Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1916-02-18
MAIDSTONE.
BY HON. MOODY RICH.


A party of these savages and tories
came from Canada for the purpose
of capturing Capt. Bailey, Mr.. Hugh
end other of the inhabitants Of
Maidstone. They went first to the
house of Thomas Wooster, in the
north part of the town, and took
Wooster, his hired man, John Smith,
and James Luther, who was at the
house of Mr.. Wooster visiting the
girl who subsequently became his
wife, little thinking of the grievous
calamity about to befall him. They
then proceeded to Mr.. Hugh's, who
was saved as narrated ia the bio
graphic sketch of Mr.. Hugh. Finding
that Bailey and his neighbors were
armed and prepared to defend them
selves, they took what prisoners they
had secured to Canada; were pursued
by some of the settlers who hoped
to rescue the captives, but were un-
successful and returned home. On
their long, tedious march through
the wilderness their sufferings were
intense, particularly from hunger.
When the Indians stopped to eat
their scanty meal, Luther would sit
down before them and watch with a
desiring eye; they would now and
then throw him a bit, saying, you
all one dog, take that
Mr.Luther was afterward redeem
ed from his captivity, and married
the girl from whom he was thus un-
expectedly taken, and lived with her
in the town of Canaan to a good old
age. Mr.. Wooster made the tories
believe he was also a tory, and was
released. The hired man succeeded
in effecting his escape from them by
running away.
In connection with the Indian his
tory is also the following interesting
account received from Miss B. 7.
Rich, daughter of the writer of this
record for Maidstone. since the re-
ceipt of her fathers papers.-Ed.
eve had a visit yesterday from an
aged lady who told me of a Mrs.
Chapman, whose husband was at
work in the field and attacked by a
party of Indians and his head split
open, falling down half one side and
half the other, in sight of his wife
in the house, who took her three
children and fled to the woods, in
hearing of the house. One of the
children was a very crying babe,
which she put to the breast, every
moment expecting it would cry and
discover her place of concealment.
While thus hid under the trees
and thick foliage, she could hear the
Indians come to the house and imi-
tate, as we'll as they could, her hus-
bands voice saying, Come, Molly,
the Indians gone; come back, Molly,
come" AS she did not come, they
went away, and she with her chill
dren were saved. No tongue could
tell her sufferings as they passed
near her several times in the search,
and she expecting to see her children
murdered every moment. She had
to cross the river to a neighbours, to
make known her sorrow, which she
did by wading through, carrying one
child, then returning for another,
until all were over safely.
My informant does not remember
whether Mr.. Chapman lived in
Brunswick or in Maidstone, at the
time; if in B., perhaps you have the
story in their history. She had the
narrative from Mrs. Chapman's own
lips years ago, and many years after
the tragedy happened, which the
poor woman even then told with
streaming eyes and choking grief.
1t shows what people suffered here
in those perilous days.
This lady also told me that John
French, father of Major Hams.
French, kept for long time secret
ed under a hay stack, his wife car
rying him food after dark, as the
savages were determined to take
him, dead or alive.
They went IN the night to the
house of Hezekiah Fuller, who, hear
ing them coming, slipped down be-
hid the bed. They asked his wife
where her sannup was, she said he
was gone, then they took her large