Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-12-05
INDIANS OF THIS LOCALITY.

lnulanS OF tnlS Locality, was read by
Miss Kathleen Foote at the meeting of
Mary Baker Allen chapter, Daughters
+ American Revolution, held at the home
of Mr.. and Mrs. A. w. Foote in Corn
wall, November ID:
INDIANS OF THIS Ii CALITY.
The histories do not give much ma
terial on the Indians in this locality
during the French and Indian wars. but
we do not need histories to tell us that
the Indians were accustomed to live in
the Lemon Fair valley. Arrow heads.
spear points, pestles and hatchets are
found when certain parts of the land
are ploughed. The source seems to be
never failing and the amount of arrow
heads never appears to be diminished.
Every time these fields are ploughed a
fresh crop of relics is turned up and
this has happened ever since the fields
were cultivated
There are numerous stories connected
with the fate of the people who were at
the mercy of the Indians at the time of
Burgoyne's invasion during the Revol-
utionary war. In the spring of TIT
the British planned three lines of at
tack, which were intended to cut New
England off from the middle colonies.
The expedition which was of interest to
the people of the Champlain Valley
was that of General Burgoyne from
Lake Champlain to the Hudson river at
Albany. In June General Burgoyne
started southwark from Montreal with
an army of about eight thousand men.
he had sent to the people of the New
Hampshire Grants bombastic procla-
nation promising security and future
rewards to whomever would aid him
and show their allegiance to the King,
but threatening all the horrors of In
dian cruelty to those who held to the
colonists' cause. General Burgoyne
purposely used the Indians to brighten
the inhabitants into showing favor to
his side, for from the farmers along
Lake Champlain he had to look for his
provisions. So by allowing the Indians
and Tories, who in many cases were
more cruel than the Indians, to burn
and destroy property and massacre the
people he very effectively frightened
the people, not into joining the British
forces but into leaving their homes and
going to the southern and more thickly
populated part of the State.
The inhabitants of the Grants though
exposed to the ill-wil of the Tories had
felt comparatively secure from molesta-
ton so long as the Americans held possess
sion ofithe forts Ticonderoga and Crown
Point which was the case from their
capture by Ethan Allen in ITS until
their recaptue by Bourgoyne in 1777.
This occurrence made the stay of the
settlers utterly unsafe as they We're ex-
posed to marauding parties of Indians
and Tories. The news of the evacua-
ton of Fort Ticonderoga was a signal
to the settlers, as have said to leave
their homes or stay at great risk.
Such articles as could not be con-
cealed or could not be carried were left
behind. Mrs. Stebbins, the great
grandmother of Lyman w. Peet of
Cornwall hid duodecimo Bible and a
looking glass under pillow, the whole
concealed under some logs where they
remained undisturbed until her return
after the restoration of peace. The
Bible, though somewhat discolored by
exposure to dampness is legible and
contains the family record.
The chief injury sustained by the
glass is the loss of the ornamental parts
of the frame. These articles are in the
possession of Mr.. Peet and were on ex-
hibition when the 150th anniversary of
Cornwall was celebrated in November,
1911.
A few of the settlers attempted to
stay on their farms and as a result had
various mishaps. Eldad Andrus was
taken captive by the Indians and Tories
and carried to the British camp across
the lake where he was held for several
months. During this time the Indians
several times visited his house, and
though they offered no violence to his
family, they consumed his stock of pro-
visions, destroyed his young fruit trees
and carried away his only horses, a
mare and colt. These remained absent
| IL IL
accompanied by this colt and another
which matched it WELL
Mr.. .Andrus having discovered an
opportunity to escape, fled. Perceiving
that he was followed by an Indian, he
secured heavy club and concealed him
self under log, over which the Indian
would have to pass. AS he was climb
UNCOVER unaware of his danger Mr..
| A pdYI1c a, ,1oly him q blor.r ,,,b;ab fallol