them. There
were six Wyoming companies, but all
the captains and lieutenants were
killed, and some were tortured before
death ended their sufferings. Colonies
Zebuon Butler and Nathan DenisOn
were the only American officers who
survived the bloody field.
After the battle ensued the massacre,
one of the most thrilling and ferocious
Indian orgies on record. Only few
escaped Some Of the fugitives fed to
the river and were tOmahawked in the
flood Others escaped to- Monockasy
island, in midstream, and were over
taken and brought back for torture.
That night thousand homes were put
to the torch, and the cOn1agration
lighted the valley for twenty miles.
The settlers were subjected to the
worst tortures that the fiendish Indian
mind could devise. Around rock the
prisoners We're placed, each held by
two Indians Queen Esther entered
this circle and with tOmahawk killed
thirty victims. The scene Of this atrOc-
ity is still known as Queen Esther'S
rock. Hundreds of women persisted
in the wilderness now known as the
Pocono mountains and one of the most
popular mountain resorts of the sum-
mer season. Somewhere in that region
should arise a monument to commemO-
rate the sufferings and sacrifices of
those Connecticut women who died for
country.
When the Indian carnage was at its
height, Major John Butler was ap-
peaIed to to prevent it, but he said he
was powerless, and there can be no
doubt of it. The savage horde had got
beyond his control He was so terrified
by the excuses of his allies that, on
the second day, under pretense of re-
ceiving orders to return to Niagara; he
left the valley. His Indian contingent
accompanied him, but the work of des-
olation was complete. A monument
containing the names of those who fell
here stands where the victims were
buried, opposite Wilkesbarre.
For time in England the story of
Wyoming had a great vogue, mainly
through the influence of CampbelFS
noble poem, Gertrude of Wyoming"
and at the head of the plain stands an
imperishable natural monument to the
poet in the shape of great cliff, which
lifts it's bold front above the SusQue-
hanna and is known as CampbelPs
ledge This rugged formation was
known to the pioneers as Dial rock,
because during certain summer months
the suns shadow on the face of the
cliff indicated noon, and then the farm
ers rested for their midday meal.
Despite the beauty of CampbelFs
splendid poem, it is full of solecisms
and anachronisms. He knew no more
about this remote region than did
Moore about the valley Of Kashmir
when he perpetrated his famous ord
entail dream. but he had heard the
dreadful story of the massacre, of the
woeful plight of the stricken settlers, of
the ruthless conduct of the merciless
savages, and his fine appeal to the
emotions helped to give worldwide
fame to Wyoming
Campbell erred in making Joseph
Brant. the great Mohawk Chief Tha-
yendanegea, the leader of the savages
who ravaged the Wyoming valley, for.
while that splendid but soulless bar
barian whom Campbell pictures thus,