"St Regis Indian Village"
odd: label: Local Numbers
content: NAA INV.9388200

OPPS NEG.965 F
label: Local Note
content: Black and white copy film negative
name: label: Engraver
content: Bartlett, W. B.
topic: label: Topic
content: Indians of North America -- Northeast
creator: label: Engraver
content: Bartlett, W. B.
culture: label: Culture
content: Iroquois
label: Culture
content: Mohawk
setName: label: See more items in
content: Bureau of American Ethnology negatives
label: See more items in
content: Bureau of American Ethnology negatives / Additional Materials / Bartlett, W. B.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Date: Not recorded; clipped from unknown source, 1850 - 1856.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 1 Photograph (8x10 in)
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Anthropological Archives
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Photographs
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Photographs
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: "The Indian village of St Regis is situated near Malone, in the northern part of the state of New York. The following interesting incident, connected with the history of the bell belonging to the old church, which is seen in the accompanying illustration, is extracted from Lossing's Field Book of the Revolution, a work which we have heretofore had occasion to speak of in terms of the highest commendation. "St Regis is an old Indian village, and contains a small Roman Catholic church, built about the year 1700. When completed the priest informed the Indians that a bell was highly important to their worship, and they were ordered to collect furs sufficient to purchase one. They obeyed, and the money was sent to France for the purpose. The French and English were then at war. The bell was shipped, but the vessel that contained it fell into the hands of the English, and was taken into Salem in the fall of 1703. The bell was purchased for a small church at Deerfield, on the Connecticut River, the pastor of which was the Rev. Mr Williams. Thepriest of St Regis heard of the destination of his bell, and, as the Governorof Canada was about to send an expedition, under Major Ronville, against the colonies of New England, he exorted the Indiansto accompany him and get possession of it. Ronville, with 200 French and 142 Indians, arrived near Deerfield in the evening of the 29th of February, 1704.

During the night they attacked the unsuspecting villagers, killed 47 and made 112 prisoners. The latter, among whom were the pastor and his family, were taken to Canada. The only house left standing was that of Captain Sheldon, which the assailants themselves occupied in securing their prisoners. It is still standing, near the center of the village. The bell was conveyed in triumph through the forest to Lake Champlain, to the spot where Burlington now stands, and there they buried it, with the benedictions of Father Nicholas, the priest of St Regis, who accompanied them. Thus far they had carried it by means of timber, upon their shoulders. They hastened home and returned in early spring with oxen and sled to convey the sacred bell, now doubly hallowed in their minds, to its destination. The Indians of the village had never heard the sound of a bell, and powerful was the impression upon their minds, when its deep tones, louder and louder, broke the silence of the forest, as it approached their village at evening, suspended upon a cross piece of timber, and rung continually by the delighted carriers. It was hung in the steeple with solemn ceremony, and there it remains. The polished tin that covered the steeple of the old Church was glittering in the last rays of the evening sun as we passed far away on the northern shore." Copy from "Bureau of Ethnology. Indian Miscellany." Volume VIII, page 2506. (1850-1856)