The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1905-04-13

OF September, 1876, that this band of
Indians surprised little fort not far
from Fort Frederick and murdered
and scalped all they found in it. On
their return they passed the house OF
William Stockton. east Of the North
Mountain, opposite the Maryland
fort, who about an hour before their
arrival, Unconscious of the danger,
had gone with wife to perform the
last duties to a dying neighbor about
two miles distant, leaving their ciIiI-
dren at home. The Indians seized
two of these children, George. Il bov
of Is, and Isabella. = girl then 10
wears of age, aud carried them off as
captives to the North GEORGE. who
was Youth of remarkable energy
and spirit, after a captivity of three
years made bis escape and returned
to his home in Berkeley county with
his feelings deeply eInbittered against
the Indians aud their allies the
French.
Isabella Stockton, after being with
them something upward of month,
was sold by them to a wealthy Cana
dian trader, who took her 10 his home
near Montreal and being touched by
the artless manners and progresses
lug qualities of the child, bestowed.
with his wife, every care on her edu-
cation and training which the condi,
ton Of the country then permitted.
AT IT. yrars Of age she had developed
into Il girl of extraordinary beauty
and attractions. At this time there
arrived from France a nephew by
the name of Jean Baptiste Plata.
a Young man highly educated and of
the nOblest and most chivaic traits of
character, Living in the same hotse
with Isabella, "A mutual attachment
soon sprang up between them. and
III about one year he made known to
his uncle his purpose to ask her band
in marriage. The uncle approved his
purpose and the young man opened
the subject to Isabella. She told him
that she could not disguise from him
her deep attachment to him, but she
felt compelled to disclose to him what
she had never before breathed to anv
human heing-something of her earlt
history. When but 10 wears of age
Sha lo n baan ta la, nc - .,,+;,,o e.z..
her parents by the Indians and had
been sold ~ his uncle. The images
of her dear father and mother had
been continually present to her mind
from that day to this. Her dreams
had kept their faces and features as
fresh and vivid in her memory as if
she had seen them every day and she
did not feel that she could with salts
faction to herself change her rela-
tions in life until she had once more
revisited her home in Virginia, and if
her parents were still alive to ask
their consent to the proposed mar
riage.
The young Frenchman promptly
offered to take her to her parents not
for moment doubling that they
would cordially ratify his union with
their daughter. He accordingly pro-
cured the necessary horses from his
uncle and they started on their long
and perilous journey. They arrived
safely in the county of Berkeley and
he delivered her into the embraces of
her astorished and delighted parents.
For few days all was gladness and
joy. But as soon as it was commun-
icated to them that the young French
daughter in marriage then all the an
mostly of the prosecuted settlers
sprang up in their bosoms. A French
man at that day was more hateful to
Virginia backwoodsman than even
a Shawnee Indian, for they regarded
them as the instigato~s and fomenters
of all the cold-blooded murderers and
barbarities which had drenched their
settlement in blood. His proposal of
marriage was rejected; he was even
ordered to leave the house, but he
fingered long enough in the neighbor-
hood to mature an arrangement with
Isabella by which he might effect her
escape and both return to Canada.
"Availing himself of the opportun-
ity when the father and George were
absent on a hunt across the North
Mountain, the two lovers started, on
their journey northward The day
after their departure the father and
son returned, when the enraged faith
err, discovering the flight, gave his or
ders to the fiery and impetuous George
to go Immediately in pursuit and to
bring Isabella back, dead or alive,
for he would rather see her a corps e
than to hear of her marriage with a
Frenchman. Meanwhile the fugitives
had crossed the Potomac; they had
forded the Juniata and they had
reached the west bank of the Susque-
hanna, in the county now called Ly-