Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-05-23
THE BURNING OF ROYAL TON

The second in a series OF "Indian
Captivities," printed by the II. r.
Hunting Co of Springfield, Mass,
is a narrative Of the adventures Of
Zadock Steele, including an account
of the burning of RoYalton. Zadock
Steele was grandson OF the first
settled Congregational minister at
Tolland, CT, where he was born
December II, 1858. He served in
the Revolution as militiaman and
teamster, and soon after removed to
Randolph, VT, 10 miles north Of
Royalton. He was % when the
exciting events took place which he
has chronicled primarily for his
family and descendants.
Before dawn on this fatal 10Th of
October the town, unsuspecting dam
ger, was surprised by a party of
about 900 Indians of various tribes,
who had left Canada intending to
destroy Newbury, VT, on the Con-
necticut river. A British lieutenant
named Horton was their commander
with a Frenchman, lie Mott, as his
second. Their guide was ga des-
picable villain" named Hamilton,
who had been captured with Bur-
goyne by the Americans in I777 and
who had been living on parole in
NewburY and Royalton, leaving for
Canada on pretense of going to sur
vey northern Vermont. He was
charged with being the instigator Of
of the raid into the country which
he had enjoyed an opportunity to
examine in detail. Luckily for
Newbury, the expedition captured
some hunters from that place, who
told them that a garrison was sta
toned there. The lie saved New
bury, but destroyed Royalton. The
raiding party went up Onion river
as far as the mouth of Stevens branch
at Montpelier, crossed the mountains,
traversing Orange and Washingto n,
and camped at Tunbridge, near
Royalton remaining there Sunday
the day before the raid, to concert
measures for an effective attack.
So unsettled was the surrounding
region that their approach was not
suspected until they entered the
house of John Hutchinson, near the
Tunbridge line. The family was
captured. Near by lived Robert
Havens, who was out in pursuit of
his sheep and saw the Indians enter
ing his door. He hid under log,
and escaped. His son, who was in
the house, fled and also hid
under a log, but Thomas Pember,
who was to marry his sister, was
killed. In general, prisoners and
booty seem to have been sought, but
it was dreadful time, and no one
knew who would be spared or MUIR
dered. Mr.. Benedict also hid under
log and heard a redskin say as he
stood on the same log, "If they
could find him, he should feel the
tomahawk." But Indians seem
never to have thought of looking I'M
der logs for fugitives; in the old
narratives they have none of the dia-
bolical discernment attributed to the
Indians by Cooper.
There were many examples OF
dauntless courage ARng the sur
prised settlers, and good many es-
capped in one way or another, while
others were LETT unframed when the
Indians had picked as many cap
tives as they could take. They stole
30 horses, which proved hindrance
rather than help, and carried of
all the valuables they could, for the
most part the ordinary utensils OF
farm life-axes, hoes, pots, kettles,
shoveIs, tongs, sickles, scythes,
chains, warming pans, plates, look
Eyeglasses, beds emptied of their
feathers. They burned III houses
and I6 barns stored with hay and
grain; they killed $50 head of cattle
and all the sheep and swine they
found, and destroyed all the furni-
ture they could not take. 1t was a
deplorable condition in which the
survivors who were not taken prison
ers were left.
The alarm soon spread to neigh
boring towns. The Indians left at
about p. M, and company Of
900, commanded by Col. John
House of Hanover, N. H., set out
in pursuit about midnight, expecting
to overtake the enemy at Brookfield
by dawn. But they had hardly
started before they came upon the
rear guard of the retreating force,
and after an exchange of fire by
which several Americans were
wounded, Col, H, as the historian
artlessly calls him, though on the
preceding page his full name is
given, "through cowardice or want
of SKILL" ordered his men to halt
and cease firing. Thus the Indians
had time to make their escape, leav-
ing much plumber and nearly all the
horses. Two of the prisoners,
Joseph Kneeland aad Giles Gibbs,
were put to death. The pursuing
posse lost the trail, which seems
strange considering the impedimenta
Of the fugitives, and the Americans
soon disbanded, leaving their friends
to be taken into captivity.
SmaIIey for National Committeeman