The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-11-11
Apology For Living and Take To the
AN OLD MASSACRE
as,y Il a. ladisa RAID q csA,sy sAs .
Qssssa AGO.

Qssssa Ago.
Jusi i.s year, ago Monday, ocl 10.
tho iown II Roy alton, so piciarosqasly
siiuaifd on tho backs 81 Tho whlis
river. uas sacked aud burned BY DO
frvnehmen. tories aud lndlsns, CO
The anniversary Of shls day Of history
Tho inhabitants have always stopped
"a consider lasl shat that tragedy
meant 10 The foreiaihsrs. bu, ihis war
the observance 81 Tho dag sas ofunus
aai importance. for IL ras decided 10
evc, . monument. ehronlcling. IN The
bssi Of barre granlie. that dire disas'
Tor. -hich almost wiped out all sisHs
~ habliailon In Tho valley. Tho orig
lnalor Of tho plan for commemorative
the barnlng 81 Royaiioa 10 Daniel
wilde. no~ Of Nsu York City.
lie wss born In ioyslion and Il
dirtci descendant Of Tho brave Mrs
Hendoe. who darcd on that dsy Of dis
asicr. " cross tho river 90 foot H.
search u tho commanding ofiiorr Of
Tie enemy aud by sheer force Of her
eloqpeaee aud psrslsssSos. not only
rcsaincd her ovn sou. who had been
captured, but secured tho release Of
eigh, other small boys, sons Of
nolghbors. Mr wilde always desired
70 have some arilng memorial OF that
tragic event erected. and f.w months
ago be offered " give 800 Tor such a
monument.
The woman's club has acquired
recitation for doing things and whom
the members proposed 10 erec, o mop
um.nl the losn authorities readily
agreed 10 gl'c their sanction. The
president Of the club. Miss Eastman.
sill sugges, that ono face be dedicated
10 The burning Of the town aod the op.
posiie one 81 the capilyes. Il IL ex.
pcc,cd that the monument will be plac
ed aud dedicated nett spring.
a recital Of the tragedy by Mrs
Charles Joiner vas Of special Interest
10 many present, descendants from these
families that suffered on that day, i25
years ago. whea about 300 Indians,
French and tories. advanced by the
way Of Tunbridge and, 10 the early
forenoon, began 10 pIllage, burn and
massacre without mercy. The ipvad-
ers, under the leadership OF Lieut. Hor.
ton OF the British army and French
man named La Mot, second In com
mand. left Canada with the intention
OF laying waste Newbury, VI.
Up Lake Champlaln they went by
boat and then followed the Winooski
river TO point near Montpelier,
where they we're informed by hunters
that Newbury was we'll fortified and
soldiers stationed there. This was o
false report that saved Newbury but
proved most disastrous to Royalton
The guide OF the invaders was the
same Hamilton Who had been taken
prisoner by the Americans at the time
OF Gen Burgoyne's surrender 10 Gen
Gates at Saratoga.
Having visited both Royalton and
Newbury on parole, Hamilton was
well acquainted with the ground, and,
according TO tradition, tho trouble he
had had with Roy alton settlers used
him TO seek this opportunity for re
venge. So they travelled via Barre,
over the mountains, through Orange
and Washington, down the first branch
Of the White river through Chelsea
and Tunbridge to Royalton.
Their Sabbath day encampment was
on what is now the Adams Rowell
farm of the main highway fromSouth
Royalton to Chelsea. The roads on
that October day were full Of men.
women and children fleeing for their
lives, and the savages close behind
burning, shooting, scalp
ing, and taking prisoners.
About O'Clock In the afternoon the
invaders started for Canada, having
burned q dwelling houses and l6 new
barns filled with grain. They killed
$50 cattle and many sheep and swine.
They captured 80 horses. The % pris
opers were taken to Montreal and vic
unity. A year later with the exception
of one who died, all returned to Roy